Daily WHUFC News II - 23th August 2017

Bill Green - 1950-2017
WHUFC.com

Everyone at West Ham United has been saddened by the passing of former centre-half Bill Green. Green, who played 40 times in Claret and Blue between 1976-78, died following a short illness on Monday at the age of 66. Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the defender joined nearby Hartlepool United as a teenager, spending four seasons in the first team before moving to Carlisle United in 1973. Green's first season at Brunton Park was outstanding as the Cumbrians won promotion to the First Division, following that by scoring Carlisle's first-ever top-flight goal against Chelsea in August 1974. West Ham spent £75,000 to bring Green to east London at the age of 25 in June 1976. The bearded defender debuted at Aston Villa two months later. He totalled 40 appearances over two seasons at the Boleyn Ground, both of which saw West Ham struggle in the lower half of the First Division table, and scored his only goal in a 3-1 win over Chelsea in March 1978. Unforunately, Green's final appearance came in a 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool the following month which confirmed the Hammers' relegation to the Second Division. Green joined Third Division Peterborough United in summer 1978 before enjoying four productive seasons with Chesterfield and hanging up his boots after a short spell with Doncaster Rovers in 1983. Eight years later, he embarked on a management career with Scunthorpe United and non-league Buxton, while he also worked as a scout for Wigan Athletic, Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County. Green joined Southampton in 2011 and had spent the last six years as the Saints' senior recruitment officer.
West Ham United would like to express the Club's sincere condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian aiming to seize Cheltenham chance – for a second time!
WHUFC.com

Things change fast in football these days – Adrian will tell you that. It is four years this week since the No13 pulled on a West Ham United jersey for the first time in a League Cup tie with Cheltenham Town at the Boleyn Ground. Tonight, the Spaniard is set to make his 124th Hammers appearance against the Robins at Whaddon Road. He will be the sole survivor of the 22 players who started West Ham's 2-1 win in August 2013. Adrian's debut was largely uneventful, save for the moment eleven minutes after half-time when he fouled Cheltenham winger Jermaine McGlashan, and Matt Richards stepped up to beat him from the penalty spot.
"It's unbelievable that the time has passed so quick," said the stopper, who went on to dislodge Jussi Jaaskelainen four months later. "Now I'm in my fifth season here, so it's a totally different situation, of course. "That was my first game in a West Ham shirt and a good result for us and I expect a good result again this time.
"I watched the highlights of that game this week and it was a very exciting night for me. I gave a penalty away, which is not the best thing a 'keeper can do on his debut, but the result was that Ricky and Rav scored and we won."

'Ricky and Rav' were Ricardo Vaz Te and Ravel Morrison, who put the Hammers 2-0 up before Adrian's aberration, setting West Ham on their way to starting a run which would ultimately end in a semi-final defeat by Manchester City. Fast forward four years and he is targeting another strong challenge for the trophy, but he knows West Ham will need to be on alert against a direct and physically strong Cheltenham side. "This is a cup game in a very exciting competition for us and we have to get a good result and get through to the next round," he said. "We have to be ready to play away from home on their pitch in front of their fans. It will be tough because they'll want to win as well, as it's a massive game with a Premier League team coming to their stadium. "We know their strategy and the kind of game they want to play, but we will play our game as well and also defend their set plays and concentrate on each ball they put into our box. "At the end of the day, though, we are West Ham and we have to be prepared to go there and get a good result."

The 30-year-old will also be eager to change another situation. After two-and-a-half seasons as first-choice stopper, Adrian lost his place to Darren Randolph, regained it in April, then lost it again to new signing Joe Hart earlier this month. Wednesday's live-televised Sky Sports Carabao Cup second-round tie will give him an opportunity to stake a claim to win his place back for a second time. "It's a great opportunity for me, the first time I have worn the West Ham shirt this season," he said. "I am 100 per cent ready and will always give my best to help the team. "Obviously as a player I want to play every game and I will work for this but now it is Joe's time and I have to support him and on Wednesday it is time for him to support me and I'm sure we will both be happy at the end because we will win the game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eight reasons all West Ham United fans love James Collins
WHUFC.com

James Collins - West Ham United's 'Ginger Pele' - has long been a iconic defender and ambassador for the club. In honour of his 34th birthday today we've taken a look at eight reasons why every West Ham United fan has nothing but love for the Welsh defender.

He likes to score goals

James Collins is a defender, and a good defender at that! He's not afraid to tackle, battle and put his body in the way to stop West Ham United from conceding any goal. However that doesn't mean Collins doesn't like to get forward and score goals. Former teammate Dean Ashton revealed that the Welshman fancied himself as a striker and would often play himself in more attacking areas during training. Ashton told whufc.com earlier this month: "He likes to think he's a striker! He loves to get forward In training he always felt like he was a forward, not a defender." To be fair to Collins he has scored some big goals for the Hammers, and that leads nicely into...

