Daily WHUFC News - 11th April 2016

Antonio - We deserved more
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio says West Ham United need to learn how to close out games
after allowing Arsenal to come from behind and snatch a 3-3 Barclays Premier
League draw on Saturday. The Hammers drew for the fourth game in succession,
having led in all four – the Emirates FA Cup sixth-round tie at Manchester
United and subsequent league games at Chelsea and home to Crystal Palace and
Arsenal. And the No30 says he and his teammates will have to find a way of
stopping their opponents from getting back into things if they are to
maintain their challenge for a UEFA Champions League place and reach the FA
Cup final. "It's one of those things where it's happened to us in the last
four games, where we've had the lead and we didn't manage to hold on," he
observed. "We've just got to find that solidity at the back and not let any
more goals in. We've not had a clean sheet in a while now, so that's got to
be our next plan."

On Saturday, West Ham's cause was not helped by a wrongly disallowed 'goal'
scored by Manuel Lanzini while the game was goalless. Arsenal took advantage
to go two goals up, before Andy Carroll's eight-minute hat-trick turned
things around, only for the Gunners to grab a point through Laurent
Koscielny's 70th-minute equaliser. "We definitely feel we should have had
all three points," Antonio continued. "We started quite slowly but once we
got into the game, we had more opportunities than they did. "There were a
couple of other situations that we feel should have gone our way, but that's
just one of those things where it's part and parcel of football. In the last
four games it's happened to us, but we've just got to take it and move on."

Antonio started Saturday's game at right wing-back, before reverting to his
recent right-back role as Slaven Bilic switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation after
the break. The tactical change paid off as West Ham stormed forward, with
the Londoner providing the cross for Carroll to power the hosts into the
lead. "Andy was outstanding, as you could see," said Antonio. "You don't get
a hat-trick without performing well and he did what we know he can do. "When
you hang it up to the back post, there is no-one who can hold him and no-one
who can stop him. "At the start, we were playing with the ball too much and
not really getting it out wide and getting crosses in the box, and you know
if you're not getting crosses in the box, it's not going to help Andy's
game. We started sticking it in and he started putting it in the back of the
net."

Next up is an FA Cup replay with Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on
Wednesday evening – a game Antonio and everyone in Claret and Blue is
relishing. "We've shown this season that we're not scared of anyone who
comes here, and even away from home we know we're good enough to play anyone
in the Premier League. "We're going to keep pushing and keep fighting and
try to get as high as possible in the league."

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From the Terraces - Ray Winstone
WHUFC.com

Hollywood star Ray Winstone was back in east London on Saturday to see his
beloved West Ham United and witnessed a thrilling 3-3 draw with Arsenal in
the last ever London derby at the Boleyn Ground. The British actor was
disappointed that the Hammers could not hold onto the lead after staging a
dramatic comeback from two goals down. But he was thrilled to see Andy
Carroll score a hat-trick and hopes he will be part of the England squad for
the European Championship Finals this summer. Winstone said: "It is funny
because any other year if we went 2-0 down it would be game over and all the
fans would be saying goodnight. "But with this team at the moment it is
never over. I thought we should have won the game 5-3, but they still
haven't beaten us this season! "I would definitely take Andy Carroll to the
Euro Finals because I don't think any other international team would know
how to cope with him. He is a strong kid and he can play football. He is a
wonderful player."

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Stat's a Fact - AC the hat-trick hero
WHUFC.com

44, 45 and 52. Eight minutes were all that separated Andy Carroll's
hat-trick goals against Arsenal on Saturday. What could well be the final
treble scored at the Boleyn Ground rescued a situation that had the Hammers'
now 14-game unbeaten home run in jeopardy, and gave Slaven Bilic's men a
terrific boost ahead of a massive week in league and cup. Carroll's
goal-getting exploits ended a near three-year wait for a West Ham hat-trick
at the Boleyn Ground – Kevin Nolan's against Reading in May 2013 was the
last – and took his goal tally for the season to seven. It also means the
Hammers have now taken 15 points from their eight London derbies this season
and have not lost in eleven starts. Carroll's contribution was key and he
will be hoping it sets up a big end to the season for him, with glory for
Club and the potential of a place in Roy Hodgson's thoughts on the line. He
made himself so hard to defend against for the Arsenal backline, getting on
the end of Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio crosses to notch headed
goals, either side of his left foot finish for 2-2. The former Newcastle and
Liverpool made now has 41 Premier League goals to his name – 21 of those
coming from headers. He tallied ten shots in total against the Gunners –
seven more than the next-most prolific opportunist, also winning five aerial
duels. Only Laurent Koscienly could match that figure. His heading stats
always make for impressive reading – with the No9 being involved in an
average of 13.1 aerial challenges and winning 6.8 of them in every game.
More importantly, that facet of his game led to two goals on Saturday and
gave him a second career hat-trick, six years after his first for Newcastle
against Aston Villa back in 2010.

