Former Player Blog - Daniel Gabbidon
WHUFC.com
Ex-West Ham United defender and former Hammer of the Year Danny Gabbidon is looking forward to an exciting summer of football at the European Championships in France.
The Welshman will be working for talkSPORT during the tournament and can't wait to see his fellow countrymen in action, especially his former teammate and good friend James Collins...
I was delighted to see James Collins get his call-up, although it was never really in doubt. The only thing that would have kept him out of the squad would have been an injury. He has been one of the mainstays in the Welsh squad for a number of years and his call-up comes off the back of a good season at West Ham. It's amazing for him to get the chance to play at a major tournament - it's something that not a lot of players get to do in their career and I can't wait to see him perform.
I hope that Chris Coleman will pick him, but I think it's a tough call. James Chester has come in and done really well when Ginge was absent. It's probably one of the few dilemmas for the manager. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself, but at centre back, it is more difficult. They are both really good players and have done very well for the national side. It's a good position for the manager to be in and to have such healthy competition can only be a good thing for the side.
Ginge is a leader, strong in the air and you know what you are going to get from him because he is a very consistent performer. His leadership skills off the pitch and his personality in the dressing room mean that there is always a better atmosphere when he's about. Even if he doesn't make the starting eleven, there is still a role for him as one of the senior players in the squad. He has learnt over the years that there are other ways to influence the game and affect the players around you, being a leader off the pitch and by instilling your personality on those around you.
I am excited to see what Wales can achieve in the Euros, if you can get out of the group, then who knows what could happen. They need to get off to a quick start and both Wales and England will be pleased that they drew each other in the second match and not the first. I hope both sides get off to good starts and that will make for a great game in the second one. Getting to the quarter-finals would be a fantastic achievement for the Welsh side, because this is all new for them and so it's hard to know how well they can do. The lads are confident and if we can get our full eleven out then they will feel like they can give a game to anybody.
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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan says the Club are hard at work as they aim to secure their summer transfer targets…
The 2015/16 season may have ended three weeks ago, but this is an exceptionally busy time for everyone at the Club.
As the Stadium move nears the finishing touches are being made at our magnificent new home – and I know many of you would have seen some of those elements at the weekend, when the Stadium hosted its first ever concert with AC/DC playing to a full house.
We were proud to release the first images of the completed Club London lounges ahead of the concert, and before we know it we will be hosting UEFA Europa League football there, and welcoming the Italian champions Juventus in a spectacular start to our time on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
On the pitch, work continues to secure the targets we have identified to ensure we build on the considerable progress made in Slaven Bilic's first season as manager here.
It was reported that one of those targets was Jamie Vardy, and while it is true that we would loved to have had him, the numbers being talked about in a potential move to Arsenal show that the market is going potty.
It is safe to say that signing him would have smashed our current wage structure and we are determined to buy players with good value in this mad market.
We have done that exceptionally well in recent years, with the likes of Winston Reid, Cheikhou Kouyate, Aaron Cresswell, Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini vindicating this approach.
All of those players have gone on to become stars of our team and you can rest assured that we will be bringing players in this summer who will prove to be just as influential.
We're working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make this happen, and with five bids in for players at the moment, we are hopeful that we can bring you some exciting news soon.
Elsewhere, we staged a live auction at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday when some truly unique pieces of Boleyn Ground memorabilia went on sale to supporters.
Moving stadia has given supporters the opportunity to own their piece of Hammers history and there are still plenty of items to bid on online – with auctions ending over the course of this week and next.
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Vardy deal would have destroyed wage structure, says Sullivan
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 6th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Co-owner David Sullivan has admitted that West Ham's pursuit of Jamie Vardy was not financially feasible. Sullivan, speaking in the wake of a slew of transfer rumours in recent days revealed that West Ham were in for the Leicester striker - as revealed here on KUMB - but forced to retreat from negotiations once his demands became apparent. "While it is true that we would loved to have had him, the numbers being talked about in a potential move to Arsenal show that the market is going potty," Sullivan told the club's website. "It is safe to say that signing him would have smashed our current wage structure and we are determined to buy players with good value in this mad market."
