Daily WHUFC News II - 19th September 2017

Rice: I want to help us through to the next round
WHUFC.com

Declan Rice is determined to make the most of his opportunity should Slaven Bilic select him for tonight's Carabao Cup third-round tie with Bolton Wanderers. The 18-year-old started West Ham United's opening four matches of the 2017/18 season, including the second-round victory at Cheltenham Town, before dropping to the substitutes' bench for the Premier League fixtures with Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion. While his time on the pitch may have reduced, Rice is in line for another first-team appearance against Bolton on Tuesday evening, and is ready to take his chance to impress his manager once again. "This season has gone so quickly," he told the Official Matchday Programme. "I gave it everything in pre-season and the manager had plans for me and has played me, so I'm over the moon. "Tonight's is an important game in the Carabao Cup and we want to win. Hopefully I can play and help us get through to the next round."

In a revealing interview, Rice revealed how he had joined Chelsea almost by chance as a nine-year-old, when his cousin invited him along for a trial, before quickly getting over the shock of being released at the age of 14. The south west London-born youngster went on to praise his Academy of Football coaches for developing and improving him to the point where Bilic handed him a first-team debut at Burnley in May. Rice has since started against Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle United in the top flight, made his Republic of Ireland U21 debut and is highly thought of by his coaches, teammates and fans for his calm and assured presence, leadership and technical ability. "West Ham have a tradition of playing out from the back and the coaches have always encouraged me to express myself," he said. "When I moved back into defence, they told me to stick to my own game, rather than hit the ball long, and it's helped me massively.
"I was on the bench a couple of times [late last season] and I thought I might get a chance and Burnley was my time to be brought on. I got about five minutes and touched the ball a few times, so I was well happy."

To read Declan's Official Matchday Programme interview in full, and find out which two former England internationals are mentoring him, pick up your copy at London Stadium before tonight's game, or alternatively order your copy online here.

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Bilic: We are thinking positively about the Cup
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic is keen for an extended run in the Carabao Cup this season with his West Ham United side set to take on Bolton Wanderers at London Stadium on Tuesday. The Hammers saw off Cheltenham Town in the second round of this competition and are eyeing up a spot in the last-16 for the third time in the last four seasons. Last term, Manchester United ended West Ham's run at the quarter-final stage, but with the road to Wembley getting shorter by the round, Bilic is determined to take as many steps along it as possible. He explained: "Of course, we are very ambitious and of course we are thinking about the cup in a positive way. We are not thinking about Spurs, we are thinking about Bolton because if we win, we are not far away from making it a big success for every individual and for the club. "We [would] need a good draw. We would need a few top performances, and you are talking about three, four games, it's not a league. It's a good chance for us, like it is for all the clubs. "I'm upbeat, if you are looking at the last week It has been a good week for us. We were on zero points having conceded ten goals in three games, now two games later we have four points and didn't concede in either game. We limited two teams to one or two chances."

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Ten amazing West Ham United debuts worth remembering
WHUFC.com

West Ham United have a number of youngsters alongside a host of senior players in the squad to take on Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday. Sead Haksabanovic and Nathan Holland are among the names hoping to make their first team debuts at the London Stadium, and if either does they would like a similar first showing to these ten West Ham stars...

Andy Carroll

Signed from Liverpool on loan in the summer of 2012, Carroll made his debut for the Hammers in the home contest with Fulham on 1 September. The striker gave the West Ham supporters a great idea of what he could offer, playing a vital role in two of the Hammers' three goals on their way to a dominant victory over the Cottagers.

Mauro Zarate

Argentinian Zarate made his first competitive appearance for West Ham in the fixture away at Crystal Palace, on 23 August 2014. The forward marked his first outing with a spectacular goal, meeting a poor, dropping clearance with the outside of his right foot to beat Julien Speroni in the Palace goal from 20 yards. The Hammers would win the game 3-1, continuing a strong start to the campaign.

Henri Lansbury

Henri Lansbury had joined the Hammers on loan from Arsenal for the 2011/12 campaign in the Championship, and the young midfielder made his mark instantly in a home match against Portsmouth. Lansbury showed his prowess when he was the first to connect with a loose ball in the penalty area, giving West Ham a 2-1 lead, before also winning the home side a penalty. The Irons would go on to win the contest 4-3.

Thomas Hitzlsperger

Thomas Hitzlsperger had to wait a number of months for his West Ham debut, having missed the start of the season due to injury, but the German certainly made up for lost time straight away. 'Der Hammer' proved why he had earned his nickname with a trademark thunderbolt of an effort to give the Irons the lead against Burnley in the FA Cup, putting West Ham on their way to an excellent 5-1 win at the Boleyn Ground.

Bobby Zamora

Having moved to West Ham from Tottenham, it didn't take long for Bobby Zamora to make his mark with the striker coming off the bench to net the winner in a 2-1 victory away to Bradford. Zamora would also score for the Irons on his home debut, helping his new side to a win against Cardiff City. Not too shabby!

Jermain Defoe

On this day 17 years ago West Ham United were struggling to get a result away at Walsall in the second round of the League Cup. Off the bench came a young forward called Jermain Defoe. The fresh-faced forward would then tuck home a typical striker's finish in the 84th minute, starting a career that would be filled with excellent goals, and plenty of them too!

Trevor Sinclair

Signed from QPR in January 1998, Trevor Sinclair made a real impact on his first showing for the Irons in a home match with Everton. The winger scored twice to help the Harry Redknapp's side earn a 2-2 draw, and would play a crucial role in the team's eventual eighth placed finish that campaign.

Tony Cottee

A 17-year-old Tony Cottee made his West Ham debut in January 1983, against London rivals Tottenham, and what a showing the youngster gave. Cottee endeared himself to the home supporters immediately by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Spurs. He would go on to score 146 goals across two spells for the Hammers, making him the fifth top scorer in the club's history.

