Daily WHUFC News - 18th March 2018

Rice feeling the benefits of Miami training camp
WHUFC.com

Declan Rice says deeper relationships with his West Ham United teammates and
the coaching staff is a major benefit of this week's training camp in Miami.
The Hammers spent five days working in Florida this week, returning to
London on Saturday, and Rice believes the quality time with the rest of the
squad has helped to develop stronger bonds between them "I think the more
time you spend together, the more you get to know each other," Rice told
whufc.com. "There might be some people that you don't really speak to at the
training ground. You can be here and speak to them and get to know more
about them. "It's the same with the staff as well. You don't really get to
sit down with the staff. It's been really good. To get away, with the
weather out here, with the results not really going our way at the moment,
getting to spend time together as a team and bringing the staff as well.
It's important that we've come out here and done this trip."

It's not just off the field that Rice can feel the positives of the mid-week
training camp, with the defender likening the intensity of the sessions to
those usually seen in pre-season training. He continued: "The sessions were
probably an insight into what pre-season is going to be like! We're Premier
League footballers so we've got to be fit as a fiddle really, and the
manager, to bring us out here, we've got to work hard. And when we get back
we've got to keep going. "We've had four hard sessions out here, including
the bike session on Monday. The manager has really worked us hard out here
and with the heat out here, it's really made an impact. We're all feeling
the benefits of it."

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Clark calls for unbeaten run to continue against Portsmouth
WHUFC.com

Molly Clark has called on West Ham United Ladies to make it nine games
unbeaten when they take on her former side, Portsmouth, this weekend. Clark
made her debut for the Irons last week as Karen Ray's side defeated
Chichester City 2-0, continuing the side's record of being unbeaten in 2018.
The Ladies have not been bested in their last eight matches and Clark is
hoping that the run continues when her former team, Portsmouth, visit Rush
Green on Sunday. "The girls have worked so hard to be unbeaten in eight
straight matches is a fantastic achievement," Clark told whufc.com. "I'm so
glad I was able to play a role in the last game, and if we just continue to
play and work hard like we have been I can't see any reason why we can't
make it nine games unbeaten. "As people may know, Portsmouth is my home team
and I've had a lot of amazing experiences during my three spells with them.
But, my focus now is on West Ham and I'm sure we can three points this
weekend."

The midfielder's first showing last week earned praise from interim head
coach Karen Ray, and Clark was delighted to cap her first showing for the
Hammers with a victory. And Clark is optimistic that she can also help the
Irons get another win this weekend. "I really enjoyed playing my first
match," Clark continued. "Getting the win with it obviously made it an even
better experience. Chichester were a tough team but I think we dug deep as a
unit and we got the three points, which is the main thing. "Being at West
Ham has been really enjoyable so far. I'm really happy to be a part of this
club and working hard with the other girls. We just need to keep performing
and keep winning. Portsmouth are a good team but I'm confident we can get
the right result."

Watch West Ham United Ladies this Sunday against Portsmouth FC Ladies at
Rush Green Stadium! Kick-off at 2pm!

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Zabaleta: I feel proud to play for West Ham fans
WHUFC.com

Pablo Zabaleta says the support West Ham fans show for the Irons makes him
proud to represent the team. Speaking at the end of a five-day training camp
in Miami, the Argentinian full-back was full of praise for the loyal Claret
and Blue Army, revealing he is still captivated by the backing the
supporters give to the players. "I've been saying for a few months since
being at this club, I've seen the fans be incredible," Zabaleta told
whufc.com. "Even away from home, I've seen the fans travelling everywhere,
giving great support to the team. At home, at London Stadium, in front of
60,000 people, it's incredible. It shows the potential of the Club in terms
of how many fans West Ham have got. "Us as players, and personally from my
point of view, I feel proud to play with our fans. Sometimes that passion is
what we really need to know, the players, to give them something back by
winning games. "It's been a difficult season in terms of injuries and many
things that sometimes have affected the team. To the fans all we can say is
thanks for the great support they show week in and week out because they are
amazing."

Zabaleta joined the Hammers last summer from Manchester City and, with the
defender closing in on the end of his first season at the east London Club,
the 33-year-old took the opportunity to pay tribute to the West Ham
supporters. With defeats in the last three games, Zabaleta can understand
that supporters want to see more from the team and has called on everyone
involved with West Ham to be united ahead of the next contest, at home to
Southampton. He continued: "Hopefully we can perform well enough to keep
West Ham in the Premier League. We will try. We know we have to do better
than we have done in the last three games. "I do really understand
sometimes the frustration of the fans when things don't go like everyone
expects, but I think those tough periods, we all need to be together. It's
the only reason to go forward, to be united. Us as players, we know we have
to do better on the field."

