Daily WHUFC News - 28th December 2016

David Sullivan - We have no desire to sell
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone and a very happy Christmas!

Like all of you who traveled or watched the match on TV, my family and myself thoroughly enjoyed our win over Swansea City on Boxing Day, where we achieved our biggest victory of the Premier League season so far.

To pick up ten points from the last four games is fantastic, as every game in this league is tough and every victory needs to be earned.

To achieve three wins in a row in the Premier League is fantastic but, while we have picked up results-wise, we are not kidding ourselves as we are still a long way from playing as well as we know we can play.

That said, we are improving all the time and every win is great for the confidence of the players, the coaching staff, the manager, the supporters and the Board!

The support at Liberty Stadium was superb, as always, and I would like to personally thank the 2,000 fans who made a long and ultimately fruitful journey to Wales on Boxing Day. They were fittingly rewarded for their non-stop singing.

We now go to Leicester City looking to extend our unbeaten run to five matches and we have a real chance of doing just that.

Leicester are the champions and going to the King Power Stadium is never easy, but we are above them in the table and will look to exploit any weaknesses we can identify before and during our game on New Year's Eve.

I would also like to take the opportunity to mention that the story that appeared in The Sun on Boxing Day morning regarding the possible sale of the Club to Red Bull is six months out of date.

We did have a tentative approach to buy the Club for £650m from external investors in August this year, but I want to reiterate that we, the current owners, have NO DESIRE to sell the Club unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach.

Before I go, I and the Board would like to wish each and every West Ham United supporter a very happy and prosperous New Year. We truly believe 2017 will be another memorable year for our fantastic Football Club

David Sullivan

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stat's a Fact - Resilient Randolph
WHUFC.com

It's been a December to remember for West Ham United so far and no more so was this in evidence than on Boxing Day as the Hammers strolled to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Swansea City at The Liberty Stadium.

Andre Ayew opened the scoring in the 13th minute with his first for the club before Winston Reid and Michail Antonio got the second and third. Despite Fernando Llorente getting one back for the Swans, it was the Hammers who signed off with a Christmas 'Carroll' of their own as the big man bagged the fourth in the final minute.

The win was our first ever at The Liberty Stadium, second away from home this season and our third consecutive league victory this month. Not since January have Slaven Bilic's side bagged nine points out of nine in Premier League matches.

And whilst the Hammers' front-line may take the media headlines for an imperious attacking display in South Wales, a constant in our recent run of form has been the high-class performances of one man, who again was on song yesterday.

Voted as Man of the Match by supporters on Twitter, goalkeeper Darren Randolph was on top of his game between the West Ham sticks. The Irish keeper made six saves, twice as many as Swansea's Lukasz Fabianski, and came within four minutes of bagging a third clean sheet on the bounce.

His back-to-back clean sheets against Burnley and Hull were our first since October and had we made it three on the spin, it would have been a record broken that stretched back over 12 months.

As all the best goalkeepers do, he made essential saves at essential times. One of his best was a diving effort to deny Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick just before half-time but he was also on hand to keep out Jack Cork, Sigurdsson again, and Wayne Routledge in fine style.

Not only was Darren in fine form yesterday with his gloves, but on the ground with his feet he made positive decisions which kick-started some of West Ham's impressive forward-play. He was an essential part of our possession-based approach making 50 touches and 43 passes in the game - more than some of his outfield teammates.

After impressing at the Summer's European Championships with Republic of Ireland, Randolph had to wait until 19 November for his first Premier League start this campaign but has without doubt impressed since being given his chance.

Performances like those of his yesterday prove it is without coincidence that since his selection, the Hammers have picked up half of their current season's points total in just seven games. Defensively, statistics show we are improving each game and four goals netted against Swansea suggest things aren't too bad up-top either…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic – We've had to really work
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic believes West Ham's four-goal display at Swansea City on Boxing Day was the result of the hard graft shown against Burnley and Hull City.

Those home victories in the week before Christmas did not contain the lethal goalscoring of Monday, but they did not lack resilience and heart.

And it was those characteristics which allowed the Hammers the freedom to go out and put Swansea to the sword, according to the boss.

West Ham have now taken ten points from a possible twelve and Bilic is delighted with that swift turnaround in form.

He explained: "There are a few corners in the Premier League, 38 of them. The situation now is totally different now from what it was a few weeks ago, when we were talking about the schedule of Spurs, Man United, Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

"We were talking about those crucial two home games against Hull and Burnley. We didn't expect them to be easy and we had to really work, but it gave us six points together with the seventh from Liverpool and that gave us confidence.

