Daily WHUFC News - 3rd October 2017

Zabaleta: The subs had a great impact
WHUFC.com

Pablo Zabaleta hailed the depth of the West Ham United squad after all three
substitutes combined to give them maximum points against Swansea City on
Saturday. Diafra Sakho applied the finishing touch to score the only goal of
a game of few chances, after his fellow subs Manuel Lanzini and Arthur
Masuaku linked up to lay on the opportunity. Zabaleta admitted the Hammers
were not at their best, but had praise for the trio of subs who came on and
had a huge impact. "When you score at the end to win the game and get three
points, of course it's a great feeling," the No5 said. "I'm so happy and
pleased that we won the game, but it was not our best performance. We were
sloppy, especially in the first half. It was different when Manu came on. He
gave us more creativity, we kept possession better and that was good.
"Arthur is so fast, he has that pace going forward and he can cross. He did
it against Spurs, he did it on Saturday and I'm pleased for him. Also for
Sakho – it's not been the best start of the season for him and it's not easy
for everyone if you're not playing regularly, but's it's a long season and
on Saturday saw how important the subs can be. "That's why everyone has to
be ready. Even if you play ten minutes, you can have a huge role.
"That was the positive point for us – players came from the bench and had a
great impact on the game. We know we have a strong squad with big players
and I'm very pleased for them."

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Bilic: Rejuvenated Sakho, seeking improvement and a welcome break
WHUFC.com

Manager Slaven Bilic spoke to the daily newspapers following Saturday's 1-0
Premier League victory over Swansea City at London Stadium. The Croatian was
asked about a host of subjects, including Diafra Sakho's return to
goalscoring form and fitness, his side's performance levels and the effect
of the October international break.

Here is what he had to say...

'Balanced Sakho is doing his job'

Slaven Bilic says Diafra Sakho's return to full fitness has rejuvenated the
striker. The Senegal international missed virtually the whole of last season
after undergoing surgery for a long-standing back problem, but is now free
of pain and West Ham United are reaping the rewards. Sakho has been in
Bilic's matchday squad for all nine matches this season, featuring in eight
and scoring three goals, including Saturday's late match-winner against
Swansea City at London Stadium.
"Sakho, there have been stories about him in the transfer window and all
that, but he stayed and he's balanced his head here. He is training good and
that's why he is playing in most of the games, because he looks good and
sharp in training. That's why he came on, on Saturday, and he did his job.
That's why he's in my plans. "I spoke to him a couple of times but it's more
about him. His problem was that, the whole of last season, he was out and he
was injured and had problems and an operation. Now he feels fit and he is
training better and more regularly and, because he is training better, I am
using him and that is balancing his head.
"We didn't want to let him go. He had a couple of talks with the Chairman
and with me and it all helped, but it was mostly him, because if the person
doesn't want to do it, you can't make it good enough to play the game. It
was him who wanted to be here, for him and for us."

'It's time to up our performance levels'

Bilic says West Ham United's seven-point September has given his squad the
basis to kick on with improved performances after the international break.
The Hammers went into the last break a month ago without a Premier League
point, having conceded ten goals in defeats at Manchester United,
Southampton and Newcastle United. But September has been more fruitful, with
top-flight victories over Huddersfield Town and Swansea City at London
Stadium, a deserved point at West Bromwich Albion and a dominant Carabao Cup
third round win over Bolton Wanderers. While results have got markedly
better, the manager is demanding more, much more, when his players reconvene
for October fixtures with Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal
Palace. "Points-wise, since the last international break, which we went into
with zero points after three games and conceded against Manchester United,
Southampton and Newcastle, this is a big improvement. "In four games we have
seven points, three clean sheets, a good comeback against Spurs, which is
definitely much better, but I am the first one to say that we have to play
better and we have do to better. "I'm expecting now, with the players coming
back [for us to improve], and I know it sounds very shallow because you hear
it from managers on a weekly basis that they have lost confidence or don't
have confidence, but it is the truth and it happened to us on Saturday
because of the situation and importance of the game and everything. "We
didn't play good in the first half, apart from the first ten minutes – and
we always start good – and then as soon as you feel the opponent can hurt
you, can harm you, not with a goal but by keeping the ball, switching sides
or striking from 20 yards, you go 'Oh!' and you block and first half we were
quite poor. "Now, I'm expecting us to use this improvement, especially with
points and three clean sheets, to do much better, to play better, to
continue to gain points but also to produce better performances."

'International break will give us chance to get players fit'

When asked if he would rather his players were not disappearing to all
corners of the planet for international fixtures after picking up their
second Premier League win of the season, Slaven Bilic was in pragmatic mood.
Rather than trot out the old cliché about 'wishing we had another game
tomorrow', the manager pointed to the need to work on improving the fitness
of players who have either recently returned or are on the cusp of making
their comeback from injury absences. "I wouldn't say the break has come at
the wrong time. Some of the players have gone with their national teams and
the others can work on their fitness. "Manuel Lanzini has come back and
anyone who follows West Ham knows how important he is to us, so he can work
on his fitness also. Pedro Obiang and some other players will come back,
while Michail Antonio will use the time to improve his fitness. "It's good
to have a break now to sort it all out, to say 'OK guys, this was good, that
was good, this is what we need to improve', so it's not bad to have it."

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Supersub Masuaku: I want to give Slaven a selection headache
WHUFC.com

Arthur Masuaku is hoping his super substitute appearances against Tottenham
Hotspur and Swansea City lead to more playing time after the international
break.
The No23, who could make his DR Congo debut in Libya on Saturday, has
created goals after being introduced from the bench in each of his last two
Premier League games. And, with a growing clamour among supporters for him
to be handed a start at Burnley next time out, Masuaku hopes to give manager
Slaven Bilic a selection 'headache' ahead of the trip to Turf Moor. "I feel
good and, in my opinion, I just have to keep focused even when I am not
playing and try to do my best for the team," said the 23-year-old, who has
provided outstanding crosses for Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho to score
for the Hammers. "That is working well for me at the moment. "I am happy to
keep working. In the last game [against Tottenham] I crossed and Cheikhou
scored and now I am even more happy because we won, as last week we didn't
manage that. "It is not frustrating not to start. The coach makes the
decisions and I have to give him a headache. I am still young."

