Daily WHUFC News - 18th November 2016

Slaven Speaks - Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic speaks to the pressFollowing the international break which saw
Premier League fixtures halted for a fortnight, Slaven Bilic sat down with
the press to discuss Saturday's London derby against Tottenham Hotpsur. The
boss gave injury updates on Andy Carroll, Gokhan Tore, James Collins and
Winston Reid and also expressed his thoughts on his side's improvements over
the last month…

Slaven, it has been said you could have a few players out this weekend. Is
that the case?

Injury-wise we are feeling much better. We have players back, like Diafra
Sakho, and a few players are getting there and hopefully will progress.
Hopefully they'll be back next week and players like Andy Carroll and Gokhan
Tore will be back quite soon. They are training individually and with the
U23s and hopefully soon they'll start to train with us. Sakho has been
training with us for a couple of weeks time.

What about Winston Reid and James Collins?

Reid didn't go to play for New Zealand because in the Everton game he got a
small injury. He was suspended for the game against Stoke so he missed that
anyway, but he's back in training and he looks good. It wasn't a long break
for him. Ginge – he didn't play for Wales but it was minor as well, and he's
back in training.

What did you do during the international break?

We trained hard in the first week and then had a few days off before coming
back this week. It's an opportunity to work on your fitness when you don't
have games, like we did last time. We did it before the Palace game and we
are doing it every time. But many players are missing with international
duty.

Has it been a chance to reflect over the international break?

You don't need the break to do that! We have improved since the last one. It
was much better in every aspect of the game. We are more solid, have more
clean sheets and have a few good performances. We can see it's all about a
couple of points, but we need those points. Even if we had beat Stoke, we
would be mid-table because it's still so tight. We are 17th. You are very
close to the relegation and you have to improve.

Is there a danger that the players think: 'We are good players, we'll be
fine'?

You can't keep talking like it doesn't matter, we are a good team. You have
to start winning games, which we did in October, but it's not enough because
the other teams are also getting some unexpected results that are getting
them points.

Do you have solutions in the squad that you currently have?

I definitely think and I know we have the solutions within the squad, mainly
with the squad that's played so far and as I said, we have some players who
were absent for a long period. Now they are coming back and they'll be like
new signings for us this season. Some didn't play a game yet this season. We
are not thinking about the transfer window yet, like that will solve our
problems. We have quality within the squad. The window is still far from
here, a lot of things can change in a few weeks' time. I'm fully
concentrated on the players we have, the players that improved and the
players coming back for us now.

Spurs don't lose, but they don't always win. Can you end this run they're
on?

You can say in October, they didn't win a game. But on the other hand, they
are the only unbeaten team and probably they are not overwhelmed by October
because they are aiming to win the league this year. They are doing a good
job and they had a couple of injuries also. They are solid and electric. But
it's a good opportunity because we have improved, and if we play good, we
have a chance no matter who we are playing.

In your distant memory, do you remember coming over to play here at White
Hart Lane?

You've done your homework! I made my debut of course there, and I remember
that game. It was always and will always be a special game, maybe the
biggest game of the season for us. We won that game 1-0 and of course I have
good memories of that.

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Joint-ChairmanThis is a huge London derby on Saturday and
they don't come much bigger than when West Ham face Tottenham. There is so
much passion, determination from both sets of players and there is nothing
quite like it. They have always produced fantastic games over the years and
I know a lot of fans will still have fond memories of our last performance
when we came away with a 1-0 victory at the Boleyn Ground back in March. Few
could forget Michail Antonio's crucial match-winner that night and his
famous goal celebrations. We know it is going to be another tough encounter
as Spurs are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League this season and
are challenging at the top of the table. But we have a habit of going there
and upsetting the odds and hopefully it will be the same once again on
Saturday. A lot of our players are now back from injury and we will be able
to name a very strong team for the game at White Hart Lane. Having Diafra
Sakho back in the squad is a big boost for everyone. Diafra is a fans
favourite and has scored some crucial goals for the Club.
He has energy and pace and I know Slaven has said it will feel like having a
new signing back in the team so we are all excited to see him back in action
Diafra has come back from a long-term injury and I want to pay tribute to
the Club's medical team who have worked so hard to get him back to full
fitness. It will be a great lift for all the other players to see him back
in the dressing room before the game.
Andre Ayew has also got another two weeks of training under his belt and
will hopefully look a lot stronger on Saturday. He is our Club record
signing and hopefully he can show his best form in the coming games. We are
obviously disappointed that our influential captain Mark Noble will be
missing through suspension and Slaven will have a big decision to make on
who comes in to replace him. Will he keep faith with the same system or
revert to a normal back four?Whatever decision Slaven makes, I know we will
be in decent shape and will put out a strong team who will be ready for
action. I know a lot of people have been talking about the tough run of
games that we have coming up and on paper it looks difficult. But there is
no reason why we cannot beat Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal or
Liverpool. We have showed that we can beat the big teams and there is no
reason why we cannot do it again. Tottenham and the other teams will not
look forward to West Ham United coming to their grounds and hopefully we can
show the form which saw us compete with the big teams in the Premier League
last season.
Finally, I was thrilled to see Aaron Cresswell called up for the Scotland
and Spain games last week and it has been a long time since a West Ham
player has played for England. I want to congratulate Aaron on his call-up.
He has now had the experience of being part of the England squad and he will
want to stay there. We have all seen the quality that he brings to the West
Ham team and hopefully he can continue to show his best form in the coming
weeks and months. Enjoy the game on Saturday and hopefully we can come away
with another memorable victory in north London.

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

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

Hello everybody.

This week I will start by congratulating both Aaron Cresswell and Edimilson
Fernandes on becoming full internationals with England and Switzerland
respectively.

We are pleased for them both, and also happy to report that they, as well as
everybody else who is back from international duty has come back in a good
condition ready for the game at Tottenham Hotspur.

We have more good news that James Collins, Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho are
all in full training and should be available for selection by the manager.

Ginge has come through his rehab after being withdrawn from the Wales squad
with a calf injury, while Winston missed the Stoke City game and was not
able to go away to play for New Zealand due to injury.

Diaf is now in his third week of full training and is getting fitter and
stronger with every session.

Further encouraging news is that Arthur Masuaku is in his first week of full
training with the PL2 squad after rehabbing from his knee injury and he will
join the first-team squad next week.

Andy Carroll is also progressing with his rehab and trained with the PL2
squad this week.

Sam Byram is running on the pitch now following his hamstring injury. Sam is
progressing well and working hard on his rehab with head physiotherpist Dom
Rogan.

Reece Oxford has entered a new phase of rehab from his knee injury. Reece
has now had the brace removed from his leg and is full weight-bearing. He
will take the next step in his rehab soon.

