Daily WHUFC News - 26th March 2016

From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

I am delighted that Manuel Lanzini has become the latest big name in our squad to agree a new contract with the Club. It demonstrates our commitment to securing the best players and it is fantastic news. He is not just a player who excites us but he has a great character which is so important in the dressing room. I am so pleased for him that the deal has now been finalised and he is the perfect fit for our football Club.
The goal he scored against Chelsea last weekend shows what a quality player he is and he can produce that kind of skill on a regular basis. We are showing that we want our best players to stay with the Club and it is so important that the likes of Lanzini and Payet remain with us for a long time. It is a statement that the board are making and we realise that we have this wonderful opportunity. We also have many talented young players like Antonio, Cresswell and Byram who want to be here with us and be part of our new adventure when we move into the new Stadium. It is fantastic news that we have announced that the new Stadium will be increasing to 60,000 and it once again shows the fantastic support that we have at West Ham United. We have it all to play for in the final part of the season and the key will be the injuries. We look as if we are coming out of that now and we could have a virtually fully fit squad if James Tomkins and James Collins are able to make a return after the international break. I am also thrilled to see the likes of Andy Carroll coming on and making such an impact like he did against Chelsea.
There is real competition for places and we will be raring to go for the final part of the campaign when we face so many key games in both the Premier League and FA Cup.
We now switch our attentions to Mark Noble's Testimonial on Monday and it is going to be special day for Mark and all the fans. You don't get the tag 'Mr West Ham' for nothing and I would say he is following in the footsteps of some of the biggest names to have played for this great club like Billy Bonds, Sir Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire who showed such amazing loyalty and were loved by the fans. I am really looking forward to the game and seeing some of the old legends come back to play. It is a fitting way for Mark to have this game in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground. I know the fans will be excited at the prospect of seeing Paolo Di Canio back in a claret and blue shirt and he was a genius during his time at the Club. I expect him to have some fun with the referee !! But on a serious note it will be great to see him back on the Boleyn Ground pitch. I hope everyone has a memorable day and I am sure it will be a day that Mark will never forget.

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James - I can't wait
WHUFC.com

Ex-West Ham United goalkeeper David James says he is looking forward to turning out in front of a sell-out crowd at the Boleyn Ground on Monday for Mark Noble's Testimonial. The former stopper has been preparing at the Club's training ground this week and will be part of the All Stars side, which contains a host of Hammers legends, up against the current squad. And James – who played for the Club just before Noble made his first team debut against Southend United in 2004 – cannot wait for the occasion. He said: "It's nice to be back here and throw myself about with the keepers. It's going to be a special day and I'm delighted that Nobes has allowed me to play. "He's a top geezer to start with. Player-wise, he's had the season of his life and likewise have West Ham. I think he's been an intrinsic part of the success they've been having this season.
"I think going back to when I was here, he was a youngster and he's a terrific bloke. I was so delighted when he said I could play in this game because the West Ham fans have already bought all the tickets. "They see Mark as a local hero so I'm delighted for him."

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone,

I'm back to Dublin, back home in the Republic of Ireland, and we've got two games to look forward to against Switzerland and Slovakia, so hopefully I'll get a chance to play in what is a mini warm-up for the Euros. We're feeling really optimistic, especially with the way we finished the qualifying campaign by beating Germany and the way we qualified by overcoming Bosnia and Herzegovina in a two-legged Play-Off, so it's good to go away with the squad. Obviously there will be pressure in the games, but we know we've qualified and we know we're on the plane and going to France, so it'll be good to see everyone and continue with some of the good work we've put in over the last few months.

I was listening to some of the boys booking flights for a short holiday to somewhere hot while I'm back to sunny Dublin! No, seriously, it'll be good to get some game-time, so I don't mind as long as we win and play well. It's good to see so many of the boys going away on international duty, and it's a compliment to all the good work we've put in at the Club this year. Everyone is being rewarded by their countries and that's definitely a good sign for the Club.

