Carroll content to deny Stoke victory with late leveller
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll felt denying Stoke City three points was as important as
earning West Ham United one after his volley secured a 1-1 Premier League
draw with the Potters at London Stadium. The Hammers had controlled long
periods of Monday night's game, only to fall behind with eleven minutes
remaining when Peter Crouch prodded home from close-range after Joe Hart had
saved Xherdan Shaqiri's initial effort. David Moyes, whose side had already
seen two 'goals' correctly disallowed by referee Michael Oliver, threw on
Carroll and the centre forward marked his return from three months out with
a foot injury with a superb left-foot volley in the final minute. There was
still time for West Ham to have the ball in the net for a fourth time, only
for Oliver to whistle Carroll for handball before Chicharito's drive had
beaten Jack Butland. A point apiece leaves West Ham 14th on 35 points and
Stoke 18th on 28, with five each left to play. "I thought we played well
throughout," said Carroll. "Obviously Crouchy came on and scored, which is
what he does best, and it was disappointing for us because we'd had a few
chances and a couple of goals disallowed. "We took [two] points off them,
though, and it's a point for us, so it's a good result in the end."
Carroll's superb left-foot strike belied the fact he has not played a
Premier League match since appearing in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
at Wembley on 4 January. "I don't know if it looked sharp, because I didn't
feel sharp! The ball came in and I like them on my left foot, so I just span
and hit it and it went in. "I've trained for five days in with the lads,
having worked with the physio beforehand, so not too much."
And what of the 'goal' disallowed after Carroll had controlled the ball and
set up Chicharito in the second minute of added time? "I tried to bring the
ball down and it hits my hand a little bit. If it's a shove in the back,
it's a penalty, but we played on and he didn't give it and, in the end, it's
a point, so we'll take it." Next up for West Ham is a trip to Arsenal on
Sunday. With five games to go, one more victory might well be enough to
secure safety, and Carroll would love to achieve it at the Emirates. "We've
still got five games left and we've got to win them as no-one is safe. It's
tough at the minute and we've just got to keep working."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: All three subs made a big difference in Stoke draw
WHUFC.com
David Moyes was pleased with the impact made by his West Ham United
substitutes as Andy Carroll climbed off the bench to secure a 1-1 Premier
League draw with Stoke City. The Hammers dominated the Potters for long
periods at London Stadium, only to fall behind to Peter Crouch's close-range
strike with eleven minutes to play. Moyes threw on Carroll and Manuel
Lanzini – both of whom were available again after injury – and the former
snatched a point when he volleyed home Aaron Cresswell's cross in the final
minute of normal time. "I thought we should have won. We certainly didn't
deserve to lose it and, if we had, the football gods would certainly have
been against us because we bossed the majority of the game. In the main, we
played really well. We played good parts of the game tonight because I
thought, if anyone was going to go in front, it was going to be us. "We
played well from the back. We played the ball and did some good things and
we just didn't have that bit of something different up front. Marko and
Arthur, who have given us a lot of goals and quality, just didn't produce
that. "I actually thought all the subs who came on made a big difference –
Chicharito, Andy and Lanzini all came on and helped it. We've not had those
options very often this season so I'm glad to get them back."
When asked why he did not bring on any of the attacking trio before
introducing Chicharito with 14 minutes to go – three minutes before Crouch's
opener – the manager said he wanted to keep faith in his starting XI, who
had dominated much of the second half. "We didn't need to make any subs
because the team were playing well. We were dominant and in their half most
of the time and were obviously trying to find a way through, so my feeling
was that the goal would come.
"Stoke have been losing quite a few goals late on in games and I thought we
could score late on and I didn't think we needed it. "The minute we went a
goal down, we had to find another way of doing it and we gradually got the
strikers on and we got the goal back."
West Ham created 18 goal attempts and had the ball in the net four times in
total, only for three of them to be correctly ruled out by referee Michael
Oliver – two for offside and one in added time for a handball offence by
Carroll. "I have seen a couple of them and I think they looked like they
were the right decisions, so well done to the referee," Moyes observed. "The
one that goes up to Andy I've not seen whether he handles it or not, but the
referee did his job and did it well."
After extending their unbeaten run to three matches, West Ham sit seven
points clear of Southampton and Stoke and eleven above bottom side West
Bromwich Albion. All five of the Hammers' remaining fixtures are against
teams in the top nine, but Moyes believes his team have the quality to
collect enough points to stay up over the final month of the season. "It
leaves us in a good position, far better than it was when I took over. We
went 1-0 down and could have come away with nothing tonight, so the points
we've picked up in recent games will all help us. "We've had good results
against some of the top teams, so let's see if we can do it again. It'll not
be easy, but I think our performances are getting better and normally good
performances lead to good results. "We've just had a win and two draws and,
at this time of the season, that's not too bad."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble: Andy Carroll's goal was a really important one for us
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble admitted to mixed feelings following Monday night's 1-1 draw with
Stoke City, after a dominant performance did not get the full reward it
merited.
The Hammers needed a last minute volley from Andy Carroll to rescue a point
in the end – a result which kept the Potters seven points behind their hosts
– but the skipper felt it should have been more. After having three goals
ruled out during a dramatic second period, Noble's frustration was clear but
given the circumstances of Carroll's late goal, the No16 was grateful for
the big striker's intervention. He explained: "We shouldn't be in there
really happy, and we're not. It's a little bit deflating because for large,
large spells we dominated the game. "When we get the first goal here we're
dangerous, but we knew what Stoke would be like. They're a hard, fighting
team. I know they've lost a few games recently but they haven't been really
outplayed. "They work hard for each other, but tonight I thought the boys
played really well and just couldn't get the goal that we needed, and when
we did – with three of them – they were disallowed! "A point puts us seven
points clear of the relegation zone and it's three games unbeaten, but we're
still a little dejected because I thought we did enough to win."
Carroll's goal, after 13 games out with an ankle injury, was his third
important one of 2018 following a brace against West Brom in January and
Noble said his contribution was priceless. He added: "In all honesty, just
his presence on the pitch – even when I saw him coming on gave me a bit of a
boost. "You put that ball in the box and there's every chance he's going to
shove his head, or anything, there. "I've just kissed him on the forehead in
the dressing room because it's a very important goal for us.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Coventry: U23s extra motivated for London Stadium Arsenal derby
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U23s will have extra motivation to beat London rivals
Arsenal at London Stadium on Friday in Premier League 2, according to
midfielder Conor Coventry. The Hammers were overcome 1-0 by Derby County on
Monday in their penultimate Division 1 game of the campaign, and will be
looking to bounce back to end the season on a high at the Club's home this
week.
Tickets are free for Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members when booked in
advance, and just £5 adults and £3 concessions otherwise. Click here to book
now.
Defeat at the Rams' Training Centre put a dent in Terry Westley's team's
strong end to the season after consecutive away wins at Liverpool,
Manchester City and Everton, but 18-year-old Coventry believes his side will
rally to finish off the term with a victory. The Gunners were also 3-0
winners when the sides met back in November, something which will also
provide extra motivation for Friday's hosts, says the youngster. "We all
look forward to the games at the main stadium and Arsenal are a team who are
top of the league and still trying to win the division, so I think it will
be a really good match," he explained. "Of course it's a London derby as
well, so our aim is to win and not let them get the league title. "All the
boys will be extra motivated after losing on Monday, to end the season on a
high and a big positive after such a good first season at this level. We
also lost to Arsenal earlier this season, so there's a sense of revenge in
the game too and we'll be doing all we can to win. "Obviously the fans
always play a part in all our games no matter where they are, but when they
turn out for the games at London Stadium it is really special for us and
hopefully we can repay the ones that are there with a win."
Coventry – who scored his so far only U23 goal for the Hammers against
Fulham at London Stadium last term – has made 17 appearances for the Premier
League 2 side this term and has established himself as a key member of the
Republic of Ireland's U19 squad. The controlling central midfielder is
proud of the way he has acquitted himself at the higher level having played
the majority of his football last season for the U18s. "I'm definitely
pleased with the way I've established myself in this team. The target at the
start of the season was to play as many games as I could in the U23s but it
was more of a target for the end of the campaign.
"I wouldn't say I necessarily expected to be where I am now at this stage,
having played so much at the beginning of the year and playing at the level
I am, so obviously I'm really pleased with that. "It has been a great
learning curve for me. For example, in the Derby game they played in a very
physical way and were very direct but you have to be able to deal with that
if you are to have a career in the game. "The team they started with was
pretty experienced with some older players. The way they played suited their
team, they weren't the same as more of an Arsenal or a Tottenham who we've
played this season, or like the style we try and play, so it was a good
experience for us."
Coventry admitted it was a disappointing way for West Ham to suffer their
eighth league defeat, but is sure the side will bounce back at London
Stadium.
"The goal was a long kick and we didn't deal with it, but at times we
dominated the game and we definitely deserved to get something out of it,"
continued Coventry. "We've played two high intensity games in the last week
or two to beat Man City and Everton, but that's the way the game is; you
have to be able to deal with that and do that. We're a young side but you
have to learn to get used to that intensity. "It was maybe just a bit of an
off day that we tried to turn around in the second half, and we nearly did,
but we just about couldn't in the end. Hopefully we can do that against
Arsenal on Friday, now."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell: Carroll is one of the best at what he does
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll has been described as 'one of the best at what he does' by
teammate Aaron Cresswell, after the striker scored a superb equaliser in
Monday's 1-1 draw with Stoke City. Carroll – making his return from injury –
came off the bench to net a terrific goal in the 90th minute from the edge
of the box, volleying home and earning the Hammers a share of the spoils
against the Potters. The goal was provided to Carroll by Cresswell, the
fifth time the defender has given an assist for the striker during their
time together at West Ham, and the 28-year-old is thrilled to see his
teammate back in action. "We've had a few fair injuries over the course of
the season," Cresswell said: "Andy's come back today and showed us what he's
all about. I'm delighted for Andy. Of course, no one wants to be injured,
and he had a frustrating time with injuries, but he's come back and in five
minutes he's scored a goal. "Everyone know what he's about and when he's
fully fit he's one of the best at what he does. Tonight, him and Chicharito
coming on changed the game for us."
Stoke took the lead at London Stadium through substitute Peter Crouch, who
poked home in the second period, before fellow substitute Carroll levelled
the tie for the Hammers. The introduction of the striker, as well as
Chicharito – who scored last week in the draw at Chelsea – and the returning
Manuel Lanzini was critical in David Moyes's side collecting a point.
Cresswell, who registered his seventh league assist of the season in the
fixture, admits the Hammers had targeted a win from this fixture, with the
Irons seeing three goals ruled out by the match officials for offside and
handball respectively. But, with the Irons a goal behind heading into the
final ten minutes, the No3 reckons a point is a good return. Cresswell
continued: "I think, throughout the whole 90 minutes, we maybe deserved the
three points. There's two or three offside goals, on another day maybe one
or two of them would have been given. "But, it wasn't to be, and to be fair
to them, they are fighting for their lives as well as we are. They get the
late goal. You look up at the clock and there's ten minutes to go, so it's a
good point in the end. "Before the game, three points would have been
massive for us. But certainly, not losing, is a good result. I thought we
showed great ability towards the end, with a disappointing goal and then, to
come from behind and get a point at the end, it felt like a win for us."
With Arsenal up next for West Ham in the Premier League, Cresswell believes
one more win will be enough for the Irons to secure their top-flight status
for next season, and is targeting those three points at the Emirates Stadium
on Sunday. "I think there's five games to go and we're seven points clear
now, but it's still not over until it's over," Cresswell continued. "One
more win should see it through. "We've got four or five games left,
starting with Arsenal on Sunday, and it's another tough game away. But
there's no reason why we can't go there and get a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker Andy Carroll cool over World Cup hopes with England
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 17/04/18 12:48pm
SSN
Andy Carroll is not getting stressed about making the World Cup this summer,
but Peter Crouch believes the West Ham striker is a good option for England.
Carroll came off the bench on Monday night for his first game since January
4 to volley in and salvage a point in a 1-1 draw with Stoke. It kept David
Moyes' side seven points above the 19th-placed Potters in the race to avoid
the drop and Carroll was delighted to boost the Hammers and his ongoing
recovery from an ankle injury. The 29-year-old told Sky Sports News: "It's
been tough and very frustrating. I've got through it and now I'm back on the
pitch and I feel good."
Asked if he's fit enough to face Arsenal on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, he
added: "I don't know. I feel good but it's up to the manager." England boss
Gareth Southgate was at the London Stadium on Monday and will have been
impressed with Carroll's sweet strike in the final minute. Could he make the
plane heading to Russia for this summer's World Cup? Carroll said: "It would
be nice but I'm just concentrating on getting fit, scoring goals and getting
in the squad. "Hopefully something will come out of it but if not then it is
what it is."
One player also on the scoresheet at West Ham was Stoke and former England
striker Crouch. SSN reporter Kaveh Solhekol jokingly suggested to Crouch he
could link up with Carroll in Southgate's team. Crouch said: "I haven't
played for England for years and I'm not thinking about! I'm sure it's
different with Andy though.
"He is a different option. Why wouldn't you take him? We have a lot of
options upfront but he's proved tonight when called upon he can do the
business - but he has to stay fit."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS
By Tony Hanna 17 Apr 2018 at 03:21
WTID
The drip feed of points continues. Five points from our last three matches
in an unbeaten run isn't too bad for a team fighting relegation but that
masks the problems we had in trying to break down the worst defence in the
league last night. An excellent win against Southampton and a gritty display
at Chelsea was followed by a dominant but laboured performance against
Stoke. Had we taken three points last night I think we would all be feeling
a sense of relief that we were just about safe from the drop. We don't do
easy though, never have, and now this relegation fight is more like death by
a thousand cuts. However, there are still a lot of scenarios to play out in
this relegation battle. Have a look at Brighton's run home and you will see
just how things could change over the next few weeks. Burnley away and all
the top four still to play makes our run in look a little more palatable.
So, what of the performance last night? I thought we played fairly well,
controlled most of the game but of course we so nearly could have lost it.
Joe Hart's blunder with eleven minutes to play was his fourth of the season
that has led to a goal being conceded. He is also fourth in the "goalkeeping
error leading to a goal league" – two behind Petr Cech, but Hart has played
nearly half the games that the keepers above him have in this unfortunate
statistical table. It has again given Moyes a problem as to whether to keep
Hart in goal for the remainder of the season. It seems like Groundhog day
again as this seasons revolving door of Adrian or Hart mirrors last season's
similar scenario with Adrian and Randolph. Personally, I think Hart will
play this weekend but the game after is against Manchester City and he won't
be eligible to play in that one anyway.
On a brighter note Declan Rice again put in a fine performance. Despite Reid
and Collins being injured at present, I doubt either would be selected ahead
of the youngster if all three were available. Noble had a good game but the
rest of the team, whilst doing just enough to control most of the possession
(around 60%), rarely stamped themselves on the game. I had a little moan
last week about how we wasted our last minute corner kick at Chelsea.
Judging from our first corner kick last night it is still an area that needs
work. Playing another short corner the return pass caught us offside and I
don't know how many times I have used the analogy of Groundhog Day in my
articles recently! In some ways I can't wait for this season to end. If
Moyes is to remain he will at least be able to put his stamp on the team
during the transfer window. West Ham over the past two seasons have at times
been a difficult watch and with the players we have that should not be the
case. Injuries have taken their toll and have not made the job an easy one
for either Bilic or Moyes, but this side is screaming out for a Carvalho
type player.
Referee Michael Oliver had a couple of tough decisions to make in the
Champions League match between Real Madrid and Juventus last week but got
them both right. Last night we had three goals disallowed and the officials
were again correct in my opinion. There wasn't much in the offside call for
the first but Arnie was a fraction off. For the second he is definitely
interfering, again in an offside position, and Andy Carroll's handball was
plain to see before Hernandez rifled home from inside the box. It would be
nice to get a little rub of the green but we can't complain too much when
the refs get it right. Where I do think the officials erred last night
though was with the amount of added time at the end of the game. Stoke
committed a plethora of niggling fouls in the second half and the amount of
time taken up in restarting play from these indiscretions alone would have
amounted to the four minutes that were added. As for Ramadan's substitution
I am actually wondering if he is still making his way off right now? That
alone seemed to take four minutes!
David Moyes started with the team that grafted a point at Chelsea and I am
sure some critics would be questioning whether that was too negative an
approach? Arnautovic looked quite isolated at times and many promising
movements between him and Mario more often failed to produce anything that
might resemble cohesion. For the final minutes a front line of Carroll,
Arnie and Chico played ahead of Lanzini but I doubt we will ever see those
four start in a West Ham team. If Moyes had taken a more attacking approach
from the start and we lost the game, how would have Hammers fans reacted? At
the end of the day we snatched a point with a 90th minute equaliser from
Andy Carroll. We probably deserved more based on both teams overall
performance but as I stated early, we never do easy, and this relegation
fight looks like going all the way to the wire.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 18
Tuesday, April 17
Daily WHUFC News - 17th April 2018
Returning Carroll's volley earns point against Stoke City
WHUFC.com
A late finish from the returning Andy Carroll earned West Ham United a share of the spoils in Monday night's 1-1 draw against Stoke City. The striker - making his comeback from an injury layoff - latched on to an Aaron Cresswell cross to excellently volley into the bottom corner, after fellow substitute Peter Crouch put the Potters in front from close range. West Ham would put the ball into the back of the net a further three times in the match, but would see those efforts ruled out for offside and handball in a close contest at London Stadium. An early effort on goal from Arthur Masuaku was well saved by Jack Butland, before Arnautovic had a chance to test the goalkeeper. Joe Hart also had to show off his reflexes, getting down early to deny Bauer after Shaqiri played in the Stoke right-back, while the England shot-stopper also did well to keep out a driven shot from Mame Biram Diouf. The in-form Arnautovic combined well with Joao Mario throughout the first period, and looked the Hammers greatest threat, seeing an effort go just wide before Butland stopped the Austrian from finding the net. Ten minutes after the restart, it looked like Arnautovic had his goal. Aaron Cresswell drove into the midfield space and whipped across a fantastic ball, which the No7 coolly headed into the bottom corner. However, the forward was marginally offside. Just moments later, Diouf missed a big opportunity. Bauer drove down the right-flank and played in a low ball, which the Stoke striker could only send over the bar from a few yards out.
