Daily WHUFC News - 7th April 2016

Neufville - The aim is the play-offs
WHUFC.com

Young Hammer Vashon Neufville says the play-offs are now within touching
distance of the Development Squad after a 1-0 win over Stoke City on Monday
night. The victory moved the Hammers up to fourth in the table, and another
three points in the final league game at Aston Villa would ensure a play-off
campaign is to come for the U21s. And Neufville was pleased with the way he
and his teammates kept plugging away to eventually grab the winner against
the Potters late on. He said: "I'm feeling ecstatic. It was a long, tough
game, but finally we got the goal. It was a nice clean sheet too – there
wasn't much pressure at the back. "I personally thought that I played good,
except for a few sloppy touches, but it was good. "The aim is the play-offs.
One more win at Aston Villa, and hopefully we can get there."

Terry Westley's side's winner – a 94th minute penalty – was scored by
16-year-old substitute Idris Kanu in just his second U21s appearance, and
Neufville thinks his teammate has a bright future. "Personally, I think he's
a good player. He had great confidence to come on and take the penalty. "I
think he can get into the first team if he just keeps on working hard."

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Antonio is your Player of the Month
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio has won the whufc.com fans' vote to be named your Player of
the Month for March. The Hammers winger - or right back as he was mostly
used during the month - has enjoyed an outstanding run of form and scored
vital goals against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in March. West Ham went
unbeaten through the month, with Antonio playing in every single game as
Slaven Bilic's men maintained their push for Europe in the league and
remained on the path to Wembley in the FA Cup. Antonio beat off competition
from Dimitri Payet, taking 53 percent of the vote, to Payet's 23 percent.
Mark Noble was in third, while Manuel Lanzini and Aaron Cresswell rounded
off the top five.

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From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com

Legendary BBC commentator John Motson looks forward to Saturday's Brooking
and Bonds themed visit of Arsenal by recalling the career of his former
colleague Sir Trevor Brooking...

Trevor Brooking, for me, was someone who I have enjoyed both commentating on
and working alongside in the commentary box. When he first retired in the
mid-1980s, he spent a period of time working in the media and was my regular
co-commentator for the FA Cup final and at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. He
was also a co-commentator at the 1994 World Cup in the USA and for all the
live England games which the BBC broadcast. Trevor brought a new insight to
the game in a day when co-commentators were a comparatively new addition to
the BBC team, as before live football really took a hold we didn't really
have a pundit or a colour man, call it what you will, as the commentator did
all of the game for the recorded highlights. Working with Trevor was an
absolute pleasure because he was, and is, such a gentleman. We always got on
well and in those days we used to go out for a run together on the morning
of the game and things like that. He brought a new insight and always used
to say when commentating on England 'Why do we always kick the ball long?'
and 'Why don't we have the defenders who have the technique to bring the
ball out?' That was always his pitch, talking about ball-playing and
technique and not resorting to the long ball. That was his theme throughout
the time I commentated with him and of course that stemmed from his time as
a player, when he was a culture master. He had touch, vision and was gifted
on the ball and was never short of praising Ron Greenwood and things he had
taught him at West Ham. You could always feel the history of the club
running right through him, with Ron – the High Priest of Football, as I
called him – particularly to the fore. Trevor was one of his disciples.
I also remember being at his last game for West Ham in 1984 against Everton,
who were playing in the FA Cup final the following weekend, and everyone in
the ground stood at the final whistle for minutes on end and applauded
Trevor Brooking. Even the kitchen staff came out to join in with that
fantastic ovation. I did an interview with him in the week he retired in his
back garden in Shenfield in Essex and he said, prophetically, that 'I don't
think you'll see many more players like me who stay with the same one club
for ten years'. Of course, his loyalty was a fantastic trait. He came from a
family with good values and Trevor always stood for very high standards and
his loyalty went with it. I don't think he ever considered leaving West Ham,
even though a lot of clubs coveted him, and the climax of course came in the
1980 FA Cup final when Brian Clough said he 'Floats like a butterfly and
stings like one' in the morning papers and Trevor's riposte was to score the
winning goal!

*Don't miss Part Two of John Motson's From the Newsroom blog, focusing on
the great Billy Bonds, on Thursday at 4pm!

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The Big Interview - Dimitri Payet (Part Two)
WHUFC.com

In Part Two of our exclusive interview with Dimitri Payet, the attacking
midfielder looks ahead to the big London derby against Arsenal on Saturday.

Payet reveals he was a big admirer of the famous 'Invincible' side that went
the whole season without a defeat back in 2003/04 and has kept a close eye
on the number of French players who have performed for the north London club
since Arsene Wenger took charge.

The Hammers are just three points behind Manchester City in fourth place and
Payet gives his views on the race to secure a European spot come the end of
the season.


Arsenal have been renowned for having a number of French players over the
last 15 to 20 years. Have you kept a kept close eye on them because of their
French connections and Arsene Wenger being in charge of the club?