Gokhan Tore is at the end of his rehab and will join training next week.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Arbeloa - I want to help my team-mates
WHUFC.cm

West Ham defender Alvaro Arbeloa is determined to keep battling hard as he
looks to win back his place in the team ahead of a busy schedule for the
east London Club. Arbeloa has only made three appearances following his move
during the summer, but the former Real Madrid defender is keen to get more
game time under his belt. The Hammers are now preparing for five big games
against Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool and the
33-year-old would love to be involved at some stage. With Slaven Bilic
changing to a new wing-back system in recent weeks, Arbeloa has struggled to
break into the side, but he is ready to take his chance when it becomes
available. Arbeloa said: "I want to help my team-mates, the coach and I am
giving my best in every training session. "Hopefully I will get the chance
to play soon. "The most important thing is we need the points and we need to
win games. We now have five very tough games but all of us believe we can
win games and that is the most important thing."

Arbeloa had nothing but praise for the way England played against Spain at
Wembley on Tuesday night. The former World Cup winner was keen to watch his
former team-mates in action and says they were fortunate to come away with a
2-2 draw. Arbeloa added: "I watched the game and thought it was a really
good match, especially for England. They played very well. "England have a
very good squad and I think they could do very well in the next World Cup.
"England made a lot of changes in the second half and Spain obviously scored
two goals right at the end but I still thought England played really well.
"Of course I miss being there because I have great memories with the
national team, but I am now supporting them."

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U18s contest with Spurs postponed
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s' league clash with Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed
until further notice. The U18 Premier League South encounter was due to take
place at Tottenham Hotspur's Training Ground in Enfield on Saturday 19
November at 11am. However, after the announcement of the Hammers' FA Youth
Cup tie date with Stoke City, the league match with Spurs has been
postponed, with a new date set to be arranged. The 3rd round Youth Cup tie
with the Potters will take place on Tuesday 22 November at 7pm from the
bet365 Stadium.
The Hammers go into the match lying second in the U18 Premier League South
table.

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE: TRANSFER DEPARTURES AND TARGETS BECOMING CLEARER!
CHELSEA PLAYERS LINKED!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 16 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 10:33PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

So the M25 oil spill put pay to our radio show where we had quite a lot to
discuss. The producers have had to play our interview with Trevor Brooking
way back when we first started! Although it is worth a listen I think you
will be able to hear that we have grown a lot since then!

I intended to talk about transfers in my section. The club are already
working out a number of departures from the club to bring in additional
players. The loans of Tore, Zaza and Calleri could all be brought to a very
premature end. None of those players have impressed since they have been
here and it appears that we may be prepared to cut our losses on all three
and send them back to their parent clubs. Zaza and Calleri have other clubs
who are prepared to take over our loan agreements from Italy and Spain
respectively. It is fair to say that all of them have been a big
disappointment however with their departures it enables us to strength in
January.

Another player likely to leave is Arbeloa. I have been asked countless
amount of times what has happened to him. There is more to the story but the
player and club want to keep the business behind closed doors which is the
right way to approach these things. In a nutshell the move hasn't worked out
for him or us and the club will let him move on. With Byram being
regularly injured and still raw and Bilic finally seeing the light with
Antonio, we are short in that position. We were keen on Ivanoic but it looks
like a number of bigger clubs are too. There is a chance that Jenkinson
could come back for a third spell at the club. We are also looking at a
couple of championship right backs notably Iorfa of Wolves being one. As
well as a couple of out of favour right backs with Premier League experience
on the radar.

We will look to strengthen the forward department again. The net is very
wide at the moment and any player with proven Premier League pedigree will
be considered. Daniel Strurridge is someone that many people in the club
would love to sign. If he is available we would want to move for him. Yes he
has a bad injury record but we would still be keen to bring him in.

We have also looked at a number of players playing in the Italian league.
Mandzukic and Zaza were two players that we were looking at from Juventus
and having experienced Zaza we could turn our attention to his former
teammate. Ex-Manchester City forward Jovetic has been someone that we have
also considered making a more for too for a while and could be again.

Liverpool and Chelsea seem to be a couple of teams that we have approached
in terms of players that are available for loans or permanent moves. Chelsea
have a number of players that we could be tempted by including some very
young and talented players in: Dominic Solanke and Rueben Loftus-Cheek who
could be available certainly for loan terms. Solanke's contract is also
expected to expire in the summer so West Ham could look to exploit that.
The managers Bilic and Conte currently enjoy a good relationship with each
other and so business between the two clubs is more likely than it has been
in the past. Thankfully it looks like our own talented youngster Reece
Oxford should sign a new 5 year deal worth just over £20k in the next few
days.

Diafra Sakho should return to the squad for the Spurs can game and I didn't
think I would be saying this but it is much needed positive news.

There has been some talk that the club could be interested in bringing in
Stevie Gerrard in some capacity but he has all the interest in the world and
so will weigh up his options in due time which are unlikely to include us.
Gerrard has talked about his admiration of West Ham fans following our cup
final defeat, stranger things have happened, but I do believe this is a long
way from happening and wont.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the West Ham Way Pre Match
events. On the 3rd of December before the Arsenal game we aim to bring as
many of you back to the East London Working men's club to sample the
atmosphere of Upton Park again in a familiar setting. Our aim is to bring
those days back.

We are delighted to announce Frank McAvennie as our first guess. The name
list we have of players who wish to be interviewed themselves as part of our
Q and A is huge. Mark Ward will host each of our events and is determined to
bring back the sense of the good old days. We have free drink and coach
travel to the London stadium provided. Not to mention the return of the
hammerettes selling raffle tickets to our wonderful prize draw which
includes a signed (by the whole team) first team shirt and many others. We
can't wait to see you there. Please buy your tickets here:
https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/73284/chk/1001


Some of the West Ham Way team will be up at the national football blogging
awards at Old Trafford tomorrow where we have been shortlisted for two
awards! We will be filming and tweeting from the event so stay tuned! Lets
hope a win is then followed by a crucial win against Spurs! COYI

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East Stand gone as developers press on
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 17th November 2016
By: Staff Writer

Once upon a time, some of the world's finest footballers graced the Boleyn
Ground turf. But as you can see from the images below, not a single blade of
grass remains on the Boleyn Ground's famous pitch as developers continue
their task of pulling down West Ham United's home of 112 years, which was
sold by the club's current Board ahead of the move to the (rented) Olympic
Stadium last summer.
The East Stand - home of the Chicken Run which was rebuilt in 1969 to
replace the corrugated version that preceded it - has already lost its Upper
Tier, where thousands of long-standing season ticket holders, some of whom
had been going to the Boleyn for more than 60 years once sat in relative
tranquility compared to the raucousness of the old North and South banks.
Despite having been built little more than 20 years ago, they too will soon
experience the same fate as the Boleyn's famous old East Stand from which
opposition players used to shy away if possible due to the close proximity
of the fans, prior to the pitch being moved towards the 'new' West Stand in
2003. Of course, back then the intention was to rebuild the East Stand to
give the Boleyn Ground a fully-enclosed, 43,000 future-proof capacity. And
despite planning permission having been approved at the time, that solution
was rejected by the club's current Board who couldn't resist the lure of
Stratford.

