Daily WHUFC News - 17th January 2017

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic says team must build on positive momentum gained from Crystal
Palace win
Boss explains tactical switch at half-time which laid foundation for victory
Manager thrilled with team spirit and application from Hammers

Slaven Bilic hopes his players can use Saturday's win over Crystal Palace as
a positive turning point in their season. The Hammers ended a run of three
defeats without scoring a goal in the best possible manner – smashing three
past Crystal Palace in a second half performance of clinical finishing. More
important for the boss was the show of team unity and he has impressed on
them the importance of capitalising on the momentum gained. Bilic explained:
"The players always give everything, and at half-time I said to the guys, I
don't believe in those sayings 110 percent, 200 percent. There's only 100
percent, but sometimes it's true and this is the time when we have to give
150 or 200 percent. They did it. "I also expected that, I expected that [the
reaction] from the crowd and from the players, and I think it was a great
example that it's all about the team, not individuals. "It's a great moment
for us that we should use to build on. The season is very long, but you have
– like every club – a few crucial moments to drop or to build on and go up.
"We're going to do everything we can to use this kind of situation to lift
us up in every way. If we gain confidence and team character from this, then
it would help us be a better team. That's what we aim to do."

A tactical switch went a long way to the Hammers' victory on Saturday, as a
move to four at the back and shifting Michail Antonio closer to Andy Carroll
pressed Crystal Palace back. Bilic spoke of his reasoning for the change:
"It was an option for us to play with two strikers today, but because we
didn't have Nordtveit at right back we were limited in that position. "To
put Feghouli at right wing-back was a bit too long for him because he has to
defend also. To be fair the only reason we didn't put Sam Byram in from the
start was because he's only come back from a big operation recently. "We
were missing one person to be up there with Andy in the first half, and it
was a good decision for us to make at half-time, going with Sam, changing
the system and it worked really well."

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Noble - We can look forward now
WHUFC.com

Captain proud of the way West Ham United pulled together to beat Crystal
Palace
Hammers had endured a week full of off-field distractions but won 3-0 at
London Stadium
No16 says the squad will now look forward to Saturday's trip to
Middlesbrough with optimism

Mark Noble could not have been a prouder West Ham United captain after his
Club pulled together in Saturday's 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal
Palace. The London Stadium atmosphere was at its best as the Hammers ended a
challenging week with an emphatic win over Sam Allardyce's side. The
skipper, who returned to the side after illness saw him begin the Manchester
City Emirates FA Cup defeat on the bench, said a half-time tactical switch
from manager Slaven Bilic and three fantastic goals from Sofiane Feghouli,
Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini helped everybody put off-field distractions
out of their minds. "It was a definitely a satisfying end to a difficult
week," he confirmed. "Obviously we had the Dimitri Payet situation, Big Sam
[Allardyce] coming back and Tonks (James Tomkins), who is a friend of ours,
coming back too, so there were a lot of factors in play. "In the first half,
there were a few nerves there, but once we got that first goal I thought we
were the old West Ham. We went to two up-front to cause them a few more
problems and it worked, so it was a really commanding performance in the
end. "I'm just happy that the situation got sorted out. A win settles nerves
and puts everything on the backburner and we can look forward to
Middlesbrough."

As captain, Noble took on a leadership role at Rush Green last week,
reminding his teammates of the need to make up for the absences of Payet and
Africa Cup of Nations-bound Andre Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate. "It gives
players the chance to step up, and I said all week in training to players
like Manu, Sofiane and Big Andy and Michail, who was brilliant, that we've
lost our best player and we need to step up because we need to score goals,"
the No16 continued. "I'm not taking credit for that (the goals we scored)
but they did it on Saturday!"

The highlight of a morale and confidence-boosting win over Palace came with
eleven minutes remaining and the Hammers leading by Feghouli's maiden
Premier League goal. Antonio lofted a cross towards the far post, where
Carroll took to the air before rocketing an unstoppable scissor kick beyond
Wayne Hennessey and high into the top right-hand corner. Noble himself had a
grandstand view of the Goal of the Season contender. "I was right behind it
and in line it was fantastic!" he smiled. "Andy caught it well and funnily
enough he hit the post with one on Thursday during the set plays and the
media said 'Save it for the weekend' so credit to you guys!"

West Ham rose to 12th with victory at the weekend and can climb into the top
half with a win at newly-promoted Middlesbrough on Saturday. With Boro
having not won since 17 December and not scored in their previous two
Premier League matches, Noble knows victory at the Riverside Stadium is well
within the Hammers' capabilities. "We played Manchester United and were hard
done by and then Manchester City in the Cup, which were two tough games
which we lost, so to bounce back and win 3-0 against a strong Palace team
was a really, really, really important result for the Club," he concluded.
"We have put a big gap between ourselves and the bottom three and we can now
move forward to Boro looking upwards rather than over our shoulders."

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Obiang - The whole Club pulled together
WHUFC.com

Team effort was the key to victory over Crystal Palace, says Pedro Obiang
Hammers No14 delighted for Sofiane Feghouli after Algerian nets first
Premier League goal for the Club
Spaniard keen to kick on with Hammers in sight of league's top half

Pedro Obiang says Saturday's 3-0 London derby over Crystal Palace was a true
team effort. The Spanish midfielder believes the three point haul was just
reward for the whole Club pulling together – from fans to the eleven on the
pitch – after a testing week. Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel
Lanzini scored the goals, but it was about more than just the headline
makers as the Hammers moved up to 12th in the Premier League table. "It was
a nice moment," beamed the No14. "We wanted to make the fans happy and it's
a great result. "We could feel the support for everybody. We've answered
with three points and everyone is happy."

As a Hammers player who took time to find his feet in east London, Obiang
was particularly happy for Feghouli, who notched his first league goal in
Claret and Blue to get his team rolling. He continued: "For everybody it's
difficult when you arrive as a new player in a new country, with new things.
In that situation you need to stay calm and Sofiane knows we need him. "Now
he has scored maybe [it will all change for him]. Sam Byram has come in too,
and whenever he has time to play he does really well. This is what a squad
is all about."

Obiang also felt a change in tactics at the break paid off, as the Hammers
were able to convert a 0-0 interval scoreline into their emphatic victory.
He added: "The manager and players know that sometimes you have to change
something. In the situation on Saturday, we needed to change how we attacked
because in the first half we gave a lot of space to them and they played. In
the second half it was totally different. "We needed to press, and we have
the players to play football. On Saturday we had Lanzini, Feghouli, Antonio
all playing really well and we need to continue."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Four Hammers were in loan action in the Football League over the weekend
Two others were options on the bench for their respective loan sides
Josh Cullen was named Man of the Match again for Bradford City in his 21st
90 minutes of the season

There were a number of West Ham United players in loan action over the
weekend, and we start with those who played 90 minutes for their respective
temporary sides. First, Josh Cullen completed the full match for the 21st
time this season on loan at Bradford City as they took on Shrewsbury Town
away from home in League One. Despite the 1-0 defeat for the Bantams, Cullen
was named Man of the Match by City fans for the second week running, adding
the personal achievement to the long list of those he has collected this
campaign. The midfielder, who has been in impressive form since he returned
to Valley Parade for the second time, was also named the club's December
Player of the Month. Freddie Ladapo scored the only goal for the hosts in
this weekend's contest though, tapping in on his home debut – the striker is
on loan from the Hammers' Saturday opponents Crystal Palace.

The other Irons man to play the full match this weekend was Alex Pike,
making his debut for Cheltenham Town having joined the Robins during last
week. The defender, who has consistently been a key player in the Hammers'
Premier League 2 side this year, helped his new teammates to a 3-0 victory
over Accrington Stanley in League Two. The hosts were made to wait until
the first half to take the lead however, with skipper Danny Wright giving
Cheltenham the lead ten minutes after the restart. With a quarter of an hour
remaining on the clock, Diego De Girolamo drilled home to put the result
beyond doubt before Billy Waters put the icing on the cake with 12 minutes
left. Accrington's Scott Brown, sent off midway through the second half, did
not help matters for the struggling visitors.

Back in the third tier, Martin Samuelsen played for the third time in his
second loan spell at Peterborough United, though Posh were thrashed 5-1 at
Bury. Samuelsen, who was previously on loan at Blackburn Rovers before
Christmas, was introduced at half time after a disastrous first period for
Peterborough, who found themselves 4-1 down before the half hour stage.

Tom Nichols had given the visitors a dream start after just four minutes,
but James Vaughan levelled three minutes later before bagging another three
himself to make it 4-1 before Peterborough could work out what had gone
wrong. Vaughan's four-goal salvo left Samuelsen's side with little chance in
the second half, and George Miller grabbed a fifth to add to the misery for
Posh. Things were brighter elsewhere in the division for George Dobson
though, who played 16 minutes at the end of his Walsall side's terrific 4-1
thrashing of Sheffield United.

The Saddlers – who began the contest much the second favourites as they took
on the league leaders – got off to the dream start when Amadou Bakayoko
fired home with just five minutes played.

Jack O'Connell equalised from the spot on the ten-minute mark but a
fantastic second half performance from the hosts gave the Yorkshiremen no
chance at the Bescot Stadium.

Jason McCarthy, Joe Edwards and Erhun Otzumer all got on the scoresheet and
Dobson entered the field to shore up the midfield during the final minutes
to help see out the win.

Finally, Reece Burke and Enner Valencia were unused substitutes for their
respective sides at the weekend. Burke's Wigan Athletic were 2-0 winners at
Burton Albion while Valencia's Everton thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at
Goodison Park on Sunday.

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#WHUAREYA - Malyk Hamilton
WHUFC.com

Canadian winger Malyk Hamilton first came to England to trial for West Ham
United when he was ten years old, and even at such a young age, he has not
looked back since.

Under the guidance of the Hammers' Academy staff, the left-sider has
improved dramatically as a player and made his Canada U18s debut recently,
scoring for the side as well.

Hamilton now targets to cement his position in Steve Potts' U18s side and
also pointed to first team midfielder Manuel Lanzini as somebody he likes to
attempt to emulate.

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Byram – It's a great way to return
WHUFC.com

Defender Sam Byram delighted to play his part in winning effort against
Crystal Palace
23-year-old was making first team return after three months out injured
Former Leeds full-back hails team unity after clinical performance against
the Eagles

Sam Byram could not have asked for a better 45 minutes in which to make his
return to first team action than the second half against Crystal Palace.

Following a three-month absence from first team action due to a hamstring
injury, the 23-year-old full-back came off the bench at half time to help
the Hammers to a 3-0 victory over the Eagles on Saturday.

He was thrilled to be back in action at London Stadium, but even more happy
with a valuable three point haul for his team.

"It was a great game to make my return in," he smiled. "I thought we played
well in the second half. We were a bit slow moving the ball in the first
half, but we put together some good moves after half time and scored three
good goals.

"Being on the bench you've always got a chance [of coming on], so I made
sure I was ready, I had a good warm-up and was happy to make my return.

"I'm still feeling a little rusty to be honest! It's early for me to come
back but I'm absolutely delighted that it's come.

"I've got another week now until the next game to get some fitness in and
keep showing the manager what I can do in training."

After single-goal victories over AFC Bournemouth, Sunderland, Burnley and
Hull City at London Stadium this season, Byram is hoping to use a first
thumping win at the Club's new home as momentum to really kick-on in the
second half of the campaign.

