Daily WHUFC News - 5th September 2017

Hart set for Slovakia test
WHUFC.com

Joe Hart is set to win his 73rd England cap when the Three Lions take on Slovakia in their latest FIFA World Cup Qualifier at Wembley on Monday evening. After defeating Malta 4-0 on Friday, Gareth Southgate's men are on the cusp on qualification, knowing victory on Monday would take them five points clear of second-placed Slovakia with two games to go. Hart played the 90 minutes in Malta, keeping a clean sheet while two goals at the other end from Harry Kane, added to one each for Ryan Bertrand and Danny Welbeck sealed the points. Kick-off at Wembley is at 7.45pm and Hammers skipper Mark Noble is delighted to see his teammate take his place between the posts once again. He said: "Joe is England's No1, he's a fantastic goalie and I think he'll stay that of a while yet to come. "He's a fantastic character. He's played in massive tournaments and won the Premier League so it's always nice to have that experience. We probably haven't protected him as well as we should have done in the first three games here, but he's a leader, a great person and hopefully he can start his enjoyment of West Ham from next Monday night."

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De Carnys disappointed after Ladies' League Cup defeat
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies were beaten 4-1 by Chichester City Ladies in the FA Women's Premier League League Cup on Sunday as they finished the tie down to ten players in West Sussex. The Hammers were missing a number of key players due to illness and faced a Chichester team who were looking to bounce back after a 4-2 defeat to Crystal Palace. The hosts took the lead just past the quarter-hour mark, with Jess Lewry dinking home to make it 1-0, as it remained until the break.
A minute into the second period, it was two as Lewry grabbed a second, heading into the net after Chloe Tucker's delivery. Sensing they were still in the game should they halve the deficit, West Ham dug deep in the second period and Paige Anderson-James' introduction – despite the striker not feeling 100 per cent – caused Chichester problems. The forward got hold of the ball and, out of nothing, created an opportunity for Chloe Burr to finish well and make it 2-1. But when the Hammers were reduced to ten after two bookable offences, the hosts scored two late goals – through Cherelle Khassal and Tucker – to make the scoreline look worse than perhaps the Ladies deserved.
After the full-time whistle, boss Greg De Carnys said: "We'd hoped to put together a good run in the cup this year, and we spoke before the game about carrying that momentum from last week's Cardiff game into this week. "Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. We have set the bar quite high after those impressive performances against Gillingham and Cardiff, dominating possession and creating lots of chances, but today we weren't able to do that. It's obviously disappointing. "We have to dust ourselves down, now. Hopefully we will have a few players back next week and we need to try to get ourselves back to the sort of performance we have become used to. "We have good players and they work hard in every training session to improve and that is what got us our first three points of the season last week. "If we can refocus then I'm sure we can bounce straight back against C&K Basildon next Sunday."

The Hammers' local derby clash against C&K Basildon kicks-off at 2pm on Sunday 10 September at Canvey Island FC's Park Lane.

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Joe Hart helps England to brink of World Cup qualification
WHUFC.com

Joe Hart led West Ham United's band of internationals on Monday, helping England to the brink of qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals courtesy of a 2-1 win over Slovakia. Hart's 73rd appearance for his country looked like being an unhappy one when the visitors went 1-0 up inside three minutes, leaving the Three Lions' World Cup hopes looking a tad tenuous. The goalkeeper was beaten by a neat finish from Celta de Vigo midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, silencing Wembley and putting Slovakia top of European qualifying Group F, for the next 34 minutes at least. The Hammers stopper may have feared his first-ever competitive defeat at Wembley – he has now not lost any of the 18 World Cup or UEFA European Championship qualifiers he has appeared in at the Home of Football – and first loss on home turf since a 1-0 defeat by Germany in November 2013, but thankfully neither occurred. Instead, England improved as the first half wore on and were level when Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier diverted Marcus Rashford's near-post corner into the roof of the net eight minutes before the interval. The home side largely dominated after the break, although Hart had to be at his best to repel a fiercely struck effort from striker Adam Nemec ten minutes into the second half. Five minutes later, the impressive Manchester United forward Rashford lashed a low shot past Martin Dubravka to put England in front and back on course to qualify automatically for Russia 2018. Hart's West Ham team-mare Aaron Cresswell was an unused substitute. Should Gareth Southgate's side win at home to Slovenia on 5 October, they will book their place at their 15th World Cup finals. Slovakia travel to Scotland and host Malta in their final two qualifying matches and remain favourites to secure a play-off place.

However, the Scots themselves rekindled their own hopes of reaching their first World Cup since 1998 by beating Malta and closing the gap on Slovakia to one point. Hammers midfielder Robert Snodgrass, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa, was an unused substitute at Hampden Park.

Elsewhere, Sead Haksabanovic was also among the replacements as Montenegro scored a vital 1-0 victory over Romania in Group E. The Montenegrins started the day level on points with Denmark, but the latter's 4-1 win in Armenia in an early kick-off put pressure on Haksabanovic and company. They responded well, with Stevan Jovetic's second-half goal putting them back above the Danes and keeping them just three points behind leaders Poland. Montenegro host Denmark before travelling to Poland next month in two mouth-watering closing qualifiers.

At age-group level, Anthony Scully was the day's sole winner as his goal helped Republic of Ireland U19s to a 2-1 friendly victory over Czech Republic at the Regional Sports Centre in Waterford. Nathan Trott was among the substitutes as England U20s drew 0-0 with Switzerland in Winterthur in another friendly.
And finally, a third goalkeeper, Rihards Matrevics, was on the losing side as Latvia U19s were beaten 5-0 by Greece in Agrinio.

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Young Hammer Scully on target in Republic of Ireland U19s win
WHUFC.com

West Ham United youngster Anthony Scully continued his fine international form with another goal in Republic of Ireland U19s' 2-1 friendly win over Czech Republic on Monday.

The 17-year-old opened the scoring in Waterford, where the Boys in Green completed back-to-back victories over the Czechs, following Friday's success by the same scoreline.

Scully netted the winner on that occasion, but this time he was the first to find the net, converting a penalty on the stroke of half-time at the Waterford Regional Sports Centre.

The Hammers teenager was joined in the Ireland squad by Club-mate Conor Coventry, who was for substitute in Monday's fixture after starting the first meeting.