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Gold optimistic over safe standing return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 17th November 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United co-owner David Gold believes the Premier League have taken
their first step towards re-introducing safe standing at top tier football
matches. Standing at Premier League matches has been outlawed for the past
20 years or so following the (flawed) Taylor Report that insisted English
top flight matches should be all-seater affairs following the Hillsborough
disaster. However it was back on the agenda this afternoon at a meeting of
Premier League chiefs, at which Gold was representing West Ham.
Speaking after the meeting, he told the BBC: "The Premier League took the
first steps today towards safe standing." However Gold also emphasised that
there was some considerable way to go before safe standing could be
considered a possibility. Meanwhile Dan Johnson, the Premier League's
director of communications added: "It is very early stages. It's a very
emotive subject still. We're acutely aware of that. A number of our clubs do
want to discuss it so it's on the agenda. "We will discuss that but beyond
that the only thing I can see happening at these early stages is a scoping
exercise, talking to interested stakeholders - including fans' groups and
Hillsborough families, but also talking with the government because the
legislation is still in place for all-seater stadiums.
"I know it will create discussion but it's a long road and it might not
necessarily lead to the introduction of safe standing," he told the BBC.

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic warns his side they must improve as Hammers flirt
with relegation zone
The Hammers currently lie in 17th place in the Premier League ahead of
Saturday's trip to face Spurs at White Hart Lane

SHARE
COMMENTS
BYADRIAN KAJUMBA
20:52, 17 NOV 2016UPDATED20:55, 17 NOV 2016
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic has issued a stark warning to his West Ham side, telling them:
We must improve and start picking up points. The Hammers are languishing in
17th, just a point outside the drop zone ahead of Saturday's trip to big
rivals Tottenham. Bilic said: "We can see it's all about a couple of points,
but we need those points.
"Even if we had beat Stoke, we would be mid-table because it's still so
tight. "We are 17th. You are very close to the relegation and you have to
improve.
"You have to start winning games, which we did in October, but it's not
enough because the other teams are also getting some unexpected results that
are getting them points."

The Hammers boss has also hailed the return of Diafra Sakho as being like
having a new signing in his squad. The forward is set to make his first West
Ham appearance of the season after he returned from injury to first-team
training before the international break.

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Slaven Bilic admits West Ham United striker Andy Carroll is worried
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United striker Andy Carroll has made just four appearances so far
this season. Slaven Bilic has admitted to the Daily Mirror that West Ham
United striker Andy Carroll is worried about his current injury problems.
Carroll has only featured once for West Ham in the league this season, after
another campaign where he has struggled to avoid the treatment table.
Carroll has not been able to play more than 30 league games in a season ever
since he joined West Ham, way back in 2012. The England international has
made less than 100 appearances in the past five years for the Hammers. And
Bilic admits that Carroll is starting to get concerned by his persistent
failure to stay fit. "Since I have been here, the only problem has been he
has not been fit. I've no complaints. He is very professional," Bilic said.
"I know he is very frustrated to be injured, especially after his
pre-season. It was the best pre-season he'd had by a mile. He did almost
every training session, no injuries. Then, after the first game, he got
injured in Romania out of nothing. "He is still out. It is a tough time. He
is very sensible and he said to me his biggest concern was, 'Now it is going
to be in the papers again: "Out again". They are going to say I got
injured.' "He is worried." West Ham have missed Carroll in his absence, as
they are short of striking options. The Hammers' summer recruits have not
made much of an impact at the London Stadium, and Bilic has had to
experiment to try and find a player to lead the line. West Ham have resorted
to playing Michail Antonio out of position up-front in recent weeks, such is
their shortage of front men. It is still unclear when Carroll will return to
fitness, but it seems that 27-year-old still has some way to go until he is
ready to come back into West Ham's first team squad.

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West Ham old boys Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole train with Slaven Bilic's men
ahead of trip to Tottenham
Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole trained with the first-team on Thursday
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is allowing the pair to stay fit at Rush Green
Nolan had four years at West Ham, while Cole spent nine at the club
Hammers have struggled with injuries but the pair are unlikely to sign
By JOE STRANGE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13:10, 17 November 2016 | UPDATED: 13:13, 17 November 2016

A couple of old faces joined West Ham's current crop for training on
Thursday as Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole returned to Rush Green.
The former Hammers duo, who spent a total of 13 years with the east London
club, have been given access to the club's facilities by manager Slaven
Bilic. And they took full advantage of the offer, linking up with the
first-team as they were put through their paces ahead of Saturday's trip to
rivals Tottenham. Cole, who spent almost nine years at Upton Park before
being released in the summer of 2015, was pictured stretching alongside
Alvaro Arbeloa and Co before running with the ball during a drill. The
ex-Aston Villa and Charlton loanee has been keeping fit at his former club
since the start of the month, having been released by US third tier side
Sacramento Republic in October. Nolan, however, only began training with his
old side earlier this week, just 15 months after leaving the club by mutual
consent at the start of the 2015-16 season. The former Bolton midfielder was
named player-manager at Leyton Orient in January of this year, but he lasted
just four months at the troubled League Two club and has not played since
being removed as boss in April. Speaking about training with West Ham
earlier this month, Cole told the club's official website: 'It is nice to be
back at West Ham and I am just trying to keep myself fit. It is the end of
the season in America and I want to keep ticking over and plan to be here
for a couple of months.' 'The gaffer has allowed me to stay over and use
the facilities and train with the team until January.' Although Bilic has a
number of injury problems to contend with at present, it is understood that
neither Cole or Nolan are being considered for a contract.