He continued: "We've needed this, it does feel like a real lift. The team
were together afterwards and it was a great atmosphere around the place, so
hopefully it's upwards from here.

"There's been a lot in the news over the last week but we're a team and we
stick together. We showed on Saturday, particularly in the second half, that
we can pull together and that we've got a great squad."

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Legend Martin hails 'immense' atmosphere
WHUFC.com

Hammers legend Alvin Martin praised the 'immense' London Stadium atmosphere
Three-time Hammer of the Year was present for Saturday's victory over
Crystal Palace
talkSPORT pundit said supporters were there for the team when they needed a
boost

West Ham United legend Alvin Martin has described the atmosphere at London
Stadium on Saturday as 'immense' and praised the Club's supporters for their
tremendous backing of Slaven Bilic and his team.

The former Hammers captain, who made 596 appearances for the club between
1978 and 1996, was present for the magnificent 3-0 Premier League win over
Crystal Palace in his role as a summariser for radio station talkSPORT.

The three-time Hammer of the Year, now an athletic 58, believes that West
Ham's stunning second-half performance came at a perfect time.

"People talk about atmosphere but the supporters can only take it so far,"
he says. "To really lift it to another level, it has to be generated by what
happens on the pitch, and we saw that on Saturday.

"It was quiet and a bit edgy in the first half, but you could tell that the
fans wanted to get their teeth into it and have something to really shout
about.

"Then it exploded, particularly with the fantastic second and third goals,
and suddenly the atmosphere was immense.

"It is still going to take time for the memories to stack up, but when that
second goal flew in, well, that's about as good as it gets.

"What was wonderful about Andy's goal was that it came at the perfect time
when Slaven really needed it, and the fans really needed it.

"Slaven won some big matches last season in his first year with the Club,
but I would say that Saturday's was up there with the biggest in terms of
the week he'd had, and what he needed from the players and the fans.

"The players certainly delivered, and the fans proved yet again that the
team, and Slaven, can really count on them when it is needed. That is
testament to the loyalty and passion they show for this Club."

Work commitments with talkSPORT have meant that Saturday marked only his
third visit to London Stadium, but the former England international did not
hesitate when asked to give his overall description of the Club's new home.

"It's iconic," he said. "As a player, when you've finished your career, you
hope that you can talk about things you've won, great memories and great
seasons.

"And people always want to know, have you played at that stadium, or this
stadium? I'm very proud to have played at places like Wembley, and the
Azteca in Mexico – the kind of great stadiums you dream about playing in
when you're kicking a ball around in the street as a boy.

"And this is another one. I'm sure a lot of players will want to say that
they played here."

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Payet talks conclude
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th January 2017
By: Staff Writer

Representatives from Marseille are on their way back to France following a
meeting with West Ham chiefs regarding Dimitri Payet.
The French delegation flew into London earlier this morning for talks
regarding a possible move for the Euro 16 star, who has told West Ham that
he no longer wishes to play for the club and wishes to return to France.
And when asked by a KUMB source how the meeting went, Jacques-Olivier
Auguste, who was representing the French international, simply replied:
"Very well".
Also present this morning was Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud, who
made his way to London via private plane, and other representatives from
L'OM. Marseille are hoping to seal a deal that will allow them to resign
Payet, who moved from the Stade Vélodrome to West Ham in the summer of 2015
in a £10.7million switch. Having already seen a £20million bid rejected, the
French club will have to raise their offer considerably in order to persuade
West Ham to accept - even though the Hammers maintain that they have no
intention of selling Payet during the current transfer window.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 3
Crystal Palace 0
by Gordon Thrower
KUMB.cm

Whatever happened to Harchester United?
So there we were at the end of a week when the old lazy journalistic cliché
using the words "from hero to zero" actually seemed apt for once. It was
cold and, if anyone gives a monkey's, the arthritis in my ankle had been
giving me grief. So yeah I think all in all some of us could be forgiven for
not really looking forward to this match, particularly given the type of
football often associated with the visiting manager.

Team news was that we were going to start with three at the back with
Collins returning to action for the first time in a bit. Payet was missing –
I forget why but I think there was something in the paper about it. Team:
Randolph, Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Antonio, Noble, Obiang,
Feghouli, Lanzini, Carroll.

Well in truth the first half was probably what everyone would have predicted
of this match beforehand. Given a home side that had been through a soap
opera of a week against a team whose last 12 months had been so bad one
might almost have thought that they were a celebrity.

There was little of note. Noble reacted petulantly to an off the ball kick
which prompted a lengthy lecture from ref Swarbrick that on another day
might have been a yellow. Later in the half Carroll did see yellow for a
late but non-malicious challenge on Ward whilst chasing him down in the
corner.

You'll gather that goalmouth action was at a premium given the focus on
matters disciplinary thus far. And you would be right, though there were two
good chances in the half, one for each side. Just short of the half hour
Noble found good space on the right and looked up to see Carroll holding
back on the penalty spot. If anything Carroll caught Noble's fine cross
slightly too cleanly and his first time effort cleared the bar by a couple
of feet to deny what would have been a fine goal.

Shortly after Noble gave away a free kick on the edge of the box, his tackle
bringing him the yellow he might have merited earlier. Townsend's cross was
challenged for by many but somehow found its way to Tomkins at the far post.
However the arrival of the ball appeared to take Tomkins by surprise and his
snatched effort went wide when it might have been easier to score. The miss
prompted chants of "he's one of our own".

The visiting manager will no doubt have been the happier of the two, a
suspicion confirmed when the teams emerged for the restart. We reverted to a
flat back four with Byram returning from injury to move into right back. The
consequent sacrifice of Ogbonna allowed Antonio to push up front and the
tactical change was key to a half that was as different to the one that had
preceded it as the performances of those involved in the previous night's
Bobby Moore tv "drama" had been to real acting.

There was an early taster as Carroll's first time effort from Antonio's
header straight after the restart went wide. Having seen it again it was a
lot close than I originally thought. The lively Feghouli was beginning to
get into the game a bit more and Carroll was beginning to receive the
service he thrives on, a fine Tomkins defensive header preventing us from
going one up.

Feghouli was instrumental in creating another chance for the no.9. Cabaye
clipped the winger and the resulting free-kick from Lanzini was deflected to
the left hand side of the box. Carroll made wonderful space for himself but
couldn't keep the shot on target.
Obiang then played a clever ball out to Byram whose angled drive may have
been a shot or a cross but failed to become either in the end, the ball
beating the far post.

We took the lead on 78 minutes. Carroll won the ball in the air and Noble
played a clever pass over the top for Antonio, who was greeted by an
onrushing Hennessy whose odds on getting the ball were longer than the walk
back to Stratford Station.

Antonio took the ball around the 'keeper and played the ball towards goal.
Shot or cross it proved to be the perfect delivery for Feghouli who banished
memories of his missed effort from similar range against Man City by tapping
in from inches. It was a lead that had been totally deserved on the balance
of play in the second period and it was a lead that was doubled shortly
after.

Byram had picked up a (correct) yellow from Swarbrick who (credit where due)
had had an unusually competent afternoon by the standards of what we have
seen recently. Cresswell then played a superb ball down the left wing to
Lanzini who held the ball up before laying it off to the supporting Antonio.

Antonio clipped a ball across goal and, well, I expect you have all seen I
by now. Carroll's finish was, quite simply, magnificent. I'm now watching it
for the 500th time and even in slow motion it's a blur. I would say its
right up there with DiCanio's effort v Wimbledon it the list of great goals
I have seen live. Excuse me while I press the "keep" button on my Sky Q
box….

Well I suppose if you are a team on an appalling run set up to try for a
draw one goal is going to make things difficult. A second one like that is
going to knock whatever stuffing you thought you had right out of you. It
was therefore little surprise that we made it three five minutes after
Carroll's effort.

In a vain attempt to try and wrest something out of the game Remy went down
their left but found his cross cut out by the splendid Reid. The Kiwi's
headed clearance found Antonio who burst forward and laid off the ball into
the path of Lanzini who bore down on goal before placing an exquisite lift
over the advancing Hennessy to make it 3-0.

It was a sublime finish that was vaguely reminiscent of one from last season
away at the same opponents. Scored by whatsisname. Not that the visiting
support would have realised – the so called "ultras" had departed after
Carroll's goal, presumably they needed an early night for their paper rounds
in the morning.

Lanzini picked up a yellow for "excessive celebration" which was statutory
but harsh – a celebration involving Pink Floyd's laser show and a million
quid's worth of fireworks wouldn't have seemed too excessive after a week
like that in my opinion. And that was pretty much it.

Yes I know it was only Palace but frankly after all that had been going on
the psychological boost of the win after all that's been going on was plain
to see. Throw in a goal like that and the feel good factor gained was out of
all proportion to the strength of opponent.

If nothing else the absence of, er, thingy seemed to unite players and fans
alike. The manager's name was sung throughout leaving nobody in any doubt
whose side the sympathies of the supporters lie. It's an ill wind and all
that….


Player Ratings

Darren Randolph
Largely untested. Dealt with what little Palace had to offer with relative
comfort.

Michail Antonio
Ok at wing back in the first half. Better as a foil for Carroll in the
second half. Provided assists for all three goals. All of that after getting
out of bed with a temperature approaching that of molten steel.

Aaron Cresswell
The lack of attacking threat from the visitors allowed him to get forward to
supplement the attack, which he did well.

Winston Reid
Another strong defensive performance from the Kiwi. I have but one question:
is he that angry off the pitch as well as on it?

Angelo Ogbonna
Did ok first half but was sacrificed in the switch to a flat back four.

Pedro Obiang
Another good solid runout from a player who rarely grabs the headlines.

Sofiane Feghouli
Continues to improve. Not the greatest defensively but today he didn't have
to be.

Mark Noble
Distinctly mediocre first half as pass after pass went astray. Improved in
the second half.

Andy Carroll
Even if you take the goal out of the equation this was AC at his best. Won
everything in the air both with his head and I his chest. Laid the ball off
well and brought players into the game on a regular basis. Then there was
the goal. MOTM.

Manuel Lanzini
Showed signs of coming out of the shadows. Pulled strings and we would all
be raving about his goal were it not for…..

James Collins
Did the throwing himself in front of the ball thing to his usual decent
standard. Not sure he would be first choce pairing with Reid in most matches
but "horses for courses" on this occasion…..

Substitutes

Sam Byram
(Replaced Ogbonna) Received wisdom has it that he is not highly rated behind
the scenes. There will be sterner tests to come – possibly against a team
who actually pose an attacking threat. However, his introduction and the
reversion to a flat back four was the catalyst for the second half. Still
early days.

Edimilson Fernandes
(Replaced Lanzini) A four minute cameo – little time to exert any influence.

Ashley Fletcher
(Replaced Antonio) A three minute cameo – so he had a minute less than
Fernandes to exert any influence.

Adrian San Miguel Del Castillo

Reece Oxford

Domingos Quina

Jonathan Calleri

Match Facts
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.
Attendance: 50,000.
Man of the Match: Andy Carroll.

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Payet can go, say West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th January 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United are willing to sell Dimitri Payet - but not until Marseille
make a suitable offer. Earlier today KUMB.com revealed that representatives
from West Ham and Marseille, who flew in from France this morning, had met
to discuss the possibility of the French international returning to Ligue 1.
The Marseille party, who were represented by Club President Jacques-Henri
Eyraud and Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta were joined by Payet's agent
Jacques-Olivier Auguste.
It is understood that no fresh offer was made, although L'OM were instructed
to return with an improved offer closer to West Ham's valuation if their
intentions were serious.

