Daily WHUFC News - 26th April 2018

'Wonderful' Ken Brown set to receive Lifetime Achievement Award
WHUFC.com

"A pillar of the side at centre-half, a stopper who never gave in and a
brilliant header of the ball. He had the most wonderful personality – he was
a pleasing, friendly man who was always smiling, and I knew I could count on
him."

So said legendary West Ham United manager Ron Greenwood when referring to
Ken Brown in his autobiography, Yours Sincerely. In a record-breaking era
that saw the likes of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Ronnie Boyce,
Johnny Byrne and John Bond star in the Claret and Blue, that is quite a
compliment.
Yet it is nothing less than fully deserved by a man who will forever hold
the unique honour of being the only Hammer to have played in the 1957/58
Second Division title-winning campaign, the 1964 FA Cup final victory and
the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup triumph – the three momentous
achievements that put West Ham United on the map and earned the Club global
recognition during that golden period.
Born on 16 February 1934, just around the corner from the Boleyn Ground in
Forest Gate, Ken was playing amateur football for local Dagenham side
Neville United when Hammers boss Ted Fenton signed him on professional forms
at the age of 17 in October 1951. National Service slowed his early progress
but Ken was handed a senior debut a week after his 19th birthday in February
1953, in a 1-1 draw at Rotherham United, and made a handful of appearances
during the next three seasons before establishing himself as the Club's
first-choice centre-half in the memorable 1957/58 campaign. The record books
show that Ken played in 41 of the 42 Second Division games as Fenton's team,
led by the goalscoring power of John Dick and Vic Keeble, surged to the
title and brought top-flight league football back to Upton Park for the
first time in 26 years.
Just months later, Brown lined up in a First Division match against
Manchester United alongside a 17-year-old Bobby Moore – marking the start of
a defensive partnership that would become the rock upon which the Club's
success of the 1960s was built. Winner of the Hammer of the Year award at
the end of that 1958/59 season, Brown won a solitary full England cap in a
2-1 win over Northern Ireland in November 1959, but the best was still to
come as the dawn of a new decade and the arrival of Ron Greenwood saw him
establish the connection with Moore that led to the double Wembley triumph
in 1964 and 1965.
In May 1967, after making his 474th and final senior appearance for the
Hammers a few months earlier, he was awarded a Testimonial – in which a
newly-signed Billy Bonds made his first appearance – before joining old
friend John Bond at Torquay United in a £4,000 deal. After hanging up his
boots in 1970 following a spell with Hereford United, he began a long and
successful coaching and managerial career that saw him assist Bond at
Bournemouth and Norwich, before taking charge at Carrow Road and leading the
Canaries to a League Cup success in 1985 and promotion to the top flight a
year later. The Brown association at West Ham continued in the early 1990s
when Ken's son Kenny signed from Plymouth Argyle and became a firm
favourite, following in his Dad's footsteps by enjoying a promotion-winning
campaign in 1992/93.

This evening, Ken becomes the sixth Hammer to be honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement Award, following in the footsteps of his former team-mates Bobby
Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, and Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy
Bonds.

*You can follow live coverage of the 2017/18 Player Awards, brought to you
by Betway in aid of the Academy, on whufc.com and across the Club's social
media channels this evening.

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Joao Mario: Sunday is a chance to show our quality
WHUFC.com

Joao Mario is looking forward to testing himself against the best on Sunday,
when West Ham United welcome champions Manchester City to London Stadium.
Pep Guardiola's men sealed the Premier League title a couple of weeks back,
following an astonishing season which has seen them amass 90 points from 34
games to date. The task facing the Hammers on Sunday is undoubtedly a tough
one, but Mario believes the team he joined on loan from Inter Milan in
January can go one better than the narrow 2-1 loss they suffered in
Manchester earlier this season. "We're up against a hard team on Sunday and
it is not going to be an easy game, but we're at home and we're going to
try, with our fans behind us, [to get a result]," the Euro 2016 winner said.
"Everyone enjoys watching the way Manchester City play. They have amazing
football players and they are an incredible team. "This is when you can show
your quality, playing against big teams. We will try to find the space and
do our best."