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Tottenham injury news: Mauricio Pochettino confirms Toby Alderweireld and
Erik Lamela will miss West Ham clash, Dele Alli doubtful
STANDARD SPORT
Evening Standard

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela
will both miss Saturday's London derby with West Ham, while Dele Alli
remains a doubt. Spurs had hoped the Belgian international Aldwereield would
return to partner compatriot Jan Vertonghen in defence for the first time
since damaging a nerve in his knee against West Brom last month, while
Lamela is recovering from a hip injury. Both players missed the north London
derby with Arsenal before the international break, along with Dele Alli who
was struggling with illness and a knee injury. "From the beginning we
believed it would be a very short process and period before Toby was
available, but the recovery was very slow," conceded Pochettino. "The knock
he got affected the nerve, but today he has started to join the group and
that is very good news. It is maybe a few weeks or 10 days for him to be
available if all is going well."
"Erik [Lamela] is still out for the weekend and we have a doubt about Dele,"
Full back Ben Davies is also sidelined, while Spurs are currently managing
the conditions of four other first team players. Harry Kane has only just
returned to action following a seven-week spell on the sidelines with an
akle injury, while Mousa Dembele (muscle fatigue), Christian Eriksen (hip)
and Danny Rose (foot injury) are also being monitored. Dutch striker
Vincent Janssen also returned early from the international break following a
suspected concussion after a collision with Belgiam and Liverpool goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet. Moussa Sissoko will be available for selection having served
his three-man ban following a violent conduct charge.

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West Ham transfer news: January window won't solve Hammers' problems,
insists Slaven Bilic
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

Slaven Bilic said today that he is not relying on the January transfer
window to solve West Ham's problems. The club are just one place above the
relegation places as they go into Saturday's London derby against Tottenham
and have already been linked with a number of strikers when the window
opens, including Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge and Watford front man Troy
Deeney. Bilic remains without Andy Carroll for Saturday's match but Andre
Ayew is fit again and Diafra Sakho could be in the squad for the first time
this season. "We are not thinking that the transfer window will solve our
problems," he said. "I'm much more concentrated on the players who are here,
especially those who are coming back. "We definitely think we have solutions
in the squad. We have had players who have been absent for a long period but
now they are coming back and they are like our new signings. "We have
improved a lot since the last international break and from four games we
have seven points plus we beat Chelsea in the EFL Cup. "If you look at the
table though, we are still in the position we don't want to be in although
it is very tight. If we had beaten Stoke we would have been in mid-table. We
have improved but now we have to improve even more. We can't keep talking
about 'it doesn't matter, we are a good team, we are going to click.' Bilic
admitted that the absence of suspended captain Mark Noble is a blow for the
team. "We are going to miss him," said the West Ham manager. "It is not only
about quality on the pitch, it is also about character. In these kind of
games you need your strongest characters. "It's a good opportunity for us on
Saturday, not because Spurs haven't won in seven matches but because, when
we play well, we can do well against anyone."

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West Ham injury crisis abates with Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho ready for
Spurs clash
Tony Mogan By Tony Mogan
November 17, 2016 13:48 GMT

West Ham United will have both Diafra Sakho and Winston Reid available for
their London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (19 November), with
the club's lengthy list of injury woes finally showing signs of relenting.
The Hammers have been without Sakho for the entire 2016-17 season so far due
to a persistent back problem. As a result, Slaven Bilic's side have
struggled to find goals, with Michail Antonio the club's only option
resembling something close to a consistent threat. Having returned to
training before the international break, Sakho is now ready to make his
return to the first team, while defender Reid is also back in contention,
having suffered a grade one hamstring strain during the 2-0 defeat to
Everton at Goodison Park. Bilic told a press conference ahead of Saturday
evening's clash at White Hart Lane: "Injury-wise we are getting better. From
the team against Stoke, we are all fit, plus Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho."
Having seen record signing Andre Ayew return from a thigh injury in October,
West Ham's injury list continues to shorten. Another long-term absentee,
Andy Carroll, is also edging his way back to full-fitness, having not played
in the Premier League this season due to a knee injury. Bilic is hopeful the
striker will be back next week with the Hammers facing back-to-back games
against Manchester United in the league and EFL Cup before the month is out.
Centre-half James Collins is also back in first-team training having pulled
out of the Wales squad ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Serbia with a
calf injury. "A few others are going to be back next week, like Andy Carroll
and Arthur Masuaku," Bilic continued. "Winston [Reid] didn't go to play for
New Zealand because he got a small injury against Everton. James Collins
didn't play for Wales but it was a minor as well and he is back in
training."

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Bilic keen to avoid another Zaza situation in January
Date published: Thursday 17th November 2016 12:09
TeamTalk

Slaven Bilic insists West Ham will not panic buy in January despite their
difficult start to the season. The Hammers are languishing in 17th place in
the Premier League after winning just three of their opening 11 matches. The
picture could look even more bleak after their next four fixtures, which
start at unbeaten Tottenham on Saturday before clashes with Manchester
United, Arsenal and Liverpool. West Ham boss Bilic knows they need to climb
away from trouble quickly, but he is confident he already has the answers to
their problems at his disposal and he will not make a rushed decision in
January. Bilic brought in Simone Zaza on loan from Juventus at the end of
August for a fee of £4.25million after several other targets proved to be
out of reach. The 25-year-old has struggled to impress and has failed to
score in nine appearances for the Hammers with his performances coming under
the microscope. Reports suggest as part of the loan deal, five more
appearances from Zaza would trigger a permanent £20million transfer and
Bilic is keen to avoid another transfer disaster. "I definitely think, and I
know, we have solutions in the squad," he said. "We have some players who
were absent for a long time. Now they are coming back and they are going be
our new signings so we are not thinking about the transfer window solving
all our problems. "Of course every club will look at one or two players, but
not on that scale. The transfer window is far away, we are talking about
football, I am completely concentrated on the players we have, and the
players who will come back."

One of those returning players is forgotten striker Diafra Sakho, who will
be in the squad at White Hart Lane for the first time this season. Sakho was
on the verge of joining West Brom over the summer but failed a medical and
has only just managed to regain fitness some three-and-a-half months later.
With none of West Ham's forwards having found the net so far this season,
the Senegal international could provide a major boost as Bilic bids to haul
them up the table. "It doesn't matter if it's the whole season, or now. We
are there," he said. "We are missing points. If we had beat Stoke last time
out we would be mid-table, because it's so tight. But we are 17th, and if
you are 17th you are very close to relegation and we have to improve even
more. "On one hand the worst thing to do is lose confidence and doubt
yourselves individually and as a group. On other hand you can't keep talking
and saying the table doesn't matter, that we are a good team and we will
click. "We need to win games because the other teams are also getting
unexpected results which are getting them points."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic wants Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho to be 'new signings' for
West Ham as he rules out spending big to survive in January transfer window
By ADAM CRAFTON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:14, 17 November 2016 | UPDATED: 13:06, 17 November 2016