Both will hope to retain their places in Tom Mohan's squad for their country's opening 2018 UEFA European U19 Championship fixtures next month.

The Irish kick-off their Group 7 challenge by travelling to Azerbaijan on 4 October before welcoming Cyprus three days later. Serbia are the fourth team in Ireland's group, with the top to going through to the Elite Round. There, the seven group winners will join hosts Finland at the tournament next July.

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DANIEL GABBIDON EXCLUSIVE: WHAT IS GOING ON AT WEST HAM?!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 4 SEPTEMBER 2017 AT 8:06PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Daniel Gabbidon @Gabbidon35

Three games into the Premier League season and there's already been enough goings on at West Ham to describe three seasons or more! There so much to talk about, I almost feel like I should dissect this article into various chapters! But of course it wouldn't be West Ham if there wasn't a bit of drama and outrage so bear with me here because I'm going to waffle on at great length!

I think I'm right in saying we were all feeling much more optimistic going into this season. A new season always tends to bring renewed positivity amongst the fans and players included. You tend to want to forget what has happened in the past (especially if it's bad) and hope as they say, that time has become a good healer.

Were we all a bit naive allowing ourselves think in that way? I don't think so! But in light of recent events on and off the pitch I'm starting to think very differently!


So where do I begin?

Let's start with the two most important people in any football club in relation to getting results on the football pitch, the Chairman and the Manager. It's fairly obvious that all is not well between the two parties. Relationships seem to be at breaking point, comments about each other publicly, an obvious lack of trust and support it almost doesn't feel like the start of a season, much more like the end! But of course all this animosity can be traced way back to the beginning of last season. Starting with naive transfer recruitment, the subsequent poor results that followed on the pitch, topped off with the public lack of support shown to the manager from the board at the back end of the season.

It's understandable that the owners might have some reservations about Slaven Bilic and whether he was the right man to lead the team forward. Last season was a poor one. There were some bad results and the manner of some of those loses were truly alarming but without doubt a lot of this was down to the lack of collective thought between manager and owner in bringing in the right type of players before the season started. In saying that, there are many clubs that work under this directive. You have a head of recruitment that sources the players required and a manager that then works with the players he's given. This is all well and good if everyone is clear about the situation and you have a manager in place who is use to working within those parameters.

What you can't have is owners who are signings players and then the manager who also wants his own players or is refusing players that are offered to him. It's just a recipe for disaster which has been clear for all to see. This behaviour was seen in last season's transfer window and has been evident again in this recent one.

As a manager, support from up above is vital, even more so when things are not going well. Whether it be bringing in the right players to help the current situation or saying the right things to the fans or the manager to emphasise that he's the right man for the job. Up until now I can't say at any point that this support has been forthcoming which has led to Bilic's confidence being knocked as a result.

Having played the game I hate criticising managers to be perfectly honest. I've worked under so many, an been a caretaker manager myself so I've seen first-hand what a difficult job it can be but if we are looking to pick the bones out of West Ham's recent failings we can't just focus on the owners, we also have to look at Slaven Bilic himself.

We can talk all day about poor signings or players that should have been signed. This happens at every club. You only have to look at Liverpool and the Virgil Van Dijk situation in this window to name one.

As a Manager you accept these situations and understand that you can't always get what you want but once the dust settles it's then your job to make the best of the situation and get the best out of the players you do have by building a style of playing that best suits your strengths as a team.

This train of thought was clearly evident in Slaven Bilic's first season at the club. The team seemed to have a clear way of playing. It was based around fast attacking football. Aggressive pressing high up the pitch when they didn't have the ball and high fitness levels to allow them to do both these things. His personality was very much mirrored by his players on the pitch (You could also argue that the players mirror his current mood now too)

I don't see any of these things now and I'm not just talking about the first three games of this season I'm talking about the whole of last season too.

When I think why this has happened I think about my own experiences as a player and I can only put this down to two things. Either the manager has changed his thinking and is not employing the right system/tactics or the manager is giving clear directives to the players but they are not carrying it out. It's also conceivable the answer could also be a bit of both because I've played in teams where players have not bought into the managers why of thinking. You then go out and try and do you own thing and the whole thing becomes a shambles!

In no way is this a blueprint to get results. Much like the owners and the manager have to be in sync, so do the manager and the players.

I look at Slaven at the moment and he looks a shadow of his former self. His body language is that of man who looks tired, who doesn't have the answers anymore, which is sad to see. His personality is his biggest strength but in football management that can also be your biggest weakness.

What's Slaven in now? His 3rd season in charge? This can be a very difficult period as a manager because players start to become comfortable with you. A lot more carefree. They work out your personality, what they can get away what they can't, what you are good at as a manger and what you are not. I've never heard a player say a bad word about Slaven it's always glowing tributes but the conclusion I always get from the praise is that the players almost think of him as being one of the boys and herein might lie part of the problem.

Players need structure and discipline. They need to know that if they over step the line there will be consequences. They need to know that if you don't perform for the badge on a Saturday afternoon someone else will be given the opportunity to do so. You have to lay down the ground rules and be constant with them always. If players sense any sign of weakness in you or change they we will see how far we can push the boundaries. We really are buggers trust me!

We all like a laugh and a joke but when it's time to get down to business there has to be that ruthless authority from the manager so the players know exactly what's expected from them. There has to be a bit of fear factor there.

Slaven looks to me like he's lost his way and forgotten some of the things that made him such a good manager in that first season in charge. In fairness he's had a lot to deal with in his short time at the club and it would be understandable if some of the recent off field issues had contributed to him losing a bit of focus and almost taken his mind away from what he's really there to do… manage the team and get results.

From what I hear Slaven had pretty much thrown the towel in with the words he spoke in the dressing room to the players after the Newcastle defeat and this might possibly be just a stay of execution but if I was in his shoes right now I would be thinking, I need to get back to basics meaning laying down the law in the dressing room and getting things right tactically on the pitch, which is what I'm going to move onto next.

Sorry if I'm going on a bit but I'm in the zone now!

I spoke earlier about the renewed optimism going into this season. I'm sure lot of that was directly linked to the early transfer business that was done by the club. My thinking was no different.

When I saw the signings of Hart, Arnautovic and then Hernandez I couldn't help but think… that's really good business and finally it's looking like the club mean business! So before I go into full tactics mode and show off the benefits of my UEFA coaching licenses! Let's quickly assess these signings and what they might or might not bring to the team.

