Daily WHUFC News - 17th May 2016

Sullivan - Nordtveit is a great addition to our squad
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan believes new signing Havard Nordtveit will be a great addition to the squad and expects him to become a top player for the Club next season.
Nordveit will become Slaven Bilic's first signing of the summer when he joins the Hammers on a free transfer on 1 July. West Ham United have beaten off competition from several top European sides to clinch his signature and the Norway international will leave Borussia Monchengladbach when his contract expires. Mr Sullivan is thrilled to have secured Nordtveit's services on a five-year deal and believes his versatility will be important for the first-team squad next season. Mr Sullivan said: "He's a fantastic utility player who is proven at the highest level. "He is a great addition to our squad and I'm sure the supporters will realise he is a top player by this time next year."

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Hammers to sign Norway star Nordtveit
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to confirm that Norway international midfielder Havard Nordtveit will join the Club on a free transfer on 1 July. The Borussia Moenchengladbach man will leave the German side upon the expiration of his contract, with the Hammers having beaten off competition from several top European outfits to land their man. Nordtveit, 25, signs on a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Monchengladbach. He told the Official Website: "It has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and now I have a big opportunity to do that for West Ham – I cannot wait to start! "This team has something special, a spirit in the team that I can fit into. I will work hard and hopefully I can get some good moments at this Club. "I'm a player who can play many roles on the pitch, but I'm from Norway so maybe a little bit more running, tackles and try to spread a few balls around me. "I'm looking forward to showing what I can do, but hopefully I have something to help West Ham achieve even more."

Born in the village of Vats in western Norway in June 1990, Nordtveit became the youngest player to represent Haugesund when he was named in the starting line-up in an August 2006 win over Sogndal two months past his 16th birthday. He remained with Haugesund for a further year, before Arsenal took him to the Barclays Premier League for the first time. A defensive midfielder who can also play at the back, Nordtveit made the substitutes' bench at Emirates Stadium but could not force his way into the first team before moving on to Moenchengladbach in December 2010. Before then, loan spells at Salamanca, Lillestrom and 1. FC Nuremburg gave him a flavour of first-team football, setting the Norwegian up for a successful spell in the Bundesliga.
He quickly became a regular for Die Fohlen and played 187 games for the German side in his five-and-a-half seasons there, scoring 12 goals. This past season, Nordtveit showed his versatility by playing as a centre-half and central midfielder during Moenchengladbach's impressive campaign, which saw them finish fourth in the Bundesliga, despite losing their opening five league matches! Nordtveit has also featured prominently for his country, earning 28 caps and scoring two goals since making his debut for Norway in 2011.

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The Big Interview - Havard Nordtveit
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's first summer signing, Havard Nordtveit, speaks exclusively to whufc.com ahead of his 1 July arrival in east London...

Havard, welcome to West Ham United. First, tell us how excited you are to be joining the Club...

HN: "Thank you. It has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and now I have a big opportunity to do it with West Ham. I can't wait to start. "This team has something special and there's something in the spirit of it that I can fit into. We will see – I'm going to work hard and hopefully I can have have some good moments with the Club."

With the new Stadium sold out, how excited are you to be playing in front of 60,000 fans here week-in, week-out?

HN: "That's football – that's the passion they have. In Germany, we had an average of 52,000 every second week at Borussia-Park, so 100 per cent you have the audience behind you and you can give even more. I'm looking forward to trying out the new Stadium – everyone is saying good things about it."

What can the fans expect from you?

HN: "I'm a player who can play many roles on the pitch, but I'm from Norway, so a little bit more of the running and the tackles and try to spread the balls around me. I'm looking forward to showing what I can do, and hopefully I have something to help West Ham achieve even more."

You're not a stranger to England – you had a spell at Arsenal. Tell us about your spell there, do you think you come back with a point to prove?

HN: "I came to Arsenal when I was 17 and from there I got a lot of first team experience in training and friendlies. I sat on the bench in the Premier League, but never got a minute, so of course it's something I'm dreaming of. Now I'm back, I've had five-and-a-half years in the Bundesliga. Hopefully that experience will help me to come into the game here."

How much has your experience in the Bundesliga improved you as a player?