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has warned that he does not intend to spend
his way out of trouble and is challenging his returning forwards Diafra
Sakho and Andy Carroll to be the 'new signings' that kickstart their season.
Bilic was speaking ahead of the visit to Tottenham on Saturday as the
Premier League resumes this weekend. He is boosted by the return to fitness
of defender Winston Reid and striker Sakho, while Carroll, Arthur Masuaku
and Gokhan Tore are due to resume first-team training next week. Sakho has
been missing since the start of pre-season but he will be in the squad to
face Spurs. West Ham are 17th in the Premier League but Bilic is not yet
looking ahead to the January transfer window for solutions to his team's
difficulties. He believes the returning players can help boost their
campaign. 'I definitely think and I know we have solutions in the squad,'
Bilic said. 'We have some players who were absent for a long time. Now they
are coming back and they are going to be our new signings. 'So we are not
thinking about the transfer window solving all our problems. Of course every
club will look at one or two players but not on that scale. The transfer
window is far away, we are talking about football, I am completely
concentrated on the players we have, and the players who will come back.'
Bilic concedes that his side's dreadful start to the season has put them in
a position where they might be embroiled in a scrap for survival. 'It
doesn't matter if it's the whole season or now, we are there. We are missing
points, but if we had beat Stoke we would be mid-table because it's so
tight. We are 17th, and if you are 17th you are very close to relegation and
we have to improve even more. 'On the one hand the worst thing to do is lose
confidence and doubt yourselves individually and as a group. On other hand
you can't keep talking and saying the table doesn't matter, we are a good
team and we will click. We need to win games because the other teams are
also getting unexpected results which are getting them points.' Bilic also
reiterated his critique that English football is not 'polo or golf' and
remarked that the sport is in danger of becoming too expensive for 'ordinary
working people.'
Bilic was speaking after the BBC Price of Football study once again
demonstrated the cost being imposed upon football supporters to follow their
team. West Ham were shown to have the second-cheapest season tickets in the
Premier League, with their £289 offering. The average cost of a Premier
League matchday home ticket has dropped by six per cent year-on-year from
£30.95 to £29.05. Bilic, however, suggests that football followers are still
being milked by those involved in the game. 'It is expensive,' Bilic said.
'I said last year that football is not polo or golf. Football is a sport for
average working people. 'We can go far and deep and talk about the salaries
of players, the cost of tickets and all that. Everyone is making money from
football - apart from fans of course. The stadiums are packed, I don't know
how long season ticket waiting lists are. 'That encourages those people to
put higher prices and all that. Football is all about fans and it shouldn't
be a luxury to go and see a football game or take your kinds and bring your
family to a match. It should be like going to the movies.'

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diafra Sakho hailed as a "new signing" by Slaven Bilic ahead of first West
Ham appearance of season
The striker has been out of action all season but is poised to return to the
squad for the London derby trip to Tottenham this weekend
BYAARON FLANAGAN
12:26, 17 NOV 2016UPDATED12:26, 17 NOV 2016
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic has hailed the return of Diafra Sakho as being like having a
new signing in his squad. Sakho is set for his first West Ham appearance of
the season when they travel to Tottenham in a London derby this weekend. The
Senegal international has been out of action through injury but returned to
first-team training before the start of the international break. Sakho was
set to leave the club this summer but his move to West Brom was scuppered by
the injury. Bilic is also poised to welcome Andy Carroll back in the coming
weeks. Like Sakho, Carroll is yet to play a single Premier League minute
this season after injuring his knee in the Europa League tie with Astra
Giurgiu in June. "We have improved a lot since the last international
break," said Bilic. "We are more solid, have more clean sheets and a few
good performances. "We're still not in the position we want to be in though,
and you might say it's just a couple of points, but we must get those
points. "I know we have solutions within our squad. We have players who were
absent who are now coming back. They're like new signings for us."
West Ham can move towards the top half of the Premier League table with
victory over Spurs. The Hammers have only lost one of their past five league
matches since the start of October.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sadiq Khan 'embarrassed' that likes of West Ham United 'not paying Living
Wage'
11:46 17 November 2016 Iain Burns

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said it "embarrasses" him as a football fan
that most Premier League clubs, including West Ham United, are not
accredited London Living Wage employers. The City Hall chief made the
comments yesterday during Mayor's Question Time, highlighting the huge
disparity in pay between footballers earning hundreds of thousands of pounds
a week and other staff not being paid the Living Wage of £9.75 an hour. But
in a statement to the Recorder, West Ham United said the club is "immensely
proud" to have been paying permanent staff the "equivalent" to the London
Living Wage since July 2015. A club spokesman said: "West Ham United rent
London Stadium for 25 days a year and have no jurisdiction over the staff
employed in the operation of the club on a matchday, which means that
unfortunately we cannot be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation."

However, the woman who raised the topic – Labour AM Jennette Arnold – said
"essential workers" who are sub–contracted and not paid the Living Wage must
also be compensated fairly. "If you didn't have a clean stadium, you
couldn't have a football club," she said, adding that cleaning staff are
typically not employed on permanent contracts. "You couldn't bring on these
super-duper footballers without these workers."

Mayor Khan agreed, explaining that though he knew City Hall staff were being
paid the Living Wage, he recently discovered sub-contractors were not – and
"put that right". He added: "People selling programmes on matchday – or
pies, or burgers – who are independent contractors are not getting paid the
London Living Wage. "I'm happy to write to [London football clubs] to make
this point."

Jennette Arnold AM said earlier in the discussion that if Derby, Everton and
Hammers rivals Chelsea can become accredited members, then West Ham and
other Premier League clubs can follow suit. "We need to get these Premier
League football clubs to do the right thing," she said. Mayor Khan said
paying the Living Wage is not just the "right and moral" thing to do, but
also good for businesses.
"Paying the Living Wage can help reduce absenteeism and sick leave," he
said. "It can make it easier to recruit and maintain the best staff."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Football's next superpower? Report suggests West Ham and Tottenham are
targets for Qatar takeover
HITC
Aiden Cusick

Qatar is said to have West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in its sights
for a possible takeover. Having already established Paris Saint-Germain as
one of the continent's strongest forces, Qatar now has London sides West Ham
United and Tottenham Hotspur in its sights, according to the Daily Mail, as
the Gulf nation explores the possibility of buying a Premier League club.
The leader of the 2022 World Cup's organising committee, Hassan Al-Thawadi,
told the newspaper: "I can see it (a Qatari takeover) happening down the
road. "It's likely. There's such a passion for football and the Premier
League in particular. Everyone on the street has an opinion."
The report states that West Ham remain the most likely sellers - despite the
denials of current owners David Sullivan and David Gold - adding that the
Qatar Investment Authority would not be deterred by the New York investment
bank's £1 billion valuation of the Hammers. The QIA already own the London
2012 Olympic Village, which sits on the same Stratford site as West Ham's
London Stadium.
It is claimed that Tottenham are also being considered for ownership or
naming rights sponsorship, having visited the Middle East for talks last
year, according to Al-Thawadi. Spurs are set to leave White Hart Lane for a
new ground of their own in 2018, with Qatar Airlines and Aspetar - the
world's leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, based
in Doha - linked with buying the naming rights.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arbeloa to leave Hammers?
By Football Espana staff

