Daily WHUFC News - 28th December 2017

Captain Collins admits to contrasting Boxing Day emotions
WHUFC.com

James Collins admitted to feeling hugely contrasting emotions after West Ham
United's 3-3 Boxing Day Premier League draw at AFC Bournemouth. The Ginger
Pele marked his recall to the starting XI by being handed the captain's
armband and scoring his side's opening goal, only for a highly controversial
late Callum Wilson leveller to deny the Hammers all three points. "I was
pleased to be back in, but I wasn't too happy with the way we defended in
general," said Collins. "Conceding three goals again is not great, but the
lads showed great character. "It was wet and windy and hammering down with
rain. To get back into the lead and then lose it so late on is gutting, but
it was nice to be back in the team. "You've got to take some positives. A
point is a point on the road and every away game in the Premier League is
tough, so we'll take it, even if we are very disappointed to take the lead
with no time left on the clock and not keep it."

West Ham went in front through Collins' powerful seventh-minute header
before surrendering their lead to goals from Dan Gosling and Nathan Ake
either side of half-time. Adrian then made a succession of fine saves to
keep the Hammers in the game before Marko Arnautovic's double looked set to
give David Moyes' team a vital victory. Then, a minute into added time, Ake
headed goalwards and Wilson appeared to convert with his upper right arm
from an offside position. Referee Bobby Madley conversed at length with his
assistant, who had initially raised his flag, before giving the goal. "It's
got to be disallowed. I was looking straight at it. Even if he's not
offside, it's handball. I'm disappointed because we got back into the game
and got in front and then, what do you say, it's a kick in the teeth because
it would have been a massive three points for us. "He's given a free-kick
originally for offside and for some reason he has changed his mind."

All in all, while frustrated to lose two points so late on in such
disputable circumstances, Collins said a share of the spoils was probably a
fair reflection of what was a breathless game. "We knew we were going to be
under the cosh a bit and block and save shots and Adrian has played well and
made some great saves there.
"Arnie has done great. Since he got his first goal, we've seen a real
difference in him. He's been tremendous and hopefully we can defend better
and he can get another couple of goals in a win. "It was a mad game of
football. We've created chances and they've created chances and I suppose,
with the way we played in the first half, we should probably take the
point."

Collins and West Ham return to action at London Stadium on Tuesday 2 January
2018 at 7.45pm, when West Bromwich Albion will be the visitors.

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Moyes: We need to add more quality to balance squad
WHUFC.com

David Moyes will be seeking to redress the 'imbalance' in his West Ham
United squad in January. The Hammers manager admitted after the Boxing Day
draw at AFC Bournemouth that he needs to fill in gaps and add quality in
certain areas. Central midfield and right-sided players are among those
Moyes is expected to target when the window opens next week, with the Scot
eager to bolster his options as he attempts to steer West Ham away from the
lower reaches of the Premier League."I've given players opportunities," he
said. "I'm in a hurry and I have to be in a hurry and because of that I
cannot wait three or four months to see how you do. "Ideally, I'd have had
six or seven pre-season games to understand what they're like and what they
do, but I've not. "I've got to say every player has shown great desire and
is committed in training, but I think we're short in some areas and
overloaded in others. For example, we've got lots of forwards, but we're
really short of midfield players. "We've got quite a few who are comfortable
playing on the left, but not so many who can play on the right, so we've got
a little bit of an imbalanced squad which we've got to straighten out in
January if we can."

Moyes said he largely could not fault the effort shown by his players in
recent matches, but the manner of conceding six goals in losing at home to
Newcastle United and drawing at Bournemouth has brought the need to add new
faces more sharply into focus. "I'm pleased with our spirit and I think
there's a bigger hunger and desire to do it, but we're lacking quality.
We've got to stop conceding goals as easily as we are at the moment. "But we
hung in and stuck at it. It wasn't going to be easy and while we wanted the
three points, it was important that we made sure we didn't lose and we did
that. "Obviously the last two games have been disappointing as far as goals
conceded are concerned, whereas the three previous games it looked as if we
had struck on something and become harder to beat. "We've got a couple of
forwards in form at the minute and people we can bring on and use, so I
think we've got a threat, but were definitely lacking in some areas of
giving ourselves a chance of playing much better."

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Fit again Alfie's Academy aim
WHUFC.com

The end of the 2016/17 campaign came with mixed fortune for Alfie Lewis. The
18-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury, one which has kept the
midfielder out for most of 2017, but also saw Lewis put pen to paper on his
first professional contract with the Hammers. What followed was six months
of hard work and rehabilitation for Lewis, only for further disappointment
to strike in September. "I was out with a knee injury for quite a while,"
Lewis said: "It happened at the end of April. I came back around September,
but then I hurt it again and had to sit out for another month. "I had to go
through rehabilitation and have loads of injections. However, I could still
feel something wasn't quite right. It didn't feel strong enough to be back
playing and I kept catching it in tackles. It just wasn't stable. "It was a
bit gutting but I knew my knee wasn't right when I stepped back out in
September, to be honest."

It was not just the fact his knee was in pain that played on Lewis's mind,
with the youngster admitting the continued injury also had a detrimental
effect mentally.
"It plays on your mind. It's not just a physical thing but psychologically
an injury can affect your game. But now it feels good. I'm feeling 100 per
cent. I'm ready to crack on now after Christmas and have a good end to the
season."