Jimmy Greaves

With Martin Peters transferring to Tottenham, Jimmy Greaves was sent to West Ham in part exchange in March 1970. Greaves's first showing for the Irons came at Maine Road against Manchester City. The striker scored twice in that game, helping West Ham to a brilliant 5-1 win away from home.

Bobby Moore

Bobby Moore is the greatest icon in West Ham United history and therefore it's no surprise that even his debut was something special. Moore, then just 17-years-old, started for the Irons against Manchester United - the other club interested in his signature as a teenager - helping the team to a brilliant 3-2 win. It was the start of something that was simply sensational.

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Ladies' home clash with Charlton is opportunity to get season 'back on track' – De Carnys
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies manager Greg De Carnys believes this Wednesday's home clash with Charlton Athletic can be the fixture to get his side's campaign "back on track". The Ladies head into this midweek match on the back of three consecutive defeats but will take heart from the fact that they've won their only home game so far, a 4-3 victory against Cardiff City. The Hammers will have to be at their very best to beat a Charlton side that sit top of the league, having won all four of their league matches so far, scoring 16 goals in the process. But De Carnys believes his team have the grit and determination needed to get a positive result out of Wednesday's fixture at Rush Green. The first team manager pointed to the steel shown last season by the side in avoiding relegation and reckons that spirit will be needed against Athletic. "It will require all the character we have to beat a very strong Charlton outfit," De Carnys told whufc.com. "Having survived a tough relegation battle last year I know the girls have the character we need. It doesn't change. It's about fighting hard for every 50/50 and never giving up."

Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members can attend Wednesday's match at Rush Green – which kicks off at 7:45pm – for free, while other supporters can buy tickets on the gate for just £1. De Carnys reckons the support of the home crowd could be just what his team needs to get a strong result, one which could turn the Ladies' season around. He added: "The three points we won in our last home game feels a long way away right now but if we can produce another gritty performance like that one in front of our own fans then there is no reason we can't get something from the game and get our season back on track."

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Trott impresses but Hammers 'need more focus'
WHUFC.com

Nathan Trott called on his side to have more focus in the big games after West Ham United under-23's suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool on Monday evening. The Hammers had previously enjoyed an unbeaten start to the 2017/18 season but have now suffered three straight defeats, the latest a result which extends Liverpool's own winning start to the campaign to five out of five. Two first half goals for the visitors was enough on a night where in truth, they controlled much of the game and were fully deserving of the three points. West Ham goalkeeper, Nathan Trott, who was called into action in spectacular fashion on a couple of occasions during the match, blamed a lack of focus at times for the performance. "We were organised at times but we need to be more focused if we're going win games against teams like this" he explained. "Everyone put in lots of work in the first half and we definitely improved in the second half, I just think we tired from not having too much of the ball."

Among a small handful of other chances, West Ham were awarded a first half penalty with the score at 2-0 but Toni Martinez failed to convert. Had the Spaniard scored, Trott felt the result could have been different. "Toni's penalty was unlucky, it was a good shot but unfortunately the keeper went the right way. "We had a couple more chances and if we had put some of them away the game would have been a lot different to how it ended."

Despite falling the wrong side of a 2-0 result, Trott once again impressed between the sticks for the Hammers, make a number of top saves which kept his side in contention. "I'm always happy to make saves and contribute to the game" he said. "But ultimately, we're not happy with the result. Next week, we need to keep the shots against us a lot lower if we're to win."

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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Bolton Wanderers
WHUFC.com

Considering West Ham shared their top-flight status with Bolton for a full 10 years, it is strange to think the clubs were separated by two divisions last season.
That gap has now been cut to one after Wanderers' promotion from League One, though it looks unlikely to remain that way for long. A strict transfer embargo – that was lifted on Thursday but had prevented the club from paying a fee for any permanent or loan signings since December 2015 – meant Bolton were unable to do much strengthening over the summer. As a result, they are currently bottom of the Championship, having failed to win any of their first eight matches. Worse still, Reece Burke and Josh Cullen – their two loanees from West Ham who have both featured heavily so far this season – are ineligible to face their parent club on Tuesday.

So their chances of an upset at the London Stadium look slim. Even in the third tier last season, Bolton were far from prolific – ending up with just the joint-fifth highest goals tally at an average of less than 1.5 per game. And they have not looked any sharper after the summer, failing to score in their last four matches in a row. Given the Hammers have won their last three cup ties against lower-league opposition – against Cheltenham last month, Accrington last season and Wolves in 2015/16 – to nil, a similar outcome looks likely.

Slaven Bilic's side should not have to wait too long for the breakthrough, either. The Trotters have trailed at half-time in five of their first eight league matches – losing all of them – and even found themselves behind at the break when taking on League Two side Crewe in the previous round. It is the Hammers' pacier players who are likely to cause the most damage, with neither Mark Beevers nor David Wheater blessed with much pace in the centre of defence. Wingers Adama Traore and Kamil Grosicki, meanwhile, have shown just how easy it is to get in behind Bolton's full-backs for both Hull and Middlesbrough in recent weeks. Javier Hernandez will be relishing the chance to finish off the opportunities that will surely come his way.