HN: "Of course. It's first team football. We struggled at the start when I first went there, but we came through the relegation battle and then finished fourth in the second year and lost to Dynamo Kiev in the play-off for the Champions League. We were mid-table the third year, but then came third and got into the Champions League. We played Man City, Sevilla and it's been a really good experience."

You must have been impressed with what you've seen from West Ham this season. One man in particular, Dimitri Payet, has taken a lot of the headlines – how much are you looking forward to playing with him next season?

HN: "He is a fantastic player. He can do something different on the field and I'm really looking forward to meeting him and seeing his qualities. It's a team – and it's not only him who has been really good for West Ham this season. It's a team effort and I'm looking forward to trying to make it even better.

And a word on the manager, Slaven Bilic. How big a part did he play in you joining West Ham?

HN: "Of course it's a big part. He took his time to meet me, talk with me and show me he was interested. What he has done at West Ham speaks for itself and I'm really looking forward to working under the boss."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Young Hammers midfielder Josh Cullen was in play-off action on Sunday as he played 90 minutes for Bradford City in their 3-1 League One semi-final first leg defeat to Millwall. The Bantams – who were without Cullen's West Ham loan partner Reece Burke due to injury – took the lead with a 13th minute penalty netted by Tony McMahon. But the Lions hit back quickly, equalising two minutes later through Lee Gregory before Steve Morison and Joe Martin gave the visitors a two-goal advantage before the break. Despite late pressure from the hosts, they could not find a way back into the game and now travel to the New Den on Friday with work to be done.

In the Scottish Premiership, Kyle Knoyle helped Dundee United sign off in style on Saturday despite their relegation, winning 4-2 at Kilmarnock. The Terrors took an early lead when Mark Durnan headed home but they were soon behind after Kallum Higginbotham and Tope Obadeyi hit back for the hosts. However, three goals in the final 20 minutes for United saw them end their campaign in style, as Simon Murray notched a fine brace and Harry Souttar put a gloss on the scoreline. Full-back Knoyle completed his eleventh loan appearance in the win, and previously helped the club to a Scottish Cup semi-final earlier this season.

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Havard Nordtveit - Ten Fast Facts
WHUFC.com

Find out more about our first summer signing Havard Nordtveit with our Ten Fast Facts…

- Havard Nordtveit was born and raised in the village of Vats in the district of Haugaland in the far west of Norway.
- Nordtveit was 16 years and two months old when he made his first-team debut for Haugesund in a 2-0 Adeccoligaen win over Sogndal on 20 August 2006.
- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger personally scouted Nordtveit before bringing the 17-year-old to north London in July 2007.
- The young Nordtveit was a regular for Norway at U17, U19 and U21 levels before making his senior debut at the age of 20 in a 1-0 friendly win over Lithuania in Oslo in June 2011.
- Nordtveit was loaned to Spanish side Salamanca in 2008, before appearing 21 times for Norwegian club Lillestrom the following year, mainly as a right-back.
- A third loan spell from Arsenal saw Nordtveit spend the 2009/10 season with German Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg, where he played predominantly as a defensive midfielder.
- After three-and-a-half years with the Gunners, Nordtveit joined German club Borussia Moenchengladbach on a three-and-a-half year contract in December 2010.
- The Norwegian has appeared at centre-half, defensive midfield, central midfield and right-back for Moenchengladbach, scoring 12 goals in 187 appearances across six seasons.
- The 25-year-old made 20 appearances in UEFA competitions for Moenchengladbach, including six in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2015/16.
- Nordtveit has made 28 appearances for Norway, including eight during the Scandinavians' recent UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

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Young Hammers set for Premier League kicks
WHUFC.com