Masuaku's only previous Premier League start this season came in the opening
weekend defeat at Manchester United, when he played as a left-back in a flat
back four. However, the former Olympiacos star impressed playing further up
the pitch against Spurs and Swansea, using his pace, dribbling and crossing
ability to get past his man on the outside and deliver quality balls into
the opposition penalty area. Those assists came on the back of another
outstanding attacking moment against Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup
third round, when he scored with an unstoppable 25-yard shot to complete
West Ham's 3-0 victory. "I like to go forward because when I was younger I
played left wing, so for me my best position is left wing-back," he
confirmed, when asked to name his preferred position.

On Saturday, Masuaku's assist – from a left midfield position – saw him
combine with fellow substitutes Manuel Lanzini and Sakho, with all three
giving the Hammers a noticeable boost following their arrival on the London
Stadium pitch. "We were speaking about this before we came on," he said. "It
is good, we came on and we played a big part for the goal so everyone was
happy for us."

Having secured their second victory of the campaign, Masuaku says the
Hammers cannot afford to be complacent, but rather should look to improve
their level of performance in an October month that sees them face Burnley,
Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. "It was good to win," he
observed. "It was a very tough game against a good team, but we have the
three points and this is the most important thing for us. "It was difficult,
as Swansea played very well, but I have to be honest, I don't think we
played well, in my opinion. We have to improve and work hard in training
starting from next week. "We have to be positive because I think we have a
good team and a great squad, so let us keep working to get higher up the
league."

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Henry's late leveller secures first point for U18s
WHUFC.com

Korrey Henry's late equaliser secured a first U18 Premier League point of
the season against Norwich City.

The 17-year-old midfielder, who recently revealed that Michail Antonio has
been mentoring him this season, popped up with just moments remaining to
snatch a deserved 1-1 draw for his West Ham United side.

Henry, who has now scored three of the Hammers' five league goals this
season, levelled after Anthony Spyrou's 74th-minute goal appeared to have
put the Canaries on course for victory at Little Heath.

"I was at the game and, as has been the case in all our previous games bar
our defeat at Arsenal in August, we were in the game, controlled possession
but did not have a cutting edge," said Academy Director Terry Westley.

"It was a similar story on Saturday and when we went a goal down late on, it
felt like a case of 'here we go again' and that it was going to be another
one of those days, but we kept going and got the equaliser right at the end
through Korrey Henry, securing our first point of the season."

Westley was an interested spectator as Steve Potts' side showed admirable
fighting qualities to grab a point, particularly as the starting XI was
sprinkled with schoolboys playing alongside and against full-time scholars.

"It was encouraging to see U16 players like our right-back Sam Caiger and
centre-back Josh Okotcha complete the whole match and acquit themselves very
well against more experienced opponents," he confirmed. "It was also nice to
see Alfie Lewis continue his comeback from injury and Conor Coventry
controlling the midfield."

"With U18 football, you have to look past the result and consider what we
are trying to do, which is develop players.

"We have been very good with the ball this season, as we were again on
Saturday, and now it is about finding that cutting edge on the pitch which
we have been missing previously."

U18s: Matrevics, Caiger, R.Longelo, Wells (c), Okotcha, Henry, Ngakia
(Watson), Coventry, Constantinou (Hamilton), Lewis, Costa Da Rosa
(E.Longelo)

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International Hammers: Who is playing where, who can reach Russia 2018 and
where can I watch?
WHUFC.com

The second international break of the 2017/18 season has arrived and West
Ham United players are heading off to represent their countries all over the
world.

There are plenty of 2018 FIFA World Cup places up for grabs, with the likes
of Joe Hart, Aaron Cresswell, Jose Fonte, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate
on the cusp of booking their place in Russia.

Here's all you need to know about the Hammers' international commitments
over the next fortnight...

Jose Fonte's Portugal are two wins away from booking their place at the 2018
FIFA World Cup
Which Hammers have been called-up for international duty?

A grand total of 20 West Ham United players have been called-up by their
respective nations, including eleven seniors and eight at age-group level.
They are...

Marko Arnautovic (Austria), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Chicharito (Mexico), Aaron
Cresswell and Joe Hart (England), Jose Fonte (Portugal), Sead Haksabanovic
(Montenegro), Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho (Senegal), Arthur Masuaku
(DR Congo), Winston Reid (New Zealand), Robert Snodgrass (Scotland), Declan
Rice and Josh Cullen (Republic of Ireland U21), Martin Samuelsen (Norway
U21), Reece Oxford and Nathan Trott (England U20), Rihards Matrevics (Latvia
U19), Anthony Scully (Republic of Ireland U19) and Dan Kemp (England U19).

In addition, Edimilson Fernandes (Switzerland) and Domingos Quina (Portugal
U20) were both initially selected, but have since been forced to withdraw
through injury.

Joe Hart is one point away from a potential third FIFA World Cup finals
appearance
Who can qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals?

Chicharito's Mexico have already secured their place in Russia, and will
complete the CONCACAF Round 5 campaign unbeaten if they avoid defeat in
their final two qualifiers at home to Trinidad & Tobago and away to
Honduras.

Closer to home, Joe Hart, Aaron Cresswell and England need just a single
point from their final two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at home to
Slovenia or away in Lithuania to top European Group F.

Jose Fonte's Portugal also have their fate in their own hands in Group B,
knowing victories in Andorra and at home to Switzerland will seal their
passage.

In Africa, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate face an African qualifying
Group D fixture in the Cape Verde Islands, where they know a win could take
them top of the group, with just a home tie with bottom-of-the-table South
Africa to follow in November.

Sead Haksabanovic and Montenegro could qualify for their first-ever FIFA
World Cup finals
Where can I watch the Hammers on TV?

