Saturday, April 14

Daily WHUFC News - 14th April 2018

Wheeler: Ladies must 'be smart' in WPL Plate final with Luton
WHUFC.com

Hannah Wheeler believes West Ham United Ladies will have to show both
adaptability and smarts when the side take on Luton Town Ladies in this
weekend's FA WPL Plate final. The Irons will play their second cup final in
just under two weeks on Sunday when Karen Ray's side travel to Cannock for
the last match in the WPL Plate. In Luton, the Hammers will be playing a
side that sit in the division below – the Women's Premier League South East
– but Wheeler knows anything can happen in a one-off contest. The defender
admits there will be big differences between this final and the one won
against Charlton Athletic Women last Wednesday, as the Hammers have not
played against Luton before. "It's 90 minutes where anything can happen,"
Wheeler told whufc.com: "We just can't go into the game arrogant, or
underestimating them. It will be a different game, because when we played
Charlton we knew what they were about because we've played them three times
this season. "With Luton, we're going in blind. We haven't played them and
all we can really go by is their results. In that aspect, it will be a tough
game. We could have a game plan to go with but then they could change it on
the day, so we are just going to have to adapt and be smart on the day
really."

The contest is a game that Wheeler is relishing participating in, with
another trophy up for grabs this Sunday. The centre-back knows what is at
stake and is aware of the attributes the side need to display in the match.
She continued: "I'm really excited for this game. We need another cup. We
are trying to work hard. We said this past Sunday that if we win it will be
a major positive for the next game we play. "We have got to focus on the
game, work hard and put in the shifts during training so we can take it into
Sunday. We have to show fire, desire and work for the badge and each other.
"We need to have each other's backs and make sure we empty the tank!"

With West Ham Ladies taking on Luton, a side that the club have not played
against this campaign, Wheeler has offered praise for the Ladies analyst Neo
Charalambous, who has worked tirelessly to ensure the team are prepared for
what Luton offer. She added: "Neo's the man behind the scenes really, with
all our analysis and tactics towards games. The entire staff work really
hard and try to get as much information as possible, and give us the best
possible chance going into the game. "Winning the Plate would mean
everything. Everything we have been working so hard towards would just be
complete."

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Zabaleta: The fans will be massive for us
WHUFC.com

West Ham United defender Pablo Zabaleta is gearing up for the crucial Monday
night football matchup against Stoke City. The Hammers are going into the
contest in good form with four points out of six since the March
international break. "Stoke is going to be another massive game for us,
Monday night in front of the home fans They have been massive for us, I hope
they can be as good as they were against Southampton," said the No5. "We
need to win this game, it's huge. We need to keep playing this way and keep
winning games until the end of the season. "For us we have our own
ambitions. There are six games to go until the end of the season and so we
need to perform well enough to at least get a point in all of those games
and see how we can finish this season."

The reality of the situation is that none of the teams in the bottom half of
the table have the easiest schedule to finish off the season. Some of the
relegation threatened teams either play each other or they end up playing
teams within the top six. Each match could have huge implications on what
happens at the end of the season. However, the experienced defender is
optimistic about the Hammers' chances, yet is not letting complacency get
the best of him, as nothing is confirmed yet. "We need to go game by game
and if we can make it by winning the next game against Stoke that will be a
big step forward toward being safe."

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David Moyes: Since that Burnley game, there has been a real sense of much
greater team spirit at West Ham
EXCLUSIVE COLUMN
DAVID MOYES
ES Sport

Realistically it was a bonus point for us at Chelsea. For any team to get
any kind of a result against last season's champions at Stamford Bridge is a
positive and the fact we managed to take four points off them this season is
a great tribute to the players. I do believe that, since that Burnley game,
there's been a palpable sign of a group coming together. I can feel a much
greater team spirit and that shows on the pitch as well, the way the players
are working for each other, the way they celebrate together. I thought
Declan Rice specifically, has shown much more maturity in his last two
performances. He has come back from winning his first senior international
cap with the Republic of Ireland with a lot of confidence and self-belief.
Behind the defence, Joe Hart was terrific at Stamford Bridge. There were no
high fives after the game from me. I told him "well done" and nothing more
than that because it is what I expect of him. That's his job and he did it
very well.
What has been thoroughly impressive from Joe this season has been his
professionalism. At times it hasn't been easy for him but he has kept his
head up. Some people were putting him down but he remained working hard and
his reward has come. The competition between Joe and Adrian is really tight,
though, and that is what you want - a team where players have to fight to
get in and then play well to stay in. I admit I am not a goalkeeping expert
and because of the specialist nature of their job, the input of the
goalkeeping coach is vital. Chris Woods's experience as a player - he won
over 40 caps for England - and then as a coach has been invaluable. He works
the goalkeepers hard and demands a lot of them. We rely on his knowledge,
not only in training but also when we're picking keepers.