Mario has made a positive impact during his temporary stay in E20, showing
the qualities which have earned him 33 Portugal caps, and he wants to do his
bit to help the Hammers make sure of their top flight status as soon as
possible. "I'm really enjoying my time here," the No18 added. "The team is
improving a lot, and playing in the Premier League is amazing for me. I
think it's the best championship in the world, so I'm really happy to be
here. "Playing in the Premier League was a goal for me, so I'll keep going
but the most important thing is guaranteeing our safety."

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Pearce backs West Ham rookie Rice to 'spring back' from Arsenal
disappointment
WHUFC.com

Stuart Pearce has backed Declan Rice to bounce back from the disappointment
the youngster felt after Sunday's Premier League defeat at Arsenal. Showing
the maturity which has already served him so well in his short senior
career, Rice has vowed to learn from the mistake he made in allowing Aaron
Ramsey's cross to pass into the net for the Gunners' second goal at the
Emirates Stadium. First-team manager's assistant Pearce welcomed Rice's
reaction and, on the day the Hammer of the Year will be crowned at the
2017/18 Player Awards brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy,
suggested the Irish teenager had been one of West Ham United's true standout
performers during a challenging season.
"It's one of those where you have to be supportive to young players, but
it's also one of those where you have to grow up very quickly because, if
you're given a shirt in the Premier League, you're expected to do a man's
job, even if it says you're a very young man above the door," said Pearce,
who celebrated his 56th birthday on Tuesday. "Moments like that, the
relevance to me is how you spring back from it and how you learn from it. "I
hark back to my career and in my second or third game at the start of my
professional career [with Coventry City against Luton Town in 1983], I
scored an own-goal and all of a sudden I thought 'Wowee', but it was about
how I learned from it and making sure that same mistake doesn't happen
again. "When that ball flashes across our box again, Dec will be looking to
put his head and feet on everything and that's the beauty of it. In general,
his matchplay was very good and has been over the last month and a half, so
he has to keep building on that and learning from mistakes. "We face
Manchester City on Sunday and we will be tested because we're playing
against an outstanding side in this division, but that's the level you've
got to attain to. There's no point setting your standards much, much lower –
you've got to attain to the best team in the league and try to match them
equivalently."

Having backed Pearce also looked ahead to Wednesday's Player Awards, which
will be attended by the first-team squad and hundreds of supporters at the
InterContinental London – The O2. The former defender was crowned Hammer of
the Year himself in 2000/01, when he totalled 42 appearances at the age of
38 to lead West Ham to Premier League safety. "I was just warming up! Nobody
told me couldn't play 40-odd games a season in those days. These days, they
tell you that you need to rest, but I broke the mould a little bit! "I had
two fantastic seasons at this Club and got back in the England side as a
37-year-old. I then broke my shin bone and thought that was the end of my
playing career, but I came back the second season and it was fantastic to be
on the pitch alongside some really talented players in Paolo Di Canio, Rio
Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard."

And whoever wins this year, Pearce says that player should be proud of his
achievement. "Over the course of a season, you can't turn around and say
there haven't been some big plusses. Certainly Marko [Arnautovic] has done
well, scoring goals, particularly since the new manager has come through the
door. "Declan has staked a claim at being a first-team player, so there have
been some real solid performances through the group. It's right and proper
we celebrate that and how well the players have done. "It's like everything,
if you don't think you've done well enough this season when everything pans
out, well, learn by it and improve next year."