After the break, I'll be back at Chadwell Heath to prepare for a busy few weeks ahead in the Barclays Premier League and the Emirates FA Cup.
If the manager keeps to what he has done in the previous rounds, then hopefully I'll start the sixth-round replay against Manchester United – the final FA Cup tie at the Boleyn Ground. The first game was disappointing not to win, particularly as I felt I was blocked off for their equaliser at Old Trafford. Hopefully I won't be that busy in the replay, because as long as we win and get through, I don't mind how the game goes!

I'll get these couple of international games out of the way first, then switch back onto that when I come back. The international break means I'll miss Mark Noble's Testimonial on Monday, which is a shame. I first played against Mark when I was at Charlton in the Academy, and Mark was just starting off at West Ham.

That was probably about 12 years ago now. I had a rough idea of what he was like before I arrived at the Club in the summer, about what kind of character he is, but when I came into the building I've seen how he is around the place and what he's like on the training pitch, and I took to him even more.

On the pitch, he's definitely a leader. His work ethic is superb. I didn't realise the amount of ground he covers until I read the stats on a Monday or Tuesday. He doesn't really give the ball away either, in games or in training. He's got everything.

There are a lot of stories and things that I could probably say about Mark…but I won't! It's best to keep some of those quiet, but suffice to say that off the pitch he's a big voice in the changing room.

Monday is a well-deserved day for Mark.

Enjoy your long weekends, and don't forget to tune in and watch Ireland's matches and the Testimonial on TV!

Darren

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International round-up
WHUFC.com

West Ham United midfielder Dimitri Payet played 90 minutes as France beat Holland 3-2 on Friday night. In an enthralling encounter at the Amsterdam ArenA, the Hammers' French superstar helped Les Blues gain an early two-goal lead through Antoine Greizmann and Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud. The Netherlands pegged the visitors back though and squared the game up in the 86th minute, before France's Blaise Matuidi grabbed the winner a minute later. Payet – who was recalled to the squad by boss Didier Deschamps after such impressive performances in claret and blue – will hope to be involved again on Tuesday as his side host Russia.

Elsewhere, Hammers stopper Darren Randolph was also on a winning side as he kept a clean sheet to record a 1-0 win for the Republic of Ireland over Switzerland. Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark scored the game's only goal as Randolph played all 90 minutes in the international friendly. Slovakia, who visit on Tuesday, are Martin O'Neill's side's next opponents.

Victor Moses' Nigeria could not, however, make it a clean sweep for Hammers stars on Friday, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Egypt.

There was a defeat, however, for young midfielder Martin Samuelsen, who made his Norway U21 debut in a 1-0 defeat against Holland.

On Thursday, there was a goal for West Ham striker Enner Valencia as he scored the opener in a 2-2 draw against Paraguay. The draw means that Valencia's nation stay top of their tricky World Cup qualifying group which contains both Brazil and Argentina.

Also on Thursday, England U19s were victorious, as they began their Euro 2016 Elite qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Georgia. Hammers goalkeeper Sam Howes, however, was an unused substitute.

In action on Wednesday evening was 17-year-old defender Reece Oxford, as he played 90 minutes in England U18s' 3-2 victory over Austria. The Young Lions twice came from behind to down the hosts.

Finally, West Ham's Bradford City loan pair Reece Burke and Josh Cullen are with England U20s and the Republic of Ireland U21s respectively for matches later on this week.

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New Contract For Bilic - Eventually
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 25th March 2016
By: Staff Writer No.3

Co-chairman David Sullivan has spoken of his desire to offer Slaven Bilic a new deal. However, the manager will have to wait....

With the Irons currently sitting in 5th place and an FA Cup Quarter Final replay to come, the club is experiencing one of its best seasons for many a year. Sullivan however, has suggested that he would be unwilling to open talks regarding a new deal for the Croatian coach until January 2017 at the earliesy.

Sullivan explained: "I just want to make sure that he's not a 'one season wonder' adding "I'm sure he's not but we'll open contract talks either next January or before the end of the season".