The effort from the Potters, and a substitution, seemed to push the Irons onto the offensive, as Cresswell again looked to supply a ball into the box. The crossed attempt was hacked clear, before Mark Noble had a curling shot blocked. Just after the hour, the Hammers had the ball in the back of the net again. This time, Edimilson Fernandes drove a lot shot from outside the penalty area, which Butland could not save, but once again the linesman's flag muted West Ham celebrations, with it ruled that Arnautovic had influenced play from the offside position. Cresswell then saw a low free-kick tipped away by Butland, before Fernandes made way for the introduction of Chicharito with 15 minutes remaining. The away side would take the lead on 78 minutes. Xherdan Shaqiri took a shot from the edge of the penalty area, which substitute Crouch tucked in from close range on the rebound. David Moyes would respond with the introduction of Manuel Lanzini on 80 minutes and Andy Carroll four minutes later, and it was the latter that would equalise in the closinng moments of the game. An excellent ball from Cresswell found the striker on the edge of the box, and Carroll superbly volleyed home into the bottom corner, levelling the match as the game ticked into extra time. There was still time for more drama as Chicharito seemed to have won the game in the dying embers of the contest, only for the Hammers to be denied for the third time by the officials, with Michael Oliver ruling that Carroll had handled the ball in the build-up.
West Ham United: Hart, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Kouyate, Noble (c), Masuaku (Lanzini 80'), Fernandes (Chicharito 75'), Joao Mario (Carroll 84'), Arnautovic
Subs: Adrian, Evra, Cullen, Lanzini, Carroll, Hugill, Chicharito
Goals: Carroll 90',
Stoke City: Butland, Martins Indi, Shawcross (c), Zouma, Bauer (Crouch 70'), Ndiaye, Allen, Pieters, Shaqiri, Sobhi (Cameron 62'), Diouf (Ireland 87')
Subs: Grant, Cameron, Campbell, Sorenson, Ireland, Fletcher, Crouch
Referee: Michael Oliver
Goals: Crouch 78',
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers beaten by Derby in penultimate fixture
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U23s could not continue their good end-of-season form as they went down 1-0 at an experienced Derby County side on Monday afternoon in Premier League 2. Jayden Bogle's early second half strike was enough to separate the two sides at the hosts' Training Centre and condemn Terry Westley's Hammers to a first defeat in over a month. Following wins on the road at Manchester City and Everton coming into the clash, the Hammers were in a confident mood however they started slowly against Darren Wassall's team, which contained the likes of George Thorne, Richard Keogh and Jamie Hanson. Derby were first to put the pressure on and tested Nathan Trott ten minutes in when experienced defender Keogh volleyed straight at the stopper from a corner. Nine minutes later, the visitors had their first attempt on goal, and it was a good one. Marcus Browne, fresh off the back of his four goal haul at Everton last week, cut in from the right-hand-side but was denied by Rams stopper Jonathan Mitchell. Keogh - playing as a defensive midfielder - was soon at it again, with Trott in hand to save a second time from a low 20-yard drive.
On 26 minutes, the referee on another day may have pointed to the penalty spot when Vashon Neufville received a clever Nathan Holland backheel pass and went down in the box, but the Hammers' appeals were waved away. Before the break, the hosts had their chances to go in in front, but both Jamie Hanson and Ethan Wassall spurned opportunities to score. But after the restart, there was the goal that Derby looked close to scoring as Bogle made it 1-0. A long ball over the top was misjudged by substitute Ajibola Alese and County's Alex Babos was able to turn and lay-off for the full-back who charged into the box before finishing easily past Trott.
West Ham sprung into life having gone behind, and with just over 20 minutes remaining went close to equalising. Holland, drifting in off the left-hand-side as he does so well, crossed to the back post but the rising Browne could only glance wide. Moments later, the skipper had an even more promising opening, but slashed wide a low drive from inside the box after he was released by Conor Coventry. Despite the visitors' late pressure, it was Derby who nearly added the next goal in injury time when Luke Thomas shifted the ball onto his left before curling towards the top corner, only for Trott to pluck out a tremendous save in the dying moments. It was, though, the hosts who were left celebrating three points at the full-time whistle, as West Ham contemplate Friday's London Stadium fixture against title-chasing Arsenal.
Derby County: Mitchell, Bogle, Buchannan, Keogh (Babos 46), Wassall, Bateman, Thorne, Hanson, Cresswell, Thomas, Eyoma.
Subs not used: Bird, Barnes, Walker, Sibley.
West Ham United: Trott, Johnson, Pask (Alese 9), Akinola, Neufville, Lewis (Afolayan 67), Coventry, Haksabanovic (Scully 80), Quina, Holland, Browne.
Subs not used: Anang, Powell.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Westley: We didn't have an edge at Derby
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley said his West Ham United U23 side did not have the same edge which won them away games at Liverpool, Manchester City and Everton on Monday as they were beaten 1-0 by Derby County. The Hammers came into the fixture in Premier League 2 off the back of two wins but, according to the Academy Director, started slowly and allowed the Rams into the match early on. Jayden Bogle scored the game's only goal early in the second half, though the visitors did have their chances to equalise, namely through Marcus Browne who scored four goals against Everton last week. But it was not to be for the Hammers who were facing an experienced Derby team containing the likes of Richard Keogh, George Thorne and Jamie Hanson. "Today was a hard game," admitted Westley. "They needed to win to keep their survival hopes going, which they have pretty much done now, and you could see how much it meant by the nature of their team; Thorne, Keogh, Hanson. "On the other hand, we had four U18s starting, so physically it always going to be a big task. I think that played a part for sure. It was very windy too, and the conditions weren't easy. "We also lost Josh Pask in the first ten minutes, and Aji [Alese] stepped in after playing 90 minutes for the U18s at the weekend.
"We did some very good things, but those good things have to start from minute one and we didn't quite have the same edge as we did at Liverpool, at City and Everton and if you don't, you get beat. "We did grow into the game though, and probably had enough opportunities to get something from it. I'd look back and think it was a good draw if we nicked something. "But we didn't start fast enough, and you only have to be a fraction off, and you'll be undone and that's what happened."
Conor Coventry and Alfie Lewis – both of whom were regulars for the U18s last season but have firmly established themselves in the PL2 side this campaign – started in midfield against the Rams' experienced lineup. And Westley explained those challenges are exactly what his young players need in order to prepare for future experiences in senior football. "That's the level our young players have to play, if you want to go out on loan and play against the Keoghs of this world; you need to go out and adapt to that," he continued. "Martin Samuelsen [on loan at Burton Albion] is now on 40 total Football League appearances in total, Moses [Makasi, on loan at Plymouth Argyle] has gone and adapted; that's the challenge of the young three midfield players now against their senior ones but it took us a little too long to get a foothold in the game today. "Now we have Arsenal at London Stadium on Friday; again, it will be very intense, because like we came here where they had to win to stay up, we play Arsenal who need to win to try and win the league."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Show us the evidence
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
The extent to which authorities went in order to paint West Ham supporters in the worst possible light - presumably in order to cover up their failings in relation to the Burnley pitch invasions - have been fully exposed. According to the minutes of a Stadium Safety Advisory Group (SSAG) meeting last month, a remarkable 152 seperate incidents were claimed to have taken place inside the stadium on the day of the match, which the visitors won 3-0 - prompting angry scenes around the Directors' Box. The Group, which consisted of members from Newham Council, the LLDC, E20, LS185 the Met and West Ham itself was told that "migration from the fans area had the hallmarks of a planned pitch incursion" - despite there being no evidence whatsoever of a coordinated plan of attack by supporters.
Indeed, it has been pointed out since on numerous occasions that a planned attack would have been practically impossible due to the inherent lack of available wifi inside the stadium. Meanwhile it was also claimed there was "mass migration of fans from the East Stand" and that stewards were "pushed to the ground, punched, shoved and had coins thrown at them". Additionally, it was suggested that "a potential unknown may have had a concealed weapon". Yet once again, there appears to be no supporting evidence for any of these claims - as is still the case with co-chairman David Sullivan, who similarly reported being hit by a coin before being escorted to safety during the fracas that unfurled in front of him and fellow chairman David Gold. The unsubstantiated allegation that supporters had pre-planned the attack on the Directors' Box was mentioned several times during the SSAG meeting according to the minutes, lending weight to suggestions that the authorities colluded in order to paint West Ham supporters in the poorest light possible. Yet later in the meeting it was revealed that LS185 had reduced the security team in size by 68 for the match, something they blamed on "current intelligence that the Burnley game was cetegorised as low risk" - despite a police risk assesment having noted that " if West Ham lost the game there could be potential of discord".
Additionally a LS185 Safety Officer's report stated that an audit of stewards was being carried out following "concerns about the quality of staff", whilst police officers on duty inside the ground on the day reported that "they overheard conversations regarding the quality of the stewards and their ability to deal with issues".
Meanwhile West Ham were advised to work with the Met's 'Protest Liaison Team' in order to "discuss and review the motivation of fans".
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham demand £12million for loan star
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are understood to have told Aston Villa it will cost them £12million to sign Robert Snodgrass on a permanent basis. The 30-year-old former Hull City winger featured just 15 times for the Hammers following a £10million January 2017 move from Humberside, before securing a season-long loan at Villa for whom he has been something of a revelation this season. The Birmingham-based side, who are currently on the verge of confirming a place in the Championship play-offs and who still retain an outside chance of winning automatic promotion are said to be keen to sign Snodgrass on full-time basis. However the chances of that almost certainly depend on the Villains securing promotion, whether automatically or via the play-offs else the Scottish international is almost certainly going to prove too expensive.
Although David Moyes suggested during the last transfer window that he would be interested in seeing what Snodgrass has to offer, the chances of the winger returning to West Ham are slim, at best, as a result of comments made by co-chairman David Sullivan. The player was sent on loan following a very public bust-up with the club's co-owner, who told a reporter that his two sons - Jack and Dave - begged him not to sign Snodgrass from Hull last year.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers eye French forward
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of several Premier League clubs taking a close look at Nice forward Alassane Plea, say reports. The 25-year-old, who began his career with Lyon has scored 19 goals in 41 appearances for the OGC this season and, as such, has seen his list of admirers grow rapidly - with the Hammers just one party said to be keeping tabs on his situation. And his form of late has been especially strong, having scored eight goals in his last five outings - including a four-ghoal haul in a 5-2 win at Guingamp last month. Yet to represent the full national side, Plea - who is contracted to Nice until 2021 and is said to have a €50million release clause - has represented France at all levels from Under 18 to Under 21 - a total of 26 appearances between 2010 and 2014. Leicester and Bournemouth are said to have already made enquiries into signing Plea, who would cost in the region of €25million to prise from Nice's hands. La Liga side Atletico Madrid have also expressed an interest, as have the Bundersliga's Borussia Monchengladbach.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marko Arnautovic compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic by David Moyes
Last Updated: 15/04/18 11:39pm
SSN
West Ham boss David Moyes says he had doubts about Marko Arnautovic's attitude but now believes he is like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Moyes has transformed the previously inconsistent winger into his side's talisman by playing him as an out-and-out striker, and the 28-year-old has scored nine goals since December to guide the Hammers to the verge of Premier League safety. West Ham are six points clear of the relegation zone and face Stoke on Monday night, live on Sky, in a game that could see Arnautovic push his former club closer to the Championship. Moyes admits he had serious doubts about Arnautovic's attitude when he took over from Slaven Bilic in November, but he now sees similarities between the Austrian and former Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic. "I was concerned, because I'd seen him play for Stoke sometimes and I didn't think he did all the running back defensively," said Moyes. "I was saying 'I'm coming to a team in the bottom three and if I'm not going to get all the players running, we're going to be in difficulty'. "That's why we had to find something which meant that maybe he wasn't quite as exposed to having to double up, help the full-back out. "We had to find a way of getting Marko into a different system. And we played around with it, it wasn't rocket science. "We didn't go out there with it really planned. He was the one that showed us, and going to centre-forward freed him up a little bit. I got him to run and close things down, and show that he really had that capability. "He's someone who needs the confidence, but I think he also needs the understanding of how you get to the levels you've got to. "Don't go back to walking around, don't go back to looking as if you're not interested. We need you fully interested.
West Ham United manager David Moyes is aiming for two more Premier League wins to avoid relegation and is calling on his players to go unbeaten until the end of the season. He is a little bit of a Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) inasmuch as the players look to him. He's got a leadership role which he needs to develop as well, for the club and for the team. "He's getting to an age now where he's going to influence players, and he's going to have to influence players around him, so he needs to be doing it by his leadership and performance. His performances have done it in many ways."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham icon Trevor Brooking on the club's latest rollercoaster ride
Last Updated: 16/04/18 7:30am
SSN
West Ham legend Trevor Brooking is hoping that the club can get a win against Stoke on Monday Night Football to end the threat of relegation and put a difficult season behind them. David Moyes' team are six points clear of the drop zone and victory against Stoke at the London Stadium would surely be enough to secure West Ham's Premier League status. Speaking at a Prostate Cancer UK golf day, the 69-year-old Brooking gave his verdict on the situation and discusses the stresses and strains that come with following West Ham. "I think a win on Monday would almost be enough," he said. "I think 37 points would be enough.
"Stoke have done quite well over recent games. They were quite unlucky to lose at Arsenal and then Spurs at home so we have to make sure we play well. But I think three points will mean the last month of the season will be more relaxed than it was the previous one. "It wouldn't be the same if we didn't have the rollercoaster of being a West Ham fan. You don't know what's around the corner. That's part of the attraction to a certain extent. "If you are challenging for trophies every year a lot of fans say it will be nice to find out but I don't think we will ever quite find that out. More than anything when the good times come it will be fantastic to look back on it. "Then sometimes, like in recent weeks you have some challenging issues that the club gets the wrong attention for. But during those moments the genuine fans seem to pull together in order to be want to be seen to be lifting the club. "That's what happened in the Southampton game and now for the remaining matches of the season, we just need to get the confirmation of the Premier League status and then look at what can be done in the summer to try and make sure we don't have another rollercoaster. "From a playing point of view, West Ham like to put us through the ringer most seasons. It would be nice halfway through the season to be looking top half rather than the bottom half."
Brooking, whose family have been touched by prostate cancer, is backing the charity's Football March for Men which takes place on Sunday July 22, with the London Stadium one of four starting points for an event that ends at Wembley. "Football has been very strong regarding prostate cancer with the Soccer Saturday panel and managers always wearing the 'Man of Men' pin badge," he added. "I always wear mine and it's great to see more and more people now knowing what it means as the charity becomes more well known. Football is our national sport and having all those managers wearing them can hopefully encourage that one reluctant person to take that extra step. "If, fingers crossed, West Ham get a win in the next week or two in order to make sure of their Premier League status at London Stadium for a third season, then I think the celebration of stretching your legs to Wembley seems like a good idea. "More than anything you are given the opportunity to raise awareness of prostate cancer and raise some funds. Om the back of hopefully staying up I think there may well be a few West Ham fans that decide to take part."
Many are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. For the first time, the number of men dying from prostate cancer every year has overtaken the number of women dying from breast cancer, making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes, but fans are fighting back to make prostate cancer a disease that the next generation of men do not fear.
To sign up for the March for Men or find out more information go to: www.prostatecanceruk.org/footballmarch
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Stoke City 1: Andy Carroll goal rescues Hammers in Premier League relegation battle at London Stadium
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ at London Stadium
ES Sport
Andy Carroll spared West Ham's blushes as his added-time goal rescued a point for the Hammers against Stoke City at the London Stadium on Monday night.
In a nervy game between two clubs fighting against the drop, it was Stoke who opened the scoring in the 79th minute when Xherdan Shaqiri's powerful, long-range effort was parried out by Joe Hart, which allowed substitute Peter Crouch to fire in from close range. West Ham had seemed in control before the strike - with the hosts having two goals ruled out for offside - and they managed to fight their way back into the game with Carroll's sweet volley in the 90th minute.
The Hammers had another goal then disallowed, but they held on to secure a 1-1 comeback draw that moves them into 14th place - seven points above the drop zone - while Stoke remain stuck in 19th place.
After going to Stamford Bridge and securing a 1-1 draw against champions Chelsea last weekend, Moyes and his West Ham side had their eyes firmly fixed on the visit of Stoke because of the importance of the game in terms of the fight against relegation. Stoke were in desperate need of all three points, with the Potters coming into the game languishing in 19th place, while the Hammers sat in 15th place - six points above the drop zone. With Huddersfield and Crystal Palace both winning at the weekend, West Ham knew that victory on Monday would move them one step closer to survival.
And, indeed, it seemed the game plan for both sides was to get an early goal - with Jack Butland being forced to save from Arthur Masuaku in just the third minute and Joe Hart having to deal with Joe Allen's long-range effort. Marko Arnautovic, playing against his former side and being booed by the travelling Stoke fans every time he touched the ball, was West Ham's brightest spark in an otherwise dull first-half. The Austrian first drove a low shot wide of the far post just after the half-hour mark before his close-range effort, set up by Pablo Zabaleta, was kept out of the visiting goal - by Butland's face.
