Daily WHUFC News - 10th May 2018

West Ham United v Manchester United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

West Ham United will take on Manchester United in the Premier League on Thursday in the penultimate contest of the campaign.
Read on for all the information you need ahead of this midweek game.

Where and when?
The Hammers will welcome Manchester United to London Stadium on Thursday 10 May 2018.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45pm.

How to follow:
West Ham v Manchester United will be available on Sky Sports, via their Main Event and Premier League channels, with programming set to begin at 7:30pm. Click here for overseas listings.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter account.
You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.
You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat channels.

Team news:

Pedro Obiang returned to the bench for the Hammers in the win over Leicester City at the weekend, indicating a chance that the midfielder could feature again for West Ham before the end of the season. Supporters will also be hoping that Chicharito is once again available, having missed out this last weekend. Winston Reid and Michail Antonio remain out. Manager David Moyes will offer an update on his available team news during his press-conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Match Officials:

Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistant Referees: Eddie Smart and Harry Lennard
Fourth Official: Kevin Friend

How to get there:

Supporters can use Stratford, Stratford International, Pudding Mill Lane or Hackney Wick stations to reach London Stadium.

By Train

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: I'm keeping Sir Alex in my thoughts
WHUFC.com

West Ham United manager David Moyes said he is keeping Sir Alex Ferguson and his family in his thoughts after the iconic manager's recent health scare. Sir Alex was rushed into hospital on Saturday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, where emergency surgery was performed on the former Manchester United boss. Further updates suggest that the 76-year-old is now on the road to recovery, a fact that fellow Scotsman Moyes is overjoyed to hear.
Moyes took over from Sir Alex at Manchester United in 2013, after the Red Devils stalwart decided to end his highly successful 26-year stint in charge of the club, and the Hammers manager is keeping his old colleague and his family on his mind while they battle against his condition. Moyes revealed he was informed of Sir Alex's ill health during the journey back from his side's 2-0 victory at Leicester City, and hopes he is on the mend. "We were all devastated when we heard the news, after the game on Saturday, coming back from Leicester," Moyes said. "If the news is correct, and Sir Alex is doing well, then we are thrilled, we really are.
"I've not had any more news than what I've been picking up in bits and pieces from the media. We will be thinking about him and his family. I know them all very well and I just hope he is sitting up in bed, and he is watching this news conference."

Moyes is preparing his Hammers to take on the club Sir Alex is most closely linked to in Manchester United on Thursday, with the Irons looking to claim a second successive win after securing their Premier League safety. Manchester United, now managed by Jose Mourinho, head into this midweek fixture on the back of a defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Manchester United
WHUFC.com

Manchester United travel to London Stadium on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Brighton last week – the fourth time in their last eight away matches that they have failed to win. The visitors need just one point from their final two games to seal second place in the Premier League and also have the FA Cup final in little over a week to prepare for. West Ham, then, are primed to earn at least a draw on Thursday night. David Moyes' side have already proved that they are capable of matching the league's big-six clubs this season, having taken four points from home games against Chelsea and Arsenal. The Hammers also earned draws with Tottenham and Chelsea in the league, as well as beating the former in the EFL Cup fourth round. And, having won 2-0 at Leicester last weekend and lost just two of their last six, confidence should be high for the home side. In order to avoid defeat, though, it's likely that they will need to score.

Jose Mourinho's side have found the back of the net in eleven of their last 15 league games and won the reverse fixture 4-0 on the opening day of the season. They have, however, kept just three clean sheets in their last eight away games. Given that West Ham have only failed to net in two of their last 14 matches in all competitions at London Stadium, both teams to score looks a reliable bet. When picking a goalscorer for the Hammers, it makes sense to think away from the usual suspects. Three of the last five goals Manchester United have conceded in the league have been from headers, and Angelo Ogbonna is one of West Ham's biggest threats in the air. The defender has already netted against Tottenham and Manchester City this season, and is a great price to repeat the trick here.