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Top ten a pipe dream under current regime?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th April 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's record under the club's current administration is the
worst in the Premier League era. Since the old Division One disappeared in
1992, following the formation of the Premier League in a breakaway from the
Football League, West Ham have had three majority owners - Terry Brown
(1992-2006), Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson/Straumur (2006-2010) and David Sullivan
& David Gold (since 2010). And whilst teams on the much-maligned Brown's
watch averaged a 14th-place finish, and under the Icelandics'
far-shorter-lived reign an even more impressive 11th, performances under the
Sullivan/Gold banner have resulted in an average finish of just 15th - the
lowest of all three majority owners.

The shy Brown, who was eventually hounded out of the club following a storm
of protests and negative publicity in the first half of the noughties saw
the club achieve seven top ten finishes on his watch (14 seasons in total),
including United's second-highest top-flight finish of 5th under Harry
Redknapp in 1998/99.

And whilst West Ham also finished in the top half of the table twice in the
Icelandics three seasons (under Alan Curbishley and Gianfranco Zola), they
have managed it just once since Sullivan and Gold arrived at the club eight
years ago - in the final, emotional season at The Boleyn Ground (Slaven
Bilic).

In terms of Cup competitions, the Brown era resulted in the club reaching
five quarter finals and one final (the 2006 FA Cup Final) whilst there was
just the one quarter final during Gudmundsson's three-year tenure.

However since Sullivan and Gold arrived at the club there have been four
quarter final appearances and two semi finals - both in the League Cup -
although two were in the duo's first season (an FA Cup quarter final and a
League Cup semi) under Avram Grant, which also resulted in relegation to the
Championship.

Brown & Cearns

Seasons: 2nd* (92/93); 13th (93/94); 14th (94/95); 10th (95/96); 14th
(96/97); 8th (97/98); 5th (98/99); 9th (99/00); 15th (00/01); 7th (01/02);
18th (02/03); 4th* (03/04); 6th* (04/05); 9th (05/06)

Average position: 14th
Top ten finishes: 7/14 (50%)
Relegations: 1 (2002/03)

Gudmundsson & Magnusson

Seasons: 15th (06/07); 10th (07/08); 9th (08/09)

Average position: 11th
Top ten finishes: 2/3 (67%)
Relegations: 0

Sullivan & Gold

Seasons: 17th (09/10); 20th (10/11); 3rd* (11/12); 10th (12/13); 13th
(13/14); 12th (14/15); 7th (15/16); 11th (16/17); 15th (17/18)

Average position: 15th
Top ten finishes: 1/9 (11%)
Relegations: 1 (2010/11)

* Denotes a season in the Championship (second tier)

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Moyes statistically West Ham's worst
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th April 2018
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes is statistically West Ham United's worst-ever full-time manager.

The current managerial incumbent, who took over from Slaven Bilic last
November has achieved a win ratio of just 23.53% since succeeding the Croat,
who himself departed after two-and-a-half years in the role with a ratio of
38.3%.

Moyes, who has currently overseen 27 matches, had led the Hammers to just
seven wins during that time - against Chelsea, Stoke, West Brom,
Huddersfield, Watford, Southampton and Shrewsbury (FA Cup replay). Of those
seven victories, only one came against a team in the upper half of the
Premier League.

Of West Ham's 'top-flight only' managers, Alan Curbishley tops the pile with
a score of 39.44% - close followed by Bilic. However club legend Billy Bonds
still holds the overall highest score with a win ratio of 43.61% - although
his four years in charge included two in the old Second Division plus a
relegation inbetween.

All managerial win records

1. Billy Bonds (1990-94) 43.61%
2. Charlie Paynter (1932-50) 41.25%
3. Alan Pardew (2003-06) 41.10%
4. John Lyall (1974-89) 40.00%
5. Ted Fenton (1950-61) 39.88%
6. Alan Curbishley (2006-08) 39.44%
7. Syd King (1902-32) 38.87%
8. Slaven Bilic (2015-17) 38.30%
9. Sam Allardyce (2011-15) 37.57%
10. Harry Redknapp (1994-01) 37.00%