The only bid made by Marseille so far, according to L'Equipe, was their
opening gambit of £22million, with a further £3million to follow dependent
on various clauses being met.

West Ham - who stated previously they have no intention of selling Payet -
will hold out for circa £35million for their star asset, who recently
revealed his desire to leave London due to personal issues.

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West Ham yet to agree deal to sell Dimitri Payet to Marseille
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 16/01/17 6:27pm
SSN

Marseille have failed to reach an agreement with West Ham over a deal for
wantaway midfielder Dimitri Payet following talks on Monday, according to
Sky sources.
Sky sources understand West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has rejected an
improved second bid worth around £20m from the Ligue 1 side and is refusing
to be bullied into a quick sale, with no financial need to sell the
29-year-old.

Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud held high-level discussions with
West Ham officials in London in a bid to secure a deal for Payet, who played
at Marseille for two seasons before joining the Hammers in the summer of
2015.

West Ham will not consider an offer of less than £30m for Payet, having
turned down a £19.1m bid for the France international from Marseille last
week. Sky sources understand Marseille are concerned that the longer
negotiations drag on, the more likely it is that other clubs will try to
sign Payet. Payet informed West Ham manager Slaven Bilic of his desire to
leave the club last week and was not included in the matchday squad for
Saturday's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
He is currently not training with the first-team squad and will continue to
work with the under-23s. Sky sources understand West Ham would prefer Payet
apologised to the club and supporters and return to first-team training.
Payet has been a stand-out performer for West Ham since arriving for
£10.75m, scoring 15 goals in 60 appearances, and was rewarded with a new
five-and-a-half year deal in February.

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Simone Zaza admits he 'was not right mentally' at West Ham
Last Updated: 16/01/17 3:18pm
SSN

Simone Zaza is hoping to earn himself a long-term stay at Valencia after
admitting he "was not right mentally" during his time at West Ham. The
25-year-old Italy forward has cut short an inauspicious spell at the London
stadium to join Valencia on a deal until the end of the season. Zaza made 11
appearances for West Ham without scoring a goal after joining on a
season-long loan from Juventus and, admits he failed to adapt to the style
of English football. "It was a very difficult time for me," Zaza said. "When
I joined from Juventus I was very optimistic, I wanted to experience playing
in England because I thought it was the football that I liked and where I
could use my qualities. "Everything started badly from the outset, I think
the main blame lies with me because I was not right mentally, I was very
negative and in all the things that happened I never saw the positive side.
"There was an atmosphere, a culture very different to mine. That was a
problem. Now I'm here (in Spain) I feel bad not to have shown in England
what I'm capable of."
Zaza has moved to the Mestalla on an initial six-month deal and is keen to
make up for lost time in La Liga. "I'm really keen to play here, not only
for six months," Zaza added. "I think I can do well here. I like the city,
the people, everything. My hope is to play here. "I would like to score as
many goals as possible, but for me the most important thing is starting
well, being calm, focused. The key thing is get higher up the table."

Valencia are just one place and four points above the relegation zone in La
Liga, but earned themselves a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Espanyol at
the weekend.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Mark Noble 'angry and disappointed' with Dimitri Payet
By Michael Kelleher
Last Updated: 16/01/17 6:20am
SSN

West Ham captain Mark Noble says he is "angry and disappointed" with Dimitri
Payet and revealed he has not spoken to the unsettled star in weeks. The
French playmaker was left out of the Hammers' squad for Saturday's 3-0
victory over Crystal Palace after telling manager Slaven Bilic he no longer
wants to play for the club. Payet is understood to be keen to return to
France with officials from his former club Marseille set to hold talks with
West Ham on Monday to discuss a deal. When asked about Payet, Noble said: "I
am angry and disappointed, because I have always said that he is one of the
best players I have ever played with. "I had - and I say had because I
haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks - a great
relationship with him, but I don't know his reasons.
"I am not going to comment on why he wanted to leave but I do know that if
someone doesn't want to play for the team then they are better off not even
playing."
Noble also reserved special praise for manager Slaven Bilic for the way he
has handled a difficult situation. "I thought the manager was right in what
he did because it is hard," Noble added. "You have to win games and if you
have your best player who doesn't want to play for you then obviously he has
had to do something about it. "I have been here all my life so I find it
hard to realise that someone wouldn't want to play for the club. It's a
massive club and he is absolutely adored - was adored here - by the fans.
But football and fans change quickly."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille and West Ham to hold Dimitri Payet talks
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 9:57pm
SSN

Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will meet with high-level West
Ham officials on Monday to discuss a deal for Dimitri Payet, according to
Sky sources. The Hammers beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday without their
France playmaker, who this week told Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play
for the club. West Ham will not consider offers of less than £30m for Payet,
who cost them just £10.5m when he arrived from Marseille in the summer of
2015. It is understood Marseille are the only club interested, and initially
a compromise deal was put forward which would have seen Payet loaned back to
Bilic's side for the rest of the season.
The prospect of that deal going through receded when West Ham supporters
made their feelings plain on Saturday, repeatedly chanting for last season's
player of the year to leave.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
European clubs chase Braithwaite amid West Ham interest
By Claire Bloomfield
Last Updated: 16/01/17 2:58pm
SSN

West Ham United are considering launching an improved bid for Toulouse
striker Martin Braithwaite, but will face tough competition from 'a number
of European club's', according to Sky Sources. Slaven Bilic's side tabled a
£8.5m offer for the Ligue 1 skipper last month but Toulouse rejected the
deal and claimed they were unwilling to let Braithwaite go for less than
£10m. The 25-year-old Denmark international, who joined his current club
from Danish Superliga outfit Esbjerg FB in the summer of 2013, has now
attracted further interest from Europe. The Hammers could face a bidding war
if they continue to pursue their interest in the player. Braithwaite has
scored seven goals in 17 league appearances so far this season and was
pivotal in helping Toulouse avoid relegation during the 2015-16 campaign.
Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz, who has been impressed with Braithwaite's
development this season, was thought to be looking for a strike partner to
accompany the player but will now consider offers. A bargain buy at just
£2m, Braithwaite could hand the French club a significant profit should he
make a move during the January transfer window.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille fail to agree terms with West Ham for wantaway star Dimitri Payet
The French international has downed tools and refused to train for the east
Londoners in a bid to force a move
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
16:14, 16 JAN 2017UPDATED16:26, 16 JAN 2017

Dimitri Payet remains a West Ham player after Marseille chiefs failed to
convince the Irons to sell him today. Mirror Sport understands there is
currently no chance of a deal as the French club is refusing to meet the
Hammers' asking price of at least £35million. Disgraced playmaker Payet has
made it clear to the club that he wants to rejoin his former club and that
he will neither train nor play if he is denied the move. Payet also
threatened to invent an injury preventing him from playing during an
explosive row last week. Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud flew into
London today in a bid to convince the Irons to reach agreement.
The club have a lucrative deal on the table for the player whose wife is
understood to be keen on a move back to France and has already gone back
there with their children. But West Ham chiefs were dismayed that the
Marseille's proposal was way below their valuation of the playmaker and are
set to dig their heels in.
Meanwhile, Mark Noble revealed he has not spoken to Payet for "two or three
weeks". The Hammers skipper shed light on the extent of the breakdown in
playmaker Payet's relationship with some of his team-mates after the Hammers
beat Crystal Palace 3-0 without him. Payet stunned the club last week by
telling boss Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for them. But Noble
insisted he was in the dark, saying: "I have always said that he is up there
with one of the best players I have ever played with and I had – and I say
had because I haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks –
a great relationship with him.
"I don't know his reasons and am not going to comment on why he wanted to
leave, but I do know that if someone doesn't want to play for the team then
he's better off not even playing."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham were not that good in 3-0 win v Crystal Palace
HITC
Mathew Nash

The former Hammers boss is not sure what all the fuss was about after the
game. This weekend saw West Ham United put Crystal Palace and their former
manager Sam Allardyce to the sword at the London Stadium. The Hammers
comfortably beat Palace 4-0 with goals from Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll
and Manuel Lanzini doing the damage. It was a game that helped relieve some
of the pressure at West Ham after three straight defeats and it is always
nice to get one over an old manager, as they did with Allardyce. But Big
Sam was clearly not of the opinion that West Ham even played that well. He
was speaking to the press today ahead of Palace's FA Cup replay against
Bolton Wanderers tomorrow when he stated his belief that West Ham were not
as good as it was being made out:

"In fairness, while everyone will say how good West Ham were on Saturday -
they weren't that good. We gifted them the goals. "Their first shot on
target was just before the 70 minute mark, so they couldn't have been as
good as everyone's said." In fairness to Allardyce the game was closer than
the result would suggest and West Ham only really started to dominate the
game when Michail Antonio was pushed forward later in the game. But the
scoreline, West Ham fans will argue, shows that they were the better team
against Palace by a fair distance and that Allardyce is perhaps eating the
sourest of grapes.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham demand more than £30m for Dimitri Payet as star's family prepare
for January move to Marseille
JAMES OLLEY
Evening Standard

Dimitri Payet's family have returned to France as the star continues to
apply pressure on West Ham in his bid force through a move to Marseille. The
29-year-old's wife Ludivine and his two sons Milan and Pharell have left
London in anticipation of the player returning to his former club. The
Hammers have not ruled out selling Payet this month despite co-chairman
David Sullivan declaring on Saturday that the wantaway winger would remain
at the club until the end of the season. Standard Sport understands the
Hammers are considering all possibilities given Payet's insistence he no
longer wants to stay in east London and could yet agree a reluctant sale
before the end of the current transfer window. The French club are due in
London this week to meet with West Ham officials over a possible deal with
the Hammers likely to demand in excess of £30million. Sullivan had written
in his programme notes before Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace
that "the board's position is that we do not want to sell Dimitri, we do not
need to sell Dimitri for financial or any other reasons, and we will NOT
sell Dimitri in the January transfer window."