RECOMMENDED BETS

West Ham to win to nil - 6/5
Half-time/Full-time: West Ham/West Ham - 19/20
Javier Hernandez to score West Ham's first goal - 5/2

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Rio Ferdinand missed the 'chemical' of competition and sees boxing as 'great way to get it back'
ES Sport

Rio Ferdinand has announced his extraordinary plans to become a professional boxer and hopes to fight for an English title next year. The 38-year-old has already hired former WBC super-middleweight Champion and respected Team GB coach Richie Woodhall as his trainer. Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown with Manchester United during his football career as well as 81 England caps, is doing the 'Defender to Contender' project in conjunction with online betting company Betfair. Speaking exclusively to Standard Sport, Ferdinand said: "A lot of people sit and watch huge fights, plus other sporting events and say 'I can do that' or 'they've messed it up'. "There are a lot of armchair fans wanting to pass judgement. Well, I'm going to walk the walk and actually do it.
"I'm into keeping fit and one of the big things I have missed since retiring from football in 2015 is the competition, whether it be as a team or as an individual going one-on-one against a striker. "I just miss that chemical that comes out of you. I have not been able to replace it. This is a great way to get that back. "I'm doing this for many reasons. I'm doing this to test myself as a man, as a human being. "Can I change sports? Can I be a respectable performer in other sports? Can my body get through it? "Can I mentally get up early at 5-6am in the morning when it is dark and cold to go on long, dirty runs? Then get back, take my kids to school, go to the gym and eat properly all of the time. "This is a test of my mind and body, that's the way I'm looking at it. I'm not looking at it to become the world champion, I'm not stupid."
Ferdinand is going to fight at Cruiserweight, but will have several weeks of training under Woodhall and his personal trainer Mel Deane before applying for a licence from the British Boxing Board of Control. Woodhall went to Ferdinand's house to assess the former centre half's fitness and boxing ability before agreeing to become his trainer. He said: "In all honesty, I think Rio can definitely box as a professional given time. He has natural power in his right hand, is extremely fit and is very enthusiastic to learn which is encouraging. "Style wise he's very raw and I'll have to develop this which will take time but he has all the natural ingredients, height and reach advantages over boxers in his weight division and definitely has potential to win a title in the future." Betfair also helped Victoria Pendleton make the transition from Olympic cyclist to Cheltenham jockey last year in the ground-breaking 'Switching Saddles' challenge.

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West Ham vs Bolton: EFL Cup prediction, team news, line-ups, start time, live, TV, head to head, odds
ALEX YOUNG
ES Sport

West Ham will name a strong team for their midweek League Cup clash with Bolton. Slaven Bilic has talked up the Hammers' "ambition" and face the Championship side's bottom side who are without a league win all season. West Ham have only one victory to their name this term, but made easy work of Cheltenham Town in the previous round after reaching the quarter-final the previous campaign.

Start time

West Ham will host Bolton Wanderers with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm on Tuesday, September 19.

TV and live online coverage

The match will be not be televised live on TV in the UK. Alternatively, you can follow live goal updates with Standard Sport.

Team news

Andy Carroll will be rested for the League Cup third-round tie at home to Bolton on Tuesday evening. The striker has suffered from a string of injuries in recent years but is now back fit and will be given the night off to rest up ahead of the weekend visit of rivals Tottenham. Slaven Bilic is likely to make some changes as captain Mark Noble is expected to start following a knee injury, but promised a "strong side" when speaking to reporters on Monday. "It's a big game for us and all we are thinking about," he said. "We are very ambitious, as are all the clubs still in the competition. "We are playing home against Bolton and there are going to be some changes, but they are going to be the players who have already played for us in the Premier League this season and also last season."

Predicted line-ups

West Ham starting XI: Adrian; Fonte, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Byram, Noble, Rice, Cresswell; Fernandes, Sakho, Chicharito

Betting odds (via betfair)

West Ham to win: 3/10
Bolton to win: 10/1
Draw: 24/5

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Rio Ferdinand: I'm excited, not scared, and ready to give boxing my best shot
EXCLUSIVE
ES Sport

Rio Ferdinand's love affair with boxing began as a kid growing up on Peckham's Friary Estate and having a bit of fun with his friends. "One of my mates had a pair of Henry Cooper-type gloves and we used to settle little scores," the former England centre-half explained to Standard Sport. "We'd go round the back and have a tear up. One of us would be the ref and the other two would fight. "There was no technical side to it, there was no one sitting to the side coaching you and pointing out what you were doing wrong. We'd just slug it out." Here we are, three decades later, and Ferdinand is about to pull on the gloves again, yet the circumstances could not be any more different this time around. The 38-year-old is aiming to become a professional; not only that, he has set his sights on winning an English title at cruiserweight next year. Ferdinand, who won 10 major trophies during his time at Manchester United and was capped 81 times by England, is fully aware that there will be plenty of negativity coming his way at the news of Tuesday's announcement. It doesn't faze him one bit. "Do I have a message for the critics?" he said. "Yes, support me. That would be nice. I know many people will say I can't do it. Proving people wrong will definitely be a motivation. It was the case in my football career and is the same now."
To those do not know Ferdinand very well, the decision will not make much sense. Football has provided the central defender with riches and winners' medals. He is now respected as a football pundit on television, too. This seems like a good time to relax, not enter into one of the toughest sporting arenas there is. But the ease of his working life is part of the problem. "One of the big things I have missed since retiring from football in 2015 is the competition, whether it be as a team or as an individual, going one on one against a striker," he said. "I just miss that chemical that comes out of you. I have not been able to replace it. This is a great way to get that back. "I'm doing this for many reasons. I'm doing this to test myself as a man, as a human being. Can I change sports? Can I be a respectable performer in other sports? Can my body get through it? Mentally, can I get up at 5 or 6 in the morning when it is dark and cold to go on long, dirty runs, then get back, take my kids to school, go to the gym and continue to eat properly? "A lot of people sit and watch huge fights, plus other sporting events and say, 'I can do that' or 'They've messed it up'. There are a lot of armchair fans wanting to pass judgment. "Well, I'm going to walk the walk and actually do it."