Joe Hart in my opinion is a good signing. Is he an upgrade on Adrian? Yes I think he is but the problem you have at the moment is that you have 10 players in front of him who are currently not carrying out instructions or not be instructed correctly. The best goalkeepers for me do the basics really well while making the odd world class save in between all that. Currently I would say he is a bit overworked and having to pick the ball out of his net way too often. When the defensive shape in front of him improves so will Joe Hart's performances. I've met Joe a couple of times and he is a top geezer. This is one of the main reasons I was happy West Ham acquired his services. He is mentally strong, a winner and will bring much needed leadership and professionalism to the dressing room. I think a lot of people judge him by those Head and Shoulders adverts and think he's big time! But he really isn't!

Marco Arnautovic is a difficult player to comment on. He's seems like one of those people that you shouldn't judge solely on his body language or his facial expressions because he'd probably surprise you but as a fan what else do you have to go on? I know Matty Etherington said some positive stuff about him when he signed and he will be able to tell you a lot more about him than me but I just get the feeling that if you was to put him in a dressing full of professional disciplined players he could conform to that and get on board but on the flip side if you put him in a dressing room with a few bad eggs who pick and choose when they want to play he could also conform to that behaviour.

I actually watched him the other night playing for Austria against Wales and while Austria were on top and he was involved he looked really dangerous but as soon as the game changed and Austria were on the back foot he became anonymous and that body language got worse and worse to point of him getting dragged off. There's no doubt he's a talented player but I can't help thinking it's an expensive gamble from Bilic, bringing a potentially volatile player into a dressing room that already has a handful of players he can't really trust. Only time will tell I suppose but time has already shown he could be hard work i.e. that act of stupidity at Southampton! He has much to prove in the coming weeks.

Credit to the owners/manager for this one because Javier Hernandez was a great bit of business. I can't remember the last time I've seen West Ham fans so excited about a new signing. Finally the natural, proven goal scorer we've been crying out for! My early thoughts mirrored the fans but once I thought a little bit deeper about the signing I became a little bit more reserved. Not due to the quality of the player, or any feelings that he won't score enough goals. It was more my mind thinking… now he's here, what is Slaven Bilic going to do to make sure the team plays to his strengths.

When you sign a player with Hernandez's attributes in theory, you are committing your team to a certain style of play to get the best out of him. You look at most strikers in the modern game these day and they are complete strikers. Adept at playing up top on their own because that's how most teams now play. They tend to be able to do a bit of everything. Chicharito is not that guy. He's a specialist. A box player. A finisher of moves who relies on service. The ball needs to be worked up to him. Creative players need to feed his runs and wingers need to service his brilliant movement in the box.

What you can't do as a team is constantly sit deep. Leaving him up top as the lone striker then banging the ball up to wee man in hope that he will hold off two centre half's while he waits for support.

When you sign a player of this calibre you have to have a clear plan of how you want your team to play to get the best out of him. It's not easy as a manager adjusting your game to the needs of one player. It requires plenty of work on the training ground and judging from the first three games Slaven is still searching for the right formula but fair play to the lad he's that good he's still managed to bag couple of goals for himself… feeding of scraps.

I'm sure things will improve further when the creativity of Lanzini and the running power of Kouyate and Antonio are regularly on show. These are important players with regards to getting the team up the pitch and supporting the strikers.

It's fair to say the rest of the transfer window was a bit of shambles, hastily washing away all that early positivity! I'm not going to comment too much on the William Carvalho situation. He is a good player and it would have been nice to get him on board but I don't know the ins and outs of what went on and who was to blame but now he hasn't signed the manager has to get on with things and work hard with the players he has at his disposal. For this exact reason I was really surprised that Bilic didn't let Diafra Sakho leave in the window. If I had a player who was trying to orchestrate his own transfer and didn't want to be at the club anymore, I'm sorry but I wouldn't be welcoming him back! Off you go son! Good luck to you. I'd rather be a striker light than accommodate someone who's not committed to the club, the players or the manager. Instead you are now welcoming a player back into the group who could potentially poison the dressing room further.

It's Players like this who eventually cost managers their jobs and for Sakho to feel it was alright to act in this manner tells me there's lack of respect/tolerance towards the manager.

So three games gone, three loses and plenty of goals conceded. Looking from afar, tactically it hasn't been anywhere near right… I'm sure you'll all agree? Hopefully Slaven has had time in the international break to have a think about what's gone wrong in the games and how he can improve performances going forward. All managers get things wrong but the good ones see the problems and fix them quickly, either in-game or by the next game.

First and foremost before he does anything else, Bilic has got to get the players more motivated and working much harder for each other. This will be his hardest task because if as a manager you've lost the players and they no longer want to run around with any motivation or purpose, it doesn't matter what tactics you try and employ it's just not going to work.

Clean sheets are desperately needed. West Ham must become harder to beat. If the team goes a goal down in no way can it then become two, three and four. There has to be more resilience and you have to have a structure you can rely on to keep yourself in games when things are not going to plan.

So let's start with the defence.

For me the back four needs to play as a back four as much as possible. At the moment they are not connected. There are too many holes mainly due to the fact that you have two fullbacks who want to bomb forward at every opportunity. This is a nightmare for a centre back, especially if you lack a bit of mobility because you can't cover the spaces they leave. You get dragged into areas you don't want to go and get horribly exposed. The two fullbacks need to sit next to the two centre half's (especially if it's Collins or Fonte) and just support whoever the two wingers are. I assume the full backs have been under instruction to fly forward but if I'm Pablo Zabaleta a player nearing the end of his the career, who has obviously lost his legs a bit, the last thing I'd want to do is play high and wide. Just let me sit next to my centre back and I'll feed the ball to my winger (probably Antonio) who that suits anyway because it gives him more space to work in… Which he likes. The more the back four stays together the better they will defend, especially the two centre backs who have been getting pelters of late!!!

I would certainly persevere with Declan Rice especially now Carvalho hasn't come on board. I know his mistake contributed to one of the goals against Newcastle but as a manager of your going to put a young lad in the firing line you have to expect that he's going to get a few things wrong and trust me he isn't alone in that department we are seeing the same thing week in week out from seasoned professionals!

This is why I'd keep him in the team.

