Daily WHUFC News - 10th February 2018

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

West Ham United return to London Stadium on Saturday when they welcome
Watford in the Premier League. The Hammers will be hoping to get back on
track after their seven-game unbeaten run came to an end at Brighton last
weekend, while Watford arrive on the crest of a wave having defeated
champions Chelsea 4-1 on Monday.

Where and when?

West Ham United v Watford
Premier League
Saturday 10 February 2018, 3pm
London Stadium

How to follow:

This match is not being broadcast live in the UK, however fans overseas may
be able to tune in. Click here for broadcast info in your territory.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter
account.

You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.

You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and
Snapchat channels.

Live audio commentary is available for supporters worldwide right here on
whufc.com. Supporters can also listen on the radio on BBC London or
talkSPORT.

Team news:
West Ham United will be without Pedro Obiang, who underwent surgery to
repair the medial collateral ligament in his right knee this week. Arthur
Masuaku is suspended, while Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini and Edimilson
Fernandes are also injured. Winston Reid, Michail Antonio and Jose Fonte
have returned to the squad in recent weeks, while Marko Arnautovic has
resumed training following his hamstring injury. New signing Patrice Evra
could feature after arriving this week.

For Watford, Craig Cathcart could return after a knee problem, but Nathaniel
Chalobah is absent with a knee injury of his own, along with hamstring
victims Will Hughes and Kiko Femenia. Christian Kabasele, Molla Wague,
Miguel Britos and Tommie Hoban are also sidelined.

What they say:
I've said before and I'll say it again – I'm ready. Whenever the manager
needs me, I'm ready and just want to be out there helping the boys,
producing good performances
Jose Fonte

Match Officials:
Referee: Graham Scott
Assistant Referees: Andy Garrett and Mark Scholes
Fourth Official: Roger East

How to get there:

Tube, DLR and London Overground services are due to serve Stratford, Pudding
Mill Lane and Hackney Wick stations as usual. However, buses will replace
TfL Rail and Greater Anglia services between Stratford and Shenfield.

By Train

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Team news: Evra could make debut, Arnautovic latest
WHUFC.com

David Moyes could hand Patrice Evra his West Ham United debut in Saturday's
Premier League fixture with Watford at London Stadium. The former France
captain joined the Hammers on a free transfer on Wednesday, three months
after playing his last game Marseille, and the manager says the
36-year-old's professionalism means he arrived in east London in superb
physical condition. With Arthur Masuaku suspended and Aaron Cresswell
deployed in a central defensive role in recent matches, Moyes says Evra's
arrival has come at just the right time to boost his squad. "We've needed
him for cover because Arthur is suspended and we have nobody else if we lost
Aaron Cresswell," Moyes confirmed. "We like all his other qualities but
we've got him here to play. Hopefully we'll get him ready as quickly as we
possibly can and see if he's ready to play." "There is a chance he can
feature this weekend. He's not far away in my eyes because he's been
training. He played in November for Marseille, so he's no different to a
player who's been out for ten or 12 weeks with an injury. Sometimes getting
players in as quickly as possible is the best thing you can do."

Evra could be joined in matchday squad to face the Hornets by Marko
Arnautovic and Michail Antonio, both of whom have been in training with the
group at Rush Green this week. Arnautovic's return would be particularly
welcome, seeing as the Austrian had registered six goals and three assists
in the eight matches he played before suffering a hamstring injury. "We're
getting people back and a bit closer to fitness. Michail Antonio has done a
bit more training and Marko Arnautovic has done a bit of training this week.
Hopefully we're getting closer to getting those players available. "Winston
Reid has had a bit of a throat infection but apart from that we're getting a
little bit more like it. Michail and Marko are getting closer… "Marko has
been a miss for us because his form was as good as any. His overall
performances for the team as a centre forward were fantastic, so we've
really missed him, but we've also missed Lanzini. They've been really
important to us."

Moyes said a number of other players – the likes of Jose Fonte, James
Collins, Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble – are now either at or approaching
full match-fitness as the season approaches its climax. However, he did
confirm that Pedro Obiang could miss the remainder of the campaign after
undergoing successful knee surgery. "We don't have an awful lot still to
come back to training in the short term. We're getting close to having
everybody back, apart from the long-term absentees. "Jose Fonte is back but
maybe needs some practice matches which we're trying to sort out and we have
a couple of others, Winston Reid one of them who was injured for a while and
has had a throat infection. "Some of them are close, but others like Pedro
Obiang and one or two others like Edi Fernandes who are going to be out for
a little while longer." "Hopefully it might not be the whole season, but
he's had a repair to his medial ligament and that will more than likely keep
him out for most of the season. Who knows? We might get him back just before
the end, but probably not. He's still in Madrid at the moment after his
operation."

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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition - Watford
WHUFC.com

Despite the disappointing result at Brighton, West Ham can take heart from
their consistency at London Stadium. The Hammers have battled a crippling
injury list to lose just one of their eight home matches under David Moyes,
taking five points from their last three in the league. And with Watford
failing to win any of their last seven away games, Moyes' side are a good
bet to at least avoid defeat. There have been goals at both ends in the
hosts' last four league encounters on home soil, and a repeat is worth
backing today. After a poor December and January, the Hornets rediscovered
their scoring boots in the superb 4-1 win over Chelsea on Monday, with
on-loan Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu impressing. But while the visitors
didn't concede in their last away game at Stoke, they still have plenty to
prove defensively, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 of their
previous eleven matches on the road. The Hammers player most likely to do
the damage is Javier Hernandez. Having survived the injury epidemic that has
hit his fellow attackers, Chicharito's improvement has been key in West
Ham's steady accumulation of points. The Mexican netted his second goal in
four matches at Brighton last weekend, and used his intelligence inside the
18-yard box to win a penalty in the last home match against Crystal Palace.
Moyes can rely on him to do the business again.

Recommended bets
West Ham to win or draw – 2/5
Both teams to score – 3/4
Javier Hernandez to score – 17/10

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Remembering Ron Greenwood: West Ham's great football visionary
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's great football visionary, Ron Greenwood, sadly passed away
twelve years ago today. The legendary manager spent 13 years in the Hammers
dugout, from 1961 to 1974, winning the Club's first major honours with the
1964 FA Cup and 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup. A brilliant tactician, he
nurtured and developed talent including the Hammers' World Cup winners Sir
Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters. You will always be remembered,
Ron.

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Kmita targeting dual Cup runs with West Ham Ladies
WHUFC.com

Rosie Kmita is targeting success in two Cup competitions this season with
West Ham United Ladies, as the side prepares for a key contest with Keynsham
Town.
The Hammers welcome Keynsham to Rush Green Stadium on Sunday in the quarter
finals of the FA WPL Plate, and head into the fixture in good form. Having
picked up two wins and a draw in their last three matches, the Irons also
secured their place in the Isthmian League Cup final after besting
Whyteleafe 4-0, and Kmita is eyeing a run to another final. The forward has
won silverware before, collecting a trophy during her time with Tottenham
Hotspur, and Kmita is desperate to add to her haul with West Ham. "Our
achievements, realistically, involve winning the Cups," she told whufc.com.
"We want to focus on that. We want silverware. We want to prove to everyone
we are good enough to win silverware and that's what we're aiming for. We're
preparing for this game against Keynsham with everything we've got."
"Winning a cup is the best feeling in the world. Picking up that trophy at
the end of a hard-fought match is just incredible. It's amazing and I want
us as a team to feel that. "We deserve something from this season and we
really want it to be silverware. To win something with these girls would be
just incredible."

West Ham earned a credible draw in their last contest, away to Crystal
Palace, and could have left Bromley with all three points if not for a
linesman's flag, with Molly Peters tucking home in the final moments of the
game. Kmita was gutted that her side's performance didn't get them the win
but wants to see the team show the same attitude and commitment this weekend
as they seek to reach the last four of the WPL Plate. She said of Sunday:
"It was a good game. I thought we were going to nick it. I don't think Molly
was offside for the goal so we should have won it. "I thought we were the
better team, to be honest. I thought we offered a lot and, at times, I think
we scared Palace. I was really impressed with our showing. It was so, so
good, and we just need to take that into this Sunday."

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Moyes: Key fixtures, players taking responsibility and leadership qualities
WHUFC.com

David Moyes sat down with the media on Friday afternoon to discuss this
weekend's Premier League fixture with Watford at London Stadium. The West
Ham United manager touched on the need to take points from the Hammers'
nearest rivals in the table – Watford kick-off one place and three points
above their hosts. He also praised his players for responding to his demand,
issued before the reverse fixture at Vicarage Road in November, to take
responsibility for their performances, before waxing lyrical about being
reunited with his former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra…

Picking up points from our closest rivals is key

I think all the games are key, but the key thing is to get the points on the
board and keep moving away. A good win gets us into mid-table, into a really
solid position, but a loss puts us back in amongst it. That's how tight the
Premier League is at the moment and all the managers will be saying the
same, so we've got to do the business and try to get the three points. We've
been OK at home but we'd like to do better. We've had a couple of draws
recently which we could have turned into wins, but as long as we keep
picking up points and don't let rivals take points from us, we need to make
sure we keep doing that. I think 40 is the magic number for everybody. I've
hardly looked at the points but I've looked at the league and how tight it
is and what we might need to do, but results have come up which you didn't
expect, like Swansea beating two of the top teams in the last few weeks.
There have been some big results and it's changing round all the time, but
we know every point we get will get us nearer to being up the league.