11. Lou Macari (1989-90) 35.90%
12. Ron Greenwood (1961-74) 35.87%
13. Avram Grant (2010-11) 31.91%
14. Glenn Roeder (2001-03) 30.49%
15. Franco Zola (2008-10) 28.75%
16. David Moyes (2017-) 23.53%


Top flight-only win records

1. Alan Curbishley (2006-08) 39.44%
2. Slaven Bilic (2015-17) 38.30%
3. Harry Redknapp (1994-01) 37.00%
4. Ron Greenwood (1961-74) 35.87%
5. Avram Grant (2010-11) 31.91%
6. Franco Zola (2008-10) 28.75%
7. David Moyes (2017-) 23.53%

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West Ham set to offer new contract to Declan Rice
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 25/04/18 12:21pm
SSN

West Ham are poised to offer defender Declan Rice a new long-term contract,
according to Sky sources. The new deal intends to recognise the development
made by the 19-year-old centre-back in the past year, which has seen him
become a regular in the first-team squad. Rice has one year remaining on his
current contract at the London Stadium, although West Ham have the option to
extend the existing deal by a further year. He has featured 27 times for the
Hammers so far this season and made his international debut for the Republic
of Ireland in March. Rice had previously made his first-team debut for West
Ham on the final day of the 2016/17 Premier League season, coming on as an
89th-minute substitute in the 2-1 win at Burnley. He was named West Ham's
young player of the year for 2017 after captaining the club's U23 side to
promotion to the Premier League 2.

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RICE IS A QUICK LEARNER AND AN 'OBSCENE EFFORT' IS REQUIRED AGAINST MAN
CITY!
By S J Chandos 25 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Only West Ham United FC could lose a match so convincingly in the last eight
minutes! Seriously though, it does beggar belief the way in which we played
so well against Arsenal and were in line to win a vital away point, only to
blow it at that late stage. Yes, the team probably tired in the latter
stages and the nature of Arsenal's second goal was particularly galling, but
(as Arnautovic has subsequently said) we should have maintained our shape
and discipline even after that reverse. Instead we unravelled in a quite
worrying fashion.

Still, perhaps we should console ourselves with the thought that we did not
expect much at the Emirates and now just move on to the next match, versus
Man City, this coming Sunday. Only first, I think it needs stating that
overall we deserved the point at the Emirates, but that the same old
defensive mistakes (at the very death) cost us the result. Lets hope that we
can get firmly on top of those defensive lapses and they do not ultimately
prove our undoing in the run-in to this turbulent and frustrating season.
Incidentally, my view on the post-match Moyes-Rice controversy is that the
Manager was obviously too honest in his response to the media's questions.
He should have delivered a more diplomatic response and saved the frank
honesty for the dressing room. As it is, social media have jumped on it and
created a big fuss and that does no one any good in this present situation.
The truth of the matter is that Declan Rice is a youngster of great natural
ability and it is that which underpins his outstanding performances this
season. But as a 19 year old, he is (naturally) still short on that other
vital ingredient, experience. And it is experience that tells a player what
to do in a split second situation like that, if you have it, you react
automatically/instinctively and clear the danger. Rice does not have it yet,
got caught in two minds and unfortunately took the wrong course of action.
Ironically, costly as the mistake probably was, it will ultimately add to
Rice's experience and ensure that in future he will make the right decision
in similar situations.

The one thing I do know about Declan Rice is that he is a quick learner, he
has amply shown that this season, and this incident will probably be a key
lesson in his journey towards becoming a top class international defender.
His ability to learn from mistakes/situations and progress is what
distinguishes him from other promising players at the club who have not made
the same progress. I am a fan of Reece Oxford, but there is no doubt that
Rice has superseded him in the race to become a first team regular. And
perhaps that is why, it is about a positive attitude, learning lessons and
continually progressing your game. One player has, the other, hitherto, has
not to anything like the same degree!