His two goals vs Man Utd

Collins has netted eight goals for West Ham United across his entire career with the Irons, and two of those came in one match against Manchester United in 2013!
The FA Cup clash with the Red Devils in January 2013 saw Sir Alex Ferguson bring his team to the Boleyn Ground, and victory for the away side looked likely after a Tom Cleverley finish. However Collins was the hero of the day as the centre-back scored two headed goals either side of half-time, putting the Hammers in control of the tie. If not for a late Robin van Persie equaliser West Ham United would have been celebrating a famous win over Manchester United, but Collins' contribution to that game has never been forgotten.

He can poke fun of himself

When it comes to banter there's not many that have game as strong as Collins. The Welsh international is great at giving it but can also poke fun of himself as well. This can be best found on the 34-year-old's Instagram account and our favourite example is of this clip from February 2016, when West Ham United bested Liverpool in the FA Cup. Collins was more than happy to share the video and have a laugh at his own expense, with other posts also mocking his own hair-loss and playing style.

He tells it like it is

We know that Collins is always the first to enjoy a laugh within the West Ham United camp but the centre-back isn't afraid to speak some home truths as and when required. The defender displayed this trait earlier this year when, after a difficult run for the Irons, Collins admitted that the players had been hiding behind manager Slaven Bilic, and called on the team to take responsibility for their own errors. Collins said to the Mirror: "I don't see why in football the managers get so much stick sometimes when the players need to take ­responsibility. I said that to the boys. A lot of our boys have played in the Premier League for a long time.
"We need to take ­responsibility, step up to the plate, perform and take a bit of pressure off the gaffer." Such honesty and openness has only further endeared the battling Welshman further to the West Ham United faithful.

THAT block vs Swansea City

James Collins' commitment in defence has never been questioned. Simply put, the centre-back always gives everything he has to ensure the Hammers come out on top. There's no better example of this than the battle wounds Collins proudly displayed after a win over Swansea City in December 2015. Putting his body on the line, the No19 was caught by Swans' midfielder Ki Sung-yueng as he stopped the south Wales side from threatening the Irons' goal. After the match Collins showed off his own personal trophy from the match - a bulging lump on the back of his head.

He's committed to the cause

Collins left West Ham to move to Aston Villa in 2009 but the Newport-born defender was back with the Hammers in 2012, when the club returned to the Premier League under Sam Allardyce. Combining his current run with his four-year spell with the club previously, Collins now has nine seasons of service with West Ham and, according to the man himself, that won't be ending anytime soon. Speaking to whufc.com last month he said: "To think I've been a part of this Club for nearly ten years now is incredible. I'd love to finish my career here. I'd love to stay here for years to come!"

He's one with the fans

Collins' immense popularity with West Ham fans doesn't just come from his hardened defensive ability or never-ending commitment, but also with how much he gives back to supporters. Collins knows just how important the fans are to West Ham United and how much they give the team, and the Welshman showed exactly that after a particularly hard-fought win over Swansea City in April of this year. Following the match the centre-back walked over to a section of the London Stadium support, climbed over the barrier and entered the stands to join in the celebrations with the home fans. Collins took photos, shared in the jubilation and gave his match-worn shirt to a lucky fan. Nice work James!

He once entered the Miss Wales competition

Strictly speaking, Collins didn't actually enter himself in the competition to be Miss Wales 2014, but this image is so good we couldn't not include it! 'Ginger Pele' has a bit of an established reputation for being a dressing room joker but the team got their own back in February 2014, putting together a brilliantly photoshopped image of the defender. Andy Carroll shared the picture on social media, and it's absolutely fantastic!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic reveals Arnautovic regret over red card
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic has revealed that Marko Arnautovic apologised to his teammates 'three or four times' after being sent off in Saturday's Premier League defeat on Saturday. The Austrian was dismissed 33 minutes into the 3-2 loss at St Mary's Stadium after a clash with Saints defender Jack Stephens and Bilic was upset with his player for the part he played in his red card. West Ham were still only seconds away from salvaging a point thanks to Chicharito's double before Charlie Austin broke their hearts at the death and the boss said Arnautovic was remorseful after the match. Bilic said: "I had a chat. He's sorry and he apologised, I don't know, three or four times. He apologised in front of the whole team on the bus, in the dressing room, everywhere. "It's nice, but you can't do that. According to him, he didn't want to elbow [Stephens], but he probably wanted to push him a little bit. The problem is he [caught him], Arnautovic is big and it gave it an extra dimension. "We can talk about this and that, but the point is you can't do that. You can't do those kind of things. It happened, I'm fuming about it, but no more, not him or anyone else."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bruce eyeing Snoddy reunion
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd August 2017
By: Staff Writer