A spot in the FA Youth Cup clash with Blackpool last week was Lewis's
reward, but that showing ended with the midfielder being given his marching
orders, after a coming together in the closing moments of the game, and a
1-0 third-round defeat for the young Hammers. Lewis is keen to learn from
the experience, admitting: "It was a heat of the moment incident. It was one
of those things where people get frustrated. I don't really think it should
have been a red card, but there we go.
"It's a learning curve for me though. It shows me that I need to control my
emotions during the game. I'll take that and make myself a better person."

Last season, Lewis played eleven times for the U23s, despite being just 17
at the time, and the young talent has his eyes firmly set on returning to
Terry Westley's fold and starting XI before the end of the season. "It's
great to be back in training. It takes time to get back to sharpness. You
feel it, that first time you're back out there. You're off the pace because
you've been out. Things like that come with time, though, and I'm chuffed to
be back. "I want to get into the U23s squad after Christmas and play games
with them until the end of the season. I just want to get as much game time
as possible because obviously I've not played in a while. It's good to be
playing football again – that's what I want to do."

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West Ham United Ladies in 2017: A momentous year in review
WHUFC.com

From a massive restructure to ambitious plans to play in WSL1, we take a
look back at the standout moments from 2017 for West Ham United Ladies.

Improvements to the infrastructure

After West Ham United Ladies were brought 'in-house' during the 2016/17
campaign, the beginning of the 2017/18 season saw the club provide the side
with an investment injection and a number of key, full-time appointments.
Jack Sullivan, son of Joint-Chairman David, took up his first full-time role
within the Club as Managing Director while former player and coach Karen Ray
was named general manager. The move signalled the beginning of a long-term,
ambitious plan by West Ham United for the Ladies team.

Squad additions

The changes to the Ladies' set-up opened up opportunities to bring in
experienced players from across women's football, something the Club
certainly did during the summer. Amber Stobbs made the move to the Hammers
from WSL side Everton while defender Chenise Austin also joined the Club
from FA Women's Premier League rivals Swindon Town. Rosie Kmita also signed
for West Ham from WSL2 team London Bees in October, while another eleven
players also signed contracts with the team in the summer. Most recently
the likes of Andria Georgiou and American pair Ellie Zoepfl and Zoe Swift
have joined the team, highlighting the club's commitment to bringing in
quality players.

The UEL Partnership

In July, the Ladies announced a programme, launched alongside the University
of East London (UEL), which offered a pathway for female footballers into
higher education. The scheme sees Hammers players offered sports
scholarships at UEL, giving them the opportunity to play for the
university's team and complete their education while developing with the
Irons. Winger Chloe Burr and recent signings Swift and Zoepfl have taken
advantage of this partnership, which allows the players to develop with
support from both the club and university.

Leaders beaten

Wins against Cardiff City and Swindon Town gave the Hammers two victories
from a tricky start to the season, and a difficult test away to league
leaders Charlton Athletic was on the agenda in mid-October. At the time,
the Addicks had won every league match, but the Ladies put on a sensational
showing, scoring goals through Molly Peters and Paige Anderson-James to
claim an unforgettable 3-1 victory. The result showed the entire WPL
Southern Division what West Ham could do, alerting the competition to the
serious talent in the side.

The WSL1 Application

In September, the Football Association unveiled plans to restructure women's
football, with the WSL1 set to become a 14-team division with full-time,
professional players in 2018/19. West Ham were proudly one of the first
sides to announce their intention to apply for a license for the top
division, with managing director Sullivan delighted to back the FA's plans.
He said: "As an ambitious club, we want West Ham United to be at the very
top of this new-look league structure, and we will be doing everything we
can to make sure our application is successful." West Ham will learn if
their bid to be part of the new WSL1 division in the spring.

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A REFLECTION ON THE BOURNEMOUTH GAME
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 27 DECEMBER 2017 AT 10:59AM

Written by @SKD_WHUFC

Let's get it out the way straight off the bat – Yes Madley got at least 2
critical decision VERY WRONG. He should be disciplined and removed from the
premier league rotation.
1.Kouyate nearly got his head taken off and he only gave a yellow.
2.Overriding a linesman with clear view of the offside position

If the FA doesn't take action, they will continue on their path to being the
biggest laughing stock of the football world. The third goal was the perfect
example of video replays being needed in this day and age, partly due to the
cost of poor decisions and partly due to the lack of quality in refereeing
in the premier league.

Now on to the game…

Bournemouth, a team without a win in 7 or 8 games had 56% possession, 24
shots (TWENTY FOUR), 7 corners and 82 more passes than us. Did we deserve a
point? Not really…

So again we find ourselves in the scenario of asking why we are struggling
against teams that we should be beating. Here are a few of my observations
from the game.
1.Defensively poor again, Cresswell on a bit of a slide and Zab / Masuaku
didn't do well enough on their defensive side of the game.
2.Midfield continues to be poor, missed challenges and continued issues in
distribution and ability to retain possession. Kouyate has no idea of shape
and Obiang needs to be dropped until he can learn to pass the ball.
3.Up top we had ZERO strikers… against Bournemouth! Arnie made runs from the
center to the left side of the field at least 10 times trying to find a way
to get on the ball, leaving very little in the middle. Ayew is dependent on
a real center forward to play off. When we did get some forwards on the
approach changes to… fuck it.. lets just hoof it up because Carroll is 6'4.
4.Spend some time on set pieces – Why are we so shit at free kicks and
corners? The Ginge goal today was one of the few decent set pieces we have
taken this season. Shocking that we typically can't even beat the first man.
5.Tactics – We have worked so hard to defend better that we have take all of
the sting and pace out of our ability to attack. The likes of Lanzini are
not able to effectively drive and players with pace. At times its like
watching paint dry. Center backs play to wing backs who play across the
center backs to a big channel ball to an offside Arnie. How many times have
we seen that since Moyes took over? I'd guess we are averaging 8 offside
decisions a game.