Chicharito came on against Chelsea and scored a fine goal. As a plan, it
worked to perfection and there is no doubt that he and Marko Arnautovic can
play in the same team. They linked well together for the goal but I would
point out they were both in the team when we lost to Swansea. I have to take
that into consideration and my job is to choose the right players for the
right games - on the right days. Chicharito has played in other games and
scored good goals but at the moment Marko would be hard to move aside if we
are playing just one striker. We want competition, though, and Marko needs
to know he has to keep his levels up and his standards high. Andy Carroll
has trained for the past few days and we might try and find a way of having
him involved. Manuel Lanzini has not trained with us yet but I'm hoping that
will change over the weekend and the same goes for James Collins.

We now hope to pick up a vital three points against Stoke on Monday night
and I know our passionate fans, who were magnificent at Stamford Bridge,
will continue to do all they can to cheer us to another positive result.

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Moyes: Finishing the season strong and wanting more from Masuaku
WHUFC.com

David Moyes has called on his West Ham United players to get to 40 points as
quickly as possible ahead of their Premier League fixture with Stoke City at
London Stadium. West Ham go into Sky Sports' Monday Night Football clash
with Paul Lambert's side with 34 points on the board with six top-flight
games left to play.
The Hammers manager also challenged his squad to finish the Premier League
season on an eight-match unbeaten run. The Hammers beat Southampton and drew
at Chelsea in their previous two matches and will look to make it three
without defeat against the Potters. In a wide-ranging press conference,
Moyes also discussed the positives and negatives of playing after all their
rivals this weekend and the form of Marko Arnautovic and Arthur Masuaku,
among other things. Here is what he had to say…

Let's finish the season on an unbeaten run
To get to 40 points is the biggest thing we need to do. I wouldn't say it
would guarantee safety, as there are years when it hasn't, but in the main
40 points normally keeps you up. I'm keeping my target high and I'm hoping
to win ten games. At the moment, we've won eight games in the Premier
League, so if we can win ten, we'd just about get our points tally up there.
The ante could be upped if the teams below us win, but I was also aware of
us taking points against Southampton and Chelsea in our last two games as
well, so that meant we did a lot of our business and got some good points
in. It's not enough, but our performances and the way the players have been
in the last two games have given us a real lift and since we came back from
our trip we've picked up some really good points. If we can keep the form
going, the idea would be to go unbeaten until the end of the season and I
don't see any reason why we shouldn't aim for that and try and get there. If
we do, I would see us getting enough points to stay up as well, so the big
thing is to make sure we get the points. It's a big game against Stoke and a
big game for them as well. It's a similar game to the Southampton game
because of what it means to both clubs but, if we can put in a big
performance, and the crowd give us the same levels they gave us in that
game, then we'll give ourselves every chance of winning the game. If we can
beat Stoke, we give ourselves a chance of finishing the season in a good
position.

I want Marko to keep doing the business
I don't really care if Marko is looking forward to it or not. I am just
concerned that Marko continues doing the business as he's been doing, and it
wouldn't matter if it was Stoke or somebody else. So long as he keeps doing
the business, that's all we can be interested in and if he can do it against
them, great! When he is playing like this, Marko is very good and very good
to work with and I have to say I hope it continues because he has been
really important to the team. Without him, it could be very different, but
that's football and that's why the Club paid £20 million. It was a great
signing by the Club and we saw the potential in what he could do and I've
got to say that Marko himself has stepped up to the plate. When you do that,
you have to keep your standards up because everyone is watching you and the
team are looking for you to have a big impact in every game.

