Lanzini & Arnautovic secure final day win over Everton
WHUFC.com
Two goals from Manuel Lanzini and a thumping strike by Marko Arnautovic
secured an eye-catching 3-1 win for West Ham against Everton on the final
day of the season. In a brilliant afternoon of football at London Stadium
Lanzini opened the scoring with a low effort in the first period.
Arnautovic netted his eleventh Premier League goal of the season with a
rocket-like strike just after an hour to double the Hammers' advantage. A
late push from Everton saw Sam Allardyce's side get a goal back through
Oumar Niasse, but the Irons would make it three as the Argentinian wizard
netted his second with a curling goal. And the result means West Ham United
finish the campaign in 13th, ending the season on 42 points. Ten minutes
into the contest and West Ham saw two chances test the Toffees. Marko
Arnautovic saw an effort blocked by Michael Keane, before Mark Noble - on
his 400th start for the Club - was played in by the Austrian. However, the
skipper's effort, which looked destined for the bottom corner, was saved by
Jordan Pickford. The Irons would lose Arthur Masuaku to an early injury
set-back, with Edimilson Fernandes coming on in his place, before Joao Mario
came close to opening the scoring with a low, left-footed strike that was
just wide of the post.
Adrian had to quickly react after Angelo Ogbonna misjudged the flight of a
long ball, smartly saving with his feet, and the stop proved vital as the
Hammers netted the first goal of the game just a few minutes later.
Cheikhou Kouyate looked to play in Arnautovic but the No7 left the ball,
allowing Lanzini to run onto the pass. The Argentinian struck first time
from the edge of the area, beating Pickford and sending elation through the
home support at London Stadium.
The Hammers doubled their advantage just after the hour mark as Arnautovic
showed just why the supporters voted him Hammer of the Year. The 29-year-old
netted his eleventh Premier League finish of the season after turning
Michael Keane and striking a rocket from outside the box, which Pickford
just could not react to. The Austrian had shown his best throughout the
entire contest, and looked like he had doubled his personal tally just
moments later, but his headed effort was ruled out for offside. Everton
would strike the post through Niasse before pulling a goal back via the
striker, who smashed into the net after a scramble from a corner with 15
minutes to go. It looked like Pablo Zabaleta would restore the Hammers'
two-goal cushion with his first finish of the season, but the Argentinian's
side-footed volley was skewered wide. But the Irons would not be denied
another goal as Lanzini superbly curled in from just inside the penalty area
to score his second of the game and ensure a thrilling result for West Ham
on the final day of the season. There was still time for West Ham fans to
show appreciation to a Club icon in James Collins, who came on in the 88th
minute to a rapturous standing ovation from the fantastic home fans, with
Noble handing the captain's armband to the Welsh defender.
West Ham United: Adrian; Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Collins 88'); Zabaleta,
Noble (c), Kouyate, Masuaku (Fernandes 21'); Joao Mario, Lanzini (Obiang
86'), Arnautovic
Subs: Hart, Evra, Carroll, Chicharito
Goals: Lanzini 39', Arnautovic 63'
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Funes Mori (Klaassen 46'), Jagielka,
Baines, Gueye, Schneiderlin, Davies (Bolasie 83'), Niasse, Tosun (Walcott
61')
Subs: Robles, Martina, Kenny, Holgate
Goal: Niasse 75'
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Moyes: It was a great performance to beat Everton
WHUFC.com
David Moyes was thrilled with his West Ham United side after they signed off
the 2017/18 season in style with a 3-1 victory over Everton on Sunday. Two
goals from Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic's eleventh of the season set
the seal in a dominant performance from the hosts, which had the boss
purring at his team's attacking play. The three-point haul lifted West Ham
to a finishing position of 13th in the Premier League table, leaving Moyes
to reflect on a strong recovery from the position he inherited in the
autumn. "What a great performance," he beamed. "It was a good game, we
really enjoyed it. We played well and I enjoyed watching it. We scored good
goals. "[All three] were great strikes, but our play all day was really
good. In recent weeks our form has been very good - our football has
improved and players are getting better. "It came very close to our best
performance of the season and I thought we played very well with the ball.
We had signs of that at Leicester, we had signs at Manchester United, and
when I look back to when we first came in and were trying to get results by
hook or by crook, today looks much more structured and we've got a way of
playing. We were very good today. "When we came in we were in the bottom
three and we've ended 13th, so I'd have taken that all day long, that's for
sure."
Marko Arnautovic's upturn in form since Moyes' appointment has gone a long
way to helping the Hammers climb the table, and after he took his final
tally to 11 goals and six assists - all registered in his last 20
appearances - the manager was full of praise for his forward. He added:
"Marko has been brilliant. I know the quality of centre halves they have,
Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane, and I can tell you he was up against really
good players. "At the moment he is looking a real handful. The bit of play
we had when Nobes nearly scored early on was terrific, and I thought Joao
Mario and Lanzini were always a threat on the break too."
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Arnautovic: Everton win means we can go into the summer with a good feeling
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic did not want the 2017/18 season to end. A goal and assist
against Everton on Sunday brought his tally to eleven scored and six made
from just 20 Premier League games - a run of form which has played a major
role in moving the Hammers up from the drop zone to 13th in the Premier
League table.
Arnautovic's tireless work up front earned him the Hammer of the Year award
in his debut campaign with the Club and his wish is to pick up from where he
left off when the next season gets underway. "I'm really pleased," he said.
"We completely dominated the game and deserved the three points. We're very
happy with the performance and to win the last game of the season, it means
we can go into the summer with a good feeling. "Before this week we had the
pressure on us, because we were still in the relegation battle, but when we
secured our position against Leicester, we had a better feeling. "When you
have pressure it is always hard to play, but we have done well in our last
three games and we are very happy to take seven points from them. "Being
voted Player of the Season by the fans was great. I'm very pleased for them,
and I want to thank all my teammates, the whole club and the fans for being
there for me. I hope I can continue to score goals, playing the way I'm
playing now.
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Hammers crowned Bermuda International Cup champions
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Academy were crowned Bermuda International Football
Festival champions as they were 5-3 winners in the final contest against the
Azores.
With both sides going into the all-important clash unbeaten throughout their
group stage matches, a sizeable crowd was in a attendance to watch what
promised to be an intriguing final. And the game began in the worst possible
fashion for the U17s, with the east Londoners conceding within five minutes.
But not to be deterred, the Hammers got into their stride and equalised with
a powerful Bernardo Rosa shot which levelled the scores at 1-1. Those in
Claret and Blue then began to dominate possession and Anouar El Mhassani was
able to latch onto a superb through ball and put his side ahead after
rounding the goalkeeper. West Ham were then forced to withstand some intense
pressure before the break, but could not hold up. From a corner kick, it was
2-2. After the restart, the game failed to settle down and more goals were
inevitable. West Ham again took the lead when Rosa grabbed his second of the
game, rocketing an unbelievable shot into the net from 30 yards out. With 20
minutes remaining, the tie swung another way as the Azores levelled for 3-3.
Again, it was a set-piece that undid West Ham.
Into the final five minutes, a strong challenge on Jamal Baptiste saw the
Azores' centre-forward red-carded, all the encouragement the Hammers needed
to go on and take the game to their opponents. Within minutes, an opening
landed at the feet of Sebastian Nebula who coolly took the ball with his
first touch and volleyed past the keeper with his second for 4-3. Azores
pushed forward searching for the equaliser but with Louie Watson
intercepting the ball in midfield and sliding the ball through the open
defence to Manny Longelo, West Ham were two goals to the good as the
attacker rounded the Keeper and superbly put the ball in the bottom corner.
After lifting the trophy, proud Academy Director Terry Westley said: "The
trip has been a great learning experience for this young team. We've
experienced a hostile environment, a physical encounter, coming back from
set-backs and then having courage to continue to play in an attractive and
entertaining style to win the first Bermudian International Cup is
fantastic. "Great credit goes to the players for keeping their composure and
showing their technical ability against a much older Azores team. "I'd also
like to thank the staff who were here with us; Billy Lepine, Ben Male,
Hayden Gale and Jake Hurst, who deserve great credit for the way they have
worked with the players throughout this trip. "It's bee a great experience
for all and one we are extremely grateful to Clyde Best and the
organisational committee of this inaugural International Cup for."
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West Ham United 3-1 Everton
By Greg O'Keeffe
BBC Sport
13 May
Manuel Lanzini's brace took his goal tally for the season to five and they
were his first goals since scoring twice at Huddersfield on 13 January West
Ham moved up two places in the Premier League table to finish 13th after a
Manuel Lanzini-inspired win over Everton in what could be the final game in
charge for both managers.
Striker Marko Arnautovic's thumping second-half goal added to playmaker
Lanzini's opener before the break and David Moyes' men ended a turbulent
campaign on a high when the Argentine curled a third past Jordan Pickford
near the end. Everton, who pulled one back through Oumar Niasse, finished
eighth after ninth-placed Leicester's defeat but some supporters chanted for
manager Sam Allardyce to be sacked, as out-of-contract Moyes will also
reflect on his next step. West Ham goalkeeper Adrian made late saves to deny
Niasse and Everton substitute Theo Walcott.
Moyes, who hinted his preference was to stay, said: "Everybody always thinks
the grass is greener and there's something better out there. I would say
more often than not I bet you it's proved wrong. "We've shown we're trying
to improve. I don't know if anybody can come and make that big a difference
in six months. Even Pep Guardiola took a bit of time to get his team right.
"I'd think you'd need to give a bit longer. But every manager now is in
transit. I don't think there is a long period."
Echoing that air of uncertainty - Allardyce gave a curt response to
questions on his future. He said: "I can't quite say confident after all the
rumours I'm reading in the paper. Generally there's no smoke without fire.
We'll wait and see when we meet up."
West Ham defender James Collins, who is yet to sign a new deal and is out of
contract in the summer, received a standing ovation when he replaced Aaron
Cresswell near the end and wept at the final whistle, suggesting his 10
years of service over two spells may be coming to an end. And the Hammers'
supporters cheered the players as they made their lap of appreciation around
the London Stadium pitch in the sunshine, a markedly more upbeat atmosphere
than at times this season.
Star man Arnie shines
Seven points from the last three games and another impressive showing from
Arnautovic ensured the Hammers signed off the campaign with a smile. The
Austrian forward was referred to as the "star man" by team-mate Cresswell
afterwards and Moyes believes changing his role from the wing to up front
was a turning point in their season. "Maybe he wasn't doing as much and
tracking back on the wing," said the Scot before Sunday's win. "He's been a
sensation up front, he's been playing as well as most strikers." The man
they call 'Arnie' brushed past the visiting defence with ease to smash the
second goal of the game past Pickford and led the line strongly throughout
while also making five key passes. Moyes' ability to get the best out of a
player who underwhelmed initially after joining from Stoke last summer
certainly helped West Ham remain in the top flight. Arnautovic scored 11
goals and applied himself consistently as the club pulled away from danger
to secure survival last weekend.
Moyes could not add further clarity on his future after the final whistle
but even if he departs, he can reflect on a job well done in his brief reign
since taking over from Slaven Bilic in November. A change in manager
ultimately ensured Premier League survival for both of these clubs, but fan
unrest continues. Some Evertonians have been unhappy with Allardyce's reign
in recent weeks, and those dissenters will not have been appeased with this
result. The former England boss started with a back three, bringing
Argentina international Ramiro Funes Mori into his line-up next to Phil
Jagielka and Michael Keane. It didn't work, however, as Lanzini scored an
impressive opener and Arnautovic was allowed to turn and run at goal too
easily in the build-up to his strike. Despite changing to a back four in the
second half, which brought Everton back into the contest for a while, they
still conceded to Lanzini again when he got ahead of Seamus Coleman and
curled a shot into the top corner. Allardyce will point to key saves by
Adrian which denied his men but supporters in the away end booed his
decision to take off striker Cenk Tosun in the second half, with the Turk
also visibly unhappy after receiving precious little service throughout.
Despite having more shots on target than the hosts, Everton came away with
nothing. "Overall we managed to seal eighth spot and a few more coffers in
the pot for the club," said Allardyce, who will meet the club's owner Farhad
Moshiri in the next few days.
Man of the match - Manuel Lanzini (West Ham)
West Ham manager David Moyes said: "I can't say (about the future) because I
am no further forward. We will meet and talk next week, we haven't arranged
a date or a time. "What will influence me? When you get good performances.
It makes you feel 'hey, there's something to build on here'."
Everton manager Sam Allardyce, speaking to BBC Sport: "It is disappointing
to lose the game when the chances we missed were better than the chances
they scored with. "But then you have to credit Adrian for being absolutely
outstanding with three top-class saves. "All three should have gone in -
that's where the difference was. I am pleased with the second half, not so
pleased with the first half."
Moyes retains upper hand over Allardyce - the stats
David Moyes has won eight of his last nine meetings with Sam Allardyce in
the competition (L1), including each of his last six in a row.
Allardyce has lost four of his last five final-day games (D1), with his last
win coming with the Hammers against Reading in May 2013.
Allardyce lost his 200th Premier League game, becoming only the second
manager to do so (after Harry Redknapp, 238 defeats).
West Ham's 13th-place finish is their lowest since 2013-14 when they also
finished 13th.
Everton have won just one of their last 15 away Premier League games in
London (D6 L8), winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in January 2017.
Manuel Lanzini has been directly involved in 11 Premier League goals this
season (five goals, six assists), his best figures in an English top-flight
campaign.
After failing to register a goal involvement in his first 11 Premier League
games for West Ham, Marko Arnautovic scored 11 and assisted six in his
following 20 appearances.
Arnautovic has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, the most by a
West Ham player in a single top-flight campaign since Bobby Zamora in
2006-07 (also 11).
Oumar Niasse netted eight goals in the Premier League for Everton in 2017-18
- double his tally from his previous two top-flight campaigns (4).
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I'm free from midnight, jokes Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 13th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes was in high spirits during this afternoon's press conference -
as he joked about being out of work by midnight. Having secured seven points
out of nine from West Ham's final three games of the 2017/18 season and
engineered a 13th-place finish, Moyes - who is unlikely to be offered an
extended contract - has every right to be pleased with his efforts. And as
he spoke to the media for possibly the final time as West Ham's manager, he
was in fine form - despite facing the prospect of being unemployed again by
tomorrow morning. "I think [my contract expires] at midnight!" joked Moyes
when asked when his temporary contract is up. "So I'll take my suit off and
undo my tie a little bit at midnight. I'll be back on the streets by
tomorrow! "I have other options, but I've had a really good relationship
with the Board since I've been here. I speak regularly with them and from
that point of view I'd like to change things - but maybe not everybody's
happy with change."
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West Ham 3-1 Everton: Manuel Lanzini scores twice as Hammers end with a
flourish
By Ben Grounds
Last Updated: 13/05/18 6:14pm
SSN
Manuel Lanzini scored twice as West Ham deservedly beat Everton 3-1 at the
London Stadium to seal a first home league win over their opponents since
April 2007. Sam Allardyce endured an unhappy afternoon against his former
employees as Lanzini gave the hosts a deserved lead (39) before Marko
Arnautovic's swerving shot doubled the hosts' advantage (63). Oumar Niasse
pulled a goal back with a close-range finish (74), but Lanzini capped a
scintillating display with a brilliant strike past Jordan Pickford via the
post (82). The Hammers finish in 13th place while the Toffees remained in
eighth spot on the final day of the Premier League season.