The players are now most definitely taking responsibility

Before my first game in charge at Watford back in November, I asked the
players to take responsibility for their performances and they have
responded really well.
I think they're beginning to understand what we want, the standards we want,
and I tell you there is a lot of belief around the team and players sensing
they are doing the right things and going the right way. Some of them have
performed really well. Undoubtedly when you lose your best players it makes
it more difficult to get results, like Chelsea losing Morata at the moment
and how difficult it's making it for them. For West Ham, if we lose Marko,
Manu, Pedro and Arthur, it will be very difficult for us, at the level we're
at, to play without four players who have, in the main, contributed to a big
part of our season. But the players are in a good place and they've been
doing a really good job. The players have responded well since Day One. We
didn't play well at Brighton, but the response of the players since we came
in has been great, their attitude, their commitment, their effort in all the
games has been really good.

We've had some big wins and we need another big win against Watford.

I've just had to correct things and get things right and back on track for
what we want and hopefully we have done that. In the main we've been on a
good run and we want to keep it going.

I am delighted to be reunited with Patrice Evra

I was really happy to secure the signing of Patrice Evra on a free transfer
this week, and he could play against Watford on Saturday. I'd considered him
during the month of January, especially after Arthur Masuaku was sent-off
because I knew we were going to be short. But because I was so busy looking
at other players that I didn't do it in January and then after the window
closed and it had all calmed down, I could get it done. I know Pat well from
my time at Manchester United, I know his leadership qualities and what he'll
bring to the dressing room, and also his level of professionalism is as good
as anybody's and he has seen and worked with the best, so hopefully it will
rub off on the players. Every club wants leadership and you can never get
enough of it. We've got some leaders here. Mark Noble does a really good job
for us, James Collins, Winston Reid, we've got people who do good jobs, but
the more you've got, the better.

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Pearce hoping history repeats itself with left-back signing
WHUFC.com

In the summer of 1999, West Ham United signed a veteran left-back whose best
days, some thought, were behind him. However, Stuart Pearce made those
suggestions look plainly silly during two impressive seasons in Claret and
Blue, capping his stay in east London by winning the Hammer of the Year
award at the grand old age of 39. Nearly two decades on and Pearce, who is
now back with the Hammers in a role of first-team manager's assistant, is
hoping history repeats itself after the Club completed the signing of
36-year-old Patrice Evra on a free transfer. "He has got a vast amount of
experience," said Pearce. "His reputation goes before him as obviously a man
that galvanises the group in many ways. He is very good around the dresisng
room. "He is a natural left-sided player, he is decent in the air as well.
Everyone knows about Patrice and his strengths and we were unanimous that it
was going to be a good thing to bring him into the Club.
"He's got a lot to prove, coming over to here. He's very excited about
coming to join us, it's a big opportunity for him and he's acutely aware of
that."

Pearce revealed that it was manager David Moyes, who worked with Evra at
Manchester United during the 2013/14 season, who initially brought up the
idea of bringing the former France captain back to the Premier League. For
Pearce, the rewards of signing such an influential performer far outweighed
any potential risks.
"David brought it up to the coaching staff and asked us and everyone saw it
as a real positive to bring him into the group. You are bringing a top
character into the group that will certainly benefit the squad. "The
experience he has got and the ability on top of that, it was almost a
no-brainer for us. "He'll come in and have to vie for a place in the team
and, like every player, he'll go in and out of the team on ability, it's as
simple as that. But we're hoping he will bring much more to the squad than
just his ability and he will certainly help us between now and the end of
the season."

Evra could make his West Ham debut at London Stadium on Saturday against
Watford – the same opposition that Pearce himself tasted victory against in
his fifth game in Claret and Blue. "It's a critical time for the bottom ten
teams in the table, with everyone battling to avoid relegation. Everyone
needs to have a strong finish to the season and we're no different to anyone
else."

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Fonte: Evra is going to help West Ham massively
WHUFC.com

Jose Fonte believes Patrice Evra still has plenty to offer and will help
West Ham United 'massively' over the closing months of the season. The
Portugal defender has enjoyed many battles with the former France captain
down the years, at both domestic and international level, and is delighted
he and Evra will now be on the same side. At 34, Fonte knows exactly what is
required to continue playing at the highest level as the years advance, and
he believes the 36-year-old Evra has been following a similarly professional
lifestyle throughout his long and illustrious career. "Patrice is a proven
player, a very good professional and keeps himself fit, as we can all see
and it's good to have him in the team," Fonte observed. "He's going to help
us massively, without a doubt. Age means nothing, so if you live life right
and have the right mental attitude, like he does, you'll be successful. "He
still has a lot to offer, so well done to the Club on the signing."

Fonte was on the opposing team in Evra's final games for both Manchester
United, lining up for Southampton in a 1-1 against the Red Devils in May
2014, and France, defeating Les Bleus 1-0 in the final of UEFA Euro 2016.
The left-back may not have got the better of Fonte on either of those
occasions, but the Portugal star says his new teammate possesses an
infectious winning mentality. "On the pitch, he is a winner. You can see he
wants to win all the time, he's aggressive and makes good decisions, has
good positioning and doesn't make many mistakes. That's what you want from
your defenders. "He gets forward when he can as well, so there is not much I
can say about him that people don't know already. He's a great player and a
great addition to ourselves."

While Evra could make his debut against Watford on Saturday, Fonte himself
is also fit and ready to return to action. The No4 was back in the
first-team squad for the Premier League visit of Crystal Palace on 30
January, and was again handed a watching brief as an unused substitute at
Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
The experienced Fonte is now eager to get back on the pitch and help the
Hammers secure their top-flight status as soon as possible. "I've said
before and I'll say it again – I'm ready. Whenever the manager needs me, I'm
ready and just want to be out there helping the boys, producing good
performances. "All I am focused on now is helping the team and helping us
get up the table."

Fonte says his friend and fellow countryman Joao Mario is equally keen to
inspire the team after making a strong start to his career in Claret and
Blue. "Joao came in at a difficult time because we are missing Lanzini,
Arnautovic and Masuaku, who give us a lot offensively and now they are
coming back he will feel more at home because they are the type of players
who link up, want the ball and have the same mentality he does. "I'm hoping
that, when all these players come back, we'll see even better and more from
him."

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West Ham United v Watford
SAT 10 FEB 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS
New West Ham recruit Patrice Evra may be involved despite having not played
competitively since November. Marko Arnautovic could feature after three
games out with a hamstring problem but Winston Reid is a doubt because of a
throat infection.
Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes will miss a fifth successive match with a
back complaint. Miguel Britos, who has not played since November, is not yet
ready to return from an ankle injury. Younes Kaboul, Kiko Femenia, Will
Hughes, Craig Cathcart and Nathaniel Chalobah remain unavailable.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Steve Wilson: "A glance at the league table may suggest that this is a
mid-table game - 11th against 12th - but the reality is that there is no
mid-table: the scramble to stay up is consuming more than half of the
top-flight's managers. "Watford's win over Chelsea on Monday night has given
them some breathing space, and Javi Gracia - the 11th manager in the six
years of the Pozzo family's ownership - an early landmark result. "The
reverse fixture back in November was David Moyes' first game as West Ham
manager. Back then, Watford were eighth and warding off Everton's interest
in Marco Silva, whilst West Ham were 18th. "How quickly things change."

Twitter: @Wilsonfooty

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes on reports over his future: "I've said from the
start there is no point asking me or the club about a contract before the
end of the season because we both won't be discussing it. "From that point
of view we will wait until the end of the season. I don't know where the
story came from."

Watford head coach Javi Gracia: "We played well against Chelsea and we
deserved the victory, whether it was against 10 men or 11 men. "I know how
we got those points - running a lot, and working a lot - and I think this is
the key to the future. "The last match gave us motivation, more credibility.
We believe more in our work, and it is better for us but we know if we don't
work and don't run we will not win."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
A win would be huge for either team, and the same goes for every team down
there, because not all of the teams below them will pick up points this
weekend.

Prediction: 1-0

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

West Ham have won just one of their last five home games against Watford
(D1, L3).
Watford could do the league double against West Ham for the first time.
West Ham United

West Ham are vying to go five successive league and cup games without defeat
for the first time at the London Stadium.
However, their only home league victory in the last five attempts came
against West Brom on 2 January (W1, D3, L1).
The Hammers have won only one of their 13 league matches this season against
teams currently above them in the table (D6, L6), 1-0 at home to Chelsea on
9 December.
They have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight league fixtures since a
three-match run without conceding a goal in December.
David Moyes is unbeaten in his four home league matches against Watford,
winning three and drawing the other.
Michail Antonio has scored six goals in his last seven league matches
against Watford but has failed to score in his last 19 home appearances.

Watford

The Hornets won their opening three Premier League away matches of the
season but have since only managed one victory and five points from 10 games
(W1, D2, L7).
In fact, they have only earned one point and scored two goals in six away
matches since beating Newcastle in November.
Watford have the chance to win back-to-back league games for the first time
since November.
Javi Gracia's Malaga side earned four points from their two Spanish league
fixtures against Real Sociedad when David Moyes was in charge. Both games
were at Malaga in 2015.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 28%
Probability of home win: 43% Probability of away win: 29%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of
football matches.