I went to watch the Carabao Cup game a couple weeks back against Cheltenham and was very impressed with Rice's performance. I know it was against lesser opposition and he had plenty of time on the ball but what stood out most for me was what he was doing without the ball. He is the most defensive minded midfielder in the West Ham squad at the moment and for this reason very important to the back four. I watched him closely. He was sensing danger, snuffing out attacks before they became dangerous, constantly positioning himself just in front of the two centre backs helping to take the work load off them… Centre backs love these players! If you have a player efficient at this job again, it helps to keep the back four to stay connected because then defenders don't feel the need to step into areas of the field their not sure about getting involved in. Potential danger can be dealt with before it gets to you. Being a centre half himself obviously helps him to have these natural defensive instincts in that midfield position, I just hope the manager keeps faith with the youngster because in Rice I trust!

I don't see a problem with the team going forward. Between Arnautovic, Ayew, Lanzini, Antonio, Hernandez etc. there will be plenty of chances created and a fair few goals scored. It's just making sure these same boys don't neglect the defensive side of the game and it's up to the boys playing behind them to make sure they don't switch off and are helping the team especially in those difficult periods in games.

To sum it up in simple terms Defenders defend and Attackers attack. Football is a simple game made complicated by many. Work hard, do your job and if your teammate is in trouble try and do his a bit too!

I hope that Slaven Bilic is given a bit more time to turn things around and I hope he's used this international break to take a good look at himself and say what am I doing wrong? And how can I make things better before it's too late. He really is on borrowed time now.

I have no worries about West Ham this season. The team will be fine. Yes one or two signings were still needed but it's still a decent squad of players that only lack a constant kick up the backside from their manager! It's been a disappointing start to the season but I'm positive things will improve in the coming weeks and hopefully that will coincide with a reformed, new improved Slaven Bilic still at the helm!

COYI!

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Sullivan fires back in Carvalho row
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 4th September 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's Board are preparing to sue Portuguese club Sporting after director Nuno Saraiva referred to David Sullivan a "liar".

The club's Communications Director branded Sullivan as a "parasite" responsible for "intellectual pornography" in a broadside that followed a statement by Sullivan claiming that he had rejected the oportunity to sign William Carlvaho on transfer deadline day.

And the Sullivan camp - who insist they possess email evidence of a £25million bid made on 10 August to support their claims - have reacted to Saraiva's comment by insisting they will begin legal proceedings against the Portuguese club.

"West Ham are commencing legal proceedings against the communications director of Sporting Lisbon as a written offer for the player was made to Bruno de Carvalho the president of Sporting Lisbon," confirmed David Sullivan Jnr via social media.

"To say we never made an offer is nonsense and serious libel. Our bid was submitted via the player's agent and our negotiators in Portugal. We also put in a written bid."

Regardless of the outcome, West Ham remain without a player that could have proved to be a major success in the Premier League this season - and stand little chance of resurrecting the deal in January, as a result of the accusations from both sides.

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Dimitri Payet opens up on controversial West Ham exit: I know how to be a d***head
FORMER West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet says he "knows how to be a d***head" in order to get his way at a club.
By DAVID WRIGHT
PUBLISHED: 21:44, Mon, Sep 4, 2017 | UPDATED: 21:53, Mon, Sep 4, 2017
Express.co.uk

Payet spent one-and-a-half seasons at West Ham before going on strike in January in an effort to force through a move away. He was named West Ham United Player of the Year during his first campaign. But he wanted to leave after the Hammers' poor start to the 2016/17 campaign to boost his hopes of keeping his place in the France squad. And Payet, who returned to Marseille in January for £25million, admits he knows exactly which buttons to press in order to orchestrate a move. "I know how to be a d***head. It's one of my specialities. It's a little game," Payet told So Foot. "When I want to piss everyone off, I do it. My managers understood that: when I sulk, they talk to me. "It's a way for me to be heard. Those who know me play along, and, in the end, it goes well. "I left [West Ham] for many reasons, but the main one was about football. "West Ham's objectives weren't the same as the last season, and I felt in danger for my football and my chances with the national team. I had a choice to make."

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Betting latest: Rodgers already a frontrunner for West Ham - could they really raid Celtic?
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United could soon be looking for a new manager.

New West Ham manager Slaven Bilic looks on during the UEFA Europa League match between West Ham United and FC Lusitans at Boleyn Ground on July 2, 2015 in London, England.

After three defeats from three Premier League games so far this season, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic finds himself under huge pressure already.

Thrashings at Manchester United and Newcastle United came either side of a 3-2 defeat at Southampton, where a 10-man Hammers side rallied back from 2-0 down, only to concede a last minute penalty and lose.

Having been backed with new signings this past summer after a disappointing campaign last term, Bilic is under pressure to turn things around, with many believing he could be the first manager to leave his post this season.

General view inside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on May 14, 2017 in Stratford, England.

Bookmakers have already started to price up odds for who could replace Bilic, with Paddy Power making Newcastle's Rafael Benitez the 5/2 favourite right now, though Roberto Mancini (7/2) and Slavisa Jokanovic and Brendan Rodgers are at 7/1.

Rodgers being the fourth favourite for the West Ham job isn't a surprise, given that he has rebuilt his career so well with Celtic, guiding the Bhoys to an unbeaten domestic campaign last season, winning the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.

Many expect Rodgers to make his way back to the Premier League at some point having repaired his reputation since leaving Liverpool in October 2015, but whether West Ham can prise him away from Celtic is another matter.

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers celebrates during the William Hill Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden Park on May 27, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Rodgers grew up as a Celtic fan, is managing in the Champions League with the Bhoys and has a huge control over most matters at Celtic Park, giving him an almost ideal job for the foreseeable future, at least.

Conversely, West Ham's activity in the transfer market is largely controlled by David Gold and David Sullivan, and the spending in the Premier League means that West Ham are some way off challenging for the top six right now, and simply battling for a top half finish may not be enough for Rodgers to up sticks.

Eventually, Rodgers may well want more of a challenge, but West Ham's current state may not appeal to the Celtic boss, who should be quite content with his attempts to make Celtic a force in Europe once again.