Despite having failed to land the in-form England international, Sullivan revealed that he has several mosre irons in the fire with view to potential close season targets. "We're working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make this happen," he said. "With five bids in for players at the moment, we are hopeful that we can bring you some exciting news soon."
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2015/16 in review: August & September
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 6th June 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
We take a look back at the 2015/16 season through the eyes of KUMB Editor Graeme Howlett, who penned a weekly column for the Echo newspaper throughout the campaign...
9 August
Sam Allardyce spent four years trying to find out what the 'West Ham way' was all about. Slaven Bilic has only been in the job for five minutes - and he's experienced the lot already.
In a decision branded 'shameful' by some supporters, West Ham effectively chucked in the towel as far as the club's European aspirations are concerned when they fielded a team composed of reserves and inexperienced youngsters in the Europa League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu last Thursday.
Needing to get a result in Romania having drawn the first leg 2-2 at home, the Hammers were sent tumbling out of the tournament 4-3 on aggregate despite a plucky effort from those involved.
That was much to the annoyance of many fans who asked - quite reasonably - why spend the entire Premier League campaign attempting to qualify for Europe when you can't wait to get out of it?
Bilic, to his credit took the rap for the whole affair - although it seems inconceivable that the importance of West Ham avoiding relegation this season was not impressed upon him at some stage during the squad selection process.
For the club's owners, who were heavily scrutinised in a BBC documentary last week examining the process that led to West Ham's forthcoming tenancy of the Olympic Stadium, maintaining that top flight status is the be-all and end-all ahead of the move - despite David Gold's shallow assurances that the club would be going all out to win the Europa League.
And whilst prioritising a league campaign over cup competitions may be anathema to those of us who were weaned on West Ham's great Cup exploits of the past that, sadly, inevitably, that's largely the way top-flight football is these days.
Yet despite the vast, financial reward that membership of the Premier League brings - and the huge disparity between the haves and have-nots it serves to perpetuate - one thing money cannot buy, nor eradicate, is that priceless element of surprise.
Which brings us neatly back to Bilic, who was under intense pressure following the decision to rest so many players for Thursday's Europa League tie. A crushing defeat at title-favourites Arsenal on Sunday would now surely follow, regardless?
Well actually, no. In typical fashion, West Ham - including 16-year-old Reece Oxford - provided the biggest shock of the opening weekend of the campaign, winning 2-0 at the Emirates thanks to goals from Cheik Kouyate and Mauro Zarate.
Impressively, there was little luck about it either; Oxford successfully shackled the brilliant Mesut Özil which afforded new signing Dimitri Payet - a player upon whom many Irons fans are pinning their hopes this year - free reign to drive at the Arsenal back four.
In the end, the club's decision to rest key personnel ahead of the trip to Arsenal proved to be a good one. Whether it was worth the ill-feeling generated amongst the fan base remains to be seen.
23 August
The 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester two weeks ago initially appeared to be an anomaly, coming as it did just six days after West Ham's stunning opening day win at Arsenal.
However it is the win at the Emirates resembling a deviation from the norm now after West Ham produced a woeful display at home to Bournemouth, one that left Hammers fans harbouring serious concerns about the balance of the squad and the season ahead.
Whilst nobody shone on the day - bar perhaps substitute Modibo Maiga, whose looked for all the world like a £30million striker (if only!) when he strolled past Bournemouth's defence to score the game's final goal in a 4-3 defeat - the awful performances of full backs Aaron Cresswell and Carl Jenkinson, who between them erred for all four goals, were mystifying.
And spare a thought for poor Darren Randolph, making his West ham debut in goal, who has now conceded 16 goals against the Cherries in the last calendar year having been in the Birmingham teams beaten 8-0 and 4-2 by Eddie Howe's side in the Championship last season!