Two local schools will represent the West Ham United Foundation at the Premier League Schools Tournament at Goodison Park this week. Gallions Primary School in east London and Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls based in Romford will put their skills to the test against schools from the 19 other Premier League clubs, with the hope of lifting the trophy. This year the annual tournament will take place at Everton's home Goodison Park, and now in its eleventh year, the tournament comprises of two six-a-side competitions running simultaneously on the day – an Under 11s mixed tournament and an Under 13s girls tournament.
Over 14,000 young people and 1,700 schools have taken part in the tournament this year, with the Foundation having held its own heats to determine who would don the claret and blue at Goodison.
All of the students participating on the day will receive an authentic Premier League experience - wearing their Premier League club kit and walking out of the tunnel to the Premier League anthem. To add to the excitement of the day, the matches will be officiated by top Premier League referees including, Andre Marriner, Michael Jones, Bobby Madeley, Darren Bond, Martin Atkinson and Peter Barnes.
Foundation Community Sports Manager Shamajul Motin said the Premier League scheme was offering local youngsters a once in a life-time opportunity: "It's not often you get the chance to play at a Premier League football stadium, for some of these youngsters it really is a dream come true! To be able to feel like a professional footballer for the day gives them such inspiration to want to go on and achieve.
"It'd be fantastic for them if they could go on and win the tournament but this initiative really is much more than that. An experience like this is something that will stay with them for a life-time and they'll never forget stepping out on a Premier League ground and representing West Ham."

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Stat's a Fact – 2015/16 Season
WHUFC.com

The 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season saw West Ham United set a number of club records.

The most notable was the 62 points collected by the Hammers, which eclipsed the previous high of 57 set by Harry Redknapp's squad in 1998/99.

Slaven Bilic's side also beat Redknapp's 1997/98 selection by scoring 65 goals, nine more than a Hammers squad that included John Hartson, Frank Lampard and Trevor Sinclair.

The 65 goals scored in 38 league matches this season were shared between 16 players, with Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll leading the way with nine each.

In total, seven different players scored five league goals or more – Payet, Carroll, Michail Antonio, Cheikhou Kouyate, Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho.

Forty-one of those 65 goals were scored from open play, with 17 from set pieces and four successful penalties – three from Noble and one from Carroll. The Hammers benefitted from just one own-goal, scored by Swansea City's Stephen Kingsley on 7 May.

West Ham smashed their record for the least number of Premier League games lost in a single season, losing just eight to beat the previous low of 13 set in both 1998/99 and 1999/00.

Unsurprisingly, Bilic's men also set a new record low for away defeats in a Premier League season with five – two lower than the seven losses suffered on the road in 2008/09.

Just three of those eight defeats came at home, but that was not quite good enough to match the two home defeats suffered by the Hammers in 1997/98, when they finished eighth.

A seventh-place finish represented West Ham's best since 2001/02, when Redknapp's side collected 53 points and finished with a -9 goal difference.

It was a different story this season, with Slaven Bilic's team achieving a +14 goal difference – the first time since 1985/86 that West Ham have finished a top-flight campaign with a positive goals-for/against record.

As a team, West Ham completed 78% of their passes and enjoyed 49% of possession on average, creating 14.7 shots and 4.9 shots on target per game.

Individually, Payet also topped West Ham's charts for assists (12), shots (69), dribbles (118) and key passes (119) in 2015/16. Aaron Cresswell and Noble each contributed four assists.

Captain Noble was the Hammers' midfield general, making more tackles (103), interceptions (83) and passes (1,924) than any other player.

While Noble was the most prolific passer, Lanzini was the most accurate, completing 88.9% of his passes in 26 Premier League appearances, with Noble (86.4%) in second place.

In the air, it was unsurprisingly Carroll who won the most aerial duels with 112 out of 200 attempted, ahead of Kouyate (87) and Ogbonna (62).

Defensively, Angelo Ogbonna led the way with 161 clearances, while full-back Cresswell made 63 blocks.

Cresswell joined Noble in making a team-high 37 starts and appearances, but it was the No3 who was on the pitch for longer overall – 3,315 minutes to Noble's 3,205.

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Noble - We've had an unbelievable season
WHUFC.com

Reflecting on a disappointing result on the final day of what has been a momentous and unforgettable season; captain Mark Noble said he was struggling to understand how his side had not come away from the Britannia victorious.

The visiting Hammers started with aplomb and asserted their dominance through Michail Antonio who broke the deadlock with a fine shot on the turn following Manuel Lanzini's corner.

The visitors continued to try and extend their advantage, and came close on multiple occasions however it was Stoke who made the most of their chances as Giannelli Imbula equalised before Mame Biram Diouf's headed late winner.

In total, West Ham had 20 shots to Stoke's seven. Speaking at full time, Noble said: "The amount of chances we had today was unbelievable, how we haven't won that game I do not know, I think they probably had two maybe three shots all game, so it's disappointing.

