Chicharito and Lanzini take step closer to World Cup
WHUFC.com
Chicharito and Manuel Lanzini have been named in their respective nations'
provisional 2018 FIFA World Cup squads. Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer
Chicharito is in his country's 28-man selection, which will be whittled down
to the final 23 following warm-up matches with Wales and Scotland in Los
Angeles and Mexico City respectively. With 100 caps and 49 goals for his
country, the 29-year-old is almost certain to be named in the final 23,
barring injury. Mexico face Denmark in Copenhagen in their final warm-up
fixture before tackling Germany, South Korea and Sweden in Russia.
Lanzini has far less international experience, with three caps and one goal
for Argentina to his name. The 25-year-old, who scored twice in West Ham
United's 3-1 Premier League win over Everton at London Stadium on Sunday,
has been named in Cesar Sampaoli's star-studded 35-man provisional group.
Lanzini, who scored on his last appearance for Argentina in a friendly win
over Italy in March, will hope to impress in the South Americans' one and
only warm-up fixture against Haiti in Buenos Aires on Tuesday 29 May. The
two-time winners and 2014 runners-up face Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria in
the World Cup group-stage.
Edimilson Fernandes is still awaiting news of Switzerland's squad
announcement, while on-loan midfielder Joao Mario will learn if has made
European champions Portugal's squad on Thursday.
Away from the World Cup, Declan Rice is in the Republic of Ireland squad for
friendly internationals with France in Paris and the United States in
Dublin.
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Mario hails 'amazing day and amazing experience'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's final day victory over Everton capped an "amazing" six
months in London for Joao Mario, who has described his time with the Hammers
as "amazing experience". Two finishes from Manuel Lanzini and a Marko
Arnautovic strike secured the points for the Irons in Sunday's win against
the Toffees, earning West Ham seven points in their final three matches of
the campaign. Mario, who scored twice in 12 Premier League showing this
season for the Hammers, was delighted with the manner in which he and his
teammates secured a win in their season finale. "It was an amazing day and
an amazing game," Mario told West Ham TV. "The team played really well for
our supporters. Everyone is happy, and so are we. "It's definitely better
to end climbing up the table, so we're happy. Congratulations to everyone.
We've worked hard this season so everyone is happy."
The Portuguese midfielder had kind words for Sunday's goalscorers, Lanzini
and Arnautovic, hailing the quality of the two attackers. Mario also spoke
highly of the incredible Hammers support, who cheered the Irons to victory
before participating in the lap of honour after the contest. "They are two
really good, amazing players," Mario said of Lanzini and Arnautovic. "They
help us a lot and get a lot of goals, so for us it's perfect. "The West Ham
fans are incredible. Since I've arrived I have seen that they are fantastic.
They support the team so well and for us, as players, it's the best thing."
Having signed on loan from Internazionale in January, Mario has thoroughly
enjoyed his time in London with West Ham and is looking forward to what the
future holds. He added: "For me it's been an amazing experience. I want to
say thank you to West Ham for everything they've done, my teammates, and my
coaches.
"I'm really happy with the last six months and we will see what happens."
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Declan Rice 'proudly' reflects on first full season
WHUFC.com
There are not many West Ham United players that can look back on the 2017/18
campaign with as much fondness as Declan Rice. The defender, playing in his
first full season for the Irons after making his first team debut on the
final day of last season, made 31 senior appearances this campaign,
including 26 in the Premier League. The 19-year-old played in 18 of West
Ham's 19 Premier League contests in the second half of the season, something
Rice admits he is still pinching himself about. "I can't believe it," Rice
said. "I've been around some great players. We've had a change of manager
and luckily enough he's given me the chance to express myself and improve,
and I've thrived on that and now I can't wait for next season to start.
"When I was going into the last two minutes of the game (vs Everton) and we
were enjoying a bit of the ball, I was thinking 'I don't want this to end'.
It's been a great season for me personally. It's one I can look back on very
proudly."
Seven points earned in the final three games of the season, including a 3-1
win over Everton on Sunday, was a strong end to the campaign for the
Hammers, and Rice is thrilled with how he and his teammates closed the year.
The Young Hammer of the Year is now keen to continue his own personal good
form next season, and push West Ham higher up the league after this
campaign's 13th placed finish. "It's been a season full of ups and downs,"
he continued. "We've ended the last week strongly with the win at
Leicester, getting a good result against Manchester United, and then winning
against Everton was the icing on the cake. "It's not a bad finish, but if
you look at the points we've dropped late in games we could have been much
higher. We will take 13th. It's been disappointing but there's also been
some highs, so now we just look forward to next season."
Having graduated from the West Ham Academy, after joining the Club as a
14-year-old, Rice has been fully embraced by the fantastic Hammers
supporters, with the Republic of Ireland international thanking the fans.
The centre-back is now eager to kick on in the new season and continue to
develop with the Irons, committing himself to the side. Rice added: "The
fans have been excellent. At the start of this season they didn't really
know who I was but now they are singing my name and asking for stuff. It's
special. "I want to stay at West Ham. I want to keep playing for this club
and hopefully next season I can keep playing and make more appearances."
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MARK NOBLE – CLUB LEGEND?
AUTHOR: RICHARD DIXON. PUBLISHED: 14 MAY 2018 AT 9:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
There is a lot we don't agree on as West Ham fans at the moment, but one
thing we would all agree is that this has been a terrible season, both on
and off the pitch. When times are bad we football fans tend to look back and
remember happier times. At West Ham that will bring up a number of familiar
names, Moore, Hurst, Di Canio, Peters, Bonds and Brooking. So whilst there
may be some debate, these players are generally accepted as legends at our
club.
Now I'm willing to bet when you read that you were mentally adding more to
the list, Devonsonshire, Dicks, Cottee, McAvennie… I could go on and on. The
point being, that with certain notable exceptions club legends are
subjective and based on your own personal experience. It could be something
from your first West Ham game or maybe Modibo Maïga gave you his shirt after
a game where he scored (really really unlikely) or some other random act
that just chimed with you in some way. We all have our favourites, but few
make it to true legendary status.
It seems like a long time since we have had a widely accepted club legend, I
suppose Dimitri Payet was on course to achieve this accolade, mostly because
he was just so damned good. However, we all know what happened there, so
lets not dwell on our French ex-girlfriend, the man we just love to hate.