Man of the match: Manuel Lanzini
Attention will now turn to the respective futures of David Moyes and
Allardyce, who praised Lanzini after a standout performance, but his side
were second best during a tired display in the capital. Mark Noble was
denied early on as Pickford produced a brilliant save low to his left after,
before Niasse pounced on a mistake by Angelo Ogbonna to force Adrian into a
smart stop with his legs. iasse's miss proved costly as seven minutes later,
West Ham were in front. There was an element of good fortune about the goal
as Cheikhou Kouyate's intended pass for Arnautovic ran through for Lanzini
to stroke his shot low to the right of Pickford's dive.
Everton began the game by playing three at the back, and duly changed to a
more familiar formation at the interval with Ramiro Funes Mori withdrawn,
but they only marginally improved before West Ham extended their lead.
Edimilson Fernandes, an early substitute for the injured Arthur Masuaku, fed
Arnautovic and the former Stoke City forward rolled Michael Keane before
unleashing a venomous shot from 25 yards that moved in the air on its way
past Pickford. Everton responded as Adrian tipped a powerful shot from
Niasse onto a post, and from the resulting corner the Senegalese forward was
rewarded for his endeavour, taking down Morgan Schneiderlin's header to fire
in from five yards out. But any hopes they had of salvaging something were
ended in fine style by Lanzini as he picked up Pablo Zabaleta's pass, cut
inside Seamus Coleman on the left and bent a superb right-foot shot that
curled beyond the outstretched Pickford and in off the post.
England watch
Aaron Cresswell: There remains an outside chance that Aaron Cresswell could
be named at least as one of Gareth Southgate's standy options given his
versatility and concerns over Danny Rose's fitness, and he produced another
assured display. He wouldn't let anyone down if he made the plane, but there
appears stronger options when everyone is fit.
Jordan Pickford: One of Everton's better performers again, Pickford could do
very little about West Ham's first and third goals but he may feel slightly
at fault for Arnautovic's goal, with the dipping shot flying past him. He
made a brilliant stop from Noble with the scores level, and he looks set for
the No 1 jersey.
Michael Keane: Any faint hopes the former Burnley defender may have had of
making a late dash for Russia were surely ended here after he was tormented
all afternoon, in particular by Arnautovic.
Man of the match - Manuel Lanzini
The Argentine was at it from the first whistle as he combined brilliantly
with Arnautovic to stretch Everton on a day they were punished for
experimenting with three at the back. Two defenders were dragged towards
Arnautovic as Lanzini fired in the opener, and the diminutive midfielder
ended the contest in typical fashion, finding the top corner with a
brilliant strike. The 25-year-old has endured an injury-ravaged season, but
this was a timely reminder of the difference he makes to this West Ham team
when he's on song. Lanzini has been directly involved in 11 Premier League
goals this season (five goals, six assists), his best ever figures in an
English top-flight campaign.
Opta stats
David Moyes has won eight of his last nine meetings with Sam Allardyce in
the competition (L1), including each of his last six in a row.
Sam Allardyce has lost four of his last five final day games (D1), with his
last win coming with the Hammers against Reading in May 2013.
Everton have won just one of their last 15 away Premier League games in
London (D6 L8), winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in January 2017
After failing to register a goal involvement in his first 11 Premier League
games for West Ham, Marko Arnautovic has scored 11 and assisted six in his
following 20 appearances.
Arnautovic has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, the most by a
West Ham player in a single top-flight campaign since Bobby Zamora in
2006-07 (also 11).
Oumar Niasse netted eight goals in the Premier League for Everton in 2017-18
- double his tally from his previous two top-flight campaigns (4).
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Marko Arnautovic's was 'unplayable' says West Ham boss David Moyes
Last Updated: 13/05/18 7:33pm
SSN
David Moyes hailed Marko Arnautovic's performance as 'unplayable' after West
Ham ended their season on a high with a 3-1 win over Everton at the London
Stadium. Arnautovic was named the club's player of the year due to the
quality of his performances during his debut season and he was influential
once more against Everton. The Austrian was involved in West Ham's first
goal scored by Manuel Lanzini and then got on the scoresheet himself with a
brilliant strike just beyond the hour mark. A second goal from Lanzini late
on restored West Ham's two-goal advantage after Oumar Niasse had struck for
Everton to ensure that West Ham won the game and finished 13th in the table.
West Ham United manager David Moyes was full of praise for the way his side
beat Everton 3-1 at the London Stadium in the Premier League. peaking
post-match, Moyes said: "What a great performance. It was a good game, the
players enjoyed it, I enjoyed watching it and we scored good goals," he
said. "Our play all day was really good, in recent weeks our form has been
really good, our football has improved, the players have got better, so
that's good. "Look at times he [Arnautovic] can be unplayable. He had other
opportunities, he was in on the keeper. When we came in we were in the
bottom three and we've ended up in 13th so I would have taken that all day
long, that's for sure."
West Ham's season reached a nadir in March when a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley
was marred by pitch invasions and protests in the stands. The club's
decision to head to Miami for a five-day warm weather training camp a few
days later was criticised by some but Moyes insisted that it was the turning
point in their season.
"Sometimes you've got to pat yourselves on the back because others don't! If
you'd have given me this at the start and a performance like we gave today
I'd be delighted," he said. "I think for me the decision to go to Miami was
a massive turnaround for us, I think we've only lost two games since we came
back. "It showed the togetherness and that the players were making the right
decisions and right choices, sometimes you've got to trust the managers and
let them get on with it.
"I'll speak with the club, things haven't changed over the next few days and
whatnot we'll have the chance to speak but everything is the same as it
was."
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West Ham United 2017/18 Premier League season review
Last Updated: 13/05/18 6:07pm
SSN
West Ham finished the 2017/18 Premier League season in 14th place.
Read on for our review of their campaign, complete with the views of Soccer
Saturday pundit Phil Thompson.
Finishing position: 13th (-2)
Total points: 42 (-3)
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carabao Cup: Quarter-finals
Top scorer: Marko Arnautovic (11)
West Ham's second season in the Olympic Stadium was even more turbulent than
their first. Expectations were raised by the summer signings of Marko
Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Joe Hart, but a dreadful start to the
campaign cost Slaven Bilic his job in November. Many supporters were
unimpressed when David Moyes was chosen to succeed him, and while results
did pick up in December, tempers spilled over when back-to-back 4-1 defeats
to Liverpool and Swansea were followed by a 3-0 reverse at home to Burnley.
The ugly scenes at the Olympic Stadium that day summed up the mood at the
club, but West Ham rallied in the remaining months of the season to avoid
relegation and move up to 13th place. It's a long way short of what was
expected when they left Upton Park behind, but it represents a job well done
by Moyes.
Best day of 2017/18
The 1-0 win over London rivals Chelsea in December, when Arnautovic's goal
gave West Ham fans something to savour.
Worst day of 2017/18
The 3-0 loss at home to Burnley was the nadir. Angry supporters invaded the
pitch and forced co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan to flee the
directors' box.
Managerial review
I think David Moyes should be in there with the top manager performances of
the season because of the emotional battles in that job, putting out fires
all over the place with fans, owners and players. He's had to use all of his
experience to keep them in the Premier League and prevent a potential
implosion.
Player of the year
I was shocked at how inept and disinterested Marko Arnautovic looked at the
start of the season. I covered the game against Southampton where he got
sent off for elbowing a centre-half. To have turned it around and become
such a key figure, a little like Wilfried Zaha at Palace, is really
impressive. Keeping David Moyes should be imperative to bringing stability
back to club and avoiding another relegation battle.
Phil Thompson
2018/19 prospects
I think they will have learnt from this season. Keeping David Moyes should
be imperative to bringing stability back to club and avoiding another
relegation battle.
Sky Bet relegation odds for 2018/19: 5/1
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, May 14
Saturday, May 12
Daily WHUFC News - 12th May 2018
Rice: We more than held our own against world class players
WHUFC.com
2017/18 has been a steep learning curve for Declan Rice, but the 19-year-old defender passed another test with flying colours on Thursday night by helping the Hammers to a creditable 0-0 draw against Manchester United.
Rice has now made 25 Premier League appearances in a breakthrough campaign and he was delighted to come out on top in a tussle with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.
The Red Devils' front three could find no way through against a Hammers backline who were keeping a second consecutive Premier League clean sheet for the first time in 2018.
West Ham's defensive solidity meant Rice could wear a broad smile as he left the London Stadium pitch on Thursday, able to tick off another useful experience.
"I think they've got some unbelievable players," he explained. "When you look at the team before the game and you see you're up against Sanchez, Lingard, Pogba, you know you're in for a tough night.
"I knew what I was up against, I analysed it, and we knew we had to come out with a clean sheet. It's another point and a good night all round.
"We have an understanding at the back and I think it's because we all get on so well. Off the pitch, me, Zab, Angelo, Cress, Arthur, they're all good lads. We talk to each other every day, we're always in meetings together analysing and we're ending the season strongly."
There is still one experience for Rice to come to round the season off as the Hammers entertain Everton on Sunday, and with the pressure of trying to secure Premier League safety off, he is convinced the team can go out and enjoy themselves.
He added: "To know we were safe at the weekend was a real relief and we could go out there on Thursday and enjoy it. Picking up another point was good, we've got Everton on Sunday now and we want to end strongly."
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Moyes: Finishing in the top half is a big incentive to beat Everton
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says the possibility of finishing in the Premier League's top ten is a 'big incentive' to defeat his former club Everton on Sunday.
West Ham United need to beat the Blues and hope five other results go their way to climb into the top half, but with Newcastle United facing Chelsea, Crystal Palace hosting resurgent West Bromwich Albion, AFC Bournemouth at Burnley, Watford at Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Liverpool, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Amazingly, with just one game to play, the Hammers could finish anywhere between tenth and 17th in the table, with a prospective extra £14million in prize money available should things go their way.
"Finishing in the top half is a big incentive, but the biggest thing for me and the real job was to ensure we remained a Premier League club, and we've got that job done," said Moyes.
"We're not celebrating staying up, but at times you do have to look at it as a good achievement from the position we were in.
"Also, when you look at the clubs who have gone down this year, as I don't think many people would have predicted the clubs who have gone down."
For Moyes, too, the prospect of managing against the club where he spent eleven seasons between 2002 and 2013, achieving nine top-eight finishes, and against one of his closest friends in the game, former West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, are added motivation to finish the 2017/18 campaign on a winning note.
Moyes holds the upper hand over Big Sam historically, winning 12 of their 21 managerial clashes – the most victories he has over any single opposing manager – and losing just six.
"It's definitely still special for me Everton has always been a big game, so it'll be a big day, with Sam coming back here too, for both of us.
"In the years gone by, we've sat in opposite dugouts, not in this stadium, obviously, but in other stadiums."
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Noble: We can still finish this tough season on a high
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes West Ham United can end the season on a high when they host Everton on Sunday.
The Hammers could yet finish in the top ten should they beat the Blues at London Stadium and results elsewhere go their way.
Having won at Leicester City last weekend and more than held their own against Manchester United on home turf on Thursday evening, victory over Sam Allardyce's side will see West Ham go into the summer in a more positive frame of mind than they might have done following heavy defeats by Manchester City and Arsenal a few weeks ago.
"Our last two results have been very good, beating Leicester away and then drawing with Man U at home – four points, two clean sheets, safe in the Premier League with another home game to come," Noble observed.
"All in all, at the end of a ridiculously tough season, physically and mentally, to come away safe and potentially mid-table weirdly makes it OK. The feeling is it hasn't been a good season, but the league table might yet say it's been an OK season.
"Our target at the start of the season was to finish in the top half but, with all the stuff that has gone on this year, I'm proud of how we've come through it, particularly as a number of our players haven't been used to this sort of pressure. We've stuck at it and got safe."
On a lighter note, Noble also revealed that his son Lenny was none too impressed with his on-pitch altercation with Paul Pogba on Thursday evening.
The flashpoint occurred when Manchester United's France midfielder kicked out at the No16 near the end of a physical, hard-fought goalless draw, and Noble did not take the foul lying down.
Both players were booked for their part in the incident, but moments later enjoyed a light-hearted embrace at the final whistle.
The captain made light of the clash after the game, before revealing that Pogba is also one of his son's favourite players!
"The funny thing is that my son Lenny asked me if he could walk out with me before the game as he really wanted to see Pogba, then when I came out of the dressing room after the game, Lenny was having a photo with him, so I know where his loyalties lie!"
"I am one of Pogba's biggest fans. He gets more criticism than he deserves. He's at one of the biggest clubs in the world and is under a lot of pressure, but sometimes I think we should embrace players like that when they're in the Premier League, rather than criticise them.
"You can tell he really wants to do well and he's a top, top player. I just wanted to get close to him and tell him how good he is!
"At the end I wished him the best of luck in the FA Cup final and at the World Cup in the summer."
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Academy side complete Zurich tournament
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Academy finished their FIFA Youth Cup Blue Stars tournament campaign in sixth place on Thursday after a tough fifth-sixth play-off against Espanyol saw them defeated 2-0.
Having beaten hosts FC Blue Stars 3-0 before going down by the same scoreline on Wednesday to Dynamo Zagreb, the Hammers put themselves in a good position to finish high up in their Group B on Thursday.
First, they took on FC Zurich – playing in their own city – and put in a stellar performance to win 1-0.
The Hammers began the game on the front foot, and had their first meaningful attempt on goal when Joe Powell curled a free-kick over the bar after Vashon Neufville's speedy run towards goal was ended with a foul.
Some good play soon after from Nathan Holland and Sead Haksabanovic gave Domingos Quina the chance to shoot, but his effort was blocked.
West Ham continued to threaten in the first half, but Holland could only head narrowly over before Haksabanovic forced the keeper into a good save, meaning the sides went in at the break goalless.
ZurichInto the second half, it was clear a moment of quality wasting to be the deciding factor, and the Hammers got just that when Alfie Lewis slotted the ball through for Holland to calmly score and break the deadlock.
Holland continued to be a threat for West Ham, but the midfield trio of Conor Coventy, Lewis and Quina made sure it was three points for those in Claret and Blue.
And so it was into the final Group B match against SC Braga with the Hammers looking to finish in the top two.
And the early signs looked positive against the Portuguese outfit. Quina dictated the play, and Holland struck narrowly past the point early on.
But Braga took the lead against the run of play on the stroke of half-time when the Hammers failed to defend a corner, leading to a close-range tap-in to make it 1-0.
Early in the second half, Neufville had a penalty appeal turned down and Quina came close with a free-kick, before sub Korrey Henry forced a low save.
And in the closing minutes, Rosaire Longelo played Holland in down the left but his low effort flashed inches wide and the side could not quite find an equaliser as the game finished 1-0.
A third-place finish in the five-man group meant West Ham were to contest a fifth-sixth play-off against Spanish outfit Espanyol.
Early chances again came and went, as Holland had a low shot saved and Henry's long-range strike was batted away.
Espanyol took the lead after a cross from right was controlled in the box by a forward, who found the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
In the second half, Haksabanovic injected some energy into the attack and Henry was a handful, but as West Ham pushed for an equaliser, Espanyol broke and the striker slotted past keeper Rihards Matrevics after finding himself one-on-one.
And so the Hammers finished in sixth place overall, with their earlier opponents Dynamo Zagreb defeating Young Boys 2-0 in the final to take home the trophy.
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Five-star Hammers thrash Bermuda Select side
WHUFC.com
A five-star West Ham United U17 side were 5-1 winners over a Bermuda Select XI on Thursday in their second fixture at the Bermuda International Football Festival.
