West Ham manager Moyes reveals January transfer window plan
WHUFC.com
David Moyes has vowed to do everything in his power to sign the right players for West Ham United this January transfer window. In the first of an exclusive three-part interview for West Ham TV, which you can watch here, the manager outlined his recruitment philosophy and revealed the type of players he wants to add to the Hammers' squad this month. Moyes began by explaining that he would like to sign players who both boost his team immediately, but can also add value for years to come. "Every West Ham supporter wants us to add to the squad and I want to do it correctly if I can," he said. "We would really like a couple of players in the January window, but I couldn't turn around and say to you that we're guaranteed to do that, because we're not there yet. I hope we can do it. "I want to make sure we bring in the right players, players who can stay at the club for a while, but at the same breath all we could possibly get is a couple of loans and we'll see how they do from there. "There is a bit of both, because my job at the moment is to make sure we stay in the division, but there is also part of me looking a wee bit above that at what we need to do for the future and what it's going to look like for West Ham coming up, even in the close-season. "It might sound easy, but it's not easy trying to manage both."
Any football fan who has watched matches regularly on television over the last decade or more will have become accustomed to seeing Moyes watching on from the Directors' Box. On some occasions, the Scot was scouting future opponents, on others scouting potential recruits, but often he was there simply because he is a football man and cannot get enough of the sport he has been involved in for 40 years. And that attention to detail and love for the game that Moyes will employ as he and his staff seek to identify and secure potential targets. "I would be diligent. I don't do things very quickly. I like to see players live myself. It was always my rule that I'd only do it if I've seen the players live, because I'd treat the club's money like my own money and wouldn't give it away too easily. "It's not quite the same world now because of the speed of transfers being done, but my style was always to have a strong scouting and backroom staff, scouts working, lots of reports, seeing as many players as we can, and trying to find the best young and upcoming talent."
So, what particular attributes is the manager looking for, and which areas of the pitch does Moyes believe most urgently need strengthening? "There are a few attributes. I'd like us to be better with the ball. I've said that. I want us to make sure we're better but also need protection defensively as well. "The longer we move on, we can't keep protecting player after player, and we'll have to see what comes next but, at the moment I would like to add a couple of players who will help us keep the ball better and pass better. If we got that, it would help me feed the centre forwards we've got, and we've got quite a lot of centre forwards at the club.
"We want to be able to give them the right type of service, whether that be playing over the top, coming from wide areas or played into feet. I want people who can recognise what they need. "We could need people in the centre of midfield or off the side who might do it from another area, or people in different positions, but I want to add a couple of people who could give us a little bit more on the ball."
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Arnautovic: I want to bring this Club up with everything I have got
WHUFC.com
Premier League defenders should be afraid. Very afraid. Fresh from his best month in English football, Marko Arnautovic says there is more to come as he prepares to make his return to action at Huddersfield Town. The 28-year-old had challenging start to his career in Claret and Blue, which included a red card in just his second appearance at Southampton in August, which ruled him out of the home win over Huddersfield at London Stadium.
However, the Austrian bagged five goals and added an assist as West Ham United scored two valuable victories and two draws in December, earning him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month award. And, after missing the 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur and goalless Emirates FA Cup third-round stalemate at Shrewsbury Town, the No7 is targeting a successful comeback at John Smith's Stadium.
"I heard the people saying 'He came for £27 million and he's done nothing for us'," Arnautovic said, reflecting on that difficult start. "Well, people come to me and tell me, or I read some things, but I am not the type of guy who goes to check every column on Facebook or Instagram. "Of course, if you score or assist and win the game, you are the best player in the world, but if you lose you are the worst player on the planet! "The fans to pay to come to the stadium to see your performance and of course I want to show the Club that they didn't pay so much money for nothing. "I would change many things from when I was young but I am also happy and grateful that I am here. I am not finished. Things outside football have stopped me and I didn't concentrate or focus back then. "I am 28 and still not where I want to be. I am trying hard to get there and I won't stop. "I want to show people — especially the haters — what I am capable of and bring this Club up with everything I have got."
West Ham will seek to extend their recent run of form to one defeat in eight Premier League matches when they head to West Yorkshire this weekend. Victory would life the Hammers above the Terriers and, if results elsewhere fall their way, possibly as high as tenth in the table.
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New book pays 'fitting tribute' to late, great manager John Lyall
WHUFC.com
It is unlikely there is a West Ham United fan alive who has met more former Hammers players than Tim Crane.
A lifelong supporter with a healthy obsession with the Club's history between 1958-89, Crane penned the wonderful They Played with Bobby Moore in 2014, speaking to the 89 players lucky enough to wear a Claret and Blue shirt on the same pitch as the late, great captain and defender. Three years on, Crane has done it again, publishing the equally magnificent They Played for John Lyall, containing interviews and hundreds of exclusive photographs with the 77 Hammers who were picked by the late, great manager. Lyall, of course, graduated from the Academy of Football and played for West Ham before an injury led him into coaching, first under the guidance of Ron Greenwood, and latterly as Team Manager in his own right. A superb coach, outstanding man-manager and meticulous administrator and recruiter, Lyall led West Ham to two FA Cup triumphs, in 1975 and 1980, and a Club-record high third-place top-flight finish in 1986.
He passed away in April 2006, aged just 66, but his legacy in east London, as Crane and the players he spoke to for his 376-page book confirm, will live on forever.
"Seventy-seven Hammers played for John over 15 years, so there was a consistency there," Crane began. "There are some amazing interviews and great stories and excellent insight into how John ran West Ham United Football Club, almost singlehandedly, from 1974 until 1989. "Obviously we had a couple of great FA Cup journeys in there, European campaigns, relegation, promotion and plenty of other things to talk about."
For Crane, writing his second book on West Ham and on a figure he revered was a real labour of love. "People will know the household names like Brooking, Bonds and Devonshire, and I managed to find all 77 except one, a Scottish goalkeeper named Tom McAlister. "I spoke to all of the living Hammers among the 89 who played with Bobby Moore, along with the families of the deceased ones, but I just could not find Tom, despite using a genealogist and speaking to all his former teammates and former clubs. Hopefully he will come out of the woodwork!"
Crane did manage to speak to the other 76, however, and the vast majority were glowing in their praise for their one-time boss. "Frank McAvennie told me the story of when he made his debut for Scotland at Hampden Park, he was feeling very nervous, but then there was a knock on the dressing room door and it was John, who had driven all the way up to Glasgow to wish him well "John had that very personal touch and it was the first brick of trust in that loyalty and support players had from their manager. "There were loads of stories of how he would go to hospital to see his injured players, and send flowers to their wives. He just went above and beyond what was normal as a manager. "The vast majority had very fine things to say about John."
One man who did not play for John Lyall, but had huge respect for the man and the manager was Sir Alex Ferguson, who has written the foreword to Crane's book.
"It's amazing. I just sent a letter addressed to Sir Alex at Old Trafford after John's wife Yvonne had been very supportive and suggest I contact him. "I heard nothing initially and then, on the day I was going to print, his secretary called to say he had been in Portugal for a month but he wanted to write the foreword and asked me when my deadline was. "I told her it was four o'clock that day and, lo and behold, at five to four o'clock an email came through with a wonderful foreword and a photo of the man himself. "Sir Alex was the right man to write it because he was very good friends with John. When he came down to Manchester United from Aberdeen, it was John who he asked for information about English football, and Sir Alex never forgot it. "The foreword and the book as a whole are, I hope, a fitting tribute."
*They Played for John Lyall is available in hardback from ebay, the Newham Bookshop and Swan Books in Upminster, priced £25.
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Moyes wants West Ham playing like Tottenham and Chelsea in the future
BBC.co.uk
West Ham manager David Moyes says he wants his side to play "like Tottenham, like Chelsea" if he remains in charge beyond the end of this season. Moyes, 54, has guided the side out of the relegation zone and up to 15th place in the Premier League since he was appointed in November. He signed a short-term contract following the sacking of Slaven Bilic. "I've got an idea in my head how I want it to look," Moyes told the BBC's Football Focus. "I want us to go to those teams and say, 'we're having a game with you and we're going to see if we can beat you'," added Moyes. "At the moment, we just don't have the same level of quality of players as those teams do, but I'm saying that for probably every other team bar the top six or seven in the Premier League."
The former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager lost three of his first four games in charge as he got to grips with his new side. However, since the start of December, Moyes has led the side to a win over Chelsea, draws against Arsenal and Tottenham and a narrow defeat at Manchester City. West Ham have lost once in their last eight Premier League games.
Will West Ham do any transfer business in January?
The January transfer window gives them an opportunity to strengthen and it has also been reported they would be happy to sell striker Javier Hernandez. Moyes admits he does not know how busy he will be this month. He said: "We'd like to add to it if we can but I want to try to get the right type of players. I want to try to help West Ham prepare now and also have that vision when I lift my eyes a little bit higher up. "I want to look a wee bit further forward and what we should be trying to get. "When you start doing that, it doesn't make it quite as easy a decision as saying 'let's get somebody for today' because we also need it for tomorrow as well."
You can watch the full interview with David Moyes on Football Focus on BBC One from 12:00 GMT on 13 January
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SORTING THE MEN OUT FROM THE BOYS
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 JANUARY 2018 AT 8:08PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
Like a heroin junkie desperately needing a daily fix, West Ham fans are desperate for stars to emerge from The Academy. Harping back to the days when The Club's Academy, was envied and respected all over the world. We kept on producing top quality players, players who were taught to play football the right way. Stylish inventive football on the deck. Sadly, those days have long since gone, but it has not stopped fans clutching at straws. You only had to look at the Luton Town bench, for the recent Check-a-trade match against our U23'S: On the bench was Dan Potts son of Steve Potts, and the Lee brothers Olly and Elliot. All played for our Academy and were thought to have a great future in the game. None, more so than striker Elliot Lee, who scored a hatful of goals for the U21's. The clamour for him to be picked for the first team, was greater than the demand that David Moyes picks Tony Martinez. Sadly, Elliot Lee was not good enough and got released and struggles to make the Luton Town first team.
To make it in the harsh world of Professional football is a tough ask. It is equally as hard for Clubs to attract the right sort of players to The Academy, Clubs are competing for an ever-decreasing pool of players. Many complain there are too many foreign youngsters in our Academy's. Yes, that is true! But what choice have Club's got, when there are not enough local boys good enough to make the grade? Twenty-five to thirty years ago things were very different. You had far bigger families for starters, five, six or more children in a family was not unheard of then. Today you often get a family of a single child or two children in it. Marriage was the in thing back then, as a result the father was always around encouraging his lads to play football. With, the internet explosion kids have a whole array of attractions they can involve themselves in.
Twenty-five to Thirty years ago kids would put down jumpers down as goalposts, and two teams of twenty a side would play football, till Mum called them in for tea. Kids were always their hero's when playing in these games. The highlight of these games was on a Sunday afternoon, when the old-man would rise himself from the sofa after a few beers, pot-bellied, decides he is Bobby Moore, next thing he is charging round a pitch full of kids. Sadly, he only lasts ten minutes, realizes father time has caught up with him. Turns around and heads meekly back to the sofa. Football, and more football, was what young lads lived for then. Not now. Things that matter now is how many kills in Call of duty, spending hours on Facebook. Different times, different interests. But, in a season of so much negativity, we have got players from The Academy who with a bit of good luck will make the grade and save The Club millions.
One of the pleasing aspects on David Moyes managerial reign is, that he is taking a real good look at the youth, sorting the men out from the boys. I'm afraid that both Josh Cullen and Reece Burke, are not going to make the grade in my opinion. Both played under Phil Parkinson at Bradford City and followed him to Bolton Wanderers. That they struggled to get into the Bolton team, who are bottom of The Championship speaks volumes. Cullen was ok against Shrewsbury when moved to centre midfield, nothing more. League one is their level in my opinion. I fail to see the fuss made about Domingos Quina, the Portuguese attacking midfielder. I'm afraid at this stage it is more hype than anything else. Part, of the problem is that the hype is mostly promoted by his agent, always trying to hawk him round to bigger clubs. But, if you think it's all doom and gloom at The Club, and more so specifically The Academy, nothing can be further than the truth.
We have four players who stand a great chance of making the grade, Declan Rice, 18 is a future captain in waiting. Such composure on the ball, has been a great success in defence and when called to play in midfield, has been calm and used the ball intelligently. What price young Declan in years to come? Millions. When people say we have only one creative player at The Club. I would have to disagree, we have the wonderfully talented Martin Samuelsen, so skilful, so good technically, the elegant Samuelsen glides across the park, a West Ham player if ever I have seen one. Sure, he had a couple of poor loans. So, did Frank Lampard Jnr as a kid. There are all sorts of reasons why loans may not work out. Sometimes it's because a style of football is different, or there is a managerial change. The important thing is Martin is back at The Club, playing well and knocking on the first team door.
Another player who I really have high hopes for is the winger Nathan Holland, who is injured unfortunately. He is pacey, direct, reminds me a lot of Matty Etherington. Finally let's take a look at two players who have been on the bench. Sead Hakšabanović attacking midfielder, and of course Tony Martinez who made his debut against Shrewsbury in The FA Cup. Hakšabanović like Rice, 18, is a skilful, attacking midfielder who never stops working. What impresses me most about him is the intelligent use of space. At 18 and already a fixture on the bench, tells you how highly The Club rate Sead. So, they should! Finally, we come to the striker Tony Martinez. At U23 level he has a telepathic understanding with Martin Samuelsen. I'm unsure about Martinez to be honest, although I hope he does make it. He, seems to score a hatful of goals, then have a period when he does not find the net. Never the less that we have five youth players that have every chance of making the grade, should excite every West Ham fan. The West Ham 'Way'? Arnie, Lanzini, Samuelsen, Sead, Holland would certainly be able to deliver the stylish, inventive, one football on the deck. Granted not all will make it, but we have a good core coming through. No, need for the utter despondency around The Club, the future is Claret and Blue. The transfer window? Well, apart from Liverpool spending a portion of the Courtinho money, nothing has been going on has there? Like them or hate them, but judgement day transfer wise, regards Gold and Sullivan must be on 1st Of February.
We are more than a football club, we're a way of life!!
COYI!!
Farehamhammer!!!
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We might have to rely on loans, admits Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 11th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says that he would like to sign a 'couple of players' during the January transfer window - but admits that he may have to rely on loans to see him through. The Hammers boss, who is contracted to the club for the rest of the season told West Ham's website that he was searching the market with view to players who can make an immediate effect - but also provide value for money for many years to come.
"We would really like a couple of players in the January window but I couldn't say that we're guaranteed to do that because we're not there yet," he said. "But I hope we can. "I want to make sure we bring in the right players, players who can stay at the club for a while. At the same breath, we could possibly get a couple of loans and see how they do from there. "My job at the moment is to make sure we stay in the division, but there is also part of me looking at what we need to do for the future and what it's going to look like for West Ham coming up, even in the close-season. "It might sound easy, but it's not easy trying to manage both."
And in terms of what particular players he has an eye on, Moyes revealed that he was seeking players comfortable with the ball at their feet. "At the moment I would like to add a couple of players who will help us keep the ball better and pass better," he added. "If we got that it would help me feed the centre forwards we've got - and we've got quite a lot of centre forwards at the club. We want to be able to give them the right type of service and I want people who can recognise what they need. "We could need people in the centre of midfield or off the side who might do it from another area, or people in different positions, but I want to add a couple of people who could give us a little bit more on the ball."
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The difference a debt makes
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 11th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Everton part-owner Farhad Moshiri has invested £150million into the Merseyside club - in stark contrast to West Ham United's Board. It has been revealed that the 62-year-old businessman cleared the club's outstanding debts in one fell swoop, saving Everton - who have already made one significant signing during the current transfer window - more than £3million per year in interest payments.
And that is in stark contrast to West Ham's co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold, who inherited a debt in the region of £100million when taking control of West Ham eight years ago this month that still remains in place.
West Ham's huge debt has been maintained since 2010 with Sullivan and Gold charging seven per cent interest per year on their loan to the club (a figure in the region of £50million); that equates to circa £3.5million interest per annum.
The outstanding debt was brought 'in-house' by the Board prior to moving to Stratford, as one of the conditions of sale relating to the Boleyn Ground - a former asset of West Ham United's that was previously used as a guarantee against bank loans.
And even with the Board's interest rate being halved, as claimed by vice chair Karren Brady during a meeting involving KUMB last month, West Ham's owners are still charging the club in the region of £1.75million per year interest on their loan.
Moshiri - who was previously a major shareholder in Arsenal, in conjunction with former business partner Alisher Usmanov - became Everton's majority shareholder in 2016, purchasing 49 per cent of the club (as Blue Heaven Holdings Limited) after selling his stake in the Gunners to Usmanov. However Moshiri was the subject of a BBC Panorama documentary in December, during which it was claimed that the money he invested in the Toffees was a gift from Usmanov.
Everton - now managed by former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce - have already spent £27million during this transfer window on Turkish striker Cenk Tosun, although they recouped £15million this week by selling Ross Barkley to Chelsea.
West Ham are yet to sign a single player since the transfer window re-opened on 1 January, but have recalled rookies Reece Burke, Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford from loan spells in order to boost David Moyes' depleted squad. Additionally, Diafra Sakho is reported to have held preliminary talks with Crystal Palace whilst Javier Hernandez is being tipped to leave the club less than six months after moving to London.