"I think we had four cleared off the line! I might be exaggerating but it seemed to like it didn't go for us. We probably should have finished them off in the first half; we just didn't have that quality. Then set pieces undid us."

The defeat means the Hammers will now have to wait for the outcome of the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Crystal Palace, to determine whether West Ham will finish in a Europa League qualifying position.

The skipper continued: "We'll just have to wait now and see what happens in the cup final, that's our season done so we'll have to wait. Obviously we all hope whatever happened at Old Trafford isn't too serious and everyone is OK. We'll just have to wait and see."

With next weekend's events out of his hands, Noble expressed his pride in this season's achievements, which included setting a new Premier League points total in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground as well as recording several high-profile victories.

The captain, who has been in inspired form himself throughout, finished by saying: "We have to take this result into context and that is we've had a great season, we come on a long way. Games like today we should have won. We started fantastic in the first half and created chances in the second. Shay Given made some unbelievable saves today, we shouldn't have lost today.

"I've always said this season was probably the most important in the club's history, for sure. Moving stadiums we had to make sure we were a solid Premier League team and we did that midway through the season. We had a small chance at Champions League which was great, now we just have to wait and see what happens."

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From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com


The Guardian football writer and lifelong Hammer Jacob Steinberg was at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday and still expects West Ham to be playing in Europe next season....


Unfortunately we were not able to secure a top six finish but I thought the Hammers played really well for long spells but were unable to get the crucial second goal.

They ended up paying for it and if Sakho had scored the second goal at the start of the second half they would have come away with the victory.

Unfortunately the lack of ruthlessness in front of goal has cost West Ham, but it has still been a strong season finishing seventh, given the aim was survival at the start of the season.

The football has been great to watch at times and we have had some great wins.

I am still confident the club can qualify for Europe next season and I am hopeful that Manchester United will beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Maybe the West Ham supporters will turn out at Wembley on Saturday to cheer them on!

I am expecting a busy summer of transfer activity and feel the Club need to sign a striker.

I think they will also look to sign another right back to allow Michail Antonio to play further forward and allow Sam Byram a bit more time to get used to the Premier League.

The Club have already brought in Havard Nordtveit so that area looks to be well covered with four central midfielders.

I think the fans should be proud of what the Club have achieved this season and you could see that by the reception the players got when they left the field at Stoke.

There was a lot of applause and overall I think everyone has enjoyed it.

Despite the defeat at Stoke I think the fans are still celebrating the final ever home win over Manchester United and there is a lot of goodwill.

The last time the Hammers finished in the top seven was 2002 and they finished with a positive goal difference.


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily the opinions held by West Ham United

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Young Hammers named in England U19 squad
WHUFC.com

Young Hammers Reece Oxford and Sam Howes have been named in England's U19 squad for their pre-European Championship trip to Mexico.

The Young Lions will enjoy a double header against their Central American hosts on 4 and 6 June before they kick-off their Euros campaign in Germany on 12 July against France in the group stages.

Centre-back Oxford, who has featured on twelve occasions for the Hammers first team this season, and goalkeeper Howes have been regulars in Aidy Boothroyd's squads in qualifying for the competition and will hope to be involved in Germany this summer.

The 24-man group will train just outside Mexico City until 8 June, before the summer's tournament gets underway on 11 July.

After facing France, England will go to battle with the Netherlands and Croatia to complete the group stages. The youngsters are aiming high at the Championships, having won the U17 competition two years ago with many of the same faces.

Oxford broke into Slaven Bilic's first team during pre-season last summer and featured in the side's opening Premier League fixture as they were 2-0 winners against Arsenal at the Emirates.

This season, having added to his experience with the senior side, the versatile teenager captained the Development Squad to victory in the U21 Premier League Cup.

18-year-old stopper Howes has played between the sticks in Claret and Blue for both the U18 and U21 sides this campaign, and travelled with the first team for the final three league fixtures in the 2015/16 season with Spaniard Adrian out injured.

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Nordtveit deal confirmed
May 16, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
BKHammer

The Norwegian International will be West Ham's first signing for the upcoming 2016/17 season after the official site announced it this morning. Our very own ExWHUEmployee told us about this deal months ago and that the club would not announce it until the season was over.