Payet is a lesson to those who throw the 'legend' title around lightly (or
worse get a tattoo!). What about our 2107/18 squad? The current fan
favourite is clearly Arnautovic. He has a long way to go, as stated, one
season does not a legend make, and the dour amongst us suspect that he won't
be here long enough to reach legendary status. A couple of other names pop
into your head as future legends, Collins, Rice and Lanzini are contenders,
but really there is only one name that really fits, and that is of course
Mark Noble.
Our current club captain is not going to be remembered as a skipper who
shepherded us to glory, it seems unlikely that he will ever lift a cup of
any note. Also there is much debate about his abilities on the pitch. If you
had no idea about him and tried to learn from Twitter I suspect you would
find out that his is brilliant, but his legs have gone and he is an awful
player and probably 50 other contradictory opinions. There is certainly no
consensus on his ability, but surely no one can argue about the man's
commitment to club? He now has over 400 appearances for the club, scored 50+
goals and been Hammer of the Year twice. What ever you think of his skills
this man is a West Ham player through and through. He made his senior debut
at 17 years old, back in August 2004, but after this his career at West Ham
faltered and he spent most of 2006 out on loan, first to Hull and then
Ipswich. It was under Alan Curbishley in the 2007/08 season that he really
established himself as a first team regular and he hasn't looked back since.
Coming right up to date his passion for the club, and temper, has been on
display this season. At the now infamous Burnley game Noble split opinion
with his "handling" of a pitch invader. We spoke to Mark briefly after the
game and when asked if he thought the club would fine him his response was
bullish, "they better fucking not!". I think his actions that day and his
subsequent response show that he feels the frustrations of the fans, others
may say they show he is a "thug". In the Manchester United "bore-draw"
Noble's tussle with Pogba again showed that he can let his feelings get the
better of him. I've seen comments that state this is why we love him, and
others saying that as Captain he should be above that type of behaviour.
However when I think of this season I prefer to think of his stunning right
footed volley against Leicester which put the game out of their reach and
ensured the Hammers Premier League survival. When that ball hit the back of
the net there was a look on Noble's face that told everyone what it meant to
him, and where did he run to celebrate? To the fans of course.
There has been the occasional rumour about other clubs wanting him, but can
anyone imagine him in anything except a West Ham shirt? He may not be our
greatest talent, but who amongst can deny that we would hate to see him pull
on another shirt? My suspicion is that as much as much as we wouldn't want
to see this, the person who would be the most pained is Mark Noble himself.
Mark Noble is a local boy (born in Canning Town) who has been granted the
freedom of the Borough of Newham and his heart is with us.
At 31 he is still going strong, the 'legs gone' comment is often made about
Mark, but he is still capable of galvanising the team, putting in a shift
and giving a great performance. It is clear that as the seasons progress he
will become a fringe player on the pitch, but off the pitch his influence
will continue. I am prepared to put it in writing I do not believe that he
will leave us for a lesser team to see out his career or move to the
USA/China for the money. It is my belief that he will stay at his beloved
West Ham and take a coaching role.
So considering it all, at this time I don't think Mark Noble is a legend,
but I have no doubt whatsoever that he will become one. Not because he has
won anything, or scored important or impressive goals, but because he is one
of us. Mark Noble is a destined to be a West Ham legend because he loves the
club as much as we do, and for that I salute him. Mark Noble is "Mr West
Ham".
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Hart axed from World Cup squad
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 15th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
Joe Hart, who spent the duration of the 2017/18 season on loan at West Ham,
will not be part of England's squad in Russia this summer. The 31-year-old
goalkeeper, who ended the season on the bench at West Ham behind first
choice stopper Adrian has been told by England boss Gareth Southgate that he
will not be included in his 23-man, World Cup squad for Russia. Hart, who
has endured a second-successive difficult season following a year on loan in
Italy with Torino was handsomely paid by the Hammers but failed to offer
value for money, as a series of high-profile mistakes saw him dropped for
the Spaniard. And the consequence of two poor seasons is that Hart - who at
one stage was expected to be the nation's first choice goalkeeper for many
years to come - has slipped behind the likes of Nick Pope, Jack Butland and
Jordan Pickford (even though the latter had a particularly poor afternoon
against the Hammers on Sunday).
Hart represented West Ham on 24 occasions during his season-long stay in
east London, keeping just three clean sheets in the process. He has already
returned to his parent club, Manchester City, following the culmination of
his loan.
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WE NEED TO SORT OUT OUR DEFENCE!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 15 MAY 2018 AT 8:39PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Nick Moore
(Written before the Man Utd game)
Although social media around West Ham has been viciously negative throughout
the season it does seem that most supporters always thought we would stay
up.
The line generally was that we should be much higher, that we have a good
squad and we are not delivering. I don't agree with this. This squad without
significant work will get us relegated. In every year, bar one, since the
premier league reduced to 20 clubs the team conceding most goals has been
relegated. We have conceded 67 goals in 36 games along with Stoke who have
played a game more. The truth is we can't defend. We have been leaking goals
since the back end of the final season at the Boleyn. Since then the
defenders we have brought in to change this have been
2016 -17 Masuaku, Arbeloa and Fonte.
2017 -18 Zabeleta and Evra.
Arbeloa and Fonte have come and gone and James Tomkins was sold. This is not
serious recruitment, given our growing defensive problems. Masuaku is
talented but his defending – being kind – is not his strong suit. The other
two are aging as is the whole squad. The squad lacks pace, mobility and
stamina.
Declan Rice – a great prospect – has emerged. Unusually for us he has come
through the youth system. But going into next season Ogbonna, Reid and
Chicharito will all be thirty. Noble will be thirty one. Zabeleta is 33.
Collins – should he stay- will be thirty five in August. Evra – brought in
to give us better defensive capabilities against City – will be 37.
However attack minded you are defending is half the game. Manchester City
are an attacking team full of creative players. They pressed us and squeezed
the space better than we did. None of these players will get any better.
Reid and Collins – both great servants – can't stay fit.