Aston Villa are the new favourites to sign West Ham's out-of-favour Robert Snodgrass. The Championship club are hoping to take the Scottish international winger on loan for the remainder of the season, despite rivals Sunderland having been considered most likely to complete a deal until today. Snodgrass, who West Ham paid around £7.5million for just seven months ago when moving from Hull City is thought to be keen to team up with former boss Steve Bruce, currently in charge at Villa Park, once more. The 29-year-old was recently informed that he was surplus to requirements at the Olympic Stadium and according to reports, has already held preliminary discussions with representatives of the Championship club. When asked about his club's purported interest in Snodgrass on Monday, Villa assistant manager Colin Calderwood claimed he was unaware of the situation. "I've heard the rumour but I am not party to all that information, so I can't enlighten you," he told reporters.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lanzini linked with La Liga switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd August 2017
By: Staff Writer

An Argentine journalist has claimed that Barcelona are interested in signing West Ham's attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini. The Catelonian giants recently parted company with Brazilian international Neymar for an estimated £198million - more than double the previous world record transfer fee. Since then, they have attempted to lure Liverpool's Brazilian international Philippe Coutinho to Spain - although the Merseysiders have thus far resisted all attempts to push through a move. As a result, Barca's net has widened further - and according to clarin.com reporter Matías Bustos Milla, they are keeping tabs on West Ham's Lanzini - who was ironically linked with a move to Liverpool, should Coutinho move to Barca. West Ham initially signed Lanzini on a season-long loan from Al Jazira in Saudi Arabia, before making the deal pemanent at the end of the 2015/16 campaign. The 24-year-old is yet to feature for West Ham this season having sustained a knock during the club's pre-season tour of Austria and Germany.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Deja vu as Collins fears worst
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd August 2017
By: Staff Writer

James Collins fears he may be made surplus to requirements by West Ham - for the second time in two years. The popular centre half, known by fans and friends alike as 'Ginge' was on the verge of leaving the club two years ago but was eventually awarded a new two-year contract, extending his stay at West Ham until the summer of 2018. At 33, the Welsh international is the same age as Jose Fonte, who has leapt ahead of Collins in Slaven Bilic's pecking order - with disastrous consequences, as witnessed at Southampton last weekend. And that has left the Newport-born defender - who was omitted from the 18-man squad that lost 3-2 at St Mary's - fearing the worst, as he enters what may be his final campaign at a club with whom he has become synonymous since returning from Aston Villa for a second spell in 2012. Ideally, Collins would like to extend his contract at West Ham further and remain at the club for another season, at least - although he has also expressed a desire to end his career at West Ham. However the defender - who is yet to feature for the first team this season - is concerned is that he may be moved on before the current window closes on Thursday, 31 August, against his wishes.

James Collins: West Ham stats

First spell (2005-2009): Pld 65, Gls 2
Second spell (2012-?): Pld 110, Gls 5

Total: Pld 175, Gls 7

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic fuming with Marko Arnautovic after red card
Last Updated: 23/08/17 8:14am
SSN

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is still raging with record signing Marko Arnautovic for his red card against Southampton. The £25m summer signing will miss the next three games after being sent off during the 3-2 defeat for an elbow on Saints defender Jack Stephens. The Austrian apologised to fans, team-mates, and his manager for his actions but Bilic was still fuming at a press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup game at League Two Cheltenham on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports. The West Ham manager banged the table when asked how he felt about the incident saying: "You can't do those kind of things." "I am fuming, still now - you can feel. I am fuming, but it happened. But no more. Not him, not anybody else. I am confident the message got through. "The players they know and they can't let the team down and also of course him. And whoever does those kind of things will get the fine, of course. He will get fined. "He was angry at himself. He still is. He regrets it, so he is angry at himself. But he can't do it any more. "We had a chat. He said he is sorry, and he apologised, I don't know, three or four times - on social media, here, in front of the whole team, on the bus, in the dressing room, everywhere. Slaven Bilic gives his reaction to West Ham's late defeat to Southampton in the Premier League. Slaven Bilic gives his reaction to West Ham's late defeat to Southampton in the Premier League. "I said, 'Yes, it is nice.' Of course it is nice, but you can't do that. That's it. "How can he explain that? You can't explain that. You can't say I was late or whatever. "He didn't want to elbow him and he didn't elbow him like this, with a swinging arm. He wanted to probably get him somewhere here, in the side, to push him a bit because he was elbowed a few minutes before. "But his problem is their player went a bit down so he got him here, in the neck which is already nasty. It doesn't look good. "And second, Arnautovic is big. He is big [6ft 2in]. He is not [5ft 6in team-mate Manuel Lanzini]. He is big, massive - so it gives an extra dimension to it. But we can talk about this and that but you can't do that. "That is the point. "So let's not talk about how it happened. It is irrelevant. "Let's not waste time because the more you talk about how it happened the more normal it becomes, when you are analysing the things you shouldn't be analysing."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
William Carvalho to West Ham: What we know so far
STANDARD SPORT
ES Sport

