Daily WHUFC News - 19th April 2018

The legacy of the late Dylan Tombides
WHUFC.com

Four years ago, a light went out at West Ham United, but the legacy of the
late Dylan Tombides continues to shine brightly, not only in east London but
across the world. Dylan passed away on 18 April 2014, aged just 20,
following a long, arduous and courageous battle with the cancer which
ultimately took his life. Following the death of the popular striker, who
graduated from the Academy of Football before making his first-team debut
against Wigan Athletic in September 2012, his family set up the DT38
Foundation, a charity founded to fight testicular cancer in both the UK and
Dylan's native Australia. Dylan's mother and DT Foundation founder Tracy
Tombides said: "Finding the words to express how myself, Jim, Taylor and our
family and friends feel on a day like today is almost impossible. Words
like proud and inspired by his talent and achievements get mixed with
devastated and robbed. "Dylan was the life and soul of our house , he was a
wonderful young man with a special talent which was never fully expressed
because his life was taken so early by such a cruel disease. We are so
grateful for the hundreds of messages of support we have received from
people across the world on the fourth anniversary of his passing, Dylan's,
personality, talent, brave and inspiring story clearly touches so many
people. "His memory and legacy live on and we will continue to work harder
and harder to spread awareness of testicular cancer, the need for self
checking and the importance of insisting on an ultra-sound if problems
arise. "Finally thank you to all of our wonderful partners, supporters,
donators, volunteers and followers, we couldn't continue to raise awareness
so successfully at DT38 Foundation without you or your funding."

Since its foundation, DT38 has attracted the backing of a host of big names
in the football world, including Australia captain Mile Jedinak, the manager
who gave Dylan his debut, Sam Allardyce, Dylan's former Academy Director
Tony Carr and his West Ham teammates Mark Noble, James Collins, Jack
Collison, James Tomkins, Sebastian Lletget, Freddie Sears, Jordan Spence,
George Moncur, Dan Potts, Rob Hall and Elliot Lee. DT38's drive to raise
self-awareness, promote education and provide opportunities began at the
Premier League fixture with Crystal Palace in February 2015 and will
continue later this month at the fourth annual DT38 Awareness Day, which
will coincide with the visit of Manchester City to London Stadium on Sunday
29 April. Dylan's family and DT38 Foundation Ambassadors and supporters will
be at the game to talk about the charity's work and raise funds and
awareness for the fight against male cancers. On Sunday 10 June, Dylan's
brother Taylor and Dave Sullivan, the son of Joint-Chairman David Sullivan,
will be among the pugilists taking part in the first DT38 White Collar
Boxing event at the legendary York Hall in Bethnal Green, in association
with the world-famous Peacock Gym. Taking control of the DT38 fundraising
auction and presenting the trophies will be former WBC world
light-heavyweight champion John Conteh, while the event will be hosted by
BBC Radio 5 Live broadcaster Johnny Barran.
Tickets are priced at £60 for ringside seating, £50 for balcony seating and
£40 for stalls seating, with all profits going to the DT38 Foundation. To
buy your tickets now, click here.

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Carroll: Hammers must keep working hard to stay up
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll says West Ham United must continue to put their best foot
forward to ensure the Club is playing Premier League football next season.
Carroll scored in the 90th minute with a superb finish from the edge of the
penalty area to secure the Irons a valuable point against Stoke City, after
Peter Crouch had put the away side ahead. The striker's fine strike means
the Irons have collected five points in their last three games, moving the
team to 14th in the table, seven points clear of the drop zone with five
matches left to play for David Moyes's side. But Carroll has urged the side
not to accept safety as a given, saying he and his teammates have to keep
playing well to guarantee top flight football for next campaign. "I think
we're still in it until the end of the season," Carroll said, when asked if
the Club's Premier League status had been confirmed: "There are so many
teams that can get sucked in. We've just got to work hard, take each game as
it comes, and see what happens."

Carroll's finish was his third of the season, and came after Aaron Cresswell
played a cross to the forward – the fifth time the defender has assisted the
No9 during their time together at West Ham. "It was a good cross," Carroll
continued: "He's put it in early enough. I think everyone expected it to go
right in the box, but it didn't and I just hesitated my run, and got on the
end of it. "It was great. I was itching to get on a little bit earlier, and
I got on, got a half-chance, and put it away. "The manager spoke before the
game and we knew we had to get a result. We knew we had to get something and
we came away with a point. We're disappointed not to come away with three
but, three goals disallowed – two offside and one for handball – it was
difficult to take. Coming away with one point is good enough."