However, those notes were written on Thursday and Sullivan is privately
believed to be more flexible regarding Payet's departure.
The club's hierarchy remain deeply disappointed with Payet's actions given
he signed a new £125,000-a-week deal last February - and was reportedly
given a £1million loyalty bonus in September after impressing for France at
Euro 2016 – but are determined not to let him leave on the cheap.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tony Evans: Fans missing the 'good old days' should remember when Bobby
Moore wanted to join Tottenham
TONY EVANS
Evening Standard

The word 'mercenary' has been bandied about a lot this week. It has been
used so often about Dimitri Payet that it is surprising Karren Brady has not
tried to trademark it. West Ham are not the only London club going through a
spell of breastbeating because one of their stars wants to leave. At
Chelsea, the fury directed at Diego Costa is palpable. Tianjin Quanjian of
the Chinese Super League are said to be prepared to pay the striker
£30million a year. Supporters who would switch jobs in an instant for a £30
per week pay hike rage at his apparent disloyalty.
Some yearn for the simpler, less craven days before money distorted modern
football. It's absurd. There is a splendid irony at the thought of Chelsea
being bullied financially over players. This is a club that helped transform
the game and inflate the transfer market in the immediate aftermath of Roman
Abramovich's takeover 14 years ago. Costa is highly paid and signed up for
the next two years but he has little allegiance to Chelsea. He knows that
contracts only matter to a club when a player is productive. It's a brutal
business when you become surplus to requirements. No matter how happy and
settled a player is, he is shown the door when he falls out of favour.
Those who refuse to leave are put through a series of indignities designed
to force them out. Training with junior teams is one tactic. At Chelsea,
Nicolas Anelka and Alex were banned from the first-team block at Cobham and
told to move their vehicles to the youth car park. It does not matter how
much a footballer earns, daily humiliations have a wearing effect. It is the
other side of the coin to a player going on strike. Both sides are loyal
only when it suits them.
Payet's loyalty has been a big talking point at the London Stadium. The
Frenchman is talented but the only reason he ended up in the East End for a
knockdown fee of £10.7m was his reputation as a troublemaker. For all his
flair, the 29-year-old was always likely to push the self-destruct button.
It is no surprise that Payet is looking for a way back to Marseille now
things are not going so well for Slaven Bilic's team.
If he is leaving for money then he is in good company. After all, West Ham
departed their traditional home for a clearly unsuitable new ground in
pursuit of extra lucre. The badge has been reworked to include the word
'London' and Brady, the vice-chairman, has talked about getting the "culture
right". She was not talking about heritage as fans recognise it. Brady was
referring to the culture of business. The new stadium and iconography are
designed to increase the value of the 'brand'. In such circumstances it's a
bit rich for supporters to talk about money-mad players.
If Payet knew about the team's history — and for all his badge kissing it is
unlikely he ever cared — he might look to the Bobby Moore Stand and feel
justified in forcing a way out. West Ham make an awful fuss about Moore but
they forget to mention that the golden boy of English football spent some of
his best years as a player simmering with discontent because he was denied
two opportunities to move to Tottenham. The claret-and-blue mythology of
mutual love, fidelity and affection between Moore and the club is built on
fiction. Those were different days when there was no Bosman freedom of
movement when a contract expired but players are still traded like chattels
when it suits their employer. The howls of outrage when the likes of Costa
and Payet try to turn the tables are hypocritical, even if their motivation
is pure greed.
Actually, mercenary is probably the right description for much of football's
mindset but less in the gun-for-hire sense than the
primacy-of-profit-over-ethics meaning of the word. It has been that way
since the first man was paid to kick a ball and there is no sign of it
changing now. Costa and Payet are a contemporary manifestation of how
things work but it was never any different. If Bobby Moore was alive, he
would attest that there was no such thing as the good old days.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble angry at wantaway West Ham star Dimitri Payet: I had a great
relationship with him
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham captain Mark Noble has hit out at wantaway star Dimitri Payet and
insisted the Hammers are better off without him in the team.
Payet struck an instant chord with the West Ham faithful following his
arrival in east London at the start of last season. The France international
quickly established himself as a firm fans' favourite but, despite signing a
long-term contract in February 2016, is now attempting to engineer a move
away from the London Stadium. Payet has demanded a transfer and missed West
Ham's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace after refusing to play for Slaven
Bilic's side. Standard Sport understands West Ham are 'increasingly minded'
to sell Payet this month, with Marseille keen to re-sign the 29-year-old,
and Noble is furious with his teammate's behaviour. "I had - and I say had
because I haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks - a
great relationship with him, but I don't know his reasons," Noble told Goal.
"I am angry and disappointed, because I have always said that he is one of
the best players I have ever played with. "I am not going to comment on why
he wanted to leave but I do know that if someone doesn't want to play for
the team then they are better off not even playing," he added. Meanwhile,
Andy Carroll believes West Ham's "professional" performance in Payet's
absence proved to be the ideal response to the ongoing transfer saga. The
Hammers now occupy 12th place in the table and could climb into the top half
with victory over Middlesbrough next weekend.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BRAVE BILIC THE KEY TO BETTER DAYS AHEAD
By HamburgHammer 16 Jan 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Take a bow Slaven Bilic! Our manager has been through what must have been a
few miserable months, capped by the last seven days which surely will have
been not your average rollercoaster of emotions for our Croatian manager,
more like the Nemesis ride at Alton Towers. Now, initially I had planned to
try and write my column without even mentioning Dimitri Payet just in order
to prove a point. But frankly, while a lot of us may consider him to be
history already and prefer to move on without ever hearing his name again,
the truth is that he is still legally a West Ham player and until his sale
has been completed he is still the massive bullfrog (or yellow-bellied toad
if you prefer) in the room so to speak, so he will of course feature in my
column after all.

But first things first! What a fantastic team performance that was. That's
right, TEAM. Which translates as Together Everyone Achieves More. The
keyword being together.
Our team hasn't been together for a long time, I would say not from the very
start of the season, coinciding with Payet's return from the Euro
Championships.
Where surely he was tapped up, maybe multiple times. I'm sure by now
everyone will have read about how our club and also Bilic bent over
backwards in order to make Monsieur Payet feel wanted, loved, appreciated –
hindsight is a wonderful thing, and in hindsight it appears that we have
rather overdone the royalty treatment.

Embed from Getty Images

We'll see what comes out eventually about Payet's true motives of wanting to
leave NOW rather than wait for the summer when apparently West Ham were
quite ready to sell him at that point for the right price, not wishing to
stand in the way of an unhappy or homesick player.
The way though in which Payet basically shat on everything he had at our
club, not acknowledging the role of our club in making him the household
name he is in international football today is truly sad. And a bit pathetic.

From the very beginning he was welcomed and worshipped like a true legend by
the Hammers fans, it felt as if he had been at West Ham for years already
rather than being a new signing. It indeed was a love affair, alas affairs
tend to usually end a) rather quickly and b) rarely on amicable terms – the
love between the player and the club, manager and fans is totally lost now
for obvious reasons.

But you know what? It's a mighty relief to finally have identified the main
root of our problems this season, at least in terms of the team (ignoring
the stadium move for a minute). It looks like indeed Payet's special
treatment he got from the club and management drove a massive wedge right
through the dressing room and also the training pitch at Rush Green. It must
have been so frustrating for the other players seeing it all being about
Payet without our star player backing up all that admiration (and money)
with even halfway decent performances on the pitch. The rest of the team
obviously felt disrespected and undervalued – and all over a guy who
essentially has been a one season wonder for us. Yet the board tied him down
to an improved long-term deal while refusing to afford our manager the same
courtesy, citing their desire to find out if Bilic was a one season wonder
first…

Embed from Getty Images

We will now see if the club are willing to let Payet rot for half a season
in order to get the right price for our prize asset or cave in and sell on
the cheap, just to get rid. With Chinese clubs becoming interested in him
too now Payet can not expect to go back to Marseille for ten million quid
and six bottles of vintage claret, although both he and Marseille for sure
would prefer that of course. I want the club to show some backbone here,
sending out a clear massage to the world that no West Ham player (no matter
how good he is) can just down tools and strop in order to push through a
transfer to his prefered destination for peanuts despite having signed a
long-term contract (and a loyalty bonus of 1 million quid too) just
recently.

Players are on long-term contracts for a reason. They can ask for a transfer
obviously if they no longer wish to stay, but certainly not on their terms.
Clubs need to be protected in a way that they get at least their fair share
should a player want to leave well before reaching the expiry date of his
contract.

So, to finish off the Payet issue: Sell him as quickly as possible, yes, but
only for a price that mirrors his true market value for his next club. That
is much closer to 35 or 40 million rather than 20 in my book. With China
involved maybe even 50 million. How our owners will decide to spend that
kind of money, if they spend any that is, is anybody's guess though.
I'm confident we will make at least a few signings in January, not
necessarily for NOW as we are pretty much safe from relegation already, but
maybe we will pick up some players for the future (like Hogan) now in order
to not miss out on them in the summer (similar to what we did when we picked
up Byram).

Embed from Getty Images

It was a pleasure to see our team perform, well, like a team on Saturday,
especially in the second half. All the players suddenly seemed to have found
another gear or two being freed from the shackles of forever running about
in the shadow of the French Messiah (he's not really, just a very naughty
boy!). The lads played (and celebrated the goals) like a team should,
together, happy to sweat blood and guts for each other. It also seemed to
unite the crowd at London Stadium and Lanzini's jump into the stands was a
nice touch.
(Although only West Ham players seem to get punished with a booking for this
kind of thing these days.)

I am not sure if Lanzini did it on a whim or whether it was premeditated (as
a nod to the Tevez celebration after he scored his first for West Ham or as
a subtle hint in the direction of a sulking Frenchman that he was neither
needed nor wanted back in the team anymore). Either way, it felt incredible
to hear the whole ground singing Slaven's praise and boy, did the man
deserve it!
If there is one guy this club should be built around, if our fanbase should
rally round one chap capable of putting some pride back into this club it is
not a player, but our manager.

Embed from Getty Images

Sure, he makes mistakes too as he is only a human being after all (trying to
turn Antonio into a RB obviously was a massive clanger). But for me he is
the perfect link connecting us to the passion, traditions and values that
are so dear to loyal Hammers fans all over the globe. If we want things to
improve for us in the next few years, we need to make sure to keep Bilic at
West Ham for a long time, so rather than throwing money at another bigger
than his boots primadonna player I would offer Bilic a contract extension
NOW.
Send out a signal that Bilic is our man for the future and then bloody
support him with transfer funds too. It'll be money well spent in my view.
(Well, Bilic didn't know that Tore would get a long-term injury at West Ham,
did he ?)

A final word needs to be said about Andy Carroll. That was a world class
goal indeed and it's highly encouraging to see him score goals like that
because it very much proves that on his day he is so much more than just a
battering ram, thundering in headers or knocking balls down for his
teammates. We may have to wait for another goal of that quality at London
Stadium for another 20 years or so.

Embed from Getty Images

The key for him will be to look after himself and stay injury-free, then the
sky will be the limit for him really. Oh yes, also try to play with two
strikers more in future.
I don't even think it matters that much if it is Sakho, Fletcher, Martinez,
Calleri (or Hogan?) – as long as you have another outlet upfront, staying
close to Carroll, pouncing to exploit any space or opportunity created by
Carroll's presence we will begin to score more goals on a regular basis.

What a great feeling to be talking about positives again for a change! It's
vital now that our board don't rest on their laurels or sit on their hands
and wallets. Our fanbase deserve to see investment in our team. Our manager
deserves support in his endeavour to build a great team. A great team for
West Ham will always be more about players working well as a unit, a
well-oiled machine, rather than trying to keep superstar primadonnas happy.
Maybe that just isn't the West Ham way.

Maybe it's a lesson learned the hard way with Payet. Maybe we don't need 40
million quid players after all, even in a 60.000 seater stadium. Maybe we
just need to sing more songs for Bilic and keep him happy, it's certainly
worth a try! COYI!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dimitri Payet to be sold 'sooner rather than later' as Slaven Bilic shifts
West Ham's focus onto Manuel Lanzini
Karren Brady and David Sullivan have both suggested he will be gone in the
summer
The Independent
Steve Tongue @stevetongue 7 hours ago0 comments

T-shirts emblazoned with what until recently was West Ham supporters'
favourite Dimitri Payet song ("He's Super Slav's man/ He's better than
Zidane") are on sale in the club store for a knockdown price. A much
improved second-half performance in his absence, bringing about a derby
victory on Saturday, will nevertheless instil greater determination to play
hard-ball this week over the disaffected midfielder's future.