Neither manager made a change at the break, with Stoke threatening just minutes into the second period when Shaqiri latched onto a cut-back but, instead of going for goal, tried to play one of his teammates in. Unfortunately for the Stoke forward, no one was there to fire the ball in from close range, which allowed West Ham to clear the danger. As the game progressed, and the score-line stood at 0-0, the sense of anxiety in the home end was clear to sense - with some supporters near the press box shouting at their team to either go for goal or clear the ball. And the urgency from the home fans seemed to rub off on the players, with Aaron Cresswell's long-ball into the area being delicately headed past Butland by Arnautovic - only for the offside flag to deny the forward the opener. Stoke reacted straight away when a through-ball found Moritz Bauer, whose cut-back was then latched onto by Mame Biram Diouf although he fired over the bar despite being just in front of the goal. West Ham upped their tempo and saw another goal chalked off, this time, because an offside Arnautovic was deemed to have interfered with play as Edimilson Fernandes' low shot flew into the goal. The hosts were in the ascendancy and, sensing his side could secure all three points with added firepower up front, Javier Hernandez - who scored the equaliser against Chelsea last weekend - was sent on. But instead of West Ham scoring, it was Stoke who did so - after an error from Hart. The goalkeeper failed to claim Shaqiri's long-range effort, which allowed Crouch to fire the ball in from a few yards out. Moyes reacted by sending on Manuel Lanzini and Carroll - who, playing in his first game since January, made the difference when he stroked home Aaron Cresswell's cross to rescue a point for West Ham.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham news: Stoke back up Michael Oliver after referee caught in controversy AGAIN
WEST HAM had two goals ruled out against Stoke on Monday night - and the visitors age referee Michael Oliver their full backing over the decisions.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 21:52, Mon, Apr 16, 2018 | UPDATED: 21:52, Mon, Apr 16, 2018
Express.co.uk
West Ham and Stoke battled out a relegation six-pointer at the London Stadium. But the Hammers were controversially denied a goal midway through the second half. Marko Arnautovic had already had a header ruled out for offside when Edimilson Fernandes rifled into the net on 67 minuets. But referee Oliver blew up after deeming Arnautovic - who was in an offside position - to have interfered with the goalkeeper's view, even though he didn't touch the ball. Fernandes was fuming with the referee's decision and West Ham fans voiced their displeasure in the stands. But Stoke were in agreement with the referee over the offside call.
Stoke City FC
@stokecity
66' OFFSIDE! Michael Oliver makes the call, before his assistant referee puts up his flag. Arnautovic is offside as the ball goes in, interfering with play, good decision (0-0) #SCFC
9:24 PM - Apr 16, 2018
Their official Twitter account posted: "66' OFFSIDE! Michael Oliver makes the call, before his assistant referee puts up his flag. Arnautovic is offside as the ball goes in, interfering with play, good decision (0-0)" Oliver's decision appeared to be the correct one but it did put him under the spotlight for the second time in a week.
Last Wednesday the 42-year-old was the centre of much controversy after awarding Real Madrid a soft penalty in their 3-1 Champions League defeat to Juventus.
The penalty - converted by Cristiano Ronaldo in stoppage time - saw Real sneak into the Champions League semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate. Juventus were irate and Oliver and his wife, who is also a referee, were subsequently sent threats. But UEFA stood by their referee. Oliver was back in action on Saturday as the fourth official in Huddersfield's late 1-0 win over Watford. And he oversaw a 1-1 draw in east London on Monday night as West Ham hit back through Andy Carroll after Peter Crouch had opened the scoring.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM COULD ALLOW HUGILL TO LEAVE ON LOAN
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
According to a report from Football London, West Ham may be willing to offload Jordan Hugill if they remain in the Premier League next season. The striker was recruited in the January transfer window late on as the Hammers aimed to bolster the attacking options at David Moyes' disposal for the rest of the season. Hugill has been little more than a last resort option in the first-team for Moyes, however, and his future at West Ham seems unlikely. It's claimed by Football London that Hugill was signed by the club's board as a contingency plan ahead of next season, solely in case they succumbed to relegation down to the Championship. With West Ham edging closer to securing their Premier League status ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, though, it seems Hugill's services will not be required beyond the summer transfer window. An initial loan deal is likely for Hugill, who has not enjoyed success with West Ham since his move from Preston.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS 'PLOT £20M BIDS' TO SNATCH WEST HAM ACE
Date: 16th April 2018 at 7:33pm
Written by: Josh Challies
Forever WestHam
West Ham face a stern fight in the summer market to keep their key players at the club, amidst rising interest from their Premier League rivals. Reports last week revealed that both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are keen on the services of Arthur Masuaku this summer, with The Sun now adding that both sides are plotting a £20m bid for the full-back. A potential departure for the France defender comes amidst wholesale changes that could occur within West Ham's ranks, with the report also discussing Moyes' interest in the likes of Alassane Plea and Shinji Kagawa. However, losing Masuaku, who has returned from suspension in fine form, would be a significant blow to West Ham- particularly as Moyes is already facing a wealth of work to rebuild the side's defensive ranks this summer. A new goalkeeper and centre-back are already on the agenda, whilst full-backs have also been linked with a move to the London Stadium to increase the club's depth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
A late finish from the returning Andy Carroll earned West Ham United a share of the spoils in Monday night's 1-1 draw against Stoke City. The striker - making his comeback from an injury layoff - latched on to an Aaron Cresswell cross to excellently volley into the bottom corner, after fellow substitute Peter Crouch put the Potters in front from close range. West Ham would put the ball into the back of the net a further three times in the match, but would see those efforts ruled out for offside and handball in a close contest at London Stadium. An early effort on goal from Arthur Masuaku was well saved by Jack Butland, before Arnautovic had a chance to test the goalkeeper. Joe Hart also had to show off his reflexes, getting down early to deny Bauer after Shaqiri played in the Stoke right-back, while the England shot-stopper also did well to keep out a driven shot from Mame Biram Diouf. The in-form Arnautovic combined well with Joao Mario throughout the first period, and looked the Hammers greatest threat, seeing an effort go just wide before Butland stopped the Austrian from finding the net. Ten minutes after the restart, it looked like Arnautovic had his goal. Aaron Cresswell drove into the midfield space and whipped across a fantastic ball, which the No7 coolly headed into the bottom corner. However, the forward was marginally offside. Just moments later, Diouf missed a big opportunity. Bauer drove down the right-flank and played in a low ball, which the Stoke striker could only send over the bar from a few yards out.
The effort from the Potters, and a substitution, seemed to push the Irons onto the offensive, as Cresswell again looked to supply a ball into the box. The crossed attempt was hacked clear, before Mark Noble had a curling shot blocked. Just after the hour, the Hammers had the ball in the back of the net again. This time, Edimilson Fernandes drove a lot shot from outside the penalty area, which Butland could not save, but once again the linesman's flag muted West Ham celebrations, with it ruled that Arnautovic had influenced play from the offside position. Cresswell then saw a low free-kick tipped away by Butland, before Fernandes made way for the introduction of Chicharito with 15 minutes remaining. The away side would take the lead on 78 minutes. Xherdan Shaqiri took a shot from the edge of the penalty area, which substitute Crouch tucked in from close range on the rebound. David Moyes would respond with the introduction of Manuel Lanzini on 80 minutes and Andy Carroll four minutes later, and it was the latter that would equalise in the closinng moments of the game. An excellent ball from Cresswell found the striker on the edge of the box, and Carroll superbly volleyed home into the bottom corner, levelling the match as the game ticked into extra time. There was still time for more drama as Chicharito seemed to have won the game in the dying embers of the contest, only for the Hammers to be denied for the third time by the officials, with Michael Oliver ruling that Carroll had handled the ball in the build-up.
West Ham United: Hart, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Kouyate, Noble (c), Masuaku (Lanzini 80'), Fernandes (Chicharito 75'), Joao Mario (Carroll 84'), Arnautovic
Subs: Adrian, Evra, Cullen, Lanzini, Carroll, Hugill, Chicharito
Goals: Carroll 90',
Stoke City: Butland, Martins Indi, Shawcross (c), Zouma, Bauer (Crouch 70'), Ndiaye, Allen, Pieters, Shaqiri, Sobhi (Cameron 62'), Diouf (Ireland 87')
Subs: Grant, Cameron, Campbell, Sorenson, Ireland, Fletcher, Crouch
Referee: Michael Oliver
Goals: Crouch 78',
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers beaten by Derby in penultimate fixture
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U23s could not continue their good end-of-season form as they went down 1-0 at an experienced Derby County side on Monday afternoon in Premier League 2. Jayden Bogle's early second half strike was enough to separate the two sides at the hosts' Training Centre and condemn Terry Westley's Hammers to a first defeat in over a month. Following wins on the road at Manchester City and Everton coming into the clash, the Hammers were in a confident mood however they started slowly against Darren Wassall's team, which contained the likes of George Thorne, Richard Keogh and Jamie Hanson. Derby were first to put the pressure on and tested Nathan Trott ten minutes in when experienced defender Keogh volleyed straight at the stopper from a corner. Nine minutes later, the visitors had their first attempt on goal, and it was a good one. Marcus Browne, fresh off the back of his four goal haul at Everton last week, cut in from the right-hand-side but was denied by Rams stopper Jonathan Mitchell. Keogh - playing as a defensive midfielder - was soon at it again, with Trott in hand to save a second time from a low 20-yard drive.
On 26 minutes, the referee on another day may have pointed to the penalty spot when Vashon Neufville received a clever Nathan Holland backheel pass and went down in the box, but the Hammers' appeals were waved away. Before the break, the hosts had their chances to go in in front, but both Jamie Hanson and Ethan Wassall spurned opportunities to score. But after the restart, there was the goal that Derby looked close to scoring as Bogle made it 1-0. A long ball over the top was misjudged by substitute Ajibola Alese and County's Alex Babos was able to turn and lay-off for the full-back who charged into the box before finishing easily past Trott.
West Ham sprung into life having gone behind, and with just over 20 minutes remaining went close to equalising. Holland, drifting in off the left-hand-side as he does so well, crossed to the back post but the rising Browne could only glance wide. Moments later, the skipper had an even more promising opening, but slashed wide a low drive from inside the box after he was released by Conor Coventry. Despite the visitors' late pressure, it was Derby who nearly added the next goal in injury time when Luke Thomas shifted the ball onto his left before curling towards the top corner, only for Trott to pluck out a tremendous save in the dying moments. It was, though, the hosts who were left celebrating three points at the full-time whistle, as West Ham contemplate Friday's London Stadium fixture against title-chasing Arsenal.
Derby County: Mitchell, Bogle, Buchannan, Keogh (Babos 46), Wassall, Bateman, Thorne, Hanson, Cresswell, Thomas, Eyoma.
Subs not used: Bird, Barnes, Walker, Sibley.
West Ham United: Trott, Johnson, Pask (Alese 9), Akinola, Neufville, Lewis (Afolayan 67), Coventry, Haksabanovic (Scully 80), Quina, Holland, Browne.
Subs not used: Anang, Powell.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Westley: We didn't have an edge at Derby
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley said his West Ham United U23 side did not have the same edge which won them away games at Liverpool, Manchester City and Everton on Monday as they were beaten 1-0 by Derby County. The Hammers came into the fixture in Premier League 2 off the back of two wins but, according to the Academy Director, started slowly and allowed the Rams into the match early on. Jayden Bogle scored the game's only goal early in the second half, though the visitors did have their chances to equalise, namely through Marcus Browne who scored four goals against Everton last week. But it was not to be for the Hammers who were facing an experienced Derby team containing the likes of Richard Keogh, George Thorne and Jamie Hanson. "Today was a hard game," admitted Westley. "They needed to win to keep their survival hopes going, which they have pretty much done now, and you could see how much it meant by the nature of their team; Thorne, Keogh, Hanson. "On the other hand, we had four U18s starting, so physically it always going to be a big task. I think that played a part for sure. It was very windy too, and the conditions weren't easy. "We also lost Josh Pask in the first ten minutes, and Aji [Alese] stepped in after playing 90 minutes for the U18s at the weekend.
"We did some very good things, but those good things have to start from minute one and we didn't quite have the same edge as we did at Liverpool, at City and Everton and if you don't, you get beat. "We did grow into the game though, and probably had enough opportunities to get something from it. I'd look back and think it was a good draw if we nicked something. "But we didn't start fast enough, and you only have to be a fraction off, and you'll be undone and that's what happened."
Conor Coventry and Alfie Lewis – both of whom were regulars for the U18s last season but have firmly established themselves in the PL2 side this campaign – started in midfield against the Rams' experienced lineup. And Westley explained those challenges are exactly what his young players need in order to prepare for future experiences in senior football. "That's the level our young players have to play, if you want to go out on loan and play against the Keoghs of this world; you need to go out and adapt to that," he continued. "Martin Samuelsen [on loan at Burton Albion] is now on 40 total Football League appearances in total, Moses [Makasi, on loan at Plymouth Argyle] has gone and adapted; that's the challenge of the young three midfield players now against their senior ones but it took us a little too long to get a foothold in the game today. "Now we have Arsenal at London Stadium on Friday; again, it will be very intense, because like we came here where they had to win to stay up, we play Arsenal who need to win to try and win the league."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Show us the evidence
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
The extent to which authorities went in order to paint West Ham supporters in the worst possible light - presumably in order to cover up their failings in relation to the Burnley pitch invasions - have been fully exposed. According to the minutes of a Stadium Safety Advisory Group (SSAG) meeting last month, a remarkable 152 seperate incidents were claimed to have taken place inside the stadium on the day of the match, which the visitors won 3-0 - prompting angry scenes around the Directors' Box. The Group, which consisted of members from Newham Council, the LLDC, E20, LS185 the Met and West Ham itself was told that "migration from the fans area had the hallmarks of a planned pitch incursion" - despite there being no evidence whatsoever of a coordinated plan of attack by supporters.
Indeed, it has been pointed out since on numerous occasions that a planned attack would have been practically impossible due to the inherent lack of available wifi inside the stadium. Meanwhile it was also claimed there was "mass migration of fans from the East Stand" and that stewards were "pushed to the ground, punched, shoved and had coins thrown at them". Additionally, it was suggested that "a potential unknown may have had a concealed weapon". Yet once again, there appears to be no supporting evidence for any of these claims - as is still the case with co-chairman David Sullivan, who similarly reported being hit by a coin before being escorted to safety during the fracas that unfurled in front of him and fellow chairman David Gold. The unsubstantiated allegation that supporters had pre-planned the attack on the Directors' Box was mentioned several times during the SSAG meeting according to the minutes, lending weight to suggestions that the authorities colluded in order to paint West Ham supporters in the poorest light possible. Yet later in the meeting it was revealed that LS185 had reduced the security team in size by 68 for the match, something they blamed on "current intelligence that the Burnley game was cetegorised as low risk" - despite a police risk assesment having noted that " if West Ham lost the game there could be potential of discord".
Additionally a LS185 Safety Officer's report stated that an audit of stewards was being carried out following "concerns about the quality of staff", whilst police officers on duty inside the ground on the day reported that "they overheard conversations regarding the quality of the stewards and their ability to deal with issues".
Meanwhile West Ham were advised to work with the Met's 'Protest Liaison Team' in order to "discuss and review the motivation of fans".
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham demand £12million for loan star
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are understood to have told Aston Villa it will cost them £12million to sign Robert Snodgrass on a permanent basis. The 30-year-old former Hull City winger featured just 15 times for the Hammers following a £10million January 2017 move from Humberside, before securing a season-long loan at Villa for whom he has been something of a revelation this season. The Birmingham-based side, who are currently on the verge of confirming a place in the Championship play-offs and who still retain an outside chance of winning automatic promotion are said to be keen to sign Snodgrass on full-time basis. However the chances of that almost certainly depend on the Villains securing promotion, whether automatically or via the play-offs else the Scottish international is almost certainly going to prove too expensive.
Although David Moyes suggested during the last transfer window that he would be interested in seeing what Snodgrass has to offer, the chances of the winger returning to West Ham are slim, at best, as a result of comments made by co-chairman David Sullivan. The player was sent on loan following a very public bust-up with the club's co-owner, who told a reporter that his two sons - Jack and Dave - begged him not to sign Snodgrass from Hull last year.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers eye French forward
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of several Premier League clubs taking a close look at Nice forward Alassane Plea, say reports. The 25-year-old, who began his career with Lyon has scored 19 goals in 41 appearances for the OGC this season and, as such, has seen his list of admirers grow rapidly - with the Hammers just one party said to be keeping tabs on his situation. And his form of late has been especially strong, having scored eight goals in his last five outings - including a four-ghoal haul in a 5-2 win at Guingamp last month. Yet to represent the full national side, Plea - who is contracted to Nice until 2021 and is said to have a €50million release clause - has represented France at all levels from Under 18 to Under 21 - a total of 26 appearances between 2010 and 2014. Leicester and Bournemouth are said to have already made enquiries into signing Plea, who would cost in the region of €25million to prise from Nice's hands. La Liga side Atletico Madrid have also expressed an interest, as have the Bundersliga's Borussia Monchengladbach.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marko Arnautovic compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic by David Moyes
Last Updated: 15/04/18 11:39pm
SSN
West Ham boss David Moyes says he had doubts about Marko Arnautovic's attitude but now believes he is like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Moyes has transformed the previously inconsistent winger into his side's talisman by playing him as an out-and-out striker, and the 28-year-old has scored nine goals since December to guide the Hammers to the verge of Premier League safety. West Ham are six points clear of the relegation zone and face Stoke on Monday night, live on Sky, in a game that could see Arnautovic push his former club closer to the Championship. Moyes admits he had serious doubts about Arnautovic's attitude when he took over from Slaven Bilic in November, but he now sees similarities between the Austrian and former Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic. "I was concerned, because I'd seen him play for Stoke sometimes and I didn't think he did all the running back defensively," said Moyes. "I was saying 'I'm coming to a team in the bottom three and if I'm not going to get all the players running, we're going to be in difficulty'. "That's why we had to find something which meant that maybe he wasn't quite as exposed to having to double up, help the full-back out. "We had to find a way of getting Marko into a different system. And we played around with it, it wasn't rocket science. "We didn't go out there with it really planned. He was the one that showed us, and going to centre-forward freed him up a little bit. I got him to run and close things down, and show that he really had that capability. "He's someone who needs the confidence, but I think he also needs the understanding of how you get to the levels you've got to. "Don't go back to walking around, don't go back to looking as if you're not interested. We need you fully interested.