Alvaro Arbeloa is on the verge of leaving West Ham United in the January
transfer window, having only joined the club in August. Reports in the
English press suggest the former Real Madrid defender is close to exiting
the London club having only played a total of 263 minutes for Slaven Bilic's
side this season. The 33-year-old was released by Los Blancos this summer
having made over 250 appearances for the club since his 2009 move from
Liverpool, but he has failed to make an impression upon his return to the
Premier League. El Mundo and Mundo Deportivo both report that his agent is
already angling for a possible return to Spain in January.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LOOKING FORWARD TO TOTTENHAM & WHY DID BILIC PICK TORE INSTEAD OF ANDROS
TOWNSEND
By Iain Dale 17 Nov 2016 at 11:14
WTID

The Stoke match seems a long time ago, doesn't it? And there has been
remarkably little written in the national media about the Tottenham match on
Saturday. This fixture last season saw us lose heavily to a vibrant Spurs
team. Indeed, I reckon it was the best performance against us all season. We
were mullered. Spurs will be looking to repeat that. They've had a decent
start to the season and have only conceded 6 goals in 11 games. Their
problem has been scoring goals. Join the club!

I expect a relatively defensive lineup on Saturday and if we are to get even
a point from this game we will need every player to perform at their best.
Winston Reid is back, so I imagine he will again line up alongside Ogbonna
and Kouyate in a back three.

The big question is who will play up front. Diafra Sakho is available for
selection and I reckon his return could give the whole side a big boost.My
suspicion is that Ayew will be picked in preference to Sakho. Were I in
Slaven Bilic's shoes I'd actually pick Ashley Fletcher over both of them. In
addition, Andy Carroll is only a week away, so least we finally have some
competition for places up front.

It looks very much as though Jonathan Calleri and Simone Zaza will be
leaving in the January window, alongside the hapless Gokhan Tore. To have
misjudged three such key signings means that the board are likely to
question Slaven Bilic's judgement on future transfer targets. We can expect
David Sullivan to assert himself rather more than he did in the summer. It
is my understanding that Sullivan wanted to sign Andros Townsend and was
willing to put up the money to fund it, but Bilic insisted on Tore. Oh dear.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic asks Payet to treat criticism as backhanded compliment
Evening Standard

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has asked Dimitri Payet to treat
criticism as compliment as he tries to get the best out of the French
midfielder whose future at the Premier League club appears uncertain. Payet,
who signed a five-year contract in February, made a fine start to his West
Ham career last season as he scored nine Premier League goals and claimed 13
assists to propel the club to finish seventh, their best league finish since
2002. The 29-year-old's struggle to rediscover the same form this season has
drawn criticism from the fans but Bilic called it back-handed compliment. "I
see Messi or Ronaldo. If they don't score for two games they are
criticised..." the Croatian told The Times. "It's a compliment of course. He
(Payet) should be like: 'They are not criticising me, they are expecting
much more from me'. Why are they expecting of me much more? Because I am
Payet. And because of what I have done last year in the same league.'"

Payet has scored only once in the opening 11 league games as West Ham sit
17th in the table, a point above the relegation zone, but media reports
suggested several clubs across Europe are interested in the midfielder. "We
have enough quality. If one or two more come back from injury like we are
expecting they will, then we can improve from the last game... It's a tough
time for us," Bilic added.
The Hammers play fifth-place Spurs on Saturday at White Hart Lane and then
travel to Old Trafford to face sixth-placed Manchester United before hosting
fourth-placed Arsenal at the brand-new London Stadium.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio and Payet heading West Ham advance
Adrian Clarke 16/11/2016
premierleague.com

In the final part of Adrian Clarke's look at the Premier League's brightest
combinations, he analyses a prolific partnership at West Ham United. At home
to Watford, Dimitri Payet produced a sublime rabona assist for Michail
Antonio's second goal of the day. It was a magical moment of skill and since
that Matchweek 4 encounter, the first match that Payet and Antonio started
together this season, their connection has only grown stronger. Dimitri
Payet's rabona cross against Watford was the first of three assists to
Michail Antonio
En route to seventh place last season, Payet assisted only two of Antonio's
eight PL goals, while creating a total of 12 chances for him. In eight
starts this season Payet has already surpassed his assists total of 2015/16
for Antonio, with three, and has laid on 10 opportunities.
Only one other partnership, from Jason Puncheon to Christian Benteke, at
Crystal Palace, exceeds that supply line. Aside from the rabona, Payet found
Antonio's head from a corner in the same match and his inswinging cross was
nodded home against West Bromwich Albion. Indeed, it could easily have been
four assists but Antonio's header from Payet's cross was deflected in by
Glenn Whelan for an own goal by the Stoke City midfielder. Although West
Ham have struggled to kick on from last term they should feel optimistic
that further goals will stem from this partnership. The combination of
Payet's right boot and head of Antonio will strike fear into their Premier
League rivals.

Most chances created in 2016/17

Creator Finisher Chances created
Puncheon Benteke 11
Payet Antonio 10
Mane Coutinho 9
Silva Aguero 9

Payet is also yet recapture his 2015/16 form but his influence remains
critical. He has made 40 key passes in 2016/17, more than anyone else, and
an incredible 26 ahead of his nearest team-mate, Manuel Lanzini. Should the
current supply line continue in a similar vein, Antonio can expect to profit
many more times from Payet's terrific deliveries.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 17th November 2016

We all follow the West Ham!
WHUC.com

Rahman Osman is a sports journalist with radio station Citi fm. He recently
visited West Ham United to meet Black Stars captain Andre Ayew at the Club's
new Rush Green training ground and also take in his first match at London
Stadium. Osman was delighted to be reunited with his country's biggest star,
having watched the Hammers No20 follow in the footsteps of his famous father
Abedi 'Pele' Ayew by becoming a success with both club and country. "I have
been lucky enough to watch many players grow from small boys into big stars
and the biggest of them all is, of course, Andre Ayew," he revealed. "I was
also privileged that I interviewed Andre and Ashley Fletcher when they
visited Ghana recently with Betway."