The Norwegian star will put pen to paper on a 5 year contract on 1st July 2016 on a free transfer when the window officially opens.

The Borussia Moenchengladbach man will leave the German side upon the expiration of his contract, with the Hammers having beaten off competition from several top European outfits to land their man.

He told the Official Website: "It has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and now I have a big opportunity to do that for West Ham – I cannot wait to start!

"This team has something special, a spirit in the team that I can fit into. I will work hard and hopefully I can get some good moments at this Club.

"I'm a player who can play many roles on the pitch, but I'm from Norway so maybe a little bit more running, tackles and try to spread a few balls around me.

"I'm looking forward to showing what I can do, but hopefully I have something to help West Ham achieve even more."

Born in the village of Vats in western Norway in June 1990, Nordtveit became the youngest player to represent Haugesund when he was named in the starting line-up in an August 2006 win over Sogndal two months past his 16th birthday.

He remained with Haugesund for a further year, before Arsenal took him to the Barclays Premier League for the first time.

A defensive midfielder who can also play at the back, Nordtveit made the substitutes' bench at Emirates Stadium but could not force his way into the first team before moving on to Moenchengladbach in December 2010.

Before then, loan spells at Salamanca, Lillestrom and 1. FC Nuremburg gave him a flavour of first-team football, setting the Norwegian up for a successful spell in the Bundesliga.

He quickly became a regular for Die Fohlen and played 187 games for the German side in his five-and-a-half seasons there, scoring 12 goals.

This past season, Nordtveit showed his versatility by playing as a centre-half and central midfielder during Moenchengladbach's impressive campaign, which saw them finish fourth in the Bundesliga, despite losing their opening five league matches!

Nordtveit has also featured prominently for his country, earning 28 caps and scoring two goals since making his debut for Norway in 2011.

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Dutch defeat for Dev Squad
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th May 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's Development Squad have lost the Final of the 2016 ICTG Tournament - following yet another penalty shootout.

Earlier this month the young Hammers won the Premier League Under 21s Cup by virtue of a shootout having eventually overcome Hull City in a tense, two-legged affair.

However this afternoon Terry Westley's side were unable to emulate their earlier achievment with a 6-5 spot kick defeat against Brazilian outfit Atletico Paranaense, after the match ended goalless.

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Monday musings: Scintillating season ends on a sour note
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th May 2016
By: Graeme Howlett

It was a hugely emotional night as West Ham United FC bade farewell to its spiritual home, The Boleyn Ground, last Tuesday evening. The club - plus several thousand misty-eyed fans - waved goodbye to E13 after 112 years with a star-studded show hosted by TV's Ben Shepherd and Bianca Westwood, co-presenter of the KUMB.com Podcast. And the team did their bit too, signing off with an unforgettable 3-2 win against Manchester United, thus denying Louis Van Gaal's side a Champions League berth and keeping alive the Irons' own hopes of qualifying for Europe.

To do so, Slaven Bilic's side needed to equal or better Southampton's result against FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace in their final fixture of the season at Stoke on Sunday afternoon. And it all looked rosy at half time when the Hammers led through Michail Antonio's ninth goal since joining the club for £7million from Nottingham Forest. However whilst much has changed at the Boleyn Ground this season, Bilic's team upholds the long-held tradition of possessing the ability to self-destruct - which, perhaps, is as key an ingredient of the much-vaunted 'West Ham way' as anything else.

Giannelli Imbula restored parity just ten minutes after the restart, much to the annoyance of the manager who had seen his team waste a string of good chances beforehand. And with West Ham pushing forward in search of a winning goal, having learned that Southampton were leading comfortable at St. Mary's, a Stoke counter led to a corner that was nodded home by the less-than-prolific Mame Biram Diouf, netting his fifth goal of a largely barren campaign. Defeat meant the Hammers ended the season in seventh place; a position most fans would have taken in August - but probably not since Christmas. And whilst that means the club missed out on qualifying for the Europa League automatically, there is still hope for continental football at the Olympic Stadium next season.

For that to occur, The Irons simply need Manchester United to beat Crystal Palace at Wembley in the FA Cup final next week. The Reds, having already qualified for the Europa League will pass their spot down to the seventh-placed team - i.e. West Ham - should they beat the Eagles. And in a season when West Ham have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool - three times - anything less would seem a little unjust.