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Arnautovic keen to silence 'haters'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 11th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Marko Arnautovic says he is determined to win over any remaining doubters, following his recent run of excellent form. The 28-year-old winger was one of West Ham's best players in the month of December, scoring five goals - against Chelsea, Stoke, Newcastle and Bournemouth (2) - in his seven appearances.
And despite starting his career at West Ham slowly - with some having suggested his below par performances contributed towards Slaven Bilic received his marching orders bac in November - the Austrian international insisted that he wants to replay the club's - and fans' - faith in him. "Some people said 'he came for £27 million and he's done nothing for us'," recalled Arnautovic. "Well, the fans pay to come to the stadium to see your performance and of course I want to show the club that they didn't pay so much money for nothing. "I am 28 and still not where I want to be. I am trying hard to get there and I won't stop. I want to show people - especially the haters - what I am capable of and give everything I have got. "I am also happy and grateful that I am here [at West Ham]. I am not finished."
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West Ham may be willing to part with Javier Hernandez this month
Last Updated: 11/01/18 3:39pm
SSN
West Ham will listen to offers for Javier Hernandez during the January transfer window, according to Sky sources. The former Manchester United forward was signed for £16m from Bayer Leverkusen last summer but has only managed four Premier League goals so far. Hernandez last found the net during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on 28 October. Hammers manager David Moyes appears to be keen on re-shaping the club's attack and a fee has already been agreed for the sale of Diafra Sakho to Crystal Palace.
Sky sources understand West Ham would also be willing to sell forwards Andre Ayew and Andy Carroll if the right price was offered. Moyes took charge at West Ham at the start of November following the dismissal of Slaven Bilic and has managed to lift the club out of the drop zone - they lie 15th ahead of Saturday's trip to Huddersfield. The experienced Hernandez, who has 99 caps for Mexico, has continued to feature under the new manager but is struggling for goals and the Hammers are apparently willing to part company with the 29-year-old. And Sky Sports News also understands that Krasnodar striker Fyodor Smolov, the captain of the Russian national team, could be on his way to east London this month.
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KHAN AND WEST HAM - WHAT TERMS? - THE STADIUM RENEGOTIATION
By Blind Hammer 11 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
In the third of his series on Moore-Stephens Blind Hammer looks at what terms West ham should require in the Mayoral renegotiation.
After the publishing of the delayed Moore-Stephens report in December Sadiq Khan made the renegotiation of the concessionary Agreement with West Ham a high priority. This was slightly odd. What Moore-Stephens clarified was that it was facilitating Athletics which had the most adverse impact on the Stadium Business Case. The budget for relocating seats alone dwarfs any other costs, representing at least 4 times West Ham's annual rent. A secure financial future for the Stadium will inevitably, at some stage, have to grasp the nettle of compensating Athletics to relocate.
Despite this the Mayoral Press Release focused on the West Ham concession as the first avenue. However, should West Ham agree to renegotiation?? On the face of it, if they genuinely have the Deal of the Century, it would seem foolish to allow any amendments which could financially penalise them. This was, after all, an agreement that they have negotiated in good faith. Given that the structural misfit of hosting Athletics represents the overwhelming financial flaw in business planning, they could conceivably just sit on their hands. They could instead suggest that it is with UK Athletics that Kahn should concentrate his renegotiation efforts.
Despite this there are a number of reasons why West Ham will be forced to renegotiate. Firstly there will be political pressure for them to show willingness to help resolve Stadium issues and continue as good tenants. This is despite the evidence that E20 have shown increasing reluctance to act as good landlords. There are signs that E20, if not hostile to the West Ham occupancy, have exhibited what could be described as a "work to rule" approach. This is reflected in a range of strategies surrounding Stadium issues. These allegedly include some petty responses such as not providing desired catering services. Stadium responses are typically couched in terms that these services are not precisely specified in the concessionary agreement. More seriously West Ham has been blocked from in investing to improve Stadium fitness. Specifically the club wanted colour contrast pitch surrounds. These were designed to assist players in visualising pitch dimensions. In an impressive feat of logic churning West Ham was told that they could make this investment but only if the colours did not provide this necessary contrast. It appears that this difficult relationship will persist until West Ham agrees to renegotiate.
Most seriously of all West Ham have been prevented from executing plans to increase capacity to 60,000 and eventually 66,000. I covered the issues surrounding capacity in my last article on MooreStephens which you can find "here":https://www.westhamtillidie.com/posts/2017/12/21/moore-stephens-part-2-seating-capacity
I argued then that West Ham and indeed E20 should welcome expansion of Football capacity as the correct delivery of Legacy for the Stadium.
I will return to the advantages of maximising Stadium Capacity in a future post but for the moment will simply assume this is in West Ham's interest.
In that post I described how Stadium Capacity is the major weak point of the concessionary Agreement. There is no guarantee that even the current 57,000 CAN BE maintained. There is only an obligation to provide 53,500 seats. This is the Sword of Damocles hanging over West Ham, if there is any further crowd trouble Stadium capacity could be pruned even further.
Given E20's Health and Safety and Governance accountabilities they have the determining responsibility to apply for Stadium Safety Certificates. It is also clear from their reference to "commercial" considerations that they do not have any intention of doing so in advance of any renegotiation.
So West Ham has 3 Strategic nuts to crack from any renegotiation.
Firstly they should create the most inclusive "nag sheet" of issues which need to be resolved as their condition for entering a renegotiation process. So all of the infrastructural issues and service issues, including catering and pitch surround need to be addressed positively rather than obfuscated and hindered.
Secondly some kind of genuinely independent arbitration process for resolving these infrastructural issues needs to be agreed so that hidden agendas do not hinder future Stadium development. If this is not agreed E20 and West Ham will be wasting lots of money in potential legal disputes during the life of the agreement.
Finally and most crucially the perverse incentive of E20 to restrict Stadium Capacity in order to achieve strategic leverage over West Ham needs to be broken. West Ham will never be able to replace E20 as the vehicle for Safety Certificate application. However what they can do is to remove any financial incentive to reduce Stadium Capacity. The most straightforward way to achieve this would be to agree that Stadium Rental should rise, but that this increase must be directly related to any increase in capacity. In other words both E20 and West Ham should share the strategic interest of maximising crowd capacity.
The value for West Ham will lay in building brand and supporter base rather than seat income. Despite this we need to scope out some ball park revenue streams to see what is potentially up for grabs in the renegotiation.
The starting point should be any extra seating over the Current 57,000. There are a range of ticket options available in the stadium but given the likely location of extra seating and the availability of concessionary pricing, I have assumed a possible modest seat income of £25 per seat, per game. This means for every 1,000 extra seats West Ham could potentially achieve £25,000 a game. If Stadium Capacity went up to 60,000 this would rise to £75,000 a game, and din the event of the full 66,000 being sell out an extra £225,000 per game would be generated.
Per season the income generation figures would not be that significant. By these figures increasing capacity to 60,000 would only generate an additional £1,425,000. There will also be some inevitable infrastructural costs apart from the installation of the seats, for example in extra toilet facilities which could defray any extra income. However if capacity can reach the desired 66,000 then extra income will increase to a rather more significant £4,275,000.
These sums, large in the non-football world are relatively small in the insane world of football finance and TV revenue. However they do provide scope for West Ham to significantly upgrade the payment of their tenancy from the current £2.5 million per annum. My own view is that West Ham, provided they can achieve positive ongoing strategic and operational Stadium relations, should welcome re-negotiation. Subject to these provisos West Ham should, in my estimation even consider a potential 100% increase in rental terms linked to a sliding scale up to the achievement of a final capacity at 66,000. In this way West Ham would pay extra rent every time capacity is reached along a sliding scale, and less if capacity is not reached. This would ensure both West Ham and the Stadium Operators would have a shared interest in maximising Stadium usage.
Whilst this would mean that the club would have to find an additional £2-£2.5 million a year, this could be funded through the extra ticket revenue. I think West Ham should even be prepared to help with the extra infrastructural costs associated with the installation of extra seating in the Stadium.
In the end these measures will not dislodge the structural problems of financing Athletics at the London Stadium, but it would allow the usage of the Stadium to flourish further. The benefits of extra capacity for West Ham will in the end have little to do with the extra seat revenue but in other areas. In my next article I will address why the issue of capacity matters.
COYI
David Griffith
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West Ham are ready to listen to offers for £17million striker Javier Hernandez - after only six months.
The Mirrir
The capture of the former Manchester United striker from Bayer Leverkusen last summer was hailed as a massive coup for the club. But Hernandez has failed to settle and has struggled for service during West Ham's nightmare first half of the season. The 29-year-old has managed just four goals in 20 games for the Hammers since his summer switch. However, Sunday's blank in the FA Cup stalemate could prove to be his last outing in a claret and blue shirt if the east Londoners receive any concrete interest. Mirrorfootball understands West Ham are looking at alternatives with Diafra Sakho set for a move to Crystal Palace. Russia captain Fyofor Smolov, 27, is on their radar with the Krasnodar forward interested in a move to the London Stadium.
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Thursday, January 11
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Daily WHUFC News - 11th January 2018
Burke: We want to express ourselves more at home
WHUFC.com
Reece Burke is hoping to be given another chance to shine when the Hammers take on Shrewsbury Town in their Emirates FA Cup third round replay on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old defender returned from spending the first half of the season on loan at Bolton Wanderers to start in the first running of the tie in Shropshire last weekend. He started the game alongside Josh Cullen, who like him had only just come back from Bolton, and although Burke wanted to get the tie won first time around, he is sure the Hammers will make progress at London Stadium. "It's tough going to grounds like theirs," he said. "It was a scrappy game, but we're looking forward to playing them at home now and hopefully we can express ourselves on the floor a bit more. " I have played League One football before so I knew what to expect. It's a different kind of game [to which we're used to] and we want to play a little better at home. "First half, hands up, they had the better chances but you have to stay in the game. We did and we've got the replay."
Burke and Cullen played 27 times between them for Bolton before coming back to West Ham last week and the Academy products are relishing their opportunity to impress – even if the latter did have to contend with having a tooth knocked out during the game. Burke added: "It all happened quite quickly, but Sunday was obviously an opportunity for the manager to watch me play. "It started off not so good for Bolton this season and we were struggling to get a win, but things picked up recently. I was back in the team and results got better, so hopefully they can continue with that. "For Josh, last season his tooth got knocked, but it came out on Sunday. Luckily he was able to have it put back in. It was that kind of game – their centre-half was bleeding too and fair play to Josh, he's an aggressive little player. He put his head on the line for the team."
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Upson: Developing local coaches is so important
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Official Coaching Association is set to kick-off on Monday and former Hammer Matt Upson believes the scheme will help develop coaches in the local community, something he believes is of paramount importance. The ex-West Ham skipper, who alongside Paul Konchesky will be attending a Question and Answer session at the first session on Monday 15 January, is honing his own coaching skills at the Club's famed Academy of Football. The former England international is regularly seen mentoring young players at Chadwell Heath, and the same can be said for Konchesky, who played for the Club between 2005 and 2007.
The pair will be keen to share their experience on Monday evening and Upson believes it can go a long way in helping progress the local talent. He said: "I think it's really important to develop the local coaching community, it's so vital to have a good quality standard of coaching. "There is so much talent around, so much is unrecognised, or goes under the radar or is missed but it's great for us to get some coaches in, spread the knowledge around and make the community and the local area as strong as it can be. "Having members of staff around who understand the club can only be a positive thing. That doesn't necessarily make us good coaches or the best, but you bring some experience. "Getting the opportunity to coach and be on the pitch doing so is only going to help me. I need that experience and hopefully I can pass it on [at the Coaching Association event]."
The duo have both been coming into the Club's Academy base since the start of the season to help the youngsters, but it's off the training pitch Upson believes he can have the greatest impact on the lads. "I think the main thing we can offer is life advice for the players," he continued. "They already have really good coaching available to them, and good technical work that they've had since they were very young. "Some have come through the Academy since they were six or seven years old, so they're all capable and physically good but the biggest thing we can pass on is with the advice off the pitch." Konchesky added: "They are getting really good coaching so as long as they can take that on, we can help with the rest of it such as the off the pitch stuff."
The first Official Coaching Association session takes place on Monday 15 January and you can secure your spot here. Alternatively, book onto all four sessions – which run from January through to April – by clicking here.
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THE TRANSFER WINDOW FRUSTRATION
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 9 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:27PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
I started this with by trying to send Ex a tweet, decided I had too much to say so went with an article.
To the few that have read my stuff or engaged with me on social media it is apparent I have been at the positive end in terms of views about the board. I remain of the view that they are a lot better than they are often portrayed on social media, albeit they do not always help their own case; however this transfer window standpoint is really winding me up.
Fans, board, manager, ITK's all know fairly clearly where the main deficiencies are at the club. We need re-enforcements in central midfield and we lack pace. We also need to address depth in the defence. OK – let's look at Burke and Oxford before buying a defender especially with Rice looking a real prospect. Midfield and pace though? No solution on the horizon – and we are eight days into the window, despite these issues being apparent for months. Ex has tweeted about the complexities of other clubs needing replacements before they sell, I respect Ex's information and opinion but we seriously need to step up in filling these gaps and stop making excuses – time and again we have come into a window knowing what we need and still seem to be trying to plug the gaps by deadline day and this is because the board are haggling, negotiating, trying to get the best deal, the situation is too serious and the board need to accept that fees have moved on. Liverpool have just signed a centre back for 75 million quid, albeit knowing they were getting 150 million quid for Coutinho. Now I am not suggesting we can compete, but the much vaunted "next level" surely cannot mean we are looking to do deals for 6-8 million in this climate.
Our need is clear and acute – surely we can find a couple of players somewhere in world football in the 15- 20 million pound bracket that would address the deficiencies – if we pay a bit over the odds to get another 3-6 points in the next 3-4 weeks surely that would be worth it in terms of being safe and increasing prize money – especially as there will be an upside in merchandise etc. If for example they really want Jonjo Shelvey; is anyone seriously suggesting if they don't up the bid by a couple of million quid that Newcastle, in their situation won't do business? Money talks and if West Ham want to be considered a big London club worthy of 57,000 every other week then we need to up our game and we need to do it now.
David Gold and David Sullivan – it is time to step up.
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Sakho in Palace talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 10th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Diafra Sakho could be staying in London for the time being - but almost certainly not with West Ham. The Senegal international, who has been looking for a way out of the club for more than a year is reported to be in talks with West Ham's Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, with view to a permanent move. West Ham are holding out for a feee in the region of £12million for the Senegal international, who is yet to start a single game for United this season due, it is thought, to a clause in his contract guaranteeing him a bumper bonus should he be selected in a starting XI. Should Sakho complete a move to Selhurst Park he would join namesakes Mamadou Sakho and Bakary Sako at the south London-based club.
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Livermore escapes FA rap
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 10th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jake Livermore will not charged by the FA despite attempting to attack a supporter in the stands during last week's Premier League match with West Ham at the Olympic Stadium.
The 28-year-old former Tottenham player jumped across an advertising barrier before attempting to confront an individual in the East Stand who, it was claimed by Livermore, had made a comment regarding his drug use following the loss of his baby son.
Yet despite the player's actions, which could have affected the safety of other supporters in the vicinity, the FA confirmed this morning that no further action would be taken. He was however urged not to repeat his actions and to allow stadium security to deal with any similar issues, should they arise in the future.
Following the incident, an individual was removed from the stadium by security staff - although it is yet to be determined whether Livermore's claims were accurate. KUMB understands that, at this point, no bans have been issued to any individual involved in the fracas.
Meanwhile supporters situated in the area at the time have offered different versions of what they believed they heard, with some suggesting Livermore incorrectly interpreted what was said. Despite this, the media - and the FA - have accepted the player's version of events.
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Russia captain Fyodor Smolov wants to sign for West Ham
Last Updated: 10/01/18 7:09pm
SSN
Russia captain Fyodor Smolov wants to sign for West Ham, Sky Sports News understands. The 27-year-old striker wants to move to London from Russian Premier League team Krasnodar and West Ham are expected to make a bid for him if they sell Diafra Sakho this month. Smolov has scored 59 times in 90 games for Krasnodar and 11 times in 28 games for Russia.
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Crystal Palace in talks to sign Diafra Sakho from West Ham
By Kaveh Solhekol
Last Updated: 10/01/18 5:51pm
SSN
Crystal Palace are in talks to sign Diafra Sakho from West Ham, Sky Sports News understands. According to one source, Sakho will have a medical at Palace this week, while another claims no formal bid has been made for the player. Sakho, who was at the West Ham training ground on Wednesday morning, revealed in October that he remains keen on leaving the Hammers after failing in a summer Deadline Day move to Ligue 1 side Rennes. The Senegal international is yet to start a Premier League game this season, scoring four goals in the 17 games he has featured in this term. Eagles boss Roy Hodgson is keen to sign another striker in the January window after seeing first-choice Christian Benteke make a faltering start to the campaign with just one goal in 16. Sky in Italy are reporting that the south London club have made a bid for Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar.