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Andy Carroll should be in England frame for Euro 2016, says Slaven Bilic
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 10/04/16 2:13pm
SSN

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says Andy Carroll's hat-trick heroics against
Arsenal should catapult him back into the England reckoning. Striker Carroll
plundered a stunning treble in just eight minutes either side of half-time
in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Upton Park. The 27-year-old was involved in Roy
Hodgson's squad at the last European Championships in Poland and Ukraine in
2012 and opened the scoring in the victory over Sweden in the group stage.
Carroll has struggled with injuries since, but Bilic feels that if he can
stay fit his aerial prowess would be a major asset for Hodgson and England
in France this summer. "I've said my opinion about a few of our players."
said Bilic. "Mark Noble, Aaron Cresswell, and Andy Carroll is definitely in
the category that he has to make you think about him because there are not
many players capable of doing what he is doing. But it's Roy's decision.
"His problem is not consistency in terms of little injuries. A lad who is
six foot whatever and with so many kilos - he needs to be fit. Now he is fit
we hope he is going to last like this for years."
Arsenal were 2-0 up and seemingly cruising to a third straight victory
thanks to goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. But in the 44th minute
Carroll got on the end of Cresswell's cross to power a header in at the far
post. Moments later, in first-half stoppage time, Carroll acrobatically
turned in Noble's centre at the second attempt to haul his side level.
Carroll completed his hat-trick when he nodded Michail Antonio's cross home
in the 52nd minute and although Laurent Koscielny rescued a point for the
Gunners, their title hopes were potentially dealt a fatal blow. "It is
points dropped," Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck told the club website. "With
the circumstances, going two up and then a goal behind, to get the equaliser
was good. But it was disappointing. "We just need to focus on ourselves and
play the game that we want to. There is no point in us looking at other
teams because we can't affect them."

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Stat attack: Carroll's hat-trick 'surprise'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Andy Carroll was entirely laid back about his hat-trick when interviewed
after the game yesterday. It was a brilliant show of self restraint as in
fact this was only the second of his 10 year career – the other one coming
asa Newcastle payer. It came in the second game of the season of the 2o10/11
season when as a Newcastle player he ht the Aston Villa on a Monday night as
the team trounced the midlanders 6-0 at St James' Park.
In that season he finished with 14 goals but yesterday's expoits were enough
to have every pundit attempting to resurrect his Euro 2016 chances.
David Gold was among them saying: "There's a lot of players of the same type
in the current England squad so of Roy Hodgson is going to take another it
should be Andy. "He brings something entirely different – why take more of
the same. I think the big man can do a job for England."
AC however, despite his delight at the three goals, said: "I must keep
England at the back of my head. It's about doing it every week for West
Ham."

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West Ham Ref Watch
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C AND H

FA match officials let West Ham down again for the third match in a row to
finish a draw. The latest villain of the peace is Premier League referee
Craig Pawson with his lino Darren Cann following equally disappointing
performances by Mark Clattenburg for our Palace 2-2 draw and Robert Madley
for our Chelsea 2-2 score draw.

Lanzini's disallowed goal was clearly onside but assistant referee Darren
Cann flagged it offside offside and Craig Pawson decided not to overrule it.
Former referee Howard Webb agreed that the goal was onside and should have
stood describing it as . Four minutes later Ozil scored in an equally tight
call, TV replays showed they got that one right down the last inch but maybe
they gave the benefit of the doubt to the larger visiting club.

West Ham were denied a penalty shout on Lanzini and were disallowed Payet's
goal when Carroll was judged to have put both hands on an Arsenal defender.
Howard Webb agreed with those decisions saying Pawson got those just about
right but the calls were marginal.

Arsenal fans have pointed out that Andy Carroll should have been sent off
for a second yellow card which Pawson missed when Mark Noble tripped the ref
up. Maybe he was lucky to say on but Howard Webb says so was Gabriel who
lashed out at Andy Carroll with his studs. Webb said that action could have
warranted a straight red in his opinion.

West Ham are certainly not getting the rub of the green and it could be
argued we have dropped six points in the last three matches largely because
of match officials. Those six points would have put us above Arsenal in
third place. No point in crying over spilt milk or crying a FA conspiracy.
Refereeing needs to improve and technology is one way to make it fair and
transparent to all teams.

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I hope and pray 'Sak' was just having a bad day
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 10, 2016 in Hugh's Blogs, News, Whispers
C and H

Diafra Sakho – as regular readers of my stuff know – is my favourite Hammer
– even above Dimi Payet whom I love to pieces. So that demonstrates exactly
what I think of the guy who is currently at the centre of what hopefully is
nothing more than a storm in a teacup over his absence from the Arsenal
game. The club's hierachy has this morning moved to clear up a possible
controversy over allegations that he had a problem in training when it was
alleged by sources he wouldn't be in the team yesterday. Please God that's
true and I am glad to take it at face value because of my admiration for the
striker who I believe puts 20 per cent minimum on the team's performance at
his best. He creates tremendous space for Dimi and Manu to weave their magic
and has been tireless in his efforts for this club since arriving from
France. It was really sad to see him posting a snapchat message saying that
when he's hated he does even more to be hated but I'm ready to accept that
could have meant anything about anybody. I hope he was just having a bad
day. Diafra Sakho is a fabulous striker and to have picked him up for £3.5
million was amazing although he does attract some negative headlines. We
won't go into them here because they have no relevance to the current
situation. I just hope he's back in the squad for Wednesday night, and plays
his part in taking us to Wembley.

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Sakho training ground story brings denials
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Diafra Sakho's immediate West Ham future ahead of the Manchester United
clash remains the big topic of conversation this morning after his shock
absence from the squad which drew with Arsenal.

Conflicting reports of the situation arose with the Mail claiming – as did
Claretandhugh last night – that there had been a training ground issue on
Friday when he reported an injury.

There is no issue on that and David Sullivan jnr has tweeted: "So many
false rumours about Sakho flying about. As Slaven stated after the game, he
has a minor injury – that's all."

At the same time co chairman David Gold tweeted that the player "didn't feel
well – should be ok for Wednesday."

ClaretandHugh had reported that the player had posted a message on his
personal snapchat which said: 'When I'm hated I don't give a f***. I do
everything to be more hated.' before mentioning the alleged training ground
issue.

And after the game Slav explained that it was indeed Sakho who had reported
the injury as reported by ourselves and the Mail.

The Mail added in today's report: "Sakho is understood to have been upset
after finding out he would not be in the starting line-up for Saturday's
London derby and made his feelings known at training on Friday before
leaving."

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