Arnie's form and Lanzini coming back were about the only two positives I
take away from today. Very little else happened that would make me feel like
we have turned a corner. We even got lucky on our second goal.

So what's the solution? Well…. this is just my opinion as a long time West
ham fan. If Sullivan thinks 1-2 will do it in January, he's having a laugh.
It will cost him 100m in relegation ultimately.

First thing we have to do is START Chicha, best striker we have right now.
Arnie will be more effective playing off him and we will be forced to play
into feet. Maybe its time we had Reid | Collins Ogbonna as our back 3 and
drop Cresswell?

Sell –

Carroll (5m)
Sakho (10m – China)
Kouyate (10m – anywhere)

Buy –

Dembele from Celtic from under BHA (18m)
Sturridge from Liverpool (Loan > Purchase in summer)
Calvaho – Sporting (35m)

Net loss of 28m which is pennies compared to going down.

We have clearly seen some signs of fight from the team in recent games but
also the frailty of the end of Bilic era. Lets stay behind our club, players
and manager (even if he's not the long term solution needed) but DEMAND more
from all areas, we will be watching this January Sullivan and Gold and yes I
am available and interested in a role as sporting director!

COYI's

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SAM ROYDEN'S REFLECTION ON CURRENT REFEREEING STANDARDS
AUTHOR: SAMTWHWREF. PUBLISHED: 27 DECEMBER 2017 AT 6:34PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden

STANDARD OF REFEREEING
Refereeing is a hard job, regardless at what level you are as a referee, and
I don't think anybody in their right mind would disagree. Even at grassroots
level, that I officiate at, you still have to deal with players, managers,
abuse, tough game-changing decisions, game management, player interruption
but at a smaller scale. For officials in the Premier League, its accelerated
but all Premier League referees are not only well trained at St George's,
they work on fitness, review decisions from past games, learn as a group but
like any other referee in the world, they would have been through the
promotion to become a Select Elite Level official.

In the past five years alone, the way that we consume our favourite sport
has only become easier. Top broadcasters like Sky Sports are allowing
customers to watch highlights during 380 Premier League games via their app,
BT Sports have a sponsorship with Twitter which enables users to watch BT
Score for free in their feed and more PL games are being televised each week
due to increased television rights. Refereeing decisions are being
broadcasted universally and opinions among football fans are being posted
across the internet even before the match has finished.

If you read my performance analysis' for The West Ham Way, I rarely
sympathise with referees when on occasions I should in fact consider all the
factors. However, for the last couple of West Ham games I have become
incredibly frustrated with, in my opinion, what are textbook decisions. I
wanted to review a couple of decisions from the Boxing Day game at
Bournemouth of a prime example of how basic decisions are being missed among
professional, elite referees:

BOURNEMOUTH VS WEST HAM
SIMON FRANCIS HIGH FOOT ON CHEIKHOU KOUYATÉ

Within 90 minutes of football, Bobby Madley became the Christmas Grinch
among West Ham fans during Boxing Day's 3-3 draw away at Bournemouth and
will continue to be criticised for his woeful decision making during this
fixture. The game on the south coast was full of controversy and Madley was
the man in the middle who failed to get those decisions correct. The first
big talking point in the game was when Simon Francis' high boot caught
Cheikhou Kouyaté in the face and he only received a yellow card. When I saw
this in real time, not even on replays, my gut said red card and I believe
95% of referees would come to the same conclusion.

During this incident, regardless of whether Simon Francis did or didn't have
eyes on the ball, Francis showed a lack of regard for a players safety and
in my opinion is serious foul play and warrants a red card. I do not
understand how Madley came to the conclusion that this foul only an
cautionable offence. It's a complete lapse in judgement and this will set a
precedence for the rest of the season with high foot challenges. Bobby
Madley is a FIFA Referee – members of the FIFA list are qualified to
officiate at international level. These referees are to be considered at the
top in Europe, even world football, how can a FIFA listed referee miss a
very easy, simple decision like this?

BOBBY MADLEY AWARDS CONTROVERSIAL CALLUM WILSON GOAL

I thought Simon Francis's was a bad decision but then in the 90th minute of
the game with West Ham leading 3-2 after coming back from 2-1 down, Simon
Long made an unbelievably, brilliant decision to flag Callum Wilson offside
– what came afterwards was a complete disaster. When the ball was played
towards Callum Wilson from Nathan Ake, Wilson was in an offside position.
The law of the game states that 'any part of the head, body or feet is
nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last
opponent'. Callum Wilson's right boot was beyond Aaron Cresswell's left
boot.

Simon Long correctly raised his flag for offside and what should have
happened next was Madley to award an indirect free kick to West Ham where
the offside occurred and continued to play the rest of the additional time
indicated by the forth official. Instead, Bobby Madley went over to speak to
Simon Long and continued protests from Bournemouth players during their
conversation, he overruled Simon Long's original decision of offside and
awarded the goal to Bournemouth. For me there are many issues with this
decision:

1) Bobby Madley was not in the correct position to see whether Callum Wilson
was on or offside. Madley took up a position on the opposite side of the
penalty area and wasn't directly in line with the second last defender to
make that decision unlike his assistant referee Simon Long.