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Burnley's Scott Arfield considered by Brighton, Crystal Palace and West Ham
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 10/01/18 2:32pm
SSN
Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield is attracting interest from Brighton, Crystal Palace and West Ham, according to Sky sources. The 29-year-old has less than six months remaining on his contract and would be available on a free transfer in the summer. Sky Sports News understands Burnley have offered Arfield a new deal, but the Canada international is yet to agree fresh terms to stay at Turf Moor. The trio of clubs are yet to formalise their interest with an offer. West Ham manager David Moyes is a long-term admirer of Arfield having previously wanted to sign him during his time at Sunderland. Moyes revealed in December that he was keen on adding to his squad as he attempts to preserve his side's place in the Premier League. Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson, like Moyes, is eager to strengthen his ranks having lost Jeffrey Schlupp, Andros Townsend, Scott Dann and Jason Puncheon to injury. Following the Eagles' 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton on Monday, Hodgson admitted he was in the market for six or seven new players, with Arfield understood to be on his shortlist. Both clubs will also face competition from Brighton
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HOW MUCH IS ANDY CARROLL ACTUALLY WORTH & SHOULD WE SELL HIM TO CHELSEA?
By Iain Dale 10 Jan 2018 at 08:47
WTID
Andy Carroll on his day is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League. He heads the ball like few others. He chests the ball down like no one else. His on the floor skills are underrated and his first touch can be sublime. He scores some outstanding goals. And yet… and yet… apart from at Newcastle, he's never really delivered the goods. One day he looks world class. The next day he's injured. Usually for some time.
Andy Carroll was 29 this week. In his entire career, he's only played 265 games, scoring 70 goals at a ratio of 1:38. He probably has one big move left him. It is now heavily rumoured that Chelsea would like to buy him as cover for Morato. Given Andy Carroll complains he doesn't get enough game time at West Ham, it would certainly be an odd move for him to make. But on the other hand, he'd be (maybe) playing in the Champions League, and which player wouldn't be enticed by that?
He is undoubtedly irritated at not being a first choice starter for David Moyes, as is Javier Hernandez. But can we really afford to lose a player who is a potential matchwinner, as he showed against West Bromwich Albion last week? With Sakho likely to leave this month, and the club said to be willing to entertain offers for Hernandez it's difficult to see a logic for allowing Carroll to leave. I think there are two circumstances where that could happen. The first is for a huge offer of in excess of £25 million to come in, and the second would be if Chelsea would be willing to do some sort of swap deal for Michy Batshuayi. Chelsea are rumoured to want to send him out on loan for the rest of the season if they can find a replacement. He's a player David Sullivan tried to sign a couple of summers ago, and I think he'd be a great acquisition for West Ham – but surely not as a loan player.
If Andy Carroll's head is in the right place he can still be a worldbeater, but can he be relied upon? That's the big question.
So, stick or twist?
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Crystal Palace confident of tying up Diafra Sakho deal as Roy Hodgson eyes reinforcements to fire Eagles to safety
The Eagles are also keen to reignite their interest in Fiorentina frontman Khouma Babacar
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
18:01, 10 JAN 2018UPDATED21:18, 10 JAN 2018
Crystal Palace believe they will wrap up the signing of Diafra Sakho by the end of the week. The Eagles are also keen to reignite their interest in another Senegal frontman, Khouma Babacar of Fiorentina. Sakho, 28, is understood to be eager to end his unhappy spell at West Ham by moving to Selhurst Park. Sakho exploded into life with the Irons when he signed for them in August 2014, scoring eight goals in ten games - including strikes in seven consecutive matches. But he has been plagued by injury and has fallen out with the club over a number of issues, including his lack of regular first-team action. He is set to get that at Palace where Roy Hodgson is looking for reinforcements up front. Christian Benteke has netted just once in his 16 games so far this season. Babacar, 24, has netted five in 17 this season but bagged a total of 14 in 31 matches last term. Palace were interested in him last summer but were unable to get a deal done. They are more confident of bringing him to London this month before the window closes.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Reece Burke is hoping to be given another chance to shine when the Hammers take on Shrewsbury Town in their Emirates FA Cup third round replay on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old defender returned from spending the first half of the season on loan at Bolton Wanderers to start in the first running of the tie in Shropshire last weekend. He started the game alongside Josh Cullen, who like him had only just come back from Bolton, and although Burke wanted to get the tie won first time around, he is sure the Hammers will make progress at London Stadium. "It's tough going to grounds like theirs," he said. "It was a scrappy game, but we're looking forward to playing them at home now and hopefully we can express ourselves on the floor a bit more. " I have played League One football before so I knew what to expect. It's a different kind of game [to which we're used to] and we want to play a little better at home. "First half, hands up, they had the better chances but you have to stay in the game. We did and we've got the replay."
Burke and Cullen played 27 times between them for Bolton before coming back to West Ham last week and the Academy products are relishing their opportunity to impress – even if the latter did have to contend with having a tooth knocked out during the game. Burke added: "It all happened quite quickly, but Sunday was obviously an opportunity for the manager to watch me play. "It started off not so good for Bolton this season and we were struggling to get a win, but things picked up recently. I was back in the team and results got better, so hopefully they can continue with that. "For Josh, last season his tooth got knocked, but it came out on Sunday. Luckily he was able to have it put back in. It was that kind of game – their centre-half was bleeding too and fair play to Josh, he's an aggressive little player. He put his head on the line for the team."
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Upson: Developing local coaches is so important
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Official Coaching Association is set to kick-off on Monday and former Hammer Matt Upson believes the scheme will help develop coaches in the local community, something he believes is of paramount importance. The ex-West Ham skipper, who alongside Paul Konchesky will be attending a Question and Answer session at the first session on Monday 15 January, is honing his own coaching skills at the Club's famed Academy of Football. The former England international is regularly seen mentoring young players at Chadwell Heath, and the same can be said for Konchesky, who played for the Club between 2005 and 2007.
The pair will be keen to share their experience on Monday evening and Upson believes it can go a long way in helping progress the local talent. He said: "I think it's really important to develop the local coaching community, it's so vital to have a good quality standard of coaching. "There is so much talent around, so much is unrecognised, or goes under the radar or is missed but it's great for us to get some coaches in, spread the knowledge around and make the community and the local area as strong as it can be. "Having members of staff around who understand the club can only be a positive thing. That doesn't necessarily make us good coaches or the best, but you bring some experience. "Getting the opportunity to coach and be on the pitch doing so is only going to help me. I need that experience and hopefully I can pass it on [at the Coaching Association event]."
The duo have both been coming into the Club's Academy base since the start of the season to help the youngsters, but it's off the training pitch Upson believes he can have the greatest impact on the lads. "I think the main thing we can offer is life advice for the players," he continued. "They already have really good coaching available to them, and good technical work that they've had since they were very young. "Some have come through the Academy since they were six or seven years old, so they're all capable and physically good but the biggest thing we can pass on is with the advice off the pitch." Konchesky added: "They are getting really good coaching so as long as they can take that on, we can help with the rest of it such as the off the pitch stuff."
The first Official Coaching Association session takes place on Monday 15 January and you can secure your spot here. Alternatively, book onto all four sessions – which run from January through to April – by clicking here.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE TRANSFER WINDOW FRUSTRATION
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 9 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:27PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
I started this with by trying to send Ex a tweet, decided I had too much to say so went with an article.
To the few that have read my stuff or engaged with me on social media it is apparent I have been at the positive end in terms of views about the board. I remain of the view that they are a lot better than they are often portrayed on social media, albeit they do not always help their own case; however this transfer window standpoint is really winding me up.
Fans, board, manager, ITK's all know fairly clearly where the main deficiencies are at the club. We need re-enforcements in central midfield and we lack pace. We also need to address depth in the defence. OK – let's look at Burke and Oxford before buying a defender especially with Rice looking a real prospect. Midfield and pace though? No solution on the horizon – and we are eight days into the window, despite these issues being apparent for months. Ex has tweeted about the complexities of other clubs needing replacements before they sell, I respect Ex's information and opinion but we seriously need to step up in filling these gaps and stop making excuses – time and again we have come into a window knowing what we need and still seem to be trying to plug the gaps by deadline day and this is because the board are haggling, negotiating, trying to get the best deal, the situation is too serious and the board need to accept that fees have moved on. Liverpool have just signed a centre back for 75 million quid, albeit knowing they were getting 150 million quid for Coutinho. Now I am not suggesting we can compete, but the much vaunted "next level" surely cannot mean we are looking to do deals for 6-8 million in this climate.
Our need is clear and acute – surely we can find a couple of players somewhere in world football in the 15- 20 million pound bracket that would address the deficiencies – if we pay a bit over the odds to get another 3-6 points in the next 3-4 weeks surely that would be worth it in terms of being safe and increasing prize money – especially as there will be an upside in merchandise etc. If for example they really want Jonjo Shelvey; is anyone seriously suggesting if they don't up the bid by a couple of million quid that Newcastle, in their situation won't do business? Money talks and if West Ham want to be considered a big London club worthy of 57,000 every other week then we need to up our game and we need to do it now.
David Gold and David Sullivan – it is time to step up.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sakho in Palace talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 10th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Diafra Sakho could be staying in London for the time being - but almost certainly not with West Ham. The Senegal international, who has been looking for a way out of the club for more than a year is reported to be in talks with West Ham's Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, with view to a permanent move. West Ham are holding out for a feee in the region of £12million for the Senegal international, who is yet to start a single game for United this season due, it is thought, to a clause in his contract guaranteeing him a bumper bonus should he be selected in a starting XI. Should Sakho complete a move to Selhurst Park he would join namesakes Mamadou Sakho and Bakary Sako at the south London-based club.
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Livermore escapes FA rap
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 10th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jake Livermore will not charged by the FA despite attempting to attack a supporter in the stands during last week's Premier League match with West Ham at the Olympic Stadium.
The 28-year-old former Tottenham player jumped across an advertising barrier before attempting to confront an individual in the East Stand who, it was claimed by Livermore, had made a comment regarding his drug use following the loss of his baby son.
Yet despite the player's actions, which could have affected the safety of other supporters in the vicinity, the FA confirmed this morning that no further action would be taken. He was however urged not to repeat his actions and to allow stadium security to deal with any similar issues, should they arise in the future.
Following the incident, an individual was removed from the stadium by security staff - although it is yet to be determined whether Livermore's claims were accurate. KUMB understands that, at this point, no bans have been issued to any individual involved in the fracas.
Meanwhile supporters situated in the area at the time have offered different versions of what they believed they heard, with some suggesting Livermore incorrectly interpreted what was said. Despite this, the media - and the FA - have accepted the player's version of events.
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Russia captain Fyodor Smolov wants to sign for West Ham
Last Updated: 10/01/18 7:09pm
SSN
Russia captain Fyodor Smolov wants to sign for West Ham, Sky Sports News understands. The 27-year-old striker wants to move to London from Russian Premier League team Krasnodar and West Ham are expected to make a bid for him if they sell Diafra Sakho this month. Smolov has scored 59 times in 90 games for Krasnodar and 11 times in 28 games for Russia.
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Crystal Palace in talks to sign Diafra Sakho from West Ham
By Kaveh Solhekol
Last Updated: 10/01/18 5:51pm
SSN
Crystal Palace are in talks to sign Diafra Sakho from West Ham, Sky Sports News understands. According to one source, Sakho will have a medical at Palace this week, while another claims no formal bid has been made for the player. Sakho, who was at the West Ham training ground on Wednesday morning, revealed in October that he remains keen on leaving the Hammers after failing in a summer Deadline Day move to Ligue 1 side Rennes. The Senegal international is yet to start a Premier League game this season, scoring four goals in the 17 games he has featured in this term. Eagles boss Roy Hodgson is keen to sign another striker in the January window after seeing first-choice Christian Benteke make a faltering start to the campaign with just one goal in 16. Sky in Italy are reporting that the south London club have made a bid for Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar.
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Burnley's Scott Arfield considered by Brighton, Crystal Palace and West Ham
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 10/01/18 2:32pm
SSN
Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield is attracting interest from Brighton, Crystal Palace and West Ham, according to Sky sources. The 29-year-old has less than six months remaining on his contract and would be available on a free transfer in the summer. Sky Sports News understands Burnley have offered Arfield a new deal, but the Canada international is yet to agree fresh terms to stay at Turf Moor. The trio of clubs are yet to formalise their interest with an offer. West Ham manager David Moyes is a long-term admirer of Arfield having previously wanted to sign him during his time at Sunderland. Moyes revealed in December that he was keen on adding to his squad as he attempts to preserve his side's place in the Premier League. Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson, like Moyes, is eager to strengthen his ranks having lost Jeffrey Schlupp, Andros Townsend, Scott Dann and Jason Puncheon to injury. Following the Eagles' 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton on Monday, Hodgson admitted he was in the market for six or seven new players, with Arfield understood to be on his shortlist. Both clubs will also face competition from Brighton
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HOW MUCH IS ANDY CARROLL ACTUALLY WORTH & SHOULD WE SELL HIM TO CHELSEA?
By Iain Dale 10 Jan 2018 at 08:47
WTID
Andy Carroll on his day is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League. He heads the ball like few others. He chests the ball down like no one else. His on the floor skills are underrated and his first touch can be sublime. He scores some outstanding goals. And yet… and yet… apart from at Newcastle, he's never really delivered the goods. One day he looks world class. The next day he's injured. Usually for some time.
Andy Carroll was 29 this week. In his entire career, he's only played 265 games, scoring 70 goals at a ratio of 1:38. He probably has one big move left him. It is now heavily rumoured that Chelsea would like to buy him as cover for Morato. Given Andy Carroll complains he doesn't get enough game time at West Ham, it would certainly be an odd move for him to make. But on the other hand, he'd be (maybe) playing in the Champions League, and which player wouldn't be enticed by that?
He is undoubtedly irritated at not being a first choice starter for David Moyes, as is Javier Hernandez. But can we really afford to lose a player who is a potential matchwinner, as he showed against West Bromwich Albion last week? With Sakho likely to leave this month, and the club said to be willing to entertain offers for Hernandez it's difficult to see a logic for allowing Carroll to leave. I think there are two circumstances where that could happen. The first is for a huge offer of in excess of £25 million to come in, and the second would be if Chelsea would be willing to do some sort of swap deal for Michy Batshuayi. Chelsea are rumoured to want to send him out on loan for the rest of the season if they can find a replacement. He's a player David Sullivan tried to sign a couple of summers ago, and I think he'd be a great acquisition for West Ham – but surely not as a loan player.
If Andy Carroll's head is in the right place he can still be a worldbeater, but can he be relied upon? That's the big question.
So, stick or twist?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Crystal Palace confident of tying up Diafra Sakho deal as Roy Hodgson eyes reinforcements to fire Eagles to safety
The Eagles are also keen to reignite their interest in Fiorentina frontman Khouma Babacar
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
18:01, 10 JAN 2018UPDATED21:18, 10 JAN 2018
Crystal Palace believe they will wrap up the signing of Diafra Sakho by the end of the week. The Eagles are also keen to reignite their interest in another Senegal frontman, Khouma Babacar of Fiorentina. Sakho, 28, is understood to be eager to end his unhappy spell at West Ham by moving to Selhurst Park. Sakho exploded into life with the Irons when he signed for them in August 2014, scoring eight goals in ten games - including strikes in seven consecutive matches. But he has been plagued by injury and has fallen out with the club over a number of issues, including his lack of regular first-team action. He is set to get that at Palace where Roy Hodgson is looking for reinforcements up front. Christian Benteke has netted just once in his 16 games so far this season. Babacar, 24, has netted five in 17 this season but bagged a total of 14 in 31 matches last term. Palace were interested in him last summer but were unable to get a deal done. They are more confident of bringing him to London this month before the window closes.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 9
Daily WHUFC News - 10th January 2018
West Ham United Ladies continue search for new head coach
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies' managing director says the Club will not rush the appointment of a new head coach.
Jack Sullivan, who took charge of the Ladies' operation last year, believes it is vital that the Club hires the right individual to build on a promising 2017. "I believe it is important that we take our time in appointing the next head coach of West Ham United Ladies," Sullivan told whufc.com. "It is vital we bring in the right individual and we are working closely with our partners in women's football, including the FA, to ensure we make the right choice for our team, both on and off the pitch."
The Ladies parted ways with former head coach Greg de Carnys last month, with Club general manager Karen Ray taking charge of the team in the interim.
Sullivan says the experience that Ray, a former West Ham, Arsenal and England player, brings to the role means he is comfortable in taking time in confirming the right permanent appointment. He added "Karen brings a wealth of experience to a fantastic group of players which has already delivered some improved performances. I am extremely confident they will continue to thrive while the process of making a permanent appointment continues." Ray led the Ladies to a battling draw with Gillingham over the weekend and the interim coach has echoed the managing director's sentiments.
The next 12 months will see the Ladies' status in the newly reformed Women's Super League confirmed and Ray wants the decision on a new head coach to reflect the side's ambitions. "At the moment, we are trying to ensure we make the right selection, not a selection for right now," Ray told whufc.com. "This is a long-term project and we want to ensure we have someone who has long-term aspirations. "Rushing a decision as important as this could be detrimental, so Jack and I are committed to securing the best possible candidate and will not be hasty."
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Hart: FA Cup replay is going to be a different game
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart says West Ham United will need to do their homework ahead of their Emirates FA Cup third-round replay examination by Shrewsbury Town.
The goalkeeper earned the Hammers a second chance to beat his hometown team with a pair of fine first-half saves at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday.