Fortunately for West Ham and Chairman David Sullivan, there is still plenty of time to bring in one or two much-needed new faces ahead of Tuesday-week's transfer window deadline. Alex Song, who spent last season at the Boleyn Ground on loan from Barcelona is on the verge of completing a return, for one.
News of the popular midfielder's impending return was revealed by Sullivan when he appeared on the KUMB.com West Ham Podcast this week, accompanied by his two teenage sons Dave and Jack. West Ham United's co-owner had kindly agreed to be the latest guest on the Podcast, which is presented by Chris Scull and James Longman and has already featured Russell Brand and Bianca Westwood as star turns this season.
Unfortunately the Chairman's comments regarding Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin caused something of a kerfuffle and the £15m-rated forward was so annoyed he responded with a public statement denouncing Sullivan's assessment of his physical condition.
It was an unfair attack on our guest, whose only crime had been to trust KUMB to ensure that no comments that could potentially cause offence, regardless of the fact that they had been given on the record, were published. I as Editor made a bad call, something which I have since apologised for to all parties involved.
And although the first part of the interview (part two will follow this week) ended up on the back pages of the nationals for all the wrong reasons, Sullivan should still be congratulated for allowing himself to be held to account by supporters who are generally starved of exposure to the players and club staff these days.
30 August
Harold MacMillan was Prime Minister, a new town in Shropshire called Telford was built and the Dartford Tunnel opened for the very first time.
Elsewhere Charles De Gaulle vetoed the French Eurovision Song Contest entry, Britain suffered one of the worst winters in living memory, the Beatles' latest single 'She Loves You' was number one in the charts - and my mother celebrated her 15th birthday!
What does all of this have to do with West Ham United, I hear you ask? Well, the link is quite simple - all of these events happened in 1963, the last time West Ham won at Anfield - that was until until Saturday's stunning and long overdue 3-0 win.
it's taken 52 years and some 43 attempts to finally emulate Ron Greenwood's achievement that day in September 1963, when goals from a young Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst secured a 2-1 victory at Liverpool.
Taking their place in the record books more than half a century later were debutant Manuel Lanzini, new captain Mark Noble and striker Diafra Sakho, whose goals gave West Ham a second Premier League away win of the campaign.
It was so typical of the Hammers; having won at Arsenal on the opening day of the season and then capitulated at home to Leicester and Bournemouth, they not only beat Liverpool by a comfortable scoreline but were deserved winners too.
Slaven Bilic admitted during his post-match press conference that his team parked the bus at times, before adding "but we didn't put the handbrake on!" However there was little need to once Philippe Coutinho was sent off for a second bookable offence just seven minutes into the second half.
At least that was according to referee Kevin Friend, whose performance was as dire as any witnessed so far this season (and boy, we've seen a few). Mark Noble was the second player to see red on the day, though for what only Friend will know. It will almost certainly be rescinded by the FA.
West Ham have now had a player sent off in three of their first four league games this season. Only one was generally accepted to be valid (Carl Jenkinson's v Bournemouth). And as anyone who has been tuning into MotD this season will be aware, the talk has often centred around match officials rather than the game itself. This has to change.
The question is, who is to blame? It's easy to call out the referees themselves, but it's the unaccountable quango known as the PGMOL, controlled by the likes of former refs Mike Riley and Howard Webb, who oversee and direct our match officials.
Those officials appear unwilling to use common sense these days, afraid perhaps of losing their status as a top flight referee. But the decisions they're making are killing the game - as per Stoke's match with West Bromwich Albion yesterday, in which the home side were reduced to nine men after half-an-hour by the hapless Michael Oliver. Something has to change.
* The second and final part of the KUMB West Ham Podcast with David Sullivan, Dave Sullivan and Jack Sullivan was published this week. In it, West Ham's co-owner talks about the club's impending move to the Olympic Stadium amongst other things. You may download it from www.kumb.com/podcast.php.