DP: "Arsenal are a special club for many French supporters. I watched them a
lot especially during the 'Invincible' era when they had Thierry Henry,
Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires.

"Arsene Wenger has been an extraordinary manager who has really built the
club and made it what it is today, so my hat goes off to him.

"The number of French players Arsenal have brought through is very
impressive and many of the players who arrived, especially the young ones
were unknown when they arrived to the general public.

"But all of them have left Arsenal to join top clubs and this is something
that we have seen in France. Any young player who joins them will be very
well looked after."


We have had some memorable doubles this season over Liverpool and Manchester
City. After recording a famous win over Arsenal on the opening day, how
confident are you that we can have another big result and secure all three
points on Saturday?

DP: "We know it will be another tough game. Arsenal have a small hope of
winning the title and they want to keep as close as they can to Leicester
and Tottenham and also the Champions League positions.

"We are are home and want to get the win. We are coming off a tough game
against Crystal Palace, but we will prepare hard ahead of the match."


Can we finish in the top four and make it into the Champions League next
season?

DP: "It will be very tough but finishing in the top five will be a great
season for us. That would guarantee European football next season which
would be very important for the Club as they continue to develop.

"Playing in Europe is important for clubs looking to progress. If you look
at other clubs who have done that, you can see how far they come now. It is
something that we want to do and become even bigger."


It is a big week for the Club with a London derby and then a huge FA Cup
quarter final replay against Manchester United. It is the last ever cup game
under the lights at the Boleyn Ground. How much are you looking forward to
the big cup tie?

DP: "It will be the last cup game at the stadium and we want to win it and
get to Wembley for a semi-final and then hopefully the final.

"The whole group is very focused on that match as well, along with the
fans."

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues his latest
update - in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone,

There is not much to say this week, thankfully, as we didn't pick up any new
injuries against Crystal Palace and we are happy that the red card shown to
Cheikhou Kouyate has been rescinded.

We have only two players returning from injuries and both of them, Sam Byram
and James Collins, will return to training with the squad on tomorrow or
Friday.

We are in a very good position, both in terms of our position in the
Barclays Premier League table and the number of injuries we have at present.

At this time of the season, with six vital weeks and so many important games
coming up in the league and Emirates FA Cup, the medical department are
working hard to ensure as many players are available to the manager as
possible.

We have a potential five games in 15 days, should we progress to the FA Cup
semi-finals. We will need everybody over the next few weeks during what is
going to be a busy period.

With so many games scheduled, our responsibility is to keep the players as
fresh as possible by recovering them between fixtures.

At this stage of the season it is a case of maximising freshness and
minimising fatigue.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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West Ham set for summer tour of USA
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th April 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United are planning to feature in at least two friendlies in the
United States this summer, KUMB has learned.

Although details remain unconfirmed at present, the club will fly to the
West coast of America during the off-season for at least two pre-season
friendlies ahead of the move to the Olympic Stadium.

Already West Ham have provisionally booked friendlies against Houston Dynamo
and Seattle Sounders, both of whom feature in the MLS (Major League Soccer)
with view to adding at lest one more game.

Dynamo were founded in 2005 andf play at the 22,000 -capacity BBVA Compass
Stadium. They are currently managed by former Bolton and Burnley boss Owen
Coyle, who has been in Texas since 2014.

The Sounders, who feature at the rather larger CenturyLink Field (capacity
67,000) are coached by Sigi Schmid, a former German-born midfielder who has
lived in the US for most of his life.

Houston are currently eighth in the Western Conference, whilst the Sounders
- who feature the likes of former Fulham star Clint Dempsey in their ranks -
are bottom of the ten-team division.

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We'll make Sameulsen a £20m player, says Fry
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th April 2016
By: Staff Writer

Martin Samuelsen will be a £20million player if he stays another season at
Peterborough United before returning to West Ham. That's according to
Peterborough United's Director of Football Barry Fry who, in a wide-ranging
interview for Blowing Bubbles Monthly, described the promising youngster as
a "genius". "He has come in and made a real impact, on the training ground
he excites everybody, all our players look up to him... We are delighted to
have Martin for the rest of the season," Fry said. "I think he is so good,
he will be the difference between us getting promotion or not, or winning
the league or not." He later added: "I am hoping he helps us gain
promotion, and I can say to David Gold and Sullivan, 'let's have him for
another year in the Championship and he'll be worth £20million when he gets
back to you'. "He has got to develop and we will help that development
because he is playing week in and week out."

Elsewhere in this month's issue, George Parris writes in his column that
West Ham are still very much on the hunt of finishing fourth and winning the
FA Cup. He added: "If anyone asks me what I'd rather go for, the FA Cup or
securing a place in next season's Champions League, my answer to them is
both. Why not? Let's be greedy."

Meanwhile, writing in her column, the KUMB Podcast's Bianca Westwood looks
back at the first time she met and interviewed Mark Noble in 2007.
A typical Cockney, he chatted freely about being a fan and he had an
infectious excitement about going from singing in the stands with his mates
to playing on the hallowed turf of Upton Park," she wrote. "At that moment
neither of us could have predicted how long his time with us would last but
he is still living the dream and the remarkable thing about it is he has
never taken that for granted."