The Shrews will now head to London Stadium on Tuesday 16 January, and Hart knows the home side will need to be at their best to overcome opposition who have tasted defeat just five times in 33 matches this season.
"They've got a lot of energy, are very hard to break down and don't concede," said Hart, when asked to assess his former club's performance in Sunday's goalless draw. "We watched videos and they're very well-drilled and a well-organised team and that showed on Sunday in front of some good home support.
"The replay is going to be a different game, though. It's on a Tuesday night at our stadium and they'll have played on the Saturday, the same as us. Hopefully we will have a few more players fit, as we were missing a lot of players on Sunday. We will see what happens. "It's something for the Shrewsbury boys to look forward to, coming down from here, and we've got to be ready for it. The best homework we can do is watch the original tie and see in all areas how we can improve."
Hart was afforded star status on his return home, signing hundreds of autographs and posing for dozens of selfies for supporters of both teams, some of whom remembered his days as a Shrewsbury played more than a decade ago, as well as many younger fans who idolise him as England's current No1.
While he may have been in demand from the moment he stepped off the team bus to the moment he departed after the final whistle, the 30-year-old took the adulation in his stride. "Of course, I still follow Shrewsbury's fortunes. It's impossible not to keep an eye on them, especially in this day and age, as it's very easy to follow a team. I've still got a lot of friends and family in the town who keep me updated. "It was really special to play there again. It's my home and, when I was a kid growing up and moved to Manchester at the age of 19 everything moved fast, now I'm an older man and stuff like going back is more important and touched me deeply. "I knew most of the people at the ground, as Shrewsbury is one of those towns where you're connected to everyone through one or two people. It was nice, but during the 90 minutes they wanted their team to win and I wanted my team to win!"
Tickets for the Emirates FA Cup third-round replay are on sale now to Season Ticket Holders and Bondholders, priced £10 for Adults and just £1 for Under-16s. Click here to secure your seat and for full details.
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Samuelsen's emotional tribute to lifelong friend
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U23s' third goal against Manchester United prompted a passionate fist pump from Terry Westley and cheers of celebration from the travelling supporters, but for goalscorer Martin Samuelsen the finish meant so much more The Norwegian produced a terrific piece of skill on the left-flank before cutting back inside and powering home a rocket, registering the Hammers' third goal of the match and ensuring all three points went back with West Ham. It was the moment the 20-year-old's performance deserved, with Samuelsen putting on arguably his best showing of the campaign so far against the Red Devils. The winger played down the quality of his own finish, but dedicated the goal to lifelong friends Pedro and Carlos Ballester, with Pedro battling cancer. "My goal was okay," Samuelsen told whufc.com. "In terms of technique, it was nothing special, but it means something special for me and some people close to me. "I want to take the opportunity to dedicate this goal to one of my oldest and closest friends, who lives in Manchester. I went to school with his brother and he's fighting cancer.
"I spoke to him before the game and I told him, his brother and his family that I wanted to score for them. I'm really happy I was able to keep that promise. Pedro and Carlos Ballester, that goal was for you my friends."
Samuelsen's finish came just a few minutes after Toni Martinez had doubled the Hammers' advantage, with the Spanish striker also having a role in the opening goal of the game, netted by substitute Grady Diangana on 51 minutes. In between the first and second goal Manchester United were reduced to ten men, when Luca Ercolani received a red card for a high boot on Diangana. Samuelsen admits the sending off was a pivotal factor in Monday's game, adding: "The red card certainly made a difference. They have some good players in their team and they definitely had threats to score. "Of course, we took the lead, but once they got their man sent off we completely dominated possession. When we didn't have the ball we immediately had three players closing down, so we made it difficult for them."
The dominant victory comes after a month without competitive action for the Hammers, who saw matches against Everton and Tottenham in December postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Prior to that West Ham had been without a win since the end of October, a run that Samuelsen admits was difficult. The winger is delighted that the Irons showed their real ability against Manchester United. He continued: "It's been very frustrating, not getting results, but I think in the last month we haven't deserved to get the wins with the way we've been playing. We've not been ruthless enough both with and without the ball.
"Against United though we were brave from the start. Everyone wanted to get on the ball and we tried to play out from the back, the way we know how to play. When we play the way we can, like tonight, not many teams can challenge us."
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Goalscorer Diangana delighted with quick impact in Manchester
WHUFC.com
It took Grady Diangana just six minutes to break the deadlock in West Ham United U23s' 3-0 away victory at Manchester United on Monday and the winger – who scored with virtually his first touch – was delighted to make such a fast impact. After a goalless first half at the Leigh Sports Village, the Hammers raced out the blocks in the second half – in part due to the influence substitute Diangana, who was introduced at half time, had on the match – and quickly took the lead.
The creative midfielder, who won't score too many simpler goals in his career, was presented with a simple two-yard header to make it 1-0 but showed more of his natural ability 20 minutes later, curling in a lovely cross for Toni Martinez to make it 2-0.
Soon after, Martin Samuelsen added a third with a superb individual effort that capped off a terrific performance and a second victory over Manchester United of the campaign And given Diangana's impressive display over 45 minutes for Terry Westley's men, the youngster now has his sights set on a starting spot later this week. He said: "We'll see if I'm in the team when we play Leicester on Friday but with that performance from the bench tonight hopefully I've made a good case to be. "I love it when there is another game coming quickly; it's good because you get another quick chance to show what you can do. "I was disappointed when I was told I was on the bench tonight, yeah, I was quite upset but it's football; you can't dwell on it and be upset because that's football. You have to deal with it, get on with it."
Get on with it Diangana did, bagging the opener and his third of the season, a tally he wants to improve on as the campaign goes on. "When I'm on the pitch, I'm there to try and contribute to goals and to come off the bench and do that early, of course it's always good for me," he continued. "I wanted to make an impact as quickly as I could and obviously scoring pretty soon after half time was great. "I don't score many headers either! I probably get about one a season so it's nice to score with the head as well! "Toni got the flick on and the goalie tipped it on to the bar and I was just there in the right place at the right time to nod it in. You have to get in the six-yard-box for those sort of scraps that might come your way. "Goals are my main target at the moment so however they come, I'm happy with. "To set up Toni's goal, it was more of a natural move for me, cutting onto my left and crossing for him. I saw three of them hanging at the back post so I thought if I just put it in that area, one will put it in and luckily Toni did and I'm very pleased."
As if the goal was not enough of a turning-point, the hosts' chances of getting anything from the game were significantly reduced moments after when Diangana was again involved in a crucial point in the fixture. Collecting the ball around the halfway mark, the midfielder turned but felt the full force of Man United midfielder Luka Ercolani's right boot before the Red Devil received his marching orders by the referee. "The red card was the right decision in my opinion, too," Diangana recalled of the moment. "He caught me right on the nose, so I don't think he can have too many complaints about that; you can tell by that the challenge was high. It's a bit swollen. "I think after the red, we really controlled it and when we saw the opportunities to get bodies forward, we did exactly that and that's what helped us get the three goals."
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Manning: 3-0 Man Utd win was a deserved reward for U23s
WHUFC.com
Liam Manning believes West Ham United U23s' 3-0 win over Manchester United U23s was a deserved reward for the team's hard work over the festive period.
Second half goals from Grady Diangana, Toni Martinez and Martin Samuelsen secured a dominant victory for the Hammers away at the Red Devils, returning the Irons to winning ways at the start of 2018.
It's been over a month since West Ham U23s have played a competitive game, due to postponements to matches against Everton and Tottenham, but Manning is delighted with how the team have trained during the extended period without a match.
And the Academy coach reckons that the commitment on the training field deserved a win such as the one against Manchester United, hailing both the performance as well as the result. "The last time we actually played was December 5 when we played Luton," Manning told whufc.com. "Everton and Tottenham were both called off. It's a bit bitty because you're preparing for games and then they are cancelled. It becomes slightly disjointed but it also allows us to really push them on the training pitch.
"I'll give the boys credit. They were at it all over Christmas and their work rate during that period was fantastic. They got the rewards of that tonight. "We're really pleased with the performance as much as the result. The first half, at 11 vs 11, we dominated the game. The possession statistics show we had loads of the ball and then in the second half, the red card plays a little part, but we were still on top and I think we started the second half well. "Overall, we are really delighted with the performance, and the result as well."
The U23s lined up with five players in the starting XI that were included in the first team matchday squad over the weekend in the FA Cup, while Diangana had also travelled with David Moyes's side.
Manning was happy with how these players held themselves upon their return to the U23s. He continued: "Sunday was a great experience for those boys, being around the manager and going to Shrewsbury. Then the big challenge tonight was for them to come and deliver, and that is what we expect of them. It was great for them, and then around that we had four schoolboys start tonight," Having gone four games without scoring and five games without a win, Manning sees Monday's result as a massive and timely boost for the side, heading into a match with second place Leicester City on Friday. "This game is a huge confidence boost in terms of performance and certain individuals. All of the players can take huge positives from tonight. We'll go back in and hopefully we can go and get another good result on Friday."
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TOO QUICK TO DIG PLAYERS OUT?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 9 JANUARY 2018 AT 8:54PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
I have been quiet on social media lately and not written anything for the site until today, even though I take great pleasure in seeing an article put up. Why? – I have up until recently really been brought down by the huge negativity I have been reading on twitter and Facebook lately. As a fan base we seem to delight in digging our players out. Mark Noble seems to be turning the tide but was getting slaughtered a while back despite being club captain, West Ham to the core and the result stats indicating that we do much better with him in the side. Joe Hart seems to be another favourite punch bag – I think this is because he is perceived as a "board signing" picked over fan favourite Adrian – the abuse was amazing – I remember Alan Mcknight in goal, now he was bad!
I have not agreed with many of these viewpoints but I am most certainly not above getting drawn in. During Sunday's game I was getting annoyed with Burke, but he was out of position in his first premier league game in ages, was I being fair, probably not and he is surely worth a place in the squad. I have resisted criticising Chicarito previously but was getting ready to hammer him Sunday. Seriously though, every goal he has ever scored in the premier league has been from inside the box. He is a poacher and totally ill equipped for the role he has been in. How many goals would Tony Cottee have got in that set up and the guy is a genuine West Ham legend – rightly so.
My particular concern though is Kouyate. What is going on? Video clips of him not tracking back, looks off the pace and lacking motivation, I have been ready to dig him out. "move him on", "drop him", "lazy" Two years ago the bloke looked awesome, strong full of running goal threat, versatile. What has happened? Maybe he wants out! Maybe he does not work hard enough, I do not know. Maybe though as a physical, up and down player just maybe he has been more affected and taken longer to recover from the general lack of fitness / conditioning coaching under the previous regime. Maybe not, but are we be writing off a player that was hitting such heights not long ago a bit too quickly? Should we give the lad time, get behind him and see if he can get back to the player that was pretty much being lauded by all a couple of seasons ago. We all seem to be so critical, we have several players that we have seen perform well, should we not give them the chance to turn around form and fitness?
Right now this squad is under-performing – it needs supplementing with 3-4 players but should we cut some of the existing squad a little slack – I think we should – even though I have been as guilty as many!
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Kids For A Quid returns for Cup replay
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's FA Cup third round replay will be a Kids For A Quid event, it has been confirmed.
The replay, which is scheduled to take place next Tuesday (16 January) will kick off at 7.45pm - and Bondholders and Season Ticket owners will be able to take advantage of the reduced prices.
Tickets are on sale now to the above groups, priced at £1 for under 16s and £10 for adults. All remaining tickets will go on general sale this Thursday (11 January) priced from £5-10 for under 16s and £10-£20 for adults.
* West Ham United's reward for beating Shrewsbury in their FA Cup 3rd round replay next week will be a trip to either Bournemouth or Wigan.
The Hammers were drawn away in a cup tie for the fifth time this season, following earlier trips to Chetenham, Tottenham and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup and New Meadow in last weekend's goalless draw with Shrewsbury.
Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion
Peterborough Utd v Fleetwood Town or Leicester City
Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City
Notts County v Wolves/Swansea City
Yeovil v Manchester Utd
Carlisle or Sheffield Weds v Stevenage or Reading
Cardiff City or Mansfield Town v Manchester City
MK Dons v Coventry City
Millwall v Rochdale
Southampton v Watford
Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion or Crystal Palace
Bournemouth or Wigan Ath v Shrewsbury Town or West Ham Utd
Hull City v Nottingham Forest
Newport County v Spurs
Norwich or Chelsea v Newcastle Utd
Sheffield Utd v Preston
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'Derisory' midfielder bid rejected
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have seen an opening bid of £5million for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter rejected, according to fresh reports.
The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to West Ham for several weeks, yet despite being valued by his club at the £12-15million mark was the target of a £5million opening offer from the Hammers today, according to a tabloid newspaper.
Unsurprisingly the offer is said to have been instantly rejected by a furious Bournemouth, who were said to be "angered" by West Ham's risible bid - despite the player's willingness to make the move from the south coast to London.
David Moyes' attempts to bolster his midfield are yet to bear any fruit, despite interest in a string players such as Jonjo Shelvey, Francis Coquelin, Joe Allen and Leander Dendoncker, who was linked with a move to West Ham yesterday.
Meanwhile rumours suggesting that Moyes will have to sell before being able to make his move in the transfer market persist.
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No West Ham interest, says Wenger
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Arsene Wenger says he has not spoken to West Ham with regards to a bid for midfielder Francis Coquelin.
The Arsenal manager, talking to the media this lunchtime confirmed that he had not received any indication from West Ham that they are about to make an offer for the 26-year-old Frenchman, as widely suggested earlier this week.
However Wenger did admit that the player could well leave the Emirates during the January transfer window. "It's a possibility but nothing is decided," he said during his pre-match press conference, before adding that "we have had no contact with West Ham".
And in other transfer news, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte refused to rule out a move for West Ham striker Andy Carroll. When asked about Chelsea's purported interest in the big forward, he replied: "The club knows very well which are the position we can improve. "I am very happy to work with my players and the commitment of my players. If there is a possibility to improve the squad the club knows very well."
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Martinez is seven up
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Toni Martinez says he is delighted to have finally made his full first team debut for West Ham. The 20-year-old striker joined West Ham from Valencia in April 2016 in a £2.5million deal and finally made his first appearance for David Moyes' senior side at Shrewsbury on Sunday in the goalless draw.
And having made his bow, Martinez told West Ham's website that he is hungry for more. "I'm really happy to finally make my debut," he said. "Now I'm going to keep working and I'm sure that more chances will arrive. "I never played for the first team before, so it was great to hear the fans singing my name during the warm-up. I've been working hard for 18 months since I arrived here for that 20 minutes on the pitch. "I just tried to do my best. I didn't get any chances [to score] but I'm sure that, in the next game, we'll get chances and win the three points."
Now Martinez is hoping to make another appearance for Moyes' first team in the reply, which takes place at the Olympic Stadium next Tuesday evening - although he maintains that is will be an equally difficult test for West Ham. "I'm not surprised with the level Shrewsbury showed", he mused. "League One is a high level and this team is at the top, and we know how hard it was playing them on their pitch in front of their fans. All we can do is keep working and looking forward to the next one."
Martinez became the seventh Spanish player to represent West Ham in a competitive fixture at New Meadow on Sunday - the six compatriots to precede him were as follows:
Kepa Blanco: (2007) 8 appearances, 1 goal
Diego Tristan: (2008-09) 17 appearances, 3 goals
Manuel Almunia: (2011) 4 appearances, 0 goals
Alvaro Arbeloa: (2016) 4 appearances, 0 goals
Adrian: (2013-) 134 appearances, 0 goals
Pedro Obiang: (2015-) 82 appearances, 3 goals
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New franchise want Chica
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
The manager of new MLS franchise Los Angeles FC has admitted that he would love to pair new signing Carlos Vela up with fellow Mexican Javier Hernandez. Bob Bradley, who was sacked by Premier League strugglers Swansea City last year after just a few months in control of the Welsh club told ESPN that he would be delighted to sign Hernandez - if West Ham would be willing to let him go.
Responding to a question from anchor David Faitelson regarding LAFC's interest in the player - which was first mooted by club owner Will Farrell during Vela's unveiling ceremony - Bradley confirmed that he would be delighted to add Hernandez to his roster. "That one is left with the ownership," said Bradley. "From the standpoint of the manager Chicharito is a big player, a big personality and a great goalscorer. "So if Will Farrell and the rest of the ownership can bring that commitment, I can figure out a way to get him on the field and help him score goals."
Hernandez has struggled to settle in London since returning to the UK following spells in Spain and Germany. He has scored just five goals in the opening half of the 2017/18 campaign and has been unable to secure a first team spot since David Moyes arrived at the club.
Los Angeles FC are the newest team in the MLS pyramid, having only been formed three years ago. Their home matches are staged at the 22,000-capacity Banc of California Stadium.
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Borussia Monchengladbach still keen on West Ham defender Reece Oxford
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/01/18 3:47pm
SSN
West Ham defender Reece Oxford remains a top target for Borussia Monchengladbach with the German club having already made a bid at the start of January.
The 19-year-old made four appearances while on loan with Gladbach this season but returned to the London Stadium after being recalled over the festive season.
Gladbach made a bid in the region of £10m for Oxford on January 2 and the club's sports director reiterated their desire on Tuesday to secure the teenager from London.
Max Eberl told the Gladbach website: "We talked a lot with West Ham during the winter break and were surprised when they activated the clause. "The tone in the discussions before that was a different one. But I understand their reasoning. West Ham are in a relegation battle and wanted to bring back a good player.