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West Ham wanted to keep me, says Ayew
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th February 2018
By: Staff Writer

Andre Ayew says it was a very difficult decision to decide to leave West Ham
at the end of the January transfer window. The Ghanaian international
returned to former club Swansea in an £18million deal on the final day of
the January transfer window - but insists that leaving United was a tough
decision to make. "West Ham did everything to get me to stay and we spoke a
lot but I felt I wanted to move on for personal and professional reasons,"
he said. "There were a lot of things in the press but it was the other way
around, it was very difficult for me to leave the club. "There were long
discussions but in the end, I managed to make it happen so I was quite
happy."

One of several African players at West Ham, Ayew admits he was shocked when
the story regarding Tony Henry's thoughts on players of African origin was
published. However he doesn't think that will affect the players at the club
unduly. "I haven't spoken to anyone at West Ham, but it's our job as
footballers to play," he added. "West Ham have taken a decision and I know
the African players are going to fight for their club. I know them really
well and I know they are going to stick to their team and help them. "We
African players are proud of ourselves, we know where we have come from and
we believe in our football. You can see African players have played at the
greatest clubs in the world and done their jobs. "I didn't pay attention to
players coming in or out [at West Ham]. There were a few African players
there and I know them very well. For me, it's an honour to be an African."

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West Ham v Watford preview: Patrice Evra and Marko Arnautovic in contention
Last Updated: 09/02/18 5:43pm
SSN

Marko Arnautovic could be fit to face Watford on Saturday after missing West
Ham's last three games with injury, while Patrice Evra may be in line for
his debut.
The club's joint-top goalscorer Arnautovic had scored six times in 10 games
prior to a hamstring problem picked up in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth last
month.
The Hammers' 3-1 defeat at Brighton last weekend was their first in seven
games - although they are still sat on their worst points tally at this
stage since they were relegated in 2010/11. Evra, who signed for the Hammers
on Wednesday, has not played a competitive game since October 29 but is in
the squad. Watford come into the match on the back of a 4-1 win over Chelsea
on Monday night, although they were their first three points since December
26. The Hornets moved six points clear of the drop zone with that victory,
and have now picked up seven extra points thanks to goals in the final 10
minutes of league games - behind only Manchester City and Burnley. Their
lengthy injury list shows little sign of subsiding this weekend, however,
with only Tom Cleverley likely to feature.

Team news
Evra goes straight into the West Ham squad while Arnautovic is in contention
after returning from a hamstring problem. Jose Fonte is short of match
fitness and fellow defender Winston Reid has a throat infection, while
Manuel Lanzini, Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang, Edimilson Fernandes are still
injured and Arthur Masuaku is suspended.
Watford's injury troubles continue with nine eligible players sidelined,
including vice-captain Heurelho Gomes and midfielder Tom Cleverley. The
Hornets have the most players missing out of any team in the top flight, and
may include a member of their under-23s in their matchday squad, as head
coach Javi Gracia is currently working with 17 first-team players.

Opta stats
Since a run of 11 consecutive home wins against the Hornets in all
competitions between September 1984 and November 2004, West Ham have won
just one of their last five home games against them (D1 L3).
Watford's 4-2 victory away at West Ham last season was the first time they'd
scored four goals in an away top-flight game for 30 years, since winning 5-1
at Chelsea in May 1986.
After taking a maximum of nine points from their opening three away league
games this season, the Hornets have picked up just a further five from their
last 30 available on the road (W1 D2 L7).
West Ham are currently unbeaten in four home games in all competitions (W2
D2) - they've never gone five without defeat at the London Stadium.
Watford are looking to win back-to-back league games for the first time
since November, following their 4-1 win against Chelsea on Monday.
Moyes faced Javi Gracia twice while he managed Real Sociedad in La Liga - he
drew one and lost one against Gracia, who was then in charge of Malaga.

Merson's prediction
West Ham had a bad result against Brighton but David Moyes has done well
overall, and I don't think the speculation about him this week will hurt
them. They've got to get back and win, and I think they will. Watford had a
great result against Chelsea, but that was their first for a long time. It
does give them a little breathing space, though. They were the team on the
glass mountain with moccasin slippers on; it looked like they'd never stop
sliding but that was a massive result.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (10/1 with SkyBet)

Betting
West Ham are Sky Bet's 7/5 favourites with Watford priced at 15/8 while the
draw is priced at 23/10. The Hammers are currently 11/2 seventh favourites
for relegation, while their visitors were pushed out to 22/1 for the drop
following their impressive victory over Chelsea. Javier Hernandez heads the
first goalscorer betting at 9/2 while Troy Deeney is rated the Hornets' main
threat at 6/1 to break the deadlock.

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David Moyes will not discuss new West Ham contract until the end of the
season
By Husmukh Kerai
Last Updated: 09/02/18 3:47pm
SSN

West Ham manager David Moyes says he will not discuss his future at the club
until the end of the season. West Ham have "categorically refuted" claims
Moyes is unlikely to remain at the club next season even if they stay in the
Premier League. The club issued a statement on Tuesday morning after reports
that they were already thinking about a long-term replacement for Moyes, who
took over from Slaven Bilic in November. Moyes, who initially signed a
six-month deal with the Hammers, says he has an agreement in place with the
club to discuss his future only once the Premier League season is over. He
said: "I've said it right from the start. There is no point in asking me. I
won't be discussing it, the club won't be discussing it. From my point of
view we will wait until the end of the season, that's the agreement we had.
"I don't know where the story came from, but that's what I know."

West Ham sit in 12th place in the Premier League table, just three points
clear from the relegation zone. Moyes is confident of an upturn in form
following last week's defeat to Brighton as he gradually welcomes back key
players from injury. "We are getting people back closer to fitness", he
said. "Michael Antonio has done a bit more training this week. Marko
Arnautovic has done a bit of training this week. Hopefully we are getting
these players back available. "Winston Reid has a bit of a throat infection.
Other than that we are getting a little bit more like it."

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Patrice Evra has a 'chance' of making West Ham debut against Watford
By Husmukh Kerai
Last Updated: 09/02/18 3:03pm
SSN

David Moyes says there is a "chance" new signing Patrice Evra could make his
West Ham debut against Watford on Saturday. Evra, 36, completed his move to
West Ham on Wednesday, signing a short-term contract until the end of the
season. He previously spent eight-and-a-half years at Manchester United -
including the 2013/14 season alongside Moyes - and was sacked by Marseille
earlier this season and banned by UEFA following an altercation with a
supporter. Moyes says there is a chance the former France international
could make his debut at the London Stadium against Watford on Saturday in
what would be his first appearance since November 2017. Speaking ahead of
the game, he said: "There's a chance. He's not too far away, he has been
training. "He played in November for Marseille so he's no different from
someone who may have had a long 10 or 12-week injury. Sometimes getting back
playing quickly is the best thing to do."

Moyes says Evra's leadership qualities made him an attractive proposition to
the club but maintains he wants the defender to primarily concentrate on
matters on the pitch. He said: "We like his other qualities but we got him
here to play. Hopefully we can get him ready as quick as possible. "I know
Pat well and I know what he is capable of. I know his leadership qualities
and what he will bring to the dressing room. Also his level of
professionalism is as good as anybody. "He's seen and worked with the best
so hopefully he can pass that on to the players. "We needed him after Arthur
[Masuaku]'s suspension. If Aaron Cresswell got injured we would be left
short. "We were so busy with other players we didn't do it in January. When
the window closed and it was a bit calm we could get it done."

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MATCH PREVIEW: WEST HAM V WATFORD
By Dan Coker 9 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Following the midweek signing of Patrice Evra, today's match preview carries
a distinct left-back theme…

Blast from the past

With Black Box at number one with 'Ride On Time' and Dead Poets Society in
UK cinemas, West Ham United took on Watford in a Division Two fixture on the
23rd September 1989. A 1-0 victory in front of 21,525 was recorded to give
Lou Macari's Hammers their third win in seven league games at the start of
the 1989/90 campaign.

Having signed from Nottingham Forest for £750,000, centre-back Colin Foster
made his West Ham debut in this game against the club he would leave the
Hammers for four and a half years later. Foster would go on to make 110
appearances in claret and blue. A first ever Hammers goal from the penalty
spot for Julian Dicks (pictured above) was enough to take the Hammers to
fifth in the Second Division table. Stuart Slater's 17th-minute run and
cross earned the penalty, awarded for handball. Dicks would be voted Hammer
of the Year (the first of four occasions that he would win the prestigious
prize), with Slater runner-up. Dicks would also finish as top scorer with 14
goals from 52 matches. My video below shows the goal from this game.



West Ham United would finish the 1989/90 Division Two season in seventh
position, two points adrift of the play-offs despite finishing as the
division's joint highest scorers with 80 goals, while Watford would end up
in 15th. Leeds won the Second Division, Liverpool won the First Division
title and Manchester United won the FA Cup.

West Ham United: Phil Parkes, Steve Potts, Alvin Martin, Colin Foster, Tony
Gale, Julian Dicks, Kevin Keen, Martin Allen, George Parris, Stuart Slater,
Eamonn Dolan (Leroy Rosenior).

Club Connections

Former Hammer Mauro Zarate is now on Watford's books, although the Argentine
forward is currently on loan in his home country with Velez Sarsfield for
the rest of the season.