2) Bobby Madley was actually in the better position to see Callum Wilson use
his upper arm to deflect the ball into the goal – Simon Long would have been
able to see this as well but Madley was better placed.

3) On what grounds has Madley overruled his assistant on this decision? I
assume Madley overruled Simon Long's decision as he doesn't believe Callum
Wilson was interfering with play but as we all know and it's obvious that
this is incorrect. Wilson was interfering with play and was in an offside
position along with the handball. As a team of officials, Madley should
trust his assistant referee and it's disappointing as all officials have
open communication on their headset and only working as a team will they get
to the right conclusion. Former referee Howard Webb said in his
autobiography that he relied on his team as much as his own ability to get
the best results, win as a team and lose as a team.

David Moyes was incredibly diplomatic during his post-match press conference
about the standard of referees in the league and contrastingly Callum Wilson
protesting his innocence on the field of play saying he didn't touch it, to
then admit touching it in his post-match interview suggesting in was a "a
touch of magic". Will there be any retrospective action for deceiving the
referee? I very, very much doubt this will happen.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

The standard of refereeing over the past 3 or 4 years has been subject to
many discussions and I honestly feel that it's not getting any better. I
won't name the referees but throughout this season, I've branded some
referees as 'the worst in the league' and 'incompetent' and I do stand by my
opinions. The calls for VAR to be installed in the Premier League is
becoming desperate with human error continuing to be the ultimate game
changing factor. The amount of mistakes happening week in and week out and
with so much at stake in the Premier League, referees and assistant referees
need help. Look, human error is inevitable, it happens in all professions
but for me basic decisions like Simon Francis' red card should be the
absolute minimum we expect as football fans and even as fellow referees. I
feel that The FA, Premier League and the PGMOL need a complete overhaul and
referees need to be reviewed under a microscope by PGMOL like players are
retrospectively banned for deceiving a referee or violent conduct which a
referee has missed. I firmly believe that giving a referee a weekend off,
changing fixtures to lower profile games or dropping them to Championship,
League 1/2 is not enough when, on occasions this season, their decision has
dramatically changed the course of the game.

VAR being used in the Confederation Cup

Whatever happens during the rest of the season, there will be continued
strain on the referees to perform well in the second half of the season and
start to bring back some integrity and positivity to reputations of referees
in the Premier League.

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Hammers prepare record defender bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th December 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are preparing a second offer for young Swansea defender Alfie
Mawson, despite having their first bid rejected. According to the Mail, an
initial £18million bid for the former England under 21 international was
rejected prior to the Christmas break. And according to writer Sami Mokbel,
West Ham are set to launch a new £25million, record-breaking offer in order
to land their target as soon as possible. The proposed deal is reported to
comprise of £20million up front with a further £5million to follow depending
upon appearances.
* In other transfer news, the Hammers are being linked with a move for
Hibernian midfielder John McGinn. The 23-year-old was close to joining
Championship side Nottingham Forest last summer but the two clubs failed to
agree terms prior to the closure of the transfer window. New Hammers boss
David Moyes is reported to be ready to test the water with an offer for the
23-year-old.
* West Ham have been told it will cost them £22million to sign highly-rated
Atlanta striker Bryan Cristante. The 22-year-old has impressed whilst on
loan in Italy and is set to complete a 'permamnent' move from Benfica to
Atalanta. The later are poised to trigger a £4.5million option to buy
Cristante - and make a huge profit by selling him on immediately.

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Even Hackett says Madley got it wrong!
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th December 2017
By: Staff Writer

In the list of West Ham-related arch-villians, there are few more widely
despised than referee Keith Hackett.

Despite some 26 years having passed since the former official famously
dismissed Tony Gale in the most dubious of circumstances during an FA Cup
semi final with Nottingham Forest, Hackett remains reviled amongst West
Ham's 40+ fans.

However even the most hated referee ever to officiate a game involving West
Ham agreed that Bobby Madley made a complete howler of yesterday's match
against Bournemouth, which ended 3-3 after the 32-year-old Yorkshireman
overruled his linesman in the most dubious and unique circumstances in order
to award the CHerries an added-on time equaliser.

"I have every sympathy with West Ham United manager David Moyes over the two
big controversies in Tuesday's match at Bournemouth," Hackett wrote in
today's Telegraph. "Managers need referees to get the big decisions right -
and on both counts Bobby Madley was emphatically wrong.

"Simon Francis's studs-high challenge on Cheikhou Kouyate was a definite
red-card offence. The Bournemouth defender's boot was high and dangerous and
could have caused serious injury to the West Ham midfielder. Officials have
a duty of care to protect players.

"Madley was also letting his colleagues down by failing to adequately punish
such as reckless challenge as this. It sends out completely the wrong
message.

"As for Bournemouth's third goal, I cannot understand how Madley overruled
his assistant, who appeared to flag for offside when Nathan Ake headed to
Callum Wilson and was in a much better position to see the infringement."

Hackett then accused Madley of failing to show "trust" in his fellow match
day officials as a result of overturning the linesman's original call. "I
think Madley was trying to be too clever by ignoring his assistant," he
added.

"He has to show trust in his colleague. I also believe subsequently there
was contact between Wilson's arm and the ball before it went into the net.
Not an impressive start to the festive programme for match officials, I am
afraid."

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Match of the Day - or is it the Muppet show?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th December 2017
By: Paul Walker

The question is, after another weekend of claret and blue fury, do we at
West Ham have a persecution complex or does everybody just hate us?