Arthur needs to rediscover his Southampton form
No doubt we missed Arthur Masuaku when he was out during his recent
six-match suspension. When you think back, we lost Pedro Obiang and Arthur
against Wigan in the FA Cup in January. We've not had Pedro and we've only
had Arthur back for a couple of games. I thought he did very well in his
first game back against Southampton, but I was hoping for much more from him
in his last game against Chelsea. Maybe it was a little bit that he had got
back in and the adrenaline had got him through the first game? I'm hoping
for a better performance than he gave me at Chelsea and something more like
what he gave me against Southampton.

The supporters will do us proud again on Monday
The West Ham supporters have sensed we need them and we have sensed their
support and because of that we've done well. I thought the support against
Southampton was fantastic and I thought the way they paid tribute to Ray
Wilkins at Chelsea did the Club proud. I've got no doubts they'll do the
Club proud again on Monday night. In my first evening game, against
Leicester City, it was a Friday and the atmosphere was brilliant. Let's hope
for more of it and if the players produce the form they did in the last
game, I think we'll give them something to shout about as well.

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Evra: Joe Hart has handled the pressure
WHUFC.com

Patrice Evra has backed Joe Hart to build on his man of the match display at
Chelsea over the run-in to the 2017/18 season. Hart made outstanding saves
to deny Willian, Marcos Alonso and Olivier Giroud at Stamford Bridge and
help the Hammers claim a vital point at their cross-London rivals. The final
save from Giroud, tipping his header onto the post with a full-length dive,
came in the dying moments of the game and ensured Chicharito's second half
equaliser would give the visitors a share of the spoils. With Stoke City
visiting London Stadium on Monday, Evra – who featured as a sub at Stamford
Bridge – is sure the England goalkeeper will continue to excel between the
posts. He said: "When I first came I said to Joe 'your time is coming, never
give up' and he was really confident.
"You can see in the game he played against Chelsea – he was man of the
match, and that was well deserved. Even this week at the training ground he
was still the man of the match! "I'm really happy for him. You need to
handle to pressure, you're going to get criticised, it's normal in football
[and he has handled that pressure]. "He's proud of playing for England, but
what he wants to do now is perform well for West Ham, and hopefully
afterwards he will get the chance to go to the World Cup."

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Team news: Lanzini, Carroll and Collins all return to training
WHUFC.com

David Moyes has been handed a triple boost with Andy Carroll, James Collins
and Manuel Lanzini all potentially fit to face Stoke City on Monday evening.
The trio have all returned to training at Rush Green and could feature as
West Ham United go in search of three Premier League points at London
Stadium. Carroll has been out since suffering a hairline fracture to his
foot following the 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur on 4 January. "Andy is
back in training," Moyes confirmed. "We got him back at the start of the
week and we will keep monitoring him. He's trained for a few days, so we'll
see how he is. He's obviously not played for eleven weeks, and I've got that
in my mind as well. "He's champing at the bit, but that's the same for the
other players we've had out like Manuel Lanzini and James Collins who have
only been out for four or five weeks. "If we get Andy back it's a big plus
to us, as we know what he can do and how good he can be and what he can give
us. The quicker we can get him back the better but is he going to be ready?
I'm not sure yet."

Collins is back after a month out with a hamstring problem, while Lanzini
hurt his knee after scoring in Argentina's 2-0 friendly international
victory over Italy in Manchester last month, and both could return to
Premier League action for the first time since the 3-0 home defeat by
Burnley on 10 March. "They've both done some training today (Friday) but
we'll have to see how they'll be. I'm hoping both of them will have a good
chance to be involved for the game on Monday."

The manager was also asked if he could be tempted to hand Chicharito a start
alongside Marko Arnautovic after the Mexican scored West Ham's equaliser in
the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last weekend. "It's great that we have competition,
as it's not something we've had an awful lot of, so it's good to have
competition for places, options and choices. "We've played them in games
together where it's not been so good and games together when they have been
good, so we'll make our decision and decide if this is a game for both of
them or one of them." Moyes will definitely be without the injured Michail
Antonio (hamstring), Pedro Obiang (knee), Sam Byram (ankle) and Winston Reid
(knee) on Monday evening.