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Hodgson snubs Hammers for Euro 2016
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th May 2016
By: Staff Writer

Roy Hodgson has named his England squad for the 2016 European Championships - and not unexpectedly, there are no Hammers involved. Mark Noble, Andy Carroll and Aaron Cresswell's excellent form this season has been entirely ignored by the 68-year-old national coach, who has chosen to stick with his tried and tested favourites. Making a complete mockery of his earlier insistence that only form players will be picked, Jack Wilshire - who made his fiirst Premier League appearance of the season for Arsenal last weekend - has been included in the provisional 26-man list. And Manchester United's 18-year-old forward Marcus Rashford is also in - at the expense of in-form strikers suuch as Carroll and Sunderland's Jermain Defoe. England will play Russia (11 June), Wales (16 June) and Slovakia (20 June) in the group phase at Euro 2016, the final for which takes place on 10 July. Only 23 of the 26 will make the flight to France. West Ham's only representatives in the tournament will be Dimitri Payet for France and central defender James Collins (Wales).

England Euro 2016 squad

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley).

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Andros Townsend (Newcastle United), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).

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Bournemouth reject bids for Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie from West Ham
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 16/05/16 10:54pm
SSN

Bournemouth have rejected a £25m bid from West Ham for striker Callum Wilson and midfielder Matt Ritchie, Sky sources understand.

Hammers co-owner David Sullivan said last week that the club was plotting a £24m bid for a top striker in France and a £25m offer for another player in England.

He said: "We put in a bid today [Monday May 10] for €30m (£23.7m) for a player and other bids will be going in. We are going to make a £20m or £25m bid for a player in England this week. So whatever happens, we'll bring a top striker in."

West Ham had been linked with Liverpool striker Christian Benteke but it appears 24-year-old Wilson, who has been targeted alongside Ritchie in a combined bid, could be at the top of their list.

Wilson, who joined from Coventry in the summer of 2014, made a big impact early in his first Premier League season, scoring five goals in his first six games with three of those coming in Bournemouth's 4-3 win over the Hammers.

But his season was derailed by a serious knee injury which kept him out from the end of September for more than six months.

Scotland international Ritchie has been a regular in the Bournemouth side this season, scoring four goals, and he has proved a bargain since joining the club from Swindon for £400,000 in January 2013.

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Mark Noble says West Ham's season a success despite Stoke loss
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 16/05/16 12:34pm
SSN

Mark Noble says West Ham can look back on a 'great season' despite failing to secure European football on the final day.

Victory at Stoke on Sunday would have guaranteed Europa League football for the Hammers in their first season at the Olympic Stadium.

But after going 1-0 ahead, Slaven Bilic's men ended up losing 2-1, finishing seventh in the table and requiring Manchester United to beat Crystal Palace in Saturday's FA Cup final to hand them a Euro lifeline.

Noble, quoted on West Ham's official website, said of the Stoke match: "We have to take this result in context and that is we've had a great season. We have come on a long way.

"I've always said this season was probably the most important in the club's history. Moving stadiums we had to make sure we were a solid Premier League team and we did that midway through the season.

"We had a small chance at Champions League which was great, and now we just have to wait and see what happens in the cup final."

Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead in the 23rd minute and they were dominant from then - failing to convert some good chances along the way - until Stoke levelled through a Giannelli Imbula strike shortly after half-time.

Potters goalkeeper Shay Given then made a point-blank double save between two goal-line clearances from team-mate Glenn Whelan, who on the second occasion hacked away a ball that was inches from fully crossing after coming off Cheikhou Kouyate.

Mame Diouf subsequently wrapped up Stoke's come-from-behind triumph with an 88th-minute header.

Noble admitted he had been left baffled at how the visitors did not come away with a victory rather than a loss.

"The amount of chances we had was unbelievable - how we haven't won that game I do not know," the 29-year-old said.