Are we the perennial victims, always the ones on the wrong end of
misfortune, or does every club go through this rage against the (FA) machine
that seems to follow every match these days?

I look around at other clubs' fans and do I see this constant battle with
officialdom, incompetent referees and 'biased' media? Frankly, no, in my
view. So everybody does hate us!

Last week I described the FA's joke of a disciplinary system as 'not fit for
purpose,' after the Manu Lanzini affair. But now, the sequel, 'not fit for
purpose II.' Step forward Match of the Day.

Now I have felt for a long time that this programme has been going down
hill, with Gary Lineker's demeanour suggesting he can't tell the difference
between how to act in a crisp advert and how to address the country's
football viewers. All one big laugh, it seems.

MOtD used to be the voice of the game, and whether you liked him or not,
Alan Hansen was a voice of reason and accuracy. I know there are some, Alex
Ferguson for one, who loathed the Liverpool mafia that seemed to dominate
football punditry on TV or radio. They used to get stuck into Manchester
United with relish, so I always enjoyed the programme!

Even if Hansen was occasionally wrong. Remember "you won't win anything with
kids"? Fact is, he was right nine times out of ten with that remark, how was
he to know that the United kids were the best of several generations to
emerge from one youth team.

But now we have moderate ex-players, a showboating 'look at me' presenter
and a string of young pundits who spout rubbish and worst of all, don't know
the laws of the game. It's frequently said that players' knowledge of the
rules is generally poor, and now we can see it every Saturday on the Beeb.

To my knowledge there is no mention of intent in the law that tries to stop
players kicking opponents in the head and endangering their lives, or
punching them in the face. Nobody says it's ok if you are watching the ball,
or sort of, didn't really mean it.

David Moyes is right that it's a red card anywhere else in the world. Even
Scotland!

Goals on Sunday, in my view, is a much better programme, with Chris Kamara,
getting the stuff about the laws pretty much spot on every week. Maybe Kevin
Kilbane and Danny Murphy could pay a bit more attention.

The debacle of Bournemouth is almost too dreadful to believe. What with a
shocking referee in Robert Madley, and a linesman who cannot stand his
ground when he knows he is right.

What was in Madley's mind, nobody knows. I can only think that he was trying
to be clever and insisting that Wilson did not touch the ball, following
Nathan Ake's header across goal and was therefore 'not active' and so 'not
offside.' His linesman didn't agree.

Madley has too much 'previous' with us to be trusted any longer. Six minutes
that became seven added on time at Crystal Palace, two Bournemouth penalties
in last season's game given against us.

Respected ex-referees Graham Poll ("he cost West Ham three points"), Keith
Hackett ("emphatically wrong, twice") and then the excellent Dermot
Gallagher, who reckons he should just have given the free-kick for offside
and got on with the game, rather than turning it into comedy hour.

I watched all that wondering what would happen if it was Manchester United
,Chelsea or Arsenal who were on the wrong end of such incompetence. For sure
we would still be seeing the analysis, wall to wall, with earnest pundits
talking of millions and billions at stake, and calling for video technology.

They would not have been joking their way through MotD, disrespectfully
dismissing the views of a 'lesser' club and claiming that it was all ok in
the end because Bournemouth deserved to win. Can you imagine Jose, Arsene
and the like? Refereeing careers would be on the line.

There were rumours, well stronger than that, around Old Trafford that the
Premier League and FA were informed that certain referees would not be
welcome officiating Manchester United games.

Madley surely comes into the category for us, such is his back catalogue as
well as Boxing Day's nonsense. I would also suggest Kibane keeps his
distance too.

Now I know from friends that he is a very likeable, articulate fella, who
loves his young family. But that doesn't mean he makes a good pundit. For
me, he fits into the category of recently retired players who are frightened
to be critical of former friends and players generally.

It can be the only reason he thinks that Francis's kick into Kouyate's face
wasn't a red card. What was the difference between that and Sadio Mane's red
card for Liverpool early in the season?

And how can Kilbane be so dismissive of the punch into Pedro Obiang's face
by Josh King? I think Kilbane wrote that off as 'frustration.' Try that sort
of frustration pal in a Dublin pub and see where it gets you.

And of course Kevin felt that Callum Wilson goal should have been awarded.
Not that he was offside, or he handled the ball into the net. Minor points,
those.

And then we have Murphy chortling away in the background. Seemingly we are
not big enough to be treated with due respect.

This from a journeyman who was fortunate to play for Liverpool while Robbie
Fowler, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman were around. A
player, so it is rumoured, that lets his wife chose what club he can join.

You know, it was the laughing and joking from these two muppets that annoyed
me most, as if we didn't rally matter so didn't really deserve any respect.

Match of the Day put the knife into Slaven Bilic with all those meaningless
stats about fitness and running, and probably went some way to getting him
the sack. They also seem to have allowed Dele Alli at least two blatant
dives without anyone from the FA doing anything about it.

Eat your heart out Manu! It's three strikes before you are out when you play
for a top club, not just the one misdemeanour for the rest.

There has been not a word from the FA about King's punch, Alli's two
'dives', or - come to think of it - Mark Hughes bringing the game into
disrepute by abusing and swearing at an opposing player as he came off the
field. You can make it up if you are the FA.

All this tended to overshadow the match, in which Moyes had the balls to
drop Winston Reid and make James Collins captain. In Mark Noble's absence
that should have happened a while ago, Reid lacks leadership on the pitch
and consistency, in my view. I have never been his greatest fan.