The east Londoners, who picked up a 1-1 draw in their opener against the country's U19s, took on the home outfit made up of the best young players in the top two Bermuda FA leagues.
The young Hammers started very well, playing on the front foot and attacking from the start. The early breakthrough came after a clever one-two from Bernardo Rosa and Evan Khouri, with the latter finishing superbly well on the volley to put the Hammers into the lead.
West Ham continued to dominate the game with the midfield players Bernardo Rosa, Louie Watson, Sebastian Nebyla, Evan Khouri and Jay Mingi, and it was no surprise when we went further ahead when again Evan Khouri landed on a lose ball to slot past the advancing keeper.
Early in the second half, the Hammers were again celebrating when Bermuda defender Seth Somner was caught in possession, allowing the impressive Emmanuel longelo to steam in on goal and sweep the ball home from close range.
Bernardo Rosa, playing as a withdrawn striker, extended West Ham's lead on the hour mark, crashing home a bouncing ball beyond substitute goalkeeper Shaquille Trott.
Summer signing Anouar El Mhassani missed a good opportunity for the Hammers soon after, forcing a fine save from Trott, while at the other end, Donovan Thompson, a second half introduction, saw an effort blocked and Jahiem Iris dragged a shot wide.
West Ham added a fifth when sub Kyle McGeachy effort took a wicked deflection off Somner before ballooning over the outstretched arms of Trott.
Bermuda Select pulled a goal back when Calin Maybury powered home a free-kick late on.
The Hammers will now prepare for a final group match against the Azores, heading into the fixture with a strong chance of qualification for the tournament's final having picked up four points already.
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West Ham United v Everton
SUN 13 MAY 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
BBc.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
West Ham forward Jordan Hugill could make his first start since joining the club in January, with Javier Hernandez still nursing a knee injury.
Pedro Obiang and James Collins might be involved after spells on the sidelines.
Everton's Wayne Rooney has a knee problem and will not be risked but Theo Walcott could return from a calf issue.
Defender Mason Holgate, who has not played since mid-March because of an ankle injury, is in contention for a place in the squad.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
John Roder: "West Ham and Everton will surely want to consign this season to the history books.
"It's been an unsatisfactory and sometimes turbulent campaign, with both clubs changing managers in an attempt to make progress.
"Injury has denied Wayne Rooney the chance to make a possible Premier League farewell before a move to MLS in the United States, while David Moyes may be in charge of West Ham for the final time.
"Everton will finish in the top 10, while West Ham only secured their Premier League place last weekend. The end-of-season report for both clubs probably is 'could and should do better'."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes on his future: "We'll have a chat next week and we'll see [whether I stay].
"It's been a tough job but a really good job. I've really enjoyed it and the players have worked hard when we came in; we had to get them in order a little bit and get them playing a bit better, and I think we've done that. It's a big achievement for us."
Everton manager Sam Allardyce on Wayne Rooney's future: "My understanding of the situation is there seems to have been some negotiation somewhere along the line.
"I don't get involved in anything with regards transfers so all I know is there appears to be interest from DC United. Where that lies and where Wayne lies with it I can't tell you at the moment."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Both men have done what was asked of them by keeping their sides up after being appointed in mid-season and, while David Moyes will get a say in his future, it could be that Everton decide that Sam Allardyce is surplus to requirements.
In terms of the game, I am going for Moyes to come out on top against his former club.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have won just one of the last 19 Premier League meetings: 3-2 at Goodison Park in March 2016.
Everton are unbeaten in nine away league games against the Hammers dating back to April 2007.
The Toffees have won 24 Premier League games against West Ham, more than they have against any other side.
West Ham United
They are aiming to avoid becoming the first team to lose more than 10 top-flight matches by at least a three-goal margin in a single season since West Brom in 1985-86.
David Moyes has lost all five of his Premier League games against his former club by an aggregate score of 0-12.
However, the Scotsman has won seven of his last eight league meetings with Sam Allardyce.
Marko Arnautovic has scored 10 league goals this season. Bobby Zamora was the last West Ham player to score 11 goals in a single Premier League season back in 2006-07.
Everton
After a run of five consecutive away defeats, Everton are unbeaten in their last three. They've not won back-to-back top-flight away games since September 2016.
The Toffees have won their final match in 52 different top-flight seasons, three more than any other side.
Only against Newcastle (15) has Wayne Rooney scored more Premier League goals than he has against West Ham (14) - including a hat-trick against the Hammers in November.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 28%
Probability of home win: 42% Probability of away win: 30%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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Marko Arnautovic's form and a fan protest kept West Ham up, says David Moyes
BBC.co.uk
A fan protest and the form of Marko Arnautovic were the turning points as West Ham secured Premier League survival this season, says David Moyes.
Supporters invaded the pitch during a 3-0 home defeat by Burnley in March.
Meanwhile, Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic as boss in November, moving Arnautovic into a centre-forward position and seeing him score 10 times since.
"He's been a sensation up front, he's been playing as well as most strikers," Moyes told The Friday Football Social.
"Maybe he wasn't doing as much and not tracking back on the wing. Him going up front made a big difference."
The 29-year-old Austria international had predominantly been playing out wide since arriving from Stoke in the summer.
"The team think Marko has been the outstanding factor," added Moyes. "He's a big threat to whatever centre-half he is up against.
"Whoever he's up against he looks as if he can beat them, outrun them, he is stronger than them.
"At Stoke his technical abilities weren't in question. His attitude and commitment, at times you would look and think 'is he really interested?'. But he looks a different man up front, it's given him a bit of freedom, maybe not the responsibility of playing wide.
"It's made a big difference to the team."
'Risk for me taking West Ham job'
During the defeat by Burnley, at least two fans went onto the pitch after the visitors took the lead - with one approaching Hammers captain Mark Noble.
Another ran on with a corner flag shortly after Burnley scored their second, with further incursions after the Clarets struck a late third.
It was a third successive loss for Moyes' side and one that left them three points above the relegation zone. They have now climbed to 15th, securing Premier League football for next season.
"The other point was the game against Burnley when the supporters ran on the pitch," said Moyes.
"We went away afterwards as a group and we got a bit of criticism at the time, it may be the bravest thing I've done - the players pulled together and since we came back we picked up some really good points."
The 55-year-old Scot replaced Bilic with West Ham sitting 18th in the table, and says it was he who was taking a risk by going for the job.
"When we took over, we were on nine points in the bottom three," added the former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland boss.
"People might have thought it was a risk for West Ham to take David Moyes - but I didn't think it was. It was a risk for me to take a job in the bottom three."
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So hard to say sorry?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th May 2018
By: Paul Walker
I've come round to thinking that David Moyes deserves an apology for the way he has been treated at our club.
In the week since we avoided relegation thanks to arguably our best away display of the season at Leicester, the torrent of abuse from the Twitter toads has continued unabated, to the point when you start to think you must be the only soul on the planet who thinks Moyes has done a half-decent job.
Not brilliant, not stunning flowing football, but he has just put a cheque for around £120m into David Sullivan's back pocket, and you would still think he is the most disliked man around, not a hint of thanks, of gratitude or relief that we are not on the point of financial meltdown.
David Gold, we know because he did it in front of a half dozen journalists in the tunnel at Leicester, sought out Moyes and congratulated him on the job well done. Since then nothing. Not a word on the official website from Sullivan. He doesn't have to give him a job, just say thanks because the world would be a much different place now had we followed Stoke and West Brom into the abyss.
When you have as much time to waste as I do now, you read every word from fans' forums and bloggers' websites, and in the end it gets on top of you. I started, tentatively this week, to answer back a bit.
Not a lot, because that just opens you up to a tirade of abuse yourself. But I soon realised that I had just scratched the surface, because out of the woodwork came plenty of folk who agreed that Moyes was not the anti-Christ he was being portrayed as .By the end of just one day I had fielded hundreds of posts in a similar vein.
No he is not Pep Guardiola, not the purveyor of brilliant football. But then he hasn't spent £400m in two transfer windows. So it's not likely to be the Beautiful Game at our place, is it?
But then when he arrived in November he wasn't told to change the world, just save us from the drop. Nine points then and in the bottom three, few thought he could do it. But with two games left we were safe.
But he still grates on many, and I can see why. Too defensive, too bland, too negative. No flair. Old school, the game had passed him by, we kept being told.
But by whom? The abuse was all over my phone before I even got home on Saturday. I worked out between Birmingham and Wolverhampton on the train that we were safe when Everton's equaliser went in. It did take many a few more hours, even days, to work out that Southampton and Swansea were playing each other and one of them could not get above us.
I celebrated with one of those overpriced warm gin and tonics in a can that trains serve up, but still the Moyes out, sack (Mark) Noble, brigade were at it. How many of them had seen the match remains to be ascertained.
These days our lives seem to be ruled by the mob, the ones with 50-word vocabularies of words that they can't spell. And, it seems, our Board are listening to them, being swayed by their decisions.
Now we can argue all those points fairly, but he was not told he had to stride the touchline in Pep's beautifully co-ordinated designer gear.
Not for him shopping at Oi Poloi, the trendy Manchester shop that flogs Pep all that Stone Island stuff (with the infamous badge taken off, naturally, sorry ICF) or the Dsqquqared shop where Manchester City players have accounts. (Go, on, you're impressed I know all this, aren't you?…I just have a son who does!)
Moyes looks like he has been dressed at Man at C&A. He never has been sharp or trendy, just not in his nature, maybe if he had Pep's money and team he would try.
The point being is he doesn't. He took over a dysfunctional, disinterested, unworkable squad, unbalanced, frequently injured and just not good enough. He was a bit shop-soiled himself, confidence battered, and he needed the job and his confidence back. Somehow he has got us to this stage.
Yes, he can sometimes look indecisive, but he has been trying to knock into shape a disorganised rabble who are capable of listening and producing a solid performance one game but forgetting everything they have been told the next. "Where did that come from?" Moyes once pronounced. Nobody knows, but the players made Moyes look bad. West Ham then were unfit and ill-disciplined, but he's taken on Michail Antonio and then Andy Carroll.
And no, I am not that bothered by all the talk about style and tactics. Any manager can coach whatever system you want given the right tools. Big Sam had Gary Speed, Nicholas Anelka and Jay Jay Okocha at Bolton and they were very entertaining then.
The Board, we heard were impressed by this and his hard work, scouting diligence and organisation for a potential new season. Someone had seemingly told him that if he saved us there would be a new contract.
That may have been only verbal, and Moyes will get £1m-plus for keeping us up. Small change from £120m, though. And a few weeks ago after the Chelsea away draw, the club were happy for the belief there was going to be a two-year contract for Moyes to gather credibility.
But then, of course, Moyes has had to endure the briefings from inside the club against him, as well as the shocking leaking of information from the training ground. The Board, we are told, have got the hump about this and have taken it as a slight on them. Good. If the cap fits, my old fella used to say, wear it.
It got so bad that experienced and respected journo Jacob Steinberg, a West Ham fan, from the Guardian was on Twitter slamming the "disingenuous PR campaign against Moyes" from inside the club, branding it "truly pathetic".
And he's right. Someone seemed to be testing the ground, searching for fans' opinions. And all this was coming ahead of the crucial Leicester game. You couldn't make it up sometimes… well, you don't have to at West Ham, such is the culture of such behaviour.
Whatever decision our board now make, I would plead with them to take no account of fans' polls, twitter campaigns, social media in any form. You should know more about this job than any of us do, you have had two decades doing it.
Fans are entitled to their opinions. Even when they are ill-informed. That's just the nature of football. But you should know more. If you have to make a decision fans don't like, so be it.
I bet Arsenal are not holding polls and twitter debates with their fans about Arsene Wenger's replacement, and I doubt Roman Abramovic gives the old boys from the Headhunters a call when he is replacing a manager. But of course Sullivan did ring the ICF for help, so anything is possible I suppose.
The point of issue this week is that Moyes has been blamed for the January transfer window shambles. Good grief. Now he took over on November 7, that's just 55 days before the window opened.
He was not given any real cash to spend, but saw three strikers, Toni Martinez (on loan), Diafra Sakho (£8m) and Andre Ayew (£18m) sold from under his feet in the last few days of the window.
With peanuts to spend he saw the Islam Slimani deal collapse overnight because of her Ladyship's daft column, and he had to find a body from somewhere at the last minute to make up numbers. Searching in the Championship was all he could manage, hence the arrival of Jordan Hugill.
A week before the window shut, Arthur Masuaku managed to get himself banned for six games and we didn't have a hint of a left back cover in the club. Patrice Evra was about all that was available. And then we sold Jose Fonte outside the window because Sullivan no doubt felt that £5m was the best he could get, and then Winston Reid and James Collins got injured, again.
And this is all Moyes' fault? Maybe someone could tell us exactly how much he had to spend and what deals had collapsed because he was dithering. But to blame him for January is a disgrace.
So now we have a new scenario. The transfer window opens on May 17 and closes on August 7, that's a few days before the Premier League season starts on August 11. Eighty-odd days to dismantle one squad of failures and buy new blood.
And the club still do not have a new head of recruitment (or whatever it's called), they lack scouting staff, an idea of what can be spent and any progress on the raft of improvements they have promised various fans' group. Not a day to lose then, as Tony Gale pointed out, straight-faced on Sky this week.
But, of course, there's a list of managerial names we are looking at. Some are laughable, hugely expensive and would want £150m to spend minimum. Next level managers that are beyond us financial, certainly in wages.
There's a group that will be gambles, however you look at it. Alan Sugar used to call the foreign hopefuls 'Carlos Kickaballs.' I suppose we are looking at a list of 'Mario Coachaballs' now are we? Sean Dyche will want to stay at Burnley now he is entrenched and in Europe, Eddie Howe has looked out of his comfort zone when he leaves Bournemouth. A real gamble that.
There's Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, a good shout maybe. But there's no Premier League experience for this product of Jordi Cruyff's coaching school in Israel, where his famous father's football beliefs are being taught.
Slavisa took Watford into the top flight, but never stayed. Then we have another former Watford man, Marco Silva, who took Hull down. He got the hump when he was tapped up by Everton and not allowed to leave. A gamble? Too right.
So unless Sullivan and Gold can pull a glittering rabbit from the hat in the next week or so, they may be left with Moyes.
But then Moyes knows his worth again now. He is held in far higher esteem in the football world, in particular the coaching and managerial world, than he seemingly is at West Ham. They never doubted his knowledge, experience or talent but wanted to see whether he had lost his nerve or not.
The way he breezed into Stratford and stamped authority of our rabble soon dispelled that. Now he has other offers waiting. One is at Stoke.
Interestingly, Steinberg alluded to this in his article this week. It, I say a little smugly, confirms an article I wrote on KUMB a few months back when I said that Moyes had been approached by a northern club.
That information came from a friend and former international I had a chance meeting with on a railway platform. I decided not to name the club then, but it was true and they are still very interested.
But Moyes has now cleverly put the ball back in the court of our Board, asking what their ambition is and how much money they are prepared to give him to carry out the detailed transfer plans he and Alan Irvine have already got in place.
Any potential new manager would ask the same thing of our leaders. So it's down to them. Will you spend big to give a manager the chance to compete for a top eight position, or will you carry on with the same discredited policy you have in place now, and having said you will change the whole thing from top to bottom.
Up to you Mr. Sullivan. If you want another season of discontent then keep going the way you are. If you want a steady hand to run the show, then Moyes looks about the best available. But don't take too long, time is ticking. And you still haven't said thank you.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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West Ham v Everton preview: Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott to be assessed
Last Updated: 11/05/18 11:56am
SSN
Everton will assess the fitness of Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott ahead of their trip to West Ham on the final day of the Premier League season.