"Now, that confidence was obvious with the display at Swansea. What we can't do now is just think who is above us, still it is very tight, but we have to use this to gain more confidence and build on these ten points – continuing to work and improve."

Of the performance in South Wales, Bilic was especially pleased to see both sides of the visitors' game working in unison on the way to maximum points.

He added: "We played really good from first whistle to the end. We defended well with numbers, with aggression and on our toes, not giving them enough time and space for players especially like Sigurdsson to do something special.

"Then, when we had the ball we were really dangerous. We hurt them.

"I'm very pleased for the guys, it was a very good performance, and to go to Swansea and win in style – 4-1 – makes it a really good day for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Randolph – We've made it a good Christmas
WHUFC.com

Darren Randolph was delighted with a late Christmas gift on Boxing Day as the Hammers beat Swansea City 4-1
It was the Club's first ever win at the Liberty Stadium
The stopper was in great form, making a string of wonderful saves in south Wales

West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph was delighted to make it a very Merry Christmas for all Hammers fans with a Boxing Day victory at Swansea City on Monday. The Republic of Ireland stopper was in superb form at the Liberty Stadium, making a string of stunning saves as his teammates were clinical at the other end, eventually winning 4-1. And Randolph, who kept two clean sheets in the Club's last pair of home wins, explained why the three were points were so vital in south Wales. He said: "We wanted to take more points off a team that was down the bottom and we managed to do that and we played very well today. "It was especially good because we have got two wins on the bounce at home and that point at Anfield, so it has been a very good seven points. "We wanted to make it three today and make it a good Christmas for us and the fans and everyone involved with the Club. "These were the games we were looking at where we felt we could definitely get maximum points from. Again, we'd done that so far, and we managed to get three today with a great team performance. Everyone goes home happy."
Randolph made superb stops to deny Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jack Cork among others as the hosts found the net only once from 14 attempts on goal, half of which were on target. But the 29-year-old was typically modest about his own showing when accessing the clash post-match. "I was obviously pleased with my performance," he continued. "But I've said before, any saves that I can make that can contribute to the team winning, 'm more than happy to do. "It was obviously a tough start for me coming into the team with the games that we had, but of course you want to play. "[My favourite] would probably be the save from [Sigurdsson's] free-kick [during the first half]. "The table is still quite close. But with each win and point, we're putting more distance between us and the bottom and we're getting closer to the top. We're doing that with three wins on the bounce. "I think now, not too many people are bothered about the performances if we are putting three points on the table."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OPINION: A QUIET JANUARY WILL BE JUST FINE
BY JOE DORAN ON 27 DECEMBER 2016 AT 7:06PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

After a torrid start to the season, West Ham United fans are starting to breathe a little easier after the first of their festive fixtures, having witnessed by far the Irons' best performance of the season as they dispatched Swansea 4-1. Beyond the result, what will have satisfied the supporters and club hierarchy most of all about today's game was the involvement of several of the club's summer signings in key moments, as Andre Ayew, Edimilson Fernandes, Havård Nordtveit and Sofiane Feghouli all had direct influence on the goals.

Attention therefore, will soon turn to the upcoming January transfer window, and any useful additions that Slaven Bilič could make to his squad. Tweets demanding the opening of wallets and the venturing of hands deep into pockets are already being directed towards David Gold, and peculiarly, David Jr and Jack Sullivan – Irons' fans presumably alight with a fine rage as they click 'Send' on a tweet to a teenager, demanding they squander millions of pounds, one assumes of their pocket money, or perhaps that which belongs to a club their father owns, on a 30-year-old Colombian.

Despite these 140-character tantrums, it is this writer's opinion that the club must exercise caution in any dealings this January, and that we the fans must be braced for a window of loan-to-buy agreements and potentially, failed deals if the owners are priced out of the market. There seems to a be a not-so-silent part of the fan base that seems to see such sensible curation of club finances as corrupt embezzlement of riches they perceive as their own, presumably envisaging David Gold as some sort of Scrooge McDuck figure, swimming in the ten million pound coins he could have otherwise spent on Gokhan Tore. Of course, Gold and Sullivan, and even their children, cannot win in such a scenario, and will inevitably be accused of one thing or another, but Twitter abuse from those with little grasp of how a club, or indeed a business, works is small price to pay for fiscal solvency and a squad not laboured with deadwood.

January has never been a fantastic time for value, rather like buying your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve instead of on Black Friday. Something that has been common knowledge for many years now, Sir Alex Ferguson always complained about the window itself, becoming known as an open disciple of the anti-January window ideology. And, with the Irons' owners being in the market for a new striker who can guarantee 20 goals a season, rather than a reserve goalkeeper, so too are West Ham subject to the pricing and risk that Ferguson complained about – the pains of shopping for a commodity everybody needs right now and not nearly everybody can have. It is, sadly, just basic economics.