13 September
Tonight's clash with Newcastle United is one that has been eagerly awaited by Hammers fans since the summer transfer window closed, just under a fortnight ago.
West Ham enjoyed a rather busy final 48 hours of the window, signing no less than four players - midfielders Alex Song (from Barcelona), Michail Antonio (Nottingham Forest) and Victor Moses (Chelsea) plus former Hull striker Nikica Jelavic.
And Hammers fans are looking forward to seeing at least some of the new arrivals in action when they take on the struggling Magpies at the Boleyn Ground in the closing fixture of the weekend's Premier League programme.
All in all, 13 players arrived at the Boleyn Ground during the transfer window, with the vast majority expected to challenge for a first team squad spot this term.
And Slaven Bilic will be hoping one or two of those can help lead his team to their first home win of the Premier League campaign - a perplexing statistic given West Ham's away form so far this term, which reads played two, won two - and at Arsenal and Liverpool, to boot.
Bilic recently cited the lack of creativity in his squad as the main reason for slumping to home defeats against Leicester and Bournemouth. West Ham, he argued, simply lacked the flair and finesse required to unlock those two stubborn defences.
The manager, who celebrated his 47th birthday last week addressed that particular issue by introducing the likes of Moses and Wandsworth-born Antonio - who also has an eye for a goal, having scored four times in his final four appearances for Nottingham Forest.
The meeting with Newcastle results in Bilic clashing swords once again with Steve McClaren, who was dubbed "the wally with the brolly" after Slaven's Croatia dumped England out of the 2008 European Champions qualifiers courtesy of a 3-2 win at a sodden Wembley eight years ago.
McClaren rebuilt his career after his disastrous spell in charge of England with success at FC Twente, although he has since failed to impress at Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest. Opinion on Tyneside remains divided over the 54-year-old, whose team go into the game still looking for their first win of the season.
And they will almost certainly have to do it against one of their own - with former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll set to return to West Ham's match day squad for the first time since February, having finally recovered from his latest, long-term injury.
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International round-up
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 6th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Martin Samuelsen was an unused substitute as Norway slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Belgium last night. Lukaku, Hazard and Ciman netted for the hosts whilst King and Berisha replied for Norway. West Ham transfer targets Christian Benteke and Michy Batshuayi were both unused substitutes for Belgium.
Earlier in the weekend Dimitri Payet's France faced Scotland, who were comfortably beaten in Metz thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud (2) and Arsenal team-mate Laurent Koscielny.
The West Ham midfielder was replaced at half time by Manchester United's Martial, as the French failed to add to their Payet-inspired three-goal half time lead.
Finally, Cheikhou Kouyate was involved as Senegal beat Burundi 2-0 to seal qualification for next year's African Cup of Nations. Sadio Mane opened the scoring for the visitors after 16 minutes before Mame Biram Diouf secured the win with a second three minutes ahead of the half time interval; you may see both goals in the following video.
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No interest in Arsenal duo
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 6th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Jack Sullivan, son of co-owner David Sullivan has suggested West Ham have no interest in signing two Arsenal players with whom the club have been linked. Sullivan Jnr, posting on Twitter this afternoon insisted that West Ham will not be pursuing either Theo Walcott or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, both of whom have been linked with summer moves away from the Emirates.
That message followed an earlier tweet in which Sullivan hinted that the Hammers are close to concluding a deal for a new wide player, who he refrained from naming. However speculation suggests that the player in question could be Valencia's 26-year-old Algerian international Sofiane Feghouli, who is available on a free transfer. KUMB revealed last month that the club were monitoring his situation.