Rooney (calf) and Walcott (knee) missed last weekend's draw at home to Southampton but could be in line for a recall, and the former could be making his final Toffees appearance after he was linked with a move to MLS side DC United.
But manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that Rooney has not yet asked to leave the club, saying: "My understanding is there seems to have been some negotiation along the line but as for clarity as to whether Wayne is staying or going we'll see later on.
"I'm comfortable with any player who wants to leave but let's get this clear. Wayne Rooney has not asked to leave and neither has Wayne Rooney had a confrontation with me. We have not been in any difficult situations with me. We are two adults and we talk."
West Ham manager David Moyes will be coming up against his former side on Sunday. The Scot has lost all five of his Premier League games against Everton since he left by an aggregate score of 12-0.
Team news
Gylfi Sigurdsson has still not recovered from a knee operation two months ago and will not feature for Everton but Mason Holgate, who has not played since mid-March because of an ankle injury, could be included in the squad.
West Ham could still be without Javier Hernandez for their final Premier League game of the season. The Mexico striker has missed the last two games with a knee problem and is likely to be absent again, with manager Moyes keen to give January signing Jordan Hugill a run-out.
Hernandez is the only fitness concern for the Hammers boss, who could bring Pedro Obiang and James Collins back into his squad after their own respective spells on the sidelines.
Opta stats
West Ham have won just one of their last 19 Premier League meetings with Everton (D6 L12), winning 3-2 at Goodison Park in March 2016.
Indeed, Everton are unbeaten in their last nine away league games against the Hammers (W6 D3) since a 1-0 loss in April 2007.
After a run of five consecutive away defeats, Everton are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games on the road (W2 D1). They've not won back-to-back top-flight away games since September 2016, which included a 3-0 win at David Moyes' Sunderland.
Everton have won their final match in 52 different top-flight seasons, three more than any other side.
However, the Scotsman has won seven of his last eight meetings with Sam Allardyce in the competition (L1), including each of his last five in a row.
Only against Newcastle (15) has Wayne Rooney scored more Premier League goals than he has vs West Ham (14), with the veteran netting his first Everton hat-trick in the reverse fixture in November.
Everton have won just one of their last 14 away Premier League games in London (D6 L7), winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in January 2017, who were managed at the time by Sam Allardyce.
Merson's predictions
It depends what teams the managers put out but when I was playing for nothing on the final game of the season, I went out there and expressed myself.
They've picked up a bit recently, West Ham, and Everton aren't going to score a load of goals away from home. There's still some grumbling against the manager too. Narrow home win.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
2017/18 has been a steep learning curve for Declan Rice, but the 19-year-old defender passed another test with flying colours on Thursday night by helping the Hammers to a creditable 0-0 draw against Manchester United.
Rice has now made 25 Premier League appearances in a breakthrough campaign and he was delighted to come out on top in a tussle with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.
The Red Devils' front three could find no way through against a Hammers backline who were keeping a second consecutive Premier League clean sheet for the first time in 2018.
West Ham's defensive solidity meant Rice could wear a broad smile as he left the London Stadium pitch on Thursday, able to tick off another useful experience.
"I think they've got some unbelievable players," he explained. "When you look at the team before the game and you see you're up against Sanchez, Lingard, Pogba, you know you're in for a tough night.
"I knew what I was up against, I analysed it, and we knew we had to come out with a clean sheet. It's another point and a good night all round.
"We have an understanding at the back and I think it's because we all get on so well. Off the pitch, me, Zab, Angelo, Cress, Arthur, they're all good lads. We talk to each other every day, we're always in meetings together analysing and we're ending the season strongly."
There is still one experience for Rice to come to round the season off as the Hammers entertain Everton on Sunday, and with the pressure of trying to secure Premier League safety off, he is convinced the team can go out and enjoy themselves.
He added: "To know we were safe at the weekend was a real relief and we could go out there on Thursday and enjoy it. Picking up another point was good, we've got Everton on Sunday now and we want to end strongly."
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Moyes: Finishing in the top half is a big incentive to beat Everton
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says the possibility of finishing in the Premier League's top ten is a 'big incentive' to defeat his former club Everton on Sunday.
West Ham United need to beat the Blues and hope five other results go their way to climb into the top half, but with Newcastle United facing Chelsea, Crystal Palace hosting resurgent West Bromwich Albion, AFC Bournemouth at Burnley, Watford at Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Liverpool, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Amazingly, with just one game to play, the Hammers could finish anywhere between tenth and 17th in the table, with a prospective extra £14million in prize money available should things go their way.
"Finishing in the top half is a big incentive, but the biggest thing for me and the real job was to ensure we remained a Premier League club, and we've got that job done," said Moyes.
"We're not celebrating staying up, but at times you do have to look at it as a good achievement from the position we were in.
"Also, when you look at the clubs who have gone down this year, as I don't think many people would have predicted the clubs who have gone down."
For Moyes, too, the prospect of managing against the club where he spent eleven seasons between 2002 and 2013, achieving nine top-eight finishes, and against one of his closest friends in the game, former West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, are added motivation to finish the 2017/18 campaign on a winning note.
Moyes holds the upper hand over Big Sam historically, winning 12 of their 21 managerial clashes – the most victories he has over any single opposing manager – and losing just six.
"It's definitely still special for me Everton has always been a big game, so it'll be a big day, with Sam coming back here too, for both of us.
"In the years gone by, we've sat in opposite dugouts, not in this stadium, obviously, but in other stadiums."
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Noble: We can still finish this tough season on a high
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes West Ham United can end the season on a high when they host Everton on Sunday.
The Hammers could yet finish in the top ten should they beat the Blues at London Stadium and results elsewhere go their way.
Having won at Leicester City last weekend and more than held their own against Manchester United on home turf on Thursday evening, victory over Sam Allardyce's side will see West Ham go into the summer in a more positive frame of mind than they might have done following heavy defeats by Manchester City and Arsenal a few weeks ago.
"Our last two results have been very good, beating Leicester away and then drawing with Man U at home – four points, two clean sheets, safe in the Premier League with another home game to come," Noble observed.
"All in all, at the end of a ridiculously tough season, physically and mentally, to come away safe and potentially mid-table weirdly makes it OK. The feeling is it hasn't been a good season, but the league table might yet say it's been an OK season.
"Our target at the start of the season was to finish in the top half but, with all the stuff that has gone on this year, I'm proud of how we've come through it, particularly as a number of our players haven't been used to this sort of pressure. We've stuck at it and got safe."
On a lighter note, Noble also revealed that his son Lenny was none too impressed with his on-pitch altercation with Paul Pogba on Thursday evening.
The flashpoint occurred when Manchester United's France midfielder kicked out at the No16 near the end of a physical, hard-fought goalless draw, and Noble did not take the foul lying down.
Both players were booked for their part in the incident, but moments later enjoyed a light-hearted embrace at the final whistle.
The captain made light of the clash after the game, before revealing that Pogba is also one of his son's favourite players!
"The funny thing is that my son Lenny asked me if he could walk out with me before the game as he really wanted to see Pogba, then when I came out of the dressing room after the game, Lenny was having a photo with him, so I know where his loyalties lie!"
"I am one of Pogba's biggest fans. He gets more criticism than he deserves. He's at one of the biggest clubs in the world and is under a lot of pressure, but sometimes I think we should embrace players like that when they're in the Premier League, rather than criticise them.
"You can tell he really wants to do well and he's a top, top player. I just wanted to get close to him and tell him how good he is!
"At the end I wished him the best of luck in the FA Cup final and at the World Cup in the summer."
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Academy side complete Zurich tournament
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Academy finished their FIFA Youth Cup Blue Stars tournament campaign in sixth place on Thursday after a tough fifth-sixth play-off against Espanyol saw them defeated 2-0.
Having beaten hosts FC Blue Stars 3-0 before going down by the same scoreline on Wednesday to Dynamo Zagreb, the Hammers put themselves in a good position to finish high up in their Group B on Thursday.
First, they took on FC Zurich – playing in their own city – and put in a stellar performance to win 1-0.
The Hammers began the game on the front foot, and had their first meaningful attempt on goal when Joe Powell curled a free-kick over the bar after Vashon Neufville's speedy run towards goal was ended with a foul.
Some good play soon after from Nathan Holland and Sead Haksabanovic gave Domingos Quina the chance to shoot, but his effort was blocked.
West Ham continued to threaten in the first half, but Holland could only head narrowly over before Haksabanovic forced the keeper into a good save, meaning the sides went in at the break goalless.
ZurichInto the second half, it was clear a moment of quality wasting to be the deciding factor, and the Hammers got just that when Alfie Lewis slotted the ball through for Holland to calmly score and break the deadlock.
Holland continued to be a threat for West Ham, but the midfield trio of Conor Coventy, Lewis and Quina made sure it was three points for those in Claret and Blue.
And so it was into the final Group B match against SC Braga with the Hammers looking to finish in the top two.
And the early signs looked positive against the Portuguese outfit. Quina dictated the play, and Holland struck narrowly past the point early on.
But Braga took the lead against the run of play on the stroke of half-time when the Hammers failed to defend a corner, leading to a close-range tap-in to make it 1-0.
Early in the second half, Neufville had a penalty appeal turned down and Quina came close with a free-kick, before sub Korrey Henry forced a low save.
And in the closing minutes, Rosaire Longelo played Holland in down the left but his low effort flashed inches wide and the side could not quite find an equaliser as the game finished 1-0.
A third-place finish in the five-man group meant West Ham were to contest a fifth-sixth play-off against Spanish outfit Espanyol.
Early chances again came and went, as Holland had a low shot saved and Henry's long-range strike was batted away.
Espanyol took the lead after a cross from right was controlled in the box by a forward, who found the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
In the second half, Haksabanovic injected some energy into the attack and Henry was a handful, but as West Ham pushed for an equaliser, Espanyol broke and the striker slotted past keeper Rihards Matrevics after finding himself one-on-one.
And so the Hammers finished in sixth place overall, with their earlier opponents Dynamo Zagreb defeating Young Boys 2-0 in the final to take home the trophy.
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Five-star Hammers thrash Bermuda Select side
WHUFC.com
A five-star West Ham United U17 side were 5-1 winners over a Bermuda Select XI on Thursday in their second fixture at the Bermuda International Football Festival.
The east Londoners, who picked up a 1-1 draw in their opener against the country's U19s, took on the home outfit made up of the best young players in the top two Bermuda FA leagues.
The young Hammers started very well, playing on the front foot and attacking from the start. The early breakthrough came after a clever one-two from Bernardo Rosa and Evan Khouri, with the latter finishing superbly well on the volley to put the Hammers into the lead.
West Ham continued to dominate the game with the midfield players Bernardo Rosa, Louie Watson, Sebastian Nebyla, Evan Khouri and Jay Mingi, and it was no surprise when we went further ahead when again Evan Khouri landed on a lose ball to slot past the advancing keeper.
Early in the second half, the Hammers were again celebrating when Bermuda defender Seth Somner was caught in possession, allowing the impressive Emmanuel longelo to steam in on goal and sweep the ball home from close range.
Bernardo Rosa, playing as a withdrawn striker, extended West Ham's lead on the hour mark, crashing home a bouncing ball beyond substitute goalkeeper Shaquille Trott.
Summer signing Anouar El Mhassani missed a good opportunity for the Hammers soon after, forcing a fine save from Trott, while at the other end, Donovan Thompson, a second half introduction, saw an effort blocked and Jahiem Iris dragged a shot wide.
West Ham added a fifth when sub Kyle McGeachy effort took a wicked deflection off Somner before ballooning over the outstretched arms of Trott.
Bermuda Select pulled a goal back when Calin Maybury powered home a free-kick late on.
The Hammers will now prepare for a final group match against the Azores, heading into the fixture with a strong chance of qualification for the tournament's final having picked up four points already.
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West Ham United v Everton
SUN 13 MAY 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
BBc.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
West Ham forward Jordan Hugill could make his first start since joining the club in January, with Javier Hernandez still nursing a knee injury.
Pedro Obiang and James Collins might be involved after spells on the sidelines.
Everton's Wayne Rooney has a knee problem and will not be risked but Theo Walcott could return from a calf issue.
Defender Mason Holgate, who has not played since mid-March because of an ankle injury, is in contention for a place in the squad.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
John Roder: "West Ham and Everton will surely want to consign this season to the history books.
"It's been an unsatisfactory and sometimes turbulent campaign, with both clubs changing managers in an attempt to make progress.
"Injury has denied Wayne Rooney the chance to make a possible Premier League farewell before a move to MLS in the United States, while David Moyes may be in charge of West Ham for the final time.
"Everton will finish in the top 10, while West Ham only secured their Premier League place last weekend. The end-of-season report for both clubs probably is 'could and should do better'."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes on his future: "We'll have a chat next week and we'll see [whether I stay].
"It's been a tough job but a really good job. I've really enjoyed it and the players have worked hard when we came in; we had to get them in order a little bit and get them playing a bit better, and I think we've done that. It's a big achievement for us."
Everton manager Sam Allardyce on Wayne Rooney's future: "My understanding of the situation is there seems to have been some negotiation somewhere along the line.
"I don't get involved in anything with regards transfers so all I know is there appears to be interest from DC United. Where that lies and where Wayne lies with it I can't tell you at the moment."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Both men have done what was asked of them by keeping their sides up after being appointed in mid-season and, while David Moyes will get a say in his future, it could be that Everton decide that Sam Allardyce is surplus to requirements.
In terms of the game, I am going for Moyes to come out on top against his former club.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have won just one of the last 19 Premier League meetings: 3-2 at Goodison Park in March 2016.
Everton are unbeaten in nine away league games against the Hammers dating back to April 2007.
The Toffees have won 24 Premier League games against West Ham, more than they have against any other side.
West Ham United
They are aiming to avoid becoming the first team to lose more than 10 top-flight matches by at least a three-goal margin in a single season since West Brom in 1985-86.
David Moyes has lost all five of his Premier League games against his former club by an aggregate score of 0-12.
However, the Scotsman has won seven of his last eight league meetings with Sam Allardyce.
Marko Arnautovic has scored 10 league goals this season. Bobby Zamora was the last West Ham player to score 11 goals in a single Premier League season back in 2006-07.
Everton
After a run of five consecutive away defeats, Everton are unbeaten in their last three. They've not won back-to-back top-flight away games since September 2016.
The Toffees have won their final match in 52 different top-flight seasons, three more than any other side.
Only against Newcastle (15) has Wayne Rooney scored more Premier League goals than he has against West Ham (14) - including a hat-trick against the Hammers in November.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 28%
Probability of home win: 42% Probability of away win: 30%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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Marko Arnautovic's form and a fan protest kept West Ham up, says David Moyes
BBC.co.uk
A fan protest and the form of Marko Arnautovic were the turning points as West Ham secured Premier League survival this season, says David Moyes.
Supporters invaded the pitch during a 3-0 home defeat by Burnley in March.
Meanwhile, Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic as boss in November, moving Arnautovic into a centre-forward position and seeing him score 10 times since.
"He's been a sensation up front, he's been playing as well as most strikers," Moyes told The Friday Football Social.
"Maybe he wasn't doing as much and not tracking back on the wing. Him going up front made a big difference."
The 29-year-old Austria international had predominantly been playing out wide since arriving from Stoke in the summer.
"The team think Marko has been the outstanding factor," added Moyes. "He's a big threat to whatever centre-half he is up against.