Other players to have represented both clubs, divided by position, include:

Goalkeepers: Joe Webster, Billy Biggar, Ted Hufton, David James, Perry
Suckling, Manuel Almunia, Jack Rutherford.

Defenders: Jon Harley, Calum Davenport, Lucas Neill, James McCrae, Colin
Foster.

Midfielders: Henri Lansbury, Alan Devonshire, Alessandro Diamanti, Stuart
Slater, Jobi McAnuff, Jimmy Lindsay, Joe Blythe, David Noble, Jimmy Carr,
Mark Robson, Valon Behrami, Carl Fletcher.

Strikers: James Reid, David Connolly, Jack Foster, Roger Hugo, Billy
Jennings, Peter Kyle, Bertie Lyon.

Len Goulden played for West Ham and managed Watford, while Malky Mackay
played for both clubs and went on to manage the Vicarage Road club. Glenn
Roeder played for the Hornets and managed both clubs; Gianfranco Zola has
managed both the Hammers and the Hornets.

Today's focus is on a former Hammers left-back who went on to play for the
Hornets. Chris Powell was born in Lambeth on the 8th September 1969; he
started his career with Crystal Palace and was sent out on loan to Aldershot
before moving on to Southend in 1990. He moved to Derby in 1996 after nearly
300 appearances for the Shrimpers. He signed for former Hammer Alan
Curbishley's Charlton in 1998, playing over 200 games for the club and
winning five England caps, before moving to West Ham United initially on
loan before making the move permanent.

Powell made his West Ham United debut under Alan Pardew at the age of 35 on
the 14th September 2004 in a 1-0 home win over Rotherham – the left-back had
known Pardew from their days at Crystal Palace. The Hammers had struggled in
the left-back position the previous season with Rufus Brevett suffering a
season-ending foot injury in just the second league game of the 2003/04
campaign. Wayne Quinn and Jon Harley temporarily filled the void with Hayden
Mullins venturing out of position to play at left-back as the Irons missed
out on a Premier League place via the play-offs. Brevett had returned for
the start of the 2004/05 season but Powell was to take over, making 42
appearances for the Hammers – his final match in claret and blue was the
Play-Off Final win over Preston in Cardiff to secure the Irons' return to
the top flight at the second attempt.

Powell's dad had been a West Ham supporter but sadly passed away before he
could see his son turn out for the club. The young Chris found a role model
at Upton Park who inspired him to strive for a career in the game. Speaking
a year before joining the Hammers, Powell said:

"Black and Asian people enjoy football, it's a massive sport and they need
to be encouraged to make headway. They need those role models. I would not
have enjoyed my football if it wasn't for my father supporting West Ham
because of Clyde Best. That's the link. There is always a link. People can
look back and see why they supported a particular club, and generally for
black fans it tends to be because of black players, like Ian Wright. The
teenagers around that time were all supporting Arsenal. Now they've got
Thierry Henry. I always feel there is something that a fan wants to pin
their hat on and say, 'I like them because of him'."

Powell's experience was crucial in the development of youngsters Anton
Ferdinand, Elliott Ward and Mark Noble but he couldn't agree on a contract
with the club at the end of the season and instead returned to Charlton,
replacing Paul Konchesky who signed for the Hammers.

After a season back at Charlton, Powell signed for Aidy Boothroyd's
newly-promoted Watford in the summer of 2006. He made 18 appearances for the
Hornets before returning to Charlton for a third spell in the 2007/08
season, again playing under Alan Pardew in the Championship. He joined
Leicester on a six-month contract in August 2008 and ended his playing
career with the Foxes, retiring in the summer of 2010.

Powell had one game as caretaker manager at Leicester before landing his
first managerial post at former club Charlton in January 2011. He won the
League One title with the club in 2011/12, his first full season in
management, but was sacked in March 2014 with the club bottom of the
Championship. He was named manager of Huddersfield in September 2014; he was
sacked 14 months later. Powell was appointed assistant manager at another
former club, Derby, in May 2016 and would remain in post for ten months
under two managers, Nigel Pearson and Steve McClaren. Powell, now 48,
returned to management last month at former club Southend in League One – in
a link back to a player who played in today's featured 'Blast from the past'
match, Powell has since named former Hammer Kevin Keen as his assistant.

Referee

This Saturday's referee is 49-year-old Graham Scott. The Oxfordshire-based
official will be taking charge of only his third Premier League match
involving the Hammers, his first appointment being our 3-1 win at
Southampton in February last year. His most recent game in charge of the
Hammers was our 3-0 win at Stoke in December – Scott's decision to award
Manuel Lanzini a first-half penalty saw the Argentine retrospectively banned
for two matches.

Embed from Getty Images

Scott was also the man in the middle for our 2-1 League Cup victory over
Cheltenham in August 2013 and is pictured above sending off Callum
McNaughton in the defender's only Hammers appearance as the club were
knocked out of the same competition by Aldershot in August 2011.

Possible line-ups

For West Ham United, new signing Patrice Evra could make his debut. Pedro
Obiang, Edimilson Fernandes, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll miss out
through injury, while Arthur Masuaku sits out the third game of his
six-match ban. Marko Arnautovic remains a doubt.

Northern Ireland international centre-back Craig Cathcart is set to return
for Watford, while midfielder Tom Cleverley could also be available.
Right-back Kiko Femenia and centre-backs Molla Wague, Christian Kabasele,
Miguel Britos, Younes Kaboul and Tommie Hoban are all out injured, as are
midfielders Nathaniel Chalobah and Will Hughes. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is
also a major doubt.

Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Zabaleta, Fonte, Ogbonna, Reid,
Cresswell; Kouyate, Mario, Noble; Antonio, Chicharito.

Possible Watford XI: Karnezis; Janmaat, Cathcart, Prodl, Holebas, Zeegelaar;
Capoue, Doucoure; Deulofeu, Richarlison; Deeney.

Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss David Moyes 'understands' Patrice Evra kicking fan during
Marseille stint
JACK ROSSER at Rush Green
ES Sport

David Moyes says he understands why Patrice Evra took the action he did when
kicking a fan at a Europa League game in November. The 36-year-old was named
on the bench against Vitoria, but kicked out at a fan and was shown a
straight red, handed a season-long European competition ban and suspended by
Marseille.
The former Manchester United man has been on the lookout for a club since
the incident, and was brought to West Ham on a free transfer on Wednesday.
While he did not condone Evra's actions, having spoken to the full-back,
Moyes says he understands what happened, and has no concerns regarding the
incident. "No, not from what he told me," Moyes told reporters. "He told me
what happened, none at all. It shows that he will stand up for himself and
won't take anything. When he told me what the supporter said to him, I'd
have had no complaints. "No I wouldn't. But I think when you heard what the
supporter said, you can understand it more."
Despite not having played this year, Moyes, as he alluded to in his Standard
Sport column, says there's a chance he'll be involved against Watford this
weekend.
"Yes, there is a chance. He's not far away in my eyes as he has been
training He played in November, he's no different from someone whose had a
long injury so getting back playing quickly is the best thing you can do."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes: I might throw Patrice Evra in straight away… he can show West
Ham squad what it takes to reach top
DAVID MOYES
ES Sport

The transfer window may have shut but we added a player to our squad this
week — someone of top quality on and off the pitch. I wanted 'Pat' Evra for
a number of reasons, not least because he has great leadership qualities; he
is someone who motivates the dressing room. Also, I just felt that with
Arthur Masuaku still having four games to serve of his suspension — and if
we lost Aaron Cresswell at any time — we would be very short down the
left-hand side. I've known Pat, I've worked with him at Manchester United
and I know what he is capable of. Yes, he's 36 years old and hasn't played
since November but he has been training regularly and hard since he left
Marseille — he has been out in Dubai with his fitness coach for the past
month so he is in good condition. He has trained with the first team for the
past couple of days and done well but there's a big difference between
training and playing a match and, to be fair, the training we do at this
time of the year isn't at a massive level of intensity because we're trying
to save the players' energy for the games. From what I've seen over the past
day or two, I would have to say he's not far away from playing. I'm not sure
whether I would throw him in straight away but it's something I am
considering.

The big thing for me is that he is someone who so many players have — and
will — look up to because of what he has achieved. He's a good talker, he's
played for some of the best clubs in the world and with some of the best
players. Pat's level of professionalism is very high and I want that to rub
off on some of our other players. I want them to see what they have to do to
get to the very top. He and Pablo Zabaleta are two great examples of players
who have played at the top end of this sport and have won things throughout
their careers.

Since I've been here I've relied a lot on Mark Noble and I believe Pat will
be good for him because, if he wants to carry on playing for many seasons
yet, then he will look at players like Pat and see what he needs to do to
achieve that goal. Pat will also send a message to the young players on how
to maintain and improve that level of performance — when to train, when to
rest and when to enjoy yourself.

When I was at Manchester United, Pat was a really good pro. The biggest
compliment I can pay him is that he is a man, he will stand up, he's honest
but he will take responsibility. Ideally, he can play in any of the three
left-sided positions for us — as a centre- back on the left of a three, as a
left-back or as a wing-back as he did for Juventus.With Arthur missing for
six games, I felt we had lost a little bit of balance down our left side so,
with Pat here, it just adds to our options.