A compromise is still possible, the most logical one being to cash in to the
tune of up to £30million if Marseille want the 29 year-old that badly, while
loaning him back until the end of the season. Vice-chair Karren Brady took
the pragmatic approach at the weekend, writing in her newspaper column: "He
has been on half-throttle for some time. With this attitude I suppose that
probably sooner rather than later he will be on his way. We have already
made him our highest-paid player but there has been plenty of evidence
recently of his lost motivation."

David Sullivan, the co-chairman, emphasised there was no financial necessity
to sell but only said the club would not do so "in the January transfer
window". Manager Slaven Bilic has been adamant about keeping his most gifted
player and presumably believes he could restore that lost motivation, but he
could also take positives from the other players' response to his half-time
talk on Saturday.
"I think it was a great example that it's always about the team, not about
an individual," he said of the sudden improvement that brought three fine
goals in a 20-minute spell, including Andy Carroll's goal-of-the-month
bicycle kick.

Carroll benefited from the smart decision to push Mikhail Antonio up
alongside him in support, the latter creating all three goals. The last of
them was chipped in sweetly by Manuel Lanzini, who could thrive with greater
responsibility as the main playmaker if Payet does not return to the side.
"We weren't a one-player team last season," Bilic said. "We have talked
about the importance of Manuel Lanzini last year. But of course from some
players on the ball you are expecting more and for sure, he is one of them."

Meanwhile Sam Allardyce's concerns at Palace are not so much about anyone
wishing to leave as who he can bring in to join Jeffrey Schlupp, a useful
addition from Leicester City. Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson, who played
under him at West Ham, may well be next but Tuesday's FA Cup replay at home
to Bolton will be used to see if any of the shadow squad can improve on
Saturday's performance by players who their manager felt "capitulated" after
conceding the first goal.

He is still learning about the players he inherited from Alan Pardew and had
little time with two of them, Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako, before they
were off to the African Nations Cup. Chelsea loanee Loic Remy, he believes,
can offer "something different" in attack but the priority for a team only
one point off the bottom of the table is some clean sheets.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simone Zaza ends unhappy spell at West Ham as Italian forward completes loan
switch to Valencia
Simone Zaza will join Spanish side Valencia for rest of this season
Italy international failed to establish himself at West Ham in miserable
spell
Terms of his loan to West Ham meant move would be permanent after 14 games
Deal has been cancelled with Zaza moving on to play for struggling La Liga
side
By Simon Jones for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:54, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 23:55, 15 January 2017

Simone Zaza has cut short his loan spell at West Ham to join Valencia for
the rest of the season. The Italy international joined the Hammers on loan
from Juventus in the summer, but never found his feet in London, failing to
score in 11 appearances in all competitions. With the terms of his loan
dictating that the switch would become permanent if he made 14 appearances,
he fell out of favour and the deal has now been cancelled, freeing him to
join Valencia. 'Valencia Club de Futbol have completed the signing of Simone
Zaza on loan from Juventus until the end of the season,' a club statement
said. 'The player passed a medical with the club and signed his contract on
Sunday. 'The agreement will see him becone a Valencia CF player until the
conclusion of the 2016/17 campaign, with an option to buy.' The 25-year-old,
capped 16 times by Italy, helped Juventus to the Serie A title, Coppa Italia
and Italian Supercoppa while in Turin. But is already becoming
well-travelled in his career, having also played for Atalanta, Sampdoria,
Juve Stabia, Viareggio, Ascoli and Sassuolo.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dimitri Payet has not spoken to me in weeks... I find it hard that somebody
would want to leave us, reveals West Ham skipper Mark Noble
Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham to return to former side Marseille
Payet was left out of West Ham's squad to face Crystal Palace at the weekend
West Ham won 3-0 without the services of their star playmaker
By Oliver Todd for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:33, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 00:01, 16 January 2017

Mark Noble has revealed Dimtri Payet has not spoken to him in 'weeks' as the
wantaway star's relationships at West Ham collapsed.
Payet is stuck in a stand-off, frozen out of training and refusing to play
while his club are adamant he will not be sold. Now West Ham captain Noble,
who says he once had a great bond with the Frenchman, has given another
indication of how his situation has spiralled. Michail Antonio has been
directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other West Ham
player this season - 11 (8 goals, 3 assists). Payet was a popular member
of the London Stadium dressing room but it is increasingly clear he is
running short on allies after Saturday's victory over Crystal Palace. The
Hammers ran out 3-0 winners as those playing in Payet's place stepped up a
gear for their biggest home victory at the new ground. While his team-mates
take an extra day off ahead of going back to training on Tuesday there is no
indication of a return for Payet. Manager Slaven Bilic says against Palace
he saw 'a great example that it's always about the team — not about an
individual'. And West Ham supporters sang in support of their manager with
the addition of a chant for Payet, echoing his previous popular one, but now
telling him to: 'F*** off… We just don't want you anymore.' Skipper Noble
cannot fathom ever taking a stance like Payet and he says their friendship
has fallen apart as the star seeks a move away. 'I have always said that he
is up there with one of the best players I have ever played with,' Noble
recalls. 'I had — and I say had because I haven't really spoken to him for
the last two or three weeks — a great relationship with him, but I don't
know his reasons. 'I am not going to comment on why he wanted to leave but I
do know that if someone doesn't want to play for the team then they are
better off not even playing.'
Sportsmail understands other team-mates had noticed changes in Payet' s
behaviour before his fall-out with Bilic, too. The 29-year-old wants to
return to France and former club Marseille. 'I thought the manager was right
in what he did because it is hard,' Noble adds. 'You have to win games and
if you have your best player who doesn't want to play for you then obviously
he has had to do something about it. 'I have been here all my life so I find
it hard to realise that someone wouldn't want to play for the club. It's a
massive club and he is absolutely adored — was adored here — by the fans.
But football and fans change quickly.'
West Ham started slow on Saturday but after a change of system at half-time
Michail Antonio was pushed forward from right wing-back and it paid
dividends as he set up all three goals. First Sofiane Feghouli slid home
after Antonio had rounded Wayne Hennessey, then came Andy Carroll's
brilliant scissor kick from the former Nottingham Forest man's cross before
he sent Manuel Lanzini through to clip over the goalkeeper for a sublime
third. In that forward-thinking foursome of provider and goalscorers, Bilic
saw players who stepped up to levels he wouldn't usually believe were
possible. The Croatian coach doesn't usually subscribe to the footballing
cliches of effort levels exceeding the maximum 100 per cent — but Saturday
was different. 'I told them at half-time: "This is the time when we've got
to give 150 or 200 per cent"and they did it to be fair,' Bilic said. 'So I
have noticed it. But I also expected that — expected that from the crowd and
expected that from the players. If we gain confidence, if we gain team
character from this then it would help us to be a better team and that's
what we aim to do. 'We weren't a one-player team last season. But of course
from some players on the ball you are expecting more.' Kept out of the
bottom three only by goal difference, the situation for Sam Allardyce at
Palace became increasingly bleak. The former England manager, marked up as a
Premier League survival specialist, admits he is unsure whether he has
enough in his current squad to avoid relegation. Allardyce says the January
transfer window, which he relied on to revive a sinking Sunderland last
season, is more difficult than he can remember for years. He will try to add
to his side this week after sealing the £9million signing of Jeffrey Schlupp
from Leicester City. 'We have just got to get better, individually and
collectively, and if there's anymore to bring in we'll try our best to do
it,' Allardyce says. 'There's less players available, everybody wants to
keep hold of them and the inflated prices are very difficult to deal with
and the packages are very expensive. 'But when you're in great need,
sometimes you have to go there to make sure you get what you want.'

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 16th January 2017

From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone.

I want to start by thanking each and every West Ham United fan for their fantastic support at London Stadium – it made a massive difference and clearly inspired the team to victory. It has been a difficult week for everyone associated with the Club, but the staff and players ignored any distractions and produced a performance we can all be immensely proud of. We deserved it. Everybody was united and worked together with the manager and the players to get a vital win. We totally deserved it. I said last week that we had two 'cup finals' and we have won the first. Now we go to Middlesbrough next Saturday with confidence and I am sure we can win the second, too. The team worked hard in the first half and kept Crystal Palace's chances to a minimum. They have got some dangerous players, but the way we played kept them quiet, aside from one set piece and a couple of long-range shots. Slaven changed the formation and made a change at half-time and we took control of the game completely after half-time. James Collins and Sam Byram were both back in action after spells out injured and they showed the importance of having a strong squad. Michail Antonio was in bed with the flu on Friday and showed great determination and commitment to play and create all three of our goals. I have great admiration for what he did for us and to get three assists in the space of 18 minutes was terrific.

Andy Carroll was brilliant, too. He never stops working for the team and he scores some absolutely fantastic goals. That was surely the best of his career and I'm sure we will be replaying that again and again all season long. The atmosphere inside London Stadium was special, especially in the second half, when it was as loud as it has been all season. Now, we go forward looking positively to the next game and with the real chance of closing the gap on the teams in seventh, eighth and ninth in the table. While Slaven and the players concentrate on next weekend, the Board and the recruitment team are working hard on prospective new signings. We have already made a number of bids on players to improve the squad, but the January transfer window is the most challenging time of the year to buy, and so far it has proved very frustrating. We will keep working hard to bring in quality to improve the squad and I hope to have more positive news to bring you soon. While we keep working behind the scenes, I want to thank you all again for creating a wonderful atmosphere and inspiring the team to a vital victory.
We proved today what a strong force we can be when we are all pulling in the same direction, and I am sure we will do exactly the same at the Riverside Stadium next Saturday.

Thank you again.
Come on you Irons!
David Sullivan
Joint-Chairman

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Stat's a Fact - 3 is the magic number
WHUFC.com

Three really was the magic number on Saturday as West Ham United bagged their first three points of 2017 with a resounding 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at London Stadium.

Despite going in at the break goalless, second half strikes from Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini secured the Hammers a third win in four against their South London rivals.

After defeat to Manchester United on 2 January, Saturday not only marked the Hammers' opening three points of 2017 but their first three goals of the year as well.

Sofiane Feghouli tapped in his first ever league goal for the club following excellent work down the left-hand side by Michael Antonio, while Andy Carroll's 79th minute bicycle-kick will undoubtedly go down as an immediate contender for goal of the season. The Hammers' No9, acrobatically, got on the end of another Michail Antonio cross to fire past the despairing Wayne Hennessey.

Antonio was again the provider for West Ham's third as he played through Manuel Lanzini who, 18-yards out, deftly chipped the Palace keeper in the final few minutes of the 90 to complete the rout.

Amazingly, despite West Ham's second half dominance, the hosts only recorded three shots on target during the match…three shots on target, three goals – perfectly clinical!

Michail Antonio's contribution was felt throughout and despite not bagging a goal for himself, he did complete those three valuable assists - his first of any kind this season.

Defensively, Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang shared three tackles each while Winston Reid's three successful aerial duels were vital as the Hammers kept a Crystal Palace front-line, including the dangerous Christian Benteke, quiet throughout.

For the opponents, James Tomkins went closest when his effort slid past the back post but otherwise, Crystal Palace's attacking opportunities were very few and far between. Yohan Cabaye's 62 successful passes were the most by any player on the pitch, however 25 separate cases of lost possession may have contributed to Palace's eventual downfall.