Carroll's showing was the first for the Hammers since playing against
Tottenham at the beginning of January, and the attacker is thrilled to be
back in action again.
England manager Gareth Southgate was in attendance at London Stadium for
Monday's match, but Carroll insists his primary focus is currently on
playing as much as possible for the Irons. He added: "The last 11 weeks have
been tough, really tough, and frustrating. I've been in the gym most of the
time and I don't want to be there. It's been tough but I've got through it
and I'm back on the pitch now, and I feel good. "[An England return] would
be nice but at the minute I'm just concentrating on staying fit and getting
goals and getting in the squad here. Hopefully something will happen but, if
not, it is what it is."

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Declan Rice's first class character sets him apart – former Hammer Upson
WHUFC.com

Former West Ham United defender Matthew Upson has hailed Declan Rice's
character as he observes his former charge's rapid rise to prominence this
season. Upson worked as Rice's mentor in the Academy of Football last season
and has not been surprised at the 19-year-old's ability to adapt as he has
established himself in the first team throughout the 2017/18 campaign. Rice
has appeared in 21 of the Hammers' 33 Premier League games to date this
season, alongside making his senior Republic of Ireland debut, and Upson
believes his development curve will only continue to shoot upwards. "Terry
[Westley, Academy Manager] asked me to be Declan's mentor last season and we
worked together quite closely for a year," the 21-cap former England
international said. "His progress has been rapid and one of the main reasons
for that has been his attitude and character. That is what sets him apart.
"Some people would say his progress has been unexpected from where he was
two years ago but his application and attitude have been first class. He
will listen, he wants to do well, he is eager for the next challenge – and
he's tough."

When it comes to passing on his expertise, Upson is only too happy to play
his part in assisting the next generation of defenders and he explained what
his role with the Academy entailed. He said: "Mentoring a young player
involves a lot of talking, advice and analysis. Sometimes young players in
the Under-23s hit a time when the only development they need is in
performance-related goals. "They wouldn't be in the Under-23s at a Premier
League club if they didn't understand the game and weren't good technically.
The next step is to question performance goals, things like: 'When the ball
is wide, do I mark space or get close to an opponent?' Or: 'When that ball
comes over, do I challenge for the ball when I know the opponent is going to
win it or just shunt him before he jumps to knock him off balance?' "That
sort of stuff, those little psychological points, can make a big difference
in the development of young players. "Declan is an amazing learner and that
is why he has done so well. His attitude and character set him apart and he
is a great example of a young player who has gone from where he was at a
year ago, to being regularly involved in the first team."

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IN RETROSPECT, THE CRUCIAL THING ON MONDAY EVENING WAS NOT TO LOSE!
By S J Chandos 18 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Like most of you, I am frustrated that we failed to secure a crucial win
over Stoke City. To have done so would have put us 10 points ahead of Stoke
and 9 points ahead of Southampton. As it is, we are now 7 points ahead of
both clubs, with 4/5 matches to play. Whereas, if Stoke City had secured a
travesty of a victory, the gap would have been reduced to a far less
comfortable 4 points and given them great momentum going in to their next
fixture at home to Burnley. So, in retrospect, it could be the case that the
crucial thing was that we did not lose on Monday evening. Tough as some of
our remaining fixtures are, I still reckon that we will accumulate the
necessary points to preserve our PL status. I am also comforted by the
thought that it is very unlikely (based on prior/current form) that either
Stoke City or Southampton will secure the three victories out of their final
four games that they probably need to stand any chance of surviving at our
expense.

I am greatly encouraged by the timely return to fitness of Lanzini and
Carroll, plus the apparent determination of Hernandez to stick to his
striking task, regardless of the fact that he cannot be happy that he is not
starting games. Other notable sources of encouragement are the brilliant
form of Rice and Ogbonna, the strong leadership of Noble and the continuing
effectiveness of Arnautovic in his central striking role. On the down side,
Hart remains prone to silly errors, but we still need to get behind him as I
have a suspicion that he will probably remain our first choice custodian for
the remainder of this season. Personally, I am also spurred on by the
knowledge that the players have previously responded well, under Moyes, when
faced with some very tough fixtures against the top sides. For instance, we
beat Chelsea (home} and then went on to grind out creditable draws against
Arsenal (home), Spurs (away) and Chelsea (away). Those results hopefully
bode well for the forthcoming challenges against Arsenal (away), Man City
(home) and Man Utd (home). The objective must surely be to maximise the
points return in those three matches, so there is less riding on the final
two matches vs Leicester City (away) and Everton (home). That final home
match against Everton might be our ultimate assurance policy, but lets hope
(as events turn out) that we do not actually need it!