"So far they haven't used him so the talks continue. I hope that there will be no utopian offer from another club. Then we will have a chance for Reece to come back to us. "He has developed well with us over the five months. He had to wait for his chance but he impressed us when he got it."
The centre-back signed a new West Ham contract in 2016 that tied him to the club until 2021. Hammers manager David Moyes said at the end of December: "We will take a look at him and see how he is, I hope we can help improve him. I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
It is understood there is also interest in Oxford from another German club RB Leipzig.
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West Ham considering Arsenal duo Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/01/18 9:30am
SSN
Arsenal duo Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny are among the players being considered by West Ham as manager David Moyes attempts to strengthen his midfield options this month, according to Sky sources. Moyes revealed in December that he was looking to add to his squad as he attempts to secure the Hammers' Premier League status.
He has identified a new central midfielder as a main priority and Sky sources understands Joe Allen, Steven N'Zonzi, William Carvalho and Jonjo Shelvey are also on his shortlist along with Coquelin and Elneny. Listen to the latest Transfer Talk podcast where Ross Barkley's move to Chelsea and Philippe Coutinho's Liverpool future were among the topics discussed.
The duo have been used sparingly by manager Arsene Wenger in the Premier League this season, with Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey his preferred pairing in midfield.
Wenger insisted Arsenal were yet to receive a formal bid from West Ham for Coquelin at his news conferences ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea. Coquelin, 26, joined Arsenal from French side Stade Lavallois in July 2008 and has made over 150 appearances for the club, despite spending time on loan at Lorient, Freiburg and Charlton. Elneny, 25, moved to the Gunners in January 2016 from Swiss side Basel in a deal worth around £5m and has since featured in 54 matches, scoring twice.
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AWAY DAY PAIN, LANZINI FEARS AND CHICO A LUXURY WE CAN'T AFFORD?
By Tony Hanna 9 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
The rapid fire of fixtures for West Ham has been such that it has been three games since my last article. It seems an eternity! A last gasp winner against West Brom followed by an all hands to the pumps effort at Spurs and a very "toothless" display against Shrewsbury sees us unbeaten in 2018 but that stat is papering over some cracks isn't it? We are churning out some results but we are hardly a well-oiled machine.
By the time we have played Huddersfield this weekend our home and away fixtures played will have quite a lopsided view to it (10 home and 13 away) due to the unavailability of the OS at the start of the season. We have still not caught up with our home game equilibrium and won't until we play what will be the reversed fixture against Southampton in late March. Sandwiching that game we have a sequence of five matches where four of them will be at home. So far our away form has been disappointing with just the solitary victory at Stoke although we have had near misses at Palace, Bournemouth and Burnley where late goals have cost us six points and another late goal at Southampton saw us drop another point. This leads me on to a stat which I came across during the week. We have conceded 25 goals away from home in the Premier League this season. Only eight of those have been first half goals but ten, that is 40% of them, have come in the last fifteen minutes of matches. This is an area that David Moyes will be working on I am sure?
One topic I have been meaning to bring up for a while now is Javier "Chico" Hernandez. Some months ago it was pretty lonely being of the opinion when we signed him that he would not work for us whilst so many pundits were saying he would be the signing of the summer window. I did manage to have a bet with one blogger on here that he would not score fifteen PL goals for us this season and at present it looks like a pint of Stella (which will be reciprocated anyway – he is a lovely fella) is going to be ready and waiting for me on my next visit back to East London? To be honest though, these are the types of bets I don't mind losing. For me, at the highest level Hernadez has only ever been a super sub at best. That's how Fergie used him and he knew a thing or two? He is not the type of player that can be moved out wide and expected to help track back when needed. He is not the type of player that can play a lone role up front and hold the ball up effectively. And in fairness to him that is where and how he has been expected to play most times he has donned a West Ham shirt. Realistically, he needs to be playing for a team that plays someone up with him and preferably dominates possession thus creating more chances in the box than we currently do – seems a bit of a one dimensional luxury we can't afford? When we have played Chico and Andy Carroll in the same side it hasn't worked and in recent times any good chances that have come his way he has bombed. But alarmingly there are even more deficiencies. Put clear at Spurs the other night he had a three yard start on the defenders around 40 yards out but before we could even hold breath in anticipation he was rounded up in next to no time.
When Arnie plays up top under Moyes he has chased lost causes with determination – leading to his goal at Bournemouth and then more recently his closing down set up a great chance for Masuaku against West Brom. When Chico is called upon for the same effort it is just not there with any conviction and any half-hearted closing down normally ends up in shrugs and flailing arms directed at his team mates. I don't like to be negative about our players but this situation is a problem for West Ham. He is the biggest earner at the club on a permanent deal. Am I being harsh? What do you think should happen? I can only see a complete shift away from how we currently set up if we are to get the best out of him and I just don't see Moyes entertaining that scenario? Of course we have been down that path before with "building a team" around Andy Carroll. Not only did that not work out too well but I just don't think Hernandez is good enough to warrant any similar consideration. Personally, I think he is nowhere near as sharp as he used to be but at the price we paid we should still be able to recover our losses should the club or the player himself wish to pull the plug. Your thoughts?
The transfer window has been open for over a week now and things had been very quiet for us until the Coutinho transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona which has triggered a surge of money for Manuel Lanzini to be a targeted as a possible replacement? Over the past two days Lanzini has been backed from 4/1 (20%) to 11/8 ((42%) for a move to a cashed up Liverpool. This is obviously not good news and it will be interesting to see how things pan out on this one.There is still three weeks of the window to go but I am sure David Moyes would like to get any transfers done and sorted sooner rather than later. Here are some updates on other potential transfers.
Alfie Mawson Things have cooled somewhat and it appears more likely that he will either stay at Swansea or a move to Watford is on the cards. Even money (50%) to 5/1 (16%) this deal is looking less likely than last week despite the injury problems of Fonte, Collins and now possibly Winston Reid again.
Jonjo Shelvey Good backing from 5/2 (28%) to 1-2 (66%) for Shelvey to become a Hammer last week but a slight cooling over the past few days to 8/13 (62%). Apparently he is a West Ham fan but if he does become a Moyes signing which Shelvey will we get? Horribly inconsistent with discipline problems or the one that almost single handedly dismantled us not so long ago? Moyes is currently getting the best out of Arnie – perhaps he could with Shelvey?
Daniel Sturridge plagued by injuries the Liverpool striker's problem now is he can't get into the team. He has slipped down the pecking order at both club and for country in a World Cup year. A move to Southampton is a possibility while we are rated a 8/1 (12%) chance of signing him.
Danny Ings another Liverpool striker who has had injury problems but once fit also can't get into the side. Rated a 6/1 (14%) chance to join West Ham. Newcastle seem to be a more realistic proposition for him at this stage if he leaves Merseyside.
Joe Allen It will be interesting to see what transpires at Stoke after Hughes got the sack. The Hammers are 9/2 (18%) for the midfielders services though it may seem more likely a new manager will persuade Allen to stay at the Potters.
Marouane Fellaini lots of speculation about a possible deal on the forums but despite backing last week from 18/1 (5%) to 12/1 (7.6%) if this deal was likely I think the odds would be much shorter than they currently are.
Steven N'Zonzi ditto as above – currently 18/1 (5%).
Andy Carroll is 1-8 (88%) and Joe Hart is 1-6 (85%) to remain Hammers for the foreseeable future and elsewhere Manchester City are 1-4 (80%) to sign Alexis Sanchez during this window.
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Reece Oxford ready to make move permanent – providing Borussia Monchengladbach make offer of £15m
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Wallace, chief football writer
9 JANUARY 2018 • 8:06PM
Reece Oxford, the West Ham defender, may yet get a permanent move to the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach if the club are prepared to increase their offer to around £15 million for the teenager, with RB Leipzig also interested.
Although Oxford's progress on loan this season at Monchengladbach was initially slow, he finally broke into the first team in December before the winter break in Germany, starting their last three games against Freiburg, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen. Monchengladbach have already offered around £8m for the England Under-20 player which has been rejected by West Ham.
The 19-year-old, who made his West Ham debut aged 16, was recalled from Germany by his parent club after the New Year but has not figured under David Moyes having injured an ankle in his first training session back in England. The likelihood is that a decision will be made on his future once the FA Cup third-round replay against Shrewsbury Town has been played next Tuesday.
The loan deal with Monchengladbach could also be resurrected if the clubs are unable to make an agreement on price with Oxford himself eager not to spend the rest of the season as a squad player at West Ham.
Oxford has also attracted interest from RB Leipzig who have a good record of spotting value in young players and are currently fifth in the Bundesliga and in the Europa League knockout stages. The world-record fee for a defender of £75m paid by Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk has underlined the value of an experienced and talented centre-back and previously Moyes has said that he would prefer to keep his best young players, including Oxford.
West Ham would listen to offers for Diafra Sakho and Javier Hernandez in this window, and if they could raise money may look to make a permanent signing. There is an interest in the former Chelsea winger and forward Andre Schurrle, now at Borussia Dortmund, should they be able to make changes to the squad.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies' managing director says the Club will not rush the appointment of a new head coach.
Jack Sullivan, who took charge of the Ladies' operation last year, believes it is vital that the Club hires the right individual to build on a promising 2017. "I believe it is important that we take our time in appointing the next head coach of West Ham United Ladies," Sullivan told whufc.com. "It is vital we bring in the right individual and we are working closely with our partners in women's football, including the FA, to ensure we make the right choice for our team, both on and off the pitch."
The Ladies parted ways with former head coach Greg de Carnys last month, with Club general manager Karen Ray taking charge of the team in the interim.
Sullivan says the experience that Ray, a former West Ham, Arsenal and England player, brings to the role means he is comfortable in taking time in confirming the right permanent appointment. He added "Karen brings a wealth of experience to a fantastic group of players which has already delivered some improved performances. I am extremely confident they will continue to thrive while the process of making a permanent appointment continues." Ray led the Ladies to a battling draw with Gillingham over the weekend and the interim coach has echoed the managing director's sentiments.
The next 12 months will see the Ladies' status in the newly reformed Women's Super League confirmed and Ray wants the decision on a new head coach to reflect the side's ambitions. "At the moment, we are trying to ensure we make the right selection, not a selection for right now," Ray told whufc.com. "This is a long-term project and we want to ensure we have someone who has long-term aspirations. "Rushing a decision as important as this could be detrimental, so Jack and I are committed to securing the best possible candidate and will not be hasty."
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Hart: FA Cup replay is going to be a different game
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart says West Ham United will need to do their homework ahead of their Emirates FA Cup third-round replay examination by Shrewsbury Town.
The goalkeeper earned the Hammers a second chance to beat his hometown team with a pair of fine first-half saves at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday.
The Shrews will now head to London Stadium on Tuesday 16 January, and Hart knows the home side will need to be at their best to overcome opposition who have tasted defeat just five times in 33 matches this season.
"They've got a lot of energy, are very hard to break down and don't concede," said Hart, when asked to assess his former club's performance in Sunday's goalless draw. "We watched videos and they're very well-drilled and a well-organised team and that showed on Sunday in front of some good home support.
"The replay is going to be a different game, though. It's on a Tuesday night at our stadium and they'll have played on the Saturday, the same as us. Hopefully we will have a few more players fit, as we were missing a lot of players on Sunday. We will see what happens. "It's something for the Shrewsbury boys to look forward to, coming down from here, and we've got to be ready for it. The best homework we can do is watch the original tie and see in all areas how we can improve."
Hart was afforded star status on his return home, signing hundreds of autographs and posing for dozens of selfies for supporters of both teams, some of whom remembered his days as a Shrewsbury played more than a decade ago, as well as many younger fans who idolise him as England's current No1.
While he may have been in demand from the moment he stepped off the team bus to the moment he departed after the final whistle, the 30-year-old took the adulation in his stride. "Of course, I still follow Shrewsbury's fortunes. It's impossible not to keep an eye on them, especially in this day and age, as it's very easy to follow a team. I've still got a lot of friends and family in the town who keep me updated. "It was really special to play there again. It's my home and, when I was a kid growing up and moved to Manchester at the age of 19 everything moved fast, now I'm an older man and stuff like going back is more important and touched me deeply. "I knew most of the people at the ground, as Shrewsbury is one of those towns where you're connected to everyone through one or two people. It was nice, but during the 90 minutes they wanted their team to win and I wanted my team to win!"
Tickets for the Emirates FA Cup third-round replay are on sale now to Season Ticket Holders and Bondholders, priced £10 for Adults and just £1 for Under-16s. Click here to secure your seat and for full details.
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Samuelsen's emotional tribute to lifelong friend
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U23s' third goal against Manchester United prompted a passionate fist pump from Terry Westley and cheers of celebration from the travelling supporters, but for goalscorer Martin Samuelsen the finish meant so much more The Norwegian produced a terrific piece of skill on the left-flank before cutting back inside and powering home a rocket, registering the Hammers' third goal of the match and ensuring all three points went back with West Ham. It was the moment the 20-year-old's performance deserved, with Samuelsen putting on arguably his best showing of the campaign so far against the Red Devils. The winger played down the quality of his own finish, but dedicated the goal to lifelong friends Pedro and Carlos Ballester, with Pedro battling cancer. "My goal was okay," Samuelsen told whufc.com. "In terms of technique, it was nothing special, but it means something special for me and some people close to me. "I want to take the opportunity to dedicate this goal to one of my oldest and closest friends, who lives in Manchester. I went to school with his brother and he's fighting cancer.
"I spoke to him before the game and I told him, his brother and his family that I wanted to score for them. I'm really happy I was able to keep that promise. Pedro and Carlos Ballester, that goal was for you my friends."
Samuelsen's finish came just a few minutes after Toni Martinez had doubled the Hammers' advantage, with the Spanish striker also having a role in the opening goal of the game, netted by substitute Grady Diangana on 51 minutes. In between the first and second goal Manchester United were reduced to ten men, when Luca Ercolani received a red card for a high boot on Diangana. Samuelsen admits the sending off was a pivotal factor in Monday's game, adding: "The red card certainly made a difference. They have some good players in their team and they definitely had threats to score. "Of course, we took the lead, but once they got their man sent off we completely dominated possession. When we didn't have the ball we immediately had three players closing down, so we made it difficult for them."
The dominant victory comes after a month without competitive action for the Hammers, who saw matches against Everton and Tottenham in December postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Prior to that West Ham had been without a win since the end of October, a run that Samuelsen admits was difficult. The winger is delighted that the Irons showed their real ability against Manchester United. He continued: "It's been very frustrating, not getting results, but I think in the last month we haven't deserved to get the wins with the way we've been playing. We've not been ruthless enough both with and without the ball.
"Against United though we were brave from the start. Everyone wanted to get on the ball and we tried to play out from the back, the way we know how to play. When we play the way we can, like tonight, not many teams can challenge us."
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Goalscorer Diangana delighted with quick impact in Manchester
WHUFC.com
It took Grady Diangana just six minutes to break the deadlock in West Ham United U23s' 3-0 away victory at Manchester United on Monday and the winger – who scored with virtually his first touch – was delighted to make such a fast impact. After a goalless first half at the Leigh Sports Village, the Hammers raced out the blocks in the second half – in part due to the influence substitute Diangana, who was introduced at half time, had on the match – and quickly took the lead.
The creative midfielder, who won't score too many simpler goals in his career, was presented with a simple two-yard header to make it 1-0 but showed more of his natural ability 20 minutes later, curling in a lovely cross for Toni Martinez to make it 2-0.
Soon after, Martin Samuelsen added a third with a superb individual effort that capped off a terrific performance and a second victory over Manchester United of the campaign And given Diangana's impressive display over 45 minutes for Terry Westley's men, the youngster now has his sights set on a starting spot later this week. He said: "We'll see if I'm in the team when we play Leicester on Friday but with that performance from the bench tonight hopefully I've made a good case to be. "I love it when there is another game coming quickly; it's good because you get another quick chance to show what you can do. "I was disappointed when I was told I was on the bench tonight, yeah, I was quite upset but it's football; you can't dwell on it and be upset because that's football. You have to deal with it, get on with it."
Get on with it Diangana did, bagging the opener and his third of the season, a tally he wants to improve on as the campaign goes on. "When I'm on the pitch, I'm there to try and contribute to goals and to come off the bench and do that early, of course it's always good for me," he continued. "I wanted to make an impact as quickly as I could and obviously scoring pretty soon after half time was great. "I don't score many headers either! I probably get about one a season so it's nice to score with the head as well! "Toni got the flick on and the goalie tipped it on to the bar and I was just there in the right place at the right time to nod it in. You have to get in the six-yard-box for those sort of scraps that might come your way. "Goals are my main target at the moment so however they come, I'm happy with. "To set up Toni's goal, it was more of a natural move for me, cutting onto my left and crossing for him. I saw three of them hanging at the back post so I thought if I just put it in that area, one will put it in and luckily Toni did and I'm very pleased."
As if the goal was not enough of a turning-point, the hosts' chances of getting anything from the game were significantly reduced moments after when Diangana was again involved in a crucial point in the fixture. Collecting the ball around the halfway mark, the midfielder turned but felt the full force of Man United midfielder Luka Ercolani's right boot before the Red Devil received his marching orders by the referee. "The red card was the right decision in my opinion, too," Diangana recalled of the moment. "He caught me right on the nose, so I don't think he can have too many complaints about that; you can tell by that the challenge was high. It's a bit swollen. "I think after the red, we really controlled it and when we saw the opportunities to get bodies forward, we did exactly that and that's what helped us get the three goals."