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David Moyes wants two more West Ham wins to survive
By Shona Duthie
Last Updated: 13/04/18 3:38pm
SSN

West Ham manager David Moyes is targeting two more wins to ensure his side
secure their Premier League status and wants his players to go the remainder
of the season "unbeaten". The London club currently sit 14th in the table on
34 points and are six points ahead of the drop zone heading into Monday
Night Football's match against Stoke, live on Sky. According to Moyes if
they hit the magic number of 40, six more than where they are now, this will
help them to avoid relegation.
He said: "To get 40 points is the biggest thing but we can't get 40 points
at the moment. I wouldn't say it guarantees it because there are years gone
by where it has not done it. "But I think getting there normally keeps you
up. I am keeping my target high, I am hoping to win 10 games and at the
moment we have won eight games in the Premier League. If we can win 10 we
would just about get the points tally up there. If we can keep the form
going the ideal situation would be to go unbeaten towards the end of the
season, I don't see why we shouldn't aim for that, try and get there. "If we
do I'd say that would give us enough points to stay up as well. The big
thing is to make sure we get the points. "It is a big game against Stoke and
it is a big game for them as well."

West Ham have taken four points out of six in their last two games, a 3-0
win over Southampton and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, which has helped them
climb up the table. Southampton, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield and Swansea,
who sit below Moyes' side, all play before West Ham take to the London
Stadium pitch on Monday and Moyes admitted he will be keeping a keen eye on
their results. "I will be training but I will watch the results. I'll switch
them off when I don't like them," he added. "Not sure yet if I will be able
to try and watch a game but I'll certainly be preparing for the most
important thing which is our game on Monday."
Moyes confirmed striker Andy Carroll, winger Manuel Lanzini and defender
James Collins all returned to training, but would not say if Lanzini and
Collins would be fit to face Stoke. Sky sources understand that Carroll, who
has been out for since January 4 with an ankle injury, could make a surprise
return to the Hammers bench for Stoke's visit.

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A DEDICATION & AN ARTICLE 'A STRONG FINISH TEES YOU UP NICELY'
By Goatygav 14 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Before I go in to the main article I wanted to make a dedication to a fellow
Hammer. I also thought that a little credit was deserved by West Ham United.
In this time of heavy criticism of the club it was good to hear, yesterday
(today as I amend this post), that a sense of community and decency remains.
Sadly I lost a cousin at the age of 35 just over a fortnight ago. He was
West Ham through and through. His sister called the club to order a large
flag for the coffin. To the club's credit they promised that the flag would
arrive on time for the funeral on Thursday and wouldn't take payment for it.
It meant a lot to my cousin – a lovely gesture that was greatly appreciated
by her. We'll all be wearing club colours at the ceremony – even my cousin's
Man Utd supporting husband has agreed to wear a claret top with a bit of
blue in the outfit. I'm hoping the boys can send him off with a good win on
Monday night. You can see Alan, pictured right, his brother John and sister
Debbie, at her wedding, in the photo below: -

Alan at his Sister's Wedding
He was a gentleman and a gentle man – one of the nicest and best people you
could ever wish to meet. He went to his first West Ham game vs Exeter City
at the age of 9 with his borther, John, where he got his photo taken with
Harry Redknapp. RIP Alan Thurston – peaceful journey fella.

Recent form is good. The players look hungry. We've won and drawn the last
two and pulled 6 points clear of the relegation zone.
There's a way to go until we're safe but there's a dangerous historical
pattern that should serve as a warning to West Ham or any of those who take
their foot off the gas too early.

Relief is an extremely commonplace experience for successful teams and
sports professionals. Upon getting over the line, whether that's to win or
to simply survive, the feeling can kick in simultaneously whilst acting as a
release of highly charged emotions. Occasionally players, if sufficiently
wound up, can physically collapse when the final whistle, bell, kick, throw
or step happens.

The start of a football season is often influenced by the end of the
previous one. The stimulus for a good start to a campaign has been the run
in to a preceding one countless times.