As for the match itself on Monday, I thought that we dominated for the
majority of the game and should have won easily. The fact that we had three
goals disallowed (rightfully as it turns out) speaks volumes. I know that
Moyes has a tough job, but I must say that I anticipated that he would have
started with Arnautovic-Hernandez up front in this fixture. Hernandez caused
Stoke all sorts of problems when he came on and one can only speculate on
the impact he could have had if he had started the match. In the end a vital
point was rescued by a very unlikely hero, the hitherto incapacitated, Andy
Carroll. And what a class strike it was! You know something, on occasions
like that, Carroll shows flashes of inspiration/technique that we often
think beyond him. Yet, he is obviously capable of it and one wonders exactly
what he could really do if could only stay fit for a prolonged period of
time. Hopefully, Carroll will now stay fit and play a key role coming on, to
positively impact on matches in the latter stages.

Thanks to Carroll's late equaliser, we stay in a reasonably strong position
in our hunt for survival. You would certainly not trade positions with
either Stoke City or Southampton, would you? It would be wonderful to secure
a great win at the Emirates, but it is more probable that we will set up to
clinch another key draw on the road to our PL safety. Indeed, it is all
likely to be a bit nerve wracking, but lets hope the issue is settled (to
our ultimate satisfaction) come that final home fixture vs Everton. Because
Mr Allardyce, and his Toffee Men, are unlikely to do us any favours if they
can help it!

SJ. Chandos.

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WEST HAM HAVE 'WIN/WIN' SITUATION AS STRIKER EYES END OF SEASON
SURGEFeatured Image
Date: 18th April 2018 at 8:54pm
Written by: Josh Challies
ReadWestHam

West Ham have plenty of work to do this summer and a complete rejuvenation
of their attacking line could occur, with both Javier Hernandez and Andy
Carroll having uncertain futures ahead of them at the London Stadium. Mexico
forward Hernandez is said to be unhappy with the Hammers, whilst 29-year-old
Carroll is rapidly approaching the final 12 months of his deal and doesn't
currently look likely to earn fresh terms after another spell away from
action due to injury.
However, he made his return to the side in Monday's 1-1 draw with fellow
strugglers Stoke City, coming off the bench to score a last-gasp equaliser
and extending the Hammers' advantage over the relegation zone to seven
points. Claret & Hugh state that an upturn in form for the veteran striker
could turn out to be a win/win situation for the Hammers, who would see
those performances strengthen their position in the battle for the drop and
it could also lead for suitors for Carroll's signature. If a new contract
with Carroll is to be agreed, it would more than likely occur midway through
next season if the striker impresses.

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FIVE GOALKEEPERS WEST HAM SHOULD LOOK AT THIS SUMMER
GEORGE ROGAN @georgerogan97
ReadWestHam

West Ham have struggled to find a solid enough first-choice goalkeeper over
the past two seasons. Darren Randolph, Adrian and Joe Hart have all had the
number one spot but none of them have been able to hold it down. Hart was
brought in on loan from Manchester City this season and was expected to
cement his place in the side and go on to start for England at the 2018
World Cup. However, he has made a number of mistakes, including on Monday
night against Stoke City. A tame effort from Xherdan Shaqiri was spilled by
the Englishman and led to Peter Crouch scoring when Hart tried to recover
the ball with his feet. Being at the bottom end of the table once again,
West Ham are unlikely to sign Hart permanently. They also seem intent on not
having Adrian as the permanent first-choice so it looks like they will go
into the transfer market once more.

We have looked at five goalkeepers they could sign.