West Ham United manager David Moyes is aiming for two more Premier League wins to avoid relegation and is calling on his players to go unbeaten until the end of the season. He is a little bit of a Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) inasmuch as the players look to him. He's got a leadership role which he needs to develop as well, for the club and for the team. "He's getting to an age now where he's going to influence players, and he's going to have to influence players around him, so he needs to be doing it by his leadership and performance. His performances have done it in many ways."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham icon Trevor Brooking on the club's latest rollercoaster ride
Last Updated: 16/04/18 7:30am
SSN
West Ham legend Trevor Brooking is hoping that the club can get a win against Stoke on Monday Night Football to end the threat of relegation and put a difficult season behind them. David Moyes' team are six points clear of the drop zone and victory against Stoke at the London Stadium would surely be enough to secure West Ham's Premier League status. Speaking at a Prostate Cancer UK golf day, the 69-year-old Brooking gave his verdict on the situation and discusses the stresses and strains that come with following West Ham. "I think a win on Monday would almost be enough," he said. "I think 37 points would be enough.
"Stoke have done quite well over recent games. They were quite unlucky to lose at Arsenal and then Spurs at home so we have to make sure we play well. But I think three points will mean the last month of the season will be more relaxed than it was the previous one. "It wouldn't be the same if we didn't have the rollercoaster of being a West Ham fan. You don't know what's around the corner. That's part of the attraction to a certain extent. "If you are challenging for trophies every year a lot of fans say it will be nice to find out but I don't think we will ever quite find that out. More than anything when the good times come it will be fantastic to look back on it. "Then sometimes, like in recent weeks you have some challenging issues that the club gets the wrong attention for. But during those moments the genuine fans seem to pull together in order to be want to be seen to be lifting the club. "That's what happened in the Southampton game and now for the remaining matches of the season, we just need to get the confirmation of the Premier League status and then look at what can be done in the summer to try and make sure we don't have another rollercoaster. "From a playing point of view, West Ham like to put us through the ringer most seasons. It would be nice halfway through the season to be looking top half rather than the bottom half."
Brooking, whose family have been touched by prostate cancer, is backing the charity's Football March for Men which takes place on Sunday July 22, with the London Stadium one of four starting points for an event that ends at Wembley. "Football has been very strong regarding prostate cancer with the Soccer Saturday panel and managers always wearing the 'Man of Men' pin badge," he added. "I always wear mine and it's great to see more and more people now knowing what it means as the charity becomes more well known. Football is our national sport and having all those managers wearing them can hopefully encourage that one reluctant person to take that extra step. "If, fingers crossed, West Ham get a win in the next week or two in order to make sure of their Premier League status at London Stadium for a third season, then I think the celebration of stretching your legs to Wembley seems like a good idea. "More than anything you are given the opportunity to raise awareness of prostate cancer and raise some funds. Om the back of hopefully staying up I think there may well be a few West Ham fans that decide to take part."
Many are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. For the first time, the number of men dying from prostate cancer every year has overtaken the number of women dying from breast cancer, making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes, but fans are fighting back to make prostate cancer a disease that the next generation of men do not fear.
To sign up for the March for Men or find out more information go to: www.prostatecanceruk.org/footballmarch
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Stoke City 1: Andy Carroll goal rescues Hammers in Premier League relegation battle at London Stadium
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ at London Stadium
ES Sport
Andy Carroll spared West Ham's blushes as his added-time goal rescued a point for the Hammers against Stoke City at the London Stadium on Monday night.
In a nervy game between two clubs fighting against the drop, it was Stoke who opened the scoring in the 79th minute when Xherdan Shaqiri's powerful, long-range effort was parried out by Joe Hart, which allowed substitute Peter Crouch to fire in from close range. West Ham had seemed in control before the strike - with the hosts having two goals ruled out for offside - and they managed to fight their way back into the game with Carroll's sweet volley in the 90th minute.
The Hammers had another goal then disallowed, but they held on to secure a 1-1 comeback draw that moves them into 14th place - seven points above the drop zone - while Stoke remain stuck in 19th place.
After going to Stamford Bridge and securing a 1-1 draw against champions Chelsea last weekend, Moyes and his West Ham side had their eyes firmly fixed on the visit of Stoke because of the importance of the game in terms of the fight against relegation. Stoke were in desperate need of all three points, with the Potters coming into the game languishing in 19th place, while the Hammers sat in 15th place - six points above the drop zone. With Huddersfield and Crystal Palace both winning at the weekend, West Ham knew that victory on Monday would move them one step closer to survival.
And, indeed, it seemed the game plan for both sides was to get an early goal - with Jack Butland being forced to save from Arthur Masuaku in just the third minute and Joe Hart having to deal with Joe Allen's long-range effort. Marko Arnautovic, playing against his former side and being booed by the travelling Stoke fans every time he touched the ball, was West Ham's brightest spark in an otherwise dull first-half. The Austrian first drove a low shot wide of the far post just after the half-hour mark before his close-range effort, set up by Pablo Zabaleta, was kept out of the visiting goal - by Butland's face.
Neither manager made a change at the break, with Stoke threatening just minutes into the second period when Shaqiri latched onto a cut-back but, instead of going for goal, tried to play one of his teammates in. Unfortunately for the Stoke forward, no one was there to fire the ball in from close range, which allowed West Ham to clear the danger. As the game progressed, and the score-line stood at 0-0, the sense of anxiety in the home end was clear to sense - with some supporters near the press box shouting at their team to either go for goal or clear the ball. And the urgency from the home fans seemed to rub off on the players, with Aaron Cresswell's long-ball into the area being delicately headed past Butland by Arnautovic - only for the offside flag to deny the forward the opener. Stoke reacted straight away when a through-ball found Moritz Bauer, whose cut-back was then latched onto by Mame Biram Diouf although he fired over the bar despite being just in front of the goal. West Ham upped their tempo and saw another goal chalked off, this time, because an offside Arnautovic was deemed to have interfered with play as Edimilson Fernandes' low shot flew into the goal. The hosts were in the ascendancy and, sensing his side could secure all three points with added firepower up front, Javier Hernandez - who scored the equaliser against Chelsea last weekend - was sent on. But instead of West Ham scoring, it was Stoke who did so - after an error from Hart. The goalkeeper failed to claim Shaqiri's long-range effort, which allowed Crouch to fire the ball in from a few yards out. Moyes reacted by sending on Manuel Lanzini and Carroll - who, playing in his first game since January, made the difference when he stroked home Aaron Cresswell's cross to rescue a point for West Ham.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham news: Stoke back up Michael Oliver after referee caught in controversy AGAIN
WEST HAM had two goals ruled out against Stoke on Monday night - and the visitors age referee Michael Oliver their full backing over the decisions.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 21:52, Mon, Apr 16, 2018 | UPDATED: 21:52, Mon, Apr 16, 2018
Express.co.uk
West Ham and Stoke battled out a relegation six-pointer at the London Stadium. But the Hammers were controversially denied a goal midway through the second half. Marko Arnautovic had already had a header ruled out for offside when Edimilson Fernandes rifled into the net on 67 minuets. But referee Oliver blew up after deeming Arnautovic - who was in an offside position - to have interfered with the goalkeeper's view, even though he didn't touch the ball. Fernandes was fuming with the referee's decision and West Ham fans voiced their displeasure in the stands. But Stoke were in agreement with the referee over the offside call.
Stoke City FC
@stokecity
66' OFFSIDE! Michael Oliver makes the call, before his assistant referee puts up his flag. Arnautovic is offside as the ball goes in, interfering with play, good decision (0-0) #SCFC
9:24 PM - Apr 16, 2018
Their official Twitter account posted: "66' OFFSIDE! Michael Oliver makes the call, before his assistant referee puts up his flag. Arnautovic is offside as the ball goes in, interfering with play, good decision (0-0)" Oliver's decision appeared to be the correct one but it did put him under the spotlight for the second time in a week.
Last Wednesday the 42-year-old was the centre of much controversy after awarding Real Madrid a soft penalty in their 3-1 Champions League defeat to Juventus.
The penalty - converted by Cristiano Ronaldo in stoppage time - saw Real sneak into the Champions League semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate. Juventus were irate and Oliver and his wife, who is also a referee, were subsequently sent threats. But UEFA stood by their referee. Oliver was back in action on Saturday as the fourth official in Huddersfield's late 1-0 win over Watford. And he oversaw a 1-1 draw in east London on Monday night as West Ham hit back through Andy Carroll after Peter Crouch had opened the scoring.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM COULD ALLOW HUGILL TO LEAVE ON LOAN
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
According to a report from Football London, West Ham may be willing to offload Jordan Hugill if they remain in the Premier League next season. The striker was recruited in the January transfer window late on as the Hammers aimed to bolster the attacking options at David Moyes' disposal for the rest of the season. Hugill has been little more than a last resort option in the first-team for Moyes, however, and his future at West Ham seems unlikely. It's claimed by Football London that Hugill was signed by the club's board as a contingency plan ahead of next season, solely in case they succumbed to relegation down to the Championship. With West Ham edging closer to securing their Premier League status ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, though, it seems Hugill's services will not be required beyond the summer transfer window. An initial loan deal is likely for Hugill, who has not enjoyed success with West Ham since his move from Preston.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS 'PLOT £20M BIDS' TO SNATCH WEST HAM ACE
Date: 16th April 2018 at 7:33pm
Written by: Josh Challies
Forever WestHam
West Ham face a stern fight in the summer market to keep their key players at the club, amidst rising interest from their Premier League rivals. Reports last week revealed that both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are keen on the services of Arthur Masuaku this summer, with The Sun now adding that both sides are plotting a £20m bid for the full-back. A potential departure for the France defender comes amidst wholesale changes that could occur within West Ham's ranks, with the report also discussing Moyes' interest in the likes of Alassane Plea and Shinji Kagawa. However, losing Masuaku, who has returned from suspension in fine form, would be a significant blow to West Ham- particularly as Moyes is already facing a wealth of work to rebuild the side's defensive ranks this summer. A new goalkeeper and centre-back are already on the agenda, whilst full-backs have also been linked with a move to the London Stadium to increase the club's depth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, April 16
Daily WHUFC News - 16th April 2018
West Ham United Ladies win WPL Plate with Luton victory
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies secured their second trophy in two weeks – the FA WPL
Plate – with a 5-0 victory over Luton Town Ladies in the final. A great
goal from Amber Stobbs and a fantastic Kelly Wealthall finish put the
Hammers in front at the break, before Ellie Zoepfl made it 3-0 to the Irons
just four minutes after the restart. Rosie Kmita curled home a terrific
finish not long after the hour mark before Zoepfl killed the game in the
dying minutes, tucking home and securing the Plate for Karen Ray's side. The
first period displayed its first shot of the game on eight minutes as
captain Kmita fired an effort across goal, which was just wide of the far
post. Zoepfl next came close for the Irons, sending a header just wide,
before some stern Luton defending saw the last defender clear the ball off
the line three times in quick succession. The deadlock was broken on 25
minutes. Stobbs collected the ball inside Luton territory and turned,
driving into space. Her shot from 25 yards found the back of the goal via
the crossbar. Just four minutes later it was 2-0. An error from Luton's
defence allowed Wealthall to slip in and the 17-year-old, who scored twice
in the semi-final win over Hull City, was clinical in adding to the Hammers'
advantage. The defence impressed in the first half, keeping Luton largely
at bay, although the away side did see an effort kept out by Cara Connatser
while also looked dangerous on the counter.
Just a couple of minutes into the second period, the Hammers had their third
goal, as Ellie Zoepfl collected possession and calmly slotted under the
goalkeeper to increase the Irons' lead. The forward also saw an effort come
back off the base of the post, while Kmita's header was wide from two yards
out. Luton goalkeeper Kezia Hassall gave a fine account of herself, making
crucial stops to deny Kmita, Stobbs and Zoepfl, but eventually the Irons
found their fourth through the captain.
Hassall rushed out to meet a through-ball, challenging Wealthall. The ball
fell kindly to Kmita who calmly lobbed the defence from the edge of the
penalty area, adding the Hammers' fourth goal. Kmita's finish was West Ham's
50th goal in 2018 but there was still time for the 51st, as Zoepfl adding a
fifth – and her second of the game – late on, sending the WPL Plate back to
London with the Ladies.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
West Ham United welcome Stoke City in the Premier League to London Stadium
for a match under the lights.
Read on for all the information you need ahead of this weekend's contest.
Where and when?
The Hammers will welcome Stoke City to London Stadium on Monday 16 April
2018.
The contest is scheduled for a 8pm kick-off.
How to follow:
This match is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK. Coverage begins
at 7pm.
Channels: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League
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.
Team news:
West Ham should be given the boost with three players returning to training
recently. The trio, Andy Carroll, James Collins and Manuel Lanzini, could
potentially be fit for the match this Monday, after manager David Moyes said
the three players were back on the training fields. Andy is back in
training," Moyes confirmed. "We got him back at the start of the week and we
will keep monitoring him. He's trained for a few days, so we'll see how he
is. He's obviously not played for eleven weeks, and I've got that in my mind
as well. "He's champing at the bit, but that's the same for the other
players we've had out like Manuel Lanzini and James Collins who have only
been out for four or five weeks."
Pedro Obiang, Winston Reid and Sam Byram remain unavailable for the Hammers
What they say:
"A win would be a big step. This game is massive. It's a big game for us,
for the Club, and for the fans. We will go all together on Monday and we
will try as hard as we can to get the three points." Marko Arnautovic
Match Officials:
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt and Daniel Cook
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson
How to get there:
There are four stations that supporters should utilise to reach London
Stadium: Stratford Station, Stratford International, Hackney Wick and
Pudding Mill Lane.
By Train
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Stoke City
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have returned to form at the perfect time, with their 1-1
draw at Chelsea last time out maintaining the momentum that was created by
an emphatic 3-0 win over Southampton at the London Stadium two weeks ago.
That four-point haul lifted the Hammers to 14th in the Premier League prior
to the weekend, six points clear of the relegation zone – and their climb up
the table should continue against Monday's opponents, Stoke City. Paul
Lambert's side find themselves second-bottom of the league after losing
their last four fixtures. They have failed to score in three of their last
five, and are without a win of any sort since January – a sequence that
currently extends to nine matches. The Potters' travelling record isn't
impressive, either. They have recorded just one away win this season –
against Watford in October – and have lost 12 of their 18 matches on the
road in all competitions. Marko Arnautovic has been integral in West Ham's
resurgence, having netted twice against Southampton and provided the assist
for Javier Hernandez's equaliser at Chelsea. Arnautovic has scored nine
times in his last 14 Premier League appearances and will once again be the
Hammers' most likely goalscorer. The 28-year-old relishes facing his former
club, as shown when he netted against Stoke in the reverse fixture back in
December.
Recommended bets
West Ham to win
Marko Arnautovic to score
West Ham to keep a clean sheet
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kouyate: We need everyone – the players, the fans, everybody
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate is a man who has made a habit of rising to the big occasion
during his career – and he plans to do so again as West Ham United seek a
vital Premier League victory over Stoke City. The 6'4 midfielder won four
Belgian Pro League titles with Anderlecht before he turned 25, attracting
the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs and earning a move to east
London. While many Hammers supporters knew little of Kouyate's achievements
in Brussels, the Senegalese star quickly showed his quality with a series of
powerful displays, including an Individual Performance of the
Season-winning, goal-scoring showing against Manchester United in February
2015. The first game of the 2015/16 season saw Kouyate head in the opener in
a memorable 2-0 win at Arsenal; In August 2016, he scored the historic
first-ever goal at London Stadium in a 3-0 UEFA Europa League qualifying
round victory over Slovenian side NK Domzale; A year ago, he scored a vital
Premier League winner against Swansea City to help steer West Ham away from
the bottom three.
Fast forward to the present day and, after securing four points from six
from a convincing home win over Southampton and creditable draw at Chelsea
to rise to 14th in the table, West Ham face another important moment in the
Club's recent history on Monday evening. And the No8 knows victory over
Stoke will go a long way towards securing the Hammers' Premier League
status. "We need to go up again because nothing is finished," Kouyate told
the Official Programme. "We have another final on Monday night against
Stoke, because they need points and we also need points. "We need to win
this game and we need everybody to know this game is a final. If we win this
game, we are going up because we need to go up, not down. "All home games,
we need to win, because this is a very, very crucial point of the season and
we need everyone – the players, the fans, everybody. "The last home game was
unbelievable. In the first half, all the fans were behind us and it makes it
easier for all the players. When you play at home, you need the fans, and in
the game against Southampton they were unbelievable. "We need them again on
Monday night to win some more points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Johnson: Hammers full of confidence ahead of Derby clash
WHUFC.com
Ben Johnson says West Ham United's U23s will be full of confidence heading
into Monday's Premier League 2 away fixture at Derby County. The Hammers
head to the Rams' training ground sitting in fifth in the league table, only
five points behind leader Leicester City. And after two wins in successive
matches this month – at Manchester City and Everton – Terry Westley's
youngsters have set their sights on a potential top-three finish. Johnson,
the side's right-back, has been part of the defence which has kept clean
sheets in three of their last four matches, and is raring to go on Monday.
He said: "The two wins have filled the back four and Nathan [Trott] in goal
with confidence and we were ecstatic to keep another clean sheet. "We just
want to go onto the Derby match, keep going, keep this form up into our last
two fixtures. We are fifth at the moment and maybe now we can aim for the
top three if possible. "We really controlled the game at Everton last week
and we were comfortable under pressure. We were strong and resilient and we
played our game and kept our good form going. "Hopefully we will be able to
do the same at Derby and end the season strongly."