Bilic can also take credit for his half-time substitution which saw Sam Byram replace Angelo Ogbonna and the Hammers move to four at the back. Byram, who's 45 minutes yesterday were his first since 1 October, impressed on his return and will have encouraged a number of onlookers who are hopeful that he can fill the West Ham's right-back position.

All in all though; a clean sheet, three points and three goals are all big positives for the Hammers as they look ahead to next week's match with Middlesbrough at The Riverside.

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Obiang - The whole Club pulled together
WHUFC.com

Team effort was the key to victory over Crystal Palace, says Pedro Obiang
Hammers No14 delighted for Sofiane Feghouli after Algerian nets first Premier League goal for the Club
Spaniard keen to kick on with Hammers in sight of league's top half

Pedro Obiang says Saturday's 3-0 London derby over Crystal Palace was a true team effort.

The Spanish midfielder believes the three point haul was just reward for the whole Club pulling together – from fans to the eleven on the pitch – after a testing week.

Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini scored the goals, but it was about more than just the headline makers as the Hammers moved up to 12th in the Premier League table.

"It was a nice moment," beamed the No14. "We wanted to make the fans happy and it's a great result.

"We could feel the support for everybody. We've answered with three points and everyone is happy."

As a Hammers player who took time to find his feet in east London, Obiang was particularly happy for Feghouli, who notched his first league goal in Claret and Blue to get his team rolling.

He continued: "For everybody it's difficult when you arrive as a new player in a new country, with new things. In that situation you need to stay calm and Sofiane knows we need him.

"Now he has scored maybe [it will all change for him]. Sam Byram has come in too, and whenever he has time to play he does really well. This is what a squad is all about."

Obiang also felt a change in tactics at the break paid off, as the Hammers were able to convert a 0-0 interval scoreline into their emphatic victory.

He added: "The manager and players know that sometimes you have to change something. In the situation on Saturday, we needed to change how we attacked because in the first half we gave a lot of space to them and they played. In the second half it was totally different.

"We needed to press, and we have the players to play football. On Saturday we had Lanzini, Feghouli, Antonio all playing really well and we need to continue."

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Rice enjoying different partnerships
WHUFC.com

Declan Rice is enjoying playing with a number of different centre-back partners this season
The U23s captain is preparing for a Premier League 2 clash with Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday (7pm)
The PL2 side are looking for their third consecutive victory

Declan Rice says he is enjoying forming a number of different centre-back partnerships for the U23s this season.

Rice has been partnered with Alex Pike, now on loan at Cheltenham Town, Reece Oxford, Reece Burke, Tunji Akinola and Noha Sylvestre over the course of the campaign.

But the youngster, who turned 18 on Saturday, has enjoyed adapting to different central defensive partnerships.

"I wouldn't say it's that hard because we all train together every day and you get to know everyone's games," said Rice.

"We always talk about what we're going to do before the games and we've always got each others back during the match as well.

Most recently, Rice partnered Oxford at the heart of the defence as West Ham United PL2 ran out 2-1 winners over Norwich City last Monday.

We always talk about what we're going to do before the games and we've always got each others back during the match as well
Declan Rice
"It's a good partnership," Rice explained. "We are becoming stronger every time we play because we're starting to understand each other's games. I've had a couple of partners this season but playing with Reece is really good.

It's been a breakthrough season for Rice so far – he was named captain of the PL2 side at the age of just 17 and also began training with the first team.

Slaven Bilic named the Irish U21 centre-back on the bench for the Boxing Day win at Swansea City, and Rice now wants to improve even more to make his first team debut.

"I wasn't even supposed to go in but I got a text to say I was going to be in Xmas Eve, Xmas Day and on the bench Boxing Day.

"It was an amazing feeling because I had my family up in the stands and even though I didn't get on it was great to be a part of. I've got to keep playing well and progressing and then hopefully I can get on the pitch."

Rice will be involved for the PL2 side as they aim for to build on two impressive wins against Wolves and Norwich City.

Terry Westley's men take on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Elite Performance Centre (7pm) on Monday – the third time the sides will have met this season.

The Hammers are yet to beat the Seagulls this campaign, but Rice is expecting a better performance from the young Irons this time round.

"Brighton like to sit back, defend as a unit and hit teams on the counter attack. They can be hard to break down but we just have to be patient and hopefully we can win again."

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Simone Zaza: West Ham misfit joins Valencia on loan
BBC.co.uk

Juventus striker Simone Zaza has joined Valencia on loan until the end of the season after his spell at West Ham was ended prematurely. The 25-year-old had signed for the Hammers on a £4.3m season-long deal last summer but only played 11 times and failed to score. According to reports, had Zaza played 14 games the Premier League club would have had to buy him outright for £20m. The Italy forward was signed by Juve from Sassuolo for £12.75m in 2015. He scored eight goals in 24 appearances for the Italian Serie A champions before joining West Ham last August. Valencia are struggling in La Liga and are currently in 17th position.

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Marseille poised for Payet talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 15th January 2017
By: Staff Writer

A delegation from Marseille are flying into London this week with view to securing the transfer of Dimitri Payet. However the group, led by Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud are likely to face stiff resistance from West Ham, who are still publicly refusing to part company with their star asset even though he has effectively gone on strike. The French party are scheduled to fly to London tomorrow morning (Monday) ahead of a day of talks with Payet and his representatives, including agent Jacques-Olivier Auguste. Eyraud and his entourage also hope to meet with West Ham chiefs before returning to France later in the day.

It has been suggested elsewhere that L'OM are seeking to tie up a permanent deal for the French international but loan him back to West Ham for the remainder of the current campaign.

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West Ham And The Fallen Hero
KUMB,com
Filed: Sunday, 15th January 2017
By: HeadHammerShark

Ever fallen in love with someone? Ever fallen in love? In love with someone, ever fallen in love In love with someone, you shouldn't have fallen in love with? - The Buzzcocks

Oh Dimitri. Say it ain't so. Not you. We've got a memorable song for you and everything.

At this point, the only surprising thing about Payet wanting to leave West Ham is that he didn't somehow injure Andy Carroll as he handed in the transfer request.


The Broken Bridge

What a Stygian set of affairs. What a fuck up. What a disappointment.

From the point that he smacked in that last minute winner for France in the opening game of Euro 2016 it has felt different. I suppose it's not hard to see why. At that moment, in the host country, in a city still reeling from terrorist atrocities, Dimitri Payet scored a wonder goal and elevated himself beyond West Ham and into the footballing stratosphere. By the time he struck, Pogba and Griezmann had already departed the stage and it was the kid from La Reunion who became a national hero. Suddenly he was being talked about as a transfer target for Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain. We had all hitched our wagon to his star, with no notion of quite how far he would take us.

On British TV Slaven Bilic was celebrating on an ITV table and somehow we convinced ourselves that this demonstrated a bond between them, or was symbolic of Payet being one of our own. The boy from La Reunion was now the boy from Loughton. Except in retrospect it now looks like Bilic was prostrating himself before a departing son.

After Euro 2016 things suddenly took a turn for the strange. Payet wasn't popping up in the Club's endlessly cheery summer updates, nor was he playing in any pre-season games. His post tournament rest period went on so long that he wasn't fit to start our opening league game at Chelsea, and then was absent until the infamous Watford game on September 10th. Tellingly this was after the transfer window had closed, giving credence to the notion that he was unsettled even back then.

Naturally we started the season with all the impetus of a Jeremy Corbyn policy launch and by the end of September had lost four games in a row and five of our first six. If Payet was disaffected when the Club refused to sell him during the summer, then it's hard to imagine his mood being improved as Arthur Masuaku and Simone Zaza arrived and promptly started losing balls in the lake behind the goal at training.


The Ruby In The Smoke

Thereafter followed his wonder goal against Middlesbrough when he scored the best individual goal I have seen since Di Canio's volley and he briefly seemed to be the energised talisman of last year. Looking back at old columns I can see that I described it thusly:


3.10.16 - Middlesbrough

If you haven't seen this goal, stop reading and go and do it now. If you want yet more persuasion, imagine Beethoven being at a Robbie Williams concert and thinking "thank fuck I'm deaf", before walking on stage, pushing the fat prick off the side and sitting down and playing Symphony No.5 in full. That's what it was like.

The problem was that even though Payet seemed to have been reborn somewhat, the team were spiralling. The awful start had scuppered any fanciful notions of the Champions League, and with our summer signings being very Poundworld when they needed to be Waitrose it was hard to imagine any scenario in which we would be able to get Payet to stick around.

If there is one thing that football fans specialise in, however, it is widely misplaced optimism and thus there wasn't a widespread sense of fatalism. Most fans seemed distracted by the transfer failings, the stadium failings, the public communication failings and well, whatever failing we wanted to focus on. There was no shortage.

A memory of better times. October.

Payet had been worrying me all season though, and I wrote this after the League Cup quarter final defeat at Man Utd.


1.12.16 - Man Utd

However underwhelmed he is by the team around him, he has to get on with it. I have written before that his sale was inevitable once it became clear that we were going to be a bottom half team this season, but what we cannot afford now is for Payet to go into a tailspin in pursuit of a move in January.

Please note, I'm not including this to make myself look prescient. I get stuff wrong constantly. I once described Gerard Pique as "presumably having a football career as a result of winning a competition on the back of a cereal packet" and Lassana Diarra as "being made entirely of pasta".

The point is more that I write The H List in the immediate aftermath of each game and therefore the articles are supposed to reflect the emotional journey of being a West Ham fan. One week you're down, the next week you're down a bit further. That's how it goes. Reading back over the season so far there seems to have been plenty of games where Payet visibly looked distracted, half arsed and uninterested. By the time we got to Arsenal things seemed to have reached a nadir, although with West Ham that is always a dangerous thing to assume.


5.12.16 - Arsenal

Farewell Payet then. I've said it for a few consecutive performances but he doesn't seem terribly perturbed by events unfolding around him.

By the time we got into the next transfer window, it simply seemed a matter of time:


3.1.17 - Man Utd

Maybe I'm doing him a disservice, but Payet hasn't looked as sharp this year as he did last, and by the end of this game he was walking around with his hands on his hips like Robert Duvall on that beach in Apocalypse Now. I'd personally give him a rest on Friday night, as the last thing he needs now is another energy sapping defeat at our soul sapping stadium. If nothing else, none of this is helping his transfer value for the now inevitable summer departure.

Again, none of this makes me a remarkable soothsayer, it just makes me a cynic who happens to write down my opinion each game and therefore have a record of my thoughts on this particular topic. The signs have been there all season.


I Was A Rat!

Much of my opinion on this was formed after the Bilic press conference, and my initial tendency was to side with Payet. That won't surprise many of you who have been reading recently and will know that I think the work of the Club hierarchy this season has been largely incompetent.

Who could blame him for not wanting to play for this team? I don't want to watch them, so I get where he is coming from. The devil lies in the detail though.

Has he said that he doesn't want to play or that he will not play? These are two subtly different things. I do not want to go to work on Monday but I will go. That is not the same thing as me refusing to go.

After the bombshell of the Bilic presser, the story quickly became however that Payet was on strike. Looking back, Bilic does say that he is "refusing to play for the Club" and if that is indeed the case then it is inexcusably reprehensible.

If Payet is indeed on strike then he is dead to me. I'm removing the tattoo, taking down the petition to rename the A406 as the "Payet > Ozil Highway" and renaming my youngest daughter. He can, in the common parlance of the time, do one.