Moyes also was more than capable of castigating Michail Antonio for being so
lacklustre against Newcastle and axing him too. Frankly, I bet if he'd found
someone to replace Kouyate he would have done.

Have you noticed in the re-runs of the Newcastle goal scored by Mo Diame,
that shows Kouyate allowing Diame to run past him from the centre circle
without any attempt to track him, almost jogging back to the penalty area?
I'd have dropped him for that alone.

So, onwards and upwards. It's Alan Pardew next, without a West Brom win to
his name. I can hardly wait!

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.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ONE POINT FROM SIX OVER CHRISTMAS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WASTED!
By S J Chandos 27 Dec 2017 at 08:00
WTID

As stated in my last blog post, the impressive away victory over Stoke City
provided a stable launch pad to use the Christmas and early January fixtures
to blast away from the relegation zone. I had hoped that team would use the
momentum to defeat Newcastle utd at home and Bournemouth away and set us up
nicely to take on WBA at the LS on 2 January 2018. But no, those hopes were
dashed in the comedy of errors that was our 'performance' against the Toon
in a disappointing 2-3 home defeat. This was then duly followed by the
dropping a further two points to a off-side and handled equalising 'goal' by
Cullum Wilson. So, that's it, one point from a possible six and, as a
result, we failed to achieve the 'lift off' that was a very real possibility
before Christmas.

So now, we face a absolutely crucial fixture on 2 January 2018, which is
'must win.' I know that term in bounded around a lot, but I think that the
term really does fit the circumstances pertaining to the WBA match. That is
then followed by a tough away match at Wembley against Spurs. We really do
need to beat WBA before tackling Harry Kane and co. Personally I am not
unduly worried about the Spurs match, any points secured there will be a
happy bonus. It is the teams around and just above us that we must ensure we
defeat if we are to pull away from the relegation zone and secure safety.
WBA obviously fall in to that category and we must take all three points.
Anything less is just unthinkable in our current situation.

There is no doubt that this has been a wasted opportunity to accrue some
vital PL points that would have helped us get out of trouble as quickly as
possible. Nevertheless, it is pointless crying over 'spilt milk.' The
players must now focus on the WBA game and ensure that there are no further
slip ups. On the face of it, WBA look like the perfect opposition. with
their poor form. But we must not take anything for granted, after all, one
could have said the same about Newcastle Utd and Bournemouth!

On the plus side, Lanzini is back pulling the midfield strings, Arnautovic
has hit a rich vein of form and Antonio's form can only improve.
Additionally, we are on the cusp of the January window transfer window
opening and, hopefully, strengthening the squad in some key positions. A
productive transfer window is probably going to be vital to our season, but
in the meantime the current squad need to secure the maximum points tally
possible, starting with a morale boosting win on 2 January 2018.

I am still confident that we can achieve safety with a bit to spare, but we
need to 'draw a line in the sand' with victory over WBA. COYI!

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eddie Howe defends Simon Francis over Cheikhou Kouyate challenge
Neil Perrett
Bournemouth Echo

BOSS Eddie Howe has leapt to the defence of Simon Francis after claims the
Cherries skipper should have seen red during the eventful Boxing Day draw
with West Ham. Francis received a yellow card after his high challenge had
caught West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate in the face, an incident which
sparked ugly scenes among players and staff from both camps. West Ham boss
David Moyes was joined in his condemnation of referee Bobby Madley's
decision by former Premier League officials Keith Hackett and Dermot
Gallagher. Moyes acknowledged the challenge had not been malicious but still
felt Francis should have been sent off, while Hackett – writing in his
column in The Telegraph – described it as "a definite red-card offence".
And Gallagher, speaking to Sky Sports, said he also felt Madley had been too
lenient with Francis and should have dismissed him. Howe told the Daily
Echo: "I had a great view of it and it was right in front of me. "The ball
went over Simon's head and he was looking at the ball. He had no idea the
West Ham player was there. "It was a nasty incident and I am not going to
say it was nice for the lad to receive Simon's boot in his face but there
was no intent. "And if there is no intent in a situation like that there is
no way he can be sent off."

Hackett's column read: "Simon Francis's studs-high challenge on Cheikhou
Kouyate was a definite red-card offence. "The Bournemouth defender's boot
was high and dangerous and could have caused serious injury to the West Ham
midfielder. "Officials have a duty of care to protect players. Madley was
also letting his colleagues down by failing to adequately punish such as
reckless challenge as this. It sends out completely the wrong message."

Asked by the Daily Echo for his take on the challenge, Moyes said: "If one
of my players had done it then everybody would have been screaming for him
to be banned for six or seven games. "I didn't think Francis looked at the
player, he continually looked at the ball. "But I can think of a lot of
challenges that get knocked up. You are never looking at the opposition
player and you just raise your arm slightly and people are saying that you
are throwing your elbows around. "So, if you are saying it for one then you
have to say it for the other as well. "I think in any other country in the
world that would have been a sending off. Not because I think he
deliberately meant it. I don't think he meant it. "I just think if you do
that and you are caught in that situation you are certainly liable to be
sent off."