ANGUS GUNN
Angus Gunn would be a clever signing for West Ham to make. Gunn is owned by
Manchester City and has spent this season on loan at Norwich City. He has
made many impressive performances for the Canaries this season, earning him
an England call up in November 2017. The 22-year-old looks certain to have a
bright future and has even be tipped to one day become City's first-choice
goalkeeper, so bringing him in permanently would be fabulous business. Gunn
may grow impatient at not being given a chance in Manchester and that plays
into West Ham's hands. They can offer him first team football in the Premier
League now, something City won't do with Ederson looking like a comfortable
choice to have in between the sticks for years to come. The youngster has
time on his side and if the transfer was to be successful, he could be the
backbone of the Hammers for a long time.

BEN FOSTER
The West Brom number one would be a good choice for the Hammers. His current
side look like getting relegated to the Championship, having left it too
late to find form that will keep them up. On Sunday, Foster put in an
excellent display against Manchester United at the weekend as they claimed a
shock 1-0 victory.
Foster has been largely reliable throughout his time at West Brom, winning
the Player of the Season award last season. He is likely to be sought after
in the summer and West Ham should be one of the clubs on his radar. He would
come relatively cheap due to him only having a year left on his contract and
the fact he is getting on. That too is where the problem lies. Foster is now
35, so he may not be around for long, leaving West Ham facing the same
problem in a year or two.

RUI PATRICIO
If West Ham are looking abroad then the first place to start would be in
Portugal. Patricio has been a consistently strong performer for his club
Sporting. The Portuguese international made his debut at the age of 18, and
has gone on to play more than 400 times for his club. He handles pressure
well, as shown by the many saves he made to preserve a clean sheet in the
Euro 2016 final, helping his country defeat France 1-0. The fee wouldn't be
too much for the 30-year-old, and his wages would be much smaller than those
of Hart. The lure of the Premier League could be enough to tempt Patricio to
want to move across, and West Ham would be the perfect place for him to
establish himself in England.

NICK POPE
Nick Pope has been somewhat of a revelation this season. He was signed as a
backup to Tom Heaton and even started the season that way. Heaton got
injured against Crystal Palace back in September and Pope was the man to
replace him. Since then he has put in brilliant performance after brilliant
performance to help Burnley defy the odds and sit seventh. The 25-year-old
was called up to the England squad in March and has kept Heaton out of the
Burnley side since his return from injury. The only thing that may stop a
deal going through is the European football Burnley are likely to have next
season. Nevertheless, Burnley are a club with limited resources, and West
Ham can offer the sort of deal they couldn't say no to, so a bid for the
Cambridgeshire born player would be a good decision.

TIMO HORN
Timo Horn could be the dark horse in terms of West Ham's search for a
goalkeeper this summer. Horn, 24, has been Cologne's number one for six
seasons now and has been their most impressive player this season. With over
150 league appearances at the age of 24 and two player of the season awards,
the German has been the one shining light for Cologne this season as they
are currently last in the Bundesliga. He won a silver medal at the Rio
Olympics with Germany and is known to have turned Liverpool down as a
teenager because he wanted to continue his development in Germany. Horn has
a relegation release clause believed to be around £5.4 million and that
would prove to be a steal should he keep up his standards in the Premier
League.

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DOMINGOS QUINA ON AC MILAN'S RADAR
TANAKA MVERE
ReadWestHam

West Ham's academy starlet Domingos Quina could leave the club this summer
with Italian side AC Milan planning a move for him. Quina's contract expires
in summer 2019 and HITC report that Milan are the favourites to get his
signature. The Italian side appear to have rejuvenated their season under
Genaro Gattuso, with the side now in the Serie A's top six. The Portugal U19
star, who is yet to make his Premier League debut, has been displaying his
abilities in his academy perfomances and a move for Quina could spark his
professional career. Academy director Terry Westley once claimed that
Domingos is one of the most gifted young talents in Europe. Quina scored a
40-yard wondergoal against Leicester and after the game, Westley told the
club website: He is that good. He has got star quality.
The Mirror says that Quina has also attracted other Premier League outfits
and West Ham would be willing to listen to offers. West Ham are keen to
rebuild their squad this summer and may have to consider cashing in some of
their gifted young talents. Ajax are also reportedly showing interest in the
Quina and a move to the Dutch side could also be tempting for the academy
star.