In addition to this, as a club, West Ham don't have a fantastic recent record of making signings in the January window that make a long-term difference – Nicky Maynard and Vaz Te helped the side on to promotion in 2012, whilst Demba Ba nearly staved off relegation a year before that, but you'd be hard pushed to call them effective in the long term. Otherwise, beyond Sam Byram it's been slim pickings in terms of sound investments for a good few years. Such business is fine if you're in a relegation or promotion battle and need anyone from anywhere you can find them to get you 5-10 goals between January 29th and May 20th, but when a team is considering paying twenty million pounds for a shiny new striker, it's a big risk, and has historically yielded West Ham very little reward.

Rumours are already swirling of Bilic re-igniting interest in Batshuayi, Bacca and Iorfa, all of whom would be wonderful additions, and certainly plug gaping holes in a team that needs it, but the club should also maintain a collective cool head and not dip excessively in to funds that could be used in the summer to greater effect at better value. West Ham have already experienced the bad side of risking money on a striker this season, as they did with Simone Zaza, and they no doubt thank their lucky stars that they avoided paying twenty-five million for him.

Nonetheless, given a promising December, leaving Eighth place only three points away, Gold, Sullivan, Bilič and the fans have every right to be aiming high and thinking positively, but it is in the best interests of all the involved parties that the best solution possible is found, whether that entails in spending the money now, or holding on to it until better value is available in the summer. Perhaps then, West Ham fans should prepare for a quiet window, and enjoy whatever comes if and when it does, there's plenty of promise ahead regardless.



@joeisntwriting

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Board rejected £650m bid, claims Sullivan Jnr
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th December 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United turned down a £650million bid for West Ham back in August, according to the teenage son of co-chairman David Sullivan. Jack Sullivan, posting in response to a query regarding this morning's tabloid story linking drinks manufacturer Red Bull with a bid for the club made the bold claim on social media tonight. "Great three points today, to win and score four goals away from home is really good!," he wrote. Great to see Ayew on the score sheet too. "Re the Red Bull story in Sun today, completely out of date and figures wrong - we turned down £650m in August."
And in answer to concerns regarding a potential name change, Sullivan Jnr added: "We have no desire to sell our heritage and be called Red Bull West Ham."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic heaps praise on West Ham forward Andre Ayew
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 27/12/16 2:02pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic has backed Andre Ayew to rediscover his very best form after the forward scored his first goal for West Ham against former club Swansea on Boxing Day. The 27-year-old joined the Hammers from Swansea in the summer for a club record £20.5m fee, but was ruled out for two months in August after suffering a thigh injury on his debut away at Chelsea. Ayew, who scored 12 goals last season during his debut campaign in England, set West Ham on their way to a 4-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium when he pounced on a fumble from Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. "It was hard for him because for West Ham it is a massive price tag and then he got a very bad injury straight away," said Bilic. "But he kept working and he's now in a really good position to be the Ayew from last season and from Marseille. "To me it's his performance but, of course, for any striker nothing boosts their confidence like scoring goals. "If you had asked before the game who I would love to score for the future, then I would say Andre definitely. "Not because it was against Swansea, but what we expect from him in the future - and what he expects."
West Ham moved up to 11th place following their third successive Premier League victory, with Winston Reid, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll also on target.
They travel to defending champions Leicester on New Year's Eve before hosting Manchester United on January 2, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5pm.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Red Bull? That's news to me, says Gold
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th December 2016
By: Staff Writer

Co-chairman David Gold says he is "unaware of any communication" with Red Bull - despite partner David Sullivan confirming the drink company's interest a few minutes later. Last night Gold replied to a fan's question via twitter asking if the company had indeed made an offer to purchase West Ham - to which the octogenarian replied: "I am unaware of any communication with the company that own Red Bull."

David Gold ✔ @davidgold
I am unaware of any communication with the company that own Red Bull. dg https://twitter.com/jakewormsley93/status/813446705895112704 …
8:23 PM - 26 Dec 2016
75 75 Retweets 100 100 likes

However less than an hour later, Sullivan revealed - via the club's website - that the Austrian firm had indeed been in touch during the summer regarding a potential purchase. "The story that appeared in The Sun on Boxing Day morning regarding the possible sale of the Club to Red Bull is six months out of date," he said. "We did have a tentative approach to buy the club for £650million from external investors in August this year, but I want to reiterate that we, the current owners, have no desire to sell - unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia, who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach."