In midfield Mark Noble has been admirable and no one deserved to score the
goal that kept us up more. He said after the game he doesn't want another
season like this one. It will be exactly the same if the defensive side of
the game is not addressed both in defence and in midfield. The midfield
don't tracks runners. Defensively Obiang and Kouyate have been dreadful this
year. Where is the Kouyate who joined the club with the great motor, getting
up and down? Obiang defensively has consistently failed to win the ball
where he did before.
There is a goal we concede against teams with pace where you look up the
pitch and can see them jogging back. They'll be here in a minute…. Any
moment now….
Our goalkeeping troubles are well known. Hart came in on loan, proving that
none of our scouts watched the Euros. Randolph departed. Adrian has been
relegated to number two for much of the season. So we may well need two new
goalkeepers. Please do not sign Jack Buckland. We may have all been
distracted by Hart's present for Crouch but in the same game Buckland was
unconvincing. He flapped on crosses and has been throwing them in this year.
The defensive side of the game needs to be the focus for our recruitment. It
will be hard to get signings to fit all our short comings. Without changes,
some pace defensively, some younger players we will struggle. With better
defending we will be able to play further up the pitch which will help our
better attacking players.
It worries me that we are linked with older defenders and midfielders from
the relegated clubs. Maybe the odd one will strengthen us, but in general
the players linked looked like the same as what we have. The squad that gets
old together will get relegated together (as Stoke and WBA have already
shown).
One last point it's not about the stadium. We have won three games away all
season compared to six at home. Neither is good but it's so much easier to
win football matches if you don't concede nearly two goals a game.
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THE LOW DOWN ON PAULO FONSECA FROM A NON WEST HAM FAN
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 15 MAY 2018 AT 9:11PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Matt Brown @footballtyper
So, I was trawling through Twitter last night and came across an exclusive,
I think by Mail Online, which suggested that Paulo Fonseca had met with West
Ham regarding the manager's job at the club. After speaking briefly to Ex,
who everyone reading this will know is the most credible source when it
comes to West Ham United, it seems that this was the case and that Paulo had
impressed David Sullivan during their meeting.
With this, I felt like I would do another guest article for The West Ham Way
on a man I know a bit about and why I personally feel appointing him as the
next West Ham manager could be a very shrewd move by the club. While it's
understandable that some fans would be sceptical at such an appointment,
especially as many are wanting a proven name, there are a few reasons as to
why Fonseca makes sense.
I first became aware of Paulo through my own club, Sheffield Wednesday, in
2015. That summer our new owner Dejphon Chansiri decided that he wanted to
appoint a new manager at the club, and our main target was indeed Paulo
Fonseca, who had left his post in charge of Pacos Ferreira in Portugal. He
turned the chance to manage us down and instead took control at Braga and I
followed his progress from there.
In his sole season in charge at Braga, Fonseca managed to guide them to 30
victories from 57 games, which included 14 draws and 13 defeats. In
Portugal, the top three sides are Benfica, Sporting and Porto and aged 42
Fonseca did well steering Braga to a 4th place finish. He also managed to
guide them to Taca de Portugal success too, leaving the club with a win % of
50.88, averaging 1.82 points per match.
Looking a bit deeper into Paulo's history as a manager before he made the
move to Shakhtar, the only spell he will probably look back on with a bit of
disappointment is his second time in charge of Pacos de Ferreira where his
win ratio was 35.90%. He was extremely impressive in his other roles: Aves
(42.11%), Pacos de Ferreira (53.66%) and Porto (56.76%). Now, it would have
been quite easy for him to stay in Portugal, probably take up a role at one
of the top 3 sides, but instead he had bigger ambitions.
I think it's common knowledge that Portuguese managers aim to ply their
trade in one of Europe's top leagues eventually, with the Premier League the
target for most. Some may be quick to suggest that the job at Shakhtar is
easy or whatever as they are seen as comfortably the best side in the
division, but you have to remember that with that comes a lot of pressure
too.
Paulo didn't just go to Shakhtar and do what was expected of him, he
absolutely ripped it up there. He's managed them for a total of 93 games,
winning 73, drawing 8 and losing 12. His side have won league titles, cups
and this season narrowly missed out on making the Champions League quarter
finals, losing on away goals to Roma. Shakhtar under Fonseca have been
extremely impressive. They scored 205 goals in 93 games, conceding just 81.
They amassed a points haul of 227 and a points per match ratio of 2.44.
So, with his contract expiring next month, what can one of the game's most
promising managers bring to West Ham United? Well, first of all, he has the
personality and charisma that I feel will help once again reconnect the fans
with the club after what's been a pretty turbulent period. You only have to
watch Paulo dressed as Zorro after beating Manchester City in the Champions
League to see why fans will take to him immediately. Don't let that fool you
though, as he's a very professional manager too. He's not scared of saying
his piece either, especially when he feels the team hasn't performed.
Chopping and changing managers is something that every club should be aiming
not to do, and with Paulo being 45, he could well be at the help for a few
years which can only be beneficial for West Ham. It's highly likely that he
would be looking to get the club into a position where they can qualify for
Europe, and with his tactical nous, and backing from the board, there's no
reason why this shouldn't be possible.
It has already been suggested to me by some West Ham fans on social media
that the board won't spend money and that they will expect someone like
Fonseca to come in and work with what they've got. If Jorge Mendes is indeed
representing Fonseca, this could potentially open up a few more doors for
West Ham when it comes to transfers, which I'm sure the fans would be very
pleased about.
Mendes has his finger in many pies so to speak, with the ability to do
business with clubs in Portugal, while he also has ties to the likes of AC
Milan and Monaco. His work at Wolves is evident and while he wouldn't have
the same role at West Ham, Fonseca's connection to him would certainly be
advantageous and could help the board to be more successful in their
transfer dealings, both in and out.
If Paulo is appointed as manager, West Ham fans can expect nice, free
flowing, attacking and expansive football. They can expect a manager that
will do everything in his power to make a success of things with a Premier
League job his big chance to impress. He'll also be the kind of manager that
fans want managing their club personality wise.
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David Gold 'hopes' David Moyes remains manager of West Ham
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 15/05/18 9:08pm
SSN
West Ham co-owner David Gold says he "would like to think" David Moyes will
be the club's manager next season. Moyes guided the Hammers to Premier
League safety after replacing Slaven Bilic midway through the season.