ITV, Sky Sports and BT Sport are the official broadcasters of 2018 FIFA
World Cup qualifiers in the UK, with ITV covering England games, Sky showing
the European matches and BT bringing viewers the African ties.

Starting in Europe, England's qualifier with Slovenia will be screened live
by ITV 1 on Thursday 5 October at 7.45pm - the same time Haksabanovic and
Montenegro host Denmark on the Sky Sports Red Button, and loanee Robert
Snodgrass and Scotland welcome Slovakia on Sky Sports Main Event/Football.

The Sky Sports Red Button will also host Arnautovic and Austria at home to
Serbia on Friday 6 October, and Fonte and Portugal's trip to Andorra the
following evening, with both ties kicking-off at 7.45pm.

Moving forward to Sunday, England's 5pm kick-off in Lithuania will be on ITV
1, while Montenegro's away game in Poland will be on the Sky Sports Red
Button, and Scotland's trip to Slovenia can be found on Sky Sports Main
Event/Football.

Finally, next Tuesday 10 October, Fonte's Portugal will hope to complete the
job at home to Switzerland, live on Sky Sports Main Event/Football.

What about the younger lads?

Aside from 18-year-old Sead Haksabanovic, whose Montenegro could secure
automatic qualification for the World Cup if they beat Denmark and Poland in
European Group E, eight other youngsters aged 20 or younger have been
called-up at various age-group levels.

Declan Rice and Bolton Wanderers loanee Josh Cullen are in the Republic of
Ireland U21 squad for home Group 5 ties with Martin Samuelsen's Norway – who
also host Germany in Drammen – and Israel in Dublin.

Nathan Trott and Reece Oxford, who is on loan at German club Borussia
Moenchengladbach, are in the England U20 squad for friendly matches with
Italy in Gorgonzola and at home to Czech Republic.

Sticking with the Young Lions, Daniel Kemp is in the England U19 squad for
friendlies in Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Finally, Anthony Scully's Republic of Ireland U19s host Azerbaijan, Cyprus
and Serbia in UEFA European Championship qualifiers in Waterford, while
Rihards Matrevics has been called-up by Latvia U19s for a training camp and
friendly matches in Riga.

Winston Reid and New Zealand are off to Japan for an international friendly
So, can you tell me the full story?

Of course! Here is a complete list of international fixtures potentially
involving West Ham United players - in chronological order. For simplicity,
all times are BST!

Wednesday 4 October 2017

Anthony Scully, Republic of Ireland U19 v Azerbaijan U19, UEFA European U19
Championship qualifying Group 7, Waterford, 4pm

Thursday 5 October 2017

Reece Oxford and Nathan Trott, Italy U20 v England U20, Friendly,
Gorgonzola, 4.50pm
Aaron Cresswell and Joe Hart, England v Slovenia, FIFA World Cup qualifying
Group F, Wembley Stadium, 7.45pm
Sead Haksabanovic, Montenegro v Denmark, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group E,
Podgorica, 7.45pm
Robert Snodgrass, Scotland v Slovakia, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group F,
Glasgow, 7.45pm
Declan Rice, Josh Cullen and Martin Samuelsen, Republic of Ireland U21 v
Norway U21, UEFA European U21 Championship qualifying Group 5, Dublin,
7.45pm

Friday 6 October 2017

Winston Reid, Japan v New Zealand, Friendly, Nagoya, 11.20am
Daniel Kemp, Czech Republic U19 v England U19, Friendly, SC Znojmo, 6pm
Marko Arnautovic, Austria v Serbia, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group D,
Vienna, 7.45pm

Saturday 7 October 2017

Chicharito, Mexico v Trinidad & Tobago, FIFA World Cup qualifying, San Luis
Potosi, 2.30am
Andre Ayew, Uganda v Ghana, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group E, Kampala, 6pm
Arthur Masuaku, Libya v DR Congo, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group A,
Monastir, 6pm
Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho, Cape Verde Islands v Senegal, FIFA World
Cup qualifying Group D, Praia, 6.30pm
Anthony Scully, Republic of Ireland U19 v Cyprus U19, UEFA European U19
Championship qualifying Group 7, Waterford, 7pm
Jose Fonte, Andorra v Portugal, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group B, Andorra
la Vella, 7.45pm

Aaron Cresswell hopes to make his competitive debut for England
Sunday 8 October 2017

Aaron Cresswell and Joe Hart, Lithuania v England, FIFA World Cup qualifying
Group F, Vilnius, 5pm
Sead Haksabanovic, Poland v Montenegero, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group E,
Warsaw, 5pm
Robert Snodgrass, Slovenia v Scotland, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group F,
Glasgow, 5pm

Monday 9 October 2017

Declan Rice and Josh Cullen, Republic of Ireland U21 v Israel U21, UEFA
European U21 Championship qualifying Group 5, Dublin, 3.30pm
Daniel Kemp, Slovakia U19 v England U19, Friendly, NTC Senec, 6pm
Marko Arnautovic, Moldova v Austria, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group D,
Chisinau, 7.45pm

Tuesday 10 October 2017

Anthony Scully, Republic of Ireland U19 v Serbia U19, UEFA European U19
Championship qualifying Group 7, Waterford, 7pm
Reece Oxford and Nathan Trott, England U20 v Czech Republic U20, Friendly,
St George's Park, 2pm
Martin Samuelsen, Norway U21 v Germany U21, UEFA European U21 Championship
qualifying Group 5, Drammen, 7pm
Jose Fonte, Portugal v Switzerland, FIFA World Cup qualifying Group B,
Lisbon, 7.45pm
Chicharito, Honduras v Mexico, FIFA World Cup qualifying, San Pedro Sula,
Midnight

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1966 World Cup win 'not even a distant memory' for the England heroes
suffering from dementia
JIM VAN WIJK
PHIL BARNETT
ES Sport