After captain Marcus Browne had fired in a terrific free-kick winner at
City's Football Academy, the forward put in an even more impressive display
on Merseyside, scoring four times in the 4-0 win at Southport FC. Johnson
was full of praise for his teammate, who has led the line since the loan
departure of skipper Moses Makasi to Plymouth Argyle. "Marcus was really
good on Monday [last week]," Johnson explained. "He got a yellow in the
first few minutes but after that he showed his experience and played
superbly well. "He has so much quality and we know we can rely on him when
he has the ball in the opposition's half. "It was a very good week, last
week, in general. In the first game, we dug deep and it was a very difficult
match. "We played our game more against Everton and we really showed our
quality in the final third and it was an extremely good performance and we
now want to keep that going."
The Hammers play Derby on Monday 16 April away from home before hosting
their final Premier League 2 game of the season at London Stadium against
Arsenal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City
MON 16 APR 2018
PREMIER LEAGUE
20:00
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
West Ham manager David Moyes could be boosted by the return from injury of
Andy Carroll, James Collins and Manuel Lanzini. However, Sam Byram, Pedro
Obiang and Winston Reid are all still on the sidelines.
Stoke will again be without forward Maxim Choupo-Moting, who is not yet
ready to return from a groin injury. Manager Paul Lambert has no further
injury concerns to contend with for the trip to the London Stadium.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Steve Wilson: "Q: Which current Premier League clubs can boast that they
have enjoyed ten consecutive seasons in the top flight?
"A: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs,
Everton ………. and Stoke.
"That decade might be about to come to an end with Stoke six points off
safety with only five games to play. There have been some positives in their
performances under Paul Lambert - but only one win. "The game is barely any
less crucial for West Ham who have five games remaining after Stoke - but
all of them against teams in the top nine. The Hammers will probably just
survive - but it's been a long and troubled campaign which will fill nobody
which much optimism for the immediate future."
Twitter: @Wilsonfooty
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes: "It was a great point at Chelsea. It's not
enough yet but the last two games have given us a lift. "The ideal situation
is to go unbeaten between now and the end of the season, there is no reason
why we can't do that."
Stoke manager Paul Lambert: "We have to come away (from West Ham) with
something without a doubt. The intent is to go and win and we will do
everything we can to get three points. "If we get a win it drags a few back
in and that's the most important thing. "You need a little bit of luck at
certain times but the performances have been incredibly high and the way we
have played I couldn't ask for any more from the team."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Things are pretty rosy for West Ham at the moment after their point at
Chelsea gave them a bit of breathing space above the bottom three. The
Potters need to start winning games but they just don't have enough
firepower in their side and they are not good enough defensively to buy
themselves time to nick a goal.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham ended an eight-game winless streak against Stoke by winning the
reverse fixture 3-0 in December.
The Hammers are aiming to complete their first league double over Stoke
since the Potters' first season in the Premier League in 2008-09.
The Potters are unbeaten in their last five league visits to face West Ham,
although four of those matches were draws.
West Ham United
West Ham have only won back-to-back Premier League games at the London
Stadium on one previous occasion back in December 2016.
Former Stoke player Marko Arnautovic has been involved in 13 Premier League
goals this season (nine goals, four assists), five more than any other West
Ham player.
Only Stoke (63) and Watford (60) have conceded more league goals this than
West Ham (58) this season.
They are one loss short of reaching 1,000 defeats in the top flight and
would become the 16th club to reach this landmark.
Stoke City
Stoke have scored just seven Premier League goals in 2018, fewer than any
other side.
The Potters have lost on their last seven Premier League visits to London,
conceding 26 goals while scoring just five in reply.
They could equal their longest top flight away unbeaten run against a single
opponent of six games set against Bolton Wanderers (1902-1937), Birmingham
City (1934-1938), West Ham (1965-1969), Sunderland (1969-1983) and Aston
Villa (2011-running).
They have already matched their club record of 18 defeats in a single
Premier League season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 15th April 2018
By: Preview Percy
The BBC website is currently carrying a story about an American teacher who
claims that he was a teacher for 17 years without ever having learned to
read or write. Preview Percy has 7 years to go to catch up then. Here's this
week's ramblings which may or may not feature Monday night's visit of Stoke
City...
Next we play host to Stoke City. Having had a break from tv games we now
face the second of four in a row that will appear live on the box, this one
kicking off at 8pm on Monday. No weekend engineering work to worry about
then only the usual trials and tribulations of the joys of rush hour travel.
And the prospect of having to climb over the walls here at the Avram Grant
Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered to get back in after Matron locks all
the gates after sundown.
When last we met up at their place they were managed by Mark Hughes and,
it's fair to say, the 3-0 win we got up there, if not the final nail in the
coffin, was definitely one of the later bits of carpentry that saw his
dismissal. After that Hughes tried to be a bit cute in his team selection,
resting players for the Chelsea match prior to them playing Newcastle. Which
might have been a plan but for the fact that they lost both games – 5-0 to
Chelsea and 1-0 to the Geordies. Going down 2-1 to Coventry in the 3rd round
of the Cup was enough to see Hughes depart, his arrival at Southampton and
subsequent form down there leaving him with every chance of ending the
season having helped to relegate two clubs, instead of the more traditional
one.
Paul Lambert replaced Hughes, with Quique Sanchez Florez and Martin O'Neill
both having allegedly turned down approaches from the club. They did win
Lambert's first game in charge 2-0 at home to Huddersfield, but in the
subsequent 9 games they have picked up 4 draws and 5 defeats, suggesting
that the win against Huddersfield may have been more indicative of the
Terriers' form than it was of the Potters.
Tellingly, those four draws came against Watford (0-0), Brighton, Leicester
(both 1-1) and Southampton (0-0). Southampton are well in trouble and,
whilst safe now, both Brighton and Watford were on the fringes of the drop
zone. Only Leicester were really clear and you'd still file them in the
folder marked "matches we might get something from". As the old joke goes,
if you are being chased by a wild animal you don't have to outrun the
animal. You only have to outrun one of your mates. Such zoological analogy
sees them in 19th place with 27 points from the 33 played so far. They are
six points adrift of Swansea who are currently in the final safe zone spot.
After us their run-in comprises Burnley (h), Liverpool (a), Palace (h) and
Swansea (a). If you have a few bob to spare I'd invest it in pharmaceuticals
if I were you. Prescriptions of blood pressure medications are about to
rocket in Staffordshire.
The work-experience kid of as yet to be determined gender wearing a hoodie
who seems only able to communicate with some strange grunting noises informs
me that three players arrived in January. A reported £14m went on Senegalese
midfielder Badou Ndiaye, who arrived from Galatasaray on deadline day. It's
been a somewhat circuitous route from Senegal to Stoke. The player's first
European club was Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt. It took a bit of time for the
player to adapt to the sub-Arctic conditions up there ("I had only seen snow
on tv before") but having done so he won the Norwegian equivalent of the
Championship/Division 2's player of the season as Bodo/Glimt (not many clubs
with a forward slash in their name) got promotion to the top flight. His
experience of cold desolation will no doubt come in quite handy in the
Potteries.
The fee paid to in no way dodgy Russian outfit (no nerve agents here please)
Rubin Kazan for right back Moritz Bauer was undisclosed. Or £5m as everyone
seems to know. Though Swiss-born he qualifies for Austria through his dad
and is therefore a team-mate of Arnie's at international level. Quite an
interesting chap by all accounts he speaks five languages, which is five
more than Harry Kane, and is a fully qualified pilot which is probably the
next thing on the list that Kane will be claiming after that "goal" he never
scored last weekend. He can also play the piano, though not quite as well as
Harry Kane who regularly appears as a featured soloist with the London
Symphony Orchestra according to his official biography. Bauer signed a four
and a half year deal when arriving from Russia but the Cessna may well be
warming up already in the event that they go down.
The loan signing was a Greek international with the reassuringly Greek name
of Kostas Stafylidis. He's primarily a left-back but he can apparently turn
himself to more advanced positions down the left hand side. Stafylidis has
come in on a deal to the end of the season from Augsburg, having spent much
of his career to date in the Bundesliga where his previous employer was
Bayer Leverkusen. This isn't the player's first spell on loan in England. He
made 38 appearances in the Championship for Fulham in 2015-15. The Cottagers
apparently had an option to buy at the end of the season but didn't exercise
that option. He has a tattoo on his leg depicting a footballer going into a
slide tackle. The tattoo was designed and installed by Harry Kane. Sadly we
won't see the player or his artwork this weekend as he is recovering from a
rib fracture.
Also missing will be Charlie Adam who is currently suspended as a result of
his straight red after a late challenge on Wayne Rooney a couple of weeks
back. The spud-faced granny-botherer is expected to say "ouch" as the pain
signals reach his brain some time during the early hours of next Tuesday.
There will be a number of absentees due to "internal disciplinary reasons".
Ex-Barca midfielder Ibrahim Affelay was told to stay away from the club for
the rest of the season foe unspecified reasons. He hasn't played for the
Potters since the turn of the new year and you'll get long odds on him ever
pulling on a Stoke shirt ever again.
Then there was striker Jese. On loan from PSG he was given compassionate
leave to tend for a poorly infant, which is fair enough. He was then due
back last week but failed to turn up and the club haven't heard from him
since. One hopes that his sprog is ok. On the basis that he is the player
will be looking at a hefty fine and probably a P45 on his return.
Then there is Berahino. Remember when Spurs wanted him? For £20m? Well he
has problems with timekeeping and has been banished to train with the
kids.It is said that there was a file on Lambert's desk that suggested that
the player had a "possible attitude problem". It didn't take Lambert much
time to delete the first of those three words.
In amongst those who do turn up for training, another international
team-mate of Arnie's, Kevin Wimmer, is struggling to make this one. He is
said to be "lacking match fitness" and has only a 50-50 chance of making the
squad. Having arrived from Spurs last summer and one can't help but feeling
that it would have been more apt for him to have stayed there, what with his
surname also being not quite "Winner". (I'm here all week you know).
Enough of them. What about the wild and wacky world of Association Football.
In the so-called Champions League we saw a Spanish ref in Manchester doing
his damnedest to hand the trophy over to Real Madrid. It was clear from a
very early stage in the match that the ref had no intention of letting Man
City side progress if he could help it. Amazingly, the presence of Glenn
Hoddle in the commentary box meant that the ref was only the second most
ignorant person in the ground that night when it came to the laws of the
game.
Talking of referees I see Mike Dean altered the outcome of another match at
the weekend. You'd think that an organisation such as PGMOL which has
supposedly got the protection of refereeing standards amongst its aims might
want to have a look at someone who continually and deliberately ignores the
laws of the game he is supposed to uphold. Of course you'd need someone more
honest than Dean in charge of things. Instead we have Mike Riley.
Elsewhere, Spurs have put in a bid for Harry Kane to take credit for Dixie
Dean's record 60 goals for Everton in 1927-28 on the grounds that "the
players' names nearly rhyme don't they?"(I might have put in some sort of
one liner about Dixie and Mike being related but since Dean is an insult to
everyone who has ever played the game honestly I wouldn't wish to sully the
good name of Everton's finest).
And as I write this West Brom have just beaten Moan Utd to give the league
to Moan City, whose owners have agreed to suspend the torturing of political
opponents. For a bit.
And what of us? That was a welcome point then. Yeah we rode our luck a bit
at times and Mr Head & Shoulders had to have the sort of game that we have
seen all too little of from him this season but, to counter that, we stuck
in there and Arnie's hard work to set up Chicharito merited a goal in
itself. Good finish too. Ogbonna and Rice were given a torrid time as one
might have expected from the embarrassment of riches that constitutes the
Chelsea squad. However, they stuck in there and did not look overwhelmed. It
must have been particularly pleasing for Rice who was shown the door by
Chelsea as a kid.
Talking of youth, it was interesting to hear the Chelsea announcer at half
time boasting of how the youth team (dunno what age group) had been unbeaten
for something like 3 years. Now given that each year there will be a group
of players who cease to qualify for that team for age reasons you'd expect
there to be more of them making the breakthrough to the first XI. I guess
that's what happen when you have a bottomless pit of cash to play with, you
can buy trophies at all levels.
There was one down side to Sunday's match – inevitably we suffered an injury
with Cresswell hobbling off after damaging his knee. The full list at the
time of writing:
1. Andy Carroll (foot) – There are suggestions that he might actually be
available to play some sort of part in this one, which would be a return
about a week earlier than previously thought. Rated 50-50.
2. Manuel Lanzini (knee) – Has missed the last two games after picking up a
knee injury on international duty. Rated 75% likely to be involved.
3. James Collins (hamstring) – Pretty sure he would have loved a runout
against this lot. Rated no better than 75% likely to be involved – like
Lanzini he will have a late fitness test.
4. Aaron Cresswell (knee) – Tried to play on with a knee injury at the
weekend. Gamely, but /possibly unwisely. However, the extra day off will
have helped and he is given a 75% chance of being involved.
5. Michail Antonio (hamstring) – In tears when he hobbled off early on
against Southampton. It transpires that this is the same injury that he got
last year which never healed. Will have an operation shortly Which will give
him a nice long pre-season in which to recover.
6. Pedro Obiang – see you next season
7. Winston Reid – ditto.
8. Sam Byram – ditto.
And so to the thorny question of a prediction. If anyone from Winstone's the
turf accountants is reading this could you pop over a few betting slips.
Normally one sends the Avram Rest Home's resident Geordie Preview Alastair
out to run such errands. However, he's in the sick bay at the moment. I
asked the silly sod to pick up a Chinese takeaway on his way back from the
Swan & Superinjunction the other night. Unfortunately the daft fool had a
nasty trip as he arrived back, which was especially annoying as I had asked
for barbecue spare ribs, not broken ones. I know some of you will be
concerned so I should point out that everything was ok in the end. I was
able to telephone the takeaway and have a replacement meal delivered.
I think that the results since Burnley have boosted the confidence levels as
well as the points. On the other hand, Stoke will mention that they have
been playing better than their results suggest. Yeah well I'm in a good mood
– the sight of a drunken Geordie covered in chow mein is enough to make
anyone laugh – so I'm going to plump for a home win. Call it 2-1 Mr Winstone
and I'll send Matron over once she has finished Preview Alastair's bed bath.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met At The Olympic: Drew 1-1 (Premier League November 2016)
A game that will live long in the memory of only the most anal of supporters
of either side. Antonio's header was credited to Whelan as an o.g. having
hit the back of the defender's nut on it's way in, though Harry Kane is
putting in a late bid for it. Bojan equalised after Adrian had one of his
"moments".
Referee: Michael Oliver
Spotted a two handed push that was right in front of him in the Real Madrid
v Juventus match the other night. Missed an even worse push that he was even
better placed to see in our home match against Spurs. Some praised him for
the Juve decision. For what it's worth it was correct. Just a shame that he
allowed Juve to get away with murder throughout the rest of the game.
Danger Man: Peter Crouch
Possibly not the most dangerous of players in their squad and is more likely
to be a visitor from the bench. However, this may be the last time we see
him and we always loved the "virgin" story (look it up if you don't know) so
he gets the accolade for old time's sake.
Percy's Poser:
Last week we asked you for the odd one out from a list of clubs including:
Partizan, Woking, Vitesse. Swansea, Huddersfield, Groeningen, Rostov, Forest
Green, Hull, Crystal Palace, PSV Eindhoven, Barnsley, Charlton Stoke,
Chelsea, Chippenham Town, Birmingham City and Stevenage.
Congratulations to Mrs Sharon Fine-Fare of Flamsted for being the first out
of the digital hat to point out that Chelsea were the odd ones out as, of
all those clubs, they were the only club not to have had a player on loan
from Chelsea this season. A stale bit of the short chubby one's birthday
cake is on its way to you.
For this week's preview we ask you: Stoke is famous for its ceramics injury,
the most famous exponent of which was possibly Josiah Wedgewood. However,
what major problem did Wedgewood have to overcome to get his business off
the ground?
A cracked tea mug from the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The
Bewildered's dishwasher goes to the first correct answer out of the digital
hat.
Good luck everyone!
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.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Stoke: Relegation rivals meet on Monday Night Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm on Monday
Last Updated: 15/04/18 8:27pm
SSN
West Ham will be looking to take a big step towards Premier League survival
when they face relegation rivals Stoke on Monday Night Football. The Hammers
have taken four points from their last two games to move six points clear of
the relegation zone. Stoke, meanwhile, are four points from safety heading
into the weekend and will be aiming to avoid a fifth successive defeat.
While the situation might look bleak, Potters boss Paul Lambert saw some
positive signs in the 2-1 loss to Tottenham last weekend. "The atmosphere
here last weekend was incredible," he said. "I've been in the game a long
time and I've not seen that reaction to a team that's lost a game. "The
fans are with us which is the most important thing and if we can keep doing
what we're doing, we'll certainly win games.
"As I said before, you need a little bit of Lady Luck on your side but
performance-wise I'm really happy with the way the team's played."
West Ham face a tricky finish to the season as they face Arsenal, Manchester
City and Manchester United in their last five games. The Potters are
unbeaten in their last five league visits to face West Ham, though four of
these have ended level (W1). Stoke have scored fewer goals than any other
Premier League side in 2018 (7), failing to score in six of their 12 games.
Javier Hernandez's first 11 Premier League appearances at West Ham were all
starts, in which he scored four goals. Under David Moyes, he's started just
five of his 14 appearances in the competition, adding another four goals (2
as starter, 2 as a sub).
The Potters have lost their last seven Premier League visits to London,
conceding 26 goals while scoring just five in reply. Stoke have lost just
one of their last nine Premier League games against the Hammers (W3 D5),
though it was in the reverse fixture back in December (0-3).
Merson's predictions
It's a cup final for Stoke, a game they have to win to have a chance of
staying up. But I think they are going to lose and they are going to be in
major trouble. Marko Arnautovic has looked good recently and could cause
problems against his former side.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED
By rapidhammer 15 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
In football one thing is for sure: you never can take anything for granted.