However, Sky sources understand the Scot is unlikely to remain at the London
Stadium after holding talks about his future with the club. Gold insists
nothing has been decided and hopes Moyes will remain with the club for a
second campaign. "I've enjoyed David Moyes, I've enjoyed his company, I've
enjoyed working with him, he's a proper professional - his record speaks for
himself," said Gold. "As we speak David Moyes is on the list of managers and
we'll be selecting one in due course. I'd like to think it was David Moyes,
I really hope so."
Gold believes West Ham's slow start to the season can be partly blamed on
injuries and insists the club would have finished further up the table with
a fully-fit squad. "We were disappointed at our performance right the way
through the year. We changed our manager which is always a difficult time
for us," Gold added.
"When I look back, I'm looking to see why did it happen? Was it because of
the manager situation, was it because the players weren't good enough? "In
actual fact, what I have discovered, if you look at the injury list right
the way through the season, there was a time just before Christmas we had 12
senior players injured, unavailable for selection. "No team can suffer that
kind of situation."
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Liverpool transfer news: Jurgen Klopp to force West Ham ace Manuel Lanzini
into decision
LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp could give West Ham star Manuel Lanzini a big
decision to make, according to reports.
By JACK OTWAY
PUBLISHED: 07:56, Tue, May 15, 2018 | UPDATED: 08:54, Tue, May 15, 2018
Express.co.uk
Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for West Ham star Lanzini ahead
of the summer transfer window. The Argentina international blossomed at the
weekend as the Hammers signed off a turbulent Premier League campaign with a
3-1 victory over Everton on Sunday. Liverpool are primed to pursue a
playmaker having lost Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona back in January.
Lanzini would fit the bill having established himself as a Premier League
star during his three seasons in English football. And the Mirror say Klopp
could give him a big decision to make.
West Ham are likely to overhaul their squad this summer after a turbulent
campaign under both Slaven Bilic and David Moyes. Fresh reports have claimed
another managerial tinkering is in the offing with Paulo Fonseca
interviewed. Uncertainty at the London Stadium could play into Liverpool's
hands when it comes to Lanzini, the Mirror add. The forward has long been
linked with a move to Anfield, with interest first surfacing back in 2015.
Meanwhile, the Liverpool target has praised West Ham supporters for their
backing this season. "I always say that the West Ham fans are amazing,"
Lanzini told WHUTV. "All season they have followed us at every Stadium and
for this has been really good for us. I want to say thank you to them. "I am
really happy because we've finished like this. We deserve this. "It was a
long season – sometimes good and sometimes not good – but we finished good.
"This is good for us and good for the people, for all of us."
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Unai Emery set to hold West Ham talks after Paulo Fonseca discusses
replacing David Moyes as boss
Moyes is set to leave the Hammers after guiding the club to safety
By Rob Guest
09:19, 15 MAY 2018
West Ham are set to hold talks with Unai Emery before the weekend about
potentially becoming their new manager, according to reports. With the
Premier League season concluding on Sunday, the Hammers are now stepping up
their search to find a replacement for David Moyes. Having signed a contract
until the end of the season when he was appointed back in November, the
Scotsman is expected to depart the London Stadium after guiding the club to
safety. Shakhtar Dontesk boss Paulo Fonseca, who has been linked with the
Everton job, held talks with co-owner David Sullivan at his home on Monday
after jetting into Luton Airport. Joined by super agent Jorge Mendes for the
75-minute meeting, Mirror Football understands that the Portuguese boss then
viewed a luxury property in the surrounding area following positive talks.
After speaking with Fonseca about the job, Emery is set to have discussions
regarding the position over the coming days. The Spaniard is rated very
highly in the game and has enjoyed success with Sevilla and Paris
Saint-Germain in recent years. The 46-year-old is currently in charge of the
Ligue 1 club, although he will depart at the end of the season with Thomas
Tuchel confirmed as his replacement. However, the only concern with Emery is
his lack of English. Former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is the
current favourite for the job at 4/5 with BetVictor, with Fonseca priced at
2/1. Emery is 8/1 to be in charge in east London come August.
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West Ham next manager: Jorge Mendes flies in for talks with Paulo Fonseca in
frame for job
WEST HAM have held positive talks with Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca
as they look to replace David Moyes.
By JACK WILSON
PUBLISHED: 10:11, Tue, May 15, 2018 | UPDATED: 10:27, Tue, May 15, 2018
The Portuguese, 45, flew into Luton yesterday with super agent Jorge Mendes
- one of the most powerful men in world football. They were driven to the
Essex mansion of Hammers chairman David Sullivan where the possibility of
taking charge of West Ham was discussed. Fonseca is one of a number of names
on the club's wish-list with Unai Emery, Sean Dyche and Rafa Benitez are
also in the frame. And it appears discussions with Fonseca went well,
according to club insider @ExWHUemployee. The respected in-the-know Twitter
user wrote last night: "Apparently it [the meeting with Fonseca] went well
but they have other managers lined up to be met with this week too so they
will judge the success on those."
Fonseca enjoyed a modest playing career where he turned out for the likes of
Maritimo, Vitoria Guimaraes and Estrela Amadora in Portugal. He retired
early, hanging up his boots at the age of 32, before moving into management.
Fonseca made his name at Pacos Ferreira and got the chance to manage
Portuguese giants Porto in 2013 - only for his reign to last less than
season as he was sacked after a poor run of results. Fonseca returned to
Pacos Ferreira, moved to Braga and then was plucked up by Shakhtar in 2016.
He won the league and cup double in his first season in Ukraine and was
handed the country's 'best coach' award.
Fonseca followed that up by winning the Ukrainian Premier League this season
and reaching the last-16 of the Champions League by beating Manchester City
2-1 in the group stages. He followed that by wearing a Zorro mask at his
press conference - fulfilling a promise he made at the beginning of the
competition if his side were to reach the knockouts.
David Moyes appeared to wave goodbye to Hammers fans on Sunday and has been
asked to put his future on hold because the club want to speak to other
candidates. Having appointed Moyes only until the end of the season, the
West Ham board have made it clear that they want to see what other names
might be available before a meeting between him and West Ham co-owner
Sullivan next week. But this could backfire, as early indications are that
Moyes is now prepared to wait to see what other opportunities become
available as opposed to remaining at a club where he is not truly
appreciated. One club source has put the chances of Moyes extending his stay
at just one in four. Moyes met the demands made of him by the owners when he
was appointed as successor to Slaven Bilic in November with the team
lurching towards a disastrous relegation just 15 months after moving to the
London Stadium. Not only did he steer West Ham to safety, but the final-day
win over Everton swelled the coffers by a further £4 million as the club
leapfrogged Watford and Brighton to finish 13th.