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West Ham: Karren Brady apologises for London Stadium trouble
BBC.co.uk

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady has apologised for the scenes that
marred the 3-0 defeat by Burnley last weekend. There were four separate
pitch invasions at London Stadium and fans also protested in front of the
directors' box, with joint-owner David Sullivan being hit by a coin. Brady,
in her Sun newspaper column, called the events "one of the most painful
days" in the club's history. She added that "nothing comes" before the
safety of supporters.

Brady also said:

the club were trying hard to make London Stadium feel like their home
she has arranged an interview with the Mayor to discuss issues with the
ground
the Hammers would be restructuring player recruitment to give control to the
manager
the club's spending on transfers and wages has doubled over past five years
'The board take full responsibility'
The Hammers have struggled since moving from Upton Park to London Stadium
this season and are three points and two places above the Premier League
relegation zone.

Their next game is at home to fellow strugglers Southampton on 31 March.
"The board of West Ham United would like to offer our sincere apologies to
the vast majority of our supporters who turned up to support their club -
lots of them with young children - who sat and tried to continue to support
their team," Brady said.
"I also pledge to you that nothing - and I mean nothing - is more important
to us now than ensuring that you are able to come and support the team
safely in all future games. "The board takes full responsibility for our
predicament."

Last summer, West Ham signed forward Marko Arnautovic for £20m, striker
Javier Hernandez for £16m and midfielder Sead Haksabanovic for £2.7m, as
well as signing defender Pablo Zabaleta for free and keeper Joe Hart on
loan. In January, the Hammers brought in striker Jordan Hugill for £10m,
midfielder Joao Mario on loan from Inter Milan and left-back Patrice Evra on
a free transfer, while departures included Andre Ayew for £18m and Diafro
Sakho for £8.8m. "We are in the process of entirely restructuring our player
recruitment. This will change the way we handle transfers, giving the
control to the manager and the football staff. "I feel I must address issues
around investment in the squad. Spending on transfers and wages has doubled
over past five years. A club-record £80m was spent on players in 2016-17.
"Our wage bill of £105m compares with top-flight Premier League clubs. Some
may argue that the money has not been invested well enough, but it has been
invested."

Home discomforts
West Ham finished 11th in their final campaign at Upton Park last season,
registering seven home wins.

They have five wins at London Stadium after 30 top-flight outings this
season and have home games remaining against Southampton, Manchester United,
Stoke, Manchester City and Everton.

"It's difficult for everyone to move, we all have cherished memories of our
old home but we have moved and there is no going back," Brady said.

"In reality, when you move to a new house it is empty and without
personality.

"Over time you make it a home, decorating it to your taste in your preferred
colours, adding your pictures, photos and memories to make it warm and
comfortable.

"We have been trying very hard to make our stadium home."

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Brady apologises - to 'the vast majority'
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 17th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

Karren Brady has issued an apology to "the vast majority" of West Ham United
fans who were present at last week's Burnley game.

Brady, speaking via her tabloid newspaper column on Saturday rather grandly
claimed that the noisy but peaceful anti-Board protest was "one of the most
painful days in the history of the club".

Not a single supporter was either seriously hurt or injured during the
protest, which took place during the second half of last weekend's match.
Still, Brady - who was involved in meetings with the Safety Advisory Board
this week - insisted that the safety of fans inside the stadium was
paramount.

"I want to put on record that the Board of West Ham United would like to
offer our sincere apologies to the vast majority of our supporters who
turned up to support their club, lots of them with young children who sat
and tried to continue to support their team," she wrote.

"I also pledge to you that nothing – and I mean nothing – is more important
to us now than ensuring that you are able to come and support the team
safely when we play Southampton on 31 March and all future games.

"Saturday hurt everyone associated with the football club deeply and no one
more than our captain Mark Noble - the most recent in a proud line of deeply
committed and passionate homegrown heroes.

"We are acting fast on the recommendations and findings of the Safety
Advisory Group meeting which took place on Thursday following a series of
emergency meetings called by the club. We are fully aware of the
responsibility we have to guarantee our supporters' safety, and nothing
comes before that."

Brady also stated in her column that the club "take full responsibility for
our predicament" - before appearing to do exactly the opposite by listing a
string of excuses for the club's current malaise.

"Spending on transfers and wages has doubled over past five years," she
added. "A club-record £80million was spent on players in 2016/17. Our wage
bill of £105million compares with top flight Premier League clubs. Some may
argue that the money has not been invested well enough, but it has been
invested.

"Moving home ranks top in most stress lists. It's difficult for everyone to
move. In reality when you move to a new house it is empty and without
personality. Over time you make it a home. We have been trying very hard to
make our stadium home.

"Sadly, the lack of collaboration and dialogue [with Mayor Khan] prior to
this has led us in sheer desperation to pursue the legal route around
matters, [to ensure] the Stadium has the look and feel of our home ground
which we always understood was of paramount importance to our supporters."