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Manning: 3-0 Man Utd win was a deserved reward for U23s
WHUFC.com
Liam Manning believes West Ham United U23s' 3-0 win over Manchester United U23s was a deserved reward for the team's hard work over the festive period.
Second half goals from Grady Diangana, Toni Martinez and Martin Samuelsen secured a dominant victory for the Hammers away at the Red Devils, returning the Irons to winning ways at the start of 2018.
It's been over a month since West Ham U23s have played a competitive game, due to postponements to matches against Everton and Tottenham, but Manning is delighted with how the team have trained during the extended period without a match.
And the Academy coach reckons that the commitment on the training field deserved a win such as the one against Manchester United, hailing both the performance as well as the result. "The last time we actually played was December 5 when we played Luton," Manning told whufc.com. "Everton and Tottenham were both called off. It's a bit bitty because you're preparing for games and then they are cancelled. It becomes slightly disjointed but it also allows us to really push them on the training pitch.
"I'll give the boys credit. They were at it all over Christmas and their work rate during that period was fantastic. They got the rewards of that tonight. "We're really pleased with the performance as much as the result. The first half, at 11 vs 11, we dominated the game. The possession statistics show we had loads of the ball and then in the second half, the red card plays a little part, but we were still on top and I think we started the second half well. "Overall, we are really delighted with the performance, and the result as well."
The U23s lined up with five players in the starting XI that were included in the first team matchday squad over the weekend in the FA Cup, while Diangana had also travelled with David Moyes's side.
Manning was happy with how these players held themselves upon their return to the U23s. He continued: "Sunday was a great experience for those boys, being around the manager and going to Shrewsbury. Then the big challenge tonight was for them to come and deliver, and that is what we expect of them. It was great for them, and then around that we had four schoolboys start tonight," Having gone four games without scoring and five games without a win, Manning sees Monday's result as a massive and timely boost for the side, heading into a match with second place Leicester City on Friday. "This game is a huge confidence boost in terms of performance and certain individuals. All of the players can take huge positives from tonight. We'll go back in and hopefully we can go and get another good result on Friday."
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TOO QUICK TO DIG PLAYERS OUT?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 9 JANUARY 2018 AT 8:54PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
I have been quiet on social media lately and not written anything for the site until today, even though I take great pleasure in seeing an article put up. Why? – I have up until recently really been brought down by the huge negativity I have been reading on twitter and Facebook lately. As a fan base we seem to delight in digging our players out. Mark Noble seems to be turning the tide but was getting slaughtered a while back despite being club captain, West Ham to the core and the result stats indicating that we do much better with him in the side. Joe Hart seems to be another favourite punch bag – I think this is because he is perceived as a "board signing" picked over fan favourite Adrian – the abuse was amazing – I remember Alan Mcknight in goal, now he was bad!
I have not agreed with many of these viewpoints but I am most certainly not above getting drawn in. During Sunday's game I was getting annoyed with Burke, but he was out of position in his first premier league game in ages, was I being fair, probably not and he is surely worth a place in the squad. I have resisted criticising Chicarito previously but was getting ready to hammer him Sunday. Seriously though, every goal he has ever scored in the premier league has been from inside the box. He is a poacher and totally ill equipped for the role he has been in. How many goals would Tony Cottee have got in that set up and the guy is a genuine West Ham legend – rightly so.
My particular concern though is Kouyate. What is going on? Video clips of him not tracking back, looks off the pace and lacking motivation, I have been ready to dig him out. "move him on", "drop him", "lazy" Two years ago the bloke looked awesome, strong full of running goal threat, versatile. What has happened? Maybe he wants out! Maybe he does not work hard enough, I do not know. Maybe though as a physical, up and down player just maybe he has been more affected and taken longer to recover from the general lack of fitness / conditioning coaching under the previous regime. Maybe not, but are we be writing off a player that was hitting such heights not long ago a bit too quickly? Should we give the lad time, get behind him and see if he can get back to the player that was pretty much being lauded by all a couple of seasons ago. We all seem to be so critical, we have several players that we have seen perform well, should we not give them the chance to turn around form and fitness?
Right now this squad is under-performing – it needs supplementing with 3-4 players but should we cut some of the existing squad a little slack – I think we should – even though I have been as guilty as many!
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Kids For A Quid returns for Cup replay
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's FA Cup third round replay will be a Kids For A Quid event, it has been confirmed.
The replay, which is scheduled to take place next Tuesday (16 January) will kick off at 7.45pm - and Bondholders and Season Ticket owners will be able to take advantage of the reduced prices.
Tickets are on sale now to the above groups, priced at £1 for under 16s and £10 for adults. All remaining tickets will go on general sale this Thursday (11 January) priced from £5-10 for under 16s and £10-£20 for adults.
* West Ham United's reward for beating Shrewsbury in their FA Cup 3rd round replay next week will be a trip to either Bournemouth or Wigan.
The Hammers were drawn away in a cup tie for the fifth time this season, following earlier trips to Chetenham, Tottenham and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup and New Meadow in last weekend's goalless draw with Shrewsbury.
Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion
Peterborough Utd v Fleetwood Town or Leicester City
Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City
Notts County v Wolves/Swansea City
Yeovil v Manchester Utd
Carlisle or Sheffield Weds v Stevenage or Reading
Cardiff City or Mansfield Town v Manchester City
MK Dons v Coventry City
Millwall v Rochdale
Southampton v Watford
Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion or Crystal Palace
Bournemouth or Wigan Ath v Shrewsbury Town or West Ham Utd
Hull City v Nottingham Forest
Newport County v Spurs
Norwich or Chelsea v Newcastle Utd
Sheffield Utd v Preston
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'Derisory' midfielder bid rejected
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have seen an opening bid of £5million for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter rejected, according to fresh reports.
The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to West Ham for several weeks, yet despite being valued by his club at the £12-15million mark was the target of a £5million opening offer from the Hammers today, according to a tabloid newspaper.
Unsurprisingly the offer is said to have been instantly rejected by a furious Bournemouth, who were said to be "angered" by West Ham's risible bid - despite the player's willingness to make the move from the south coast to London.
David Moyes' attempts to bolster his midfield are yet to bear any fruit, despite interest in a string players such as Jonjo Shelvey, Francis Coquelin, Joe Allen and Leander Dendoncker, who was linked with a move to West Ham yesterday.
Meanwhile rumours suggesting that Moyes will have to sell before being able to make his move in the transfer market persist.
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No West Ham interest, says Wenger
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Arsene Wenger says he has not spoken to West Ham with regards to a bid for midfielder Francis Coquelin.
The Arsenal manager, talking to the media this lunchtime confirmed that he had not received any indication from West Ham that they are about to make an offer for the 26-year-old Frenchman, as widely suggested earlier this week.
However Wenger did admit that the player could well leave the Emirates during the January transfer window. "It's a possibility but nothing is decided," he said during his pre-match press conference, before adding that "we have had no contact with West Ham".
And in other transfer news, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte refused to rule out a move for West Ham striker Andy Carroll. When asked about Chelsea's purported interest in the big forward, he replied: "The club knows very well which are the position we can improve. "I am very happy to work with my players and the commitment of my players. If there is a possibility to improve the squad the club knows very well."
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Martinez is seven up
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Toni Martinez says he is delighted to have finally made his full first team debut for West Ham. The 20-year-old striker joined West Ham from Valencia in April 2016 in a £2.5million deal and finally made his first appearance for David Moyes' senior side at Shrewsbury on Sunday in the goalless draw.
And having made his bow, Martinez told West Ham's website that he is hungry for more. "I'm really happy to finally make my debut," he said. "Now I'm going to keep working and I'm sure that more chances will arrive. "I never played for the first team before, so it was great to hear the fans singing my name during the warm-up. I've been working hard for 18 months since I arrived here for that 20 minutes on the pitch. "I just tried to do my best. I didn't get any chances [to score] but I'm sure that, in the next game, we'll get chances and win the three points."
Now Martinez is hoping to make another appearance for Moyes' first team in the reply, which takes place at the Olympic Stadium next Tuesday evening - although he maintains that is will be an equally difficult test for West Ham. "I'm not surprised with the level Shrewsbury showed", he mused. "League One is a high level and this team is at the top, and we know how hard it was playing them on their pitch in front of their fans. All we can do is keep working and looking forward to the next one."
Martinez became the seventh Spanish player to represent West Ham in a competitive fixture at New Meadow on Sunday - the six compatriots to precede him were as follows:
Kepa Blanco: (2007) 8 appearances, 1 goal
Diego Tristan: (2008-09) 17 appearances, 3 goals
Manuel Almunia: (2011) 4 appearances, 0 goals
Alvaro Arbeloa: (2016) 4 appearances, 0 goals
Adrian: (2013-) 134 appearances, 0 goals
Pedro Obiang: (2015-) 82 appearances, 3 goals
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New franchise want Chica
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
The manager of new MLS franchise Los Angeles FC has admitted that he would love to pair new signing Carlos Vela up with fellow Mexican Javier Hernandez. Bob Bradley, who was sacked by Premier League strugglers Swansea City last year after just a few months in control of the Welsh club told ESPN that he would be delighted to sign Hernandez - if West Ham would be willing to let him go.
Responding to a question from anchor David Faitelson regarding LAFC's interest in the player - which was first mooted by club owner Will Farrell during Vela's unveiling ceremony - Bradley confirmed that he would be delighted to add Hernandez to his roster. "That one is left with the ownership," said Bradley. "From the standpoint of the manager Chicharito is a big player, a big personality and a great goalscorer. "So if Will Farrell and the rest of the ownership can bring that commitment, I can figure out a way to get him on the field and help him score goals."
Hernandez has struggled to settle in London since returning to the UK following spells in Spain and Germany. He has scored just five goals in the opening half of the 2017/18 campaign and has been unable to secure a first team spot since David Moyes arrived at the club.
Los Angeles FC are the newest team in the MLS pyramid, having only been formed three years ago. Their home matches are staged at the 22,000-capacity Banc of California Stadium.
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Borussia Monchengladbach still keen on West Ham defender Reece Oxford
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/01/18 3:47pm
SSN
West Ham defender Reece Oxford remains a top target for Borussia Monchengladbach with the German club having already made a bid at the start of January.
The 19-year-old made four appearances while on loan with Gladbach this season but returned to the London Stadium after being recalled over the festive season.
Gladbach made a bid in the region of £10m for Oxford on January 2 and the club's sports director reiterated their desire on Tuesday to secure the teenager from London.
Max Eberl told the Gladbach website: "We talked a lot with West Ham during the winter break and were surprised when they activated the clause. "The tone in the discussions before that was a different one. But I understand their reasoning. West Ham are in a relegation battle and wanted to bring back a good player.
"So far they haven't used him so the talks continue. I hope that there will be no utopian offer from another club. Then we will have a chance for Reece to come back to us. "He has developed well with us over the five months. He had to wait for his chance but he impressed us when he got it."
The centre-back signed a new West Ham contract in 2016 that tied him to the club until 2021. Hammers manager David Moyes said at the end of December: "We will take a look at him and see how he is, I hope we can help improve him. I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
It is understood there is also interest in Oxford from another German club RB Leipzig.
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West Ham considering Arsenal duo Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/01/18 9:30am
SSN
Arsenal duo Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny are among the players being considered by West Ham as manager David Moyes attempts to strengthen his midfield options this month, according to Sky sources. Moyes revealed in December that he was looking to add to his squad as he attempts to secure the Hammers' Premier League status.
He has identified a new central midfielder as a main priority and Sky sources understands Joe Allen, Steven N'Zonzi, William Carvalho and Jonjo Shelvey are also on his shortlist along with Coquelin and Elneny. Listen to the latest Transfer Talk podcast where Ross Barkley's move to Chelsea and Philippe Coutinho's Liverpool future were among the topics discussed.
The duo have been used sparingly by manager Arsene Wenger in the Premier League this season, with Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey his preferred pairing in midfield.
Wenger insisted Arsenal were yet to receive a formal bid from West Ham for Coquelin at his news conferences ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea. Coquelin, 26, joined Arsenal from French side Stade Lavallois in July 2008 and has made over 150 appearances for the club, despite spending time on loan at Lorient, Freiburg and Charlton. Elneny, 25, moved to the Gunners in January 2016 from Swiss side Basel in a deal worth around £5m and has since featured in 54 matches, scoring twice.
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AWAY DAY PAIN, LANZINI FEARS AND CHICO A LUXURY WE CAN'T AFFORD?
By Tony Hanna 9 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
The rapid fire of fixtures for West Ham has been such that it has been three games since my last article. It seems an eternity! A last gasp winner against West Brom followed by an all hands to the pumps effort at Spurs and a very "toothless" display against Shrewsbury sees us unbeaten in 2018 but that stat is papering over some cracks isn't it? We are churning out some results but we are hardly a well-oiled machine.
By the time we have played Huddersfield this weekend our home and away fixtures played will have quite a lopsided view to it (10 home and 13 away) due to the unavailability of the OS at the start of the season. We have still not caught up with our home game equilibrium and won't until we play what will be the reversed fixture against Southampton in late March. Sandwiching that game we have a sequence of five matches where four of them will be at home. So far our away form has been disappointing with just the solitary victory at Stoke although we have had near misses at Palace, Bournemouth and Burnley where late goals have cost us six points and another late goal at Southampton saw us drop another point. This leads me on to a stat which I came across during the week. We have conceded 25 goals away from home in the Premier League this season. Only eight of those have been first half goals but ten, that is 40% of them, have come in the last fifteen minutes of matches. This is an area that David Moyes will be working on I am sure?
One topic I have been meaning to bring up for a while now is Javier "Chico" Hernandez. Some months ago it was pretty lonely being of the opinion when we signed him that he would not work for us whilst so many pundits were saying he would be the signing of the summer window. I did manage to have a bet with one blogger on here that he would not score fifteen PL goals for us this season and at present it looks like a pint of Stella (which will be reciprocated anyway – he is a lovely fella) is going to be ready and waiting for me on my next visit back to East London? To be honest though, these are the types of bets I don't mind losing. For me, at the highest level Hernadez has only ever been a super sub at best. That's how Fergie used him and he knew a thing or two? He is not the type of player that can be moved out wide and expected to help track back when needed. He is not the type of player that can play a lone role up front and hold the ball up effectively. And in fairness to him that is where and how he has been expected to play most times he has donned a West Ham shirt. Realistically, he needs to be playing for a team that plays someone up with him and preferably dominates possession thus creating more chances in the box than we currently do – seems a bit of a one dimensional luxury we can't afford? When we have played Chico and Andy Carroll in the same side it hasn't worked and in recent times any good chances that have come his way he has bombed. But alarmingly there are even more deficiencies. Put clear at Spurs the other night he had a three yard start on the defenders around 40 yards out but before we could even hold breath in anticipation he was rounded up in next to no time.
When Arnie plays up top under Moyes he has chased lost causes with determination – leading to his goal at Bournemouth and then more recently his closing down set up a great chance for Masuaku against West Brom. When Chico is called upon for the same effort it is just not there with any conviction and any half-hearted closing down normally ends up in shrugs and flailing arms directed at his team mates. I don't like to be negative about our players but this situation is a problem for West Ham. He is the biggest earner at the club on a permanent deal. Am I being harsh? What do you think should happen? I can only see a complete shift away from how we currently set up if we are to get the best out of him and I just don't see Moyes entertaining that scenario? Of course we have been down that path before with "building a team" around Andy Carroll. Not only did that not work out too well but I just don't think Hernandez is good enough to warrant any similar consideration. Personally, I think he is nowhere near as sharp as he used to be but at the price we paid we should still be able to recover our losses should the club or the player himself wish to pull the plug. Your thoughts?
The transfer window has been open for over a week now and things had been very quiet for us until the Coutinho transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona which has triggered a surge of money for Manuel Lanzini to be a targeted as a possible replacement? Over the past two days Lanzini has been backed from 4/1 (20%) to 11/8 ((42%) for a move to a cashed up Liverpool. This is obviously not good news and it will be interesting to see how things pan out on this one.There is still three weeks of the window to go but I am sure David Moyes would like to get any transfers done and sorted sooner rather than later. Here are some updates on other potential transfers.
Alfie Mawson Things have cooled somewhat and it appears more likely that he will either stay at Swansea or a move to Watford is on the cards. Even money (50%) to 5/1 (16%) this deal is looking less likely than last week despite the injury problems of Fonte, Collins and now possibly Winston Reid again.
Jonjo Shelvey Good backing from 5/2 (28%) to 1-2 (66%) for Shelvey to become a Hammer last week but a slight cooling over the past few days to 8/13 (62%). Apparently he is a West Ham fan but if he does become a Moyes signing which Shelvey will we get? Horribly inconsistent with discipline problems or the one that almost single handedly dismantled us not so long ago? Moyes is currently getting the best out of Arnie – perhaps he could with Shelvey?
Daniel Sturridge plagued by injuries the Liverpool striker's problem now is he can't get into the team. He has slipped down the pecking order at both club and for country in a World Cup year. A move to Southampton is a possibility while we are rated a 8/1 (12%) chance of signing him.