Dyche is top of the Hammers' wish list but there is an acceptance that it
will be hard to trade the stability of the project he has built at Burnley
for a move to a club still beset with so many off-field issues regarding the
fans and stadium ownership. Spaniard Benitez, however, is thickskinned
enough to tackle any environment and the board plan to ascertain whether he
is ready to leave the frying pan of Newcastle.
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The five-man wishlist for West Ham to replace David Moyes as manager
One candidate has already met with David Sullivan but he would like to catch
up with four others as well
By Sam Inkersole West Ham Correspondent
10:19, 15 MAY 2018
Paulo Fonseca is the early front runner to be West Ham's next manager after
meeting with David Sullivan at his mansion on Monday for 75 minutes to
discuss replacing David Moyes. The Portuguese boss is out of contract with
Shakhtar Donetsk at the end of the Ukrainian league season and according to
our friends at Mirror Football, has already viewed some luxury apartments in
London after talks went well. Fonseca, who was also wanted by Everton when
the binned Ronald Koeman and still want him now, is the bookies favourite
but he is not the only manager that Hammers co-owner David Sullivan wants to
meet. Unai Emery, the former Paris St Germain manager, is set to meet with
Sullivan later this week though there are concerns over the Spaniard's lack
of English if he does take the job. He has pedigree though, having been boss
at PSG and winning trophies while also having a successful stint in charge
at Sevilla as well. Emery was also interested in taking the West Ham job
before Bilic got it three years ago.
Manuel Pellegrini is also on the list but it will prove extremely difficult
to entice him away from a lucrative contract in China with Hebei Fortune. He
signed a three-year contract with the Chinese Super League outfit in
September 2016. Also, the CSL season is currently in full swing with only
ten games of the season played so far and 20 still to go. There is a break
from the end of this week until July 11 in the CSL but Pellegrini is still
unlikely to leave and his club won't let him go without a big compensation
pay-off.
Marco Silva is in the frame as well but with Sam Allardyce seemingly on his
way out of Everton, the Portuguese boss is back in the frame to take over at
Goodison Park after he was blocked from doing so when they sacked Koeman by
his then club, Watford. Sullivan is a fan of Silva, who he wanted to take
over when Slaven Bilic was sacked last November but failed in his quest to
bring him to east London. Rafa Benitez is the one Sullivan really, really
wants. As with Pellegrini though, it might prove extremely difficult to lure
him away from Newcastle, where he is revered with God-like stature after
what he has achieved on Tyneside.
Benitez's representatives are asking Mike Ashley to bump the Spaniard's pay
up to £8m from the current £6.5m he earns as he enters the final year of his
contract with the Toon. So that's the asking prcie for Sullivan if he wants
to get the Spaniard to the capital. Then, of course, there is David Moyes,
who is set to meet with the owners early next week. While it's not 100 per
cent decided yet, it's seemingly clear that West Ham are going to head in a
different direction and away from the manager who kept them in the Premier
League this season.
The transfer window opens this Thursday and West Ham want a new manager in
place within the next eight days so they have enough time to work some magic
in the much-shortened window to overhaul the squad ahead of the 2018/19
Premier League season.
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Who is Paulo Fonseca? Shakhtar boss profiled after holding talks with West
Ham over replacing David Moyes
The 44-year-old, currently in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, is in
contention to replace David Moyes
By Chris Beesley Jon Livesey
10:23, 15 MAY 2018UPDATED10:24, 15 MAY 2018
West Ham have held talks with Paulo Fonseca over replacing David Moyes this
summer. Fonseca is currently in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and
has been linked with the Everton job. But he has met with the Hammers
hierarchy this week as they look to replace Moyes, despite him leading the
club to a 13th place finish. Mirror Football understands he even had a
viewing at a luxury one bedroom property in the surrounding area after
concluding positive talks.
But just who is the Portuguese boss? Here is all you need to know.
Fonseca learned his trade working relative wonders with one of Portuguese
football's lesser lights before a short spell with a major domestic club and
then winning a league title in a foreign country. His coaching career has
been more nomadic – he held no fewer than eight senior posts in Portuguese
club football before moving overseas.
His list of positions reads as follows:
1 de Dezembro 2007-08;
Odivelas 2008-09;
Pinhalnovense 2009-11;
Aves 2011-12;
Pacos Ferreira 2012-13;
Porto 2013-14;
Pacos Ferreira 2014-15;
Braga 2015-16.
Although his only trophy at Porto was the Portuguese Super Cup, Fonseca –
who like former Everton and Liverpool man Abel Xavier was born in the former
Portuguese colony of Mozambique – steered Braga to only their second
Portuguese Cup success in 2016. He promptly quit for Shakhtar Donetsk where
he promptly completed a clean sweep of honours in his first season in
Ukrainian football. Fonseca secured the Premier League, Cup and Super Cup
which unsurprisingly prompted him to be voted the Best Coach in the division
for 2016/17. Last month – before Koeman was sacked – Fonseca, who is
believed to have been a fellow contender for the Blues post in 2016
alongside the Dutchman after Roberto Martinez's dismissal, reiterated his
desire to work in the English game. He told the Telegraph: "I have this
dream and I believe this can happen. I believe a lot this can happen. If
it's soon or not, I have this dream. "I have a big, big passion about the
game and the atmosphere in England is amazing. I hope one day to live it.
It's the biggest league in the world. For any coach, to work in England can
be amazing. You have the best coaches and the best players."
A fluent English speaker, Fonseca was asked on the timescale of when he
would want to come to the Premier League and added: "I hope soon, but I
don't know when. "I finish my contract with Shakhtar at the end of this
season. They start to try to speak with me and we will see what happens. "At
this moment I am focused on our league and the Champions League."
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LET'S THANK DAVID MOYES, BUT SAY GOODBYE...