The Champions League and Europa League ties last week again proved very well
that even the highest favoured teams, leading by a comfortable margin from
the first leg, may struggle or be eliminated against all odds. And as West
Ham fans we know only too well that never opposition should be taken
lightly, especially in cup games. And the game under the floodlights on
Monday at the London Stadium is a cup final.
Well, West Ham's engagement in the domestic cups didn't really set the world
alight this season, and the Hammers have no more cup ties to play at this
stage of the proceedings. And they haven't won a real cup final since 1980.
But now we virtually have a cup final – or at least a semifinal – on Monday
night! If the Irons manage to win the crucial game against second from
bottom Stoke City, their unwanted flirt with relegation will be more or less
over and our season is saved.
The other results this weekend could have gone a little better so far from
West Ham's perspective (if Crystal Palace and Huddersfield had dropped
points and Swansea had lost, there would still be a gap of 2 or 3 points
between these teams and West Ham before the Stoke game). But with third from
bottom Southampton losing 2-3 at home to Chelsea (squandering a two goal
lead) the gap of 6 points between the Hammers and the relegation zone is
still there before the game against Stoke. Alas, in case of winning on
Monday night West Ham will be 9 points away from the drop zone with only 5
games to play until the end of the season! And with playing at home against
a team that has managed only one win in 15 games since Christmas and has the
worst defensive record of the league, this win should be all but ensured.
But as we said before, in football never anything can be taken for granted,
and West Ham have already lost games with similar prospects and expected
outcomes this season (just think of losing to Newcastle, Swansea, and
Burnley – or drawing with Crystal Palace at home). And we also should be
aware that West Ham haven't managed any back to back Premier League home
wins since December 2016, and have not won twice in one season over Stoke
City since the Potters' first PL campaign in 2008/09.
But the last two games can make us quite optimistic with Marko Arnautovic
still in top form, benefiting from Arthur Masuaku's return from suspension
and thriving in his role as a central striker which David Moyes has handed
to the Austrian international. Arnie has completely lost his odeur of
instability and sloppiness, of wasting chances and disappearing for large
parts of games. Asked on my thoughts about him when he came to West Ham last
summer I praised him as Austria's recently most talented player, but I added
that I had been happy that I was made angry by him only some times a season
(when I watched him in the Austrian national team), and now I was going to
be disappointed or annoyed by him every weekend… He seemed to prove me right
right from the beginning of his West Ham career, but since David Moyes has
come in as the new gaffer and lined up the record signing as West Ham's
central striker, Arnie has supplied nine goals and five assists from 14
starts. Statistics say that since gameweek 16, only three players have fired
more shots on target: Harry Kane with 36, Mohamed Salah with 28, and Sergio
Aguero with 25. And since the Austrian's return from injury in gameweek 27,
no player can better Arnautovic's 12 shots on target. He has been directly
involved in 13 PL goals this season, with nine goals and four assists.
That playing him in the central and only striker role has proven so
successful doesn't make it easy for the manager to include Chicharito in the
starting eleven. „Little pea" is a born goal scorer with an impressive
record of scoring from inside the box and his inclusion in the starting
eleven is requested by a lot of fans and, I think, also expected by himself.
He has already got 8 goals this season though he has been played out of
position under Slaven Bilic, been injured and often only has come from the
bench. It will be very interesting to see if David Moyes will find a system
in which West Ham's two top scorers can work together in the last 6 games of
the season…
David Moyes's team selection against Chelsea last Sunday (the third game in
London I was able to fly over for and watch live this season by the way) has
been spot on, and bringing Hernandez in the second half has proved highly
successful. I was very sceptical about the appointment of Moyes back in
November, but, as was said in a previous post here, „he has brought
improvement to a number of players, steadied the ship, improved morale and
also given a few opportunities to youngsters which we have all been asking
for".
If he could do at West Haw what he achieved at Everton from 2002-2013 (8 top
seven finishes in his eleven seasons) that would be the „next step" that
West Ham realistically can make. Promising us more, even Champions League
football, was a highly unrealistic vision that has not gone well with the
problems West Ham's supporters faced with the loss of Upton Park, the
transition to the new stadium which has not emerged as a proper football
ground so far and the underachievement in the transfer market with a lack of
clever and sufficient investment. Karren Brady, Sullivan and Gold have
underachieved (to put it mildly) in the first two seasons in the London
Stadium. This summer, after having secured Premier League football, will be
crucial for the direction in which West Ham is heading.
Now let's hope for our first back to back wins at the new ground after
almost one and a half year!
A cup final ahead
As I've already said, Monday under the lights is a cup final for West Ham.
Though West Ham haven't won a real cup final since 1980, the Hammers have
won a final back in 2012 when they beat Blackpool in the play offs at
Wembley to secure their comeback to the Premier League. Monday's game is of
similiar significance, I would not only call it a "six pointer" but a nine
or ten pointer: a win will move the Irons 10 points away from the Potters
and 9 points away from the drop zone. One more win is all but important and
could make us virtually sure that the fear of relegation is over! And with
the confidence the win over Southampton and the draw at Stamford Bridge have
brought, the squad looks capable of seizing this opportunity to make a giant
step towards safety.
This massive game must be won. But you know, in football and especially with
West Ham nothing can be taken for granted.
Come on you Irons!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies secured their second trophy in two weeks – the FA WPL
Plate – with a 5-0 victory over Luton Town Ladies in the final. A great
goal from Amber Stobbs and a fantastic Kelly Wealthall finish put the
Hammers in front at the break, before Ellie Zoepfl made it 3-0 to the Irons
just four minutes after the restart. Rosie Kmita curled home a terrific
finish not long after the hour mark before Zoepfl killed the game in the
dying minutes, tucking home and securing the Plate for Karen Ray's side. The
first period displayed its first shot of the game on eight minutes as
captain Kmita fired an effort across goal, which was just wide of the far
post. Zoepfl next came close for the Irons, sending a header just wide,
before some stern Luton defending saw the last defender clear the ball off
the line three times in quick succession. The deadlock was broken on 25
minutes. Stobbs collected the ball inside Luton territory and turned,
driving into space. Her shot from 25 yards found the back of the goal via
the crossbar. Just four minutes later it was 2-0. An error from Luton's
defence allowed Wealthall to slip in and the 17-year-old, who scored twice
in the semi-final win over Hull City, was clinical in adding to the Hammers'
advantage. The defence impressed in the first half, keeping Luton largely
at bay, although the away side did see an effort kept out by Cara Connatser
while also looked dangerous on the counter.
Just a couple of minutes into the second period, the Hammers had their third
goal, as Ellie Zoepfl collected possession and calmly slotted under the
goalkeeper to increase the Irons' lead. The forward also saw an effort come
back off the base of the post, while Kmita's header was wide from two yards
out. Luton goalkeeper Kezia Hassall gave a fine account of herself, making
crucial stops to deny Kmita, Stobbs and Zoepfl, but eventually the Irons
found their fourth through the captain.
Hassall rushed out to meet a through-ball, challenging Wealthall. The ball
fell kindly to Kmita who calmly lobbed the defence from the edge of the
penalty area, adding the Hammers' fourth goal. Kmita's finish was West Ham's
50th goal in 2018 but there was still time for the 51st, as Zoepfl adding a
fifth – and her second of the game – late on, sending the WPL Plate back to
London with the Ladies.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
West Ham United welcome Stoke City in the Premier League to London Stadium
for a match under the lights.
Read on for all the information you need ahead of this weekend's contest.
Where and when?
The Hammers will welcome Stoke City to London Stadium on Monday 16 April
2018.
The contest is scheduled for a 8pm kick-off.
How to follow:
This match is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK. Coverage begins
at 7pm.
Channels: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League
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.
Team news:
West Ham should be given the boost with three players returning to training
recently. The trio, Andy Carroll, James Collins and Manuel Lanzini, could
potentially be fit for the match this Monday, after manager David Moyes said
the three players were back on the training fields. Andy is back in
training," Moyes confirmed. "We got him back at the start of the week and we
will keep monitoring him. He's trained for a few days, so we'll see how he
is. He's obviously not played for eleven weeks, and I've got that in my mind
as well. "He's champing at the bit, but that's the same for the other
players we've had out like Manuel Lanzini and James Collins who have only
been out for four or five weeks."
Pedro Obiang, Winston Reid and Sam Byram remain unavailable for the Hammers
What they say:
"A win would be a big step. This game is massive. It's a big game for us,
for the Club, and for the fans. We will go all together on Monday and we
will try as hard as we can to get the three points." Marko Arnautovic
Match Officials:
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt and Daniel Cook
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson
How to get there:
There are four stations that supporters should utilise to reach London
Stadium: Stratford Station, Stratford International, Hackney Wick and
Pudding Mill Lane.
By Train
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Stoke City
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have returned to form at the perfect time, with their 1-1
draw at Chelsea last time out maintaining the momentum that was created by
an emphatic 3-0 win over Southampton at the London Stadium two weeks ago.
That four-point haul lifted the Hammers to 14th in the Premier League prior
to the weekend, six points clear of the relegation zone – and their climb up
the table should continue against Monday's opponents, Stoke City. Paul
Lambert's side find themselves second-bottom of the league after losing
their last four fixtures. They have failed to score in three of their last
five, and are without a win of any sort since January – a sequence that
currently extends to nine matches. The Potters' travelling record isn't
impressive, either. They have recorded just one away win this season –
against Watford in October – and have lost 12 of their 18 matches on the
road in all competitions. Marko Arnautovic has been integral in West Ham's
resurgence, having netted twice against Southampton and provided the assist
for Javier Hernandez's equaliser at Chelsea. Arnautovic has scored nine
times in his last 14 Premier League appearances and will once again be the
Hammers' most likely goalscorer. The 28-year-old relishes facing his former
club, as shown when he netted against Stoke in the reverse fixture back in
December.
Recommended bets
West Ham to win
Marko Arnautovic to score
West Ham to keep a clean sheet
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kouyate: We need everyone – the players, the fans, everybody
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate is a man who has made a habit of rising to the big occasion
during his career – and he plans to do so again as West Ham United seek a
vital Premier League victory over Stoke City. The 6'4 midfielder won four
Belgian Pro League titles with Anderlecht before he turned 25, attracting
the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs and earning a move to east
London. While many Hammers supporters knew little of Kouyate's achievements
in Brussels, the Senegalese star quickly showed his quality with a series of
powerful displays, including an Individual Performance of the
Season-winning, goal-scoring showing against Manchester United in February
2015. The first game of the 2015/16 season saw Kouyate head in the opener in
a memorable 2-0 win at Arsenal; In August 2016, he scored the historic
first-ever goal at London Stadium in a 3-0 UEFA Europa League qualifying
round victory over Slovenian side NK Domzale; A year ago, he scored a vital
Premier League winner against Swansea City to help steer West Ham away from
the bottom three.
Fast forward to the present day and, after securing four points from six
from a convincing home win over Southampton and creditable draw at Chelsea
to rise to 14th in the table, West Ham face another important moment in the
Club's recent history on Monday evening. And the No8 knows victory over
Stoke will go a long way towards securing the Hammers' Premier League
status. "We need to go up again because nothing is finished," Kouyate told
the Official Programme. "We have another final on Monday night against
Stoke, because they need points and we also need points. "We need to win
this game and we need everybody to know this game is a final. If we win this
game, we are going up because we need to go up, not down. "All home games,
we need to win, because this is a very, very crucial point of the season and
we need everyone – the players, the fans, everybody. "The last home game was
unbelievable. In the first half, all the fans were behind us and it makes it
easier for all the players. When you play at home, you need the fans, and in
the game against Southampton they were unbelievable. "We need them again on
Monday night to win some more points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Johnson: Hammers full of confidence ahead of Derby clash
WHUFC.com
Ben Johnson says West Ham United's U23s will be full of confidence heading
into Monday's Premier League 2 away fixture at Derby County. The Hammers
head to the Rams' training ground sitting in fifth in the league table, only
five points behind leader Leicester City. And after two wins in successive
matches this month – at Manchester City and Everton – Terry Westley's
youngsters have set their sights on a potential top-three finish. Johnson,
the side's right-back, has been part of the defence which has kept clean
sheets in three of their last four matches, and is raring to go on Monday.
He said: "The two wins have filled the back four and Nathan [Trott] in goal
with confidence and we were ecstatic to keep another clean sheet. "We just
want to go onto the Derby match, keep going, keep this form up into our last
two fixtures. We are fifth at the moment and maybe now we can aim for the
top three if possible. "We really controlled the game at Everton last week
and we were comfortable under pressure. We were strong and resilient and we
played our game and kept our good form going. "Hopefully we will be able to
do the same at Derby and end the season strongly."
After captain Marcus Browne had fired in a terrific free-kick winner at
City's Football Academy, the forward put in an even more impressive display
on Merseyside, scoring four times in the 4-0 win at Southport FC. Johnson
was full of praise for his teammate, who has led the line since the loan
departure of skipper Moses Makasi to Plymouth Argyle. "Marcus was really
good on Monday [last week]," Johnson explained. "He got a yellow in the
first few minutes but after that he showed his experience and played
superbly well. "He has so much quality and we know we can rely on him when
he has the ball in the opposition's half. "It was a very good week, last
week, in general. In the first game, we dug deep and it was a very difficult
match. "We played our game more against Everton and we really showed our
quality in the final third and it was an extremely good performance and we
now want to keep that going."
The Hammers play Derby on Monday 16 April away from home before hosting
their final Premier League 2 game of the season at London Stadium against
Arsenal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City
MON 16 APR 2018
PREMIER LEAGUE
20:00
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
West Ham manager David Moyes could be boosted by the return from injury of
Andy Carroll, James Collins and Manuel Lanzini. However, Sam Byram, Pedro
Obiang and Winston Reid are all still on the sidelines.
Stoke will again be without forward Maxim Choupo-Moting, who is not yet
ready to return from a groin injury. Manager Paul Lambert has no further
injury concerns to contend with for the trip to the London Stadium.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Steve Wilson: "Q: Which current Premier League clubs can boast that they
have enjoyed ten consecutive seasons in the top flight?
"A: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs,
Everton ………. and Stoke.
"That decade might be about to come to an end with Stoke six points off
safety with only five games to play. There have been some positives in their
performances under Paul Lambert - but only one win. "The game is barely any
less crucial for West Ham who have five games remaining after Stoke - but
all of them against teams in the top nine. The Hammers will probably just
survive - but it's been a long and troubled campaign which will fill nobody
which much optimism for the immediate future."
Twitter: @Wilsonfooty
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes: "It was a great point at Chelsea. It's not
enough yet but the last two games have given us a lift. "The ideal situation
is to go unbeaten between now and the end of the season, there is no reason
why we can't do that."
Stoke manager Paul Lambert: "We have to come away (from West Ham) with
something without a doubt. The intent is to go and win and we will do
everything we can to get three points. "If we get a win it drags a few back
in and that's the most important thing. "You need a little bit of luck at
certain times but the performances have been incredibly high and the way we
have played I couldn't ask for any more from the team."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Things are pretty rosy for West Ham at the moment after their point at
Chelsea gave them a bit of breathing space above the bottom three. The
Potters need to start winning games but they just don't have enough
firepower in their side and they are not good enough defensively to buy
themselves time to nick a goal.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham ended an eight-game winless streak against Stoke by winning the
reverse fixture 3-0 in December.
The Hammers are aiming to complete their first league double over Stoke
since the Potters' first season in the Premier League in 2008-09.
The Potters are unbeaten in their last five league visits to face West Ham,
although four of those matches were draws.
West Ham United
West Ham have only won back-to-back Premier League games at the London
Stadium on one previous occasion back in December 2016.
Former Stoke player Marko Arnautovic has been involved in 13 Premier League
goals this season (nine goals, four assists), five more than any other West
Ham player.
Only Stoke (63) and Watford (60) have conceded more league goals this than
West Ham (58) this season.
They are one loss short of reaching 1,000 defeats in the top flight and
would become the 16th club to reach this landmark.
Stoke City
Stoke have scored just seven Premier League goals in 2018, fewer than any
other side.
The Potters have lost on their last seven Premier League visits to London,
conceding 26 goals while scoring just five in reply.
They could equal their longest top flight away unbeaten run against a single
opponent of six games set against Bolton Wanderers (1902-1937), Birmingham
City (1934-1938), West Ham (1965-1969), Sunderland (1969-1983) and Aston
Villa (2011-running).
They have already matched their club record of 18 defeats in a single
Premier League season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 15th April 2018
By: Preview Percy
The BBC website is currently carrying a story about an American teacher who
claims that he was a teacher for 17 years without ever having learned to
read or write. Preview Percy has 7 years to go to catch up then. Here's this
week's ramblings which may or may not feature Monday night's visit of Stoke
City...
Next we play host to Stoke City. Having had a break from tv games we now
face the second of four in a row that will appear live on the box, this one
kicking off at 8pm on Monday. No weekend engineering work to worry about
then only the usual trials and tribulations of the joys of rush hour travel.
And the prospect of having to climb over the walls here at the Avram Grant
Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered to get back in after Matron locks all
the gates after sundown.
When last we met up at their place they were managed by Mark Hughes and,
it's fair to say, the 3-0 win we got up there, if not the final nail in the
coffin, was definitely one of the later bits of carpentry that saw his
dismissal. After that Hughes tried to be a bit cute in his team selection,
resting players for the Chelsea match prior to them playing Newcastle. Which
might have been a plan but for the fact that they lost both games – 5-0 to
Chelsea and 1-0 to the Geordies. Going down 2-1 to Coventry in the 3rd round
of the Cup was enough to see Hughes depart, his arrival at Southampton and
subsequent form down there leaving him with every chance of ending the
season having helped to relegate two clubs, instead of the more traditional
one.