The April issue of Blowing Bubbles also debates who is better; Payet or Di
Canio? and asks if Reece Burke, Samuelsen, Diego Poyet and Elliot Lee can
force their way into Slaven Bilic's plans. Meanwhile Lucy Woolford ponders
what would life have been if Arsene Wenger had taken over as manager after
Harry Redknapp left West Ham, and Geoff Hillyer looks at what the Hammers
can learn from Leicester City's incredible season.

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Carr takes IFC role
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th April 2016
By: Staff Writer

Irons supporters team West Ham IFC are set to undergo an intensive course of
training from one of the very best in the game.

Thanks to an offer from the Betway Academy the IFC will train will Hammers
legend Tony Carr for the next six weeks as they attempt to up their game in
preparation for an annual challenge with Watford fans.

There were some notable bystanders/hecklers present this week as Carr got to
watch the IFC for the very first time, when they took on a team of Betway
employees at the club's Beckon training ground - as you may see in the video
below!

Beginning life in the mid-1990s as Internet Irons FC, WHIFC regularly play
teams consisting of supporters from rival clubs.

KUMB.com has been well represented in the team over the years by various
member of staff including Editor Graeme Howlett, Deputy Ed Gordon Thrower
and Forum Moderator Darren Chalker.

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Everybody loves Desmond...sort of
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th April 2016
By: Sam Woodcock

After Saturday's draw at home to Crystal Palace, West Ham have now drawn 2-2
six times this season, making it our most common scoreline to date.

Each result has left a different taste in the mouth, from the comebacks from
two down at Norwich and Sunderland, to the back and forth points against
City and Chelsea.

But does the recurrence of this result actually say something about West Ham
under Slaven Bilic? Well, yes. Yes I think it does.

During three seasons of Premier League football under Sam Allardyce we drew
2-2 four times. God wouldn't a humdinger of a 2-2 been nice at the end of
last season!

While I wouldn't dream of suggesting that a manager should be judged by his
accumulated Desmonds (I like winning – loads) and without wanting to state
the bleeding obvious, it is pretty clear from the regular recurrence of this
fairly high-scoring result that Slaven Bilic has instilled a more cavalier
approach to the one we saw from Big Sam.

Looking more closely, we have already scored 49 goals this season: five more
than the entire 2014/15 campaign; nine more than 2013/14; four more than
2012/13.

If we continue at this rate of scoring then we will reach the 60 goal
milestone and, barring a major catastrophe, achieve a positive goal
difference – both achievements, incredibly (or depressingly, depending on
how you look at it), for the first time since 1985/86.

If you prefer your numbers in averages then try these: in the top flight
since 1995/96 we have averaged 1.17 goals per game; under Big Sam 1.13 goals
per game; and under Slaven Bilic? 1.58 goals per game! An incredible
transformation. What a man.

So do the 2-2s we keep getting mean that we have become shoddier at the
back? Well, there's a couple of ways you can look at this.

Look for those averages again and you get some interesting results: since
1995/96 we have conceded 1.43 goals per game; under Allardyce 1.32; and
under Slav 1.19 – very impressive indeed. And there was me thinking Big
Sam's team was built on a rock solid back four!

So clearly Slav has got the perfect balance of defence and attack? Happy
days! Well, not quite. Our three 0-0s on the bounce in December I feel
slightly skew this season's average.

That might seem a little bit unfair to some of you, they were results that
required a huge effort from the players that were picked and you could argue
that they laid the platform for our ultimate push towards the European
places.

However, the manager's hand was forced for these games due to injuries and
he was not able trust his instincts to let his players go out with more
freedom to play. Therefore, I'm going to cheat a bit and give you our
average goals against if you don't include these three games: 1.32 – shock
horror, the very same as Big Sam.

To me though, this figure does seem to make sense and feels like a truer
reflection of the current team. There have been a few games this season,
most notably Spurs and Liverpool at home, when Slav has put out a strong
eleven and we have looked largely untroubled at the back. Heck, we've looked
fantastic.

However, generally speaking I would argue that our back four looks a little
bit...wobbly. Bournemouth, Leicester and Norwich at home anyone? Norwich,
Newcastle, Sunderland and Watford away? Perhaps we are a just a top class
defender, rather than a goalscorer, away from being regular top four
contenders?

A discussion for the summer perhaps.

Ultimately then, the 2-2s show West Ham in microcosm – a relatively
high-scoring, exciting, determined and aggressive team who are more than
willing to try and outscore their opponents and who are very capable of
clawing back results from losing positions, but who are also (occasionally)
susceptible to becoming flustered and gifting their opponents goals when put
under pressure. We couldn't have it all easy this season I suppose.