But there are two sides to every story and we have yet to hear his. It won't be long. Shortly we will doubtless see a promo interview on a French TV station talking about the unhappiness of his family, his unceasing love for the West Ham fans and how he just wants to go home. You can definitely get a decent tan in Loughton, but it ain't the Cote d'Azur, after all.

It is not without irony that I link to this column at the West Ham way site. it contains far more background to the story and essentially states that Payet has been unhappy all season and is definitely on strike. I don't think releasing our transfer stories is helpful, but I can't deny that this kind of thing probably is useful for the Club given that they are now essentially in a PR war with their best player, which barely scrapes into the top ten most ridiculous things to have happened at West Ham in my lifetime.

And what are we to make of it all?

Well, I don't blame Payet for being unhappy with the direction of the team. He is the best player and he is entitled to want the Club to surround him with good players. They have summarily failed to do that, and we all agree with him so it would be hypocrisy to say otherwise.

The reality is that the Club would have been been better off selling him after Euro 2016, but they simply couldn't have done so. They were selling tickets to their new stadium on the basis of a Payet led team and would have been derided as small time shysters lacking ambition had they moved him on and replaced him with Robert Snodgrass. They might be about to do that now, but they've already sold their 50,000 season tickets.

I can't blame them for holding on to him. Anything else would have been met with opprobrium and immediately reminded West Ham fans everywhere of the Club's storied history of selling on any decent players as soon as they can. Sullivan and Gold were attempting to sell a vision of something different and thus their hands were tied. That decision came at a cost of millions as his transfer fee will undeniably be lower now than last summer, but it bought them some credibility with the fanbase that was crucial to filling the stadium.

But all of these ignores a simple fact. Payet is paid £125,000 a week and was paid a £1m loyalty bonus just last year in a masterstroke of irony from his agent. He is fantastically remunerated by any standards, and to withhold his labour on these grounds is disgraceful, if utterly unsurprising behaviour.

That said, I am afraid that I don't buy into the argument that he owes anybody loyalty. He has been well paid at West Ham and he has played well for West Ham. He is a French footballer seeking to maximise his career earnings, and was a well established player with Champions League experience and international caps before he joined us. We didn't put him on any map other than that of the English football world, and as a result this idea that we have elevated him is a bit incongruous.

What he owes us is the simple half of his labour agreement. He signed a contract and it requires him to play football. So he should play fucking football until he signs with someone else. There are plenty of others out there who don't have the ability to play professional football and would love to like me, my daughters, my dad, Chris Smalling and 50,000 West Ham season ticket holders. He might be famously "naturally indifferent" but Payet is spitting in a lot of faces with this stance, with the greatest irony of all being that his manager came up with the template for hanging around to "save" a team and then fucking off for pastures new.

Not everyone is good enough to be a pro, Dimitri

The Subtle Knife

Fair play to Marseille for their artful tapping up however. It remains to be seen whether they will get their man in this transfer window but they have done everything in their power. The manager, Rudi Garcia, and players are already making eyes at him via the press and doubtless there is plenty that has happened away from the public eye.

I'd get angry but what's the point? UEFA don't give a shit and I would want us to do the same to a transfer target where it was the only way to get him.

But it creates a painful, but unarguably fascinating, situation for the neutral. What do we do? Banishing Payet serves the purpose of calling his bluff by presumably fining him for each week that he refuses to play. If they are true to their word then that could save them about £3m in wages before a summer sale.

The issue is that with each passing week Payet gets less fit - a low base line to start with - and his fee decreases. Each week on strike renders him a bigger rebel and a bigger problem and therefore those dreams of getting £30m disappear into the dust. It is for that reason that I can actually see him playing for us again.

Marseille's reported bid of £19m - or 69% of a Fellaini put another way - was a insult but indicative of how this thing works. Payet's agent is banking on his behaviour being so disruptive that the Club have no choice but to cut bait and offload him for a reduced fee. The tapping up club are happy as they shell out less in fees, and the agent and Payet get healthy sign on payments. It's worked for them twice before already and doubtless will work here.

What a mess. What a Stygian mess.

So, for once, I side with Sullivan. Send Payet to rot and tell anyone who wants to buy him the price is the price and any lowballing is an insult to the Club and the player by undervaluing him.

Once the transfer window passes, then Payet faces six months without playing and, crucially, earning. At some point there has to be some value to him in coming back into the fold, putting a bit more effort in and getting out of Dodge in the summer.

Maybe that's all a bit fanciful. The better odds are surely on Marseille upping their bid to something like £25m and West Ham taking the option to let him go, but don't be surprised if we all get one last chance to boo him before June. Might make it a bit uncomfortable for him to walk past his inevitably defaced mural though...


The Tiger In The Well

The great irony of all of this is that the person who come out with the most credit is Slaven Bilic. Just a week ago he was within the crosshairs of the Board, with the Club taken the bizarre (*) decision to publish a Martin Samuel article on the official site that essentially told the fans to stop whinging about the stadium and start laying the blame where it ought to be laid - with Bilic.

(*) I say bizarre, but these days, perhaps not so much

With his emotional, wrought, dare I say it - passionate - press conference performance Bilic has bought himself some breathing space. Now he has his own scapegoat - "We lose Payet, but we might gain the team" he said during his elegiac address to the media. Clearly things haven't been copacetic behind the scenes for sometime but Bilic ironically has some leeway now. He can lay the blame for the disjointed performances, the lack of intensity in training and all other manner of issues at Payet's door and now he has to rebuild. A fanbase determined to brand Payet as a snake will probably afford that to him too.

There's a lot to consider here, and ultimately there's a lot that we don't know.

I suppose the piece that gets missed, but which is ultimately is the biggest cost is that paid by the fans. A reduced transfer fee doesn't annoy me too much as we'd only waste it anyway, and a loss of wages to a millionaire isn't a problem either.

As a team we'll survive but probably worsen in the long run, especially as our attempt to replace him will be fraught with danger, likely be expensive and probably be a disaster.

But for the fans it's a kick in the teeth. My daughter was visibly upset when I told her, to try and forewarn against playground taunts. All those kids lost their hero this week and that's a great shame. We all remember the first time we lost a hero and it's painful. The realisation that the hero frozen on your wall is a drugs cheat, a racist, a sexual abuser or in the case of Paolo di Canio, a worryingly devout Fascist.

Farewell then Dimitri. You gave us great joy and then you turned out to be just like the rest. We fell in love with someone we shouldn't have fallen in love with.

What a mess.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Scott Hogan's move from Brentford to West Ham held up by proposed add-ons
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 9:18pm
SSN

Scott Hogan's move from Brentford to West Ham is currently being held up due to a dispute over the proposed add-ons in the deal, according to Sky sources.
The Hammers have agreed to pay £9m up-front for the 24-year-old, who has only 18 months left to run on his contract at the Sky Bet Championship club. Brentford value Hogan at £15m and want a further £6m structured into the deal, but West Ham have so far only offered £3m in additional payments. Sky sources understand West Ham have had three bids for the former Rochdale forward turned down. Hogan has enjoyed a prolific campaign in front of goal and has netted 14 goals in 26 matches for Brentford. He was an unused substitute during Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Championship leaders Newcastle United, with Bees manager Dean Smith saying he was left out of the starting 11 "in the long term interests of the football club".

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Simone Zaza joins Valencia on loan from Juventus
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 15/01/17 6:18pm
SSN

Simone Zaza has joined Valencia on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season. The Italian international spent the first half of the season on loan at West Ham after arriving last summer in a deal which was to become permanent if he played in 14 games. However Zaza failed to score in his 11 appearances for the Hammers and manager Slaven Bilic made it clear he had no future with the club. Juventus accepted an offer from Valencia to take him on loan for the rest of the season and the 25-year-old competed a medical before signing his contract on Sunday. The deal will see Valencia pay Juventus an initial £1.75m loan fee with an obligation to buy Zaza at the end of the season for £14m with a further £1.5m in add-ons, provided two conditions are met. They are that Valencia are not relegated from La Liga, and that he makes over 10 appearances for them.

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Marseille and West Ham to hold Dimitri Payet talks
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 2:54pm
SSN

Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will meet with high-level West Ham officials on Monday to discuss a deal for Dimitri Payet, according to Sky sources.
The Hammers beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday without their France playmaker, who this week told Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for the club.
West Ham will not consider offers of less than £30m for Payet, who cost them just £10.5m when he arrived from Marseille in the summer of 2015.
It is understood Marseille are the only club interested, and initially a compromise deal was put forward which would have seen Payet loaned back to Bilic's side for the rest of the season. The prospect of that deal going through receded when West Ham supporters made their feelings plain on Saturday, repeatedly chanting for last season's player of the year to leave.

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"For f***'s sake!" Slaven Bilic gets ANGRY when asked Dimitri Payet question in West Ham press conference
The Hammers boss was not in the mood to talk about the wantaway star after his side's stunning win over Crystal Palace
The Mirror
BYJAKE POLDEN
13:42, 15 JAN 2017UPDATED14:04, 15 JAN 2017

Slaven Bilic is so fed up of discussing Dimitri Payet he swore in his latest press conference when asked another question about the wantaway playmaker. The above video shows the West Ham boss talking after his side's brilliant 3-0 win over Crystal Palace and captures the very moment he blows his top. "For f***'s sake," says the Croatian as he tells the reporters to ask him questions about Andy Carroll - who scored a stunning goal in the game - Mark Noble and Darren Randolph.
He adds that these are the players who deserve to be talked about, not the Frenchman who is refusing to play for the Hammers after handing in a transfer Bilic's men proved they could pick up a result - and put on a great show - without their talisman at the London Stadium on Saturday. Sofiane Feghouli put the hosts ahead in the second half when his close-range effort beat Wayne Hennessey for his first Premier League goal. Manuel Lanzini sealed the win in the 86th minute, but it was Carroll's strike moments earlier that took all the plaudits. The former Liverpool striker latched onto the end of a Michail Antonio cross and doubled his side's lead with a stunning overhead kick. The win moves the Hammers up to 12th on 25 points, while Palace find themselves on joint points with Hull City in the relegation zone, following the Tigers' win over Bournemouth.