West Ham are set to break their transfer record for a second time this summer as Slaven Bilic closes in on a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho.
The Hammers have already brought in Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Sead Haksabanovic this summer, but are without a point in their opening two Premier League games. Bilic's defence has been exposed far too many times this season already, and Portugal international Carvalho would offer more protection in a holding midfield role as the east London club look to climb the table.

Here's what we know so far...

Is the deal close?

Talks are on-going between West Ham and Sporting over a deal for the 25-year-old midfielder, who is keen on the move to England. But with just over a week to go before the transfer window closes, there remains a gap between the clubs' respective valuations.

How much will he cost?

That gap between the clubs' valuations stands at £5million, with West Ham still some way off Sporting's £38m asking price. Slaven Bilic said on Tuesday that the Hammers are "still waiting" on the deal, but are ready to both buy and sell "in case something good comes on a plate".

What is West Ham's budget?

The Hammers have already spent some serious money this summer, with a club-record £23m deal for Marko Arnautovic and a £16m outlay on Javier Hernandez. Co-chairman David Gold and David Sullivan have given Bilic the green light to sign Carvalho, and a deal is still likely despite the difference in valuations.

Is he good enough?

Bilic's aim is to see pair Carvalho in midfield Cheikhou Kouyate to offer his defence more protection, with Mark Noble the likely casualty. Carvalho is not much of a goalscorer, but he was a key player as Portugal won Euro 2016 and impressed in the final with a possession-based performance against France. The 25-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, Manchester United and a host of other Premier League clubs in the past, though suitors were wary of his high price tag considering his age. However, the inflation of the transfer market has done little to Carvalho's value. While £38m would represent a club-record deal for West Ham, the midfielder will soon be worth far more if he makes an early impression in the Premier League.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cheikhou Kouyate set to return for West Ham's League Cup clash at Cheltenham
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham, badly needing a victory following defeats in their first two Premier League matches, will be boosted by the return of midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate for tonight's League Cup tie at third-tier side Cheltenham. The Senegal international, who was injured in pre-season, is in the squad tonight for a match manager Slaven Bilic knows his team must win to ease the building pressure on him. Kouyate is likely to start on the bench but looks certain to see some action tonight, as Bilic tries to strengthen his midfield before Saturday's clash at Newcastle. Bilic's ultimate aim is to see the athletic Kouyate paired in midfield with Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho and talks are on-going between the clubs over a deal for the Portugal international. With just over a week to go before the transfer window closes, however, there remains a £5million gap between West Ham's most recent offer and Sporting Lisbon's £38m asking price. "We will see what will happen in the last week of the window," said Bilic. "If someone goes out, someone may come in. We are ready to do something both ways."
One probable departure is Scotland international Robert Snodgrass, who is wanted by Championship sides Aston Villa and Sunderland. Bilic, meanwhile, looks certain to make significant changes to his team for tonight's cup tie. With Winston Reid injured plus Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll not yet ready to come back, James Collins, Arthur Masuaku, Sam Byram and Pedro Obiang look likely to figure. Goalkeeper Adrian comes in for his first appearance of the season against the team he faced on his West Ham debut four seasons ago. "It's a great opportunity for me, the first time I have worn the West Ham shirt this season," said Adrian. "I am 100 per cent ready and will give my best to help the team."
Missing tonight will be another of Bilic's summer signings, Marko Arnautovic, who begins a three-match ban after being sent off against Southampton. "He has apologised three or four times [for his red card] — in the bus, in the dressing room. I told him, 'yes, that's nice but you can't do that'," said Bilic. "Let's not talk about how it happened. You just can't do things like that. "I'm fuming still now but no more can this happen, either with him or anyone else. I'm confident the message got through."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold has positive West Ham United team news
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