Recommended bets
West Ham to win or draw – 1/1
Both teams to score – 8/11
Angelo Ogbonna to score anytime – 12/1
Back this #BetYourWay at 28/1

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: Celebrating safety, avoiding complacency and ending the season strongly
WHUFC.com

West Ham United manager David Moyes says his players are focused on ending the season as strongly as possible, starting with a good performance against Manchester United. The Irons secured their Premier League status last weekend after achieving a win over Leicester City, with Moyes praising his side's attitude.
Ahead of the Premier League clash with the Red Devils on Thursday, the Hammers boss met with representatives of the media. Here's what he had to say…

We always wanted to ensure our own safety

We were on the bus back from Leicester when we heard (that we were safe). We didn't have coverage so it was coming through the radio, and a big cheer went up from the players when they heard because they knew that got us over the line. But the biggest cheer for me was how the supporters reacted to the players and their performance at Leicester. The supporters understood how well we'd played and how well we had done. I was more thrilled with how well we had played at Leicester; How we had passed it and how we had scored good goals. Maybe on another day we would have scored more goals. The Southampton and Everton result helped, obviously, but the biggest result was ours. We always wanted it to be done by us. I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season, to be honest. I always thought, these two home games, we would have to win one of them to make sure we stayed up. But we've done it before that and I can enjoy the two games in the hope that we can win the points against them and climb up the league.

The players and my staff deserve a huge well done

I have to say well done to the players. When I came in here we had nine points and it was difficult, but I've got to say the players have gone and done the job and got the points. I think we've scored quite a few goals and I've got to say all credit to the players. A lot of people questioned me coming in but I've got to say the job was to come in and keep the side up, and we've done that. But I've got to say that I've got a really good staff. I've got a top end staff here and they've been really helpful. The players know that if we can win a couple more games, then we can get ourselves higher up the league. Then we might even be thinking 'well, what was all the worry about'?

We cannot relax just because we are safe

I wouldn't be using the word 'relaxation' – far from it! I will be saying that we have two good games and we know the pressure of any relegation is not there anymore, and we will try to play the best we can. I can only ever say good things about Manchester United because I respect the club so much and what they stand for, and just how good a football club it is. Anybody who is a manager of that football club has a real privilege. I think we would rather be not playing them after a defeat, but the truth is we have to play Manchester United and we will do everything we can to win. We will try to play well in this game.

We have felt the benefits of our Miami training camp

I think our performances since we've come back from our trip have been really good. Maybe if you took out the Manchester City game, I think the players have played really well picked up points in the last seven weeks, and shown a real togetherness in the group.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio: I'm looking forward to contributing again next season
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio was a delighted spectator as West Ham United sealed their Premier League status with a dominant 2-0 victory at Leicester City on Saturday. Antonio was keeping a keen eye on events, so the goals from Joao Mario and Mark Noble gave him a welcome boost as he continues his recovery from an operation on his hamstring. With the Hammers' top flight position secured, the 2017 Hammer of the Year is looking forward to contributing to a more successful season when he returns. "I'm feeling good," he said. "The recovery from my operation is going well so I'm just going to keep moving on with it. "I probably have another three months until I'm back training fully, so hopefully I'll be back playing in August. "It's the holy grail to stay in the Premier League, so it's great [that we've secured safety]. Hopefully next year we can do better. "It was a great performance at Leicester. We didn't give them much of an opportunity, we bossed the game, scored in the first half and sealed it off with Mark Noble's finish. "It was a great strike from him into the bottom corner."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Manchester United
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS
West Ham striker Javier Hernandez has been ruled out with a knee injury. Top scorer Marko Arnautovic is available despite picking up a knock in the win over Leicester.
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku will miss the club's last two league matches with an ankle injury but could return for the FA Cup final. Midfielder Marouane Fellaini is also absent due to a muscular injury, but Alexis Sanchez and Phil Jones both return to the squad.

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes: "There was a big cheer from the players on the bus when they heard the scoreline from Everton and Southampton, but the big cheer for me was the performance against Leicester. "We have picked up points in the last six or seven weeks and showed real togetherness as a group. "The players know that if we can win a couple of more games then we can get ourselves higher up the league."

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on the reaction of his players to the Brighton defeat: "They all work well, even in weeks that hand in bad performances or bad results. "I never have anything negative to say about the professionalism of my players during the season; this week was no different."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
West Ham are safe now too after their win at Leicester on Saturday, which was a massive result for them and means the pressure is off in this game. What happened to the performance we saw from Manchester United in the second half against Manchester City at the start of April?