One of Ferdinand's greatest strengths as a footballer was an unshakeable determination to achieve his ambitions. It will serve him in good stead. But as a father to three young children, some may question why he would want to put himself in harm's way. After all, due to trainer Richie Woodhall's careful training programme, Ferdinand will not know for at least 10 weeks whether he can actually take a punch in a sparring session. Those closest to him were not afraid to speak up on hearing what Ferdinand was planning. "A lot of people have said to me, 'You're crazy, what are you doing?', he said. "But I have always been my own man and I will make the decisions I want to make. "No-one has tried to persuade me not to do it because they know me better than that. I didn't need much convincing or take long to think about it. As soon as I was asked I said, 'Yes, let's go. I'll do it. Give me the details'. "Maybe it was something inside, without knowing it, I was searching for anyway. Something to give me a focus, a sense of purpose. There are no doubts, just excitement at the moment. That may change once I get in the ring and take a few digs. "Who knows how I'm going to react? That's the thing that's going to excite me even more. I'm going into the unknown. I'm not scared about it, I'm thrilled by it."

One might think a player of his vast experience would be better off putting his energies back into football, through management or coaching. That is still on the agenda; it has just been put on hold for now. "I'm going to study for my coaching badges one day, but I'm not ready to go into football management just yet," he said. "It will have to wait. I wouldn't have been able to do it within the next one or two years anyway."

Still, what if this all goes spectacularly wrong, as many experts will expect and he fails to win an English title or even worse, gets humiliated in the ring? "I won't have any regrets whatever happens," he insisted. "I want to find out if I can get through this. Can I get past my first opponent and win a fight? It's a challenge to answer. "If I lose, I lose. That is part and parcel of life. You don't always win. But after my time in boxing ends, I will go knowing I have worked as hard as I can."

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Pressure on Marko Arnautovic to impress on home debut after sending off in West Ham's loss at Southampton
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham's record signing Marko Arnautovic makes his London Stadium debut tonight, knowing that a good performance will put pressure on Slaven Bilic to play him in Saturday's derby against Tottenham. The £25million summer signing from Stoke has just returned from a three-match suspension following his red card in the second match of the season, at Southampton. Arnautovic came on as a second half substitute in the goalless draw at West Brom on Saturday but is now looking to regain his place up-front in manager Bilic's first choice line-up. Bilic looks certain to make significant changes for tonight's Carabao Cup tie against Championship side Bolton but is looking for players like Arnautovic to prove a point and make it difficult for him to leave them out. The West Ham manager said: "I will make some changes but it will be a strong team and it's a good opportunity for these players. "We're looking for improvement, a few of the places are quite open and it's up to them to impress my staff, the press and the fans."
Bilic is still searching for the right blend and admits that striker Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez has been employed out of position in order to help his team turn around a poor start to the season during which they conceded 10 goals in their first three Premier League matches. "Our priority was to stop losing games and conceding goals," he said. "We have been working on getting that stability back and in the last two games we have four points and two clean sheets. "It's a lot on which to build and now is the time to be more dangerous and create more chances. It's very hard to please everyone and I am thinking about that a lot. It's difficult to play both Andy Carroll and Chicharito in their ideal positions, especially when you are playing three at the back. "I have spoken to Chicharito. He is a great lad and I said we have priorities and at this moment the team needs you there."

Bilic will rest Carroll tonight while Hernandez could start on the bench. "We have to manage Andy," said Bilic, "but he looks good, he looks fit. He won't play against Bolton but especially now, when he's just come back, we will try and avoid him playing three full games in a week." Diafra Sakho replaces Carroll up front while Andre Ayew should start in place of Hernandez, with Adrian in goal.

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Haven't been, won't go
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 19th September 2017
By: Staff Writer

Comedian, writer and lifelong Hammers fan Phill Jupitus says he will not watch his beloved team at the Olympic Stadium. Jupitus, who shot to fame as a poet (Porky the Poet) and stand-up comedian was a regular visitor to the Boleyn Ground and became part of the team working on Fortunes Always Hiding, a popular fanzine from the early 1990s. However in conversation with Talksport's Hawksbee and Jacobs, the 55-year-old - who recently moved from Leigh-on-Sea to Fife in Scotland - insisted that he would never visit the Olympic Stadium.
"Haven't been, won't go," said Jupitus, when asked to give his verdict on the Stratford arena. "'ll go and see them away if I'm not doing anything. I didn't see anything wrong with the ground as it was. It's just the way sport is going. "I remember when I used to wake up on Saturday [when I lived in Bow] and it was an option. 'Shall we go to the football today?' - you remember that feeling? I miss that, just having the option to go. "It's like the final crystallisation of everything that has happened to football, the changes and evolution over the last 20 years of the game. "At that amazing and beautiful ground at Upton Park you could touch them [the players] - they didn't like it, but you could touch them! You were that close to the action. "The management at Fenway Park in Boston were looking at the same thing but they consulted the fans and the fans were like 'we don't want to go'. "So they didn't go and they've been redeveloping the site as it is. I think we should have redeveloped the East Stand, where the Chicken Run was." I know there will be people screaming at their radios now - especially two short blokes with a woman in the background saying 'calm down, calm down' - but I'm one of the ones who thinks we shouldn't have moved. "I'm sure the people who go will love it, but there was just too much change that I didn't like."

You may listen to the full interview with Jupitus on Talksport.

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West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 18th September 2017
By: Preview Percy

It's fair to say that Preview Percy wasn't over-impressed with the entertainment value of the weekend's visit to The Hawthorns. In fact we actually had to wake him up to write a few words about the League Cup visit of Bolton Wanderers. Expect much grumpiness. As usual.....


Next we take a break from the day to day stuff of the league for a 3rd round League Cup tie at home to Bolton Wanderers. Kick-off is 7:45pm on Tuesday so enjoy the rush hour traffic and train tribulations and have a gander at the travel websites before you leave.