Should West Ham make their Premier League status, for 2018-19, safe with
games to spare, which I'm sure many will hope comes to pass, there's a real
danger that the relief and release could contribute to a poor end to this,
eminently forgettable, term. Without any real momentum going in to September
we could quickly find ourselves in a similar position to that of 2017-18.

Ok, It's far too early to start looking beyond the huge game we have at home
to Stoke next Monday night, but should the job get done, and the 3 points be
secured, would the temptation to let go of all those pent up feelings be too
much to avoid? Amidst the relief of being well clear of relegation, with so
few games remaining, is there a danger that momentum will be lost and a bad
run in ensue. Arsenal, Man City and Leicester away before Man United looks
an incredibly tough run. For my money it wouldn't bode well for next season
going in to those games with the feeling that the job had been done. Under
those circumstances it would not be an easy test for David Moyes and his
coaching staff to get the players completely mentally prepared.

Stoke City at home is a huge game but the fixtures afterwards are also
important. Pre-season is nowhere near as important to early season form as
the run in to a previous campaign. I'll be over the moon if we come away
with maximum points next Monday night but there will still be a job to do
after that.

Lastly a word on Chelsea. The weekend was great. Joe Hart was class. An
imperious, man of the match winning, performance in my book. We could easily
have come away with a good tonking but, instead, came away feeling like we'd
won. Recent form over Chelsea is extremely good – long may it continue. Our
fans were brilliant. Every player in a West Ham shirt was terrific – a great
team performance. Chicha, once again, proved he is the most deadly striker
we've had at the club in quite some time. If the team can put in the same,
determined and hungry, performances in the last six matches I'll be a very
happy Hammer.

Have a great weekend all.

COYI!

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Moyes delivers update on West Ham trio ahead of Stoke clash
HITC
Will Butcher

West Ham play host to Stoke City on Monday night in the Premier League. West
Ham United manager David Moyes has claimed in his London Evening Standard
column that target man Andy Carroll could feature against Stoke City on
Monday night, but had bad news surrounding two other senior stars. The
Hammers play host to Paul Lambert's Stoke City on Monday night at the London
Stadium, in a match that could prove crucial in the bottom third of the
Premier League come May.
Carroll, 29, has trained this week and could be set to make his first
appearance since January 4, more than three months out with a foot injury as
he struggles to shake off his injury-prone status. However, Moyes confirmed
that both Manuel Lanzini and James Collins are likely to miss out, as their
knee and thigh injuries continue to prevent them from returning to training.
"Andy Carroll has trained for the past few days and we might try and find a
way of having him involved. Manuel Lanzini has not trained with us yet but
I'm hoping that will change over the weekend and the same goes for James
Collins," Moyes said.
West Ham struggled with injuries under Slaven Bilic last season and it seems
as though they will finish the 2017-18 campaign with the physio room fully
stocked, as eight players currently require treatment. Other than the
aforementioned trio, Pedro Obiang, Sam Byram, Michail Antonio, Aaron
Cresswell and Winston Reid all remain on the sidelines with injuries that
could keep them out beyond the end of the season. A win against the Potters
on Monday night would take the Hammers above Brighton and Watford, if the
two sides lose over the course of the weekend. A loss for Stoke would see
them remain in 19th.

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West Ham alerted to Danny Drinkwater's frustration at Chelsea as they weigh
up summer transfer
Telegrpah.co.uk
Matt Law, football news correspondent
13 APRIL 2018 • 11:53AM