On another subject, there was a suggestion this week that I will leave West
Ham at the end of the season, whatever happens. In answer to that, I would
say that I am really enjoying my time here — I'm smiling! I would like us to
improve the team so that the fans say, 'Yes, I like the way they're
playing', but it will take time. What I wanted the fans to appreciate is
that we're going in the right direction. We needed to work on the players'
attitude, we needed to show their determination was never in question.

I want to see how all those things are at the end of the season and no
decision will be made until then — or certainly until we know we are safe in
the Premier League.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 9th February 2018

Evra: I will bring my winning mentality in every game!
WHUFC.com

Having captained his country, appeared at five major tournaments, won seven league titles and 22 trophies in total, including the UEFA Champions League, Patrice Evra has achieved more than most in football. But that does not mean West Ham United's latest signing is ready to hang his boots up just yet; far from it, in fact.

Still as fit and hungry as ever at the age of 36, the Hammers new boy told whufc.com he is looking to build for a successful future, rather than dwelling on his illustrious past…

Patrice, you enjoyed great success playing in the Premier League, winning five titles, and are also an all-time Premier League great yourself, so how excited are you to be back in the Premier League with West Ham United?

"I'm excited, but a lot of people talk about the past and the most important thing is the present. The Patrice Evra of Man United is done. Now is a new challenge, which is the Patrice Evra playing for West Ham. "I am proud and I'd like to say thanks to the fans, but the easiest part is to say it on camera, while the hard part is to give 100 per cent of myself, every time I wear the shirt here, because I respect the people who got me here and it's very important for me to give my best to the Club."

We have watched your videos where you said you will 'never rest' and you 'want to win more and more until you die' so, you still love this game?

"Of course, this is my motto. I am a very positive person, I love to be happy, smiling and laughing, but I always say the Patrice on social media is Patrice, but Patrice Evra is the one who is working hard. "For me, this is my adrenalin, this is really important for me so now I just want to challenge myself.

"People as 'Why are you still playing? You have nothing to prove' but every day you wake up, you have something to prove to yourself. That's me.

"When I was working on my own, not one time was I thinking about retirement or something like that. Every day I was going to training with a lot of anger, so I am really happy to have done my training today. I am feeling good. "In life, nobody gave me anything for free, so that's why I know I have to work hard and that's what I like to do."

You've not played competitively since November, but you have been training and keeping fit, so are you ready to make an immediate contribution?

"I am someone who lives in the present. I have been straight with the manager, so let's see how I feel. Today was a very good day and after tomorrow we will see.
"I am someone who doesn't like to lie, so if I don't feel good I will say to the manager 'I don't feel good' but for the moment I am in good shape, so let's keep working hard."

We know you are a leader, have a great character and are a winner – what will you bring to West Ham?

"I will bring my winning mentality in every game! Even in training and in the gym, in everything you do, you have to have that winning mentality. "When you win one game, you must always think about the next one, so that's what I will bring here. For me, winning is something normal. "I will do my best to bring to my teammates that mentality and they already have it, because when you are a professional football you should have it. "For the first time in my life, I've been without a club for three months, which showed me how lucky I was, so that's why, when I woke up today, I had the biggest smile on my face. I couldn't believe it. "This is enough talking. Now I want to go to the pitch and show the people how happy I am!"

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West Ham close in on (another) free transfer
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 8th February 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have been linked with a move for Ghana international Daniel Opare, who is available on a free transfer. The 27-year-old defender - whose contract was due to expire in the summer and was already being monitored by West Ham - was unusually sacked by German club Augsberg, who promptly withdrew their offer of a contract extension after it was revealed the player had held unsanctioned meetings with Bundesliga rivals Schalke. And now the £3million-rated international is said to be closing in on a free transfer move to West Ham, having also been linked recently with the likes of Leicester and Everton.

Opare, a right back by trade saw his contract terminated last weekend, after his club revealed they had taken the unusual step due to "gross indiscipline and dishonesty". Augsberg added that he had consistently lied with regards to his future position. "FC Augsburg stands for values such as down-to-earthness, teamwork, reliability and honesty," read a club statement. "Recently, Daniel Opare has repeatedly violated these values. "For this reason, the FCA has withdrawn its offer of a contract extension. In addition, the FCA has informed the 27-year-old in a personal meeting that he can look for a new club with immediate effect."

FC Augsburg
✔
@FCAugsburg
Daniel #Opare wird nicht mehr für den #FCA auflaufen und kann sich kurzfristig einen neuen Verein suchen! 👉 http://bit.ly/Opare
5:37 PM - Feb 3, 2018

Born in Accra, Opare moved to Europe in 2010 in order to join Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla. He made a name for himself at Standard Liege in Beligium (2010-14) before joining Porto, where he failed to make an impact. A loan spell with Besiktas followed before he joined Porto - but after just one season in Portugal he left to join his latest club for an undisclosed fee.

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THURSDAY'S NEWS ROUND UP: EVRA'S 'WINNING MENTALITY', OPARE TO JOIN?, ARTER LINKED AGAIN!
AUTHOR: DAN CHAPMAN. PUBLISHED: 8 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 12:44PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Hello everyone. Here is what is in the news regarding the Hammers today:

New West Ham signing Patrice Evra says he hopes that his winning mentality will rub off on his new team-mates. (Evening Standard)

Sky Sports pundit Craig Bellamy says that he believes Patrice Evra could struggle at West Ham. (Sky Sports)

I hope Patrice does bring that winning mentality to the club, because we need more of that. The experience and success that Patrice Evra and Pablo Zabaleta have had in their careers is outstanding, and hopefully they can both have a big impact on the rest of the squad.

West Ham are close to signing Ghanaian defender Daniel Opare on a free transfer. (HITC)

If I remember correctly, we were linked with him a couple of years ago. I can't say I have seen too much of him because that would be lying. However, he is only 27 and he is a free agent, so I can have no complaints over this. The only thing that I have to question about this deal is, what does this mean for Sam Byram?

Harry Arter has put West Ham on alert after admitting that he is ready to quit Bournemouth in the summer. (Mirror Football)

No offence to Harry Arter, but if you aren't starting games for Bournemouth, then you aren't starting games for West Ham. Bournemouth wanted £15m for Arter last month, but I just do not think he is a player we should be looking at. Not only do I think he is not worth that, I just do not think he is very good.

West Ham have confirmed that Toni Martinez has joined Spanish side Real Valladolid on loan until the end of the season. (Sports Lens)

Good luck to Toni on his loan move. I think he needed the move to prove himself at another level first, because I don't think he is ready for the first team just yet.

Marko Arnautovic is in a race to prove his fitness ahead of this weekends game against Watford. (Football London)

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Welcome to the mad White House
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th February 2018
By: Casey H. Moore

I've been lied to multiple times in the last week. The most recent have a lot more in common after yesterday. I was told that my President had the most viewed State of the Union (yearly speech to the nation) in history and that Leander Dendoncker wasn't signed because they couldn't get a medical done in time. What do these two things have in common?
Both are lies to hide the truth of failures from the people it matters to. Both come from a group of people looking to save their asses. Both come from people who have large egos that look for ways to cover their lies by making greater waves. And finally? Both lead to many weird conspiracy theories.

In recent weeks, the President and his administration have been labelled racist (Hi Mr. Tony Henry!). And apparently the President's ego is so large he refuses to be wrong on anything (Hi Mr. Sullivan!) and won't step aside to allow others to do the job correctly (again, paging Director of Football, Mr. Sullivan).

The similarities are striking and all I know is that I am so damn tired of politics at the moment and I come to watch the football and just zone out.

Not today lads, not a day after we ship out two forwards for nearly £30m, we spend all day making 10 bids because, again, we don't have a true director at the helm, we are labelled racist because Tony Henry is a moron and I honestly think they let that story continue to leak because it's a directive from the board.

Like the current administration in our White House (wanting to keep the house white) I cannot see how this directive could have gone unnoticed by our director of football. Why? Because he hasn't a clue how to run a team on the pitch.

Scattergun approaches don't work at this level of football so we continually paper over the cracks because it is vastly apparent to everyone outside the organisation that our fearless leader is way out of his depth but no one will tell him that [are you beginning to see comparisons here?].

Listen, I know at this point you are thinking, "KEEP POLITICS OUT OF MY FOOTBALL!" Well, I would if my football didn't so closely resemble my politics. The disorganization, mishandling of the players, the press, of the supporters is absolutely staggering.

I recently went to the London Stadium for the first time (versus Leicester) and all I kept hearing was it is shite but this is the best atmosphere we have had for a match that wasn't against Spurs or Chelsea. But it certainly wasn't the same. It was no Upton Park.

We were sold a dream by a snake oil salesman and changes were made, yet not one single promise has been kept. And all I can see is supporters hoping and praying that things, such as the Tony Henry comments, are the downfall of the Board - much like Americans wait to see what this investigation digs up.

So let's recap:

1. Giant ego getting in the way of the success of our club
2. Lied to the people to gain trust and then not following up on promises made
3. Total lack of understanding of the job at hand
4. Controversial policies leading people to claim racism
5. Using said controversy to switch the spotlight from their own issues
6. Wears funny hat that most likely has connections to Russia

I just feel we don't have much choice anymore. Rally! Unfortunately, it seems that I am having to rally in the States. Real West Ham Fans Action Group will be marching to the Burnley match on March 10th. We cannot go unheard if we are really that upset - and I am.

Lastly, come on you Irons!