Oh, and the odds on 2-2 against Arsenal this weekend? 13/1...I'll just leave
that there.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Rio Ferdinand reflects on West Ham legacy as he gears up for FIFA 16 charity
clash
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Last month Rio Ferdinand pulled on a West Ham shirt for the first time in 16
years. A lot has changed at the Boleyn Ground since then but the former
academy prospect is convinced that there is even more excitement to come at
his first club in future seasons. Ferdinand was among a cast of West Ham
greats to return to east London for Mark Noble's testimonial, finding
himself back at a club brimming with optimism at the prospect of becoming
London's next footballing superpower. "Playing Mark's testimonial was the
first time I'd put my boots on since retiring," he tells Standard Sport.
"Going back to West Ham and feeling the love was beautiful, it just shows
how special your relationship with a club can be if you leave on the right
terms. "I'm so happy for the fans right now; with the Olympic Stadium
around the corner they're getting just what they deserve. Rio Ferdinand has
teamed up with SB.TV founder Jamal Edwards to host the ultimate FIFA16
tournament, and you can be a part of it. Thanks to new charity fundraising
platform Kickr.com fans can enter a competition to win the ultimate FIFA
session with Ferdinand and Edwards by donating £5 to the Rio Ferdinand
Foundation. "In the transfer market players will look at West Ham so
differently now. They're a big club now, with the Olympic Stadium, being in
London. They'll be able to attract more quality players. "We all still
believe in the heritage of the club but they're moving forward in a great
way. Of course the ideal scenario would have been for them to stay at Upton
Park and expand the ground but that wasn't really an option so they've
definitely made the best of where they are."

As much has changed for West Ham so has it changed for Ferdinand, who has
moved seamlessly from his on-field stardom to a host of post-career
activities, primarily revolving around the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. He is
of course far from the only ex-pro looking to give back to the communities
that shaped him, mentoring young people across the country in a bid to
inspire them to find the right educational or employment opportunities for
them. It is very much de jour for his generation. Yet you sense that
Ferdinand may be taking this all together more seriously, going to great
lengths to build awareness of the foundation. In this case that means a
partnership with fundraising platform Kickr, through which he is auctioning
off the opportunity to join him and Jamal Edwards of SB.TV in what could be
the ultimate game of FIFA 16. "Using something like Kickr is fantastic for
my Foundation. It builds such awareness on social media and doing creative
things like my Fifa challenge with Jamal. It's about getting our message out
there in a new and unique way, making sure we have different people coming
to the same thing through different avenues." "There's so many new spheres
to be exploited through tech and social media and Jamal was really one of
the first to make use of that to grow his own personal brand. For
ex-players, and anyone else, it's a great way to engage with fans and get
people talking about your message."

For all his work beyond the football pitch Ferdinand remains tied to the
game where he made his name. Offers continue to come for him to work in
coaching whilst his punditry on BT Sport is increasingly admired. His
intelligent reading of the game is no surprise to those who saw him on the
field, when his confidence on and off the ball marked him out as a player
destined for the very top from his earliest days at Upton Park.

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Arsenal eye deal for AZ Alkmaar's Myron Boadu as West Ham secure
pre-contract agreement with Havard Nordtveit - Wednesday's top transfer
gossip
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

The Premier League has entered the home stretch and fans will soon find out
who can last the course and who will falter during the season's climax.
However, while supporters are captivated with the title race - and basement
battle - there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes. The end of the
action on the pitch in May means that transfer talk will take centre stage
and this summer looks set to be an interesting one. A newly-agreed broadcast
deal will kick into place and clubs in England's top tier will have a pretty
penny or two to spend. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has a frugal reputation
when it comes to transfers but is hopeful he can sign Myron Boadu from AZ
Alkmaar this summer. The teenager is not yet 16, so may not be an instant
hit at the Emirates but, as usual, Wenger is prepared to build for the
future. Meanwhile, Antonio Conte is set to stage private meetings with the
Chelsea players who want to leave the club ahead of the start of his reign
at Stamford Bridge.

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Premier League televised fixtures: Arsenal could be on TV twice as often as
West Ham by end of season
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Arsenal could end the season with twice the number of televised Premier
League fixtures as West Ham after Sky announced their selection of games up
until the final day of the campaign.
No club has been selected for televised fixtures more often than Arsene
Wenger's, who will have had 27 of their 37 games broadcast live on BT Sport
and Sky after they have travelled to the Etihad Stadium to take on
Manchester City, third in the most-watched list with 24 games. Even
Manchester United, traditionally favourites of TV schedulers, have found
themselves selected for live coverage more infrequently than Arsenal, with
25 of their games broadcast this season. Sky's decision to rearrange
February's fixture between Arsenal and Leicester, a clash that surprisingly
became a battle between title contenders after the remarkable rise of
Claudio Ranieir's side, at just three weeks' notice drew heavy criticism
from supporters and the club were forced to offer a refund to non-season
ticket holders who were unable to attend. By contrast several of London's
other leading clubs have proven to be far less of a box office draw, with
champions Chelesea televised on 22 occasions, Tottenham 21 and Crystal
Palace just 10 times. The remarkable rise of West Ham has not, it seems,
been as attractive to broadcasters as the travails of Wenger's title
chasers, with the Hammers selected for TV coverage in 14 of their first 37
games. None of West Ham's last four matches, which have included three
London derbies of which one was the final meeting with capital rivals
Tottenham at the Boleyn Ground, have been selected for television coverage.
However the Hammers final game at Upton Park, a clash with Manchester United
on Tuesday May 10, will be screened live on Sky. Sky are yet to confirm
which games they have selected for live coverage on the final day of the
season, with Arsenal's match against Aston Villa unlikely to be screened
barring a remarkable change in the title race.