Paul Lambert replaced Hughes, with Quique Sanchez Florez and Martin O'Neill
both having allegedly turned down approaches from the club. They did win
Lambert's first game in charge 2-0 at home to Huddersfield, but in the
subsequent 9 games they have picked up 4 draws and 5 defeats, suggesting
that the win against Huddersfield may have been more indicative of the
Terriers' form than it was of the Potters.
Tellingly, those four draws came against Watford (0-0), Brighton, Leicester
(both 1-1) and Southampton (0-0). Southampton are well in trouble and,
whilst safe now, both Brighton and Watford were on the fringes of the drop
zone. Only Leicester were really clear and you'd still file them in the
folder marked "matches we might get something from". As the old joke goes,
if you are being chased by a wild animal you don't have to outrun the
animal. You only have to outrun one of your mates. Such zoological analogy
sees them in 19th place with 27 points from the 33 played so far. They are
six points adrift of Swansea who are currently in the final safe zone spot.
After us their run-in comprises Burnley (h), Liverpool (a), Palace (h) and
Swansea (a). If you have a few bob to spare I'd invest it in pharmaceuticals
if I were you. Prescriptions of blood pressure medications are about to
rocket in Staffordshire.
The work-experience kid of as yet to be determined gender wearing a hoodie
who seems only able to communicate with some strange grunting noises informs
me that three players arrived in January. A reported £14m went on Senegalese
midfielder Badou Ndiaye, who arrived from Galatasaray on deadline day. It's
been a somewhat circuitous route from Senegal to Stoke. The player's first
European club was Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt. It took a bit of time for the
player to adapt to the sub-Arctic conditions up there ("I had only seen snow
on tv before") but having done so he won the Norwegian equivalent of the
Championship/Division 2's player of the season as Bodo/Glimt (not many clubs
with a forward slash in their name) got promotion to the top flight. His
experience of cold desolation will no doubt come in quite handy in the
Potteries.
The fee paid to in no way dodgy Russian outfit (no nerve agents here please)
Rubin Kazan for right back Moritz Bauer was undisclosed. Or £5m as everyone
seems to know. Though Swiss-born he qualifies for Austria through his dad
and is therefore a team-mate of Arnie's at international level. Quite an
interesting chap by all accounts he speaks five languages, which is five
more than Harry Kane, and is a fully qualified pilot which is probably the
next thing on the list that Kane will be claiming after that "goal" he never
scored last weekend. He can also play the piano, though not quite as well as
Harry Kane who regularly appears as a featured soloist with the London
Symphony Orchestra according to his official biography. Bauer signed a four
and a half year deal when arriving from Russia but the Cessna may well be
warming up already in the event that they go down.
The loan signing was a Greek international with the reassuringly Greek name
of Kostas Stafylidis. He's primarily a left-back but he can apparently turn
himself to more advanced positions down the left hand side. Stafylidis has
come in on a deal to the end of the season from Augsburg, having spent much
of his career to date in the Bundesliga where his previous employer was
Bayer Leverkusen. This isn't the player's first spell on loan in England. He
made 38 appearances in the Championship for Fulham in 2015-15. The Cottagers
apparently had an option to buy at the end of the season but didn't exercise
that option. He has a tattoo on his leg depicting a footballer going into a
slide tackle. The tattoo was designed and installed by Harry Kane. Sadly we
won't see the player or his artwork this weekend as he is recovering from a
rib fracture.
Also missing will be Charlie Adam who is currently suspended as a result of
his straight red after a late challenge on Wayne Rooney a couple of weeks
back. The spud-faced granny-botherer is expected to say "ouch" as the pain
signals reach his brain some time during the early hours of next Tuesday.
There will be a number of absentees due to "internal disciplinary reasons".
Ex-Barca midfielder Ibrahim Affelay was told to stay away from the club for
the rest of the season foe unspecified reasons. He hasn't played for the
Potters since the turn of the new year and you'll get long odds on him ever
pulling on a Stoke shirt ever again.
Then there was striker Jese. On loan from PSG he was given compassionate
leave to tend for a poorly infant, which is fair enough. He was then due
back last week but failed to turn up and the club haven't heard from him
since. One hopes that his sprog is ok. On the basis that he is the player
will be looking at a hefty fine and probably a P45 on his return.
Then there is Berahino. Remember when Spurs wanted him? For £20m? Well he
has problems with timekeeping and has been banished to train with the
kids.It is said that there was a file on Lambert's desk that suggested that
the player had a "possible attitude problem". It didn't take Lambert much
time to delete the first of those three words.
In amongst those who do turn up for training, another international
team-mate of Arnie's, Kevin Wimmer, is struggling to make this one. He is
said to be "lacking match fitness" and has only a 50-50 chance of making the
squad. Having arrived from Spurs last summer and one can't help but feeling
that it would have been more apt for him to have stayed there, what with his
surname also being not quite "Winner". (I'm here all week you know).
Enough of them. What about the wild and wacky world of Association Football.
In the so-called Champions League we saw a Spanish ref in Manchester doing
his damnedest to hand the trophy over to Real Madrid. It was clear from a
very early stage in the match that the ref had no intention of letting Man
City side progress if he could help it. Amazingly, the presence of Glenn
Hoddle in the commentary box meant that the ref was only the second most
ignorant person in the ground that night when it came to the laws of the
game.
Talking of referees I see Mike Dean altered the outcome of another match at
the weekend. You'd think that an organisation such as PGMOL which has
supposedly got the protection of refereeing standards amongst its aims might
want to have a look at someone who continually and deliberately ignores the
laws of the game he is supposed to uphold. Of course you'd need someone more
honest than Dean in charge of things. Instead we have Mike Riley.
Elsewhere, Spurs have put in a bid for Harry Kane to take credit for Dixie
Dean's record 60 goals for Everton in 1927-28 on the grounds that "the
players' names nearly rhyme don't they?"(I might have put in some sort of
one liner about Dixie and Mike being related but since Dean is an insult to
everyone who has ever played the game honestly I wouldn't wish to sully the
good name of Everton's finest).
And as I write this West Brom have just beaten Moan Utd to give the league
to Moan City, whose owners have agreed to suspend the torturing of political
opponents. For a bit.
And what of us? That was a welcome point then. Yeah we rode our luck a bit
at times and Mr Head & Shoulders had to have the sort of game that we have
seen all too little of from him this season but, to counter that, we stuck
in there and Arnie's hard work to set up Chicharito merited a goal in
itself. Good finish too. Ogbonna and Rice were given a torrid time as one
might have expected from the embarrassment of riches that constitutes the
Chelsea squad. However, they stuck in there and did not look overwhelmed. It
must have been particularly pleasing for Rice who was shown the door by
Chelsea as a kid.
Talking of youth, it was interesting to hear the Chelsea announcer at half
time boasting of how the youth team (dunno what age group) had been unbeaten
for something like 3 years. Now given that each year there will be a group
of players who cease to qualify for that team for age reasons you'd expect
there to be more of them making the breakthrough to the first XI. I guess
that's what happen when you have a bottomless pit of cash to play with, you
can buy trophies at all levels.
There was one down side to Sunday's match – inevitably we suffered an injury
with Cresswell hobbling off after damaging his knee. The full list at the
time of writing:
1. Andy Carroll (foot) – There are suggestions that he might actually be
available to play some sort of part in this one, which would be a return
about a week earlier than previously thought. Rated 50-50.
2. Manuel Lanzini (knee) – Has missed the last two games after picking up a
knee injury on international duty. Rated 75% likely to be involved.
3. James Collins (hamstring) – Pretty sure he would have loved a runout
against this lot. Rated no better than 75% likely to be involved – like
Lanzini he will have a late fitness test.
4. Aaron Cresswell (knee) – Tried to play on with a knee injury at the
weekend. Gamely, but /possibly unwisely. However, the extra day off will
have helped and he is given a 75% chance of being involved.
5. Michail Antonio (hamstring) – In tears when he hobbled off early on
against Southampton. It transpires that this is the same injury that he got
last year which never healed. Will have an operation shortly Which will give
him a nice long pre-season in which to recover.
6. Pedro Obiang – see you next season
7. Winston Reid – ditto.
8. Sam Byram – ditto.
And so to the thorny question of a prediction. If anyone from Winstone's the
turf accountants is reading this could you pop over a few betting slips.
Normally one sends the Avram Rest Home's resident Geordie Preview Alastair
out to run such errands. However, he's in the sick bay at the moment. I
asked the silly sod to pick up a Chinese takeaway on his way back from the
Swan & Superinjunction the other night. Unfortunately the daft fool had a
nasty trip as he arrived back, which was especially annoying as I had asked
for barbecue spare ribs, not broken ones. I know some of you will be
concerned so I should point out that everything was ok in the end. I was
able to telephone the takeaway and have a replacement meal delivered.
I think that the results since Burnley have boosted the confidence levels as
well as the points. On the other hand, Stoke will mention that they have
been playing better than their results suggest. Yeah well I'm in a good mood
– the sight of a drunken Geordie covered in chow mein is enough to make
anyone laugh – so I'm going to plump for a home win. Call it 2-1 Mr Winstone
and I'll send Matron over once she has finished Preview Alastair's bed bath.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met At The Olympic: Drew 1-1 (Premier League November 2016)
A game that will live long in the memory of only the most anal of supporters
of either side. Antonio's header was credited to Whelan as an o.g. having
hit the back of the defender's nut on it's way in, though Harry Kane is
putting in a late bid for it. Bojan equalised after Adrian had one of his
"moments".
Referee: Michael Oliver
Spotted a two handed push that was right in front of him in the Real Madrid
v Juventus match the other night. Missed an even worse push that he was even
better placed to see in our home match against Spurs. Some praised him for
the Juve decision. For what it's worth it was correct. Just a shame that he
allowed Juve to get away with murder throughout the rest of the game.
Danger Man: Peter Crouch
Possibly not the most dangerous of players in their squad and is more likely
to be a visitor from the bench. However, this may be the last time we see
him and we always loved the "virgin" story (look it up if you don't know) so
he gets the accolade for old time's sake.
Percy's Poser:
Last week we asked you for the odd one out from a list of clubs including:
Partizan, Woking, Vitesse. Swansea, Huddersfield, Groeningen, Rostov, Forest
Green, Hull, Crystal Palace, PSV Eindhoven, Barnsley, Charlton Stoke,
Chelsea, Chippenham Town, Birmingham City and Stevenage.
Congratulations to Mrs Sharon Fine-Fare of Flamsted for being the first out
of the digital hat to point out that Chelsea were the odd ones out as, of
all those clubs, they were the only club not to have had a player on loan
from Chelsea this season. A stale bit of the short chubby one's birthday
cake is on its way to you.
For this week's preview we ask you: Stoke is famous for its ceramics injury,
the most famous exponent of which was possibly Josiah Wedgewood. However,
what major problem did Wedgewood have to overcome to get his business off
the ground?
A cracked tea mug from the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The
Bewildered's dishwasher goes to the first correct answer out of the digital
hat.
Good luck everyone!
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.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Stoke: Relegation rivals meet on Monday Night Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm on Monday
Last Updated: 15/04/18 8:27pm
SSN
West Ham will be looking to take a big step towards Premier League survival
when they face relegation rivals Stoke on Monday Night Football. The Hammers
have taken four points from their last two games to move six points clear of
the relegation zone. Stoke, meanwhile, are four points from safety heading
into the weekend and will be aiming to avoid a fifth successive defeat.
While the situation might look bleak, Potters boss Paul Lambert saw some
positive signs in the 2-1 loss to Tottenham last weekend. "The atmosphere
here last weekend was incredible," he said. "I've been in the game a long
time and I've not seen that reaction to a team that's lost a game. "The
fans are with us which is the most important thing and if we can keep doing
what we're doing, we'll certainly win games.
"As I said before, you need a little bit of Lady Luck on your side but
performance-wise I'm really happy with the way the team's played."
West Ham face a tricky finish to the season as they face Arsenal, Manchester
City and Manchester United in their last five games. The Potters are
unbeaten in their last five league visits to face West Ham, though four of
these have ended level (W1). Stoke have scored fewer goals than any other
Premier League side in 2018 (7), failing to score in six of their 12 games.
Javier Hernandez's first 11 Premier League appearances at West Ham were all
starts, in which he scored four goals. Under David Moyes, he's started just
five of his 14 appearances in the competition, adding another four goals (2
as starter, 2 as a sub).
The Potters have lost their last seven Premier League visits to London,
conceding 26 goals while scoring just five in reply. Stoke have lost just
one of their last nine Premier League games against the Hammers (W3 D5),
though it was in the reverse fixture back in December (0-3).
Merson's predictions
It's a cup final for Stoke, a game they have to win to have a chance of
staying up. But I think they are going to lose and they are going to be in
major trouble. Marko Arnautovic has looked good recently and could cause
problems against his former side.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED
By rapidhammer 15 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
In football one thing is for sure: you never can take anything for granted.
The Champions League and Europa League ties last week again proved very well
that even the highest favoured teams, leading by a comfortable margin from
the first leg, may struggle or be eliminated against all odds. And as West
Ham fans we know only too well that never opposition should be taken
lightly, especially in cup games. And the game under the floodlights on
Monday at the London Stadium is a cup final.
Well, West Ham's engagement in the domestic cups didn't really set the world
alight this season, and the Hammers have no more cup ties to play at this
stage of the proceedings. And they haven't won a real cup final since 1980.
But now we virtually have a cup final – or at least a semifinal – on Monday
night! If the Irons manage to win the crucial game against second from
bottom Stoke City, their unwanted flirt with relegation will be more or less
over and our season is saved.
The other results this weekend could have gone a little better so far from
West Ham's perspective (if Crystal Palace and Huddersfield had dropped
points and Swansea had lost, there would still be a gap of 2 or 3 points
between these teams and West Ham before the Stoke game). But with third from
bottom Southampton losing 2-3 at home to Chelsea (squandering a two goal
lead) the gap of 6 points between the Hammers and the relegation zone is
still there before the game against Stoke. Alas, in case of winning on
Monday night West Ham will be 9 points away from the drop zone with only 5
games to play until the end of the season! And with playing at home against
a team that has managed only one win in 15 games since Christmas and has the
worst defensive record of the league, this win should be all but ensured.
But as we said before, in football never anything can be taken for granted,
and West Ham have already lost games with similar prospects and expected
outcomes this season (just think of losing to Newcastle, Swansea, and
Burnley – or drawing with Crystal Palace at home). And we also should be
aware that West Ham haven't managed any back to back Premier League home
wins since December 2016, and have not won twice in one season over Stoke
City since the Potters' first PL campaign in 2008/09.
But the last two games can make us quite optimistic with Marko Arnautovic
still in top form, benefiting from Arthur Masuaku's return from suspension
and thriving in his role as a central striker which David Moyes has handed
to the Austrian international. Arnie has completely lost his odeur of
instability and sloppiness, of wasting chances and disappearing for large
parts of games. Asked on my thoughts about him when he came to West Ham last
summer I praised him as Austria's recently most talented player, but I added
that I had been happy that I was made angry by him only some times a season
(when I watched him in the Austrian national team), and now I was going to
be disappointed or annoyed by him every weekend… He seemed to prove me right
right from the beginning of his West Ham career, but since David Moyes has
come in as the new gaffer and lined up the record signing as West Ham's
central striker, Arnie has supplied nine goals and five assists from 14
starts. Statistics say that since gameweek 16, only three players have fired
more shots on target: Harry Kane with 36, Mohamed Salah with 28, and Sergio
Aguero with 25. And since the Austrian's return from injury in gameweek 27,
no player can better Arnautovic's 12 shots on target. He has been directly
involved in 13 PL goals this season, with nine goals and four assists.
That playing him in the central and only striker role has proven so
successful doesn't make it easy for the manager to include Chicharito in the
starting eleven. „Little pea" is a born goal scorer with an impressive
record of scoring from inside the box and his inclusion in the starting
eleven is requested by a lot of fans and, I think, also expected by himself.
He has already got 8 goals this season though he has been played out of
position under Slaven Bilic, been injured and often only has come from the
bench. It will be very interesting to see if David Moyes will find a system
in which West Ham's two top scorers can work together in the last 6 games of
the season…
David Moyes's team selection against Chelsea last Sunday (the third game in
London I was able to fly over for and watch live this season by the way) has
been spot on, and bringing Hernandez in the second half has proved highly
successful. I was very sceptical about the appointment of Moyes back in
November, but, as was said in a previous post here, „he has brought
improvement to a number of players, steadied the ship, improved morale and
also given a few opportunities to youngsters which we have all been asking
for".
If he could do at West Haw what he achieved at Everton from 2002-2013 (8 top
seven finishes in his eleven seasons) that would be the „next step" that
West Ham realistically can make. Promising us more, even Champions League
football, was a highly unrealistic vision that has not gone well with the
problems West Ham's supporters faced with the loss of Upton Park, the
transition to the new stadium which has not emerged as a proper football
ground so far and the underachievement in the transfer market with a lack of
clever and sufficient investment. Karren Brady, Sullivan and Gold have
underachieved (to put it mildly) in the first two seasons in the London
Stadium. This summer, after having secured Premier League football, will be
crucial for the direction in which West Ham is heading.
Now let's hope for our first back to back wins at the new ground after
almost one and a half year!
A cup final ahead
As I've already said, Monday under the lights is a cup final for West Ham.
Though West Ham haven't won a real cup final since 1980, the Hammers have
won a final back in 2012 when they beat Blackpool in the play offs at
Wembley to secure their comeback to the Premier League. Monday's game is of
similiar significance, I would not only call it a "six pointer" but a nine
or ten pointer: a win will move the Irons 10 points away from the Potters
and 9 points away from the drop zone. One more win is all but important and
could make us virtually sure that the fear of relegation is over! And with
the confidence the win over Southampton and the draw at Stamford Bridge have
brought, the squad looks capable of seizing this opportunity to make a giant
step towards safety.
This massive game must be won. But you know, in football and especially with
West Ham nothing can be taken for granted.