"I think they probably had two, maybe three shots all game, so it's disappointing. I think we had four cleared off the line. We probably should have finished them off in the first half; we just didn't have that quality. Then set pieces undid us."
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Martinez scores on Hammers debut to reach semis
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Antonio Martinez scored his first goal for the Hammers from the penalty spot, before Grady Diangana sealed a 2-0 win over FC Uitgeest! Martinez said on twitter "My debut could not have been better! Happy to score my first goal and to help the team win!!#3games3wins" One West Ham fan who has seen the player in action said "Toni Martinez has been at West Ham for about a month and has only played one u21 but has an unreal mentality, better than some first teamers" A West Ham United U21 squad including the likes of Martin Samuelsen and Lewis Page have travelled to Uitgeest, northern Holland to compete in the annual ICTG youth tournament. The Hammers won all three games in Pool A on Saturday against Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro, Dutch teams AZ Alkmaar and FC Uitgeest. The Hammers now face Panathinaikos in the semi final at 11.10am this morning with a final scheduled for 2.45pm this afternoon.

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Hodgson snubs Hammers for England squad
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

England Manager Roy Hodgson has announced his picks and standby players for the provisional England Squad at 11am ahead of the last friendlies before the European Championships in France. Once again there is no room for Hammers Mark Noble, Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell.

England provisional squad: Forster, Hart, Heaton; Bertrand, Cahill, Clyne, Smalling, Stones, Walker; Alli, Barkley, Delph, Dier, Drinkwater, Henderson, Lallana, Milner, Sterling, Townsend, Wilshere; Kane, Rashford, Rooney, Sturridge, Vardy

After the squad announcement, England will play three friendlies, against Turkey (22nd May), Australia (27th May) and Portugal (2nd June), before flying out to their training base in Chantilly ahead of their opening group stage match against Russia on 11th June.

Both Slaven Bilic and Michail Antonio challenged Hodgson for Antonio's inclusion last week but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

One West Ham fan, Kris Johnson tweeted England saying "If it's without one of Noble, Carroll, Antonio or Cresswell I'm supporting Payet and France."

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West Ham win on penalties to reach final
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

The West Ham's under 21's have won their semi final against Greek Panathinaikos in Holland this afternoon to reach the final. Tournament organisers say West Ham was the attacking team for the majority of the game, but the Greek defense appeared hard to beat. Three minutes before full time Panathinaikos scored and they celebrated the goal as if it where the decider in the Tournament final. The West Ham youngsters tried to get the ball into the box as many times as possible late in injury time. It paid off and in the very last second of injury time a Greek foul resulted in a penalty for the Hammers. West Ham new boy , Antonio Martínez stepped up and converted it from the spot to make it 1-1. After extra time the results was still a stalemate but the Hammers won 5-3 on penalties to reach the Tournament final which kicks off at 2.45pm this afternoon.West Ham now face Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense in the final. The annual ICTG youth tournament is being played in Uitgeest, northern Holland. The Hammers won all three games in Pool A on Saturday against Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro, Dutch teams AZ Alkmaar and FC Uitgeest.

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Hodgson's questionable squad is frustrating reading for Hammers fans
Date: 16th May 2016 at 2:13 pm
Written by: Matt Bourne | Comments (0)
ForeverWestHam

Roy Hodgson has chosen not to include any West Ham players in his 26-man squad for Euro 2016. Although many Hammers fans were not expecting Hodgson to pick any West Ham stars, the fact that he has opted for some questionable names to be included in the squad over reliable West Ham performers will definitely frustrate fans. Firstly, the impact of Marcus Rashford has been unbelievably overhyped this season. Yes, he has scored a few goals and is young but his inclusion comes far too early, especially when a reliable goalscorer with international experience in Jermaine Defoe completely misses out. The likes of Fabian Delph and Adam Lallana make the team ahead of Michail Antonio and Mark Noble. How this has happened is genuinely baffling and says a lot about the man in charge. Antonio has out performed most of the England midfielders picked in the squad but there was never a suggestion that Hodgson would opt for the pacey winger. The England manager was in attendance for the 3-2 victory over Manchester United. In a game where Michail Antonio scored an excellent header and Mark Noble got man of the match, Hodgson was most likely watching the ineffective Marcus Rashford up front. This just proves how much the Hammers have been overlooked by the England manager this season. It is quite concerning that the Hodgson barely recognises what the English West Ham players have achieved this season. Aaron Cresswell, Mark Noble and Michail Antonio should all have stood a chance to represent their country at some point this year but you get the impression that Hodgson never intended to give them the opportunity to prove themselves. The only advantage is that the Hammers' English stars can give themselves a long rest over the summer in order to be fit and firing for the start of next season. Let's hope another solid campaign in 2016/17 eventually shows Hodgson what he has been missing.