Live matches involving London clubs in May

Monday 2: Chelsea vs Tottenham (8pm, Sky)
Sunday 8: Tottenham vs Southampton (1:30pm, Sky), Manchester City vs Arsenal
(4pm, Sky)
Tuesday 10: West Ham vs Manchester United (7:45pm, Sky)

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West Ham star Dimitri Payet: Eden Hazard helped make me the player I am
today
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

West Ham's Dimitri Payet has praised London rival Eden Hazard for helping
make him the player he is today during their time together at Lille. The
pair spent just a season together in Ligue 1 after Payet moved to the
then-French champions as a replacement for Gervinho, who had just moved to
Arsenal, before the in-demand Hazard chose Chelsea from a host of suitors.
Between them Hazard and Payet were unable to guide Les Dogues to a repeat of
their title-winning success as they finished third behind the newly-monied
Paris St Germain and surprise champions Montpellier, led by Ligue 1 top
scorer Olivier Giroud. Though Payet has unquestionably eclipsed reigning
player of the year Hazard in his first season in the Premier League he said
the Belgian international was among a host of top players, including former
Marseille team-mate Andre Ayew, who helped him improve his game. "I have
been helped by the top players at all the clubs I have played for," he told
the West Ham website. "When you are playing with such good players it does
make things easier but I also feel that you can learn new things at all ages
and at all times from the younger and older players. "That is what football
is all about – getting the best out of everyone and working hard." Payet's
adaptation to the rigours of the Premier League has been immediate and
impressive, with Saturday's stunning free-kick against Crystal Palace the
ninth top flight goal of his debut season. That is nine more than his
struggling former team-mate Hazard has managed in a frustrating campaign at
Chelsea and the West Ham playmaker is set to be among the leading contenders
to take over as player of the year.
Whilst he took his time in arriving in England Payet has proven to be worth
the wait and he believes that the experience he gained at Lille and
Marseille has only aided the transition.
"I would say that I have been consistent and I have carried on my form from
Marseille last season," he said. "My maturity has helped me see things
differently at the age of 29 and this has been the best season of my career
so far."

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Dimitri Payet free-kicks: West Ham star reveals he doesn't practice set
pieces after mastering technique
JAMES OLLEY
Evening Standard

Dimitri Payet has revealed the secret to his successful free-kick formula:
giving up practice. The West Ham attacking midfielder produced another
moment of dead-ball brilliance against Crystal Palace last weekend to add to
a growing collection of spectacular strikes during his debut season in
England. Payet has scored with free-kicks against Bournemouth, Blackburn,
Manchester United and also for France in their friendly with Russia but
insists the key has been to trust in a technique he has honed until the
Hammers' visit to Dean Court on January 12.
"I worked very hard on taking them earlier in the season up until the
Bournemouth game when I scored," said Payet. "Since that game I have not
been practising as I have been happy with the way I am hitting the ball so
I am carrying on with that technique and now I just take a few before each
game when I am warming up. "I was quite lucky against Palace as I did have
one free-kick earlier in the game that went over but I saw that the keeper
had moved slightly over to the other side so when I had another free-kick I
decided to slightly change it and that was a good choice. "I must say I was
surprised by how the ball travelled and usually I can tell when I hit it if
it is going to go in and I can sometimes celebrate before hand but with this
one I thought it was going over but it then dropped in. "I am enjoying a
very good period at the moment in terms of free-kicks. I am full of
confidence and that allows me to try out these new things. The ball seems to
be going in at the moment which is great for all of us."
Payet won the Player of the Year Award at the London Football Awards in
March and will be among the prominent candidates for the PFA and FWA
individual gongs after a fine campaign for West Ham following his
£10.7million move from Marseille. The 29-year-old has scored 12 goals and
registered 10 assists in 31 appearances this term and he told West Ham TV:
"I would say that I have been consistent and I have carried on my form from
Marseille last season. "My maturity has helped me see things differently at
the age of 29 and this has been the best season of my career so far."