West Ham United will face Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup this evening. David Sullivan, West Ham owner and David Gold, West Ham chairman look on during the Premier League match between Burnley and West Ham United at Turf Moor on May 21, 2017 in Burnley,... West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has taken to social networking site Twitter to send positive team news to the fans ahead of this evening's match against Cheltenham Town. Premier League club West Ham will take on League Two outfit Cheltenham away from home at the LCI Rail Stadium in the second round of the EFL Cup. Gold has revealed on Twitter that Cheikhou Kouyate will be part of the the Hammers' squad for the tie. The 27-year-old Senegal international, who can operate as a midfielder or as a defender, has been suffering with a knee problem. West Ham co-chairman Gold has also revealed on Twitter that Manuel Lanzini is back in training and has posted an image of him as well. The 24-year-old Argentina international attacking midfielder has been struggling with a leg injury.

David Gold, owner looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on May 14, 2017 in Stratford, England. Meanwhile, former Leeds United and Nottingham Forest midfielder David Prutton has predicted West Ham to win against Cheltenham this evening. Prutton has also predicted 27-year-old Senegal international striker Diafra Sakho to score for the Hammers. Prutton wrote on Skysports.com: "I'll be at this game on Wednesday and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it! "West Ham could use a victory after their poor start to the season in the Premier League, and anything but a win here will only heap more pressure on Slaven Bilic. "Cheltenham have not had the best start to the season themselves in League Two and, while I don't think West Ham will run away with it, they should get the win."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MIDDLESBROUGH AND HULL ENTER RACE TO SIGN JOTA
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam

West Ham have a long-standing interest in Brentford attacker Jota but are facing some fresh competition for the Spaniard. The Gazette report that Championship outfits Middlesbrough and Hull are looking to sign Jota this summer as they continue to bolster their squads ahead of a promotion campaign. Jota already has recorded three assists for Brentford this season but has missed the West London club's last two games with a suspect back injury amid rumours surrounding his future. We reported that West Ham saw an opening £3m bid turned down for the 26-year-old earlier this month but are yet to go in with another bid, but are planning on doing so when Robert Snodgrass' move away from the club is finalised as the club are working with a 'one in, one out' policy. Middlesbrough, the Championship's biggest spenders this summer, have seen a bid turned down by Brentford for their star man worth £4.5m plus add-ons, but are ready to come back with an improved bid and could go as high as £6m. Jota's contract expires next summer and is eager to complete a move to the Premier League before next week's transfer deadline. The player has agreed terms with West Ham and wants the move to happen, but a fee needs to be agreed.
Brentford value the attacker at £8m, but the Hammers were hoping to strike an agreement nearer the £6m mark. News of Middlesbrough's bid could force the Hammers to stump up a fee closer to Brentford's asking price if they want to get the deal done. Snodgrass didn't travel to Manchester United or Southampton with the first-team squad amid exit rumours and a loan move to Aston Villa is said to be nearing completion. Once this move is completed, West Ham will revisit a deal for Jota and hope they can strike a deal relatively quickly given the groundwork for the deal is already done.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's London Stadium sees transformation back into football venue ahead of sell-out home game against Huddersfield
West Ham's versatile home has had a hectic schedule during the summer break
The London Stadium was used for gigs and the World Athletics Championships
Robbie Williams played at the venue before Usain Bolt sprinted there weeks later
Incredible time lapse footbage shows the change the stadium has gone through
By Kieran Gill for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 11:55, 23 August 2017 | UPDATED: 11:58, 23 August 2017

The London Stadium is being turned back into a football venue ahead of West Ham's first sell-out home match of the season on September 11. This summer has seen the home of the Hammers used for three concerts, the London Anniversary Games, World Para Athletics Championships and the World Athletics Championships. Here, Sportsmail has a time lapse to show how the London Stadium was transformed following West Ham's 4-0 loss to Liverpool in their last home game of the 2016-17 season. It will have been 120 days by the time Huddersfield Town are the visitors in less than three weeks' time. With that in mind, the retractable seating is being put back in place and the West Ham lettering reinstalled on the outside of the stadium. The sign has been stored and guarded 24-7 at a secure compound off-site while the finest athletes in the world were in action.

West Ham signage and branding around the stadium will also be returning after it was temporarily taken away. Contrary to reports, there are currently no plans to have a claret-coloured carpet fitted over the running track at a cost of £200,000 to the club. With talks to be held, it is likely to be green again. Construction workers are currently working daily to get the venue ready for Monday night football with Huddersfield on September 11.