Prediction: 3-0

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

West Ham have only won five of their 43 Premier League matches against Manchester United, with their last victory coming on 10 May 2016 in the final fixture at Upton Park.
Manchester United have failed to score in only two of their 21 away league fixtures at West Ham: a 0-0 draw in August 1998 and a 1-0 defeat in December 2006.
West Ham United
West Ham have not recorded back-to-back Premier League victories since January 2017.
They are aiming to avoid becoming the first team to lose more than 10 top-flight matches by at least a three-goal margin in a single season since West Brom in 1985-86.
Marko Arnautovic has scored 10 league goals this season. Bobby Zamora was the last West Ham player to score 11 goals in a single Premier League season back in 2006-07.

Manchester United

United could suffer back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a year, when they lost at Arsenal and Tottenham.
They are without a win in their final away game of a Premier League season since 2011-12, when they beat Sunderland. They've drawn four and lost once since then, with the defeat coming at West Ham in 2015-16.
Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in 10 Premier League games against teams managed by David Moyes.
The Red Devils are the only club not to have drawn a Premier League match in 2018.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 25%
Probability of home win: 22% Probability of away win: 53%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager David Moyes won't discuss future until end of season
BBC.co.uk

Manager David Moyes says he will delay talks on his West Ham future until the end of the season, despite the club now being safe from relegation. Moyes took over the Hammers in November with the club in the drop zone, signing a deal until the end of the season. His side confirmed their Premier League status with victory at Leicester on Saturday after a turbulent season. "We have always said we will talk after the end of the season so we will wait until then," said Moyes, 55. "It's always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until we get the last two games out of the way. We are putting things in place, like pre-season, as much as we can, but ultimately I have got a decision to make and the club has as well."
Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic with the club in 18th place with nine points from 11 games. The Hammers have claimed 29 points from 25 games under Moyes and are now 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone. But the London club have struggled at times and fans invaded the pitch and threw missiles in protest at the club's board during a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in March, after which they were 17th and two points above the bottom three. "We have picked up points in the last six or seven weeks and showed real togetherness as a group," Moyes said. "The players know that if we can win a couple of more games then we can get ourselves higher up the league. "Then you might have been thinking, 'what was the worry about', but overall, I have to say well done to the players."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I have a decision to make, says Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes says he has a decision to make regarding his immediate future. The current Hammers boss is out of contract at the end of the season with neither the club nor Moyes himself yet to confirm whether he is set for a long-term stay at West Ham. However he insisted that a decision will be made just as soon as the season culminates, following the two home matches with Moyes' former clubs Manchester Utd and Everton. "We have always said that we will talk after the end of the season," said Moyes when asked about his future during Wednesday's pre-match press conference. "It was always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until after we've got the two games out of the way. "We're putting in place all the things you would expect - the pre-season, as much as we can. Ultimately I've got a decision to make - and so has the club."
Moyes achieved the target set for him when the Hammers beat Leicester last weekend a result that, combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Everton, ensured West Ham could not be relegated. And he believes that has silenced some of his doubters, many of whom felt he was the wrong man to succeed the popular Slaven Bilic. "A lot of people questioned me coming in, which surprised me," said Moyes. "The job was to come in and get them up and you'd have to say we've done that. I've got really good staff, top-end staff here and they've been really helpful. "I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season. I always thought we might have to win one of these two [remaining] homes games to stay up. There was a big cheer from the players on the bus when they heard the scoreline from Everton and Southampton, but the big cheer for me was the performance against Leicester."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
New recruit eyes first team opportunity
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

Young midfielder Sebastian Nebyla already has one eye on the first team at West Ham - despite having just signed his first contract with the club. The 16-year-old arrived at West Ham this week after putting pen to paper on a two-year contract - and immediately set his sights on one day running out with the first team.
"I decided [to join West Ham] on the basis of my feelings and a recommendation from my agent Emil Kovarovich," said Nebyla. " I have been given conditions in which I can train and improve my football. "I've signed a contract for two years; everything was perfectly organised at a high level. The West Ham Academy has excellent conditions, both material and financial. "I'm only 16 years old but I've already practised with the Under 23s. On Monday, I trained with former players Paul Konchesky and Matthew Upson. I hope the contract I've signed will offer me a route to the first team."