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Dean Ashton says West Ham should make audacious swoop for PSG striker Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
19:42, 6 APR 2016 UPDATED 19:46, 6 APR 2016
BY LIAM CORLESS
Ibrahimovic, 34, will be a free agent in the summer when his contract
expires in Paris and Ashton wants to see the Swede at the Olympic Stadium
next term
The Mirror

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton has urged the club to try and lure
Zlatan Ibrahimovic to East London in the summer. Ibrahimovic will be a free
agent at the end of the season when his four-year deal expires at Paris
Saint-Germain. In recent weeks the Swede has hinted he wants a taste of the
Premier League before he hangs up his boots, leading to speculation linking
him with Arsenal and, more heavily, Manchester United.
But Ashton believes West Ham will become a potential destination for
Ibrahimovic if they finish in the top four and secure Champions League
qualification. "Any team that makes the Champions League suddenly has doors
opened and the chance to attract big names and the attraction of playing in
a new stadium as well would pull players in," Ashton told 888sport. "I'm
pretty sure every West Ham fan would love to see Ibrahimovic come to the
Olympic Stadium. I know there have been rumours, and what a signing he would
be. "He brings experience and flair, and he's the type of player West Ham
fans love who can produce something from nothing. He would be incredible."
Ibrahimovic has scored 144 goals in 170 appearances since joining PSG in
2012, including 38 in 41 games this season.

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Shock jock baits West Ham fans on twitter
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Radio shock jock, Adrian Durham has been winding up West Ham fans from his
official twitter account. To get a reaction Durham tweeted: "So, because
West Ham got the Olympic Stadium on the cheap, refs are refusing to give
them penalties. Glad we cleared that up." After getting some abuse on
twitter he went on to say "West Ham – one of their best seasons ever, got at
least one player we'd all pay money to see, yet loads focusing on refs.
Disappointing!" He later added "Great debate with some bright West Ham
United fans, others couldn't handle it. I think it's a season to focus on
the fantastic football at West Ham United not refs" "OK so what are you
saying? Refs cheating? Everyone hates West Ham? What does it prove???" "West
Ham have had a couple of bad decisions so bring in technology? OK right." I
think we know Arsenal fan Durham's view on the subject.

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Fortress Boleyn sets home record
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham holds the best home unbeaten record in all four divisions in
England. The Hammers have not been beaten at the Boleyn Ground for 227 days
and that will increase to 230 days by the time we play Arsenal at Saturday
lunchtime. Two Premier League defeats last August at home saw us lose 2-1 to
Premier League leaders Leicester City on Saturday 15th August, then a week
later we lost our last game at home to Bournemouth 4-3 on 22nd August. Since
those early setbacks we have won seven games in the league and drawn a
further six scoring 24 goals and conceding 16 in the process during our last
season at the Boleyn Ground. We are also unbeaten in all cup competitions at
home which include two Europa League wins against Lusitanos and Birkirkara
FC and one 2-2 draw against Astra Giurgiu together. We have also witnessed
two FA Cup wins at home against Wolves and Liverpool. The next seven days
will prove a big test to retain our Fortress Boleyn record. We face third
place Arsenal at Saturday lunchtime followed by Manchester United on
Wednesday evening in a FA Cup quarter-final replay under the famous lights.

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Unbelievable call from Mr Richard Keys
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Now I know Richard Keys is a total numptie but a tweeted suggestion of his
this morning beats all. We perhaps need to bear in mind this is the same
Keys who was 'calling' West Ham's progress under Slaven Bilic during the
early part of the season. He regularly reminded us that we were very little
better off at certain stages of the season than we were under his friend Sam
Allardyce until we started to leave those years and the comparative points
tallies way behind. With little to support his pal on since we have heard
nothing much from him UNTIL NOW when he may have come up with his most
ludicrous suggestion aver. He doesn't like the result of the Cheik Kouyate
which will we see the midfielder escape a three match ban after a display of
incompetence by referee Mark Clattenburg. In an extraordinary tweet which
appears to show an entire lack of realism he declares: "Mixed feelings about
Kouyate's appeal success. Red was harsh but we can't keep undermining ref's.
They get 1 look. Solution? NO appeals. The grammar isn't so hot either with
an apostrophe involved for the plural use of referees. Incompetence it seems
is his standard yardstick.

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Planning permission for OS West Ham signs refused
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Planning permission for four illuminated signs spelling out the words 'West
Ham United' at the former Olympic Stadium have been refused by the planning
authority although no reason has been given why. Planning documentation was
submitted back in February to erect four large illuminated sign reading
"West Ham United" with letters 3 metres high. Each new sign was planned to
stretch over 47 metres in length.

The application sought consent for four mounted West Ham United signs as
part of the Stadium Transformation works. They claimed the signs would act
as navigational aids to approaching spectators, announcing the stadium as
the home of the football club. The signs would have been located on each
'side' of the stadium. They consist of 13 letters which will be in the
club's brand font with a claret face and

It is possible that planners thought the inclusion of four massive
illuminated signs spelling out the words 'West Ham United' was over the top
and I fully expect a fresh planning application to be made soon with either
fewer signs or a change in size or less illumination. I think we will see
the words West Ham United on the stadium by August.