LONDON STADIUM SUMMER PLAN
May 14 – West Ham 0-4 Liverpool – the London club's last home game of the 2016-17 season.
June 3 – Depeche Mode play in front of 80,000 people.
June 16, 17 – Guns N' Roses play twice in front of more than 150,000 people.
June 23 – Robbie Williams plays in front of a sell-out London Stadium crowd.
July 9 – London Anniversary Games.
July 14-23 – World Para Athletics Championships.
August 4-13 – World Athletics Championships.
September 11 – West Ham vs Huddersfield Town – their first home game of the 2017-18 season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH PREVIEW: CHELTENHAM V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 23 Aug 2017 at 08:00 0 comments
WTID

Blast from the past

West Ham United have met Cheltenham Town just once before in our history, also in the League Cup second round. The Hammers emerged victorious from that tie between the two clubs with a 2-1 win at the Boleyn Ground on 27th August 2013.

Ellie Goulding was number one with 'Burn' and Matt Damon topped the UK box office in Elysium as 23,440 were in attendance at Upton Park. The Hammers had picked up four points from their opening two Premier League matches, beating Cardiff 2-0 at home and drawing 0-0 at Newcastle. Manager Sam Allardyce gave debuts to summer signings Adrian and Razvan Rat as well as Academy product Leo Chambers, while Ravel Morrison made his first start in claret and blue.

West Ham's Matthew Taylor and Cheltenham's Matt Richards had both gone close with early free-kicks before Hammers' French international midfielder Alou Diarra had to be stretchered off after 34 minutes with a damaged anterior cruciate ligament that would keep him out of action for almost four months. Morrison was then booked for diving before he legitimately won a free-kick three minutes before half-time, which was sumptuously converted by Ricardo Vaz Te.

Morrison (pictured above) doubled the lead himself just 40 seconds into the second half, twisting and turning the Town defenders on the edge of the penalty area before placing a low right-footed effort just inside Scott Brown's post. Richards converted a penalty conceded by Adrian for a foul on Jermaine McGlashan just before the hour mark to give Mark Yates' men hope but the Hammers secured their passage to the third round.

The Hammers would march on to knock out Cardiff, Burnley and Tottenham before being painfully beaten 9-0 over two legs by eventual 2014 League Cup winners Manchester City at the semi-final stage. Of the 36 players involved in the matchday squads for this fixture just four years ago, only one remains as a player at their respective club – Irons goalkeeper Adrian. The Spanish stopper would be named runner-up in the Hammer of the Year voting for 2013/14, with Mark Noble claiming the main prize for the second time.

West Ham United: Adrian, Leo Chambers, James Tomkins, George McCartney, Razvan Rat, Alou Diarra (Mohamed Diame), Jack Collison, Matthew Taylor, Joe Cole (Stewart Downing), Ravel Morrison, Ricardo Vaz Te.

Cheltenham Town: Scott Brown, Craig Braham-Barrett, Ryan Inniss, Steve Elliott, Keith Lowe, Matt Richards, Russell Penn (Ashley Vincent), Jason Taylor, Jermaine McGlashan, Sam Deering (Byron Harrison), Terry Gornell (Zack Kotwica).

Club Connections

Michail Antonio made his Football League debut whilst on loan at Cheltenham from Reading. Alex Pike, who played in West Ham's Under-23 victory over Tottenham on Monday, played five games for Cheltenham on loan earlier this year. Others to have represented both clubs include:

Midfielders: Josh Payne, Danny Whitehead, David Noble, Grant McCann.

Striker: Bert Hawkins.

In addition, Martin Allen played for the Hammers before going on to manage Cheltenham.

Today's focus is on a former West Ham United striker who went on to manage Cheltenham. Bobby Gould was born on the 12th June 1946 in Coventry and began his career with his hometown club before moving to Arsenal for £90,000 in February 1968. He joined Wolves in June 1970 but moved to Black Country rivals West Brom just 15 months later. He signed for Bristol City in December 1972 before his move to east London.

Gould joined Ron Greenwood's West Ham United in November 1973 for £80,000 with the Hammers badly struggling in the bottom three of the First Division. He made his debut against one of his former clubs, Arsenal, on 24th November 1973 in a 3-1 defeat at the Boleyn Ground. Gould scored his first Hammers goal in a 3-1 defeat at Birmingham on 15th December 1973 and notched another in a 4-2 win at Chelsea on Boxing Day 1973. His first goal at Upton Park arrived on New Year's Day 1974 in another 4-2 win, this time over Norwich. Gould's last goal of 1973/74 came at Manchester City in a 2-1 defeat on 20th April.