Nebyla leaves his previous club Spartaku Trnava as they prepare to celebrate a second successive Slovak Super Liga success; his old club are currently ten points clear of closest rivals Dunajská Streda and can wrap up the title this weekend. "I believe they'll win the title and I hope they will celebrate it after this weekend's match," added Nebyla. "I have a lot of friends there, and I will miss the city as well. I would also like to thank everyone in the club for their support."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio out until August
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

Michail Antonio has confirmed that is likely to miss the beginning of the 2018/19 season. The 28-year-old winger admitted that he doesn't expect to return to first team action until August at the earliest - some three months from now - having recently undergone surgery to correct a longstanding hamstring problem. "I'm feeling good," he told whufc.com. "I'm recovering well from my operation. I've probably got another three months before I'm back in full training so it'll be August before I start playing again."
And despite reports linking the England international with the likes of Crystal Palace, whose manager Roy Hodgson is said to be a keen admirer of the former Forest man, Antonio admits that his only aim right now is to win back his place at West Ham after it was confirmed that the Hammers would once again be playing in the Premier League next season. "Every team wants to stay in the Premier League, it's the holy grail," added Anotnio. "So to have that opportunity to play again next year - especially as I couldn't help the team secure security - is great, and hopefully next year we can do better."
And he was also distinctly impressed by the goal that confirmed safety - even if the scorer isn't exactly prolific in matches or during training! "We bossed the game, managed to get an early goal and see them off with Mark Noble's finish," he surmised. "He doesn't score too many like that and it was a great strike - I didn't expect it from him at all but hey, quality!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
You needs Hans: West Ham consider £15m move
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United could be on the verge of solving their right back problem by moving for Atalanta full back Hans Hateboer. The 23-year-old right back has spent the last 16 months in Serie A following a cut-price move from Groningen in January 2017 and has been courted by the likes of Inter since winning his first international cap in the recent friendly between the Netherlands and England. However the highly-rated Hateboer could be on his way to the Premier League if West Ham decide to turn their interest into a firm offer. According to KUMB sources, the Hammers are currently considering a bid in the region of £15million for the defender, in order to prise his away from Atalanta.
Born in Beerta in 1994, Hateboer came through the ranks at Groningen's Academy before making his first team debut in 2013. He won his first trophy the following year when the Green-White Army won the KNVB Cup, thus securing a place in 2015/16 Europa Cup. Prior to leaving Groningen, he finished the season with the most assists in the Eredivise. Having moved to Atalanta in January 2017, after he had declared his intention to leave Groningen at the end of the season on a free transfer, Hateboer quickly established himself in the first team at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.
This season he haas been a virtual ever-present, making 41 appearances in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Europa League for his current club - including being part of the side that thrashed Sam Allardyce's Everton 5-1 at Goodison Park last November. And he made his international debut back in March, playing the full 90 minutes in the Netherlands' 1-0 defeat against England. West Ham's current first team right backs are the veteran Pablo Zabaleta, who is rapidly approaching his 34th birthday and Sam Byram, the oft-injured former Leeds defender who has made just FIVE Premier League appearances this season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ex-West Ham head of recruitment Tony Henry apologises for comments about African players
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/05/18 6:13pm
SSN

Tony Henry - the former head of recruitment sacked by West Ham in February - has apologised for his comments about African players and says they were not intended to be racist. In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Henry has attempted to explain why he said the Hammers did not want to sign more African players in the January transfer window, and insists both he and the club are not racist in any way. Henry was dismissed by West Ham following an investigation into an email in which he made those comments to an agent as well as subsequent comments to a newspaper that African players "can sometimes have a bad attitude". He was subsequently charged by the FA. Speaking on Wednesday, Henry said: "I was wrong for what I said. I'm not trying to get out of this. I've been charged by the FA. This is not me saying 'what I said was right'. It was wrong, and I totally apologise. "It was never, ever meant to be racist in any way. The reason we said we didn't want any more Africans was because we already had three. The day before we'd had four, but one of them left. "I just felt that, as a head of recruitment, I look ahead down the line and I thought that, in 12 months' time, it's the African Nations Cup. If we had four African players, come the African Nations Cup, we are going to lose them in January and February, and we could struggle with that. "Any team struggles when they lose four players. I just felt that it would have been too many for us. But also, as well, we brought a new manager in and we weren't in a good position. We needed to get some points, get some wins, and the Premier League is a tough league. "New players coming in have to hit the ground running, and what we said was we would have preferred, if possible, Premier League-based players, who could come in and get straight into it. "But that never always works out and, in the end, we didn't take any players. We took Jordan Hugill in the end, (and) we took Joao Mario, who is a top player. But again that made it, for me, even more important that we could bring in a couple of Premier League players to help out."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss David Moyes out to enjoy Man Utd reunion
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 09/05/18 3:14pm
SSN