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

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WE ARE WEST HAM UNITED!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 8 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:43PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Written by Richard Osis @richie_fingerss

I haven't written an article or blog for a while now, to be honest I haven't felt inspired enough to do so.

In fact I've actually found myself quite withdrawn from West Ham as a whole a lot of the time, mainly because of the fact I live in Wales and don't have the money or time to travel to many games. I do still go a few times a year, mainly away games now.

I remember when I had a season ticket, I used to see the same faces all the time and I felt a lot more involved with things. Over the last few years, I would say there are only a handful of Hammers I consider good friends and they know who they are.



Recent events, mainly on social media have inspired me to write this particular blog. I feel like I need to get my opinion heard. There's a lot more to say than even the extended character limit on twitter allows me to do.

The biggest subject of debate/angst/argument these days seems to be how unhappy people are with the board.

To be honest, I've found myself on the fence for quite a long time. On the one hand, I firmly believe that they got a lot of things right. They certainly steered the club away from the potential financial ruin that it was facing when the infamous Icelandic owners were in place.

But I also feel like they have gotten an awful lot wrong too. I don't want to get into nit picking every single thing because I think it has been exhausted far too much already elsewhere.

Whilst I understand people's frustration with the current state of affairs at our beloved club, I have to say I am deeply saddened to see so many people turning that frustration into misplaced anger and hatred both towards the board members themselves and fellow supporters!

In recent weeks it has become almost impossible to say anything that remotely even defends any of the board members without being verbally abused and even threatened or intimidated on social media. I for one am disgusted by what I have witnessed and I don't care how old you are or how long you say you have supported West Ham, in my eyes you are no more than bullies and thugs. Whatever your feelings are, human beings deserve an opinion without feeling so threatened.



That said, I want to move on to actually provide what I feel is the root cause of our distress. It's the stadium! No honestly I mean that and I will explain why.

Don't get me wrong, I feel that if done right, the stadium move could have been and still might be the right move for this club. But let's have a closer look at what West Ham itself represents.

West Ham is a working man's club, a cockney, no frills club that historically doesn't really tend to win much and that's how we used to like it.

From time to time our academy players became amazing and that's what excited us. I remember watching the likes of Rio, Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and many others emerge from the famous academy.

To go along with that we had the average players at small transfer fees that would at least fight for the team and play decent football and some of those even became cult hero's because they played for our badge.

Traditional West Ham fans are about pie and mash, dirty carpets in pubs like the Boleyn that had character. The smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke to accompany the pre match banter.

In Stratford we have been forced to go to a sterile, clean, posh and modern world with bars instead of pubs and popcorn and pizza!

That's not what West Ham's about! And here in lies some of the root cause of the problem.
The board themselves made some promises to compromise us being ripped away from our spiritual home and said that they would spend big money and take us to the next level.

Let's be honest, no one expected that to mean instant trophies or champions league football off the bat! But we were sold some dream about star players, and at the least trying to compete to qualify for Europe or to try and win some domestic cups!

Alas so far we do not see the club challenging for any trophies, and we are still fighting relegation every season!

If we wanted that we could have at least kept our own stadium? We knew the score at Upton Park was always going to be along those lines. And we didn't care much because we enjoyed watching our average team be very average but every now and again offer up a giant killing or a decent cup run. It didn't matter because we knew what we were and we accepted it.

The transfer policy has also been a sham since the move to our new stadium; the players we sign are either has beens with a last pay cheque or mercenaries who don't care about the badge they are wearing and just want to pick up a nice pay cheque.

Then we look at the fact that despite all this the owners make things worse for themselves by undermining their managers when it comes to the transfer market, publicly insulting the likes of Snodgrass and Fonte who are both registered to the club as our players! And many more public mistakes that have left them with a serious amount of egg on their faces.

There has been a catalogue of silly mistakes they've made that have resulted in most of us feeling so disgruntled.

Put all this together with the teething troubles that the club had when first moving to the London Stadium which led to many fans believing that they had been deliberately misled, it is easy to understand why so many people believe that the board have lied and cheated everyone.

I don't agree that they've done any of the above on purpose, even if a lot of people do. I think that they were perhaps naive and lacked proper clarity of the facts when it came to the stadium and a few other issues. For example I don't think they were made aware of how bad the situation with retractable seating would be or how the views were a lot further away from the pitch than they anticipated.
When they passed on to us fans that we would have priority over athletics, I believe they understood it to be correct. I know a lot of you out there will disagree with me and say that they deliberately lied to us.

So where do we go from here? How do the board put things right? As things are with a lot of what I'm seeing on Twitter, I think the board could cure cancer and still be hated.

But they could go a long way towards putting things right this summer. In my opinion it will take for them to commit their finances towards a £100-150M transfer fund in August, and then follow it up by backing the manager (whoever that may be, hopefully Moyes) to make their own transfers without getting involved or interfering.

Then they need to put the wheels in motion to purchase the London stadium and go about properly converting it into a football venue, much like Manchester City did with their own stadium after inheriting it.

Then from that point on, they need to stay out of the newspapers and stop publicly making idiots of themselves by slagging off their own players or publicly praising rivals like Tottenham.

If they can at the very least do all of those things (which is very doubtful in my opinion) then they go some way towards perhaps winning some of the faithful over again. The alternative in my eyes would be to acknowledge that they cannot or will not put their hands in their pockets and sell up to allow someone that will come in and invest the money themselves. It is the only realistic way I can see this club moving into the next level as they called it.

I'm no business expert, I'm not clued up on football clubs and how to run them. But from where I'm standing, surely with the huge amounts of money in the game at the moment, having saved so much on the Stadium move, converting it properly and pumping some cash into the transfer kitty isn't too hard to achieve? Either this lot need to do it or someone else needs to. But will they be prepared to sell up?

Hand on my heart, I get why so many are angry. I am too. But with more perspective than some of the twitter trolls it seems, because I honestly do not think West Ham are in that much of a mess as people make out. As I said, we have always been this way. I think it boils down to expecting more due to not being at our beloved Upton Park anymore. And I get it! I really do! I want to see us moving on to the next level, and had we stayed put, I wouldn't care less if we carried on with the same old West Ham way of not winning that much.

But we are where we are so it's time to put things right and actually help us move on financially. They've made mistakes, they can still put it right. But for now, my plea to those reading this, is please stop abusing each other on social media. And stop bullying and intimidating those who have a different opinion to yours. We are all humans who love West Ham.

It does not matter if someone supports the board and you don't. Someone's opinion will not affect your life directly so there's really no need to turn into a troll over it.

Let's hope for a brighter future. Come on you irons!!

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Patrice Evra could struggle at West Ham, says Craig Bellamy
By Ron Walker
Last Updated: 08/02/18 10:29am
SSN

Patrice Evra's increasing age means West Ham could struggle to get much out of the 36-year-old on his return to the Premier League, says Craig Bellamy. The full-back joined the Hammers on a free transfer on Wednesday, three months after he was sacked by Marseille for kicking one of their own fans. Evra has a wealth of experience in the Premier League, winning the title five times under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and was first-choice under current Hammers manager David Moyes during the Scot's short-lived spell as Old Trafford boss.

A move to Juventus in 2014 prolonged his career at the top level of European football, but after falling out of favour with the Old Lady he had also become a fringe player at Marseille before his contract at the Stade Velodrome was terminated in November. "He hasn't been the same player in the past four or five years," Bellamy told The Debate. "His last year at Juventus was really poor, and he isn't the same player he was when he worked [under Moyes] four years ago. "Age catches up with you, and he's in that position. It's a great move for him and his experience will be great for a club like West Ham, but I don't believe they're going to get much out of him playing-wise."

Bellamy added he was unsurprised Evra, who was still France's first-choice left-back during their run to the European Championships finals last year, had been overlooked by other Premier League clubs during the January transfer window. But fellow guest Charlie Adam, however, felt the only question mark would lie over whether his arrival would block the path of England World Cup hopeful Aaron Cresswell. "I think it's an excellent move for both parties," Adam said. "He's an experienced player, who will get them going, he's a lively character too. "What he did [at Marseille] was wrong and he paid the price for it, but I'm surprised no other Premier League side came in for him."

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WEST HAM AND FIGHTING RACISM – THE NEXT STEPS.
By Blind Hammer 8 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Blind Hammer looks at how West Ham should actively repudiate Henry by celebrating its history of Black Players.

Like many West Ham supporters I was appalled by Tony Henry's email. ". Of course its toxic nature was made infinitely worse by the infamous inclusive "we" with whom Henry prefaced his obnoxious comments. He was obviously supremely confident that these bigoted, ignorant stereotypical remarks would find wide support amongst the club hierarchy.

The rapid dismissal of Henry was an inevitable first step but the club must do much more if they are to reduce lingering suspicions. Henry's confidence that his views would find backing at the highest levels is a potential smoking gun which should worry senior managers. We urgently need further action.

As a first step we should acknowledge far more prominently the culture and tradition of West Ham promoting Black footballers. A tradition that is diametrically opposed to the Alf Garnett Racist stereotyping of our club and its supporters.