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West Ham shirt numbers revealed as Hammers confirm 22-man squad for new season
West Ham have announced their squad for the season head
Football London
BYKEVIN BEIRNE
09:36, 4 SEP 2017

West Ham have finalised their shirt numbers for the season ahead as the club has confirmed a 22-man squad for the new season. With several new arrivals at the London Stadium over the summer, the Hammers are looking to push on from last season's 11th-place finish - although they have got off to a nightmare start in this campaign following three defeats from three games in the league. Now that the transfer window has closed, West Ham have submitted a final squad for the new season. Premier League squads must contain no more than 17 non-homegrown players, with squads being limited to 25 players in total - although players under the age of 21, such as Declan Rice and Toni Martinez, do not contribute towards the overall total. There are some new numbers in there this season, with Marko Arnautovic changing his shirt number shortly after arriving from Stoke City.
Here is the full list of West Ham's squad for the season ahead, along with selected youngsters who have been assigned numbers for the senior team.

2. Winston Reid
3. Aaron Cresswell
4. Jose Fonte
5. Pablo Zabaleta
7. Marko Arnautovic
8. Cheikhou Kouyate
9. Andy Carroll
10. Manuel Lanzini
13. Adrian
14. Pedro Obiang
15. Diafra Sakho
16. Mark Noble
17. Javier Hernandez
19. James Collins
20. Andre Ayew
21. Angelo Ogbonna
22. Sam Byram
23. Sead Haksabanovic (U21)
25. Joe Hart
26. Arthur Masuaku
29. Toni Martinez (U21)
30. Michail Antonio
31. Edimilson Fernandes (U21)
36. Domingos Quina (U21)
41. Declan Rice (U21)

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West Ham to take legal action against Sporting Lisbon director over William Carvalho transfer dispute
TOM DOYLE
ES Sport

West Ham are taking legal action against Sporting Lisbon's communications director following a dispute over the club's transfer pursuit of William Carvalho.
The Premier League club are suing Sporting's director of communications, Nuno Saraiva, for libel regarding a Facebook post in which Saraiva alleged that West Ham co-owner David Sullivan was 'lying' about the his club's negotiations for Carvalho. Sullivan released a statement on West Ham's website on Friday saying that the Portuguese club had accepted a bid for Carvalho on deadline day, but that it was too late for a medical to be carried out. The statement read: "Late last night Sporting Lisbon made contact to accept the original offer, but unfortunately it was just too late in the day, and we simply did not have enough time to put the player through a medical."
But Saraiva responded in a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday morning, writing: "David Sullivan lies." The post continued: "At Sporting, as has already been said by our president, no proposal has been made for the player William Carvalho. "The football industry is not the set of an adult film in which all obscenities are allowed.So the boss of a club demands a lot more than this intellectual pornography. "Mr David Sullivan has a duty to prove what he says. That is why Sporting challenges him to publicly show the proposals he claims to have made as well as the evidence that Sporting received them.
David Sullivan Jr, the son of the West Ham's co-chairman, posted a message on Twitter account last night to confirm the club's stance. Over two posts, Sullivan Jr wrote: "West Ham are commencing legal proceedings against the communications director of sporting Lisbon as a written offer for the player was made."
"To Bruno de Carvalho the president of sporting Lisbon. To say we never made an offer is nonsense and serious libel."

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West Ham could be without midfielder for Huddersfield clash after international duty injury
The Hammers midfielder has picked up a problem while away with his country
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:21, 4 SEP 2017

Andre Ayew could be a doubt for West Ham's return to Premier League action after he picked up an injury while away on international duty. The Ghanaian is believed to be suffering from muscle fatigue following the Black Stars' 1-1 draw in the third round of the World Cup CAF qualifiers against Congo/ Ayew, who by all accounts had a dismal game, was withdrawn with 25 minutes to go as Ghana just about managed to escape with a draw against the African minnows but Ayew's performance came under fire, with some fans calling for him to retire from international football. That result for Ghana sees them sit third in Group E of the African qualification for Russia 2018 and if they fail to win the return leg this Thursday, they are in serious danger of missing out on qualification for the showpiece tournament. Ayew is unlikely to feature in that game anyway after picking up the problem and is now a doubt for the Hammers Premier League clash with Huddersfield Town under the lights in E20 next Monday. Manuel Lanzini, who withdrew from the Argentina squad thanks to a recurrence of his knee problem, is also a major doubt for the Huddersfield game, while Andy Carroll is also battling to be fit to make his belated return to action.

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The whole story as West Ham launch legal action against over failed William Carvalho move
After an unbelievable sequence of events, West Ham are set to launch legal action against the Portuguese club
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:56, 4 SEP 2017

West Ham's pursuit of William Carvalho ultimately ended in defeat - where have we heard that before this season - on Transfer Deadline Day and left a number of Hammers fans frustrated. All the way up until Carvalho was named in the Portugal starting eleven for the national side against the Faroe Islands in a World Cup qualifier on the continent, there was hope the club could pull off a record-breaking deal but ultimately, it wasn't to be. The defensive midfielder was desperate to join the Hammers having seen a number of moves to the Premier League fall through in previous seasons but yet again, saw a move to the biggest league in the world collapse. But how did we we get to this frankly ludicrous situation where the Hammers are ready to sue the Portuguese club?
Football.London first reported the Hammers interest in Carvalho on August 10 and even then were ready to shatter their transfer record and shell out £36m on the Sporting Lisbon star - not that ever offered that. From then on, it was nothing bit stalling and stalling from his current employers and eventually, the Hammers ran out of patience.
West Ham first offered Lisbon £27.2m and that was, unsurprisingly, rejected as Lisbon felt he was worth much more. So we were told, anyway. Four days later on August 14, the Hammers were supposedly closing in on sealing a move for the midfielder as Lisbon prepared for the first leg of their Champions League qualifier with Steaua Bucharest, with meetings held between the club and the player. The Hammers had offered to double Carvalho's wages from £30,000 a week to £60,000 a week which was accepted by the player and also, a five-year contract at the London Stadium to boot. Remember, the two clubs had yet to agree a fee for the transfer. Sporting then claimed they wanted to discover their Champions League fate before progressing on a move, which stalled it for a week. The Portuguese side would eventually see off Bucharest and negotiations would re-open.
That's when it all started to go wrong. West Ham's poor start to the Premier League season had heaped the pressure on Slaven Bilic and the Hammers board suddenly became uneasy at the prospect of shelling out that kind of cash for a manager who's track record with transfers has been highly questionable. Then, a week ago, the Hammers pulled out of negotiations with Lisbon, who had upped their asking price to £40m - a price the Hammers were never going to pay despite Bilic's insistence on "getting the deal done." Football.London was told: "He just got too expensive and you have to say no sometimes. "Also, he's not trained for three weeks. He has done no pre-season training – so he might have needed four to six weeks to be ready to play for us." That's when the club were reportedly looking at Danilo Pereira as an alternative/ploy to force Lisbon's hand.
So, that was that, then? No. At the start of this week, West Ham re-ignited their move for Carvalho and the player once again re-iterated his desire privately to join the east Londoners and reports in Portugal backed that up. There were unfounded claims of Lisbon representatives in London to thrash out a deal which was not true and that Hammers representatives were in Portugal to sort it out - again not true. Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan was still not going to part with the cash Lisbon wanted and would only proceed if they dropped their price. Lisbon wouldn't - despite them now owing Carvalho £5m as a result of it not going through - and Sullivan went on holiday. The supposedly unfit Carvalho then played for Portugal on Thursday night, bagging a goal and an assist and then leaving Hammers fans wondering what might have been.
Now, Bruno de Carvalho, the Sporting Lisbon president has claimed the Hammers never made an offer for the player and director of communications, Nuno Saraiva, called David Sullivan a liar and a "parasite" in an explosive Facebook statement. That in turn has led to the Hammers launching legal proceedings against Sporting, which was ridiculously revealed by Sullivan's son, Dav Jnr, on Twitter of all places. Sullivan Jnr claimed de Carvalho was talking "nonsense."
It's been a mess from start to finish.