"Whoever he's up against he looks as if he can beat them, outrun them, he is stronger than them.
"At Stoke his technical abilities weren't in question. His attitude and commitment, at times you would look and think 'is he really interested?'. But he looks a different man up front, it's given him a bit of freedom, maybe not the responsibility of playing wide.
"It's made a big difference to the team."
'Risk for me taking West Ham job'
During the defeat by Burnley, at least two fans went onto the pitch after the visitors took the lead - with one approaching Hammers captain Mark Noble.
Another ran on with a corner flag shortly after Burnley scored their second, with further incursions after the Clarets struck a late third.
It was a third successive loss for Moyes' side and one that left them three points above the relegation zone. They have now climbed to 15th, securing Premier League football for next season.
"The other point was the game against Burnley when the supporters ran on the pitch," said Moyes.
"We went away afterwards as a group and we got a bit of criticism at the time, it may be the bravest thing I've done - the players pulled together and since we came back we picked up some really good points."
The 55-year-old Scot replaced Bilic with West Ham sitting 18th in the table, and says it was he who was taking a risk by going for the job.
"When we took over, we were on nine points in the bottom three," added the former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland boss.
"People might have thought it was a risk for West Ham to take David Moyes - but I didn't think it was. It was a risk for me to take a job in the bottom three."
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So hard to say sorry?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th May 2018
By: Paul Walker
I've come round to thinking that David Moyes deserves an apology for the way he has been treated at our club.
In the week since we avoided relegation thanks to arguably our best away display of the season at Leicester, the torrent of abuse from the Twitter toads has continued unabated, to the point when you start to think you must be the only soul on the planet who thinks Moyes has done a half-decent job.
Not brilliant, not stunning flowing football, but he has just put a cheque for around £120m into David Sullivan's back pocket, and you would still think he is the most disliked man around, not a hint of thanks, of gratitude or relief that we are not on the point of financial meltdown.
David Gold, we know because he did it in front of a half dozen journalists in the tunnel at Leicester, sought out Moyes and congratulated him on the job well done. Since then nothing. Not a word on the official website from Sullivan. He doesn't have to give him a job, just say thanks because the world would be a much different place now had we followed Stoke and West Brom into the abyss.
When you have as much time to waste as I do now, you read every word from fans' forums and bloggers' websites, and in the end it gets on top of you. I started, tentatively this week, to answer back a bit.
Not a lot, because that just opens you up to a tirade of abuse yourself. But I soon realised that I had just scratched the surface, because out of the woodwork came plenty of folk who agreed that Moyes was not the anti-Christ he was being portrayed as .By the end of just one day I had fielded hundreds of posts in a similar vein.
No he is not Pep Guardiola, not the purveyor of brilliant football. But then he hasn't spent £400m in two transfer windows. So it's not likely to be the Beautiful Game at our place, is it?
But then when he arrived in November he wasn't told to change the world, just save us from the drop. Nine points then and in the bottom three, few thought he could do it. But with two games left we were safe.
But he still grates on many, and I can see why. Too defensive, too bland, too negative. No flair. Old school, the game had passed him by, we kept being told.
But by whom? The abuse was all over my phone before I even got home on Saturday. I worked out between Birmingham and Wolverhampton on the train that we were safe when Everton's equaliser went in. It did take many a few more hours, even days, to work out that Southampton and Swansea were playing each other and one of them could not get above us.
I celebrated with one of those overpriced warm gin and tonics in a can that trains serve up, but still the Moyes out, sack (Mark) Noble, brigade were at it. How many of them had seen the match remains to be ascertained.
These days our lives seem to be ruled by the mob, the ones with 50-word vocabularies of words that they can't spell. And, it seems, our Board are listening to them, being swayed by their decisions.
Now we can argue all those points fairly, but he was not told he had to stride the touchline in Pep's beautifully co-ordinated designer gear.
Not for him shopping at Oi Poloi, the trendy Manchester shop that flogs Pep all that Stone Island stuff (with the infamous badge taken off, naturally, sorry ICF) or the Dsqquqared shop where Manchester City players have accounts. (Go, on, you're impressed I know all this, aren't you?…I just have a son who does!)
Moyes looks like he has been dressed at Man at C&A. He never has been sharp or trendy, just not in his nature, maybe if he had Pep's money and team he would try.
The point being is he doesn't. He took over a dysfunctional, disinterested, unworkable squad, unbalanced, frequently injured and just not good enough. He was a bit shop-soiled himself, confidence battered, and he needed the job and his confidence back. Somehow he has got us to this stage.
Yes, he can sometimes look indecisive, but he has been trying to knock into shape a disorganised rabble who are capable of listening and producing a solid performance one game but forgetting everything they have been told the next. "Where did that come from?" Moyes once pronounced. Nobody knows, but the players made Moyes look bad. West Ham then were unfit and ill-disciplined, but he's taken on Michail Antonio and then Andy Carroll.
And no, I am not that bothered by all the talk about style and tactics. Any manager can coach whatever system you want given the right tools. Big Sam had Gary Speed, Nicholas Anelka and Jay Jay Okocha at Bolton and they were very entertaining then.
The Board, we heard were impressed by this and his hard work, scouting diligence and organisation for a potential new season. Someone had seemingly told him that if he saved us there would be a new contract.
That may have been only verbal, and Moyes will get £1m-plus for keeping us up. Small change from £120m, though. And a few weeks ago after the Chelsea away draw, the club were happy for the belief there was going to be a two-year contract for Moyes to gather credibility.
But then, of course, Moyes has had to endure the briefings from inside the club against him, as well as the shocking leaking of information from the training ground. The Board, we are told, have got the hump about this and have taken it as a slight on them. Good. If the cap fits, my old fella used to say, wear it.
It got so bad that experienced and respected journo Jacob Steinberg, a West Ham fan, from the Guardian was on Twitter slamming the "disingenuous PR campaign against Moyes" from inside the club, branding it "truly pathetic".
And he's right. Someone seemed to be testing the ground, searching for fans' opinions. And all this was coming ahead of the crucial Leicester game. You couldn't make it up sometimes… well, you don't have to at West Ham, such is the culture of such behaviour.
Whatever decision our board now make, I would plead with them to take no account of fans' polls, twitter campaigns, social media in any form. You should know more about this job than any of us do, you have had two decades doing it.
Fans are entitled to their opinions. Even when they are ill-informed. That's just the nature of football. But you should know more. If you have to make a decision fans don't like, so be it.
I bet Arsenal are not holding polls and twitter debates with their fans about Arsene Wenger's replacement, and I doubt Roman Abramovic gives the old boys from the Headhunters a call when he is replacing a manager. But of course Sullivan did ring the ICF for help, so anything is possible I suppose.
The point of issue this week is that Moyes has been blamed for the January transfer window shambles. Good grief. Now he took over on November 7, that's just 55 days before the window opened.
He was not given any real cash to spend, but saw three strikers, Toni Martinez (on loan), Diafra Sakho (£8m) and Andre Ayew (£18m) sold from under his feet in the last few days of the window.
With peanuts to spend he saw the Islam Slimani deal collapse overnight because of her Ladyship's daft column, and he had to find a body from somewhere at the last minute to make up numbers. Searching in the Championship was all he could manage, hence the arrival of Jordan Hugill.
A week before the window shut, Arthur Masuaku managed to get himself banned for six games and we didn't have a hint of a left back cover in the club. Patrice Evra was about all that was available. And then we sold Jose Fonte outside the window because Sullivan no doubt felt that £5m was the best he could get, and then Winston Reid and James Collins got injured, again.
And this is all Moyes' fault? Maybe someone could tell us exactly how much he had to spend and what deals had collapsed because he was dithering. But to blame him for January is a disgrace.
So now we have a new scenario. The transfer window opens on May 17 and closes on August 7, that's a few days before the Premier League season starts on August 11. Eighty-odd days to dismantle one squad of failures and buy new blood.
And the club still do not have a new head of recruitment (or whatever it's called), they lack scouting staff, an idea of what can be spent and any progress on the raft of improvements they have promised various fans' group. Not a day to lose then, as Tony Gale pointed out, straight-faced on Sky this week.
But, of course, there's a list of managerial names we are looking at. Some are laughable, hugely expensive and would want £150m to spend minimum. Next level managers that are beyond us financial, certainly in wages.
There's a group that will be gambles, however you look at it. Alan Sugar used to call the foreign hopefuls 'Carlos Kickaballs.' I suppose we are looking at a list of 'Mario Coachaballs' now are we? Sean Dyche will want to stay at Burnley now he is entrenched and in Europe, Eddie Howe has looked out of his comfort zone when he leaves Bournemouth. A real gamble that.
There's Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, a good shout maybe. But there's no Premier League experience for this product of Jordi Cruyff's coaching school in Israel, where his famous father's football beliefs are being taught.
Slavisa took Watford into the top flight, but never stayed. Then we have another former Watford man, Marco Silva, who took Hull down. He got the hump when he was tapped up by Everton and not allowed to leave. A gamble? Too right.
So unless Sullivan and Gold can pull a glittering rabbit from the hat in the next week or so, they may be left with Moyes.
But then Moyes knows his worth again now. He is held in far higher esteem in the football world, in particular the coaching and managerial world, than he seemingly is at West Ham. They never doubted his knowledge, experience or talent but wanted to see whether he had lost his nerve or not.
The way he breezed into Stratford and stamped authority of our rabble soon dispelled that. Now he has other offers waiting. One is at Stoke.
Interestingly, Steinberg alluded to this in his article this week. It, I say a little smugly, confirms an article I wrote on KUMB a few months back when I said that Moyes had been approached by a northern club.
That information came from a friend and former international I had a chance meeting with on a railway platform. I decided not to name the club then, but it was true and they are still very interested.
But Moyes has now cleverly put the ball back in the court of our Board, asking what their ambition is and how much money they are prepared to give him to carry out the detailed transfer plans he and Alan Irvine have already got in place.
Any potential new manager would ask the same thing of our leaders. So it's down to them. Will you spend big to give a manager the chance to compete for a top eight position, or will you carry on with the same discredited policy you have in place now, and having said you will change the whole thing from top to bottom.
Up to you Mr. Sullivan. If you want another season of discontent then keep going the way you are. If you want a steady hand to run the show, then Moyes looks about the best available. But don't take too long, time is ticking. And you still haven't said thank you.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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West Ham v Everton preview: Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott to be assessed
Last Updated: 11/05/18 11:56am
SSN
Everton will assess the fitness of Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott ahead of their trip to West Ham on the final day of the Premier League season.
Rooney (calf) and Walcott (knee) missed last weekend's draw at home to Southampton but could be in line for a recall, and the former could be making his final Toffees appearance after he was linked with a move to MLS side DC United.
But manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that Rooney has not yet asked to leave the club, saying: "My understanding is there seems to have been some negotiation along the line but as for clarity as to whether Wayne is staying or going we'll see later on.
"I'm comfortable with any player who wants to leave but let's get this clear. Wayne Rooney has not asked to leave and neither has Wayne Rooney had a confrontation with me. We have not been in any difficult situations with me. We are two adults and we talk."
West Ham manager David Moyes will be coming up against his former side on Sunday. The Scot has lost all five of his Premier League games against Everton since he left by an aggregate score of 12-0.
Team news
Gylfi Sigurdsson has still not recovered from a knee operation two months ago and will not feature for Everton but Mason Holgate, who has not played since mid-March because of an ankle injury, could be included in the squad.
West Ham could still be without Javier Hernandez for their final Premier League game of the season. The Mexico striker has missed the last two games with a knee problem and is likely to be absent again, with manager Moyes keen to give January signing Jordan Hugill a run-out.
Hernandez is the only fitness concern for the Hammers boss, who could bring Pedro Obiang and James Collins back into his squad after their own respective spells on the sidelines.
Opta stats
West Ham have won just one of their last 19 Premier League meetings with Everton (D6 L12), winning 3-2 at Goodison Park in March 2016.
Indeed, Everton are unbeaten in their last nine away league games against the Hammers (W6 D3) since a 1-0 loss in April 2007.
After a run of five consecutive away defeats, Everton are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games on the road (W2 D1). They've not won back-to-back top-flight away games since September 2016, which included a 3-0 win at David Moyes' Sunderland.
Everton have won their final match in 52 different top-flight seasons, three more than any other side.
However, the Scotsman has won seven of his last eight meetings with Sam Allardyce in the competition (L1), including each of his last five in a row.
Only against Newcastle (15) has Wayne Rooney scored more Premier League goals than he has vs West Ham (14), with the veteran netting his first Everton hat-trick in the reverse fixture in November.
Everton have won just one of their last 14 away Premier League games in London (D6 L7), winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in January 2017, who were managed at the time by Sam Allardyce.
Merson's predictions
It depends what teams the managers put out but when I was playing for nothing on the final game of the season, I went out there and expressed myself.
They've picked up a bit recently, West Ham, and Everton aren't going to score a load of goals away from home. There's still some grumbling against the manager too. Narrow home win.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, May 11
Daily WHUFC News - 11th May 2018
WHUFC
West Ham United and Manchester United each collected a share of the points as the Hammers were held to a 0-0 draw by the Red Devils.
Although the Hammers more than held their own in Thursday's match at London Stadium, neither goalkeeper could be beaten.
Marko Arnautovic and Joao Mario enjoyed the best opportunities for David Moyes' side while Adrian was called into action, making stunning saves to deny Luke Shaw and Alexis Sanchez.
The early chances fell West Ham's way as Aaron Cresswell created a headed effort for Arnautovic, before Cheikhou Kouyate had a similar chance saved by David De Gea.
Scott McTominay had Manchester United's first effort of the game, seeing a low shot go wide from distance.
Goalkeeper Adrian was called into action three times in quick succession midway through the first period, making a string of excellent saves. The first denied Jesse Lingard from 25 yards, before the Spaniard brilliantly stopped Sanchez and Shaw from opening the scoring, stopping the defender from following up the Chilean's strike.
Cresswell then came close for the home side as his left-footed attempt skimmed the base of the post from distance, before Joao Mario had the chance of the first period.
Excellent work from Arnautovic saw the Austrian create space on the right-flank. Arnautovic played the ball into the six-yard box but Mario could only put the ball wide.
Arnautovic's determination and quick feet led to some frantic defending for the away side on the hour mark. The No7 drove into the box and attempted to cross the ball, which eventually fell to Pablo Zabaleta. The Argentinian's shot was blocked however.
The Hammers looked the more positive of the two teams in the second period, with Manchester United's best effort of the period coming in the 70th minute, as Paul Pogba saw an effort go wide.
The introduction of Andy Carroll gave the Hammers a new dynamic up front and the N09 combined well with Arnautovic, playing the ball into his attacking teammate. Arnautovic brought the ball down expertly and set up Mark Noble, who could only shoot wide.
Noble also provided a chance for Arnautovic with a pin-point ball into the box, but the volleyed effort skewered wide.
West Ham United: Adrian; Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Zabaleta, Kouyate, Noble (c), Masuaku (Carroll 65'); Mario, Lanzini, Arnautovic
Substitutes: Hart, Evra, Obiang, Cullen, Fernandes, Hugill, Carroll
Manchester United: De Gea; Valencia (c) (Bailly 90+3'), Lindelof, Smalling, Jones, Shaw; McTominay, Herrera, Pogba; Lingard (Rashford 74'), Sanchez (Ashley Young 90+1')
Substitutes: Romero, Bailly, Blind, Young, Mata, Martial, Rashford
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Arnautovic: We played really well against Manchester United
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic says West Ham United should be proud of the way they played in holding Manchester United to a goalless draw on Thursday evening.