Bilic's current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2017

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Hammers will wait to offer Slaven Bilic a new deal
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 25/03/16 9:46am
SSN

Slaven Bilic will be offered a new contract by West Ham in January after he has proved he is not a "one-season wonder." Bilic has impressed at Upton Park since taking over from Sam Allardyce in June, guiding the Hammers to fifth place in the Premier League with eight games to go and through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The former Croatia boss, 47, signed a three-year contract when he joined the Hammers but is set to be handed a new deal in 2017 - providing he proves this season was not just a flash in the pan. West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan said in The Mirror: "I will give Slaven a new deal in January. "I just want to see that he is not a one-season wonder. I'm sure he is not, but we will talk next January - or at the end of next season. "I have to tell you that he is interested in the project, not money. "He stayed at Croatia on £2,000 a week for five years when he would have had bundles of offers. He is not really into money. He is more interested in getting the best players for the club than the best money for himself." Sullivan has admitted it was a risk to hand their former defender his first managerial job in England, but believes it is a gamble that has paid off "several times this season." "We took a gamble to change managers, we went away from safety, chasing a dream," Sullivan added in The Daily Express. "We took someone with no track record in England, with a pretty good track record abroad but it was still perceived as a gamble by most pundits. He has proved himself several times this season."

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Harry Redknapp accuses West Ham of betraying club legend Bobby Moore
14:49, 25 MAR 2016 UPDATED 14:51, 25 MAR 2016
BY JOHN CROSS
Redknapp says Moore was treated poorly after he retired and was even once asked to leave the stadium after turning up with the wrong ticket
The Mirror

England legend Bobby Moore was betrayed by West Ham, a new film claims. Former West Ham defender Moore led England to their finest hour when he lifted the World Cup 50 years ago this summer. But ex-Hammers boss Harry Redknapp is one of several big names to talk up in the new film "Bobby" about the way he was treated by his former club after he retired. Moore, who tragically died in 1993, was even once asked to leave Upton Park because he did not have the right ticket and Redknapp claims the FA and football did not give him a proper chance as a manager. Redknapp, who says the current West Ham ownership are not to blame, said: "Others didn't make him as welcome as they should have. It was criminal really.
"West Ham should have brought him in as an ambassador. He is the greatest icon in the game at that time, he should have been in the front row of the directors box."

Moore became a pundit for radio station Capital Gold alongside highly respected BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce who also takes part in the film.
"Bobby" premieres with a special screening on the pitch at Wembley on May 25th as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup triumph.

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Gold clears up OS issues
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has cleared up any issues surrounding the Olympic Stadium capacity and hinted that that the club may eventually go for a 66k capacity.

With the waiting list growing to around 50k the co chairman has revealed that the 66,000 is the ultimate limit at the club's new home

With the subject under keen discussion both on Claret and Hugh and across social media, Gold declared: "It is possible to eventually go to 66,000 but that would be the maximum capacity. "

And he has made it clear that just 5,000 of the 6,000 available from the increased capacity recently to receive planning approval would go to applicants.

He said: "Of the 6000 new seats approximately 5000 will go to the priority members and the balance to match day. dg."

Under Premier League rules clubs have to ensure that a percentage of all tickets are made available to the general public on a walk up on the day basis.

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Official: Spurs are not a big club!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Of course, we have known this fact for many years but the London Evening Standard confirmed it so it must be true! right? The Evening standard published a table of West Ham results this season against the big clubs. They included Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and bizarrely Everton but omitted Spurs from the list. West Ham has won seven games including a treble over Liverpool against these so called 'big clubs' this season and drawn six games but importantly we have not lost a single game against them. If we include the smaller clubs in the division we lost one and won one against Tottenham Hotspur this season.

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Bilic invited back to Besiktas
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Besiktas president Fikret Orman has revealed that the club have invited Slaven Bilic to the Vodafone Arena inauguration ceremony. Speaking at the pre-inauguration press conference president said: "We will be inviting Bilic, Daum, Toshack, Milne, Lucescu and former players to the ceremony as well."
Bilic coached Besiktas over two seasons before joining West Ham last summer. The Croatian coach is largely credited with being the architect of the current side despite winning no silverware at the club. The Istanbul club are on the verge of completing the construction of the 41,903 seater Vodafone Arena stadium which is situated just a stones throw from the Bosphorus next to the Dolmabahce stadium. The stadium will replace the old İnönü and is being constructed on the same land as the previous venue. Bilic never actually got to play a single home game during his stint at Besiktas as the stadium reconstruction project lasted over two years.