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Roberto Mancini the front runner to replace Slaven Bilic as West Ham manager
KEN DYER
ES Sport

Roberto Mancini has emerged as a front runner to replace Slaven Bilic as West Ham manager, should results not improve significantly. The Zenit St Petersburg boss is second favourite behind Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez if West Ham decide to make a change. Bilic is under increasing pressure following three successive Premier League defeats - all away from home while the London Stadium is re-configured following the World Athletics Championships - and another loss, against Huddersfield in a week's time, would only increase the speculation. Benitez is said to be unhappy about Newcastle's failure to land his chosen targets during the transfer window and West Ham would need to pay £5million compensation to land him. Former Manchester City boss Mancini was linked with West Ham last season, when Bilic found himself under pressure following a run of poor results, and the Italian was spotted at a West Ham match. West Ham decided then to persevere with Bilic and could do so again if their results improve. His position has not been helped by co-owner David Sullivan revealing that Bilic turned down Grzegorz Krychowiak, who went to West Brom on loan from PSG, and Renato Sanches, who joined Swansea from Bayern Munich for the season.

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WOULD I LIE TO YOU ? - IS WATER WET ?
By HamburgHammer 4 Sep 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Usually international weekends are as boring as a rainy day in Ipswich, especially if you rarely watch international games like me. But the last few days surely have packed quite an emotional punch, not just because of what DIDN'T happen for us on Transfer Deadline Day, but because of the resulting spin and backlash, with both Sporting and David Sullivan trying to get their own version of events in and claim the morale high ground while telling us exactly what happened…or not.

I will admit that I was genuinely excited about seeing Carvalho in claret and blue after I had done my research on the player while writing an article in preparation of his imminent arrival, or so I thought. When I wrote that article several ITKs had provided positive indications a deal was close. Now of course there is a very real possibility that the deal was nothing more really than yet another pie in the sky above cloud-cuckoo-land wannabe scenario, playing out in Sullivan's head. Did a genuine offer ever reach the Sporting hierarchy or was it all lost in translation or in the spam folder of the player's agent only ?
Or was the offer so embarrassingly low that Sporting never really took it seriously ?

A section of our fanbase never really trusted the owners from the very moment they took over West Ham. A growing number of fans then grew disillusioned too along the way what with various lies and half-truths being spouted about the Olympic Stadium, the signing of players, getting to the next level, the reason for not signing players and so forth. This recent transfer window now could well see the tide turning past the point of no return in terms of the majority of our fans ever trusting our board again. There are only so many times you can lie (or be economical with the truth) to the fans of the club you own and still expect them to believe you the next time you're opening your mouth.

Anyone remember their ten point pledge when they arrived ? Appoint the right manager. Sign new players. More investment in the Academy. Continue to clear the debt. Freeze season ticket prices for renewals. Build the status and image of the club. Make it enjoyable to come and watch. Get closer to the community. Go for the Olympic Stadium. Listen to supporters.

Well, to put it mildly it's a mixed bag of results there, innit ? We all have different views on the job our board are doing of course, so fans are also likely to differ when they are evaluating the above mentioned ten point pledge and the likelihood those pledges will ever be fulfilled in their entirety.

After seeing them run this club for several years now, my mind is finally at this point set on what they are at the club for, what we can realistically expect from them in future and what not.

Gold may be a genuine fan, I won't dispute that, but he is now pretty much a wingman figure only what with the limited number of shares he owns. So he hasn't really got much practical say anymore. The show or rather circus is being run by Sullivan and Brady in the main and in my humble opinion they are in it purely for the money, their personal profit and the media attention.

They will do anything to eventually sell the club at a massive profit, preferably without sharing any of it with the LLDC (which is why they may be at the helm for another few years, no matter how vocal or nasty protests from the fans may get over the course of the season. There have been numerous examples of owners who were absolutely hated by their fans, yet it took years before new owners arrived).

The latest news is that our club have apparently mortgaged the OS lease plus all the club's real estate (Rush Green, Chadwell Heath, Little Heath, all club shops etc.), presumably to secure another loan (with the previous overseas payday loans no longer being an option) to help our cash flow. The owners don't seem to be able or willing to significantly pay down the debt of our club (to themselves), our cash flow must be appalling. Our net spend is pathetic for a Premier League club trying to grow its global brand and we also now have a manager waiting for the dreaded final talk with the board at any given moment to hear his services are no longer required.

As a club we are a shambles at this point, on and off the pitch, and if it eventually turns out that indeed Sullivan has told us all big fat porkies about the Carvalho bid(s) and the reasons why it didn't happen, I would expect the air to get a lot thinner for the board in the coming weeks and months.

I'm not sure though if protest banners, "Sullivan Out!" chants or even a half empty stadium would actually bother our board too much. I expect them to simply hang in there, sit any issues out, let the wave of discontent wash over them and sell only when they're ready for it and a takeover offer suits them financially.