Ghana have been African football's leading team in the past decade, reaching
the last three FIFA World Cups, including the quarter-finals in 2010, and
Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals in five straight tournaments. So, if one
African nation is going to win the World Cup, Osman believes it should be
Ghana. Already as I speak, there are lots of No20 West Ham jerseys on the
streets of Accra - that tells you how much he means to us "Football is the
biggest sport in Ghana, without a doubt," he continued. "Some of the
greatest footballers in the world have come from Ghana, including Abedi
'Pele' Ayew , Andre's father, who is considered the greatest of all African
players. "Abedi Pele competed to the highest level in European football and
is considered by many as a leader among African players and particularly
among his footballing family. Andre plays for West Ham, his younger brother
Jordan plays for Aston Villa and his older brother Rahim played for Ghana
and still plays in Gibraltar. "Andre himself is an amazingly huge talent, in
my estimation, and is one of the best players West Ham United has got. "Of
course, we also have Asamoah Gyan, who is Africa's highest goalscorer in the
history of the World Cup, who played for Sunderland a few years ago. Michael
Essien was also extremely good when he was at Chelsea, so football is in the
DNA of every Ghanaian."

While Ghana's success as a national side is important to every Ghanaian,
Osman revealed that his fellow countrymen are also eager for the Black Stars
to make their mark individually. Like his father, Ayew made a huge impact at
French club Olympique de Marseille, where he played alongside Dimitri Payet,
before moving to British football with Swansea City in summer 2015. After
netting 12 goals for the Swans last season, the 26-year-old joined the
Hammers for a Club-record fee in August - and Osman expects him to make
quite an impact.
"The Premier League is huge in Ghana," Osman confirmed. "I work with Citi fm
and I can tell you that on Saturday afternoons, every corner of Accra is
full of fans cheering on their team and tuning into the world's
most-glamorous league. "I think Andre Ayew has one of the greatest mindsets
I have ever seen in a footballer. I remember seeing how mentally tough he
was when he started playing as a child, and technically he is up there with
some of the best players in the world. "I had never seen anybody with a
Swansea City shirt on in Ghana before he joined them, but they became
commonplace on the streets of Accra. There was only one No10 and that was
Andre

"West Ham United have yet to see the best of Andre, but it is clear that he
will fight any time he wears the jersey. Already as I speak, there are lots
of No20 West Ham jerseys on the streets of Accra - that tells you how much
he means to us. "Nobody would have really been interested in watching a West
Ham against Stoke City game before Andre arrived here, but I and my fellow
countrymen were absolutely delighted to see him play in Claret and Blue.
That is how huge he is. "People on the streets are saying 'Andre is a
Hammer!' and I am sure he will try as much as possible to expand the brand
of the Club, both here in England and back in Ghana."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell - I couldn't be happier
WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell has expressed his pride at making his senior England debut.
A decade after being released by Liverpool as a schoolboy, West Ham United's
outstanding left-back made his bow against Spain in front of nearly 84,000
fans at Wembley Stadium. For the 26-year-old, pulling on the Three Lions
shirt at the Home of Football in Wednesday's 2-2 international friendly draw
with Spain was the result of years of hard work, dedication and ambition to
reach the very top of his profession. "I was obviously delighted, as it is a
dream come true," he told Ian 'Moose' Abrahams in an exclusive interview for
whufc.com. "Ever since I started playing football as a little boy, this is
what I wanted to do, and to do it at Wembley in front of 84,000 fans, I
can't speak any higher of it. "It is something I've always wanted to do and
I've achieved it."

But was he nervous?

"No, I was fine when I came on! It's still a game of football and it's
something I've done all my life. It's something for me that's finally
pulling on that shirt and, as I said, a dream come true."

Cresswell was drafted into Gareth Southgate's squad for the November
international fixtures - England beat Scotland 3-0 in a FIFA World Cup
qualifier at Wembley last Friday - as a replacement for the injured Danny
Drinkwater, and only four games into his return from a knee injury suffered
in pre-season. However, West Ham fans have long clamoured for their No3 to
be capped and that moment arrived in the 79th minute on Wednesday evening.
"It was slightly surprising to get the call after only playing three or four
games," he admitted. "To get the setback in pre-season, I didn't think I'd
be involved in the England team so soon after coming back, but it's
something that I'm delighted has happened and I couldn't be any happier."

Now, Cresswell has his sights trained on earning more England recognition in
2017, looking ahead to the World Cup finals in Russia the following summer.
"As a player, you never stop learning and you always want to better
yourself, so hopefully I can do that. As long as I concentrate and work hard
at West Ham and hopefully progress, my efforts on the pitch will hopefully
get me more England caps. Now he has joined the likes of Dimitri Payet,
Cheikhou Kouyate and Andy Carroll as a full international, will Cresswell
walk back into Rush Green on Thursday morning with his 'chest puffed out'?
Of course not! "I won't have my chest puffed out, that's for sure!" he
smiled. "Of course I'm delighted, but now it's a case of getting my head
down and back to work on Thursday."

Cresswell is also backing Hammers teammate Michail Antonio to earn his first
cap soon, with the winger having been named in two squads by Southgate
earlier this year. "I'm sure Michail's time will come. He's been fantastic
for us this season, scoring six goals, and hopefully he can get on as well,"
the defender observed. Now he is back fully fit and playing regularly,
Cresswell's next ambition is to help his Club climb the Premier League
table, starting with a short trip across London to face Tottenham Hotspur on
Saturday evening.
"I'm delighted to be back," he confirmed. "The first few games were hard
fitness-wise, as it's never easy being back after a long period out, but I'm
just happy on the whole with the way it's happened. "To be out for three
months, then come back and play three or four games and be involved in the
England team, I couldn't be more delighted with it. "There are no easy games
in the Premier League, as you know, but we were better against the top six
last season, so hopefully we can finally kick-start our season and get on a
good run and move up the table."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simply Slaven - Part One
WHUFC.com