The Austrian led from the front against the team which will finish second in the table, winning his individual battle with England defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones and having the Hammers' best chances in what was a hard-fought, physical game of Premier League football.
At the other end, West Ham restricted their opponents to pot shots from distance, all of which goalkeeper Adrian dealt with comfortably enough.
"I think we did well," Arnautovic confirmed. "We played really well. On a couple of occasions in the first half they had shots from long distance, but I think, overall, we deserved this point and maybe we deserved more as we had a couple of chances that maybe we could have finished better.
"Overall, we played well and it was a good game. Well done to us and well done to the fans as well. We can build on this and we have another game at home on Sunday and we want to finish the season strong.
"We started last week and this game we continued to do it and we want to end the season well."
Sky Sports Man of the Match Arnautovic did not give the Manchester United defence a moment's peace, repeatedly beating Smalling and arguably staying on his feet when Jones clipped him inside the penalty area.
On another night, he believes the home side could have won all three points instead of settling for one.
"There was a lot of holding and a lot of grabbing. It was a very physical game, but this is the Premier League and we knew we were playing with Manchester United, who are second in the league and are a strong a team, so we needed to compete with them and we did.
"I think it was a fair result but if we had finished better we could have taken this game come away with a win, but we are happy with a point."
Looking at the bigger picture, West Ham could now finish as high as tenth with a victory over Everton on Sunday and the Austrian is targeting a win to sign off what has been a challenging season on a real and tangible high.
"I'm so happy that we are safe because this Club, the fans and everyone deserves to be in the Premier League.
"Of course, we had ups and downs, but I'm happy I could help the team towards our goals. I hope I can continue this next season.
"We have one more game on Sunday and we want to finish strong, then we can go forward to next season."
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Moyes: The players showed a really good attitude
WHUFC.com
David Moyes was full of praise for his players' attitude after they battled to a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at London Stadium on Thursday.
Having secured their Premier League position with a win at Leicester at the weekend, the Hammers showed no sign of slacking off early with a committed performance against Jose Mourinho's side.
The Red Devils will end the campaign as runners-up to their city rivals, but Moyes' side gave as good as they got and he was delighted to pick up a creditable draw.
"It was a good point for us," he said. "Maybe Man United will say the same thing as well. We had one or two chances, but Adrian had to make some good saves too.
"I thought our boys showed a really good attitude. After getting safe in midweek you're never quite sure [how you're going to react], but they were bang at it and great credit to the players.
"I think the most pleasing thing was to get a clean sheet. If we've had a failing this season it's been the amount of goals we've conceded, but we've kept two in a row now and that's important.
"Young Declan Rice played very well tonight. Angelo Ogbonna did well again, Zabaleta, I think the boys at the back did a really good job.
"But we were a threat at times as well. With Marko Arnautovic up front we're always going to be a threat to everyone we play."
Having only lost twice in their last seven games, Moyes credited the team-building training trip to Miami as a key factor behind their road to safety, and now he wants one final push against his old side Everton on Sunday.
He added: "We took the players away after the Burnley game. We were criticised for going away, but it was the best thing we did. It pulled the players together and we worked hard when we were away.
"The players had a good time together as well, we all did, and since we came back we have been bang at it.
"We've done ok against the big sides, especially at home. We didn't play well against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago, but overall we've given the so called bigger teams a good game here.
"We want to climb the league table, we want to be higher, so if we can win against Everton, great. But obviously we've done the job we came in to do, which was make sure we weren't relegated.
"When we took over we were in a relegation position, we're not now, and over that time the players have improved and the team has improved."
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Adrian: I'm happy to make saves and help the team
WHUFc.com
Keeping back-to-back clean sheets meant Adrian left London Stadium on Thursday night a very happy man.
Fresh from helping the Hammers to a crucial 2-0 victory at Leicester City at the weekend, the No13 was back between the posts as the Hammers repelled Manchester United en route to a battling 0-0 draw.
The Spaniard was in fine form, saving well from Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw to ensure his side's efforts were rewarded with a well-deserved point.
Adrian was pleased with his contribution and even happier that the team had taken another positive result.
"We are happy with this point and obviously happy with the clean sheet," he said. "We know with the strikers they had, Sanchez, Pogba, Rashford, Lingard, it was going to be a busy game, but we defended well.
"Making those saves is my job, to help my teammates, so I'm happy with the performance. For the double save [from Sanchez and Shaw], I could see the first one all the way, and the second was a reaction. I think I saved it with my shin or my knee, it was close. I'm happy to make those saves."
With just one game remaining in the season – Sunday's visit of Everton to east London – Adrian is keen to keep building momentum over the final week of 2017/18 to take into the summer.
He added: "We have one more game, and we need to finish as high as possible. After that we know have to improve many things. We have to learn from our mistakes this season and fight higher up the table."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, May 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th May 2018
West Ham United v Manchester United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will take on Manchester United in the Premier League on Thursday in the penultimate contest of the campaign.
Read on for all the information you need ahead of this midweek game.
Where and when?
The Hammers will welcome Manchester United to London Stadium on Thursday 10 May 2018.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45pm.
How to follow:
West Ham v Manchester United will be available on Sky Sports, via their Main Event and Premier League channels, with programming set to begin at 7:30pm. Click here for overseas listings.
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:
Pedro Obiang returned to the bench for the Hammers in the win over Leicester City at the weekend, indicating a chance that the midfielder could feature again for West Ham before the end of the season. Supporters will also be hoping that Chicharito is once again available, having missed out this last weekend. Winston Reid and Michail Antonio remain out. Manager David Moyes will offer an update on his available team news during his press-conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Match Officials:
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistant Referees: Eddie Smart and Harry Lennard
Fourth Official: Kevin Friend
How to get there:
Supporters can use Stratford, Stratford International, Pudding Mill Lane or Hackney Wick stations to reach London Stadium.
By Train
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Moyes: I'm keeping Sir Alex in my thoughts
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager David Moyes said he is keeping Sir Alex Ferguson and his family in his thoughts after the iconic manager's recent health scare. Sir Alex was rushed into hospital on Saturday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, where emergency surgery was performed on the former Manchester United boss. Further updates suggest that the 76-year-old is now on the road to recovery, a fact that fellow Scotsman Moyes is overjoyed to hear.
Moyes took over from Sir Alex at Manchester United in 2013, after the Red Devils stalwart decided to end his highly successful 26-year stint in charge of the club, and the Hammers manager is keeping his old colleague and his family on his mind while they battle against his condition. Moyes revealed he was informed of Sir Alex's ill health during the journey back from his side's 2-0 victory at Leicester City, and hopes he is on the mend. "We were all devastated when we heard the news, after the game on Saturday, coming back from Leicester," Moyes said. "If the news is correct, and Sir Alex is doing well, then we are thrilled, we really are.
"I've not had any more news than what I've been picking up in bits and pieces from the media. We will be thinking about him and his family. I know them all very well and I just hope he is sitting up in bed, and he is watching this news conference."
Moyes is preparing his Hammers to take on the club Sir Alex is most closely linked to in Manchester United on Thursday, with the Irons looking to claim a second successive win after securing their Premier League safety. Manchester United, now managed by Jose Mourinho, head into this midweek fixture on the back of a defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.
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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Manchester United
WHUFC.com
Manchester United travel to London Stadium on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Brighton last week – the fourth time in their last eight away matches that they have failed to win. The visitors need just one point from their final two games to seal second place in the Premier League and also have the FA Cup final in little over a week to prepare for. West Ham, then, are primed to earn at least a draw on Thursday night. David Moyes' side have already proved that they are capable of matching the league's big-six clubs this season, having taken four points from home games against Chelsea and Arsenal. The Hammers also earned draws with Tottenham and Chelsea in the league, as well as beating the former in the EFL Cup fourth round. And, having won 2-0 at Leicester last weekend and lost just two of their last six, confidence should be high for the home side. In order to avoid defeat, though, it's likely that they will need to score.
Jose Mourinho's side have found the back of the net in eleven of their last 15 league games and won the reverse fixture 4-0 on the opening day of the season. They have, however, kept just three clean sheets in their last eight away games. Given that West Ham have only failed to net in two of their last 14 matches in all competitions at London Stadium, both teams to score looks a reliable bet. When picking a goalscorer for the Hammers, it makes sense to think away from the usual suspects. Three of the last five goals Manchester United have conceded in the league have been from headers, and Angelo Ogbonna is one of West Ham's biggest threats in the air. The defender has already netted against Tottenham and Manchester City this season, and is a great price to repeat the trick here.
Recommended bets
West Ham to win or draw – 1/1
Both teams to score – 8/11
Angelo Ogbonna to score anytime – 12/1
Back this #BetYourWay at 28/1
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Moyes: Celebrating safety, avoiding complacency and ending the season strongly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager David Moyes says his players are focused on ending the season as strongly as possible, starting with a good performance against Manchester United. The Irons secured their Premier League status last weekend after achieving a win over Leicester City, with Moyes praising his side's attitude.
Ahead of the Premier League clash with the Red Devils on Thursday, the Hammers boss met with representatives of the media. Here's what he had to say…
We always wanted to ensure our own safety
We were on the bus back from Leicester when we heard (that we were safe). We didn't have coverage so it was coming through the radio, and a big cheer went up from the players when they heard because they knew that got us over the line. But the biggest cheer for me was how the supporters reacted to the players and their performance at Leicester. The supporters understood how well we'd played and how well we had done. I was more thrilled with how well we had played at Leicester; How we had passed it and how we had scored good goals. Maybe on another day we would have scored more goals. The Southampton and Everton result helped, obviously, but the biggest result was ours. We always wanted it to be done by us. I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season, to be honest. I always thought, these two home games, we would have to win one of them to make sure we stayed up. But we've done it before that and I can enjoy the two games in the hope that we can win the points against them and climb up the league.
The players and my staff deserve a huge well done
I have to say well done to the players. When I came in here we had nine points and it was difficult, but I've got to say the players have gone and done the job and got the points. I think we've scored quite a few goals and I've got to say all credit to the players. A lot of people questioned me coming in but I've got to say the job was to come in and keep the side up, and we've done that. But I've got to say that I've got a really good staff. I've got a top end staff here and they've been really helpful. The players know that if we can win a couple more games, then we can get ourselves higher up the league. Then we might even be thinking 'well, what was all the worry about'?
We cannot relax just because we are safe
I wouldn't be using the word 'relaxation' – far from it! I will be saying that we have two good games and we know the pressure of any relegation is not there anymore, and we will try to play the best we can. I can only ever say good things about Manchester United because I respect the club so much and what they stand for, and just how good a football club it is. Anybody who is a manager of that football club has a real privilege. I think we would rather be not playing them after a defeat, but the truth is we have to play Manchester United and we will do everything we can to win. We will try to play well in this game.
We have felt the benefits of our Miami training camp
I think our performances since we've come back from our trip have been really good. Maybe if you took out the Manchester City game, I think the players have played really well picked up points in the last seven weeks, and shown a real togetherness in the group.
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Antonio: I'm looking forward to contributing again next season
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio was a delighted spectator as West Ham United sealed their Premier League status with a dominant 2-0 victory at Leicester City on Saturday. Antonio was keeping a keen eye on events, so the goals from Joao Mario and Mark Noble gave him a welcome boost as he continues his recovery from an operation on his hamstring. With the Hammers' top flight position secured, the 2017 Hammer of the Year is looking forward to contributing to a more successful season when he returns. "I'm feeling good," he said. "The recovery from my operation is going well so I'm just going to keep moving on with it. "I probably have another three months until I'm back training fully, so hopefully I'll be back playing in August. "It's the holy grail to stay in the Premier League, so it's great [that we've secured safety]. Hopefully next year we can do better. "It was a great performance at Leicester. We didn't give them much of an opportunity, we bossed the game, scored in the first half and sealed it off with Mark Noble's finish. "It was a great strike from him into the bottom corner."
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West Ham United v Manchester United
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
West Ham striker Javier Hernandez has been ruled out with a knee injury. Top scorer Marko Arnautovic is available despite picking up a knock in the win over Leicester.
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku will miss the club's last two league matches with an ankle injury but could return for the FA Cup final. Midfielder Marouane Fellaini is also absent due to a muscular injury, but Alexis Sanchez and Phil Jones both return to the squad.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes: "There was a big cheer from the players on the bus when they heard the scoreline from Everton and Southampton, but the big cheer for me was the performance against Leicester. "We have picked up points in the last six or seven weeks and showed real togetherness as a group. "The players know that if we can win a couple of more games then we can get ourselves higher up the league."
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on the reaction of his players to the Brighton defeat: "They all work well, even in weeks that hand in bad performances or bad results. "I never have anything negative to say about the professionalism of my players during the season; this week was no different."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
West Ham are safe now too after their win at Leicester on Saturday, which was a massive result for them and means the pressure is off in this game. What happened to the performance we saw from Manchester United in the second half against Manchester City at the start of April?
Prediction: 3-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have only won five of their 43 Premier League matches against Manchester United, with their last victory coming on 10 May 2016 in the final fixture at Upton Park.
Manchester United have failed to score in only two of their 21 away league fixtures at West Ham: a 0-0 draw in August 1998 and a 1-0 defeat in December 2006.
West Ham United
West Ham have not recorded back-to-back Premier League victories since January 2017.
They are aiming to avoid becoming the first team to lose more than 10 top-flight matches by at least a three-goal margin in a single season since West Brom in 1985-86.
Marko Arnautovic has scored 10 league goals this season. Bobby Zamora was the last West Ham player to score 11 goals in a single Premier League season back in 2006-07.
Manchester United
United could suffer back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a year, when they lost at Arsenal and Tottenham.
They are without a win in their final away game of a Premier League season since 2011-12, when they beat Sunderland. They've drawn four and lost once since then, with the defeat coming at West Ham in 2015-16.
Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in 10 Premier League games against teams managed by David Moyes.
The Red Devils are the only club not to have drawn a Premier League match in 2018.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 25%
Probability of home win: 22% Probability of away win: 53%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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West Ham manager David Moyes won't discuss future until end of season
BBC.co.uk
Manager David Moyes says he will delay talks on his West Ham future until the end of the season, despite the club now being safe from relegation. Moyes took over the Hammers in November with the club in the drop zone, signing a deal until the end of the season. His side confirmed their Premier League status with victory at Leicester on Saturday after a turbulent season. "We have always said we will talk after the end of the season so we will wait until then," said Moyes, 55. "It's always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until we get the last two games out of the way. We are putting things in place, like pre-season, as much as we can, but ultimately I have got a decision to make and the club has as well."
Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic with the club in 18th place with nine points from 11 games. The Hammers have claimed 29 points from 25 games under Moyes and are now 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone. But the London club have struggled at times and fans invaded the pitch and threw missiles in protest at the club's board during a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in March, after which they were 17th and two points above the bottom three. "We have picked up points in the last six or seven weeks and showed real togetherness as a group," Moyes said. "The players know that if we can win a couple of more games then we can get ourselves higher up the league. "Then you might have been thinking, 'what was the worry about', but overall, I have to say well done to the players."
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I have a decision to make, says Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he has a decision to make regarding his immediate future. The current Hammers boss is out of contract at the end of the season with neither the club nor Moyes himself yet to confirm whether he is set for a long-term stay at West Ham. However he insisted that a decision will be made just as soon as the season culminates, following the two home matches with Moyes' former clubs Manchester Utd and Everton. "We have always said that we will talk after the end of the season," said Moyes when asked about his future during Wednesday's pre-match press conference. "It was always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until after we've got the two games out of the way. "We're putting in place all the things you would expect - the pre-season, as much as we can. Ultimately I've got a decision to make - and so has the club."