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Sakho fit and ready for action on Saturday
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Diafa Sakho caused wide spread speculation and concern on social media
yesterday after he failed to turn up for a planned media event at the
Lakeside shopping centre club store. The club were forced to announce that
"Due to unforeseen circumstances Diafra Sakho is unable to attend today's
Lakeside Store appearance. The Club would like to apologise for any
inconvenience or disappointment caused. Sam Byram currently meeting fans at
the Store "
However, Claret and Hugh now understands that supporters should not worry
and that the striker had a routine medical scan as part of his recovery from
injury but he is fully fit and available for selection on Saturday against
Arsenal. Sakho suffered an injury at the end of November against West
Bromwich Albion which kept him out for three months only returning for the
Everton away game at the beginning of March when he came on as 59th-minute
substitute to score in the 82th minute to equalise and help us win 3-2 after
a 90th minute winner from Payet.

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West Ham may throw Trott in at deep end
Colin Thompson, London
The Royal Gazette
Published Apr 6, 2016 at 8:00 am (Updated Apr 6, 2016 at 7:00 am)

Nathan Trott could make his debut for West Ham United's Academy squad
against Shaun Goater's former club Manchester City on Saturday. The
17-year-old goalkeeper has received Fifa approval and international
clearance and is champing at the bit to make his first appearance for the
Barclays Premier League side away to City. "I'm very excited, it's been a
long wait and I'm prepared for anything really," Trott, the former BAA
goalkeeper, said. "I'm really excited to make my debut for whatever age
group it is." Mark Phillips, the West Ham Under-18 coach, said playing
against City would pose a stern test for Trott should he be handed the
opportunity. "If he plays in that it will be a baptism of fire, trust me,"
Phillips said. "It will keep Nathan busy. There are no easy games, and
that's how you want it."
Trott, who has also represented Bermuda at youth level, signed a 2½-year
deal at West Ham in January and has hit the ground running at the East
London club since then. "I have settled in quite quickly actually," he said.
"All my team-mates and coaches made it easier for me to settle in quite
quickly. "It's a Premier League club, so the level here is quite high. It
was quite hard to adjust, but I have adjusted to it now."
Trott is one of two Bermudian players coming through the ranks at West Ham,
the other being highly rated striker Djair Parfitt-Williams. "It's nice
having someone from your own country here as well," Trott said. "He helped
me settle in quite quickly and has given me a lot of advice."
Trott has been thrown in the deep end at West Ham, training with the first
team, where he has also impressed the coaching staff. "It's a big difference
from the Academy level to the first team and lots of experience as well,"
Trott said. "I'm always happy to train with them and it's a big privilege to
train with them as well. "When I first started it was intimidating because
it's a big step up. But now that I've trained with them more than once I've
settled in well."
Phillips said Trott's potential as a footballer and goalkeeper had shone
through while training with the club's first-team players. "Even at that
level he is as good as any goalkeeper because he has exceptional feet,"
Phillips said. "We've got seven goalkeepers here, obviously at different age
groups, but he is definitely up there as one of the best, without a doubt.
"In this day and age to be a good goalkeeper you have to have good feet, and
luckily for us Nathan is a good footballer who's turned into a goalkeeper,
which is a really good asset for us.
"He's got a really good touch and can hit people with passes. If you're
trying to play from the back Nathan is a handy goalkeeper to have."

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Damien Delaney admits Crystal Palace team-mate said 'see ya' when Dimitri
Payet struck glorious free-kick
Charlie Eccleshare
6 APRIL 2016 • 9:56AM
Telegraph.co.uk

Dimitri Payet's magnificent free-kicks have been one of the standout
features of the Premier League season, with the West Ham midfielder scoring
four goals directly from dead-ball situations since joining the club last
summer. When Crystal Palace played West Ham on Saturday, Alan Pardew even
warned his players about giving away needless free-kicks anywhere near the
area. In spite of that though, the seven-man Palace wall that lined up to
block Payet's route to goal when he lined up a free-kick 20 yards out
thought they had nothing to worry about.
"When he [Payet] hit it as it went over the wall I thought that one's going
into row Z, I swear to god," said Palace defender Damien Delaney, who had
earlier put his side 1-0 up. "I think someone in the wall shouted 'see ya'
to Payet, I think [goalkeeper] Wayne [Hennessey] probably thought it as
well."
In fairness to Delaney, Payet's shot took a ludicrous trajectory - it flew
up 12 feet in the air and was in the back of the net just took 0.95 seconds
after leaving his boot. And hubris like that shown by the Palace defenders
is pretty commonplace, as anyone who plays regular football will attest. A
few years ago I was playing in a match when after battling hard until the
93rd minute to keep the score at 1-1, the opposing central midfielder lined
up a shot from 30 yards out. "All day boys," shouted my team-mate and now
colleague Ben Bloom as the player went to strike the ball. A Second later it
was nestling in the top corner.
Palace at least had time to recover on Saturday and after falling 2-1 behind
to Payet's wondergoal, they fought back in the second half to earn a 2-2
draw thanks to Dwight Gayle's equaliser.
The next team to try and stop Payet will be Arsenal this Saturday. You'd
expect they'll be keeping their mouths firmly shut if they give away any
free-kicks in the Frenchman's range.