Sir Geoff Hurst fears his lifelong friend and World Cup-winning team-mate
Martin Peters would no longer recognise him or remember their achievements
in 1966.
Peters, who played alongside Hurst for England and West Ham, suffers from
Alzheimer's. Hurst scored three and Peters got the other in a 4-2 victory
over West Germany at Wembley 51 years ago which still remains the high point
in the history of the England national team. But Hurst knows there is little
chance of being able to enjoy moments reminiscing with his old friend about
the glory days under Sir Alf Ramsey and at Upton Park, or indeed of Peters
ever recovering from such a debilitating disease. "It is very, very
difficult, whether he would recognise me or know me," Hurst told Press
Association Sport when asked whether he or others had tried to maintain a
friendship with Peters. "We have discussed it with his wife and family, and
we have left it that we would not get involved, apart from my wife talking
to his wife, and I think she appreciates that, to have someone she can talk
to and discuss how Martin is. "It is heartbreaking for the people involved,
and almost impossible to understand how difficult it is for the families. It
is a disease which doesn't get better. "If you have a physical disease, or a
broken leg, you can recover from it and get better in time, with dementia it
only goes one way, albeit at different levels. "That is the awful thing
about it, because it is not going to get any better than it is today, in
fact it is going to deteriorate. "My wife Judith speaks closely with
Martin's wife, Kathy, almost daily. "It is not necessarily the person
themselves - who is not aware that they have dementia - it is the huge,
enormous effect which it has on the carer, the husband or wife, the family
members, which is all terribly difficult."
Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles, who also played alongside Hurst and Peters in
the World Cup final, are suffering from forms of dementia too. Fighting the
disease is a cause close to Hurst's heart, and he has joined the Alzheimer's
Society Memory Walk campaign, which is aiming to help raise around £9million
to improve care, fund research and create lasting change for people affected
by dementia. The 75-year-old will open his local event, which is one of 34
walks planned across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, at Pittville Park
in Cheltenham on October 8. "(Dementia) is becoming one of the most serious
illnesses and it is increasing," Hurst said. "My involvement with the
players from my (1966 World Cup) squad who have got it is seeing how the
families deal with it all, and it is arguably one of the most debilitating
aliments families can face. "I grew up with some of them from when I was
just 16, so for me it was something which I really felt I had to get
involved in."
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of England's World Cup win, but the
likes of Peters and Stiles, the enforcer at the heart of Ramsey's side,
would now often struggle to recall their achievements. Hurst said: "It is
extremely sad, because a lot of your life is about memories of the past over
many years with your family and friends (and) that now is all clouded in
mystery. "Sadly for the players involved, (winning the World Cup) is not
even a distant memory."

Alzheimer's Society is urgently calling on people to unite against dementia
- register now at memorywalk.org.uk to find a walk

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Conflicting reports on Reece Oxford as West Ham academy chief claims he's
staying in Germany
The Hammers youngster is on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach for two seasons
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
19:15, 2 OCT 2017

Confusion surrounds the future of West Ham youngster Reece Oxford and his
two-year loan deal with Borussia Monchengladbach with differing reports on
what is happening with the teenager. Reports emerged last week that the two
clubs had agreed to terminate the loan deal in December with Oxford yet to
make an appearance for the Bundesliga side and a source close to the player
revealing his disappointment at the decision. The Hammers youngster has yet
to play for his new employers but did make a couple of appearances in
pre-season friendlies for Gladbach, where he impressed. But now, Hammers
academy chief Terry Westley has told West Ham fansite Claret & Hugh that he
has no idea why Oxford would be leaving and the teenager has no intention of
going back to east London yet.
Westley said: "I have no idea where the story has come from but Gladbach
tell me they like him and were pleased with his performances in two friendly
games and like his attitude in training. There is certainly no suggestion of
him coming home unless they know something they haven't told me. "He has his
own apartment and is really enjoying that and his life in the country."

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Jamie Redknapp points out key stats about Slaven Bilic, urges him to start
two West Ham players
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United beat Swansea City 1-0 on Saturday afternoon. Pundit Jamie
Redknapp has told the Daily Mail that he thinks West Ham United boss Slaven
Bilic should hand starts to Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho after the
international break. The Hammers needed a result when they took on Swansea
City on Saturday afternoon, having lost 3-2 at home to Tottenham Hotspur –
and it proved to be a stressful game for everybody associated with West Ham.
Whilst Bilic's men were in the ascendancy for much of the game, but couldn't
find the crucial goal as Andy Carroll hit the crossbar, leaving fans to
believe that a 0-0 draw was on the cards. However, Arthur Masuaku picked out
Diafra Sakho in injury, and the Senegalese forward snatched the winning goal
to give West Ham a last-gasp 1-0 victory in dramatic circumstances. Masuaku
and Sakho combining for the goal was somewhat ironic, given that their
introductions onto the pitch as substitutes were met with boos from
disgruntled West Ham fans, with the goal vindicating Slaven Bilic's
decision.
The result eases the pressure on Bilic, who has overseen four defeats in the
first seven games of the new Premier League season, leading to speculation
about his future at the London Stadium. Now, pundit Jamie Redknapp has told
the Daily Mail that the pressure on Bilic is baffling, as he has the best
points-per-game ratio of any West Ham boss, even better than Alan Curbishley
and Harry Redknapp. After suggesting that West Ham should stick with Bilic,
he urged the Hammers boss to start Masuaku and Sakho against Burnley after
the international break, praising both players for their impact against
Swansea. "You wouldn't know it from the pressure he has been under but
Slaven Bilic has the best points-per-game ratio of any West Ham manager in
the Premier League," said Redknapp. "His 1.37 points per game puts him ahead
of Alan Curbishley on 1.32 and my dad on 1.31. Despite a poor performance
against Swansea, Bilic deserves credit for changing the game by sending on
super subs Diafra Sakho and Arthur Masuaku." "They gave West Ham much more
energy and purpose in the final third and both should start at Burnley in
the club's first game after the international break," he added.