This alternative tradition is far older than many supposed. Regular readers of my column will remember how last year I celebrated the career of Fred Corbett. A trail blazer who was the first ever black footballer to play for our club. Corbett was one of the tiny numbers of black players in his era He was there at the birth of our club. He actually made his debut for Thames Ironworks before transferring into the inaugural West Ham United. Of mixed race, Corbett was a product of the East end, and a prolific scorer at youth team level playing for St Luke's, the local side who produced many players for West Ham. Corbett made his debut during the 1888-1899 seasons as an 18 year old right wing forward for the Ironworks. He made his debut as a West Ham player in the 0-1 away defeat to Reading on the 16th September 1899. He provided his first goal and the winner in his fifth game for the club on the 6th October 1900 in a 0-1 away win at Swindon. His finest moment in a West Ham shirt came on the 30th September 1901 when he scored a hat trick in the 4-2 win against Wellingborough Town, then a much bigger game.

In total Fred Corbett played 35 times for West Ham and scored a respectable 15 goals before moving on to have a long professional career with Bristol rovers. Despite the fact that West Ham had produced a black professional footballer, and provided an opportunity for him to flourish the WHUFC website is bizarrely silent on this. Corbett was brought through in an era of sometimes savage Empire racism. Negative attitudes to other races, in addition to notion of a "white Man's Burden" abounded. The story about Corbett is about an extraordinary individual, and an extraordinary club both of whom defied this prevailing racism to allow Corbett a platform to display his talents.

We should be proudly shouting this remarkable history from the rooftops. However if you consult the club website this is a story which is invisible. All they say about Corbett is a terse comment that the then manager Syd King Often played George Radcliffe and
Fergus Hunt ahead of him.

This is a massive wasted opportunity. We should celebrate this tradition rather than hide it. And it is a tradition. West Ham has throughout my life provided opportunities for black players when it was unheard of elsewhere. We rightly celebrated the life of Cyrille regis but West Ham were providing trail blazing black players an opportunity a whole generation earlier.

At my first game at Upton Park in 1968 I was thrilled by a stupendous goal by Martin Peters which won the ITV Big Match award for goal of the season. A critical assist in the build-up was provided by our black left back John Charles. Charles provided the instant defence splitting pass to allow Sissons to race on to feed Peter's memorable volley past Leicester's startled Shilton. So in my first ever game I saw John Charles, a black footballer playing for West Ham. I grew up thinking it was normal, unaware of how unusual it was at the time.

This unacknowledged tradition is a point which Clyde Best is particularly puzzled by. In his autobiography he argues west ham has never done enough to celebrate their positive trail blazing role. He points out how West Ham were the first team to field 3 black players in a team a full decade before West Brom's more famous "Three Degrees" of Regis Cunningham and Batson. Clyde Best, Ade Coker and Clive Charles did not achieve similar heights to West Brom's "Three Degrees" but, as Best points out, if West Ham had not paved the way the West Brom trio would have found it more difficult. Regis personally told best that it was when, as a teenager, he watched him on TV, that Regis had crucially developed his belief that he also could make it as a black centre forward. Best's Autobiography is littered with statements from players such as Garth Crooks who all took inspiration from West Ham playing of Clyde Best.

Best describes the warmth and support of players like Bobby Moore; harry Redknapp, Geoff Hurst and above all Ron Greenwood. He complains at the unfair lack of recognition and acknowledgement to Greenwood's revolutionary approach. He argues that it was Greenwood who was determined to allow black players to succeed at the top level. It was Ron Greenwood and not Ron Atkinson who was the true trail blazer.

This is a tradition we should make more of. I remember standing on the then grass turf at the end of crystal Palace's old ground watching Ade Coker score with a stupendous goal on his debut. Sadly Coker did not make it through to become a first team regular but the point is that we celebrated it at the time.

If you read Liam Rosenior's biography West Ham is the only club he truly celebrates and feels at home with. It is the only club with which he does not recall complaints of racism. He recalls fondly and with humour how even the hooligans of the ICF assured him of their undying support.

I am never one to deny that racists have been amongst supporters and probably players and staff at West Ham over the years. Yet we have a finer counter tradition. A tradition we should be prouder of and celebrate more. Now more than ever this is the tradition we should celebrate.

COYI
David Griffith

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HAMMERS CLOSE TO SIGNING DANIEL OPRE
JACK RILEY @jackriley117
ReadWestHam

West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Ghanaian right back Daniel Opare, who is now out of contract, according to Graphic. Two days ago, the full back was released from his contract at German Bundesiga side FC Augsburg, because of ill discipline. He reportedly wished to leave Augsburg in the January transfer window, which caused tension between him and the management of the club, ultimately resulting in him leaving and now being a free agent. West Ham, who recently signed free agent full back Patrice Evra, may look to do the same thing, just on the other flank. He was nearly ever present for Augsburg so far this season, with 17 league appearances, and has been superb as they are now seventh in the Bundesliga, just three points off 4th placed Borussia Dortmund in the last Champions League spot. Although the troubles between Opare and the club are over, the talent they are missing might be crucial as to whether they get into European football or not. A number of sides are currently monitoring his situation, including English Premier League rivals Leicester City, Stoke City and Everton. However, David Moyes is confident in bringing him to the capital. The 16 time capped Ghanaian will be looking at where his career takes him. He certainly has the talent, as shown in the previous few months, and the Hammers may be the club to benefit from it, especially for free.

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WHAT DAVID MOYES NEEDS
By Goatygav 8 Feb 2018 at 17:00
WTID

Lord Kitchener's iconic image has loomed at the back of the mind of late. Whatever you feel about the owners of the club at the moment I think we all, or at least the vast majority of us, are behind the manager and what he's trying to do at the club. Personally I am as frustrated as the next West Ham fan when it comes to the signings, or lack of, and all the other missing aspects of the 10 point pledge.

I'm trying to avoid writing about what the owners of the club are up to, or more like are not up to, at the moment. It's proving to be quite difficult. As I write we've just signed Patrice Evra . Correct me if I'm wrong but did the manager state that an area we need to strengthen, with new players, was Full Back? Did David Moyes say he needs fresh, or perhaps not so fresh, blood in wide areas? Slipped me by if he did. From memory midfield was the key position to improve. Has to make you question who is making the signings.

After a terrible couple of weeks, which I won't go over again as it's been extensively discussed already, it does look like there's some light at the end of the 'injury tunnel'. Joao Mario has done well, in my view, since joining however our slump since the injuries to Arnie and Manu is dramatic. Physioroom.co.uk are currently quoting dates of 10th Feb and 3rd March for those two respectively. I'm hopeful and optimistic (default when it comes to West Ham for me) that we'll soon see the team actually have some attacking ideas before too long. Fingers crossed – eh?

On the subject of injuries this weekend's opponents currently top the injury table with 11 players out of action. Could have been 12 unable to take the field if the F.A. had taken action against Troy Deeney for his single finger gesture towards fans during the Chelsea game. The lack of action against the Watford livewire did, admittedly, take me by surprise. It would take a four goal winning margin for us to leapfrog them in the league but the 3 points are more important in the great scheme of this season. I guess league positions are important as the club gain further income the higher we finish. Not that it really matters to us fans – is that likely to lead to better quality signings at the end of the day anyway?

The squad is thin. The spine is short on numbers for backup. We have cover out wide. Why pay high wages to an ageing player we don't really need? Cresswell and Masuaku (when the silly boy returns) are both good players on the left. Byram has put in some excellent game-time there too. As good as he his, sorry – I just don't get it. At best it's excessive – at worst profligate. If David Moyes initiated this move I'll be gobsmacked. What's worse he's going to wear the 27 shirt.

As a fan who attends between 5 and 7 games a season I'm not going to pass judgement on those who part with their hard earned on a more regular basis. That being the case I won't suggest that fans don't vent their spleens at the club's owners on matchdays. After all you can probably gather from the tone of this piece my opinion on the level of backing I believe recent managers have enjoyed, or put up with, from the board. What I would like to see is that, at the same time as a vocal protest, those same fans show their support for David Moyes, his coaching staff and the players. He needs us all to get behind the team. None of us want to end up going down – at least I hope that we don't. Even if you would cut your nose off to spite your face by wishing it on our owners for their failure to deliver the signings we all deserve I would still hope fans would never wish to be relegated. There's certainly a better chance of that happening if we don't get behind the boys.

COYI! West Ham 4 The 2019 Cup!

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Once happy Hammers call on owners to 'come up with a plan' to save West Ham
JOHN DILLON
ES Sport

At Chelsea managerial crises come and go as the saga of Antonio Conte's life on the brink is currently proving once again. At Arsenal, its one week on, one week off for many protesting fans depending on whether the team are humiliated by Swansea City or sweep Everton majestically off the park. Of course, signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also helps. Tottenham? A week without Harry Kane scoring is about as bad as things get these days. At West Ham, however, trouble, strife, aggro and unrest seems like a permanent condition. And it is difficult to get away from the feeling that until they do something radical to change the nature and the atmosphere of the dreadful London Stadium, it is all going to carry on for a very long time.

For decades – it's nearly 38 years since the Hammers won anything – the supporters could live without success because they knew what their club meant and what it stood for. They wanted success, of course. But they couldn't have it. So they carried on backing the club with extra-ordinary levels of devotion and ferocity, anyway. Now, adrift at a new home that as might well be christened Limbo Land, those fans have lost touch with the roots which sustained them. It is proving to be a truly toxic situation. It is becoming far more harmful than any lack of success on the pitch might be, with the levels of fury against the owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, and Karren Brady, the vice-chairman, rising by the week.