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Karren Brady says West Ham board 'takes full responsibility' for current
'predicament'
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 17/03/18 8:03am
SSN

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady says the board "takes full
responsibility" for the club's current struggles, in the wake of widespread
fan protests at the London Stadium. Several pitch invasions interrupted West
Ham's 3-0 defeat to Burnley on Saturday, a result which leaves the Hammers
just three points outside the Premier League relegation places. A large
group of supporters congregated beneath the directors' box to protest
against co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan and their perceived lack of
investment in the years following the club's move from the Boleyn Ground.
Brady described the defeat to Burnley as "one of the most painful days in
the history of the club" and insists the board has accepted blame for the
club's on and off the field problems. "Let me be frank. The Board takes full
responsibility for our predicament," Brady told The Sun. "Ultimately the
table does not lie and just like the team we are judged on our position.
"Every fan has a view on players, manager and team formation but it is our
job to put in place a structure that allows our players and team management
to secure the necessary results."
Some sections of the West Ham support have criticised the club's owners for
failing to provide sufficient transfer funds in recent seasons, but Brady
insists both the club's transfer and wage bill is comparable with other
Premier League teams. "Spending on transfers and wages has doubled over past
five years. A club-record £80m was spent on players in 2016/17," she said.
"Our wage bill of £105m compares with top-flight Premier League clubs. Some
may argue that the money has not been invested well enough, but it has been
invested."
Brady also defended the decision to move the Hammers away from the Boleyn
Ground, the club's previous home of 112 years, to the London Stadium. Fans
have voiced their disapproval at the stadium layout, particularly the
distance between the stands and the pitch, but Brady says the club will work
with architects to improve the matchday experience for supporters. "We know
improving the situation at the Club is our responsibility and we intend to
go to a wider group of supporters for consultation of what improvements they
would like to see at the stadium," Brady added. "We will employ top
architects to see what improvements can be made to the seating
configuration. We are striving to do better."

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'I could have given more' - Andre Ayew gives brutally honest assessment of
his time at West Ham
Ayew played a key role for Swansea against his former team
Football London
COMMENTS
ByRob Guest
11:12, 18 MAR 2018

Andre Ayew has stated that he could have given a lot more to West Ham had he
not suffered with injuries during his time at the London Stadium. Signed for
a then club-record fee of £20.5m in August 2016, the Ghanaian limped off on
his Hammers debut with a hamstring injury at Chelsea, missing eleven games
in the process.
Ayew returned for the team two months later, yet the Hammers couldn't build
on a promising final season at Upton Park as they finished in the bottom
half. With Slaven Bilic paying the price for a poor start to the current
campaign, the ex-Marseille forward parted ways with the Hammers in January
to return to Swansea City.
Speaking to the Independent in an exclusive interview, the 28-year-old
revealed his disappointment that the moved didn't work out. "I have to say
it wasn't the best, and did not go as we all wished for but that is
football," he said. "I am disappointed and I felt it so hard that Slaven had
to pay the price for disappointment.
"The consistency wasn't there because of a lot of factors but check the
numbers I scored more than any other West Ham player in the entire 2017 in
all competitions and even as of now I have six goals for them in all
competitions this season. Only Marko [Arnautovic] has more and even now that
is only seven "I feel I could have given more if I was fit throughout that
is the game now and things move at a fast pace."
Ayew played a key role in Swansea's recent 4-1 win over the Hammers at the
Liberty Stadium that saw his new side leapfrog West Ham in the table
However, despite the Hammers' current struggles, he's confident that they
can escape danger. "To be honest all I was looking out for was the three
points because it was very awkward playing against a team of players I was
training with a couple of weeks ago," he added. "West Ham United have got
great players and I am certain that they will find a way out of the
situation they are in but we have a job and that is to keep Swansea City
up."

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West Ham's Angelo Ogbonna called up by Italy for friendlies against England
and Argentina
JAMES BENGE
ES Sport

West Ham centre-back Angelo Ogbonna has been called up to Italy's squad for
friendlies against Argentina and England to cover for the injured Giorgio
Chiellini.
Ogbonna has struggled alongside the rest of his team-mates in recent weeks,
conceding over two goals a game on average of late, but will be hoping to
have made enough of an impression on the Azzurri's interim head coach Luigi
Di Biagio to add to his 13 caps. The 29-year-old's most recent run out for
Italy came 18 months ago, coming off the bench as Israel were beaten 3-1 in
a World Cup qualifier in September 2016. Ogbonna opportunity has come after
Chiellini limped out of Juventus' 0-0 draw with SPAL on Saturday night,
Andrea Barzagli replacing his team-mate in the 81st minute. Juventus head
coach Massimiliano Allegri labelled Chiellini's problem "muscular fatigue"
and the Italian FA confirmed that they are still awaiting medical test
results before deciding what role the 33-year-old will play in their
upcoming international friendlies.

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