Bilic talks with PayetIn part one of our exclusive interview with Slaven
Bilic, the Hammers manager talks about the future of Dimitri Payet and has
positive news surrounding the return of influential forwards Diafra Sakho
and Andy Carroll. Payet's future has dominated a number of headlines
following his amazing exploits for France at the European Championship
Finals during the summer when he was one of the star performers at the
tournament. After being nominated for the Ballon d'Or Award, Payet is now
hoping to have another successful campaign with the Hammers and help the
team move towards the top half of the table. Joint-Chairman David Sullivan
stated on Monday that he hopes to see Payet stay at West Ham for many years
to come and Bilic says they are thrilled to have him at the east London
Club. Bilic said: "The Chairman came out and said during the Euros (that he
was staying) when the speculation started. "We are delighted to have him and
he is our player. We want him to stay as our player. "It would help us a lot
if he could score another big goal against Tottenham on Saturday!"
Bilic will be hoping to see his side get back on the winning trail at White
Hart Lane following disappointing results against Everton and Stoke in the
last two games. The Hammers boss is thrilled to see Sakho back in contention
for the big London derby after he was forced to miss the start of the season
with a back problem. The Senegal forward has worked hard to regain full
fitness and Bilic hopes he can regain the form which saw him play such a
crucial role in the Club's success last season. Bilic added: "We are
delighted that he is back. We have been missing him since the start of
pre-season so it has been a very long period, but he is back now. "He
started doing rehabilitation treatment, then he did individual training on
the pitch and then he spent a week with the U23s. "He has been training with
us since the Stoke game and looks good. He might need a few games to find
his top form but some hit it straight away like Aaron Cresswell did when he
came back. "We rate Diafra very highly because he gives you something
different. He runs deep and is really good at running behind the defences
and opens the spaces for other players to run into that zone. It is a big
boost for us to have him back."
Bilic also has good news surrounding the comeback of fellow forward Carroll
who is also close to making a first-team return. "Andy is progressing really
well and maybe in a couple of weeks he will be able to train with us - it
might even be earlier. "It looks very good and if he continues to progress
then I am expecting to have him back soon. "We have been missing so many
players and now they are all coming back. It is great for them to come back
at such a crucial period and for us to have as many players as possible."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell makes England debut
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Aaron Cresswell became the Club's 40th senior England
international by making his debut in Wednesday's friendly with Spain at
Wembley. The left-back capped a sensational opening two-and-a-quarter
seasons in Claret and Blue by being introduced as a 79th-minute substitute
for Tottenham Hotspur's Danny Rose - who he could face at White Hart Lane on
Saturday. The 26-year-old has been a rock of consistency since joining West
Ham from Championship club Ipswich Town in summer 2014, winning the Hammer
of the Year award in his first season in east London. Aside from a knee
injury caused by a late tackle in July this year that ruled him out for
three months, Cresswell has hardly missed a minute for the Hammers, making
93 appearances and scoring four spectacular goals for the Club.

On Wednesday, he completed a remarkable rise from being released by
Liverpool at the age of 15, through being given a second chance by
lower-league Tranmere Rovers, to winning Ipswich and West Ham's Player of
the Year awards, to full England international. Cresswell became the 40th
West Ham player to feature in an England shirt, 105 years after centre
forward George Webb scored on his debut in a 3-0 win over Wales at The Den
in March 2011. Three West Ham players, of course, lifted the FIFA World Cup
in 1966 - hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst, goalscorer Martin Peters and the
Hammers' most-capped player Bobby Moore, who appeared 108 times for the
Three Lions.

Cresswell also became the first West Ham player to represent England since
Stewart Downing, who appeared against Scotland in Glasgow in November 2014.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Dimitri Payet earned cap No32 for France in Les Bleus'
goalless friendly draw with Ivory Coast in Lens, while Everton loanee
striker Enner Valencia scored for the 19th time in 34 appearances for
Ecuador in a 3-0 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL Group Stage qualifying win over
Venezuela.

Finally, Simone Zaza appeared as a late substitute in Italy's goalless
friendly draw with Germany in Milan, earning his 16th cap for the Azzurri.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simply Slaven - Part Two
WHUFC.com

Bilic watches his players at White Hart LaneIn part two of our exclusive
interview Slaven Bilic looks ahead to a big London derby against Tottenham
and says he hopes to make amends for the disappointing defeat at White Hart
Lane last season.

Bilic is well aware of the importance surrounding the game and says he would
love to see the players record another famous win in north London.

West Ham were the away day specialists in the early stages of last season
following memorable victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City
and Bilic knows his team are capable of producing another similar result.

The Hammers manager knows exactly what this derby means to the fans and says
the players will be ready to take on a Tottenham team who are challenging at
the top of the table.

Bilic said: "It is always a big game against Spurs - maybe the biggest derby
for West Ham.

"Last year we beat them at home, but lost at White Hart Lane. It is the
start of five big games and it is important for us to have a good start
after the international break and have a good result.

"We had some great away wins last year but I remember we had some injuries
going into the game at Tottenham last year. We conceded a couple of early
goals and we want to make up for last year.

"Tottenham are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League so we know what
we are coming up against. They were title contenders last season and were
with Leicester until a few games to go.

"They are still in the Champions League and Mauricio Pochettino has done a
great job there. They have an energetic team with a lot of quality and we
know it will be a tough game, but we are ready for it.

"We have improved a lot in recent weeks, but we are still not in a position
that we want to be in.

"That is why we want a good result against Tottenham on Saturday and get
something from the game."

Bilic will always have fond memories of White Hart Lane after he made his
debut for West Ham in north London back in February 1996 and helped the
Hammers came away with a memorable 1-0 victory.

The current Hammers management team played a big part in the goal as Julian
Dicks shot was parried by Ian Walker and Dani fired the rebound into the
back of the net.


Bilic added: "It was my first game for West Ham and it was a great night.
They had a really good team but we scored early on from a corner and it was
a great debut. It gave everyone a big boost at the Club.

"It was a special night and I knew before the game how big it was going to
be because I had been waiting for my work permit.

"When you play against Tottenham is it something special and I hope we can
get a similar kind of result on Saturday!

"I have been involved in some big derbies during my career when I was in
Croatia, Moscow and Turkey and this games rates up there with all of them.

"I have had a lot of people asking me about the game and telling me they
want us to win!"

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Bilic hails imminent Sakho return
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 16th November 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic says that forgotten striker Diafra Sakho is close to making a
return to first team action. The Senegal international has been missing in
action since he was linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion ahead of the
transfer window deadline at the end of August. Since then, West Ham have put
out a number of stories claiming that Sakho is close to recovery. But now, a
further three months down the line, Slaven Bilic has finally revealed that
he expects the striker to be involved in his first team plans once again.
"As manager I don't want to talk about the players when they're injured. I
want to concentrate on the players I can count on for the games," he said.
"That's why I haven't talked a lot about Diafra Sakho, but of course I'm
delighted he's back. We've been missing him since the start of pre-season
basically, it's been a very long period. Now he's back. "First he was
training individually as part of his rehabilitation, then individually on
the pitch, then he did a week with the Under 23s to have that [physical]
contact and be involved in team work. "He started to train with us after the
game against Stoke. He's fit and he's good but like Aaron Cresswell, may
need a few games to hit top form. But he looks really good and some of the
players hit it straight away, like Cresswell. "We rate him so much. He gives
you something different; he runs deep, he runs behind the defence which
creates opportunities for himself and opens space for other players. It's a
big boost for us."

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