The hard-working striker bagged a hat-trick in a 6-0 League Cup second round replay win over Tranmere at the Boleyn on 18th September 1974 and followed that with a brace in a 6-2 home win over Leicester three days later. Strikes in successive away games at Coventry and Everton in October secured 1-1 draws before he fired the fifth and final goal against former club Wolves in a 5-2 home win on 16th November 1974. Two more goals followed before Christmas, one in a 2-1 home win over Leeds and another in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Gould got the Hammers' ultimately triumphant FA Cup campaign off to a flyer by scoring in the 2-1 win at Southampton in the third round but would be ruled out for seven weeks, although he did score in his comeback game at Wolves in a 3-1 defeat. Another goal on the road came a month later at Sheffield United in a 3-2 loss but nine games without a goal at the end of the season cost Gould his place in the FA Cup Final team which defeated Fulham 2-0 – Gould was an unused substitute. His day in the Wembley sun was yet to come…

Gould put that disappointment behind him and scored at Stoke on the opening day of 1975/76 in a 2-1 win. Injury struck again and he would be out of the side for two months – his hard work building back to fitness paid dividends when he bagged the winner in a 2-1 triumph over Manchester United at Upton Park on 25th October 1975, his final goal in claret and blue. Gould played his final match as a Hammer in a 2-1 defeat at Derby on 15th November 1975 – he had joined the club when they were in the bottom two of the First Division and he left almost two years later with the club enjoying FA Cup holder status and sitting fifth in the top flight. Gould had played a significant part in lifting team spirit during his time at the club and departed having scored 19 goals in 62 appearances.

Five of Gould's 19 West Ham goals can be viewed in my video below – his first strike for the club at Birmingham, the fifth in the 5-2 win over former club Wolves, the FA Cup third round header at Southampton, his goal at Sheffield United and his winner against Manchester United.

Gould returned to Wolves in December 1975 for £30,000. He moved on to Bristol Rovers in October 1977 and had spells with Norwegian club Aalesunds and back in England with Hereford before hanging up his boots. He became Geoff Hurst's assistant at Chelsea and took caretaker control when Hurst was sacked at the end of the 1980/81 season. He had two spells as boss at former club Bristol Rovers with a period in charge back where it all began at Coventry sandwiched in between. He became manager of Wimbledon in 1987 and led them to an unlikely FA Cup fairytale when they won the trophy in 1988, defeating Liverpool in the Final, making up for Gould's non-appearance back in 1975. He went on to manage another former club, West Brom, before returning to Coventry in 1992 to lead them into the Premier League era. International management followed with a four-year spell in charge of Wales from 1995 to 1999. He returned to club management with Cardiff in 2000.

Gould's final full-time managerial post came in February 2003 when he took over at Division Two strugglers Cheltenham Town. With 20 games of the season remaining, Gould was faced with the task of pulling the club out of the relegation zone and preventing an immediate return to the Third Division. Despite all his experience he was unable to save them the drop and Town went straight back down. The 2003/04 season did not begin well for The Robins, who were lying in 19th place in the table after 14 games when Gould handed in his resignation following a run of six defeats in seven games. His departure came shortly after Cheltenham's 2-0 home defeat to Rochdale on 18th October 2003, almost ten months after his arrival at Whaddon Road.

Gould has since had brief spells with Peterborough and Weymouth. Now 71, he is a regular on TalkSport Radio and occasionally appears on BBC Radio 5Live's Fighting Talk. His elder son Jonathan was a goalkeeper at Coventry, Bradford, Celtic and Preston (amongst other clubs), while younger son Richard is Chief Executive of Surrey County Cricket Club. Bobby's grandson Matt is a goalkeeper for Stourbridge in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Referee

Wednesday's referee will be West Midlands-based Oliver Langford, who will take on his second ever Hammers appointment – his only other match involving West Ham was the 4-1 win at Blackpool in February 2012. He sent off Robert Green, resulting in midfielder Henri Lansbury having to take over in goal. Green's red card was later rescinded with Sam Allardyce saying Langford had bowed to pressure from Blackpool's players after Green's challenge on Roman Bednar.

Langford has refereed five matches so far in 2017/18 – three in the Championship, one in League One and Bristol City's 5-0 home win over Plymouth in the League Cup first round. He has dished out 11 yellow cards in those five games and awarded two penalties.

Possible line-ups

Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson could give a first start to summer signing Kevin Dawson who was forced to miss the first three games of the season with a thigh injury but made his debut from the bench in Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Carlisle. Dawson was in Johnson's Yeovil side that played Manchester United at Huish Park in the FA Cup three seasons ago, with the Red Devils winning 2-0. Johnson favoured a 5-3-2 formation throughout pre-season, but has switched to 4-4-2 since the second half at Morecambe on the opening day of the campaign.