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WHY ANDY CARROLL SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE EUROS SQUAD
By Iain Dale
16 May 2016 at 13:45
Guest Post by Sathesh Alagappan

[Note: this was written prior to Roy Hodgson's squad announcement].

At the beginning of the season, few would have backed Andy Carroll for an England place. The imposing target man had hit a nadir, his career tarnished by constant injuries. Indeed, many Hammers fans were calling for him to be sold by the club.

Carroll has shown great resilience since then, though. Coming back from injury he has looked back to his best, scoring 6 goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances. Fans were particularly impressed by his stunning hat-trick against Arsenal. In the wake of this, some pundits have voiced their approval of Carroll's England credentials.

However, Hodgson has not been swayed, and has signalled his intention to stick with his tried and trusted forwards…

"Maybe before we start wanting to throw out the guys who have done so well for the latest shout, the latest ice cream flavour, we should show a little bit of respect to what they have done as well."
One can understand Hodgson's loyalty to the players who got him through qualifying. However, these comments do a great injustice to Carroll. He has demonstrated his quality this season, offers England a unique threat upfront, and has a proven track record at international level. To be frank, Hodgson was foolish to completely dismiss him.

There are likely to be 5 spaces open for strikers in Hodgson's squad. Kane, Vardy and Rooney look certain to be included, with Sturridge, Walcott, and Welbeck all in contention. Admittedly Kane and Vardy have been in sparkling form this season, and fully merit their places. However, Carroll's performances compare favourably to the other candidates.
Carroll has made 24 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring a total of 9 goals in 1279 minutes. This works out at 1 goal for every 132 minutes of football played. This is significantly better than captain Rooney, who averages just 1 goal every 318 minutes. It also better than Welbeck, who clocks in at 145 minutes per goal. Sturridge is only marginally ahead of Carroll, with a goal every 111 minutes. Carroll's return is even more impressive considering the majority of his appearances this season have come off the substitutes bench. [NOTE: This was written before Danny Welbeck's injury]

Perhaps the player Carroll would be most likely to displace is Theo Walcott. Again, Walcott's figures are significantly inferior to Carroll's. The Arsenal forward averages a goal for every 275 minutes he has played this season. It is easy to see why Walcott has been widely criticized of late, and it seems that his current place in Hodgson's squad is based on past glories.

Aerial ability
Few can argue with the fact that Carroll is one of the world's best target men. At 6 feet 4 inches and powerfully built, he towers above defenders, posing a dangerous aerial presence. Indeed, this season he has won on average 3.8 aerial battles per match, significantly more than any of the other English forwards in contention. Now, even the most die-hard Hammers fan would not suggest that Carroll should start for England. However, his obvious aerial prowess makes him ideally suited to come on as an impact sub, as he has done countless times at Upton Park this season. When England are chasing goals late on and must resort to a more direct style, Carroll can be the perfect candidate to terrorise tired defences.

Proven pedigree
It is also worth remembering that Andy Carroll is not some unknown quantity. He has performed well at the highest level for England. At Euro 2012, he scored a vital goal against Sweden which helped ensure England's progression to the quarter-finals. The goal in question demonstrated all the qualities that make Carroll such a valuable asset. He jumped an astonishing 2 feet 2 inches, leaving the Swedish defenders bamboozled as he powerfully rocketed a header in from 13 yards out. This is the kind of raw physical power that it is often impossible to mitigate against. There's no doubt that he could prove a real handful for most international defences.

A useful option
Ultimately, many will say that a Carroll recall is unlikely. After all, he's been out of the international scene for nearly 3 years. Furthermore, England's playing style has changed considerably since then, no longer relying on the direct style that Carroll thrives off. However, Carroll offers an extra dimension to England's attack. He is the ultimate Plan B, the battering ram that can help break down the most stubborn of defences. He may not be the most aesthetically pleasing player, but he certainly is effective, and England would be missing a trick by leaving him at home.

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