Danny Ings another Liverpool striker who has had injury problems but once fit also can't get into the side. Rated a 6/1 (14%) chance to join West Ham. Newcastle seem to be a more realistic proposition for him at this stage if he leaves Merseyside.
Joe Allen It will be interesting to see what transpires at Stoke after Hughes got the sack. The Hammers are 9/2 (18%) for the midfielders services though it may seem more likely a new manager will persuade Allen to stay at the Potters.
Marouane Fellaini lots of speculation about a possible deal on the forums but despite backing last week from 18/1 (5%) to 12/1 (7.6%) if this deal was likely I think the odds would be much shorter than they currently are.
Steven N'Zonzi ditto as above – currently 18/1 (5%).
Andy Carroll is 1-8 (88%) and Joe Hart is 1-6 (85%) to remain Hammers for the foreseeable future and elsewhere Manchester City are 1-4 (80%) to sign Alexis Sanchez during this window.
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Reece Oxford ready to make move permanent – providing Borussia Monchengladbach make offer of £15m
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Wallace, chief football writer
9 JANUARY 2018 • 8:06PM
Reece Oxford, the West Ham defender, may yet get a permanent move to the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach if the club are prepared to increase their offer to around £15 million for the teenager, with RB Leipzig also interested.
Although Oxford's progress on loan this season at Monchengladbach was initially slow, he finally broke into the first team in December before the winter break in Germany, starting their last three games against Freiburg, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen. Monchengladbach have already offered around £8m for the England Under-20 player which has been rejected by West Ham.
The 19-year-old, who made his West Ham debut aged 16, was recalled from Germany by his parent club after the New Year but has not figured under David Moyes having injured an ankle in his first training session back in England. The likelihood is that a decision will be made on his future once the FA Cup third-round replay against Shrewsbury Town has been played next Tuesday.
The loan deal with Monchengladbach could also be resurrected if the clubs are unable to make an agreement on price with Oxford himself eager not to spend the rest of the season as a squad player at West Ham.
Oxford has also attracted interest from RB Leipzig who have a good record of spotting value in young players and are currently fifth in the Bundesliga and in the Europa League knockout stages. The world-record fee for a defender of £75m paid by Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk has underlined the value of an experienced and talented centre-back and previously Moyes has said that he would prefer to keep his best young players, including Oxford.
West Ham would listen to offers for Diafra Sakho and Javier Hernandez in this window, and if they could raise money may look to make a permanent signing. There is an interest in the former Chelsea winger and forward Andre Schurrle, now at Borussia Dortmund, should they be able to make changes to the squad.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, January 8
Daily WHUFC News - 9th January 2018
Bournemouth or Wigan await replay winners in round four
WHUFC.com
The winners of the Hammers' Emirates FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town will travel to AFC Bournemouth or Wigan Athletic in the fourth round. Monday night's draw pitted either the Hammers or the Shrews against the winners of another replay, after the Cherries drew 2-2 at home to League One promotion chasers Wigan. Bournemouth needed a last-gasp leveller from Steve Cook to earn their replay after the Latics had at one stage led 2-0 thanks to Will Grigg and an own goal by Emerson Hyndman. Eddie Howe's men came back, and like the Hammers they will have a second opportunity to make progress. The fourth round ties will be played on the weekend of 26-29 January. Full ticketing and fixture details for the Hammers' third round replay will be confirmed shortly.
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Cullen smiling again thanks to West Ham medical team
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen is smiling again, thanks to West Ham United's quick-thinking medical staff. The midfielder had a front tooth knocked out after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury Town captain Abu Ogogo in Sunday's 0-0 Emirates FA Cup third round draw. The 10,000-strong crowd and a live BBC television audience of millions collectively winced as Cullen's incisor flew through the air before landing on the turf at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
West Ham's first-team doctor Richard Weiler and physiotherapist Fraser Young went to the 21-year-old's aid, with the former locating the rogue tooth and placing it in a cup of milk, and the latter stemming the bleeding inside Cullen's mouth with a piece of gauze. The brave player walked to the touchline, where his blood-stained shorts were replaced, but not before the Academy of Football graduate was told to re-enter the game in his underpants by coach Stuart Pearce – a man accustomed to playing through the pain barrier himself!
A fresh pair of shorts were located and Cullen was allowed to play out the remaining 15 minutes of the game before he was driven to hospital by a member of the Shrewsbury Town groundstaff. There, the tooth was replaced in the youngster's mouth and held in place with a splint. "The Doc found the tooth and put it in a cup of milk as the calcium in there helps to keep the tooth alive and as healthy as possible," Cullen explained. "A member of the Shrewsbury groundstaff took me to hospital straight after the final whistle, so I'd like to thank them, as well as the medical staff at the hospital for being top-class when I got there. "They put the tooth back in and fitted me with a little brace to keep it in place, so I haven't got a gap, even though I saw Nobes tweeted 'Mind the gap' during the game!
"When I went off and after I'd had treatment, I was waiting for the kit man to get me a new pair of No33 shorts from the dressing room and Stuart Pearce was encouraging me to go back on in my pants! He's not the sort of guy you normally say 'No' too, but the fourth official put his arm across and wouldn't let me."
Amazingly, Cullen had the same tooth loosened in an aerial challenge during the Hammers' Premier League Cup final victory over Hull City at the Boleyn Ground in April 2016, but now he is set to have it fixed once and for all.
On Monday, the Republic of Ireland U21 captain met a dental specialist and will undergo root canal treatment next week to repair the damage. In the meantime, and for a period after the surgery, Cullen will wear a gumshield to prevent further injury. "Two of my teeth need root canal treatment, which we will fit in around the games we've got coming up, and once my mouth calms down a bit. "It's being held in place by a splint across the front at the moment and I can't eat anything too hard, so I'm sticking to pasta, soft stuff and chopping my food up small to ensure I keep my energy levels up and I can get back to training at Rush Green. "To be honest, my lip is a bit swollen and that's the sorest part. The teeth are throbbing a bit, but I'm on painkillers so it's not too bad, and I just want to get back to playing football. I'll be fine!"
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Ray 'far from satisfied' with goalless Gillingham draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies interim head coach Karen Ray has expressed her frustration with the team's 0-0 draw against Gillingham on Sunday. The Ladies began 2018 with a home game against the side that bested them 1-0 on the opening day of the season, in a match void of quality chances or indeed noteworthy incident.
While a share of the points was a better result than the reverse fixture against the Gills, Ray is still disappointed with large aspects of the team's performance at Rush Green. "It was a very frustrating game, and I am not someone who can hide their emotions," Ray told whufc.com. "I don't think the girls were close to being at their best and that is hard for us all to accept. We all know what we are capable of and if we aren't going to perform well we still need to find a way to win.
"I am far from satisfied with the performance; a lot of players were below their usual level."
Goalscoring opportunities were at a premium for both sides in a tricky contest over the weekend. The Hammers came closest thanks to efforts from Chloe Burr and Andria Georgiou, while Gillingham saw a free-kick drift just wide of the woodwork. While Ray was understandably concerned about the team's quality in attack the General Manager was delighted with how her side held firm to keep a clean-sheet. Ray continued: "We managed to give Gillingham very little goal scoring opportunities, which is a credit to the defensive group. However, we have to produce more quality going forward, particularly in and around the final third. Getting shots on target and being clinical in front of goal is a must, we need to attack with purpose. "Taking a point today and being disappointed shows that as a team our expectations and aspirations are high. I don't want to take anything away from Gillingham as they showed great resilience and frustrated us. They made it difficult for us to break them down, so credit to them."
The 0-0 against Gillingham was West Ham Ladies' first game in a number of weeks, after a festive break, but the Hammers went into the match without a number of first team players. Ray reckons the inclusion of these names could have turned the fixture in West Ham's favour but has called on the side to show more character ahead of the next clash, away to Brislington. "We have players still away as this game was added to our schedule late on, as well as a couple of injuries, and I think with a couple of those players here today it could have been different," Ray added. "But I also believe we need to show character. If we're going to win games in this league, we have to have different sides to us – we have to find a way to win even when we are not playing well and we have to find a way to score when we aren't on fire." "It comes down to mentality; you have to be accountable for what happens when you cross the white line and as staff we need to search for what we could have done differently and rectify it for this weekend."
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Burke and Cullen impress on return to West Ham colours
WHUFC.com
Academy of Football graduates Reece Burke and Josh Cullen produced impressive performances in West Ham United's goalless Emirates FA Cup third-round draw at Shrewsbury Town on their return from loan spells at Bolton Wanderers. The Hammers were below-par at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday, as manager David Moyes admitted after the tie, which will now be settled by a replay at London Stadium on the evening Tuesday 16 January. However, the two youngsters, as well as fellow Academy product Declan Rice, could be absolved of blame for West Ham's struggles in seeing off their League One opponents at the first attempt.
Republic of Ireland U21 captain Cullen was the star of the show, using the ball intelligently and making six tackles playing on the right of a three-man midfield.
A neat, tidy and combative player very much in the mould of his mentor Mark Noble, the 21-year-old returned from his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers and showed Moyes the qualities that saw him win widespread acclaim at Bradford City last season.
Cullen was always willing and available to receive possession, with his 57 touches of the ball only exceeded by the 83 made by fellow countryman Rice, 64 by fellow Bolton loanee Burke and 61 by midfield partner Pedro Obiang. The diminutive midfielder put in seven crosses – one more than all of his teammates combined – and won a team-high five free-kicks for his side.
The Westcliff-on-Sea born player also showed his courage by playing on to complete the full game, despite losing his front tooth after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury captain Abu Ogogo with 15 minutes remaining Cullen's bravery in continuing was praised by his teammates, BBC pundits Gary Lineker and Ian Wright and fans of West Ham and other clubs on social media.
Burke (above) was also impressive, playing in a right wing-back role that same him combine often with his close pal. The defender stuck to his task well, making a team-high seven tackles, along with six clearances and an interception. The 21-year-old even produced one of West Ham's two on-target goal attempts with a first-half header.
Last but by no means least, Rice continued his recent form playing on the left of Moyes' three-man defence, making six interceptions and two tackles to go alongside a team-high 83 touches and six clearances.
The 18-year-old again showed great composure, particularly when his team came under pressure from the Shrews, positioning himself superbly on numerous occasions and never being afraid to carry the ball forward when the opportunity arose. With the replay falling between two important Premier League fixtures with Huddersfield Town and FC Bournemouth, it would come as no surprise if Moyes were to again put faith in these three talented youngsters when Shrewsbury visit London Stadium a week on Tuesday.
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Bilic was right on Foxes flop
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic bore the brunt of heavy criticism during the summer for rejecting the opportunity to sign Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Co-owner David Sullivan was reported to have arranged a deal to buy the 21-year-old from Manchester City during the summer for a fee in the region of £25million. However the move collapsed after Bilic insisted that the player would be a poor fit for West Ham. At the time, Bilic was panned by many supporters for spurning the opportunity to sign the young goalscorer.
However hindsight suggests that the Croat may have been right after all, with the news that Leicester - Iheanacho's current club - are ready to offload him less than six months after striking the same £25million deal with Manchester City. Since joining the Foxes, the Nigerian international has made just two Premier League starts and was introduced as a late substitute during the weekend's FA Cup 3rd round draw with Fleetwood Town.
And new Leicester boss Claude Puel is understood to have indicated that Iheanacho - who has scored just one goal for Leicester since moving from Manchester - can leave on a permanent basis should he be able to find a new club. The biggest obstacle standing in the way of a speedy move however is the player's £115,000 weekly wage, agreed when he signed a five-year contract prior to the start of the current season.
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Former Hammer favourite for Stoke role
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is odds-on to succeed Mark Hughes as manager of Stoke City. The 49-year-old was fired by West Ham in November following a poor start to the current campaign. However he could be set to return to management within the next few days according to the bookies.
Bilic, who has remained in London with his family is currently 4/5 favourite to succeed Hughes, closely followed in the betting by Gary Rowett and former Leicester and Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill. However it is understood that the Croat has also been contacted by Football Australia with view to taking the vacant managerial position with the Socceroos, which was recently vacated by Ange Postecoglou.
Speaking recently to the media, Bilic insisted that he was ready to take up his next role in management following his departure from West Ham. "I know where I stand in the map of world managers," he told the Mail. "I can afford a break but can't switch off my phone for a year like Guardiola or Mourinho. "I was at West Ham only a few weeks ago. On the other hand, I feel so rested. I am ready. You don't always realise your batteries need recharging when you are in the middle of everything. "It's always better to go into a job at the start of the season but football can't be perfect. If the right one comes next week, it's something that comes. I have proved myself here in England; I don't feel like a stranger."
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Watford interested in Swansea's Alfie Mawson
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 08/01/18 1:52pm
SSN
Watford are rivalling West Ham with interest in Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, Sky Sports News understands. The 23-year-old England U21 international is highly sought-after following a string of impressive displays, despite the Swans' struggles at the foot of the Premier League table. Sky Sports News reported last week that West Ham boss David Moyes is targeting a new centre-back during the January transfer window after losing Jose Fonte to injury in October. West Ham want Mawson, who has 18 months left on his current contract, but Swansea do not want to sell him in the January window. Mawson insisted in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports earlier this month that he was concentrating on the ongoing relegation battle and that talk of a transfer was just that - "talk".
He said: "Whatever happens, happens. If offers come in then that is nothing to do with me. All I can do is affect my performances. I'm a Swansea player and I want to do well here. "It is flattering to hear certain things but I have got to do what I can for this club. I'm contracted for another two-and-a-half years after this, whether that is in the Championship or hopefully in the Premier League, I am signed to be here so that's all it is at the moment, it's just talk."
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THE YOUNG HAMMERS - FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL FOR THEIR FIRST TEAM OPPORTUNITY
By HamburgHammer 8 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Hooray, football is finally back in Hamburg! Alright, not the proper league stuff yet, but even at the lower league level of my second club Concordia the winter break is short and needs must. First training session of 2018 took place on Friday and yesterday there was a midseason friendly indoor tournament to help the lads burn away any excess calories of their Christmas and New Year dinners. This tournament is a quite traditional event by now, Cordi organise the whole lot and invite nine other teams from East Hamburg to compete for very little money but a lot of pride at stake. The nice thing is that it's only local derbies, in fact you can't get much more local than this, the longest trip any team had to make for this one was an 8 mile journey.
I have to admit that indoors football is not really my cup of tea, you tend to see a lot of goals, granted, but playing indoors also involves the risk of injuries waiting to happen and all those shots bouncing off the boards in a confined space make it a very acquired taste. I prefer the outdoor version.
But it was a welcome opportunity to watch some live footie again, plenty of games in quick succession, each lasting a mere ten minutes, I could also wish the other known faces from the local fan scene a Happy New Year, have some banter and also not worry too much about the results on the pitch, sorry, the basketball court.
To cut a long story short, Cordi were playing some awful football (still a bit rusty I reckon) but like an experienced horse at the end of the day they only jumped as high as they needed to, made it to the final regardless and won the trophy after a thrilling penalty shootout (What did you expect ? This is Germany!).
I made it back home, just as our Cup tie at Shrewsbury had finished which was convenient as I could put on a Hammers shirt and start watching the recording immediately…
Well, to be fair it wasn't exactly a Cup Classic, was it ? Once again we failed to put our stamp on the game, create a number of goalscoring opportunities or even pass the ball to a teammate with any conviction. And while Shrewsbury are a very talented and organised outfit they are still a League One club. So seeing us stumble and stutter our way to a replay wasn't beautiful. It would have been even more dreadful if it hadn't been for the efforts of our East London kindergarten out there, with some very decent shifts put in by Declan Rice, Reece Burke, Toni Martinez and last but not least, Mr.Josh Cullen.
Not only did he make some very tidy interceptions, playing some nice passes into the bargain, he also literally put his body on the line by way of taking a kick in the North and South. I could sympathise a lot with Cullen in that fateful moment as I lost some teeth in similar fashion when I was around the same age. To then finish the game and still throw yourself into blocks and challenges takes a lot of guts and I can only applaud young Cullen for his bravery and exemplary display of willingness to take one for the team and go right through the pain barrier.
I won't blame our youngsters for failing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and win it, for that to happen our more experienced players would have been required to play a bit more like the footballers of Premier League standard they presumably are. In fact, I'd say our youngsters were by far the best players on the pitch wearing claret and blue, grazing The New Meadow.
It's too small a sample size yet to decide if Cullen and Burke should remain on the fringes of our first team now or if we should send them back to Bolton on loan for the rest of the season (their only options now after playing in the Cup game against Shrewsbury).
I will always advocate the idea of giving our youngsters a shot at first team football. I think guys like Rice, Oxford, Burke, Cullen, Quina and Martinez all have a decent chance to make the step up, some sooner (like Rice and Oxford), others maybe later (the rest).
In any case I think it's well worth it to keep some patience with them as they are unlikely to command high transfer fees anyway should we decide to sell them.
And knowing our rather thrifty approach in the transfer market I'd rather see us showing some trust in our prospects instead of getting out the scattergun, signing some South American punts who might be able to adjust to Premier League football given some time or crash and burn quickly.
Our business in the transfer window will be highly interesting because it might give us some answers (again) in terms of the actual level of our board's ambition.
Will we be happy enough to simply replace the players we ship out ?