Jack Sullivan @jsullivanwhu
1/2 Re red bull story in sun today,completely out of date and figures wrong we turned down £650m in august. We have no desire to sell out
8:41 PM - 26 Dec 2016
263 263 Retweets 373 373 likes

Naturally Gold's carefully-worded response failed to exclude contact with an agency - or "external investors" - working on behalf of Red Bull, whose interest was confirmed by Jack Sullivan via his twitter account last night.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham will only sell to "King of Saudi Arabia" after rejecting £650million takeover bid, says David Sullivan
Sullivan revealed he rejected an offer in the summer and will only sell to investors with serious riches capable of taking the club to a level
BYMATT LAWLESS
12:40, 27 DEC 2016UPDATED12:40, 27 DEC 2016
The Mirror

David Sullivan insists West Ham would only be sold to the "King of Saudi Arabia" after turning down a £650million takeover bid. The Hammers were linked with a buyout bid from energy drinks giant Red Bull, who are keen to extend their successful football portfolio to the Premier League . But West Ham co-owner Sullivan revealed he rejected an offer in the summer and will only sell to investors with serious riches capable of taking the club to a level that he cannot. "We did have a tentative approach to buy the Club for £650m from external investors in August this year," Sullivan said, speaking to the official club wesbite . "But I want to reiterate that we, the current owners, have NO DESIRE to sell the club unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach."
West Ham have overcome their tumultuous start to the season with a fine round of form that has seen Slaven Bilic's side unbeaten on their last four league games.
The 4-1 Boxing Day victory at Swansea saw the East End side climb up to 11th place in the table as they now look forward to travelling to out-of-sorts champions Leicester on New Year's Eve. We now go to Leicester City looking to extend our unbeaten run to five matches and we have a real chance of doing just that," added Sullivan. "Leicester are the champions and going to the King Power Stadium is never easy, but we are above them in the table and will look to exploit any weaknesses we can identify before and during our game on New Year's Eve."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Sullivan reveals West Ham were subject of £650m summer takeover approach: 'We have no desire to sell unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia'
An investor attempted a takeover of West Ham United in the summer
David Sullivan has revealed his club was the subject of an £650m approach
But he has rejected suggestions Red Bull are about to buy the Hammers
By SAM MORSHEAD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 15:07, 27 December 2016 | UPDATED: 15:07, 27 December 2016

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan says he would only sell the club to an investor with the financial clout of the King of Saudi Arabia after shrugging off a £650m takeover approach in the summer. Sullivan, who has been at the helm of the Hammers alongside his fellow co-chairman David Gold since the pair acquired a controlling stake in the club in 2010, has dismissed suggestions Red Bull are mounting a buyout. And, writing on West Ham's official website, he insisted that there is little incentive for him and Gold to sell to anyone who is unable to 'take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach'. 'We did have a tentative approach to buy the club for £650m from external investors in August this year,' Sullivan wrote. 'But I want to reiterate that we, the current owners, have no desire to sell the club unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach.'
A 4-1 victory at Swansea on Boxing Day was the Hammers' third in a row in the Premier League and Sullivan is optimistic ahead as he looks towards the new year.
'We truly believe 2017 will be another memorable year for our fantastic football club,' he wrote. Leicester are up next for West Ham on New Year's Eve and, despite the champions' struggles this term, Sullivan is wary of the threat they pose his side. 'Leicester are the champions and going to the King Power Stadium is never easy,' he wrote. 'But we are above them in the table and will look to exploit any weaknesses we can identify before and during our game on New Year's Eve.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Exclusive: Top striker among three new signings, £10m bid for new Vardy, two out
WEST HAM are lining up a £10million move for the new Jamie Vardy.
By COLIN MAFHAM
PUBLISHED: 12:15, Sun, Dec 25, 2016 | UPDATED: 13:04, Sun, Dec 25, 2016
Express.co.uk

West Ham have targeted Brentford striker Scott Hogan who, like Vardy, has risen from non-league football. Hogan, 24, has scored 13 goals in 23 Championship games after once playing alongside Vardy at Halifax and similar spells at the likes of Woodley Sports, Mossley, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Ashton United and Hyde.
The Hammers have turned their attentions to Hogan after being knocked back by Sunderland with an audacious enquiry for former striker Jermain Defoe.
In the meantime AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca, 30, looks set to be the first of three West Ham signings in next month's transfer window. They want him to replace Simone Zaza, who has now returned to Juventus after a disappointing six months with the club. There are also lingering doubts about the long-term fitness of Andy Carroll who is being eyed by clubs in China. Bacca scored just six goals in 15 games this season.

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

http://vyperz.blogspot.com