Come on you Irons!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th April 2018
FA WPL Plate Final: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
Having lifted one trophy last week, West Ham United Ladies return to action
in the FA WPL Plate final against Luton!
Where and When?
West Ham United Ladies will take on Luton Town Ladies at Keys Park in
Hednesford, on Sunday April 15.
The match is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off, and the postcode is: WS12 2DZ
Ticket information:
Tickets are available on the gate on the day of Sunday's final at Hednesford
Town FC, with admission at £5 for adults.
Concessions can attend Sunday's contest for just £2, while under-10s will be
just £1. Younger fans - under the age of three - can come to the WPL Plate
final for free!
How to follow:
West Ham are delighted to confirm that the WPL Plate final against Luton
Town Ladies will be live-streamed on the Club's Facebook page.
This stream will also be shared across the Ladies social media pages and
will go live approximately five minutes before kick-off on Sunday.
Live coverage will also be provided on Twitter, while there will be
extensive post-match coverage on the West Ham United website, including
reaction and full highlights.
Meet the opposition:
Luton Town Ladies currently sit in the FA Women's Premier League South East
Division One, and play home matches at Stockwood Park Athletics Centre.
Managed by Nikki Baker, Luton currently sit fifth in their division and
claimed an impressive 14-0 win in their last fixture over Haringey Women's
FC.
What they said:
Luton will be a tough challenge, a different challenge. We will have to find
a way to break through their lines. It's a new challenge that we have to
figure out. Winning would be the reward that everyone here deserves.
Karen Ray
Interim head coach & general manager
Last five matches:
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last 11 games, a run that stretches the
entirety of 2018 so far.
The last five matches have included some big wins, including the
Goodmove.co.uk Women's Cup final victory against Charlton Athletic Women,
and putting ten goals past QPR Ladies.
QPR Ladies 0-10 West Ham United Ladies - April 8 2018
Charlton Athletic Women 1-2 West Ham United Ladies - April 4 2018
Swindon Town 0-6 West Ham United Ladies - March 25 2018
West Ham United Ladies 2-0 Chichester City - March 11 2018
Hull City 0-3 West Ham United Ladies - March 4 2018
How to get there:
Follow the M1 before joining the M6 at Junction 19. Follow on to the M42 and
go through the M6 toll, before taking exit T6. Continue on A5195 to Keys
Park in Hednesford.
By Car
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ray: It's time for Ladies to prove they deserve WPL Plate 'reward'
WHUFC.com
General manager and head coach Karen Ray has called on her Ladies side to
prove that a win in this weekend's FA WPL Plate final is the "reward that
everyone deserves", when they take on Luton Town on Sunday. West Ham United
Ladies will play their second cup final in just 11 days this weekend in
Cannock against Luton, having claimed the Goodmove.co.uk Women's Cup last
Wednesday in an exhilarating contest against Charlton Athletic Women. With
one trophy already in the bag for the Hammers, Ray wants the team to
continue their excellent recent run and show they are deserving of another
winners' medal this weekend. When asked what a victory would mean for her
team against Luton, Ray told whufc.com: "For me, I think it's the reward
that everyone deserves. I think that it is something that every single one
of them have worked extremely hard for. "The staff have completely earned
some recognition for everything they've done and hopefully as the person
that's steering it, I guess for me it is important for them to be recognized
for what they've done. Obviously, I would like to thank everyone that has
worked with us, working for us."
Luton currently sit fifth in the Women's Premier League South East Division
One – the division below West Ham – but Ray is expecting a tough test
against the Hatters, who seriously tested AFC Fylde in the semi-finals. The
head coach knows this Sunday's match will be a completely different test to
the one against Charlton, but is confident her side are up to the challenge
that Luton will pose. She continued: "They are in the league below us, but
I don't think that it takes away anything from them as a team. They put in a
great performance against Fylde, a team who are equal to us if you look at
the tables in the Northern Division. This says a lot about what Luton can
bring and we will respect that, just as we did with Charlton. "Ultimately,
Luton will be a tough challenge and a different challenge. They're going to
be a tough team, they're going to drop deep and we have got to find a way to
break their line which is different from people coming to press onto us.
It's a new challenge for everyone to figure out."
Ray reckons this weekend's game will come down to the mentality of each
side, with the general manager believing that desire and tenacity will be
the key attributes in the WPL Plate final. Ray recognises that her team are
probably feeling the pressure of their winning run, with the side unbeaten
in their last 11 competitive matches, including 46 scored goals, but feels
this can only be a good thing ahead of this Sunday's match. "It's about
getting the right mentality. It's about not being complacent and that's
something we talk about every pregame meeting. We can't let this drop. It's
crazy to say that it's tough to keep winning. I think in a cup final it
comes down to who wants it more on the day, the occasion itself calls for
you to either rise or to fall. "I think the girls are feeling the pressure
now but the girls are in a good place mentally. Physically, this is the most
fit that they have ever been and I think that showed at the Charlton game.
Now it's about making sure we put all of the ingredients in, and we go out
there and not only put on a good score-line but a good performance from
everyone."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gale: My 1991 FA Cup semi-final red card would have been overturned by VAR!
WHUFC.com
Tony Gale admits his FA Cup semi-final sending-off still rankles, exactly 27
years on! The West Ham United defender was given his marching orders during
the first half of the Hammers' last-four clash with Nottingham Forest at
Villa Park on 14 April 1991, with the game still goalless. However, the
decision by manager Keith Hackett to send Gale for an early bath for his
challenge on Forest midfielder Gary Crosby has become infamous, as it was
the first occurrence of a player being red carded for a so-called
'professional foul' for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Now 58, the
Hammers favourite still believes the decision was the wrong one and that it
has overshadowed an otherwise fine career in Claret and Blue that included
368 appearances and a record-high third-place top-flight finish in 1985/86.
"I know it's boring, as everyone has asked me about it and I've spoken about
it a million times, but I'm going to talk about the 1991 FA Cup semi-final,
when I was sent-off against Nottingham Forest," he told whufc.com. "When I
look back, if you're talking about a fans' impact on a game, there could not
have been one in the history of football when the supporters made more noise
when their team was losing. "To be losing 4-0 and still be singing and all
you could hear was 'Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army' was incredible.
"As for my red card, it was not a sending-off. It was the only time I was
sent-off in my whole career and if it had happened today, it would have been
overturned by the VAR straight away. "The rules have changed since then, but
that 'professional foul' rule had only been implemented earlier that week to
change how it was to be interpreted by referees, who were to send-off
players deemed to be denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. "The game was
live on TV and it was ruined when I fouled Gary Crosby and Keith Hackett
sent me off. "Keith has admitted since that, if the incident had happened
the weekend before, he probably wouldn't even have booked me! "It does
rankle me as people remember this incident, rather than me having played 368
games, being part of our record-high league finish and the goals I scored…"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Masuaku: Stoke match is a big opportunity to take a giant step towards
safety
WHUFC.com
Arthur Masuaku says West Ham United have a 'big opportunity' to take a
'great step' towards Premier League safety when they host Stoke City on
Monday evening.
The Hammers go into their London Stadium meeting with the Potters seven
points clear of Paul Lambert's side in the table, but the gap between
themselves and the bottom three could be down to three points if Southampton
defeat Chelsea. West Ham themselves defeated the Saints and held the Blues
in their last two fixtures, with Masuaku marking his own return from a
six-match suspension with two outstanding personal performances, and the
wing-back wants to make it three positive results in a row. "The draw at
Chelsea was good for the confidence after a great win against Southampton,"
said the No26. "The most important thing for us was not to lose and a point
was good for us, and we can look forward for the next game against Stoke
City. "I feel like we have the fans with us. Before the game against
Southampton, we were a bit in trouble and the way we played, I think the
fans were happy. We had a good game collectively, as a team, so they saw the
effort they want us to show and some quality. "It's a big opportunity
because they are behind us and we can put ten points between them and us. If
we take the game as we played against Southampton or Chelsea, I think we'll
win this game. "We just have to play like we have played, to be strong and
compact. We don't need to put any extra pressure on ourselves. "We don't
feel safe yet but if we beat Stoke City, we can make a great step, because
it will be nine points [if Southampton lose to Chelsea on Saturday]. Let's
win first, then we will see. We didn't set a target. We will take it one
game at a time."
Masuaku has impressed since his return, assisting a Marko Arnautovic
wondergoal against Southampton before helping the Hammers collect a
resilient point at Stamford Bridge. In the latter, West Ham owed a great
deal to goalkeeper Joe Hart, who produced a Man of the Match performance,
earning the glowing report from the wing-back. "For me, he is the No1
'keeper for England. He wasn't playing for a while, but now he's back and
he's doing great and showing what he can do. The draw against Chelsea was
because of him, so well done."
At the other end of the pitch, Masuaku also had warm words for Arnautovic,
who followed his two-goal show against the Saints with an assist for
Chicharito's equaliser at Chelsea. "This guy Marko is a beast. I think he
can be a top player if he keeps going like this. We all know what he is
capable of and, in his mind, he is enjoying the game. I think the team and
manager have given him confidence, so he's just playing like he can play."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Having lifted one trophy last week, West Ham United Ladies return to action
in the FA WPL Plate final against Luton!
Where and When?
West Ham United Ladies will take on Luton Town Ladies at Keys Park in
Hednesford, on Sunday April 15.
The match is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off, and the postcode is: WS12 2DZ
Ticket information:
Tickets are available on the gate on the day of Sunday's final at Hednesford
Town FC, with admission at £5 for adults.
Concessions can attend Sunday's contest for just £2, while under-10s will be
just £1. Younger fans - under the age of three - can come to the WPL Plate
final for free!
How to follow:
West Ham are delighted to confirm that the WPL Plate final against Luton
Town Ladies will be live-streamed on the Club's Facebook page.
This stream will also be shared across the Ladies social media pages and
will go live approximately five minutes before kick-off on Sunday.
Live coverage will also be provided on Twitter, while there will be
extensive post-match coverage on the West Ham United website, including
reaction and full highlights.
Meet the opposition:
Luton Town Ladies currently sit in the FA Women's Premier League South East
Division One, and play home matches at Stockwood Park Athletics Centre.
Managed by Nikki Baker, Luton currently sit fifth in their division and
claimed an impressive 14-0 win in their last fixture over Haringey Women's
FC.
What they said:
Luton will be a tough challenge, a different challenge. We will have to find
a way to break through their lines. It's a new challenge that we have to
figure out. Winning would be the reward that everyone here deserves.
Karen Ray
Interim head coach & general manager
Last five matches:
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last 11 games, a run that stretches the
entirety of 2018 so far.
The last five matches have included some big wins, including the
Goodmove.co.uk Women's Cup final victory against Charlton Athletic Women,
and putting ten goals past QPR Ladies.
QPR Ladies 0-10 West Ham United Ladies - April 8 2018
Charlton Athletic Women 1-2 West Ham United Ladies - April 4 2018
Swindon Town 0-6 West Ham United Ladies - March 25 2018
West Ham United Ladies 2-0 Chichester City - March 11 2018
Hull City 0-3 West Ham United Ladies - March 4 2018
How to get there:
Follow the M1 before joining the M6 at Junction 19. Follow on to the M42 and
go through the M6 toll, before taking exit T6. Continue on A5195 to Keys
Park in Hednesford.
By Car
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ray: It's time for Ladies to prove they deserve WPL Plate 'reward'
WHUFC.com
General manager and head coach Karen Ray has called on her Ladies side to
prove that a win in this weekend's FA WPL Plate final is the "reward that
everyone deserves", when they take on Luton Town on Sunday. West Ham United
Ladies will play their second cup final in just 11 days this weekend in
Cannock against Luton, having claimed the Goodmove.co.uk Women's Cup last
Wednesday in an exhilarating contest against Charlton Athletic Women. With
one trophy already in the bag for the Hammers, Ray wants the team to
continue their excellent recent run and show they are deserving of another
winners' medal this weekend. When asked what a victory would mean for her
team against Luton, Ray told whufc.com: "For me, I think it's the reward
that everyone deserves. I think that it is something that every single one
of them have worked extremely hard for. "The staff have completely earned
some recognition for everything they've done and hopefully as the person
that's steering it, I guess for me it is important for them to be recognized
for what they've done. Obviously, I would like to thank everyone that has
worked with us, working for us."
Luton currently sit fifth in the Women's Premier League South East Division
One – the division below West Ham – but Ray is expecting a tough test
against the Hatters, who seriously tested AFC Fylde in the semi-finals. The
head coach knows this Sunday's match will be a completely different test to
the one against Charlton, but is confident her side are up to the challenge
that Luton will pose. She continued: "They are in the league below us, but
I don't think that it takes away anything from them as a team. They put in a
great performance against Fylde, a team who are equal to us if you look at
the tables in the Northern Division. This says a lot about what Luton can
bring and we will respect that, just as we did with Charlton. "Ultimately,
Luton will be a tough challenge and a different challenge. They're going to
be a tough team, they're going to drop deep and we have got to find a way to
break their line which is different from people coming to press onto us.
It's a new challenge for everyone to figure out."
Ray reckons this weekend's game will come down to the mentality of each
side, with the general manager believing that desire and tenacity will be
the key attributes in the WPL Plate final. Ray recognises that her team are
probably feeling the pressure of their winning run, with the side unbeaten
in their last 11 competitive matches, including 46 scored goals, but feels
this can only be a good thing ahead of this Sunday's match. "It's about
getting the right mentality. It's about not being complacent and that's
something we talk about every pregame meeting. We can't let this drop. It's
crazy to say that it's tough to keep winning. I think in a cup final it
comes down to who wants it more on the day, the occasion itself calls for
you to either rise or to fall. "I think the girls are feeling the pressure
now but the girls are in a good place mentally. Physically, this is the most
fit that they have ever been and I think that showed at the Charlton game.
Now it's about making sure we put all of the ingredients in, and we go out
there and not only put on a good score-line but a good performance from
everyone."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gale: My 1991 FA Cup semi-final red card would have been overturned by VAR!
WHUFC.com
Tony Gale admits his FA Cup semi-final sending-off still rankles, exactly 27
years on! The West Ham United defender was given his marching orders during
the first half of the Hammers' last-four clash with Nottingham Forest at
Villa Park on 14 April 1991, with the game still goalless. However, the
decision by manager Keith Hackett to send Gale for an early bath for his
challenge on Forest midfielder Gary Crosby has become infamous, as it was
the first occurrence of a player being red carded for a so-called
'professional foul' for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Now 58, the
Hammers favourite still believes the decision was the wrong one and that it
has overshadowed an otherwise fine career in Claret and Blue that included
368 appearances and a record-high third-place top-flight finish in 1985/86.
"I know it's boring, as everyone has asked me about it and I've spoken about
it a million times, but I'm going to talk about the 1991 FA Cup semi-final,
when I was sent-off against Nottingham Forest," he told whufc.com. "When I
look back, if you're talking about a fans' impact on a game, there could not
have been one in the history of football when the supporters made more noise
when their team was losing. "To be losing 4-0 and still be singing and all
you could hear was 'Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army' was incredible.
"As for my red card, it was not a sending-off. It was the only time I was
sent-off in my whole career and if it had happened today, it would have been
overturned by the VAR straight away. "The rules have changed since then, but
that 'professional foul' rule had only been implemented earlier that week to
change how it was to be interpreted by referees, who were to send-off
players deemed to be denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. "The game was
live on TV and it was ruined when I fouled Gary Crosby and Keith Hackett
sent me off. "Keith has admitted since that, if the incident had happened
the weekend before, he probably wouldn't even have booked me! "It does
rankle me as people remember this incident, rather than me having played 368
games, being part of our record-high league finish and the goals I scored…"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Masuaku: Stoke match is a big opportunity to take a giant step towards
safety
WHUFC.com
Arthur Masuaku says West Ham United have a 'big opportunity' to take a
'great step' towards Premier League safety when they host Stoke City on
Monday evening.
The Hammers go into their London Stadium meeting with the Potters seven
points clear of Paul Lambert's side in the table, but the gap between
themselves and the bottom three could be down to three points if Southampton
defeat Chelsea. West Ham themselves defeated the Saints and held the Blues
in their last two fixtures, with Masuaku marking his own return from a
six-match suspension with two outstanding personal performances, and the
wing-back wants to make it three positive results in a row. "The draw at
Chelsea was good for the confidence after a great win against Southampton,"
said the No26. "The most important thing for us was not to lose and a point
was good for us, and we can look forward for the next game against Stoke
City. "I feel like we have the fans with us. Before the game against
Southampton, we were a bit in trouble and the way we played, I think the
fans were happy. We had a good game collectively, as a team, so they saw the
effort they want us to show and some quality. "It's a big opportunity
because they are behind us and we can put ten points between them and us. If
we take the game as we played against Southampton or Chelsea, I think we'll
win this game. "We just have to play like we have played, to be strong and
compact. We don't need to put any extra pressure on ourselves. "We don't
feel safe yet but if we beat Stoke City, we can make a great step, because
it will be nine points [if Southampton lose to Chelsea on Saturday]. Let's
win first, then we will see. We didn't set a target. We will take it one
game at a time."
Masuaku has impressed since his return, assisting a Marko Arnautovic
wondergoal against Southampton before helping the Hammers collect a
resilient point at Stamford Bridge. In the latter, West Ham owed a great
deal to goalkeeper Joe Hart, who produced a Man of the Match performance,
earning the glowing report from the wing-back. "For me, he is the No1
'keeper for England. He wasn't playing for a while, but now he's back and
he's doing great and showing what he can do. The draw against Chelsea was
because of him, so well done."
At the other end of the pitch, Masuaku also had warm words for Arnautovic,
who followed his two-goal show against the Saints with an assist for
Chicharito's equaliser at Chelsea. "This guy Marko is a beast. I think he
can be a top player if he keeps going like this. We all know what he is
capable of and, in his mind, he is enjoying the game. I think the team and
manager have given him confidence, so he's just playing like he can play."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