Hackett, Gallagher and Moyes also felt Madley had been wrong to overturn his
assistant's decision to rule out Callum Wilson's late leveller.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes targets signings in midfield and on right flank as he looks to
rebalance West Ham squad
JAMES BENGE
ES Sport

West Ham boss David Moyes says his focus in the January transfer window will
be recruiting reinforcements for central midfield and the right flank. Moyes
will have funds made available to him to recruit at least two new players as
he looks to drag West Ham clear of a relegation zone they are currently only
a point clear of.
The Hammers boss has already expressed an interest in a pair of central
midfielders – Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi and Arsenal's Jack Wilshere – and
intends to recruit a right-sided player who can challenge Michail Antonio
for a first-team place. "I've given players opportunities," Moyes said. "I'm
in a hurry and I have to be in a hurry and because of that I cannot wait
three or four months to see how you do. "Ideally, I'd have had six or seven
pre-season games to understand what they're like and what they do, but I've
not. "I've got to say every player has shown great desire and is committed
in training, but I think we're short in some areas and overloaded in others.
For example, we've got lots of forwards, but we're really short of midfield
players. "We've got quite a few who are comfortable playing on the left, but
not so many who can play on the right, so we've got a little bit of an
imbalanced squad which we've got to straighten out in January if we can."

West Ham face a crucial clash with West Brom on January 2 with 19th-placed
Albion three points away from Moyes' side.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alfie Mawson to West Ham: £25m move planned for early January with Swansea
demands met
WEST HAM are set to meet Swansea's demands for centre-half Alfie Mawson.
Daily Star
By Jack Staplehurst / Published 27th December 2017

David Moyes wants to bolster his backline in a bid to edge the Hammers away
from the bottom three. West Ham have conceded 38 goals in the Premier League
this season, with only Stoke (41) shipping in more. And they are set to raid
their relegation rivals in the New Year. Mawson has established himself as
one of England's rising talents and is pushing for a senior call-up ahead of
the World Cup. The 23-year-old would likely slot in to Moyes' defence,
having been an ever-present for Swansea this season and a bright spark for
the club. According to the Daily Mail, West Ham are making early moves to
ensure a deal can be completed for early January. The east London outfit are
wasting no time and have already seen an £18m bid knocked back.
"Mawson is being lined up for a switch when the window reopens" But Swansea
are said to have set their price at £25m. And West Ham are prepared to table
an improved offer which matches that fee. The Daily Mail claim a guaranteed
£20m plus £5m in add ons will be put forward. That would match West Ham's
record transfer fee paid to Stoke in the summer for in-form forward Marko
Arnautovic. Mawson is being lined up for a switch when the window reopens.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ref Watch: Dermot Gallagher's verdict on Callum Wilson's equaliser for
Bournemouth against West Ham
Last Updated: 27/12/17 4:05pm
SSN

Should Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson's stoppage-time equaliser against
West Ham have stood? Could Tottenham's Dele Alli have been sent off at
Burnley? Dermot Gallagher has his say in this week's Ref Watch. There were a
number of highly contentious decisions over Christmas in the Premier League
and on the continent, including contentious goals at the Vitality, players
not being shown red cards at Turf Moor and penalties that generated huge
debate at both the London Stadium and the Santiago Bernabeu.

Luckily, however, former top-flight official Dermot is here to run his eye
over all the hotly-disputed calls...

Bournemouth 3-3 West Ham

Incident: Wilson's stoppage-time equaliser against West Ham is initially
ruled offside, before referee Robert Madley gives the goal after consulting
with his assistant.

Bournemouth's Callum Wilson scored a hugely controversial equaliser in the
3-3 draw with West Ham in the Premier League.

Dermot's verdict: Wrong decision.

Dermot says: It is a very tight offside call, but once Simon Long (referee's
assistant) calls that, the basics should just happen. He whistles and gives
offside. It became too complicated after that. The debate was if he is in an
offside position and has he interfered and has the ball touched him. He has
interfered. It became too protracted. Simon was convinced it was offside and
he is in the best position to judge offside. And the referee really should
have just given offside and we would not be talking about that. But
unfortunately the conversation took place and there was too much information
being given by each party, it seemed to go on too long. In the end, they
came to the conclusion that Wilson had not touched the ball, which was
incorrect as he did touch the ball and it also went in off his arm.

Incident: Francis' high challenge poleaxes West Ham midfielder Cheikhou
Kouyate, but referee Madley only books the Bournemouth defender.

Dermot's verdict: Wrong decision.

Dermot says: I would not say it was malicious and I do not think he has in
any way, shape or form gone to hurt him, but he has a duty of care to his
opponent and if you put your boot that high - and it is that high, it is not
as though the player has ducked, his studs go in his face - I think it is a
red card and most referees would agree with me.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss David Moyes praises Marko Arnautovic's work rate
By Richard Cooke
Last Updated: 27/12/17 3:11pm
SSN

David Moyes threatened to wield the axe in order to spark a run of five
league goals in as many games from Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian forward's
late double almost earned West Ham victory at Bournemouth on Boxing Day,
only for the Cherries to steal a dramatic 3-3 draw. Referee Bobby Madley
overruled assistant Simon Long to award Callum Wilson's stoppage-time
equaliser, despite the striker being offside, to deny the Hammers a win. But
West Ham boss Moyes later praised Arnautovic for responding well to his
challenge to raise his work rate or face being dropped. Asked how he had
coaxed Arnautovic into form, Moyes replied: "It was just about telling him
if he wasn't going to run he wasn't going to play. "Nobody doubts his
ability and quality as a footballer. He's got to make sure his mentality
side - he keeps doing it. "There will be a few getting a clip round the ear
when we get back in, though most of the players have shown a great attitude.
"He was always a good player Marko Arnautovic, but maybe he's also going
better through the middle rather than out wide."