By Iain Dale 15 May 2018 at 08:00
WTID
As I write this on Monday evening, it looks pretty certain that David Moyes
will be leaving West Ham. In a strict contractual sense, he has already left
given that his contract apparently finished at midnight on Sunday. So, in
some ways it is entirely right and proper that the West Ham board should
cast their net far and wide in order to start next season with the best
manager possible. Moyes has tried to put a little pressure on David Sullivan
with some of his comments at the weekend, but if he is expecting it to work,
it looks as if he's mightily mistaken.
Moyes did what was asked of him. He ensured West Ham avoided relegation.
Seven out of nine points in the last three matches of the season saw to
that. And yet…
I'll put my cards on the table. I didn't want Moyes to replace Bilic. I
remember emailing David Sullivan almost pleading not to appoint him. But
we're a fickle lot, we supporters, and he actually won me around. He seemed
to inject a new, and some would say, much needed discipline into the team.
Their fitness levels seemed to improve, and after a rather dodgy start, we
started to win a few games. I'm sure we all remember the 1-0 victory against
Chelsea. There were some half decent performances too, even if the results
weren't always what they might have been. However, Moyes has always been
known for his 'let's get the defence right first' approach to football. But
he never really did that. We shipped goals like there was no tomorrow. The
results don't lie. We let in more goals over the season than any other club
in the league. Luckily we scored twelve more than Burnley, who finished 7th.
Of the 31 matches Moyes managed, six were lost by three goals or more. Yes,
he could cite defensive injuries, but when you sell one of your experienced
defenders in the transfer window when several of your other defenders are
injury prone, be careful what you wish for. Just imagine where we'd be if
young Declan Rice hadn't risen to the challenge.
It was in mid-March that I began to wonder whether my new found faith in
David Moyes had been misplaced. It was the Burnley, Stoke and Arsenal
matches which really did it for me. The team selections seemed to defy
logic. How he could think the same formations and lineups for Stoke at home
and Arsenal away beggared belief.
It was around that time that it emerged that at least six West Ham players
were hacked off with the manager. OK, there will always be players who are
unhappy for various reasons, but when you have such diverse characters as
Angelo Ogbonna, Declan Rice, Manuel Lanzini, Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll
and a couple of others all saying the same thing (apparently), you know
there is a problem. I don't believe in player power overruling a manager,
but it was hardly the best environment to launch a run in of very difficult
games, which, had we lost all of them, could have ended up with relegation.
In the end we missed relegation by 9 points, but it could have been very
different.
The fact that we got two wins and a draw against three decent teams in our
last three games shouldn't mask the inherent problems at West Ham. We got
those points against three teams with nothing to play for. Unlike us. I'll
admit to being surprised at the quality of the team performances in each of
those games, but it's easy to play well when the other team isn't operating
at 100% firepower. We have some outstanding individual players who often
play as if they have never met their teammates. That happened under Bilic
and it has happened far too often under Moyes. And too often he hasn't been
able to change tactics to get the best out many of the players, albeit with
one exception.
That exception has been Marko Arnautovic. I'd love to know what triggered
his transformation from a journeyman who couldn't be arsed under Bilic to
one of the Premier League's best players under Moyes. He scored for fun and
became a world beater. He clearly seemed to think he had a point to prove to
all of us, and he proved it with some panache. He's a player I've grown to
love watching. Is that down to David Moyes? I don't know.
When Slaven Bilic left we had 9 points from 11 games. Moyes has got 31
points from 27 games. In a full season that would have been a total of 43
points. Hardly earthshattering. If Bilic's record had continued we'd have
had 32 points and been relegated.
My honest feeling is that David Moyes isn't a West Ham kind of manager and
frankly never will be. I think it was the 3-0 capitulation at Wigan in the
FA Cup that started the rot in terms of him losing the fans. In truth,
though, we never took to him.
I know there are many people who believe he should be given a two year
contract. My fear is that we will have another Allardyce on our hands. He'll
do OK but won't play the kind of football we want to watch. I'll never
forget the despair I felt at various points during Allardyce's reign. It's
the only time I've actually dreaded going to a match because I knew I'd be
bored.
Having said that, when did we last have a West Ham kind of manager? Zola?
Pardew?
Looking at the candidates to replace Moyes, there are one or two who I doubt
would offer a different kind of football to Moyes. Benitez's teams, for
example, have never been at the cutting edge of entertaining football.
Talk of attracting the likes of Emery, Pellegrini, Nagelsmann or Ancelotti
is all well and good but are we really going to attract any of them? Really?
I'd love to believe it, but I have my doubts. But we should certainly be
aiming high if the club's ambition really is to proceed to the next level.
The fact that Paulo Fonseca, the Shakhtar Donetsk manager was seen being
driven into David Sullivan's Essex mansion yesterday evening is certainly an
encouraging sign.
There are, however, plenty of good managers already operating in England or
Scotland who would fit us well, if we can't get one of the top managers.
Brendan Rodgers would surely welcome a return to the Premier League. Would
Eddie Howe or Sean Dyche not be persuadable and relish a new challenge?
Could David Wagner be enticed away from Huddersfield? Marco Silva, the
former Watford manager, is said to interest the board. He did a cracking job
at Watford until his head was turned by Everton. He was never quite the same
again, and Watford eventually lost patience with him.
My conclusion is that David Moyes should be thanked for his work at West Ham
but we should then bid him farewell. There is, however, a but. If there
really is no one on the managerial market who fits the job better than
Moyes, then we may have to ask him to stay on. He may regard that as
insulting, and tell us to do one unless he is offered the job within the
next week. So be it. But the board owes it so us to get this appointment
right. We can't contemplate another Avram Grant situation. Time is rather of
the essence, given that the transfer window opens on Thursday.
Whoever becomes our next manager is going to need to start with a fairly
blank sheet of paper. There will be quite a few departures from the club
over the summer and I suspect we will be buying quite a few players. So
while there is no imperative to appoint a manager this week, we should
certainly be making an offer well before the World Cup finals start.
Nostrovia.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 16
Tuesday, May 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th May 2018
Lanzini thanks West Ham fans for support this season
WHUFC.com
Two-goal hero Manuel Lanzini has thanked the West Ham United fans for their
incredible support throughout the 2017/18 season. Lanzini scored two
excellent goals for the Hammers in Sunday's finale, taking his tally to five
in the Premier League for the campaign, as the Irons saw off Everton 3-1 at
London Stadium.