Well, 'thank goodness for Ashley Barnes' of Burnley (as David Hautzig stated
in his recent match review). Indeed! That scrappy Clarets equaliser against
Stoke City could yet prove vital to the outcome of the relegation battle. It
is pretty much clear that if Stoke City lose to Liverpool this coming
weekend (as the form book says they should) then they are going to be
relegated. Southampton (as the club presently in 18th place) have shown a
consistent inability to win matches and if that trend continues then they
should occupy the third and final relegation place. Also in the relegation
mix are Huddersfield and Swansea and it is still possible that it could be
one of those two (rather than the Hammers) who fall through the trap door if
Saints somehow manage to save themselves at the 11th hour. But, lets not
rely on the deficiencies and negative results of others.The best possible
response is to win this weekend to (hopefully, if Bournemouth do the
business in the south coast derby) create a 9 points gap over Southampton.
If not, then we need at least a point from the Man City match and hope that
we can then complete the job up at Leicester City.

No one denies that beating Man City is a very tough task, in facing both the
best team in English football and the newly crowned PL champions. But we are
at home and if the history of West Ham United FC proves anything (for
example, see Fergie, Man Utd and an obscene effort!), it is that a highly
motivated team (playing above itself) can get a result against even the best
opposition. Hopefully, Man City will take their foot off the accelerator
(now the title is in the bag and they are out of the Champions League) and
the minds of all those multi-million pound City Stars will turn to keeping
fit for this summer's World Cup in Russia.

I know that is probably wishful thinking, but what the hell! After all,
stranger things have happened!

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham pursing Davie Selke, but face battle with Brighton
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United are reportedly keen on Davie Selke. According to SportBILD,
West Ham United are interested in signing Hertha Berlin striker Davie Selke
– but face competition from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.
Selke, 23, made his name with Werder Bremen, but made the surprise decision
to drop into the second tier with RB Leipzig after 10 goals in 33 games for
the Bundesliga side. The 6ft 3in striker failed to really impress with
Leipzig, scoring just 14 times in 53 games, before being sold on to Hertha
Berlin last summer in a move which has certainly paid off. Selke has scored
12 times in all competitions this season, an impressive tally given that he
has only started 20 games for Hertha, and his displays appear to be
attracting interest.
SportBILD report that West Ham United are keen to land Selke this summer,
but face a battle with Brighton and Hove Albion for his signature. The
Hammers may have added Jordan Hugill in January, but with no starts since
his deadline day move from Preston North End, it would be little surprise to
see them move for another striker. Brighton had great success in the German
market with the signing of Pascal Gross last summer, and could return for
Selke – though it would be a little bit of a surprise given that they signed
both Jurgen Locadia and Leonardo Ulloa in January.

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West Ham reject chance to sign Joe Hart from Manchester City
Sean Kearns
Wednesday 25 Apr 2018 5:37 pm
Metro.co.uk

West Ham have decided against signing Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart
this summer, Metro.co.uk understands. The England stopper joined the Hammers
on a season-long loan last summer after West Ham agreed to pay half of his
£120,000-a-week wages. Hart spent the previous campaign with Serie A side
Torino but opted to move back to the Premier League to boost his chances of
earning a spot in England's World Cup squad this summer. However, Hart's
endured a difficult campaign in east London and has managed just 19
appearances in the league after David Moyes turned to Adrian following his
appointment at the London Stadium. Hart has made 19 league appearances for
the Hammers (Picture: Getty) Manchester City included an option to buy
agreement in their deal with West Ham but the Hammers have opted not to take
up the opportunity. Metro.co.uk understands the Hammers also plan on letting
Adrian leave the club and want a new No.1 to takeover in the summer. Ederson
is City's long-term no.1 (Picture: Getty) Hart signed a new five-year deal
with City in 2014 but he enters the final year of his contract this summer.
Pep Guardiola signed Claudio Bravo as Hart's replacement in 2016 and made
Ederson the most expensive goalkeeper of all time when the Brazilian signed
for £35m from Benfica last summer. Hart will speak with City this summer to
seek clarification over his summer and he's likely to be told to find a new
club.

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