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STRIKER THREATENS JANUARY WALK-OUT IF LACK OF PLAYING TIME CONTINUESFeatured
Image
Date: 2nd October 2017 at 9:50pm
Written by: Forever Westham

Striker Diafra Sakho has dealt a huge blow to West Ham after insisting he
could still leave the club this January if isn't granted more playing time
by manager Slaven Bilic, reports the Daily Express. Sakho scored the only
goal as West Ham beat Swansea 1-0 at the London Stadium on Saturday, to take
his total to the season to three, making him the Hammers' joint top scorer
alongside Javier Hernandez. However, despite his impressive scoring record,
the Senegalese has featured irregularly for the Hammers so far this season
and while he remains focused on proving his worth, insists he could leave
the club in January if his game time doesn't pick up. "It's not easy to show
what I can do, or prove to the people what I can do on the pitch, when I
only play for 10 minutes." said the 27-year-old. "But I don't need to knock
on the manager's door – I showed what I can do, I have to force my way into
the team."

Sakho infamously tried to force a move away from the London Stadium to Ligue
1 side Rennes on deadline day this summer, but was denied a move by West Ham
owners David Gold and David Sullivan who insisted he stayed in East London
and was not for sale. "I was very close to leaving but now I'm here and I'm
enjoying the little time I've had on the pitch to prove myself. "In my head
I just want to enjoy being part of this team and we will see what happens in
January."

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YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'VE BEEN SAKHO'D - DIAFRA THROWS SLAV A LIFELINE
By HamburgHammer 2 Oct 2017 at 12:24
WTID

What a bloody relief! Saturday's game was not a game that will be kept in
your private collection and which you will watch with your grandchildren
talking about the good old days. It was a cagey affair pretty much from
start to finish and it was easy to see how Swansea up to that point had not
conceded an away goal all season.
Spurs failed to score against them and that should stop any serious bouts of
moaning on our part.

Yes, it was painful to watch, especially the first half. Yes, I would like
to see a bit more running, pressing the opposition more often and earlier
and a bit more creativity as well.
I would obviously love to see us dispatch opponents like Swansea in more
comfortable fashion, beating them to the tune of a 3:0 or 4:1, but that
would only happen if a) we were playing with more confidence and generally
more skill and panache all over the pitch and b) if Swansea made loads of
mistakes. They didn't. They were very very solid and extremly hard to break
down.

Special kudos therefore has to go out once more to Slaven Bilic. Once again
he didn't care about the crowd booing his substitutions. But just like
against Huddersfield the subs were spot on actually, Masuaku and Sakho
working in perfect harmony, combining masterfully, creating the kind of goal
which is worth winning any contest, even a frustratingly cagey/boring one
such as this.
Thousands of "fans" who left the premises early missed the goal of course
but probably beat the traffic into the bargain, but at the end of the day we
beat a well drilled and disciplined side to get a much needed win and give
Bilic some very welcome breathing space.

It can't be easy hearing a new likely replacement manager's name every week,
sometimes seeeing even several flavours of the week getting leaked on
selected social media platforms and blogs – and still trying to do your best
managing the team, with your contract running out at the end of the season.
I understand that Bilic gets criticised by the fans, he ain't immune to that
and he shouldn't be. At this point he isn't getting the best out of his
players and performances together with results need to improve, granted.

However, let us please not forget that he more likely than not firmly
expected Carvalho to arrive from Sporting. I have no doubt that the player
would have turned out to be the missing piece of the jigsaw for us, a guy
solidly linking defense and attack, making both better at the same time. If
you believe that money has been stashed away in our transfer funds for
January or next summer and that a new manager coming in would be able to
spend even 50 or 60 million (net spend), think again!

Our board are mediocre, spending mediocre amounts of money and we shouldn't
be surprised at all if another 11th or 10th placed league finish is pretty
much our ceiling again this season. If you reckon there is a manager out
there who can get our squad to finish in 7th place or higher, with the same
players, and who would be willing to sign for us, working under
Gold&Sullivan and a restrained budget, fair enough!
I'd like to hear his name and wish our board good luck with the interview,
trying to sell the next level dream to another poor sod willing to fall for
it.

It was interesting to read about American Albert "Tripp" Smith buying the
remaining 10% of the West Ham shares from the Icelandics. Apparently the
director of private equity giants Blackstone bought them shares purely as a
private investment rather than as a getting the foot in the door tactic
instigated by Blackstone, but it is still interesting insofar as apparently
Sullivan would have liked to buy those shares from the Icelandics himself,
yet the sellers thought otherwise.

Apparently Tripp Smith just likes football/soccer/West Ham and maybe he is
indeed merely after a personal financial roll of the dice with a bit of a
kick to it, pardon the pun!
But let's wait and see if Blackstone will remain on the outside looking in
for long or if there is maybe a bit more to it all.
Blackstone, if they were to come in at some point in future, don't sound
like a long term plan either of course.
They tend to buy or invest in companies, streamline their operations, make
them successful businesses in the marketplace and sell them on at a profit.
Maybe though they could bring the kind of financial muscle to help with the
purchase of the Olympic Stadium a few years down the road, who knows ?
Surely West Ham owning the OS, knocking on the door of Champions League
football would fetch a better selling price than West Ham renting the OS
finishing in 11th place.

Initially I smirked when reading the nickname of the guy, "Tripp". It's a
rather unfortunate moniker, innit ? It reminded me of the "Only Fools And
Horses" pilot episode in which Rodney was nervously asking Del Boy in the
pub if Trigger was named such because he was carrying a gun. Luckily enough
it was just down to him looking like a horse after all…maybe it's the same
with Tripp…;-))

I'd feel slightly more at ease if that geezer (who is now also a new
director at West Ham) was nicknamed "Smithy" or "Berty", but "Tripp" it is
and I hope his investment will turn out to be a decent trip(p) for everyone
bleeding claret and blue.

This season for me already feels like a done deal. Another midtable finish
with a few highs and plenty more lows and hiccups along the way. Bilic will
be allowed to run down his contract while every two weeks we will read on
certain blogs that there are another two or three must win games coming up
for Bilic to save his job (until the end of the season). I see no realistic
chance really for Bilic to earn himself another deal unfortunately. We will
then eventually stumble upon another guy, who will get lured to the club
with the promise of playing home games in a 66K seater stadium, complete
with stellar marquee signings and subsequent next level progression, more
likely though ending up having to make ends meet with a transfer kitty that
would make Watford blush with shame.