Moyes achieved the target set for him when the Hammers beat Leicester last weekend a result that, combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Everton, ensured West Ham could not be relegated. And he believes that has silenced some of his doubters, many of whom felt he was the wrong man to succeed the popular Slaven Bilic. "A lot of people questioned me coming in, which surprised me," said Moyes. "The job was to come in and get them up and you'd have to say we've done that. I've got really good staff, top-end staff here and they've been really helpful. "I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season. I always thought we might have to win one of these two [remaining] homes games to stay up. There was a big cheer from the players on the bus when they heard the scoreline from Everton and Southampton, but the big cheer for me was the performance against Leicester."
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New recruit eyes first team opportunity
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
Young midfielder Sebastian Nebyla already has one eye on the first team at West Ham - despite having just signed his first contract with the club. The 16-year-old arrived at West Ham this week after putting pen to paper on a two-year contract - and immediately set his sights on one day running out with the first team.
"I decided [to join West Ham] on the basis of my feelings and a recommendation from my agent Emil Kovarovich," said Nebyla. " I have been given conditions in which I can train and improve my football. "I've signed a contract for two years; everything was perfectly organised at a high level. The West Ham Academy has excellent conditions, both material and financial. "I'm only 16 years old but I've already practised with the Under 23s. On Monday, I trained with former players Paul Konchesky and Matthew Upson. I hope the contract I've signed will offer me a route to the first team."
Nebyla leaves his previous club Spartaku Trnava as they prepare to celebrate a second successive Slovak Super Liga success; his old club are currently ten points clear of closest rivals Dunajská Streda and can wrap up the title this weekend. "I believe they'll win the title and I hope they will celebrate it after this weekend's match," added Nebyla. "I have a lot of friends there, and I will miss the city as well. I would also like to thank everyone in the club for their support."
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Antonio out until August
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
Michail Antonio has confirmed that is likely to miss the beginning of the 2018/19 season. The 28-year-old winger admitted that he doesn't expect to return to first team action until August at the earliest - some three months from now - having recently undergone surgery to correct a longstanding hamstring problem. "I'm feeling good," he told whufc.com. "I'm recovering well from my operation. I've probably got another three months before I'm back in full training so it'll be August before I start playing again."
And despite reports linking the England international with the likes of Crystal Palace, whose manager Roy Hodgson is said to be a keen admirer of the former Forest man, Antonio admits that his only aim right now is to win back his place at West Ham after it was confirmed that the Hammers would once again be playing in the Premier League next season. "Every team wants to stay in the Premier League, it's the holy grail," added Anotnio. "So to have that opportunity to play again next year - especially as I couldn't help the team secure security - is great, and hopefully next year we can do better."
And he was also distinctly impressed by the goal that confirmed safety - even if the scorer isn't exactly prolific in matches or during training! "We bossed the game, managed to get an early goal and see them off with Mark Noble's finish," he surmised. "He doesn't score too many like that and it was a great strike - I didn't expect it from him at all but hey, quality!"
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You needs Hans: West Ham consider £15m move
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United could be on the verge of solving their right back problem by moving for Atalanta full back Hans Hateboer. The 23-year-old right back has spent the last 16 months in Serie A following a cut-price move from Groningen in January 2017 and has been courted by the likes of Inter since winning his first international cap in the recent friendly between the Netherlands and England. However the highly-rated Hateboer could be on his way to the Premier League if West Ham decide to turn their interest into a firm offer. According to KUMB sources, the Hammers are currently considering a bid in the region of £15million for the defender, in order to prise his away from Atalanta.
Born in Beerta in 1994, Hateboer came through the ranks at Groningen's Academy before making his first team debut in 2013. He won his first trophy the following year when the Green-White Army won the KNVB Cup, thus securing a place in 2015/16 Europa Cup. Prior to leaving Groningen, he finished the season with the most assists in the Eredivise. Having moved to Atalanta in January 2017, after he had declared his intention to leave Groningen at the end of the season on a free transfer, Hateboer quickly established himself in the first team at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.
This season he haas been a virtual ever-present, making 41 appearances in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Europa League for his current club - including being part of the side that thrashed Sam Allardyce's Everton 5-1 at Goodison Park last November. And he made his international debut back in March, playing the full 90 minutes in the Netherlands' 1-0 defeat against England. West Ham's current first team right backs are the veteran Pablo Zabaleta, who is rapidly approaching his 34th birthday and Sam Byram, the oft-injured former Leeds defender who has made just FIVE Premier League appearances this season.
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Ex-West Ham head of recruitment Tony Henry apologises for comments about African players
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/05/18 6:13pm
SSN
Tony Henry - the former head of recruitment sacked by West Ham in February - has apologised for his comments about African players and says they were not intended to be racist. In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Henry has attempted to explain why he said the Hammers did not want to sign more African players in the January transfer window, and insists both he and the club are not racist in any way. Henry was dismissed by West Ham following an investigation into an email in which he made those comments to an agent as well as subsequent comments to a newspaper that African players "can sometimes have a bad attitude". He was subsequently charged by the FA. Speaking on Wednesday, Henry said: "I was wrong for what I said. I'm not trying to get out of this. I've been charged by the FA. This is not me saying 'what I said was right'. It was wrong, and I totally apologise. "It was never, ever meant to be racist in any way. The reason we said we didn't want any more Africans was because we already had three. The day before we'd had four, but one of them left. "I just felt that, as a head of recruitment, I look ahead down the line and I thought that, in 12 months' time, it's the African Nations Cup. If we had four African players, come the African Nations Cup, we are going to lose them in January and February, and we could struggle with that. "Any team struggles when they lose four players. I just felt that it would have been too many for us. But also, as well, we brought a new manager in and we weren't in a good position. We needed to get some points, get some wins, and the Premier League is a tough league. "New players coming in have to hit the ground running, and what we said was we would have preferred, if possible, Premier League-based players, who could come in and get straight into it. "But that never always works out and, in the end, we didn't take any players. We took Jordan Hugill in the end, (and) we took Joao Mario, who is a top player. But again that made it, for me, even more important that we could bring in a couple of Premier League players to help out."
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West Ham boss David Moyes out to enjoy Man Utd reunion
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 09/05/18 3:14pm
SSN
David Moyes admits he expected West Ham to be battling relegation until the last week of the season, and is now out to enjoy the final two games of the campaign against his former clubs Manchester United and Everton. The Hammers host United on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Premier League, fresh from their 2-0 win over Leicester on Saturday, which all but secured the club's top-flight status for another season. West Ham's safety was confirmed later on Saturday evening when Southampton drew 1-1 with Everton, and Moyes admits he expected the relegation fight to go right down to the wire. "That result helped obviously but the biggest result was ours," said Moyes. "I always wanted it to be done by us. "I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season. I always thought that these two homes games, we might have to win one of them to stay up. Moyes was appointed West Ham manager in November with the club in the relegation zone, and the Scot believes he has now proved his doubters wrong after a slow start at the club. "A lot of people questioned me coming in. I thought to myself 'that surprises me'," said Moyes. "The job was to come in and get them up and you'd have to say we've done that. I've got really good staff, a top end staff here and they've been really helpful."
Moyes' current contract is due to expire at the end of the season and the Hammers boss insists he will wait until the end of the campaign to discuss his future with the club. "We have always said that we will talk after the end of the season. We will wait," he said. "It was always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until after we've got the two games out of the way. "We're putting in place all the things you would expect - the pre-season, as much as we can. Ultimately I've got a decision to make and so has the club."
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West Ham have doubts about Leander Dendoncker's £18m price-tag
HITC
Danny Owen
West Ham United are still being tipped to bring Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker to the Premier League, but is he really worth £18million? It is four months since West Ham United were first linked with a move for Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker. And it seems that the London club are still no closer to deciding whether or not they want to sign the 23-year-old. Sky Sports stated that West Ham had a bid rejected for Dendoncker on the final day of the January transfer window and they were expected to go back in for the 6ft 2ins colossus this summer. Hammers' assistant boss Stuart Pearce even travelled to Belgium at the weekend to watch Anderlecht's 2-1 win at Club Brugge, with Dendoncker allegedly the reason for his trip. But the Mail reports that West Ham are still not convinced about signing the Belgian international this summer. It is understood that Anderlecht value the versatile midfielder at around £18 million. But West Ham are yet to be convinced that Dendoncker is worth such a fee with manager David Moyes, who is preparing to stay at the club next season, preferring proven Premier League targets like Joe Allen of Stoke City. Dendoncker was in sensational form for Anderlecht last season, exploding onto the scene by winning the 2017 Jupiler League title and also helping his side to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where he scored a bullet header against Manchester United.
But Dendoncker's form has dipped in recent months and he has been criticised in the Belgian press with Anderlecht in danger of losing their title to Club Brugge.
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JOAO MARIO'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN
TANAKA MVERE
ReadWestHam
The future of Joao Mario remains uncertain with the Portuguese international's current loan deal at West Ham set to expire at the end of the season. SportWitness has revealed that talks between West Ham and Inter Milan are ready to proceed, with the Serie A side prepared to let the midfielder go this summer. However, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Nerazzurri will only allow a permanent deal to take place if West Ham meet their asking price of €30m
Mario joined Inter for €44m from Sporting two years ago, and they are hoping to recover most of that fee through this deal. However it looks unlikely that any club will pay that much money for the player. Calciomercato say that Inter's asking price for Joao Mario is likely to be too high for West Ham, and this could force them to decide against a permanent transfer. The Portuguese international joined the Hammers on loan in January and has since scored two goals and registered one assist in 11 Premier League appearances. Speaking of Mario's contribution to the team since his arrival, Hammers boss David Moyes said: "Joao has helped us in lots of ways, he's done two or three jobs and is a good footballer. He's now come up with a couple of goals for us in this period. We brought him in to help us play a bit better and get a couple of goals, so I'm pleased with that."
According to Calciomercato, Inter may consider allowing him to go out on loan for one more season, should he not find a permanent club in the upcoming window.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will take on Manchester United in the Premier League on Thursday in the penultimate contest of the campaign.
Read on for all the information you need ahead of this midweek game.
Where and when?
The Hammers will welcome Manchester United to London Stadium on Thursday 10 May 2018.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45pm.
How to follow:
West Ham v Manchester United will be available on Sky Sports, via their Main Event and Premier League channels, with programming set to begin at 7:30pm. Click here for overseas listings.
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:
Pedro Obiang returned to the bench for the Hammers in the win over Leicester City at the weekend, indicating a chance that the midfielder could feature again for West Ham before the end of the season. Supporters will also be hoping that Chicharito is once again available, having missed out this last weekend. Winston Reid and Michail Antonio remain out. Manager David Moyes will offer an update on his available team news during his press-conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Match Officials:
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistant Referees: Eddie Smart and Harry Lennard
Fourth Official: Kevin Friend
How to get there:
Supporters can use Stratford, Stratford International, Pudding Mill Lane or Hackney Wick stations to reach London Stadium.
By Train
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Moyes: I'm keeping Sir Alex in my thoughts
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager David Moyes said he is keeping Sir Alex Ferguson and his family in his thoughts after the iconic manager's recent health scare. Sir Alex was rushed into hospital on Saturday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, where emergency surgery was performed on the former Manchester United boss. Further updates suggest that the 76-year-old is now on the road to recovery, a fact that fellow Scotsman Moyes is overjoyed to hear.
Moyes took over from Sir Alex at Manchester United in 2013, after the Red Devils stalwart decided to end his highly successful 26-year stint in charge of the club, and the Hammers manager is keeping his old colleague and his family on his mind while they battle against his condition. Moyes revealed he was informed of Sir Alex's ill health during the journey back from his side's 2-0 victory at Leicester City, and hopes he is on the mend. "We were all devastated when we heard the news, after the game on Saturday, coming back from Leicester," Moyes said. "If the news is correct, and Sir Alex is doing well, then we are thrilled, we really are.
"I've not had any more news than what I've been picking up in bits and pieces from the media. We will be thinking about him and his family. I know them all very well and I just hope he is sitting up in bed, and he is watching this news conference."
Moyes is preparing his Hammers to take on the club Sir Alex is most closely linked to in Manchester United on Thursday, with the Irons looking to claim a second successive win after securing their Premier League safety. Manchester United, now managed by Jose Mourinho, head into this midweek fixture on the back of a defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.
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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Manchester United
WHUFC.com
Manchester United travel to London Stadium on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Brighton last week – the fourth time in their last eight away matches that they have failed to win. The visitors need just one point from their final two games to seal second place in the Premier League and also have the FA Cup final in little over a week to prepare for. West Ham, then, are primed to earn at least a draw on Thursday night. David Moyes' side have already proved that they are capable of matching the league's big-six clubs this season, having taken four points from home games against Chelsea and Arsenal. The Hammers also earned draws with Tottenham and Chelsea in the league, as well as beating the former in the EFL Cup fourth round. And, having won 2-0 at Leicester last weekend and lost just two of their last six, confidence should be high for the home side. In order to avoid defeat, though, it's likely that they will need to score.
Jose Mourinho's side have found the back of the net in eleven of their last 15 league games and won the reverse fixture 4-0 on the opening day of the season. They have, however, kept just three clean sheets in their last eight away games. Given that West Ham have only failed to net in two of their last 14 matches in all competitions at London Stadium, both teams to score looks a reliable bet. When picking a goalscorer for the Hammers, it makes sense to think away from the usual suspects. Three of the last five goals Manchester United have conceded in the league have been from headers, and Angelo Ogbonna is one of West Ham's biggest threats in the air. The defender has already netted against Tottenham and Manchester City this season, and is a great price to repeat the trick here.
Recommended bets
West Ham to win or draw – 1/1
Both teams to score – 8/11
Angelo Ogbonna to score anytime – 12/1
Back this #BetYourWay at 28/1
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Moyes: Celebrating safety, avoiding complacency and ending the season strongly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager David Moyes says his players are focused on ending the season as strongly as possible, starting with a good performance against Manchester United. The Irons secured their Premier League status last weekend after achieving a win over Leicester City, with Moyes praising his side's attitude.
Ahead of the Premier League clash with the Red Devils on Thursday, the Hammers boss met with representatives of the media. Here's what he had to say…
We always wanted to ensure our own safety
We were on the bus back from Leicester when we heard (that we were safe). We didn't have coverage so it was coming through the radio, and a big cheer went up from the players when they heard because they knew that got us over the line. But the biggest cheer for me was how the supporters reacted to the players and their performance at Leicester. The supporters understood how well we'd played and how well we had done. I was more thrilled with how well we had played at Leicester; How we had passed it and how we had scored good goals. Maybe on another day we would have scored more goals. The Southampton and Everton result helped, obviously, but the biggest result was ours. We always wanted it to be done by us. I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season, to be honest. I always thought, these two home games, we would have to win one of them to make sure we stayed up. But we've done it before that and I can enjoy the two games in the hope that we can win the points against them and climb up the league.
The players and my staff deserve a huge well done
I have to say well done to the players. When I came in here we had nine points and it was difficult, but I've got to say the players have gone and done the job and got the points. I think we've scored quite a few goals and I've got to say all credit to the players. A lot of people questioned me coming in but I've got to say the job was to come in and keep the side up, and we've done that. But I've got to say that I've got a really good staff. I've got a top end staff here and they've been really helpful. The players know that if we can win a couple more games, then we can get ourselves higher up the league. Then we might even be thinking 'well, what was all the worry about'?