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Manchester United or West Ham can finish in the top four but still MISS OUT
on a place in next season's Champions League
A place in the top four does not guarantee you a Champions League spot
Manchester City and Liverpool can win European competition this season
If they do and both finish outside the top four only the top three will
qualify
The team that finishes fourth would have to settle for Europa League place
By NICHOLAS GODDEN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:01, 6 April 2016 | UPDATED: 11:04, 6 April 2016

Finishing in the top four of the Premier League is meant to guarantee you a
place in the following season's Champions League and all the riches that
come with it. However, there is a possible scenario that would see the team
that finishes fourth this season miss out on qualification for Europe's top
club competition in 2016-17. If Manchester City win the Champions League and
Liverpool win the Europa League but both finish outside the top four, the
fourth-place side will be denied their spot among Europe's elite next term.
Under UEFA rules, each association member is allowed a maximum of five
participants competing in the Champions League in any given season. The
winners of the tournament are automatically guaranteed a place in the group
stage of the following edition and, as of 2014-15, the Europa League winners
also qualify for the next season's Champions League. That means if City and
Liverpool win each of the European competitions they are competing in there
will only be three places available to Premier League clubs to qualify
through the domestic championship. Manchester City are playing PSG in the
Champions League quarter-final with the opening leg at the Parc de Princes
on Wednesday night while Liverpool have to overcome Borussia Dortmund at the
same stage of the Europa League. In the unlikely event that City and
Liverpool both win the tournaments and Manuel Pellegrini's side drop out of
the top four, the team that finishes fourth would have to settle for a place
in the Europa League. Manchester United and West Ham are currently fifth and
sixth respectively and are the two clubs with the most realistic shot at
finishing fourth. It was only recently that UEFA increased the maximum
number of teams each association can enter into the Champions League from
four to five. Tottenham finished fourth in the 2011-12 season but were
denied their place in the Champions League after Chelsea – who finished
sixth that year – won the competition, beating Bayern Munich on penalties.
There are also implications for next season's Europa League qualification.
Currently, Europa League places will go to fifth and sixth place and the
eventual winners of the FA Cup. If West Ham or Manchester United go on to
win the FA Cup and finish in the top six, and Liverpool win the Europa
League and finish seventh that will extend Europa League qualification to
eighth place.

POSSIBLE SCENARIO THIS SEASON AND HOW THE TABLE WOULD LOOK
1. The Premier League top three remain the same but Manchester United pip
City to fourth. West Ham finish sixth, Liverpool seventh and Southampton
eighth.
2. Manchester City win the Champions league, Liverpool win the Europa League
and West Ham win the FA Cup.
3. Leicester, Tottenham and Arsenal qualify for the Champions League through
league position, while City and Liverpool qualify for winning the European
competitions. There would be five Premier League team competing in the
2016-17 Champions League.
4. Manchester United would have to play in the Europa League despite
finishing fourth, West Ham would join them for winning the FA Cup while the
third Europa League spot would go to Southampton in eighth.

HOW THE TABLE WOULD LOOK
Position Team Qualify for
1 Leicester City Champions League
2 Tottenham Champions League
3 Arsenal Champions League
4 Manchester United Europa League
5 Manchester City Champions League
6 West Ham Europa League
7 Liverpool Champions League
8 Southampton Europa League
Based on Manchester City winning the Champions League, Liverpool winning the
Europa League and West Ham winning the FA Cup

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Mark Halsey claims Mark Clattenburg will be furious with Cheikhou Kouyate
decision
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate has had his red card rescinded. Former Premier
League referee Mark Halsey has told The Sun that he thinks Mark Clattenburg
will be 'furious' that West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate has escaped a ban. West
Ham have been on the wrong end of some bad refereeing decisions recently,
and after two contentious goals denied them a win against Chelsea before the
international break, Slaven Bilic's men again encounter refereeing problems
against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Leading 2-1 in the second half at Upton
Park, West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate was handed a straight red card by
referee Mark Clattenburg, having gone in with a rash challenge on Palace
striker Dwight Gayle. Palace ended up snatching an equaliser, denting West
Ham's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with a top four finish
this season. However, Kouyate won't be serving a ban, as West Ham won an
appeal against the red card on Tuesday, meaning the giant Senegalese
midfielder will be available to face Arsenal this weekend. Now though,
former referee Mark Halsey has told The Sun that he thinks the man who sent
Kouyate off originally, Clattenburg, will be 'furious' with the decision to
rescind the red card, as he will feel that he hasn't been backed up by The
FA. Ultimately though, West Ham won't care too much about that, as they now
have a key player available for a huge clash this weekend. "Knowing Mark as
I do, he will be furious that this decision has been overturned," said
Halsey. "He will be hurt and disappointed he has not been given the backing
of the governing body in England," he added.

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