We will start a new circle, with the new guy leaving or running down his
contract as well after two or three seasons. I've said it before: There is
no long term strategy or discernible plan at West Ham. We are treading water
and the board are happy with that as long as we stay on the Premier League
gravy train and as long as there is a manager in office who can be thrown
under the bus at will, thereby conveniently diverting any potential blame
and anger away from the board to the poor sod in the dugout.
It is what it is of course. Listen to Bubbles and the words of our anthem
don't exactly scream "NEXT LEVEL! CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL!" at you, do
they ?

On a local level, Sunday was not much to write home about either, with a
much worse result though. A devastating, lackluster and gutless surrender
from the Cordi boys away to Rugenbergen. 1:5 is a scoreline that simply
should not happen, even on a bad day in this league. The game was being
played on a turnip field disguised as a football pitch, including flattened
molehills and small holes that were littered all over the patch, sorry,
pitch. I know, the opposition had to play on the exact same surface, but as
a home team surely they were very much used to the lay of the land in
contrast to Concordia.

Our goalkeeper tried to clear a dangerous backpass into touch, one minute
before halftime, but unfortunately a deflection from one of the turnips
resulted in the ball going into his own net. It was symptomatic of the kind
of game that was about to unfold in the second half. Well, you win some, you
lose some, but my team looked lost and disinterested out there, not good.

Luckily Concordia don't have long to wait to redeem themselves as there is a
cup game tomorrow afternoon, at home to Victoria Hamburg as it's a bank
holiday (Day of German Unity). For West Ham we need to endure another
international break yet again before we head off to Turf Moor, hopefully
putting in a better performance oop north to claim all three points. It only
takes another one or two wins now to put us right back on track. I hope we
see Hernandez and Sakho starting that game, with Carroll to come on, causing
some havoc among the Burnley defense for the final 30 minutes. Bilic of
course may see things differently.

But it's still Super Slav for me and I wish the man nothing but the best.
Hopefully the players give us a performance against Burnley to make the
manager smile and the fans proud, wherever they may be. COYI!!!

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Change of Date for Checkatrade Fixture Against West Ham
Bristolrovers.co.uk

Rovers' Checkatrade Trophy tie against West Ham at the Mem will now take
place on Tuesday 31st October, kick-off 7:45pm. The fixture was scheduled to
take place on Tuesday 24th October but has now been rearranged due to West
Ham's involvement in the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup. So far Rovers have
played just the one game in this season's Checkatrade Trophy, registering a
5-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers earlier in September.

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More Bolton woe for Cullen & Burke as West Ham duo benched for loss to Aston
Villa
The on-loan Hammers pair have found life at the Championship club tough this
season
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
15:15, 2 OCT 2017

Reece Burke and Josh Cullen found themselves benched once again for Bolton
at the weekend as they were beaten by Aston Villa as the Trotters continued
their worst start to a season in 115 years. The West Ham duo joined the
Championship whipping boys on loan for six months back in August, with them
both leaving the Hammers pre-season training camp in Germany at the time to
complete their moves to Bolton. But, like with Reece Oxford and his loan
switch to Borussia Monchengladbach, it is not working out for either Cullen
or Burke as they have been sat on the bench for the past couple of games and
not getting any time on the pitch. The duo - particularly Cullen after his
brilliant spell at Bradford City - arrived at the club with burgeoning
reputations but were both called out by Trotters boss Phil Parkinson for
"trying too hard" to impress amid criticism from fans and now, they aren't
even being given the chance to try.
Speaking about the pair, Parkinson said recently: "Reece has made a couple
of decision-making errors I have never seen him do before, and it's just
that bit of pressure, Josh is the same but we have been asking him to do a
man's job and covering a lot of ground in the centre of the midfield. At
times he hasn't had much help."
With the Hammers keen to see the pair develop during their spells away,
seeing them not getting any game time off the bench for the past two games
will surely be a concern for Slaven Blilic and also for Terry Westley, who
could be utilising them in West Ham's PL2/U23 squad in division one of the
structure. In the same game this past weekend though, another Hammers loanee
in Robert Snodgrass continued his impressive form for Steve Bruce's
rejuventated Villa, with the Scotsman earning rave reviews for his
contribution.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham ace Diafra Sakho fires Slaven Bilic shot: I could quit in January
if I don't play
DIAFRA SAKHO says he could still quit West Ham in January if he does not get
more playing time.
By PAUL BROWN
PUBLISHED: 00:00, Mon, Oct 2, 2017 | UPDATED: 00:08, Mon, Oct 2, 2017
Express.co.uk

Sakho came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner for the Hammers to ease
the pressure on under-fire manager Slaven Bilic. But despite coming in from
the cold after his failed attempt to force a move to Rennes on deadline day,
the Senegal striker admits his future is still in doubt. Sakho is out of
contract at the end of the season and has been challenged to earn a new deal
by Bilic after being forgiven for going AWOL. But the 27-year-old said:
"It's not easy to show what I can do, or prove to the people what I can do
on the pitch, when I only play for 10 minutes. "But I don't need to knock on
the manager's door – I showed what I can do, I have to force my way into the
team. "I was very close to leaving but now I'm here and I'm enjoying the
little time I've had on the pitch to prove myself. "In my head I just want
to enjoy being part of this team and we will see what happens in January."
Sakho wanted to leave so badly he flew to France for a medical with Rennes
before returning on deadline day desperate to force through the move. But
his day ended in farce when he decided to stop at the races, where his
agent's horse was running, before club officials refused to meet him. Some
of Sakho's Hammers team-mates were watching the events unfold on live TV,
but Pablo Zabaleta insists all has since been forgiven. "It has not been the
best start of the season for him, after those problems at the beginning of
the season when he went to France, then came back and he has been injured
too," said Zabaleta. "Personally, I always try to understand players'
situations. But what happened, only Diafra knows. "If you staying here, just
give everything you can for this club because you can't believe how
important you are. You are a great player. Swansea goalkeeper Lukas
Fabianski needed lengthy treatment after getting clattered by Andy Carroll
but said: "I'm pretty stiff after the collision but I guess that's all part
of the game when you play against him. I know what to expect.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's surprise match-winner Diafra Sakho back in Slaven Bilic's plans:
'we did not want to let him go'
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Dean, london stadium
1 OCTOBER 2017 • 10:30PM