So Bolton then. Not a great start to the season it should be said. They currently anchor the table in what used to be called Division 2 having picked up just the 2 points so far this season. They have lost six of the 8 played so far, both points coming on the road courtesy of a 1-1 at Millwall and a goalless draw at Birmingham City. Other than that it's been defeats all the way, the latest being a 2-0 reverse at Ipswich last weekend. Reports suggest that they were not without chances at Portman Road but a deflected goal just after the break and an 89th minute clincher were enough to ensure that they remained bottom with there already being a four point gap between them and safety. Boss Phil Parkinson may be looking nervously over his shoulder.

Parkinson has the record of being the only manager to take a 4th tier club to the final of a major competition getting his Bradford City side to the final of this self-same League Cup back in 2013 where they ran up against a brick wall and went down 5-0 to Swansea. So Parkinson does have a bit of pedigree in a competition that has been a bit of a blessed release from the trials and tribulations of League life for Bolton. In round 1 Crewe were sent packing 2-1 on their own ground. In the second round they disposed of Sheffield Wednesday, going 3-0 up through Karacan, Dervite and Armstrong before late goals from Rhodes got them slightly worried. They eventually prevailed but, despite the League Cup being the one ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal season so far, not even they could be bothered to stay up until 4am to listen to the draw live.

Having been promoted from whatever that particular league was called last season, the work-experience kid of as yet-to-be determined gender wearing a hoodie who seems only able to communicate with some strange grunting noises tells me that they brought in 8 new players on permanent deals, though only two of those involved a transfer fee. The list of arrivals sounds like a veritable Who's Who of lower league journeymen whose names will be familiar to anyone who watches the scores come in on the telly. Try this little lot for size: Adam Le Fondre, Will Buckley, Sammy Ameobi, Craig Noone, Mark Little, Aaron Wilbreham, Andrew Taylor and Stephen Darby. Even a club aspiring to mid-table mediocrity would be struggling to be whelmed by that lot.


Of slightly more, if somewhat academic, interest are two of the four loan hires they have on the books at the moment in the form of Josh Cullen and Reece Burke. Both have featured regularly in the Trotters' first XI so, despite the tough start to the season they will at least be getting some toughening up under their respective belts. The loan deal should not have come as too much of a surprise to many – Trotters boss Parkinson had signed both on loan during his spell at Bradford a while back so he is more than aware of their capabilities. The pair are not available for selection for this one under the rules applying to the loan deal.

In a side that has mustered 4 goals in 8 league games it's difficult to place much emphasis on the identity of the top scorer. However, for what it's worth, top man in the league is Gary Madine who has a brace to his name. He is joined in the "all competitions" table by young Newcastle loan striker Adam Armstrong, who has been on target in both their League Cup matches thus far. He might be one to watch as part of that odd thing that sees some players have hot spells in particular competitions. His best spell was the 15-16 season spent with Coventry where he hit 20 in 40 matches, though he has yet to open his scoring in the 17 first XI league appearances he has made for his parent club. He was part of the England U20 squad this summer, picking up a World Cup winner's medal as an unused sub in the 1-0 final win over Venezuela.

And so to us. Well the West Brom game wasn't much to write home about. I tried. They returned the letter.
They seemed so frightened of losing two on the trot after the Brighton game they quite forgot that they were the team beginning with "West" who were at home. Their end of season DVD compilation will be a barrel of laughs on that showing. Obiang's shot that came off the bar was about the only thing of note through the whole match really. It was odd because I was only thinking during the warm-up how rare such efforts were given how much time 'keepers spend off their line.

Talking of 'keepers Foster was a bit lucky, wasn't he? Tierney was so busy making sure that he didn't issue an erroneous red for denial of goalscoring opportunity (or DOGSO as it's known in the trade) that he completely forgot to consider the nature of the challenge itself which, with two feet off the ground, could easily have been thought of as a straight red, and probably would have been had it been an outfield player.

Good as the away point was (in terms of its intrinsic value) one still has concerns. The recent move to a back three does suit the defenders available to us who, if I can put this kindly, are not what you might call blessed with an awful lot of pace. However, lining up in this manner does come with a cost, that being the tendency for two of your front three to play wide and a bit deep. Antonio is ok on the right – he has a natural width to his game – but Hernandez is wasted out on the left. Given his reputation (or "rep" as I believe the kids say) for being at home in the penalty area it would seem logical to try and play to that particular strength. It's almost as if we have been told "you can have either a decent defence or a decent attack – but not both".

There's good and bad news on the injury front. Ginge's ankle looked serious enough to keep him out for some time – well done to the ignorant tossers at West Brom who booed him. Noble and Fernandes are said to be close to a return and then we have Lanzini. The little Argentinian was sorely missed at The Hawthorns and, though the official list stills show him as a major doubt, the word is that the player has been training for a bit but won't be risked for this one.

We can expect a number of changes. I would have thought Zabaleta might have a night off given that he has four of the five yellow cards required for an enforced week's break at this stage of the season. One would imagine that the likes of Byram and Ogbonna will get to stretch their legs whilst Sakho and Ayew may also start.

Prediction? Well I know we have this "rep" for coming up short against the lower orders but even with an alternative starting XI we ought to have enough to get past Bolton. I will therefore place the traditional £2.50 on the counter at Winstone the Turf Accountant in return for a wager for a 3-1 home win, thus seeing us through to the next round which, on past form, will take place on Thursday at 3am in a slient running submarine sitting off the coast of Alaska, the final draw to be delivered by a suitably graffiti-ed cruise missile aimed in the general direction of North Korea.