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Roy Hodgson defends West Ham captain Mark Noble's England exclusion: Last time it was Grant Holt!
JAMES BENGE 13 hours ago2 comments
Evening Standard

Roy Hodgson has warned West Ham captain Mark Noble his chances of being called up to the England squad are slim, comparing his chances of making Euro 2016 to those of then-Norwich striker Grant Holt two years ago. Noble, 28, has never received an England cap despite having made over 200 Premier League appearances for West Ham over 12 years at his local club. The club captain has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career under Slaven Bilic but, after being left out of Hodgson's most recent squad, has reluctantly accepted that he will likely never be given a chance to pull on an England shirt. "I'd love to [play for England] but I think especially with the squad announcement, if I'm honest with myself, the chances are very slim," he said. "Once the squad got announced, I just put it to the back of my mind "There are some great players in that England squad and a lot of people, and West Ham fans thought I should have been in it but I'm not that sort of person."

Hodgson has today justified his decision to exclude Noble, explaining: "Before the World Cup it was Grant Holt, so I can't cap everyone having a good season." The England manager was actually referring to Euro 2012, when a record of 15 goals in 36 Premier League goals saw clamours for Norwich striker Holt to be included in the squad. Hodgson selected Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck ahead of the then-31-year-old.
Tottenham pair Eric Dier and Dele Alli could be in line for appearances against Germany on Saturday night, whilst Leicester's Danny Drinkwater is set to make his England debut in either of the two friendly matches against Joachim Low's side and the Netherlands. Instead of appearing for England Noble will appear at Upton Park on Monday in front of a near-capacity crowd for his testimonial match. The likes of Paolo di Canio, Michael Carrick and Teddy Sheringham are set to feature in an 'All-Stars' side to take on the current West Ham squad.

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Exclusive Boleyn Informer: Lanzini the truth! Are the Benteke rumours for real?!
March 25, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Boleyn Insider

Hello and welcome to my first ever Boleyn Informer column on the West Ham Way.

I am really excited to join the team as such an exciting time for West Ham. Like EXWHUEmployee, I have chosen to remain anonymous so I can't really go into my connection with West Ham. I have agreed to write occasionally for this site when I think there is something worth while to say or reveal but I won't be writing anything that could potentially damage the club.

So let's start with Lanzini. The club finally confirmed the deal we already knew about. Jack had already confirmed it is a four year deal with a two year extension option. I am told he get's around a £20,000 per week pay rise in his pay packet and the club will fork out around 12 million Euros in total for his services from July.

Despite media stories all week confirming much of this information above you might be asking yourself why the club's official website has failed to confirm the permanent capture until today. The truth is rather mundane, Manuel was/is still owed a considerable amount of money from parent UAE Club, Al Jazira and the player quite rightly wanted to settle this outstanding issue before his permanent transfer was made official.

Looking forward, we know from Mr Sullivan that our main priority is a twenty goal per season striker this summer and some names keep on cropping up over and over again. If we ignore our friends over at the Brentwood Gazette then the credible names are Michy Batshuayi, Alexandre Lacazette and Cristian Benteke. The first two have been regularly scouted by the club as recently as last weekend but before you get too excited you need to understand that like any big club the Hammers have a vast network of scouts across Europe and we often scout dozens of players at any one time so it doesn't mean that much. The problem is most other big European clubs have exactly the same idea and it can get crowed at these games as everyone looks for the next Payet in Ligue 1. Both Batshuayi and Lacazette are likely to be highly desirable across Europe and West Ham are unlikely to pay an inflated price in a bidding war, it is not Sullivan's way.