Or will we push the boat out just a little bit further and try to nail down a quality signing or two if possible ?
Will the owners really be happy to just stay up ? Or will we give it a genuine shot to finish at least in a more respectable midtable position ? I reckon we should go for the latter as it can only help our transfer business in the summer if we finish as high as possible.
Players surely prefer to join a club that finished 10th instead of one that only just escaped relegation on the last day of the season. I'd love to see one or two quality signings arriving in the next few weeks, but I won't be holding my breath and I will definitely continue going to bed during the transfer window!
Another quick final word on Concordia: The transfer window is open for the lower leagues in Germany as well and it's mindblowing with how much of a turnover my local side will have to cope, full on revolving door style. Six players have already left during the break, with three new faces coming in and more ins and outs to follow. Cordi have also just now filled an urgent vacancy by finally hiring a new vice president/director of football. And after playing a hugely underwhelming first half of the season they have also had to quickly adjust their short term goals and ambitions. Promotion to the next level is already out of the question for this season at least, so it looks like it'll have to be baby steps for the time being, slow and steady progress from now on. So unfortunately it's not all roses, wine and sunshine at Concordia either my dear fellow Hammers…
One thing's for sure. January won't be boring for West Ham either, with plenty of twists and turns lurking with intent, on and off the pitch. Let's hope the rollercoaster will be kind and we don't get stuck, hanging upside down in a looping…COYI!!!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The winners of the Hammers' Emirates FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town will travel to AFC Bournemouth or Wigan Athletic in the fourth round. Monday night's draw pitted either the Hammers or the Shrews against the winners of another replay, after the Cherries drew 2-2 at home to League One promotion chasers Wigan. Bournemouth needed a last-gasp leveller from Steve Cook to earn their replay after the Latics had at one stage led 2-0 thanks to Will Grigg and an own goal by Emerson Hyndman. Eddie Howe's men came back, and like the Hammers they will have a second opportunity to make progress. The fourth round ties will be played on the weekend of 26-29 January. Full ticketing and fixture details for the Hammers' third round replay will be confirmed shortly.
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Cullen smiling again thanks to West Ham medical team
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen is smiling again, thanks to West Ham United's quick-thinking medical staff. The midfielder had a front tooth knocked out after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury Town captain Abu Ogogo in Sunday's 0-0 Emirates FA Cup third round draw. The 10,000-strong crowd and a live BBC television audience of millions collectively winced as Cullen's incisor flew through the air before landing on the turf at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
West Ham's first-team doctor Richard Weiler and physiotherapist Fraser Young went to the 21-year-old's aid, with the former locating the rogue tooth and placing it in a cup of milk, and the latter stemming the bleeding inside Cullen's mouth with a piece of gauze. The brave player walked to the touchline, where his blood-stained shorts were replaced, but not before the Academy of Football graduate was told to re-enter the game in his underpants by coach Stuart Pearce – a man accustomed to playing through the pain barrier himself!
A fresh pair of shorts were located and Cullen was allowed to play out the remaining 15 minutes of the game before he was driven to hospital by a member of the Shrewsbury Town groundstaff. There, the tooth was replaced in the youngster's mouth and held in place with a splint. "The Doc found the tooth and put it in a cup of milk as the calcium in there helps to keep the tooth alive and as healthy as possible," Cullen explained. "A member of the Shrewsbury groundstaff took me to hospital straight after the final whistle, so I'd like to thank them, as well as the medical staff at the hospital for being top-class when I got there. "They put the tooth back in and fitted me with a little brace to keep it in place, so I haven't got a gap, even though I saw Nobes tweeted 'Mind the gap' during the game!
"When I went off and after I'd had treatment, I was waiting for the kit man to get me a new pair of No33 shorts from the dressing room and Stuart Pearce was encouraging me to go back on in my pants! He's not the sort of guy you normally say 'No' too, but the fourth official put his arm across and wouldn't let me."
Amazingly, Cullen had the same tooth loosened in an aerial challenge during the Hammers' Premier League Cup final victory over Hull City at the Boleyn Ground in April 2016, but now he is set to have it fixed once and for all.
On Monday, the Republic of Ireland U21 captain met a dental specialist and will undergo root canal treatment next week to repair the damage. In the meantime, and for a period after the surgery, Cullen will wear a gumshield to prevent further injury. "Two of my teeth need root canal treatment, which we will fit in around the games we've got coming up, and once my mouth calms down a bit. "It's being held in place by a splint across the front at the moment and I can't eat anything too hard, so I'm sticking to pasta, soft stuff and chopping my food up small to ensure I keep my energy levels up and I can get back to training at Rush Green. "To be honest, my lip is a bit swollen and that's the sorest part. The teeth are throbbing a bit, but I'm on painkillers so it's not too bad, and I just want to get back to playing football. I'll be fine!"
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Ray 'far from satisfied' with goalless Gillingham draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies interim head coach Karen Ray has expressed her frustration with the team's 0-0 draw against Gillingham on Sunday. The Ladies began 2018 with a home game against the side that bested them 1-0 on the opening day of the season, in a match void of quality chances or indeed noteworthy incident.
While a share of the points was a better result than the reverse fixture against the Gills, Ray is still disappointed with large aspects of the team's performance at Rush Green. "It was a very frustrating game, and I am not someone who can hide their emotions," Ray told whufc.com. "I don't think the girls were close to being at their best and that is hard for us all to accept. We all know what we are capable of and if we aren't going to perform well we still need to find a way to win.
"I am far from satisfied with the performance; a lot of players were below their usual level."
Goalscoring opportunities were at a premium for both sides in a tricky contest over the weekend. The Hammers came closest thanks to efforts from Chloe Burr and Andria Georgiou, while Gillingham saw a free-kick drift just wide of the woodwork. While Ray was understandably concerned about the team's quality in attack the General Manager was delighted with how her side held firm to keep a clean-sheet. Ray continued: "We managed to give Gillingham very little goal scoring opportunities, which is a credit to the defensive group. However, we have to produce more quality going forward, particularly in and around the final third. Getting shots on target and being clinical in front of goal is a must, we need to attack with purpose. "Taking a point today and being disappointed shows that as a team our expectations and aspirations are high. I don't want to take anything away from Gillingham as they showed great resilience and frustrated us. They made it difficult for us to break them down, so credit to them."
The 0-0 against Gillingham was West Ham Ladies' first game in a number of weeks, after a festive break, but the Hammers went into the match without a number of first team players. Ray reckons the inclusion of these names could have turned the fixture in West Ham's favour but has called on the side to show more character ahead of the next clash, away to Brislington. "We have players still away as this game was added to our schedule late on, as well as a couple of injuries, and I think with a couple of those players here today it could have been different," Ray added. "But I also believe we need to show character. If we're going to win games in this league, we have to have different sides to us – we have to find a way to win even when we are not playing well and we have to find a way to score when we aren't on fire." "It comes down to mentality; you have to be accountable for what happens when you cross the white line and as staff we need to search for what we could have done differently and rectify it for this weekend."
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Burke and Cullen impress on return to West Ham colours
WHUFC.com
Academy of Football graduates Reece Burke and Josh Cullen produced impressive performances in West Ham United's goalless Emirates FA Cup third-round draw at Shrewsbury Town on their return from loan spells at Bolton Wanderers. The Hammers were below-par at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday, as manager David Moyes admitted after the tie, which will now be settled by a replay at London Stadium on the evening Tuesday 16 January. However, the two youngsters, as well as fellow Academy product Declan Rice, could be absolved of blame for West Ham's struggles in seeing off their League One opponents at the first attempt.
Republic of Ireland U21 captain Cullen was the star of the show, using the ball intelligently and making six tackles playing on the right of a three-man midfield.
A neat, tidy and combative player very much in the mould of his mentor Mark Noble, the 21-year-old returned from his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers and showed Moyes the qualities that saw him win widespread acclaim at Bradford City last season.
Cullen was always willing and available to receive possession, with his 57 touches of the ball only exceeded by the 83 made by fellow countryman Rice, 64 by fellow Bolton loanee Burke and 61 by midfield partner Pedro Obiang. The diminutive midfielder put in seven crosses – one more than all of his teammates combined – and won a team-high five free-kicks for his side.
The Westcliff-on-Sea born player also showed his courage by playing on to complete the full game, despite losing his front tooth after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury captain Abu Ogogo with 15 minutes remaining Cullen's bravery in continuing was praised by his teammates, BBC pundits Gary Lineker and Ian Wright and fans of West Ham and other clubs on social media.
Burke (above) was also impressive, playing in a right wing-back role that same him combine often with his close pal. The defender stuck to his task well, making a team-high seven tackles, along with six clearances and an interception. The 21-year-old even produced one of West Ham's two on-target goal attempts with a first-half header.
Last but by no means least, Rice continued his recent form playing on the left of Moyes' three-man defence, making six interceptions and two tackles to go alongside a team-high 83 touches and six clearances.
The 18-year-old again showed great composure, particularly when his team came under pressure from the Shrews, positioning himself superbly on numerous occasions and never being afraid to carry the ball forward when the opportunity arose. With the replay falling between two important Premier League fixtures with Huddersfield Town and FC Bournemouth, it would come as no surprise if Moyes were to again put faith in these three talented youngsters when Shrewsbury visit London Stadium a week on Tuesday.
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Bilic was right on Foxes flop
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic bore the brunt of heavy criticism during the summer for rejecting the opportunity to sign Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Co-owner David Sullivan was reported to have arranged a deal to buy the 21-year-old from Manchester City during the summer for a fee in the region of £25million. However the move collapsed after Bilic insisted that the player would be a poor fit for West Ham. At the time, Bilic was panned by many supporters for spurning the opportunity to sign the young goalscorer.
However hindsight suggests that the Croat may have been right after all, with the news that Leicester - Iheanacho's current club - are ready to offload him less than six months after striking the same £25million deal with Manchester City. Since joining the Foxes, the Nigerian international has made just two Premier League starts and was introduced as a late substitute during the weekend's FA Cup 3rd round draw with Fleetwood Town.
And new Leicester boss Claude Puel is understood to have indicated that Iheanacho - who has scored just one goal for Leicester since moving from Manchester - can leave on a permanent basis should he be able to find a new club. The biggest obstacle standing in the way of a speedy move however is the player's £115,000 weekly wage, agreed when he signed a five-year contract prior to the start of the current season.
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Former Hammer favourite for Stoke role
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is odds-on to succeed Mark Hughes as manager of Stoke City. The 49-year-old was fired by West Ham in November following a poor start to the current campaign. However he could be set to return to management within the next few days according to the bookies.
Bilic, who has remained in London with his family is currently 4/5 favourite to succeed Hughes, closely followed in the betting by Gary Rowett and former Leicester and Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill. However it is understood that the Croat has also been contacted by Football Australia with view to taking the vacant managerial position with the Socceroos, which was recently vacated by Ange Postecoglou.
Speaking recently to the media, Bilic insisted that he was ready to take up his next role in management following his departure from West Ham. "I know where I stand in the map of world managers," he told the Mail. "I can afford a break but can't switch off my phone for a year like Guardiola or Mourinho. "I was at West Ham only a few weeks ago. On the other hand, I feel so rested. I am ready. You don't always realise your batteries need recharging when you are in the middle of everything. "It's always better to go into a job at the start of the season but football can't be perfect. If the right one comes next week, it's something that comes. I have proved myself here in England; I don't feel like a stranger."
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Watford interested in Swansea's Alfie Mawson
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 08/01/18 1:52pm
SSN
Watford are rivalling West Ham with interest in Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, Sky Sports News understands. The 23-year-old England U21 international is highly sought-after following a string of impressive displays, despite the Swans' struggles at the foot of the Premier League table. Sky Sports News reported last week that West Ham boss David Moyes is targeting a new centre-back during the January transfer window after losing Jose Fonte to injury in October. West Ham want Mawson, who has 18 months left on his current contract, but Swansea do not want to sell him in the January window. Mawson insisted in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports earlier this month that he was concentrating on the ongoing relegation battle and that talk of a transfer was just that - "talk".
He said: "Whatever happens, happens. If offers come in then that is nothing to do with me. All I can do is affect my performances. I'm a Swansea player and I want to do well here. "It is flattering to hear certain things but I have got to do what I can for this club. I'm contracted for another two-and-a-half years after this, whether that is in the Championship or hopefully in the Premier League, I am signed to be here so that's all it is at the moment, it's just talk."
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THE YOUNG HAMMERS - FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL FOR THEIR FIRST TEAM OPPORTUNITY
By HamburgHammer 8 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Hooray, football is finally back in Hamburg! Alright, not the proper league stuff yet, but even at the lower league level of my second club Concordia the winter break is short and needs must. First training session of 2018 took place on Friday and yesterday there was a midseason friendly indoor tournament to help the lads burn away any excess calories of their Christmas and New Year dinners. This tournament is a quite traditional event by now, Cordi organise the whole lot and invite nine other teams from East Hamburg to compete for very little money but a lot of pride at stake. The nice thing is that it's only local derbies, in fact you can't get much more local than this, the longest trip any team had to make for this one was an 8 mile journey.
I have to admit that indoors football is not really my cup of tea, you tend to see a lot of goals, granted, but playing indoors also involves the risk of injuries waiting to happen and all those shots bouncing off the boards in a confined space make it a very acquired taste. I prefer the outdoor version.
But it was a welcome opportunity to watch some live footie again, plenty of games in quick succession, each lasting a mere ten minutes, I could also wish the other known faces from the local fan scene a Happy New Year, have some banter and also not worry too much about the results on the pitch, sorry, the basketball court.
To cut a long story short, Cordi were playing some awful football (still a bit rusty I reckon) but like an experienced horse at the end of the day they only jumped as high as they needed to, made it to the final regardless and won the trophy after a thrilling penalty shootout (What did you expect ? This is Germany!).
I made it back home, just as our Cup tie at Shrewsbury had finished which was convenient as I could put on a Hammers shirt and start watching the recording immediately…
Well, to be fair it wasn't exactly a Cup Classic, was it ? Once again we failed to put our stamp on the game, create a number of goalscoring opportunities or even pass the ball to a teammate with any conviction. And while Shrewsbury are a very talented and organised outfit they are still a League One club. So seeing us stumble and stutter our way to a replay wasn't beautiful. It would have been even more dreadful if it hadn't been for the efforts of our East London kindergarten out there, with some very decent shifts put in by Declan Rice, Reece Burke, Toni Martinez and last but not least, Mr.Josh Cullen.
Not only did he make some very tidy interceptions, playing some nice passes into the bargain, he also literally put his body on the line by way of taking a kick in the North and South. I could sympathise a lot with Cullen in that fateful moment as I lost some teeth in similar fashion when I was around the same age. To then finish the game and still throw yourself into blocks and challenges takes a lot of guts and I can only applaud young Cullen for his bravery and exemplary display of willingness to take one for the team and go right through the pain barrier.
I won't blame our youngsters for failing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and win it, for that to happen our more experienced players would have been required to play a bit more like the footballers of Premier League standard they presumably are. In fact, I'd say our youngsters were by far the best players on the pitch wearing claret and blue, grazing The New Meadow.
It's too small a sample size yet to decide if Cullen and Burke should remain on the fringes of our first team now or if we should send them back to Bolton on loan for the rest of the season (their only options now after playing in the Cup game against Shrewsbury).
I will always advocate the idea of giving our youngsters a shot at first team football. I think guys like Rice, Oxford, Burke, Cullen, Quina and Martinez all have a decent chance to make the step up, some sooner (like Rice and Oxford), others maybe later (the rest).
In any case I think it's well worth it to keep some patience with them as they are unlikely to command high transfer fees anyway should we decide to sell them.
And knowing our rather thrifty approach in the transfer market I'd rather see us showing some trust in our prospects instead of getting out the scattergun, signing some South American punts who might be able to adjust to Premier League football given some time or crash and burn quickly.
Our business in the transfer window will be highly interesting because it might give us some answers (again) in terms of the actual level of our board's ambition.
Will we be happy enough to simply replace the players we ship out ?
Or will we push the boat out just a little bit further and try to nail down a quality signing or two if possible ?
Will the owners really be happy to just stay up ? Or will we give it a genuine shot to finish at least in a more respectable midtable position ? I reckon we should go for the latter as it can only help our transfer business in the summer if we finish as high as possible.
Players surely prefer to join a club that finished 10th instead of one that only just escaped relegation on the last day of the season. I'd love to see one or two quality signings arriving in the next few weeks, but I won't be holding my breath and I will definitely continue going to bed during the transfer window!
Another quick final word on Concordia: The transfer window is open for the lower leagues in Germany as well and it's mindblowing with how much of a turnover my local side will have to cope, full on revolving door style. Six players have already left during the break, with three new faces coming in and more ins and outs to follow. Cordi have also just now filled an urgent vacancy by finally hiring a new vice president/director of football. And after playing a hugely underwhelming first half of the season they have also had to quickly adjust their short term goals and ambitions. Promotion to the next level is already out of the question for this season at least, so it looks like it'll have to be baby steps for the time being, slow and steady progress from now on. So unfortunately it's not all roses, wine and sunshine at Concordia either my dear fellow Hammers…
One thing's for sure. January won't be boring for West Ham either, with plenty of twists and turns lurking with intent, on and off the pitch. Let's hope the rollercoaster will be kind and we don't get stuck, hanging upside down in a looping…COYI!!!
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