Like it or not, for the time being West Ham is their favourite family plaything, but thank God there is still a football team on the pitch, playing in claret and blue and that is where our undivided support and energy as fans should go, yet without ignoring or forgetting the way the board are running this once proud club (into the ground we no longer own).

I have read through some blogs and forums in the past few days and seen fans arguing with each other (again), some accusing others of too much negativity, of saying bad things about the club they support and about the board too and that as fans we should all just focus on supporting the team – and nothing else.

In my view you can very much support the team and manager during the games while being rightfully critical about the owners at the same time.

Supporting West Ham is no longer the same as it was 20, 10 or even 5 years ago, The Boleyn has been flattened, the matchday experience has totally changed, watching West Ham play feels completely different, more distant, less homely and intimate. And less passionate too (at least in terms of the home games).

I still get a buzz of pre-match excitement before every game, be that watching from my armchair or in person and I am still as desperate for the lads to win as back in 1996 when Dowie was leading the charge for us. That desire of mine to see us win is never going to change. But the way our club is being run and the way our club is now seen by the public, the media and fans from other clubs worries and saddens me.

I would be very disappointed to see Bilic leave, he is a good and honest man, and I would love to see him as our manager for a few seasons at least, but there is no room for sentimentality in the Premier League anymore. He could well be replaced by Terry Westley as interim manager, keeping the dugout seat warm until the Benitez situation at Newcastle has been sorted out. The Spaniard seems destined to be our next manager, yet I can't see this working out well at West Ham when it didn't work for him at Newcastle with Ashley at the helm.

Ideally I would love to see Bilic now win a bunch of games like five in a row, if only to spit into the owners' Bovril for a bit of payback. Bilic doesn't really deserve to be treated like this from the board. Just recently I listened to some Billy Bragg while driving in my car and the song Goalhanger came on. Listen to it. I instantly thought the lyrics were based on David Sullivan's life, have a listen and judge for yourself.

As for local football I missed Concordia's much needed 3:1 away win on Friday evening against BU and I also didn't go to the Altona-Huddersfield friendly (Huddersfield won 3:0) on Sunday, but instead watched the Cordi U23s win their away fixture at SC Europa 5:1 to take top spot in their division for the first time this season. Who cares if only 60 people were watching and the game was being played on a disgustingly dry pitch made of clay, with clouds of sand dust drifting towards us whenever there was a tackle or the ball bounced near our vantage point on the sidelines ?

I loved it. Honest grassroots (or rather dustroots) football, full of intensity and genuine passion for the game – and no off-field bullcrap. I'm grateful that this kind of football still exists as an alternative to the Bundesliga and Premier League.

As for the Hammers it's another long week to wait for one of our most important games in recent history, Huddersfield at home. Our first home game of the season and it is September already. A must win game for us and especially for Bilic.
I expect the atmosphere to be highly strung, tense, potentially toxic.

Which can hopefully be avoided by scoring an early goal and I couldn't care less who puts it over the line for us in what fashion. I hope for all our sakes that the boys give us a reason to smile again for all the right reasons. The owners, just like the manager and players, are merely temporary features of West Ham, custodians on borrowed time. Our fans will still be there, long after Gold, Sullivan and Brady have packed it in, sold up and moved on to pastures new.

We are West Ham Till I Die and the claret and blue rollercoaster will continue to shake us all about with some thrills, some spills and the odd upset tummy. Bring it on! COYI!

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'WE WERE NOT PREPARED AS A CLUB' SAYS SULLIVAN AFTER CARVALHO DEAL COLLAPSESFeatured Image
Date: 3rd September 2017 at 8:15pm
Written by: Forever Westham

David Sullivan has revealed that Sporting Lisbon had accepted a deal for Sporting Lisbon star William Carvalho, however it was 'too late in the day' to complete a deal for the Portugal international. The Hammers had chased Carvalho for a number of weeks towards the back end of this summer's transfer window, coming close to securing the services of the 25-year-old on a number of occasions, only for a deal to fall through with the two clubs unable to agree on a fee. However late Friday evening, it has been disclosed that Sporting had accepted West Ham's original offer for the player but a deal could not be completed as time had run out. "It is no secret that we made a club record bid for Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho but unfortunately that offer was rejected a couple of weeks ago." said Sullivan speaking on whufc.com. "Late last night Sporting Lisbon made contact to accept the original offer, but unfortunately it was just too late in the day, and we simply did not have enough time to put the player through a medical."
Carvalho has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for a number of years now with fellow Londoners Arsenal, however it was the Hammer who emerged as shock favourite to land the sought after midfielder this summer. "We were not prepared, as a club, to buy a player for that amount of money without him having gone through adequate medical checks."

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AYEW HEAVILY CRITICISED BY GHANA FANS AFTER PERFORMANCE AGAINST CONGOFeatured Image
Date: 3rd September 2017 at 9:45pm
Written by: Forever Westham

Andre Ayew has been heavily criticised by Ghana fans for his performance against Congo in the Black Stars World Cup Group E qualifier, with some even calling for the 27-year-old to retire from international football. Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey rescued a point for Ghana in the 85th minute with his last gasp equaliser and doubling his country's point tally in their qualification group. Avram Grant's side still remain on course not to qualify for next summer's tournament in Russia with only 2 points to their name in Group E and trailing leaders Uganda by 5 points and second place Egypt by 4. Ayew was withdrew on 65 minutes during the disappointing 1-1 draw, and subsequently came under a barrage of criticism from Ghana fans following his display. The winger has had an equally sub-par start to the season with West Ham, failing to register a goal this season as the Hammers sit plum at the bottom of the Premier League table.