Well it's no more stupid than the draws for the previous rounds.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met At The Boleyn Lost 1-3 Premier League August 2010
A bizarre game that, had we taken our early chances we would have won by a cricket score. A boot to Upson's face from Davies prompted an OG as Marriner waved play on. Four hours later Upson's face was still not in any fit state to be x-rayed which was interesting, given Marriner's insistence that nothing had happened. We bossed the match but were suckered into conceding a second from Elmander with 20 left. A Noble penalty – one of five that ought to have been awarded – gave hope but Davies wrestled Gabbidon to the ground, Taylor played the ball through to Elmander with his arm and we were 3-1 down. These things even themselves up according to some idiots. I'm waiting…

Referee: Simon Hooper
One of the second tier of professional referees so we haven't encountered him so far. A quick google search seems to indicate that Mr Hooper's full name is "Controversial Referee Simon Hooper". His highlight of the season so far was sending off a Fulham defender within 30 seconds of the start of a match for a very dubious DOGSO decision. According to a genuinely neutral observer of my acquaintance he then ignored all sorts of nailed-on yellow card offences for the next 70 minutes. A potential leveller then.

Danger Man: Adam Armstrong
Selected as a horse for this particular League Cup course.

Percy's Poser:
Last week we asked you "what is Jermain Jenas's problem?" Congratulations to Mrs Dorothy Stormy-Petrel of Harlow New Town who correctly stated "he's a no mark ex footballer who thinks ten minutes of media training will somehow cover up for a lack of knowledge and the fact that he is using his platform to peddle his petty prejudices to the licence paying public". Well done Dorothy!

This week we take you back to 1923 and the famous "White Horse" final to ask you: What was the name of the horse and what happened to him after the final.

Best of luck everyone!


Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Why the London Stadium is better than Wembley
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 19th September 2017
By: Staff Writer #3

West Ham's move to the London Stadium last season brought a lot of media and fan attention – though mostly negative. Many opposing supporters, particularly Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur, were against the move with the great deal that both David Gold and David Sullivan got for the club. The previous season of 2015/16 Slaven Bilic had excelled in taking us to a 7th place finish with nine wins at the Boleyn Ground and only three defeats. Much pressure was on us to perform at the London Stadium, but it all got off to a negative start with elimination from the UEFA Europa League at home to Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu, at home. The Premier League season didn't get much better – we were in a relegation battle for part of it and ended the season with eight home defeats and only seven wins at our new home.

Pressure of playing at the London Stadium? Or just the players we had? One of those victories however was against this weekend's rivals, Tottenham. West Ham odds are currently out at 6.0 to pull off a repeat of last season's victory. Spurs decided to follow in our footsteps this season by moving to Wembley Stadium, albeit a temporary deal whilst White Hart Lane is being renovated. Mauricio Pochettino's side had performed unsuccessfully at the home of English football in last season's Champions League as they dropped into the Europa League in a group they were widely-considered to win, versus AS Monaco, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and CSKA Moscow. Then in the Europa League they were dumped out by Belgium First League A side, Gent, following a 2-2 draw at Wembley. Spurs have started the 2017-18 Premier League season without a win at their temporary home. The first-ever Premier League game at Wembley saw them beaten 1-2 by Chelsea, before being held 1-1 by Burnley and 0-0 by Swansea – the latter two both expected to be in the bottom half if not battling relegation this season.

Pressure of playing at the national stadium? Unlucky? Simply a slow start to the season? Or the bigger pitch not suiting Pochettino's tactics? Unlike Spurs, we got a win on our opening home game this season – a solid performance in beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 on Monday night football. The first goals the newly-promoted Terriers had conceded this season. Results aside, the graphic below from Betfair highlights that the London Stadium is much closer to the Boleyn compared to Wembley and White Hart Lane. Though this doesn't affect Spurs fans greatly as most of them come from much further away. What's more, the pies and pints are also cheaper for the fans at our new stadium!

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Haksabanovic, Arnautovic & Rice start - how West Ham should line up against Bolton
This is how we would like to see the Hammers take to the field
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
14:13, 19 SEP 2017

Slaven Bilic admitted he will be changing around his squad for West Ham's Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers at the London Stadium this evening (Tuesday). The likes of Pablo Zabaleta, Javier Hernandez, Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio will be rested for the League Cup tie in E20 and it gives an opportunity for others top stake their claims. Arthur Masuaku and Sam Byram are almost certain to get 90 minutes, while youngsters Domingos Quina, Sead Haksabanovic, Declan Rice and Nathan Holland are all in the squad. With that in mind, here is how we think the Hammers should line up in Stratford.

How we think the Hammers should line up
Yes, it's four at the back.

Angelo Ogbonna gets a recall and also a chance to prove himself with the absence of James Collins for at least a month following his ankle injury, while Masuaku and Byram operate a full back and Rice gets a start in his preferred position of centre half. Mark Noble returns from injury tonight so he's straight back in, while Haksabanovic and Pedro Obiang make up the midfield. The front three consists of three players with something to prove in Diafra Sakho, Marko Arnautovic and Andre Ayew.

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Was West Ham's Martin Samuelsen over-hyped or does he just need time?
HITC
Vincent Ralph

The West Ham United midfielder has fallen off the radar after initially impressing. When West Ham United initially signed Martin Samuelsen it looked like the Hammers had pulled off a masterstroke, but things have not exactly gone according to plan for the young Norwegian in the time that followed. After some impressive showings for West Ham in their pre-season preparations of 2015, where the teenager showed his passing range and composure on the ball, he quickly found himself making do with under-23 football before a loan spell at Peterborough United started to demonstrate what all the fuss was about. Samuelsen's balance, confidence and innate talent shone during that initial spell and he was expected to make a name for himself back at the Hammers soon after.
That did not happen, and a disappointing return to Posh, along with a doomed temporary stint at Blackburn Rovers, set Samuelsen back at exactly the time when he should have been pushing for a Hammers' debut. This season he is back with West Ham's under-23 side, but two years since his arrival he seems no closer to that allusive senior chance. Now 20, Samuelsen needs to prove his worth over the current campaign or risk failing to make the breakthrough many felt was only a matter of time. West Ham have some of the best young players in the country on their books, yet manager Slaven Bilic has been reluctant to test them unless he absolutely has to. Samuelsen is just one to suffer as a consequence, with Reece Oxford currently warming the bench at Borussia Monchengladbach, Toni Martinez making light work of second string football and the youngest of the lot, Domingos Quina, edging ever closer to his first start.