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Dimitri Payet offers English football its latest stomach-churning slice of preposterousness
Payet is public enemy No.1 at West Ham after making it clear to manager Bilic that he wants to leave
The Mirror
BYNEIL MOXLEY
13:20, 15 JAN 2017UPDATED13:31, 15 JAN 2017

English football took a giant step towards its day of reckoning this week. That date has been heading towards us for two decades, but we must now be somewhere near the tipping point. Surely. After years of grotesque pay hikes, flightly, over-indulged players, cash-obsessed owners and the purely selfish motives of the controlling league, how much further can the public's love affair with this gloriously mad past-time be pushed? This week's stomach-churning slice of the preposterous was provided by Dimitri Payet. Yes, take a bow oh Ferrari-driving-ants-in-his-pants-mister-one-time-doyen-of-Upton Park. Your actions have pushed our cherished national game just a little bit closer towards the edge of oblivion. It clearly wasn't enough for your to sign that five-year contract just 11 months ago on £125,000-a-week. Did that mean nothing? Obviously not, no. Did it also mean nothing that you were revered, living in possibly the world's greatest city playing for fans who worshipped the ground you walked on – even if their song in your honour was hackneyed beyond belief? Again, no. It's the parents I feel sorry for.
Having forked out fortunes for a new West Ham shirt they'll have paid another few quid to put Payet's name on back – now it's being quite rightly dragged through the mud. How much longer can the average fan compute this wanton disregard for the club that pays any player's wages when they are treated in such contemptible fashion? Last February, Payet couldn't wait to get hold of that quill and sign his name. He should have inked it in his own blood. This week, who knows, one person might have said: 'Enough's enough. I am not prepared to invest financially or emotionally in a player who treats me and my club like that."
And once it starts, who knows where it might end? Every man, woman or child who has heard the click of a turnstile does that. But clearly it is being abused as never before. It doesn't matter to Payet that he is/could be the apple of the Eastend's eye. No more than it mattered to Carlos Tevez at Manchester City, or others before him, who have toyed with their employers and supporters who hold them in such unwarranted esteem. What's more, the sight of such opulence is starting to wear thin. Two-hundred grandsworth of Ferrari. Are you sure? We are not talking here about a player at the top of his profession. West Ham aren't Premier League bottom-feeders – but neither are they threatening an assault on the top six, either. It would warm the soul if Hammers' owners David Sullivan and David Gold who, having offered the deal in good faith, made him do community service. He can go and spend some time in a primary school – because if he isn't prepared to play, then he can recompense the club in other ways. But that won't happen. And, knowing them as I do, the owners will not want £125,000-worth of cash dripping out of their club for no return. You see, footballers are the keepers of fans' dreams. But the game is rapidly turning into a nightmare. There's no honour among clubs. None among players who cheat and connive their way around football pitches in a brazen attempt to con officials. Referees are undermined at almost every turn, if not by the cameras and the pundits then by the managers who would rather bawl them out than criticise one of their own players. It's against this sordid background that the bond between a club, its' supporters and the players on the pitch is being tested. Sadly, that tie has been stretched just that little bit more this week. And for fans who are being asked to keep the faith it's becoming increasingly difficult – particularly when that trust is being abused by players like Payet. Football has been the golden goose for the past 20 years, laying golden eggs for everyone in the frontline. How much longer can it go on before we all tire of it? Would it really be so bad if the bottom fell out of the market? Sky subscriptions are down by 20 per cent. The first signs that this ridiculous trough of cash may not be replenished. And if it is the beginning of the end, people this week will look back and point to players like Dimitri Payet and say: 'You're partly to blame for this.' And they will be well within their rights to do so.

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Dimitri Payet transfer latest: Marseille president flying to London to convince West Ham to sell
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
15 JANUARY 2017 • 7:52PM
The telegraph

Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will fly into London on Monday to try and persuade West Ham United to sell their rebel player, Dimitri Payet. A bid of just under £20million – plus £2.5million should Marseille qualify for the Champions League – has already been rejected by West Ham for Payet who has told the club he will never play for them again. West Ham have publically stated that Payet is not for sale but if an offer closer to their valuation of £40million is made for the French international he is expected to leave before the January window closes. West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan met with Payet's agent Jacques-Olivier Auguste on Friday with the Premier League club again offering to allow the 29-year-old to leave this summer if he will see through the rest of the campaign.
However Payet, who is claiming he is suffering from a back injury and has been banished from the first-team squad by West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, who is exasperated, is insisting he wants to go this month and largely for personal reasons. Payet's partner has returned to Marseille with the couple's children, it is understood.
Even so Payet has been agitating for a move since returning from the Euros last summer – although West Ham received no offers until this month's bid from Marseille who he left in 2015 to join them. Telegraph Sport revealed on Friday that West Ham had even paid Payet, who signed a new five-year contract only last February, making him the highest-paid player in the club's history, a £1million loyalty bonus last September.
Eyraud will meet with West Ham officials and it is hoped that a compromise solution can be found although it is unlikely that the French club will substantially increase their offer for Payet. However all parties hope that some kind of understanding can be reached because they recognise how damaging the situation is.

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NOTHING LANGUID FROM LANZINI
By Zaman Siddiqui 15 Jan 2017 at 18:00 176 comments
WTID

We haven't had it easy this season moving into our new home with relegation a possibility. Just when 2017 was starting to look brighter, Payet requested a move elsewhere. With our star man out, we had to show everyone that we are not a one-man team. We needed something going into this match and we got it: a gem was unearthed and polished ready for the game.

Enter Manuel Lanzini. The Jewel had a reputation to uphold of scoring in crucial matches. In May 2013, he scored in the Superclásico derby after just 43 seconds against the Boca Juniors. He is still remembered by the River Plate fans for that moment of magic. No stranger to a difficult climate having played for al-Jazira with Summer temperatures of 45C, he delivered in the way only an Argentinean legend could.

Having scored into an open net, he went and jumped into the crowd who embraced the new legend in the making. What a way it was to assert his position at the top! Manu has scored a goal in each of his four PL appearances against Crystal Palace; double the amount he's scored against any other PL club. It was reminiscent of Tevez scoring his first goal against Tottenham, as yet another Argentine ran into the crowd scoring in a derby.

He has been left out of the starting XI on a few occasions, however Lanzini knew the importance of playing, regardless of whether it was his preferred position or not, as he was took on more defensive roles. Even Antonio got the message, as he has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other West Ham player this season – 11 (eight goals, three assists). It is important that our current players take initiative in light of recent events.

Slaven has the full support of the club and fans alike, as he has handled the situation terrifically. When Payet revealed his true intentions of leaving, it was seen as a sign of betrayal. Why was he not upfront when Slav had asked him a few days before when he had the chance? The manager has handled the situation very well. Despite what was happening, he even invited Sam for "a glass of wine after the game whatever the result." He probably didn't want to appear disrespectful, so didn't say pint of wine, though that's probably what Big Sam ordered. That's our Slav! He can read the situation well.

Bilic was right to have a meeting to discuss things with Payet. You don't even need to have any affiliations with the club or watch the matches to know that Payet is unhappy. His last Instagram post of him in a West Ham shirt was back in October! It is no surprise that Payet wants to leave. He hasn't even seemed that bothered this season. In 2010, while with Saint-Etienne, he was accused of showing a lack of aggression by teammate Yohan Benalouane. When team captain Blaise Matudi suggested the same thing, the pair had to be separated.

The following year, when his club said he could not move to PSG, he refused to turn up for training and was demoted to the reserves. The Frenchman hasn't changed at all. He may have the talent, but that is the only reason why he has been tolerated. I'm afraid it will take a lot more than a free kick for his standing at the club to change. At the moment, Payet says he has a bad back to avoid being docked wages. With a move to the wealthy Chinese Super League the second-likeliest transfer according to the bookies, it is clear what Payet has his heart set on.

The first half was very nervy with both sides struggling to get a foothold of the match. Even though we have more than enough quality to beat Palace, we were under a bit of a malaise as we hadn't played without Payet for quite some time. The expectation was immense. But some of our players were really up for it. Carroll's passing was simply unreal, and he also did well in the air. Lanzini was getting constantly fouled whenever he was looking dangerous. So far, we didn't look too different without Payet, as Lanzini stepped up. We didn't pose much of an attacking threat, but neither did Palace.

Tomkins had the best chance of the game so far, but dragged his shot wide from close range. It reminded me of when we comfortably scored against Rob Green when we played for QPR a few seasons ago or like when Paul Koschesky's poor backpass was intercepted by Carroll who scored. Wins on those days was a good sign watching this match. At HT, it was goalless.

Now, Slav must have had an awful lot of pressure on him during that HT team talk. We will never know what was said, but it was the unheard harbinger that massively eased everyone around the club. It has given us tremendous belief that we can turn it around. I think Carroll says it best: "No player is bigger than the club. We showed that today and came together as a team to get a result." Truer words were never spoken. If it's Dimitri, then just make the la-la sound. Turn it into a sing-song tune to annoy him as well. Our enhanced Dimi chant is catching up as well.

There were several good performances out there. Given that most of us were closely examining the attacking players (as we played without one of our top creators – had to be said), it is wonderful to see our most attacking players all play a part in those goals. For all three of them to score (Carroll, Feghouli, and Lanzini) showed that they wanted to desperately win this. Even when we were 1-0 up, we still put a bit of emphasis on attacking… and it worked! The big man Andy Carroll could have headed the goal in. But what's the fun in that? Palace have conceded too many worldies. Dele Alli, Andy Carroll, a move with over 20 passes with Lanzini scoring, and a good free-kick from a garcon mauvais (that's French for "bad boy") have scored them. We went from losing 5-0 at home to winning 3-0! That is easier said than done.

A special mention has to go to Michail Antonio. He deserved to show off another 90's celebration, but got three assists instead. He is the first West Ham player to provide three assists in a Premier League game since Paolo Di Canio vs Coventry in April 2000. Cult hero. Now just don't go all political like Paolo did with his fascism, and turn into Mikhail Gorbachev. Then, we'll have no reason to doubt you. At the moment, he is quickly turning into Mr. West Ham. Sure, he came from Tooting & Mitcham in South London, but he rejected Spurs. That's our man!

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Lady Brady ✔ @karren_brady
Michail Antonio was in bed with flu yesterday, got out of bed pulled on his shirt & played magnificently today - that's dedication for you
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Finally, we have to sign a striker sooner or later. It is worth keeping in mind that spending a lot of money is not necessarily the answer. Palace spent £32.5M to get Benteke, but he was missing in the match. He even missed a penalty against us in the reverse fixture. At the time, we thought that it was a good buy from them. But given the fact that he has only scored eight goals in the league so far this season, you have to be smarter then that. Given our record of Championship purchases has been good, we need to keep spending there until one of them flops, Then we'll know that our luck has changed. We can expect a draw at the very least against Boro given that they have failed to score in five of their last seven Premier League games, recording just one win in that period. But it is all about the three points to be quite frank.

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West Ham United rebel Dimitri Payet will only move to Marseille as he seeks a move away from the London Stadium after refusing to play
Marseille have had a £20million bid rejected for West Ham's Dimitri Payet
Officials from French club are scheduled to arrive in London in the next 24 hours
West Ham are determined not to lose Payet this month but he wants to leave
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 17:18, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 19:54, 15 January 2017

Dimitri Payet will only consider a move to Marseille with talks over a proposed switch to accelerate this week. Having seen an offer in the region of £20million rejected by West Ham, officials from the French club are scheduled to arrive in London in the next 24 hours to thrash out a deal to take the forward back to his homeland. West Ham are determined not to lose Payet this month - but that will not stop Marseille from pursuing the France international. Sportsmail understands Marseille are preparing an improved £25million offer for Payet. Whether that fee will be enough for West Ham to reconsider their stance remains to be seen, with the Hammers hopeful of other interested parties entering the fray as they look to maximise their profit on a player they signed for £10.7million in 2015. But Payet only wants a move to Marseille - the club he left to join the Hammers. It comes as reports in France on Sunday night said that Payet's wife Ludivine had travelled to Marseille over the weekend. If a deal to sign Payet fails this month, Marseille are willing to strike a deal with West Ham that would see the 29-year-old join in the summer. Payet is determined to leave West Ham this month and is refusing to play for the club. He missed their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. After the game, West Ham striker Andy Carroll criticised his team mate's attitude, saying Payet had made it tough for the other players. He said: 'I don't think any player is bigger than the club. That's what the lads believe, the manager, all the staff and the fans. We showed we're a tight group and got three points for it. 'We have answered a few of the critics, with everything that has been going in during the week and everyone talking. I have received a lot of calls and messages and it has been the same for the other players.'

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