Moyes again admitted his desire to bolster West Ham's midfield in the
January transfer window, while accepting his squad appears top-heavy in
terms of forwards.
The Hammers host West Brom on January 2, with Moyes insisting he does not
have the luxury of giving his players time and space to impress as they
continue their bid for Premier League survival. "I'm giving players chances;
I'm in a hurry, and I have to be in a hurry," said Moyes. "Because of that I
can't wait three or four months to see how you play. "Everyone's shown a
great desire and is committed in training, but we're short in some areas,
and overloaded in some other areas."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham given boost in January Transfer Window pursuit of Celtic striker
Moussa Dembele
Comments from Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers has left the door open for a host
of clubs
Football London
BySam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
12:15, 27 DEC 2017


Brendan Rodgers has said he "can't say" is star striker Moussa Dembele will
stay at Celtic in the January Transfer Window and that has put a host of
clubs on red alert. The Celtic manager was speaking about his prized asset
after Brighton became the latest team to be rumoured to have an interest in
the frontman, who has scored 40 goals for the Bhoys since his move from
Fulham 18 months ago.
West Ham are reportedly keen, as are Everton, while Chelsea and Arsenal are
also rumoured to hold an interest in signing the Frenchman, who has given no
indication that he wants to leave Parkhead. Paris St Germain and Real Madrid
have also shown an interest. He's not been as prolific this season for the
Scottish champions as he was last season but that hasn't stopped the
21-year-old being linked with a move away from north of the border.
Rodgers did warn however that it would take an "astronomical bid" to get
Dembele away from Celtic Park in the New Year. "I can't say [he will stay in
January]," Rodgers said. "I live in the real world of football and you can
say things that make you look silly. "Someone might come in with a bid that
is an astronomical amount of money for the club and the player and, if the
player wants to go, that's modern football. "I can never stand here and say
someone is definitely going to be here because you could get a ridiculous
bid for a player and a situation arises when they're offered much more wages
and they want to go. "At this stage he is still very much a Celtic player.
At this moment in time the squad is still very much intact and we want to
add to it over the course of the January window."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham can't rely on Andre Ayew in relegation battle
HITC
Jeorge Bird

The West Ham attacker doesn't warrant a regular starting berth for David
Moyes' team. Although West Ham United's fortunes have improved following the
appointment of David Moyes as manager, it is clear that the club still have
much work to do in order to avoid relegation. Currently in 17th place in the
Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone, West Ham have had
a rather frustrating time in recent matches. After being knocked out of the
Carabao Cup by Arsenal, West Ham lost 3-2 at home to Newcastle United in the
Premier League and then drew 3-3 with Bournemouth. Moyes has looked to get
the most out of the players that he has at his disposal, but Andre Ayew has
been rather unconvincing. Capable of playing on either flank, as an
attacking midfielder or up front, Ayew found the net against Newcastle but
many of his performances since joining West Ham have been rather
underwhelming. Ayew has frequently been guilty of missing presentable
chances, while it is still debatable as to which position suits him best. In
the midst of a battle to avoid relegation, West Ham need players that can be
relied upon to perform consistently, but Ayew doesn't fall into that
category and often flatters to deceive. The 28-year-old has done little to
suggest that he warrants a regular starting berth for West Ham and it
appears that Moyes would be best served by using him as a substitute in the
second half of the campaign.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Transfer report: Atalanta put £22million price tag on West Ham target Bryan
Cristante
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Atalanta have told West Ham it will cost them £22m to sign Bryan Cristante.
The midfielder has shone in Italy this season while on loan from Portuguese
giants Benfica. Atalanta are now set to take up their option to sign the
22-year-old permanently, before instantly selling him on for profit. The
Italian club can land Cristante from Benfica for £4.5m but, according to
Premium Sport, they will then ask interested clubs to part with £22m. West
Ham are one of those chasing the Italian, while he has more recently been
linked with Manchester United. Cristante is also on the radar of clubs in
Serie A, including Juventus and Inter Milan.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes reveals how he got best out of West Ham's Marko Arnautovic
NICK PUREWAL
ES Sport

David Moyes threatened to wield the axe in order to spark a run of five
league goals in as many games from Marko Arnautovic. Austria forward
Arnautovic's late double almost carried West Ham to a turnaround victory at
Bournemouth on Boxing Day, only for the Cherries to steal a dramatic 3-3
draw. Referee Bobby Madley overruled assistant Simon Long to award Callum
Wilson's added-time goal to deny the Hammers their win. But West Ham boss
Moyes later praised Arnautovic for responding well to his challenge to raise
his work rate or face being dropped. Asked how he had coaxed Arnautovic
into form, Moyes replied: "It was just about telling him if he wasn't going
to run he wasn't going to play. "Nobody doubts his ability and quality as a
footballer. He's got to make sure his mentality side - he keeps doing it.
"There will be a few getting a clip round the ear when we get back in,
though most of the players have shown a great attitude. "He was always a
good player Marko Arnautovic, but maybe he's also going better through the
middle rather than out wide."

Moyes again admitted his desire to bolster West Ham's midfield in the
January transfer window, while accepting his squad appears top-heavy in
terms of forwards.
"I'm giving players chances; I'm in a hurry, and I have to be in a hurry,"
said Moyes. "Because of that I can't wait three or four months to see how
you play.
"Everyone's shown a great desire and is committed in training, but we're
short in some areas, and overloaded in some other areas."

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