When I first heard of the Benteke link I thought I had been duped by another Brentwood Gazette headline but actually I am starting to warm to the idea. Sullivan has said recently Benteke is a player the club admire but no club could afford his £120,000 per week wages. Sounds like a good fashioned negotiating ploy to me from Mr Sullivan. West Ham has budgeted £25m in the transfer kitty for a prolific striker in the summer and that might be enough to tempt Liverpool to take a £7m loss. His wage demands would need to drop to a more reasonable level but with Alex Song and Victor Moses off the wage bill next season that should be achievable to balance the books.

Benteke just wants to be loved and believed in by a manager again. If he is played in the right position and to his strengths I believe he can re-capture the form he had in a less than average Aston Villa side to score twenty plus goals again per season. I don't think this necessarily means the end for Andy Carroll though.

That's all from me for now. Enjoy the four games in a row at the Boleyn Ground if you are going which starts on Easter Monday with Nobes testimonial.

Come on you irons

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Payet performance thrills Deschamps
442.com

Didier Deschamps had positive words for Dimitri Payet after his display in France's win over Netherlands. France boss Didier Deschamps praised the performance of Dimitri Payet after their dramatic 3-2 win over Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday. The West Ham playmaker produced an eye-catching display in what was his first international appearance in nine months. He hit the post with a second-half shot and created six chances – more than double any other player on the pitch as well as having the most touches (89) of either side. It was Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi who scored the goals for France as they recorded a sixth victory in seven games, with their hosting duties at Euro 2016 getting closer, but Payet, 28, still did enough to earn positive words from his head coach. "He was very good," Deschamps was quoted as saying by L'Equipe. "He responded well whenever he had to touch the ball. He had an enormous quality on set pieces and made a lot of effort. "He confirmed with us what he has been doing with his club - he is in top form." Deschamps was relieved to come out of the match with a victory, but rued his team losing their two-goal half-time lead, with captain Matuidi's winner coming with only three minutes remaining. "The first Dutch goal [by Luuk de Jong] was scored with a hand but we lacked concentration on the second goal and we must avoid that," he said. "We went out and played a very good first half, but the second was worse. We ended up snatching victory and the scenario was favourable to us, but we must be more focused. "We controlled the match and it could still have ended 2-2. We had seven or eight chances and must be able to manage the game better than that."

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Roy Hodgson compared Mark Noble to Grant Holt and managed to annoy just about everyone
IrishExaminer.com
Friday, March 25, 2016 - 06:52 pm

West Ham fans enjoy nothing more than being outraged about Mark Noble not being in the England squad. So Roy Hodgson's explanation for why the Hammers midfielder was still not getting selected – and looks unlikely to go to Euro 2016 – did not go down well. The England boss said: "We have only got 23 places, 20 outfield players, we can't unfortunately cap every player who has had a good season for his club. Before the World Cup it was Grant Holt, so there is always somebody." The England boss is seldom the most popular figure in the game, but he outdid himself this time.
Obviously West Ham fans – and a lot of football supporters in general – were annoyed.

John Cross ✔ ‎@johncrossmirror
Hodgson bizarre reasoning for not picking Noble. Says he's flavour of month now, Grant Holt was last time. Er, don't think so...
4:01 PM - 25 Mar 2016

Pranay ‎@pranaystrikes
Hodgson compares Mark Noble to Grant Holt. He should be knowing that Noble ain't a one season wonder in the Premier League.
4:43 PM - 25 Mar 2016

Sam ‎@AVFCSfan
Disgusting comments from Roy Hodgson re: Mark Noble. Very disrespectful in my opinion comparing him to Grant Holt one season wonder
4:20 PM - 25 Mar 2016

Jonny Williams ‎@jonnycanary
Grant Holt taking pelters from East laandon geezers getting all bent out of shape over Mark Noble,difference is Holt should have got a cap.
5:09 PM - 25 Mar 2016

Steve Belsham ‎@StevenBelsham
Imagine being Mark Noble right now and having your hopes of a call up compared to Grant Holt's 😂
5:00 PM - 25 Mar 2016

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