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First picture of aspiring lawyer and West Ham fan, 18, knifed to death on
way home from match
West Ham fans are calling for a minute's applause for murdered student Sami
Sidhom, 18, who was nicknamed 'Mr Swot' by his friends due to his devotion
to his studies
The Mirror
ByDanya Bazaraa
News Reporter
Charlotte Neal
18:34, 18 APR 2018
NEWS

This is the face of murdered aspiring lawyer Sami Sidhom whose future was
ripped away from him in a brutal attack while he made his way home from a
West Ham patch. The 18-year-old was stabbed to death outside his house in
Forest Gate, London, at around 10.50pm on Monday. Fans are calling for a
round of applause for him in the 18th minute of the clash with Manchester
City on Sunday. His death is the latest in a string of fatal stabbings and
shootings in the capital - the number of murder probes launched this year
alone nears 60, more than New York. Witnesses said they saw the "smiley" and
"humble" teenager attacked by up to four men who sped off in a silver car.
The horrendous attack was just metres from the home he shared with his
grandmother and father.
Just an hour before, the West Ham season ticket holder had been at the 1-1
draw against Stoke at the London Stadium.

West Ham News
@whufc_news
18 year-old West Ham fan & University student Sami Sidhom was stabbed to
death yards from his front door by four men after returning home from the
game against Stoke on Monday. Let's give him a minute's applause in the 18th
minute for the City game next week #RIP #WestHamFamily
12:58 PM - Apr 18, 2018
492
240 people are talking about this

West Ham Transfer News said on Twitter said: "I'm saddened to hear about the
stabbing and death of my friend, Sami Sidhom, 18. "He was a passionate West
Ham fan and season ticket holder in the Sir Trevor Brooking stand, block
217, and on his way home from the match against Stoke he was stabbed and
pronounced dead. "I'm calling for the support and unity of all West Ham fans
and the club to get a minute's applause in the 18th minute in our next home
game against Man City, in memory of Sami. "May he rest in peace."

West Ham Transfers
@westhamtransfer
Terrible news. Spread the news.
7:04 PM - Apr 17, 2018
985
726 people are talking about this

In response, Stuart said: "So sorry to hear that, no one should go to a
football match and never come home. Thoughts are with you and his family
ynwa." The teenager, born in the UK and of Egyptian heritage, had been
studying for a history and law degree at Queen Mary University. Releasing
his picture, Met Police said on Wednesday that although formal
identification is yet to take place, officers are confident the victim is
Sami, from Newham. A post mortem gave the cause of death as multiple stab
wounds. No arrests have been made.
Detective Inspector John Marriott, who is leading the investigation, said:
"We are at the early stages of the investigation and my team retain an open
mind as to the motive for Sami's murder. "We are keen to hear from anyone
who may have been in the area last night and may have seen or heard
anything. "It doesn't matter how big or small you think your information may
be; it could be the piece of the puzzle that helps bring the person that
killed a young man last night to justice." Tributes to the "completely
innocent" teen have been laid at the murder scene. Neighbour Tariq Bhugeloo,
who came to lay flowers at the scene, said: "He was a smiley, skinny, humble
guy. Never involved in any trouble. "Sami was always outside polishing his
car - a new black Audi A4. His grandfather passed away recently, so with the
inheritance he bought this car. "I saw him on Saturday and joked with him
that he'd missed a spot. He was a completely innocent guy. "I didn't hear
the scream because I'm at the back of the house, but my brother did." A
childhood friend of the student, believed to have been studying at Queen
Mary University of London, said he was "a good guy".
The friend, who has not been named, said: "I spoke to him yesterday. We were
talking about West Ham. He was a good guy, it's his 19th birthday in a few
months. "He has never been involved in any crime. He has a nice car, but
that was from his granddad. I just can't believe it." Others described
witnessing the attack. One resident, who did not want to be named, said he
saw a man knife the teenager in the back and then jump into a silver car,
which sped off. "I heard a commotion outside my house and then saw one man
with a knife stab the guy in the back," he said. "There was another man
there too and they jumped into a silver car and drove away. "The guy who had
been stabbed was screaming 'help me, help me'." Another neighbour who lives
opposite the scene said he tried to help the teenager, but he was losing too
much blood. "I heard a car race down the street and stop. Then I heard a
scream, and the car sped off. "It looks like he was stabbed in the back.
"The air ambulance doctors were working on him in the street but I'm pretty
sure he was dead before the official time of death." Mayor of London Sadiq
Khan said: "My heart goes out to the friends and family of the teenager who
lost his life in Forest Gate last night. "I am in close contact with the
police and I am reassured that they are doing everything they can to bring
those responsible to justice and keep Londoners safe."

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