At 3.20pm on the final day of September, Sakho sat on the West Ham bench at
the London Stadium. From there, he would have heard the boos of the home
fans as his toiling team-mates found the going hard against an obdurate
Swansea. Those jeers intensified when Sakho was introduced to the fray in
favour of Javier Hernandez, but they soon turned to cheers when the striker
became the surprise match-winner in the final minute. It made for quite the
turnaround, and also provided vindication for his manager Slaven Bilic.
Firstly for the substitution and secondly for refusing to let Sakho depart
for Rennes in the summer. Asked how close Sakho was to leaving the club,
Bilic joked that the 27-year-old was "on the horse" but said "we did not
want to let him go". After an injury-plagued campaign last year, Sakho is
now firmly back in his manager's plans. "There have been stories about him,
in the transfer window and all that," said Bilic. "He stayed and balanced
his head here. "He is fitter, he is training better, he is sharper, he is
quicker. You can see that he is injury-free and he is doing well in
training."

Sakho's intervention relieves some of the pressure on Bilic after a
difficult start to the season, but West Ham's total lack of creativity on
their own patch will remain a major concern. Bilic has essentially been
under pressure for a year. That is largely due to soulless performances like
this, at West Ham's grand new home. Rafael Benitez has been linked with the
West Ham job, while there were even reports that Carlo Ancelotti could be
tempted by a move to east London. "It does not affect me," Bilic said. "If
it affected me I would be dead by now. It is not about the last few days, it
is almost a year now. Do I enjoy this situation? No. But does it affect me?
No, I am trying to do my job."

The international break will allow players such as Manuel Lanzini and
Michail Antonio, neither of whom were fully fit yesterday, to work on
getting back into top condition. West Ham now have a welcoming run of
fixtures, but BIlic knows they must improve. "I am the first one to say we
have to play better and we can be better," he said. For Swansea, their
struggles continue in front of goal. Paul Clement paired Tammy Abraham with
Wilfried Bony in attack, but neither posed a serious threat. Swansea have
scored just three goals all season. "They are not playing to their
potential," said Clement of his attackers. On Abraham, the 19-year-old
striker on loan from Chelsea who has scored plenty of goals in the
Championship and at junior international levels, Clement said: "This is the
biggest step for him. "In the Championship [for Bristol City], he scored a
really good amount of goals. But this is the Premier League. The difference
is big. Now he has to work towards closing the gap. "He is not the only one
out there. Everyone needs to raise their standard."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Blackstone Exec Tripp Smith Buys 10% Stake In West Ham United
Published October 2, 2017
SpotsBusinessDaily.com

West Ham United has become the latest Premier League club to gain investment
from the U.S. after a senior Blackstone exec acquired a 10% holding in the
east London team, according to Ahmed & Massoudi of the FINANCIAL TIMES.
Tripp Smith, a senior managing director of Blackstone and co-founder of
asset management group GSO Capital Partners, has become a minority owner of
the club, according to three people familiar with the deal. West Ham
"remains under the control of its largest shareholders," British
entrepreneurs David Sullivan and David Gold. Smith acquired the 10% stake
from CB Holding, an Icelandic group that gained the holding after the
collapse of Iceland's Stramur Investment Bank in '09, according to a source.
Smith has become a director of West Ham United's parent company, according
to documents filed in Companies House on Friday, while the Icelandic
director, Daniel Svanstrom, "left the group." The price paid by Smith for
his stake "remains unclear." West Ham and Blackstone declined to comment
(FT, 9/29). In London, Jack Rosser reported though fans would be
"understandably excited" by the appointment of Smith, who bought the 10%
stake using his own funds, the 52-year-old has "no ambition to increase his
share or take a majority." Furthermore, due to a clause in the London
Stadium lease agreement, Sullivan "cannot sell to another buyer within the
next four years" (EVENING STANDARD, 9/30).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reece Oxford "massively disappointed" to cut loan deal away from West Ham
short
The teenager hasn't made much of an impact in his short stay in Germany
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
06:30, 2 OCT 2017

Reece Oxford is said to be "massively disappointed" at the decision between
West Ham and Borussia Monchengladbach to cut short his loan stay with barely
a quarter of it finished. The 18-year-old defender joined the German side on
a two-year loan deal this summer but has yet to play a single minute of
competitive football in Gladbach. football.london understands the two sides
have agreed to terminate the loan deal in December of this year and Oxford
will return to London.
It follows on from another disastrous loan spell at Reading in the
Championship last season, where Oxford managed just 201 minutes of action in
six months.
The Sun reports they were told by a confidant of Oxford: "Reece hoped the
move to Germany would work out better than it has, but it's time to come
back.
"Monchengladbach play a certain way and had a system in place before they
signed Reece, and for some reason he has not fitted into what they are
doing. "If he's not going to feature after they were hammered 6-1, then when
will he?" Oxford burst on to the scene at the start of the 2015/16 season
when he lined up for the Hammers in their 2-0 win at Arsenal on the opening
day of the Slaven Bilic era at West Ham but the past 18 months have seen his
chances limited and also, his stock tumble despite signing a long-term deal
in east London when he turned 18.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is safe after last-minute win at home
to Swansea City... but for how long?
West Ham's winner vs Swansea shows the players still dig deep for their boss
Diafra Sakho's late goal may have saved the job of Hammers boss Slaven Bilic
With tales of dressing room strife running rife, this will have encouraged
Bilic
By Sami Mokbel for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 1 October 2017 | UPDATED: 22:54, 1 October 2017