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WILSHERE HOPING TO SECURE JANUARY WEST HAM MOVE
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam

In the early weeks of the season, West Ham have missed the guile and creativity of Manuel Lanzini in the final third, and the fact that the Hammers have netted just four goals in five games is a testament to that. The Argentine playmaker has been sidelined with a knee injury and isn't expected to return until after the next international break, and West Ham really could do with a midfielder who can operate between the lines and spot passes. West Ham were linked with a summer move for Jack Wilshere but were put off by Arsenal's £20m asking price, says the Daily Star, but the England international is desperate to complete a January transfer to the club he's supported since he was a boy. With just a year left to run on his contract, Wilshere is resigned to the fact he will be leaving Arsenal at the end of the season no matter what with the Gunners having made no attempt to open talks over a new deal with the midfielder. Wilshere impressed on loan at Bournemouth last season but injuries continue to plague him after suffering a fractured leg at the end of last season which caused him to miss the start of the 2017/18 campaign. Having made his first appearance for Arsenal in 18 months in the Europa League clash with Cologne last week, Wilshere is hoping to impress in Europe and in the Carabao Cup in order to earn a January transfer to the Hammers so he can look to rebuild his stuttering career. West Ham are a man light in midfield and a player of Wilshere's profile does fit the bill of someone the club would like to take a punt on, but whether they sanction the deal remains to be seen.

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Why West Ham United should grant Jack Wilshere's wish
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United should make a move for Arsenal's Jack Wilshere in January, after reports emerge suggesting he wants to switch to the London Stadium. According to the Daily Star, Jack Wilshere wants to earn a move to West Ham United and Slaven Bilic should grant the midfielder his wish. Wilshere is said to be keen to leave Arsenal, with West Ham his first choice. The 25-year-old is believed to be hoping to impress West Ham's scouting team with his performances in cup competition. If Wilshere can catch the eye, West Ham shouldn't think twice about bringing the former England international to the London Stadium. Wilshere's career may have stalled in recent times, but he remains a wonderful talent on his day. Although a succession of injuries have certainly hampered his progress, if West Ham could nurse Wilshere back to his best then he would be a massive upgrade on what they already have. And, with Wilshere so determined to impress West Ham, there would surely be no doubting his commitment to making his time with Bilic's side a success, if a move did come off. As a result, the positives of the transfer far outweigh any negatives - and West Ham should grant Wilshere his wish, by offering him an escape route out of Arsenal in January.

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West Ham face up to a month without Manuel Lanzini as star playmaker suffers significant injury setback
Manuel Lanzini's recovery from a knee injury has stalled significantly
It means the Hammers could be without their star Argentine until October
Boss Slaven Bilic will rest Andy Carroll for Tuesday's Carabao Cup clash
Bilic believes it's 'almost impossible' to play Carroll with Javier Hernandez
By Oliver Todd for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 18 September 2017 | UPDATED: 22:58, 18 September 2017

West Ham are facing up to another month without star playmaker Manuel Lanzini with his recovery from a knee injury stalling significantly. Lanzini has only played 45 minutes this season and is struggling to make progress towards a return, training alone throughout September. Tuesday's Carabao Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers would have presented an ideal opportunity to ease the Argentine back in — but manager Slaven Bilic does not expect him back until after the October international break now. Bilic will rest Andy Carroll at the London Stadium, another player plagued by injury trouble, after admitting he cannot call on his striker to play three times in eight days. But while Carroll's game-time is simply being moderated, Lanzini is not ready at all. He has suffered issues with his movement since being sent home from Argentina's camp last month. 'Lanzini is as close now as he was a couple of days before he started to train before the Newcastle game (in August),' Bilic said. 'He's doing everything but he is not training with us as in one movement he still feels the injury. We don't want to risk it. 'He's going to be definitely be ready after the international break. Will he be ready before, for the Swansea game? Hopefully… is it 100 per cent? No. You have the things that you hoping for — a timetable — and then you have a much more realistic timetable.' Bilic believes he needs the creativity of Lanzini, 24, before he can begin to play Carroll in a strike pairing with £16million signing Javier Hernandez. For now, he says it is 'almost impossible' to field the two hitmen together upfront. Carroll will miss Tuesday's game against Bolton while Hernandez is set to be on the bench with Diafra Sakho starting. 'I think about that the most [playing two up front], but it's very hard to put them as their ideal positions as two strikers,' Bilic said. 'It looks good on paper, but then it's very hard to have three at three at the back (in defence). It's almost impossible. Of course, I'm thinking about that.'

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Bilic gives Manuel Lanzini injury update as West Ham star remains on the sidelines
The Argentine has managed just 45 minutes of football this season
Football London
COMMENTS
BYSAM INKERSOLE
22:45, 18 SEP 2017

Slaven Bilic admitted Manuel Lanzini hasn't begun "proper training" with the West Ham squad as he recovers from a knee problem. Lanzini has played just 45 minutes of football this season owing to a knee injury first picked up in pre-season then aggravated during the 3-0 reverse at Newcastle last month Bilic's side desperately lack creativity without "The Jewel" in their side, none more evident than during their dire 0-0 draw with West Brom at the weekend and owing to them scoring just four goals this season. Lanzini is training at Rush Green but individually as the boss admitted there is one specific movement where he still feels discomfort in his knee. The Hammers boss said Lanzini might be ready for Swansea but it's more likely to be after the next international break, effectively ruling him out of the visit of Spurs this weekend in the Premier League as well. "Lanzini is as close as he was a couple of days before he started to train before Newcastle. He is still a little bit away from starting training," Bilic said. "He's doing everything but he is not training with us as in one movement he still feels it. Only in one movement and we don't want to risk. He's going to be definitely be ready after the international break. Will he be ready before, for the Swansea game? Maybe. "But after the international break he will definitely be playing. Hopefully he will be OK for the Swansea game but is it 100 per cent? No it is not."