We cannot relax just because we are safe
I wouldn't be using the word 'relaxation' – far from it! I will be saying that we have two good games and we know the pressure of any relegation is not there anymore, and we will try to play the best we can. I can only ever say good things about Manchester United because I respect the club so much and what they stand for, and just how good a football club it is. Anybody who is a manager of that football club has a real privilege. I think we would rather be not playing them after a defeat, but the truth is we have to play Manchester United and we will do everything we can to win. We will try to play well in this game.
We have felt the benefits of our Miami training camp
I think our performances since we've come back from our trip have been really good. Maybe if you took out the Manchester City game, I think the players have played really well picked up points in the last seven weeks, and shown a real togetherness in the group.
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Antonio: I'm looking forward to contributing again next season
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio was a delighted spectator as West Ham United sealed their Premier League status with a dominant 2-0 victory at Leicester City on Saturday. Antonio was keeping a keen eye on events, so the goals from Joao Mario and Mark Noble gave him a welcome boost as he continues his recovery from an operation on his hamstring. With the Hammers' top flight position secured, the 2017 Hammer of the Year is looking forward to contributing to a more successful season when he returns. "I'm feeling good," he said. "The recovery from my operation is going well so I'm just going to keep moving on with it. "I probably have another three months until I'm back training fully, so hopefully I'll be back playing in August. "It's the holy grail to stay in the Premier League, so it's great [that we've secured safety]. Hopefully next year we can do better. "It was a great performance at Leicester. We didn't give them much of an opportunity, we bossed the game, scored in the first half and sealed it off with Mark Noble's finish. "It was a great strike from him into the bottom corner."
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West Ham United v Manchester United
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
West Ham striker Javier Hernandez has been ruled out with a knee injury. Top scorer Marko Arnautovic is available despite picking up a knock in the win over Leicester.
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku will miss the club's last two league matches with an ankle injury but could return for the FA Cup final. Midfielder Marouane Fellaini is also absent due to a muscular injury, but Alexis Sanchez and Phil Jones both return to the squad.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes: "There was a big cheer from the players on the bus when they heard the scoreline from Everton and Southampton, but the big cheer for me was the performance against Leicester. "We have picked up points in the last six or seven weeks and showed real togetherness as a group. "The players know that if we can win a couple of more games then we can get ourselves higher up the league."
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on the reaction of his players to the Brighton defeat: "They all work well, even in weeks that hand in bad performances or bad results. "I never have anything negative to say about the professionalism of my players during the season; this week was no different."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
West Ham are safe now too after their win at Leicester on Saturday, which was a massive result for them and means the pressure is off in this game. What happened to the performance we saw from Manchester United in the second half against Manchester City at the start of April?
Prediction: 3-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have only won five of their 43 Premier League matches against Manchester United, with their last victory coming on 10 May 2016 in the final fixture at Upton Park.
Manchester United have failed to score in only two of their 21 away league fixtures at West Ham: a 0-0 draw in August 1998 and a 1-0 defeat in December 2006.
West Ham United
West Ham have not recorded back-to-back Premier League victories since January 2017.
They are aiming to avoid becoming the first team to lose more than 10 top-flight matches by at least a three-goal margin in a single season since West Brom in 1985-86.
Marko Arnautovic has scored 10 league goals this season. Bobby Zamora was the last West Ham player to score 11 goals in a single Premier League season back in 2006-07.
Manchester United
United could suffer back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a year, when they lost at Arsenal and Tottenham.
They are without a win in their final away game of a Premier League season since 2011-12, when they beat Sunderland. They've drawn four and lost once since then, with the defeat coming at West Ham in 2015-16.
Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in 10 Premier League games against teams managed by David Moyes.
The Red Devils are the only club not to have drawn a Premier League match in 2018.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 25%
Probability of home win: 22% Probability of away win: 53%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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West Ham manager David Moyes won't discuss future until end of season
BBC.co.uk
Manager David Moyes says he will delay talks on his West Ham future until the end of the season, despite the club now being safe from relegation. Moyes took over the Hammers in November with the club in the drop zone, signing a deal until the end of the season. His side confirmed their Premier League status with victory at Leicester on Saturday after a turbulent season. "We have always said we will talk after the end of the season so we will wait until then," said Moyes, 55. "It's always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until we get the last two games out of the way. We are putting things in place, like pre-season, as much as we can, but ultimately I have got a decision to make and the club has as well."
Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic with the club in 18th place with nine points from 11 games. The Hammers have claimed 29 points from 25 games under Moyes and are now 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone. But the London club have struggled at times and fans invaded the pitch and threw missiles in protest at the club's board during a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in March, after which they were 17th and two points above the bottom three. "We have picked up points in the last six or seven weeks and showed real togetherness as a group," Moyes said. "The players know that if we can win a couple of more games then we can get ourselves higher up the league. "Then you might have been thinking, 'what was the worry about', but overall, I have to say well done to the players."
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I have a decision to make, says Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he has a decision to make regarding his immediate future. The current Hammers boss is out of contract at the end of the season with neither the club nor Moyes himself yet to confirm whether he is set for a long-term stay at West Ham. However he insisted that a decision will be made just as soon as the season culminates, following the two home matches with Moyes' former clubs Manchester Utd and Everton. "We have always said that we will talk after the end of the season," said Moyes when asked about his future during Wednesday's pre-match press conference. "It was always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until after we've got the two games out of the way. "We're putting in place all the things you would expect - the pre-season, as much as we can. Ultimately I've got a decision to make - and so has the club."
Moyes achieved the target set for him when the Hammers beat Leicester last weekend a result that, combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Everton, ensured West Ham could not be relegated. And he believes that has silenced some of his doubters, many of whom felt he was the wrong man to succeed the popular Slaven Bilic. "A lot of people questioned me coming in, which surprised me," said Moyes. "The job was to come in and get them up and you'd have to say we've done that. I've got really good staff, top-end staff here and they've been really helpful. "I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season. I always thought we might have to win one of these two [remaining] homes games to stay up. There was a big cheer from the players on the bus when they heard the scoreline from Everton and Southampton, but the big cheer for me was the performance against Leicester."
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New recruit eyes first team opportunity
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
Young midfielder Sebastian Nebyla already has one eye on the first team at West Ham - despite having just signed his first contract with the club. The 16-year-old arrived at West Ham this week after putting pen to paper on a two-year contract - and immediately set his sights on one day running out with the first team.
"I decided [to join West Ham] on the basis of my feelings and a recommendation from my agent Emil Kovarovich," said Nebyla. " I have been given conditions in which I can train and improve my football. "I've signed a contract for two years; everything was perfectly organised at a high level. The West Ham Academy has excellent conditions, both material and financial. "I'm only 16 years old but I've already practised with the Under 23s. On Monday, I trained with former players Paul Konchesky and Matthew Upson. I hope the contract I've signed will offer me a route to the first team."
Nebyla leaves his previous club Spartaku Trnava as they prepare to celebrate a second successive Slovak Super Liga success; his old club are currently ten points clear of closest rivals Dunajská Streda and can wrap up the title this weekend. "I believe they'll win the title and I hope they will celebrate it after this weekend's match," added Nebyla. "I have a lot of friends there, and I will miss the city as well. I would also like to thank everyone in the club for their support."
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Antonio out until August
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
Michail Antonio has confirmed that is likely to miss the beginning of the 2018/19 season. The 28-year-old winger admitted that he doesn't expect to return to first team action until August at the earliest - some three months from now - having recently undergone surgery to correct a longstanding hamstring problem. "I'm feeling good," he told whufc.com. "I'm recovering well from my operation. I've probably got another three months before I'm back in full training so it'll be August before I start playing again."
And despite reports linking the England international with the likes of Crystal Palace, whose manager Roy Hodgson is said to be a keen admirer of the former Forest man, Antonio admits that his only aim right now is to win back his place at West Ham after it was confirmed that the Hammers would once again be playing in the Premier League next season. "Every team wants to stay in the Premier League, it's the holy grail," added Anotnio. "So to have that opportunity to play again next year - especially as I couldn't help the team secure security - is great, and hopefully next year we can do better."
And he was also distinctly impressed by the goal that confirmed safety - even if the scorer isn't exactly prolific in matches or during training! "We bossed the game, managed to get an early goal and see them off with Mark Noble's finish," he surmised. "He doesn't score too many like that and it was a great strike - I didn't expect it from him at all but hey, quality!"
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You needs Hans: West Ham consider £15m move
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United could be on the verge of solving their right back problem by moving for Atalanta full back Hans Hateboer. The 23-year-old right back has spent the last 16 months in Serie A following a cut-price move from Groningen in January 2017 and has been courted by the likes of Inter since winning his first international cap in the recent friendly between the Netherlands and England. However the highly-rated Hateboer could be on his way to the Premier League if West Ham decide to turn their interest into a firm offer. According to KUMB sources, the Hammers are currently considering a bid in the region of £15million for the defender, in order to prise his away from Atalanta.
Born in Beerta in 1994, Hateboer came through the ranks at Groningen's Academy before making his first team debut in 2013. He won his first trophy the following year when the Green-White Army won the KNVB Cup, thus securing a place in 2015/16 Europa Cup. Prior to leaving Groningen, he finished the season with the most assists in the Eredivise. Having moved to Atalanta in January 2017, after he had declared his intention to leave Groningen at the end of the season on a free transfer, Hateboer quickly established himself in the first team at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.
This season he haas been a virtual ever-present, making 41 appearances in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Europa League for his current club - including being part of the side that thrashed Sam Allardyce's Everton 5-1 at Goodison Park last November. And he made his international debut back in March, playing the full 90 minutes in the Netherlands' 1-0 defeat against England. West Ham's current first team right backs are the veteran Pablo Zabaleta, who is rapidly approaching his 34th birthday and Sam Byram, the oft-injured former Leeds defender who has made just FIVE Premier League appearances this season.
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Ex-West Ham head of recruitment Tony Henry apologises for comments about African players
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/05/18 6:13pm
SSN
Tony Henry - the former head of recruitment sacked by West Ham in February - has apologised for his comments about African players and says they were not intended to be racist. In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Henry has attempted to explain why he said the Hammers did not want to sign more African players in the January transfer window, and insists both he and the club are not racist in any way. Henry was dismissed by West Ham following an investigation into an email in which he made those comments to an agent as well as subsequent comments to a newspaper that African players "can sometimes have a bad attitude". He was subsequently charged by the FA. Speaking on Wednesday, Henry said: "I was wrong for what I said. I'm not trying to get out of this. I've been charged by the FA. This is not me saying 'what I said was right'. It was wrong, and I totally apologise. "It was never, ever meant to be racist in any way. The reason we said we didn't want any more Africans was because we already had three. The day before we'd had four, but one of them left. "I just felt that, as a head of recruitment, I look ahead down the line and I thought that, in 12 months' time, it's the African Nations Cup. If we had four African players, come the African Nations Cup, we are going to lose them in January and February, and we could struggle with that. "Any team struggles when they lose four players. I just felt that it would have been too many for us. But also, as well, we brought a new manager in and we weren't in a good position. We needed to get some points, get some wins, and the Premier League is a tough league. "New players coming in have to hit the ground running, and what we said was we would have preferred, if possible, Premier League-based players, who could come in and get straight into it. "But that never always works out and, in the end, we didn't take any players. We took Jordan Hugill in the end, (and) we took Joao Mario, who is a top player. But again that made it, for me, even more important that we could bring in a couple of Premier League players to help out."
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West Ham boss David Moyes out to enjoy Man Utd reunion
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 09/05/18 3:14pm
SSN
David Moyes admits he expected West Ham to be battling relegation until the last week of the season, and is now out to enjoy the final two games of the campaign against his former clubs Manchester United and Everton. The Hammers host United on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Premier League, fresh from their 2-0 win over Leicester on Saturday, which all but secured the club's top-flight status for another season. West Ham's safety was confirmed later on Saturday evening when Southampton drew 1-1 with Everton, and Moyes admits he expected the relegation fight to go right down to the wire. "That result helped obviously but the biggest result was ours," said Moyes. "I always wanted it to be done by us. "I probably expected it to go to the last week of the season. I always thought that these two homes games, we might have to win one of them to stay up. Moyes was appointed West Ham manager in November with the club in the relegation zone, and the Scot believes he has now proved his doubters wrong after a slow start at the club. "A lot of people questioned me coming in. I thought to myself 'that surprises me'," said Moyes. "The job was to come in and get them up and you'd have to say we've done that. I've got really good staff, a top end staff here and they've been really helpful."
Moyes' current contract is due to expire at the end of the season and the Hammers boss insists he will wait until the end of the campaign to discuss his future with the club. "We have always said that we will talk after the end of the season. We will wait," he said. "It was always the way I wanted it and I won't change my views until after we've got the two games out of the way. "We're putting in place all the things you would expect - the pre-season, as much as we can. Ultimately I've got a decision to make and so has the club."
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West Ham have doubts about Leander Dendoncker's £18m price-tag
HITC
Danny Owen
West Ham United are still being tipped to bring Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker to the Premier League, but is he really worth £18million? It is four months since West Ham United were first linked with a move for Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker. And it seems that the London club are still no closer to deciding whether or not they want to sign the 23-year-old. Sky Sports stated that West Ham had a bid rejected for Dendoncker on the final day of the January transfer window and they were expected to go back in for the 6ft 2ins colossus this summer. Hammers' assistant boss Stuart Pearce even travelled to Belgium at the weekend to watch Anderlecht's 2-1 win at Club Brugge, with Dendoncker allegedly the reason for his trip. But the Mail reports that West Ham are still not convinced about signing the Belgian international this summer. It is understood that Anderlecht value the versatile midfielder at around £18 million. But West Ham are yet to be convinced that Dendoncker is worth such a fee with manager David Moyes, who is preparing to stay at the club next season, preferring proven Premier League targets like Joe Allen of Stoke City. Dendoncker was in sensational form for Anderlecht last season, exploding onto the scene by winning the 2017 Jupiler League title and also helping his side to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where he scored a bullet header against Manchester United.
But Dendoncker's form has dipped in recent months and he has been criticised in the Belgian press with Anderlecht in danger of losing their title to Club Brugge.
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JOAO MARIO'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN
TANAKA MVERE
ReadWestHam
The future of Joao Mario remains uncertain with the Portuguese international's current loan deal at West Ham set to expire at the end of the season. SportWitness has revealed that talks between West Ham and Inter Milan are ready to proceed, with the Serie A side prepared to let the midfielder go this summer. However, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Nerazzurri will only allow a permanent deal to take place if West Ham meet their asking price of €30m
Mario joined Inter for €44m from Sporting two years ago, and they are hoping to recover most of that fee through this deal. However it looks unlikely that any club will pay that much money for the player. Calciomercato say that Inter's asking price for Joao Mario is likely to be too high for West Ham, and this could force them to decide against a permanent transfer. The Portuguese international joined the Hammers on loan in January and has since scored two goals and registered one assist in 11 Premier League appearances. Speaking of Mario's contribution to the team since his arrival, Hammers boss David Moyes said: "Joao has helped us in lots of ways, he's done two or three jobs and is a good footballer. He's now come up with a couple of goals for us in this period. We brought him in to help us play a bit better and get a couple of goals, so I'm pleased with that."
According to Calciomercato, Inter may consider allowing him to go out on loan for one more season, should he not find a permanent club in the upcoming window.
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