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic could hand starts to Adrian, Sam Byram and James Collins. Saed Haksabanovic was omitted from the Under-23 side which beat Tottenham on Monday so could be in line for a place in the first team squad tonight. Cheikhou Kouyate is reportedly part of the travelling party but Robert Snodgrass, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll are unlikely to be risked. Winston Reid is definitely ruled out through injury and Marko Arnautovic is suspended. Michail Antonio only made his first team return on Saturday so is unlikely to play a full game against his old club.

Possible Cheltenham Town XI: Flatt; Grimes, Forster, Boyle, Cranston; Winchester, Atangana, Dawson, Sellars; Eisa, Holman.

Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Byram, Fonte, Collins, Masuaku; Rice, Obiang; Fernandes, Ayew, Haksabanovic; Sakho.

Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Slaven Bilic STILL livid with Marko Arnautovic 4 days after his Southampton sending off
Manager pounded desk in anger at Tuesday press conference as he fumed over £25m record buy's moment of madness
The Mirror
BYADRIAN KAJUMBA
22:30, 22 AUG 2017UPDATED22:41, 22 AUG 2017

Slaven Bilic is still "fuming" with record signing Marko Arnautovic — almost four days after his red card shame against Southampton. Arnautovic was sent off in the first half of West Ham 's 3-2 defeat at St Mary's for a sickening forearm smash on Saints defender Jack Stephens. And despite numerous apologies from the Austrian signed from Stoke this summer for £25million, who will now miss Wednesday night's banana skin Carabao Cup tie at League Two Cheltenham through suspension, Bilic's blood was still boiling on Tuesday. And the helpless desk in front of the Hammers' boss took a battering as Bilic tore into Arnautovic. "You can't do those kind of things," he said, with a raised voice and banging the table on every word. "I am fuming, still now — you can feel. I am fuming, but it happened. But no more. Not him, not anybody else. I am confident the message got through. "The players they know and they can't let the team down and also of course him. And whoever does those kind of things will get the fine, of course. He will get fined. "He was angry at himself. He still is. He regrets it, so he is angry at himself. But he can't do it any more. "We had a chat. He said he is sorry, and he apologised, I don't know, three or four times — on social media, here, in front of the whole team, on the bus, in the dressing room, everywhere. "I said, 'Yes, it is nice.' Of course it is nice, but you can't do that. That's it. "How can he explain that? You can't explain that. You can't say I was late or whatever. "He didn't want to elbow him and he didn't elbow him like this, with a swinging arm. He wanted to probably get him somewhere here, in the side, to push him a bit because he was elbowed a few minutes before. "But his problem is their player went a bit down so he got him here, in the neck which is already nasty. It doesn't look good. "And second, Arnautovic is big. He is big [6ft 2in]. He is not [5ft 6in team-mate Manuel Lanzini]. He is big, massive — so it gives an extra dimension to it. But we can talk about this and that but you can't do that. "That is the point. "So let's not talk about how it happened. It is irrelevant. "Let's not waste time because the more you talk about how it happened the more normal it becomes, when you are analysing the things you shouldn't be analysing."
Bilic meanwhile insists he does not feel under added pressure with the difficult start to the season – because it has never gone away. West Ham are already eyeing potential replacements for Bilic after losing their first two games of the season. He was feeling the heat last season as the Londoners battled against the drop during a turbulent campaign, before securing their safety with just two games to spare. As he prepared for Cheltenham, Bilic said: "Nothing surprises me but it looks like it never stopped to be fair. "But should I be under pressure now? No. We only started the season. I am the first one who wants as many points as possible but I don't feel the pressure apart from the pressure of the games that I am putting on myself."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham told they will have to spend £45.8m to land Primeira Liga star this summer
One potential move could be off the table for the Hammers
Football London
BYROB GUEST
06:30, 23 AUG 2017

It looks like West Ham will be priced out of a potential move for Benfica's Raul Jimenez. The Mexican forward has been linked with a move to east London all summer, yet the Portuguese club's eye-watering valuation will put a stop to Jimenez completing a move to the Hammers. According to Portuguese publication Record, the club would have to stump up €50million (£45.8m) if they wanted to sign the former Atletico Madrid striker. Given the club have splurged big money on Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic, as well as a potential £40m deal for Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho, it is extremely unlikely that Jimenez will join compatriot Hernandez in the capital. Record claim that both Everton, who have already submitted a €30m bid, and Ligue 1 side Monaco are keen on strengthening their attack by sealing a deal for the talented forward. Jimenez almost joined the Hammers in 2015 but he failed to show up for a medical as his alarm clock didn't go off on time. With Benfica valuing their play at €50m, it looks like the striker may once again miss out on a move to the capital.

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

http://vyperz.blogspot.com