The Argentinian expertly tucked home from the edge of the area with his left
foot in the first half to put West Ham ahead, before curling home an
exquisite finish to secure the three points for the Irons.
The 25-year-old was given a standing ovation by West Ham supporters when he
was substituted in the second period, and Lanzini has personally expressed
his gratitude to the fans for their continued encouragement. "I always say
that the West Ham fans are amazing," Lanzini told WHUTV. "All season they
have followed us at every Stadium and for this has been really good for us.
I want to say thank you to them. "I am really happy because we've finished
like this. We deserve this. It was a long season – sometimes good and
sometimes not good – but we finished good. This is good for us and good for
the people, for all of us."
Lanzini's two goals saw the midfielder named the Betway Man of the Match in
Sunday's finale, but the South American has praised the quality of the
passes into him for the goals, with Cheikhou Kouyate setting him up for the
first finish. Lanzini added: "I think the finishes were good because the
passes to me were good, and then I tried to do what I could with them."
The No10 has also offered praise for manager David Moyes. The Scotsman
joined the Hammers in November, with the Club in the relegation zone, and
has guided the team to a 13th placed finish and 42 points, with the Irons
collecting seven points in their last three matches. "He's a good coach and
a good person. He's done a good job and we will stay in the Premier League,
and that's down to his good work. But first he's a good person as well."
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Noble: Sunday was just a brilliant way to finish the season
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble thanked the Claret and Blue Army for sticking with him and his
West Ham United teammates until the very end of a tough season. The Hammers
signed off the 2017/18 campaign with seven points from their final matches
to climb to 13th in the Premier League table, having at one stage sat in the
bottom three with just 14 points from the first 17 top-flight matches. The
finale came on Sunday, when two outstanding goals from Manuel Lanzini and a
rocket from Marko Arnautovic secured an emphatic 3-1 win over Everton amid a
feelgood atmosphere at London Stadium. "Brilliant, the way we played from
start to finish," said the skipper, reflecting on the victory. "They came on
strong at the start of the second half, but with our quality going forward,
we put the game to bed.
"We definitely should have been two or three up in the first half. With my
chance, I thought I was offside but I should just have worried about
finishing it. But it's just a brilliant way to finish the season. The season
we've had has been tough, but I can finally go on holiday and enjoy myself."
"We've got special players. We were in a bad position because we didn't show
that. I honestly think we can really compete with the best when we play that
way and we've proven it this season in some of the games. "It happens every
year that I look at the table after we've finished and I see we are five or
six points off the top eight or nine. When you see the games we've chucked
away and the points we've lost this season, it could have been us, but
that's football for us. The last few weeks, the training ground has been
fantastic. It's been a good place to play football."
Noble was grateful to the tens of thousands of supporters who stayed after
the final whistle to show their appreciation to the players who, in turn,
thanked the fans for their loyal support throughout a challenging campaign.
"I'm just really happy for everyone. Thank you to everyone who stayed behind
and clapped the boys because we played at Leicester away last week and we
saw there weren't many people left. There were loads left for us and it was
fantastic for them to stay and clap the boys."
Noble, his wife and two children, as well as every player and their family,
will now enjoy some well-earned time off before returning for pre-season
training in early July. The No16, for one, is relishing the opportunity to
recharge his batteries before embarking on his 15th season as a first-team
player. "There are a few big, big decisions to be made over the summer but
that's the last thing on my mind at the minute. I can't wait to go on
holiday with my family and enjoy the time off and come back raring to go
next season."
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Sir Trevor: My final West Ham game was an amazing and emotional experience
WHUFC.com
Sir Trevor Brooking brought down the curtain on his illustrious West Ham
United career on 14 May 1984. The gifted midfielder pulled on a Claret and
Blue shirt for the 643rd and final time as the Hammers hosted Everton at the
Boleyn Ground. However, unlike the season just ended, West Ham failed to
rise to the occasion, losing 1-0 to complete a disappointing end to the
1983/84 campaign which had begun with five consecutive First Division wins
but end with John Lyall's side losing four of their last six matches to slip
to ninth in the table. The last game of the season might have ended in
defeat, but it was still an occasion to celebrate the career of Brooking,
who had scored 102 goals across 17 seasons as a first-team player. Then 35,
the five-time Hammer of the Year had made just one appearance in the 1982/83
season – on the final day against Arsenal – after undergoing successful
surgery to rectify a longstanding groin injury.
However, he had returned, pain-free, for the start of the 1983/84 campaign
and started 35 of West Ham's 42 First Division matches, scoring what turned
out to be his final goal in a New Year's Eve win over Tottenham Hotspur,
five League Cup ties and three FA Cup matches. The penultimate game of
Brooking's career came on Saturday 12 May, when Nottingham Forest were the
visitors to Upton Park. Despite West Ham taking the lead, Forest fought back
to win, but it was still an unforgettable occasion for the Barking-born
playmaker. "There was a surprise for me before the match when the Forest
manager Brian Clough made a presentation to me on the pitch – a cut-glass
bowl to mark the end of my career," Brooking wrote in his autobiography My
Life in Football. "It was a nice gesture. "An even bigger surprise followed
when my six-year-old son Warren walked out as our match-day mascot. I had no
idea he'd been selected for the job."
A little more than 48 hours later, the Hammers were beaten again by FA Cup
finalists Everton, angering manager Lyall, Brooking recalled. "John Lyall
was furious in the dressing room afterwards. He launched into us and accused
us of complacency and missing a great opportunity," he wrote. "He said we
should have finished in the top four, instead of which we let it slip in the
last weeks of the season. He was probably right." Having received a dressing
down, Brooking began to get changed out of his kit for the final time, but
then there was a knock on the door from Chairman Len Cearns. "He looked at
John, then he looked at me. 'Sorry John," he said, 'but the crowd won't go
home until Trevor goes out and says goodbye'. So I put my gear back on and
went onto the pitch amid great cheering.
"I ran around the pitch, waving to the crowd and picking up the scarves they
threw at me. It was an amazing and emotional experience, but what surprised
me more than anything was that it seemed virtually everyone in the stadium
had stayed behind to bid their farewells. "Quite unforgettable. I was
lapping it up while the rest of my teammates were getting a rollicking from
the manager!"