This is turning into a unique, object lesson for the rest of the game about how damaging the severing of a football club's arteries can be - even while attendances soar and the sighting of a bold new world is proclaimed from the boardroom and the money pours in from the Premier League's gushing taps. It is becoming painfully clear that the soul-sapping mood of the barren and sterile new ground and its surroundings infects the fans feelings so much that every problem, setback and disappointment – be it on the pitch or in the transfer market - is magnified and intensified.

While it may be that the perceived lack of ambition in the January window – a bit harsh considering the arrival of Portuguese Euro 2016 winner Joao Mario - has prompted the latest out-pouring of anger against the board, it strikes me that the malaise among the fans is far more profound. True enough, the scandal surrounding the sacking of recruitment chief Tony Henry following an e-mail in which he said the club didn't want to sign any more African footballers helped ferment a familiar sense of mayhem around West Ham. The supporters apparently consider it further evidence that the club is being run badly. In truth, though, the sense of bewilderment and unsettlement is really focused upon the dramatic change in the nature of the club. And it's understandable, even if there's a sense of Catch 22 about it.

The banners on display talk of the club's soul being stolen and of "West Ham R.I.P." Andy Swallow, the prominent fan helping organise a protest march to be staged – with a procession of 20 hearses – before the match against Burnley on March 10 summed up the broad nature of the supporters' anger. He said: "We'll get 10,000 turning up. It will be peaceful demonstration and it will be a show of unity that we want our club back. "In an ideal world, the board would sell up and let someone else do a better job for West Ham. "What we want is for them to admit they have made a big mistake with the stadium and the way things are being run and to come up with a plan to save our club. "But that's unlikely to happen."

This captures the idea that a poison seed has been planted at the core of the club by the lunar atmosphere inside the ground at Stratford. And that its tentacles are spreading everywhere, breeding a permanent sense of unsettlement and unhappiness. To be fair to Sullivan, Gold and Brady, what else were they to do when offered the chance to move the club from a cramped, old – if beloved – and out-date base at the Boleyn Ground into vast new arena which had already won itself iconic status during the epic London Games of 2012? They would have been accused of lacking ambition and vision if they had turned it down. But it was hardly smart PR to change the club's badge – including the crass addition of the word 'London' – at a time when so much heritage was already being spirited away.

Now that just looks like a marketing ploy to supposedly excite customers on football's new global frontiers. It makes fans think that there's a dash for cash going on at the cost of all they held dear about the club. Business is business. But this was indelicate at best. And who came up with the pitiful name of the London Stadium by the way? The owners are hamstrung now by the fact they don't own the ground and can't yet alter it to make it more suitable for football. They have said that they are prepared to pay more, but in exchange for greater control over the stadium. The rental does not, at present, look like the so-called 'Deal of the Century' to the supporters. There is no doubt at all that the stadium needs a huge makeover, so fans must hope the owners can win the battle of wills with their landlords.
There is a striking lesson from recent history and the top level of the game which makes it plain that, in the end, the lack of a suitable stadium can eat away a club from within.

Juventus stuck it out for 26 years at the awful Stadio Delle Alpi in Turin (below), which always felt about as atmospheric and fervent as Moonbase Alpha. It was a rotten concrete bowl built for the 1990 World Cup with a running track separating the fans by a huge distance from the pitch. Attendances averaged around 51,000 before they moved in. By the time the club bolted, they had fallen to 26,000. It was demolished in 2009 and nobody shed any tears. It was replaced by the brilliant new ground now known as Juventus Stadium (below), which staged the 2014 Europa League final. One effect of the re-build was that it helped Juventus move on after the shame of their relegation to Serie B following the infamous Calciopoli scandal. Another is that they have won six consecutive titles since moving in and have reached two Champions League finals. No, the Hammers won't win six league titles if they sort out the stadium. And the Champions League? As the terrace song goes, you're having a laugh. But if a club as vast as Juventus could be brought so low by the nature of its surroundings, West Ham could be in even bigger trouble in a couple of decades time. And that's despite the fact their income currently places them among the top 20 earners in the game. So the lesson about the ground is clear. And if it needs drumming home, there's a fact of enormous serendipity and significance in the mix of this debate, too. Who were the visitors to the London Stadium in August, 2016 for the official opening friendly? Juventus. Enough said.

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West Ham: Diamond geezers with their rhinestone club
Date published: Thursday 8th February 2018 9:25
Football 365

There is something undeniably West Ham about co-owner David Sullivan going on Talksport specifically to claim that an unsuccessful bid was made for Joe Allen on Deadline Day. Boasting about failure is an odd pastime for a football club owner.

"Now look here, we tried to give Stoke City massive money for a player we had previously shown no interest in with only hours left in a month-long window and we got rejected. What more could we really do?"

Of course, that wasn't the only message Sullivan wanted to convey. He also told West Ham supporters that their protests over the club's mismanagement would achieve nothing and were therefore pointless. He stressed that only through unity could the club move forward, but in effect was telling the naysayers that he wasn't listening. It's a niche form of leadership.

Even by West Ham's usual standards, it has been a chaotic week. The end of their transfer window was steeped in farce and ignominy, the director of player recruitment suspended and then sacked for stating that the club did not wish to sign any more African players because they "caused mayhem". That came after the club's failure to permanently sign a central midfielder. What more could they do? Not leave it until the last minute, perhaps?

West Ham have two central midfielders fit and available to play, a problem exacerbated by Reece Oxford's return to Borussia Monchengladbach. Oxford was reportedly disillusioned by comments made by Sullivan over his doubts about academy players ever getting into the club's first team, and you cannot blame him for wanting out.

One player has arrived, striker Jordan Hugill from Preston. Hugill turns 26 in June, has ten goals in all competitions this season and has scored 32 league goals in his entire career. There is no guarantee that he will fail at West Ham, but Hugill is at least fighting against the tide. Since 2010, West Ham have signed 34 strikers. Twenty-two of those have failed to score more than three goals for the club. Javier Hernandez, last summer's saviour, has started four league games in the last three months.

The West Ham fog soon seeps into the pores. Aside from honourable exceptions, potential is stunted and promising signings rust. It was interesting to hear the West Ham side that drew against Crystal Palace described as 'makeshift', due to the current injury crisis. Given how this club has lurched over most of the last decade, how could it be anything else?

That is not solely down to the current incumbents, Davids Sullivan and Gold and Karren Brady. The financial crash that caused the personal bankruptcy of West Ham owner Björgólfur Guðmundsson thrust the club into disarray, but the mismanagement had started long before the end. The Carlos Tevez affair cost West Ham over £45m in compensation and legal fees, while their transfer market activity was haphazard at best (and 'throwing sh*t at a wall' at worst). A lowlight was the reported £34m cost of signing and paying Freddie Ljungberg and Kieron Dyer, the pair starting 45 league games between them, but there is plenty of competition.

After the Icelandic debacle, West Ham needed stability and care. What they got was erratic transfer activity with added PR bluster. Sullivan and Gold famously said that they took over a car crash, but nobody has yet replaced the windscreen and there are dents and scratches all over the paintwork. There is no doubt that the pair care deeply, but expertise is more important than good intentions.

If the cliche is that pets resemble their owners, West Ham resemble theirs. As well as the public – but ultimately unsuccessful – pursuit of transfer targets and the leaking of news to supporters by a co-owner's son on social media, there have been high-profile gaffes.

"You don't see them being massively better than West Ham are," said Sullivan about Leicester City a fortnight after their Premier League title victory. "They say he has no ligaments in his knee," he said about Charlie Austin after a failed approach. It forced Austin to issue a statement in angry response. Then there was the accusation that Manchester United were lying about damage to their team bus following an attack by supporters, and Sporting Club director Nuno Saraiva calling Sullivan a "liar" and a "parasite" before plumping for the eternally memorable "Dildo brothers" moniker.

This inter-club relationship issue is not an isolated incident. A week ago, Leicester City refused to enter into negotiations with West Ham over the loan of Islam Slimani after Brady had written disparaging things about Leicester in The Sun after the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.

West Ham used to be widely liked. Under Harry Redknapp, they had a young team of largely domestic players peppered with enjoyable foreign mavericks and experienced old professionals. Outside of London at least, they were a team you anticipated watching on Match of the Day.

Now they are a target of ridicule, and ridicule is dislike with the jealousy removed. West Ham are a club to be pitied, their supporters sympathised with. Even the move to a stadium partly funded by taxpayer money has not generated as much resentment as expected, so mismanaged was their re-homing.

Worst of all, West Ham's owners are taking the club's own supporters for granted and playing them for fools. West Ham charge £600 for their mascot packages, comfortably the highest in the country. They have effectively abandoned the pathway from academy to first team (although Declan Rice has made it work) and, when protests are forthcoming, fans are told to keep quiet. Nobody ever listens.

Some supporters disagreed with those who voiced their displeasure on Saturday against Brighton, because it may have impacted negatively on the team. But isn't that the point? If the mood of your fans is so influential on performance, the club should probably treat them with more respect. After all, they'll still be singing and shouting long after ten sets of players, managers and owners have left. It is their club. They just don't recognise it.

West Ham are a club committed to neither short-termism nor long-term planning. In fact, they are committed to very little and stand for even less. They are a mirage, a house covered in marble and gold leaf but with a funny smell coming from the drains. The diamond geezers have created a rhinestone football club.

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