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Irons centre back linked with Manchester interest
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Italian newspaper, Tuttosport reports that both Manchester United and Manchester City have been scouting West Ham's Angelo Ogbonna with a view to a possible summer bid to strengthen their defences. West Ham completed the signing of Juventus centre back Angelo Ogbonna last year for an £8.5million fee on a four-year deal. He made an impressive 34 appearances last season and has been Slaven's first choice centre back to partner Winston Reid ahead of James Tomkins and James Collins Ogbonna recently has told the club's official website that is he really happy with his first year at the club. "I'm really happy with my first season in England," he told whufc.com. "I'm really happy because I scored against Liverpool and that was an amazing moment for us. We have to be proud about this season and maybe next season we can do better."
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Gold names his top young prospects
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 6, 2016 in News
C and H
David Gold has his eyes fixed very much on the Irons academy after beng presented with the Under-21 Cup at the latest Premier League meeting. The senior title of course went to Leicester City, he the U21 Premier League trophy to Manchester United, the U18 Premier Leagueto Manchester City and of course the U21 Premier League Cup to the Irons. And whilst he has made it clear that five or six new signings are on their way to the Olympic Stadium he is thrilled at the great youngsters making their way through. He said: "I believe Reece Oxford and Reece Burke are two of the most-talented young defenders coming through in this country. And he added on the official site: "Then you have Martin Samuelsen. I hope it is only a matter of time before he emerges into the first team. "We didn't win the U21 Cup I was presented with on Thursday because we have poor players – it is because they are special young players and I look forward to seeing their continued development."
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£24m of wages could be available to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham's Financial Fair Play limit rises to £64m this coming season and over a third of it could be available to spend this summer. The loss of loanees Alex Song, Victor Moses, Emmanuel Emenike together with end of contract Joey O'Brien have released over £10m wages already from our annual bill plus Carl Jenkinson who we paid up for the rest of the season brings the total released to just under £13m of wages.
If Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Pedro Obiang, Stephen Hendrie and Doneil Henry were all to leave this summer that would release another £7m of wages brining the possible wage annual budget to £20m.
When you add the additional £4m limit rise this season it means our wage budget could be anywhere between £17m and £24m. However, with transfer fees and wages inflated to ridiculous levels in this summer transfer window because of the new Sky/BT TV mega deal it remains to be seen what that will actually buy you.
Just to put it into context if we had pulled off the double signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jamie Vardy that would have taken nearly £18m from that budget if reports are to be believed. Ibrahimovic is thought to have agreed a £220,000 a week deal with Manchester United while Vardy is said to be close to a £120,000 per week deal with Arsenal.
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Valencia winger available to Irons for free
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Sofiane Feghouli the French-born professional footballer who plays for the Algeria national team and the Spanish club Valencia CF has been linked to a move to West Ham. The 26-year-old who will turn 27 in September operates as a right winger, but can also play as an attacking midfielder. He has been scouted by Spurs, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Manchester United, Roma in addition to the Hammers. He is available on a free transfer as his contract with Valencia runs out this summer. However, reports from Turkey suggest he has agreed to join Turkish Champions League side Fenerbache and that it will be finalised within a week. The wage is said to be around £44,000-a-week.
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Hammers linked with £10m bid for Croatian
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
According to Crotian daily evening newspaper 'Večernji list' Slaven Bilic & West Ham United are ready to offer 13m euros (£10m) for Croatian youngster, Ante Coric from Dinamo Zagreb.
Coric is part of the Croatian squad at the upcoming Euro 2016 tournament in France but is unlikely to play in the starting XI. The 19-year-old broke into the Dinamo Zagreb first team during the 2014/2015 season and this past season established himself as a key player for the Croatian league title winners.
Coric has been likened to Real Madrid midfielder and fellow Croatian Luka Modric for his technique and impressive passing range and has represented Croatia at every youth level.
He is a versatile attacking midfielder most comfortable in the No. 10 role, but also able to operate on either wing and in a deeper position in midfield. At just under 5'8″, it is said he may initially struggle to adapt to the Premier League although he already has 80 senior appearances to his name at the age of 19.
Coric has been linked to the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs.
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