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Joe Hart's days between the sticks are numbered - Jack Butland and Jordan Pickford are England's only hope for salvation come the World Cup
Joe Hart has been loaned out to Torino and West Ham by Manchester City
His reign as England's No 1 is coming to an end with Jack Butland challenging
But Jordan Pickford comes closest to showing true potential to become a great
Former England No 1 David Seaman is rated as the Premier League's all-time best
By Peter Shilton For The Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:34, 3 September 2017 | UPDATED: 01:31, 4 September 2017

I have become increasingly impatient over the last few years about the extent to which the art of goalkeeping has declined, despite the high number of specialist coaches. Often I have been described as the godfather of the position, which is very flattering, and I am extremely proud that I played 125 times for my country.
One of the big problems we have in England is the influx of foreign goalkeepers, who have been brought in by foreign managers. So few English goalkeepers are given a chance. Take Joe Hart. He has had to move on loan, first to Torino and then to West Ham, to get first-team football. I didn't think he was fairly treated by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and I think the argument about distribution is misplaced — goalkeepers are there to keep goal! Joe is what he is and until now he hasn't been challenged for his place with England. He's a good goalkeeper, like Tom Heaton, but nothing more than that. And now his place should be under serious threat. He was very lucky to keep his place in Malta, where he had little to do. I expect he will have more action tonight against Slovakia when his performance will come under scrutiny. He needs a clean sheet, because he has Jack Butland breathing down his neck. And Jordan Pickford, too, although the new Everton goalkeeper is currently injured. We need to see both in action for the national team before the World Cup. If you are not in the team, then you are not even being given the chance to make judgments and eliminate errors. Both can become better goalkeepers than Hart. I am excited by the pair of them and they need to push each other to become better and better. Watching them in the Premier League, they are the two English eye-catchers and I see something of myself in Pickford, in particular the way he directs from the back. I always felt it helps to be vocal. You are in a position to see the picture in front of you and I see him shouting and calling and generally looking in charge. He has confidence and agility, a developing technique, and I think he is ready to take that step up and hopefully prove me right. I like what I see. When I started, there was no such thing as a goalkeeping coach. I joined Leicester City when I was 10 — but I was not really allowed to do that. I was told if I came straight from school I could have an hour and a half of coaching every Tuesday and Thursday with one of the trainers. We would do it in the car park at the club's old Filbert Street ground, which had a shingle surface. I had to pad up to save myself from grazes. As a reward they would allow me on to the pitch, which as a 10-year-old was something else. I played wherever I could, in the street under the lamp light. My dad had a greengrocers with a big wall and I would throw the ball and catch it at the highest point. When I first started out there weren't even proper goalkeeping gloves and I used to have to wear a pair of string gardening gloves. My manager was Matt Gillies and I suggested to him that I stay behind after normal training to do some specialist work. It was almost unheard of then. I would try to have someone stay behind to give me 15 shots from different angles and break down different aspects of the art.

Somewhere I read how Tiger Woods, when he was growing up, used to go home and make diagrams about his golf, things like the heights attained by different irons. That was how I worked, thinking about new exercises to eliminate my weaknesses. I knew, for instance, that I could improve my punching, so I went to the gym and did work on the punchbags. I was fortunate, too, in having Gordon Banks as a mentor at the club, a great goalkeeper who taught me so much, though when I first went to the club he mainly practised crosses and shot-saving. Dealing with specifics is all-important if you want to eliminate mistakes. You know that every goalkeeper makes mistakes; it's the best ones who make the fewest. Take myself. People always remember my mistake against Poland in 1973, the year we failed to make it to the World Cup in Germany, but don't talk about the 1989 game in Poland where I had a blinder that helped us to the finals in Italy the next year. What I had developed as specifics at club level, I took into the England camp. Many of the routines now employed were the very ones I had worked so hard on. I suppose in that way I was something of a pioneer. I once watched Ray Clemence coaching the England goalkeepers and shouted from the touchline, 'Hey Clem, they are my routines'. He laughed and nodded! I watch games now, live and on television, and I get increasingly frustrated. I look at situations and say to myself, 'That should have been stopped' and 'He is in the wrong position'. Sadly, I feel that the real art of goalkeeping is being lost and maybe it is time something was done about it.
I hope Butland — who is in the prime position to challenge Hart — and Pickford can help do something about that. When I watch Butland, I see a young man who has great potential with a commanding personality. He has overcome injuries but has come back strong and should improve even further. He and Pickford should push each other to become world class, but there is still a lot of hard work needed.

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West Ham to launch legal action over Sporting Lisbon 'parasite' comments
West Ham are furious about Nuno Saraiva outburst against David Sullivan CREDIT: AFP
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
3 SEPTEMBER 2017 • 6:08PM
Telegraph.co.uk

West Ham United are launching legal action against the Sporting Lisbon director who called co-chairman David Sullivan a "liar" and a "parasite". The Premier League club are contacting Nuno Saraiva, Sporting's director of communications, who claimed they had not made a formal written offer to sign the midfielder William Carvalho. Sullivan has described Saraiva's allegations as "nonsense" and is now taking legal proceedings, claiming his reputation has been damaged by a potential libel. A letter is being sent to Saraiva.

West Ham also say they have an email showing that they did, indeed, on Aug 10, contact Sporting and their president Bruno de Carvalho to make an offer for William Carvalho which amounted to a minimum €25million (£23million), to be paid over three years, with additional terms and bonuses "to be discussed".

Negotiations dragged on, through agents, throughout August with Sporting apparently refusing to budge on their higher valuation for the Portuguese international who, it is understood, wanted to join West Ham and is upset that he did not make the move. Carvalho was manager Slaven Bilic's number one target to be West Ham's holding midfielder.

Sullivan had told West Ham's official website on Friday that Sporting had then contacted him on transfer deadline day, Thursday, to say they would accept a club record bid for midfielder Carvalho, after all. Saraiva, however, responded, on Saturday claiming: "David Sullivan is lying. Sporting Clube de Portugal, as its chairman has already said, has received no offer for the player William Carvalho."

In a statement on his Facebook page, Saraiva also made derogatory remarks about Sullivan, and how he made his money through the adult entertainment business, and said he needed to provide proof backing up his claim that a bid had been made. "David Sullivan has the duty of proving what he said," Saraiva went on. "Sporting Clube de Portugal is challenging him to publish the proposals that he said were made, as well as the proof that Sporting CP received them.

"One thing is clear: Sporting CP, as we have said, does not cut the legs off its players. But we have nothing to do with the behaviour of businessmen or family members who live off the players and who go around offering them from club to club at bargain basement prices, without any mandate, as if they were cheap supermarket produce. It devalues players, it devalues the club, and it creates unfortunate situations like this one, which has forced Sporting Club to take drastic measures to defend itself from these characters who live off some players like parasites."

Sullivan has reacted furiously. "We made bids through the agents acting for us," he said, while an email was also sent directly to the president. Sullivan also spoke to Sporting last Thursday. "To say we never bid is utter nonsense," Sullivan said.

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