West Ham United have been alerted to Danny Drinkwater's frustration at
Chelsea as they draw up their summer transfer plans. As revealed by
Telegraph Sport this week, Drinkwater will consider his future at the end of
what has been a hugely disappointing first season at Stamford Bridge. But,
despite the fact he has started just five Premier League games for Chelsea
since joining for £35million from Leicester City, Drinkwater will not be
short of offers if he decides to leave the Blues.
One of those offers is likely to come from West Ham, who want a central
midfielder and believe Drinkwater would suit them perfectly. A move across
London could also be appealing to the 28-year-old, as it would mean he would
not have to move house for a second time in 12 months. The biggest stumbling
block for West Ham, or any other interested club, could be Chelsea's
valuation of Drinkwater. Despite the fact he has been given so few
first-team chances, Chelsea would look to recoup most, if not all, of what
they paid for Drinkwater so soon into the five-year contract he signed.
There is also the complication and potential delay over Chelsea's managerial
situation, with head coach Antonio Conte expected to leave. Drinkwater is
unlikely to make a firm decision on his future until he is sure who will be
in charge next season and hears what their plans are. He formed one of the
most effective midfield partnerships in recent years with N'Golo Kante at
Leicester City, with the pair driving the Foxes to the Premier League title.
But Drinkwater and Kante have only started together six times in all
competitions for Chelsea this season, which has puzzled many fans. Monaco
are interested in re-signing another of Chelsea's signings from last summer,
Tiemoue Bakayoko, but the Blues are more likely to cash in on Drinkwater
than the 23-year-old.

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STAN COLLYMORE: 'HIGH-PRESS? MOYES IS A HIGH PRIEST OF TEDIUM'
By Dan Coker 13 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Stan Collymore suggests David Moyes' stock has fallen, that he is not the
man to bring high-pressing, high-octane football to West Ham and that the
Scot is struggling to win over fans as the Hammers face a battle to find
consistency in their Premier League performances:

The infrastructure is all in place at West Ham. They have a modern stadium
with good facilities, a fan base which wants to buy into what they do, and a
decent squad as well. If you cherry-picked at least four of their players,
maybe even six or seven, you'd have the nucleus of a side well capable of
looking at the top half of the table rather than the bottom next season.

So the major question for me now is whether or not David Moyes is the man to
lead them again next season.

And, if so, can he, along with co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, turn
the Hammers into the sort of club West Brom and Stoke had become before this
season?

The sort of club which consistently finishes ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th over
four or five seasons. A lot of Moyes' admirers will say that's exactly where
he will be pitching them but I still don't know if I'd keep him on. Fans
want high-pressing, high-octane football these days because they see it from
the top sides every week on Match Of The Day and when that happens it
quickly becomes a trend.

The knock-on effect when styles change is that, all of a sudden, people like
Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew can begin to look like football
dinosaurs.

And at the moment I'm not ­convinced people see Moyes in a ­different light.
Is he a really good organisational manager who can put out teams which
create chances and score goals?

Or is he a grind-it-out merchant, a manager who guarantees fans 19 home
games of little entertainment? At times at Everton he suggested he was the
former but since then his stock has fallen. That's something Sullivan and
Gold have to seriously take into consideration. They are rather
conservative, that pair – remember the way they stuck with Allardyce – and
I'm ­sure they will be thinking, 'We need ­stability here'.

They realise there is a lot of money to be lost and they like money, they
like being in the Premier League, they like to wear the fur jackets.

Their history ­suggests that, unless there is a candidate who springs out of
­nowhere, who is young, aggressive and passionate, who can get West Ham fans
behind them, and who has a proven track record of ­signing quality ­players,
they will stick with what they know. And that will mean a thumbs-up for
Moyes.

The problem for West Ham is that the teams coming up from the Championship
this season will all have a lot of dough, and not just Premier League dough,
either.

Wolves and Cardiff have seriously wealthy backers, as have some of the clubs
aiming for the play-offs, and all will be further competition for the
Hammers.

That level of competition could ultimately be West Ham's downfall. The
arrival of three teams with huge financial clout could push them closer to
the Premier League trapdoor in the next couple of seasons. I'm sure Sullivan
and Gold will take all that into consideration. What I would like to see
from them at the end of this season – this is ­assuming they stay up, which
I'm certain they will – is a statement of intent, a clear signal of their
hopes for the future. That would provide transparency for supporters,
something that's been missing, and it would be good for the fans to realise
what the club's ambitions are.

They also need to address the stadium and get the crowd closer to the pitch,
even if it means spending a few million quid to get it right.

On the pitch, survival will all boil down to their remaining six fixtures
and, if I were at the training ground, I'd be banging the drum about the
home games. They have four of them – the mantra will be, 'Win the home games
and try to nick points away if you can'. And if West Ham get it right, as
they did against Southampton in their last home match, they'll be safe
sooner rather than later.

Originally published in the Sunday People.

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