David Moyes admits he expected West Ham to be battling relegation until the last week of the season, and is now out to enjoy the final two games of the campaign against his former clubs Manchester United and Everton. The Hammers host United on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Premier League, fresh from their 2-0 win over Leicester on Saturday, which all but secured the club's top-flight status for another season. West Ham's safety was confirmed later on Saturday evening when Southampton drew 1-1 with Everton, and Moyes admits he expected the relegation fight to go right down to the wire. "That result helped obviously but the biggest result was ours," said Moyes. "I always wanted it to be done by us. "I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season. I always thought that these two homes games, we might have to win one of them to stay up. Moyes was appointed West Ham manager in November with the club in the relegation zone, and the Scot believes he has now proved his doubters wrong after a slow start at the club. "A lot of people questioned me coming in. I thought to myself 'that surprises me'," said Moyes. "The job was to come in and get them up and you'd have to say we've done that. I've got really good staff, a top end staff here and they've been really helpful."
Moyes' current contract is due to expire at the end of the season and the Hammers boss insists he will wait until the end of the campaign to discuss his future with the club. "We have always said that we will talk after the end of the season. We will wait," he said. "It was always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until after we've got the two games out of the way. "We're putting in place all the things you would expect - the pre-season, as much as we can. Ultimately I've got a decision to make and so has the club."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham have doubts about Leander Dendoncker's £18m price-tag
HITC
Danny Owen

West Ham United are still being tipped to bring Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker to the Premier League, but is he really worth £18million? It is four months since West Ham United were first linked with a move for Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker. And it seems that the London club are still no closer to deciding whether or not they want to sign the 23-year-old. Sky Sports stated that West Ham had a bid rejected for Dendoncker on the final day of the January transfer window and they were expected to go back in for the 6ft 2ins colossus this summer. Hammers' assistant boss Stuart Pearce even travelled to Belgium at the weekend to watch Anderlecht's 2-1 win at Club Brugge, with Dendoncker allegedly the reason for his trip. But the Mail reports that West Ham are still not convinced about signing the Belgian international this summer. It is understood that Anderlecht value the versatile midfielder at around £18 million. But West Ham are yet to be convinced that Dendoncker is worth such a fee with manager David Moyes, who is preparing to stay at the club next season, preferring proven Premier League targets like Joe Allen of Stoke City. Dendoncker was in sensational form for Anderlecht last season, exploding onto the scene by winning the 2017 Jupiler League title and also helping his side to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where he scored a bullet header against Manchester United.
But Dendoncker's form has dipped in recent months and he has been criticised in the Belgian press with Anderlecht in danger of losing their title to Club Brugge.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
JOAO MARIO'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN
TANAKA MVERE
ReadWestHam

The future of Joao Mario remains uncertain with the Portuguese international's current loan deal at West Ham set to expire at the end of the season. SportWitness has revealed that talks between West Ham and Inter Milan are ready to proceed, with the Serie A side prepared to let the midfielder go this summer. However, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Nerazzurri will only allow a permanent deal to take place if West Ham meet their asking price of €30m
Mario joined Inter for €44m from Sporting two years ago, and they are hoping to recover most of that fee through this deal. However it looks unlikely that any club will pay that much money for the player. Calciomercato say that Inter's asking price for Joao Mario is likely to be too high for West Ham, and this could force them to decide against a permanent transfer. The Portuguese international joined the Hammers on loan in January and has since scored two goals and registered one assist in 11 Premier League appearances. Speaking of Mario's contribution to the team since his arrival, Hammers boss David Moyes said: "Joao has helped us in lots of ways, he's done two or three jobs and is a good footballer. He's now come up with a couple of goals for us in this period. We brought him in to help us play a bit better and get a couple of goals, so I'm pleased with that."
According to Calciomercato, Inter may consider allowing him to go out on loan for one more season, should he not find a permanent club in the upcoming window.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com