It was the perfect opportunity for West Ham's players to show Slaven Bilic
had lost the dressing room. To chuck it in, paving the way for a new
manager. Defeat by Swansea would have had grave consequences for the Hammers
boss. Instead, Bilic watched his team dig in, with substitute Diafra Sakho's
last-minute goal clinching victory. It was probably a job-saving victory. As
is often the case when a manager is on the brink, tales of Bilic losing the
faith of his players are rife. On this evidence, the Croat need not worry
too much. Swansea have never kept a clean sheet away at West Ham, conceding
75 goals in 32 games. West Ham were not great. Did they deserve three
points? Probably not - but when your job is on the line, you find out
whether the players are with you. On Saturday, Bilic got the answer he
wanted. 'You can talk about the quality of our performance, but we won the
game because we didn't give up,' said Bilic. 'We didn't raise the quality of
our game unbelievably but if I am on the pitch and I don't care, it was the
perfect situation not to care, to say OK, but we didn't. We forced that
goal. 'I didn't see any ill-discipline in the camp. On the contrary, I felt
we wanted to do it all together. Are they doing it for the manager or
themselves? At the end of the day, it's not important. 'We are
professionals. What matters is that they want to do it. What is behind that,
do they do it for themselves, their families or for the manager, it's not
that important.'
You get the impression, however, that Bilic knows there may be dissenters.
Javier Hernandez's stroppy face after being substituted for eventual
match-winner Sakho in the 68th minute was a picture. So, too, was Sakho's
decision to charge instantly back down the tunnel, stopping briefly to hand
his shirt to a lucky supporter, instead of milking the euphoria of his
last-gasp winner. There is unrest in the stands, too. West Ham were booed
off at half-time and Bilic was booed for his decision to replace Hernandez
with Sakho. This result will keep him safe for now. One defeat from the last
five games is an improvement after a poor start to the season.

Defeats by Burnley and Brighton after the international break, though, would
put Bilic back in trouble. His contract expires at the end of the season and
sources have indicated the likelihood of Bilic landing an extension is
'non-existent'. One point from a possible 12 doesn't make positive reading
for Swansea's Paul Clement, either. Getting loanee Tammy Abraham firing
would help his cause. Two Premier League goals from six starts represents a
promising start to the 19-year-old's top-flight career after just two
substitute league appearances for parent club Chelsea. Clement has vowed to
stick by the England Under 21 forward, saying: 'He needs a coach that is
patient. I know what it's like and I know what the Premier League is about.
'When you are playing week in, week out against strong defenders, who play
for their national team, the step up is big. Now he has to work on closing
that gap.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic mutes the mutiny at the last but West Ham's battlers need a
plan
The manager praised his side's refusal to give up against Swansea but
fraying tempers in the stands suggest fans' favourite is using up the last
of his goodwill
Jacob Steinberg
Sunday 1 October 2017 22.30 BST
The Guardian

Midway through the first half, Slaven Bilic switched his wingers. Michail
Antonio went left, André Ayew went right. It was a sure sign that Bilic's
tactics were malfunctioning.

In theory it made sense for West Ham United to start in a 4-4-2 system,
which plays to the strengths of both Andy Carroll and Javier Hernández, for
the first time this season. Yet a plan that looks good on paper will never
work if players are confused by their instructions and in practice West
Ham's ponderous approach rarely stretched Swansea City. There was no flow,
no rhythm, and the disgruntled atmosphere at the London Stadium grew to a
mutinous pitch when Diafra Sakho replaced the ineffective Hernández in the
78th minute.

A dire game was drifting towards a goalless draw and for the first time
there was a sense of the narrative shifting against Bilic, whose hold over a
hitherto adoring public seemed to be slipping, belatedly allowing the board
to contemplate sacking the Croat without having to worry about a supporter
backlash. Hernández furiously shook his head on the bench and the crowd
sympathised with the £16m striker's incandescence at having made way instead
of Carroll.

Yet a prominent theme during the past 12 months has been West Ham's knack of
grinding out an ugly win just when Bilic is thought to be on the brink. It
happened on several occasions last season and the pattern continued when
Sakho, who tried to engineer a move to Rennes in the summer, vindicated
Bilic's unpopular decision by converting a cross from his fellow substitute
Arthur Masuaku in the 90th minute.

There was a similar vibe when West Ham responded to losing their first three
games by earning an unconvincing victory against Huddersfield Town last
month and there is a temptation to conclude that winning while playing
poorly is proof that a decent team will break out once confidence comes
flowing back. It is partly this sense of longing that has protected Bilic,
an intelligent and charismatic man who speaks articulately and wears his
heart on his sleeve.

He is hard to dislike, which explains the desire to see him do well. Other
teams in West Ham's position might have downed tools in an attempt to force
their manager out, but Bilic's players continue to fight for him, masking
the lack of any discernible style of play by demonstrating their battling
qualities.

"I see that they want to do it," Bilic said. "After the first three games,
when we were on zero points, I didn't see no discipline in the camp. On the
contrary, I felt that we wanted to do it all together. Are they doing it for
the manager or themselves? At the end of the day, it's not important.

"You can talk about the quality of our performance today but we won the game
because we didn't give up. We didn't raise unbelievably the quality of our
game in the second half, but if I am on the pitch and I don't care, it was
the perfect situation not to care. But we didn't. We forced that goal."

The problem is that the longer this persists, the more Bilic will come
across as a motivational cheerleader rather than a tactical mastermind. That
might be enough to keep West Ham out of the relegation zone but it is not a
solid foundation for success.

Having risen to 15th after picking up seven points from four games, West Ham
have an opportunity to build after the international break. "Now I'm
expecting for us to do much better," Bilic said.

He is safe for now, but ultimately this was the kind of uneven performance
that shows why his long-term future is less certain. Unless Bilic can snap
them out of the wearying cycle of constantly needing a scrappy win to ward
off a major crisis, West Ham will have few compelling reasons to extend his
contract at the end of the season.

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