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West Ham United still waiting for a work permit for Ghanaian goalkeeper Joseph Anang
Published on: 19 September 2017
GhanaSoccernet.com

English Premier League side West Ham United are working round the clock to secure Ghanaian goalkeeper Joseph Anang a work permit. Anang started his youth career at his native Danbort FC before joining Ghanaian top-tier side Wa Allstars FC. A goalkeeper who highlights his kicking and reflexes as his main strengths, Anang ​reportedly made a positive impression on both players and coaches alike while on trial with the east London side. He finally signed a three-year deal with the Hammer in August and the club has slapped in an offer for a work permit. He has been training with the first team as back up to Joe Hart and Adrian at the club's Rush Green training complex in Romford.

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Reece Oxford still hasn't featured for Gladbach
Calm down — it's going to be fine
by Chad Hoy@ChadHoy Sep 19, 2017, 2:00am EDT
BraceTheHammer

Reece Oxford has been out on loan for all of three months now, and some fans are starting to get up in arms about his playing time at his adoptive club Borussia Mönchengladbach. We are here today to let you know that this is perfectly fine, and in fact, it makes sense — do not fret mon frere!
Fellow Brace the Hammer writer, Jonathan Lines, had this to say on the subject:
Surely we didn't expect he'd be straight up first choice. Gladbach have got [Matthias] Ginter and [Jannik] Vestergaard [at center-back]. Think the move will be really excellent for his development and he probably has a better chance of some action; but at the end of the day, we've loaned him to a team who are better than us, so. . .

Gladbach is a good side with a clever coach. Oxford will have time and space to grow without pressure. Look up Gladbach kids making it big. There have been a few, plus a few who still play there, having grown up at the club. They have some class players like Christoph Kramer and [Reece] will develop and grow a lot in the environment. He's first reserve which is better than West Ham. Who knows what may happen if he gets a chance.

Jonathan raises a few important points here, one being that Oxford is essentially in a better place learning in a Champions-League-level football program. If West Ham United played Borussia Mönchengladbach right now, they'd get absolutely handled. If Reece isn't first choice at West Ham, how could any fan just expect him to walk on at a club that's a regular participant in UEFA Champions League competition?

Reece Oxford is quite a player. We all know this. We saw it when he pocketed Mesut Özil as a 16-year-old. However, one good game two seasons ago does not a Premier League player make. Oxford is developing well, regardless of the playing time he's getting. Obviously playing time is pertinent to player improvement, but the time Oxford is putting in — even just in training — at a club like Gladbach is doing a lot for his long-term development. Playing time will come eventually, surely. Should it not, though, this loan spell is better than another year playing in the Championship, or training with West Ham's U21 squad.

At the end of the day, Reece Oxford is eighteen years old. He's got plenty of time to establish himself as a top center-back. If we're not absolutely certain that Oxford would be an upgrade over José Fonte, Angelo Ogbonna, Winston Reid, or James Collins (injuries notwithstanding) at this point, then he's better off in his current situation.

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James Collins reveals extent of injury after scan results for West Ham defender
The defender limped out of the Hammers' match against West Brom
Football London
BYADAM JONES
07:00, 19 SEP 2017

James Collins has good news for West Ham fans after scan results revealed the extent of the defender's injury yesterday. The 34-year-old limped out of the Hammers' 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and was withdrawn at half time - with a scan due on the ankle injury yesterday. The Wales defender has been in fantastic form for West Ham over the last two matches as Slaven Bilic's side have successfully managed to their form around after a disappointing start to the campaign. And Collins revealed on Instagram yesterday some good news for West Ham fans - as the results of his scan were not as bad as first expected.
The defender posted a picture of him limping off the pitch at the Hawthorns on Instagram with the caption: "Scan has reported ligament damage in my ankle but not as bad as first feared. Working hard already to be back in 3-4 weeks." That's much better news for the Hammers after Slaven Bilic admitted he was fearing the worst when Collins was initially withdrawn from the goalless draw at the weekend. If that injury time-frame is accurate then Collins could potentially be back for either West Ham's home tie against Brighton on October 20 or the trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on October 28.

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West Ham fitness chief Gary Lewin squashes Manuel Lanzini cup match rumours
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United fitness chief Gary Lewin has squashed rumours doing the rounds about star man Manuel Lanzini. The Hammers have recovered from a dreadful start to the season to record back-to-back clean sheets and four points, lifting them out of the relegation zone. But while the the 2-0 win over Huddersfield and 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion have proved the East Londoners have the stomach to grind out results it has not been easy on the eye. One player who could change all that, star creative influence Manuel Lanzini. The Argentine playmaker has been missing for most of the season so far bar a premature return as a half-time substitute in the 3-0 drubbing at Newcastle. Lanzini has been injured ever since but rumours have been circulating online that he could return to the side this week ahead of the big London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and may even get some minutes under his belt in the midweek Carabao Cup match against Bolton Wanderers. But former England and Arsenal physio Gary Lewin, now West Ham's fitness chief, had some bad news for Hammers fans on the club's official website revealing Lanzini is some way off a return yet. "Manuel Lanzini is a bit further away but still on schedule in terms of his rehabilitation from the knee injury that he irritated up at Newcastle last month," Lewin told whufc.com. "He is back on the training pitches and working hard, and we are looking at him being available again after the next international break."
The news will be hugely disappointing for supporters ahead of the huge derby against rivals Spurs. Lanzini got the only goal of the game as West Ham ended Tottenham's title hopes for the second successive season back in May.

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