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Alese and England progress to Euro semi-finals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Ajibola Alese progressed to the UEFA U17 European
Championship semi-finals on Sunday as his England side were 2-0 winners over
Norway in the last eight of the tournament. The teenage centre-back, who
broke into the Hammers' U23 side this season, has played the Young Lions'
last two matches in the campaign and will be hoping to help his team – the
competition's hosts – claim silverware this summer. Also with a spot in the
semis already booked are Italy – who England beat 2-1 in the group stages –
and Belgium, while the winner of Monday night's Republic of Ireland vs.
Holland tie will also join them. Either side of the 2-1 victory over the
Italians was an opening contest win against Israel and a 1-0 defeat to
Switzerland. Upon securing a spot in the last four, 17-year-old Alese told
whufc.com: "The whole team are really excited for the semi-finals. There is
a sense of confidence within us, now. "I think we were mostly in control
against Norway and we scored an early goal, which confirmed our dominance in
the game. "Overall in the tournament so far, we've played really well. We've
show resilience to come back from losing positions and we've shown that we
can play good football against good oppositions."
Bobby Duncan – cousin of former Three Lions senior team captain and current
Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard – got England off to a good start in
their first knockout-round game before Arsenal's Xavier Amaechi put the
result beyond doubt. Though Alese was left out as England secured their
qualification to the quarters with two wins from as many games, the defender
has been pleased with his performances since coming into the side and is
hoping to continue his good form. "I think I played well in the game against
Switzerland," he explained, "and we were unlucky to lose. In the quarters,
it was a different kind of game but it was difficult. "We all have
confidence, the whole team, that on our day we can beat most teams. If we
face Italy again, they will be looking for revenge though so we have to be
ready and play even better. "For me personally, if I was able to cap off
this season with a medal, it would be nice after the campaign I've had. "We
are playing as hosts and the support is amazing, so hopefully we can do
that. Every tackle, every piece of skill, good play or goal is cheered very
loudly. "It's great to have thousands of people cheering you on, wanting you
to win so hopefully we can keep going and win twice more."
The two semi-final fixtures will both take place on Thursday 17 May, with
the final scheduled three days later on Sunday.
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West Ham to enter transfer window manager-less
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are set to enter the transfer window without a manager as the Board
ponder who to appoint as the club's next full time head coach. David Moyes'
short-term contract expired last night just a matter of hours after he
guided the Hammers to a respectable 13th-place finish in the Premier League,
with the club apparently no closer to announcing their new choice. And
whilst the Scot remains in the running to continue the job he began last
November, West Ham have revealed that they may not have a man in place until
the beginning of next month - which happens to coincide with the season
ticket renewal deadline. The 2018 summer transfer window opens this Thursday
(17 May) as a result of the decision to move the deadline forward to 9
August - 48 hours ahead of the start of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign
(on Saturday 11 August).
The leading candidates to follow Moyes in the West Ham hotseat are as
follows...
Manuel Pellegrini (64, Hebei Chinese Fortune)
The Chilean cut his managerial teeth in South America with clubs such as San
Lorenzo and River Plate before trying his luck in Europe with Villareal,
Real Madrid and Malaga. In 2013 he arrived in England and won the Premier
League with Manchester City in his first season. He has been in China since
2016.
Paulo Fonseca (45, Shakhtar Donetsk)
The former Portuguese central defender has been coaching since retiring as a
pro at the age of just 32. Having led relative minnows Pacos de Ferreira to
the Champions League, he was hired by Porto -but fired before the season was
out with the Dragões in third place in the league. Successful spells at
Pacos (again) and Braga led to Fonseca moving abroad for the first time to
manage Shakhtar in 2016, since when he has won the domestic double and taken
the Ukrainians to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Rafa Benitez (58, Newcastle Utd)
One of the most well-known faces in the Premier League, Benitez worked at
Liverpool and Chelsea before moving to Newcastle where he is adored by the
fans having led the Magpies to instant promotion from the Championship and a
top ten Premier League finish. Wanted by West Ham when Sam Allardyce left,
West Ham's Board were unsuccessful but hope once more to lure the former
defender - who has also enjoyed spells with the likes of Real Madrid, Inter
and Napoli - to east London.
Unai Emery (46, Paris St Germain)
Emery has alerady confirmed that he will be leaving Paris this summer, which
will no doubt have been music to the ears of West Ham's Board who are not
know for paying compensation for managerial staff. However Arsenal are
likely to have first dibs on the Spaniard, who spent much of his playing
career in the Spanish second division.
David Moyes (55, out of contract)
Moyes exceeded all expectations at West Ham having succeeded Slaven Bilic at
the tail end of 2017 by steering the Hammers clear of relegation and into a
13th-place finish, largely as a result of taking seven points from United's
final three matches. An experienced Premier League manager, he is the safe
choice should the Board choose to go British.
A number of other names have been linked with the vacancy in recent days,
including Ronald Koeman, Carlo Ancelotti and Marcelo Bielsa.
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David Moyes: West Ham manager could be set to leave
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
David Moyes could be set to leave West Ham despite guiding the club to
Premier League survival. The Scot met senior Hammers figures on Monday and
while a final decision on his future is yet to be made, the indications are
the two sides will go their separate ways. Moyes took over at West Ham in
November with the club in the relegation zone. But the former Manchester
United manager has experienced difficulty getting to grips with the club. He
has complained about the amount of leaks to the media and also had to deal
with the aftermath of the events of 10 March, when fans ran onto the pitch
during a home defeat by Burnley and children went to the Clarets dug-out for
safety following widespread protests against the club's hierarchy. Moyes is
credited with getting the best out of £25m forward Marko Arnautovic.
Although the Hammers flirted with relegation after a run of two wins in 12
Premier League games, seven points out of the last nine allowed the club to
finish in 13th spot, nine points in front of the drop zone.
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No role for Moyes as interview process begins
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's desire to sign a big name manager means that David Moyes is
unlikely to be offered a full time role at the club. The 55-year-old Scot,
who led the Hammers to 13th spot in the Premier League last season met with
the Board earlier today in order to hold discussions with view to landing a
permanent role at the club. However it is reported that Moyes was told he is
unlikely to be offered the position on a permanent basis, despite having met
all the targets set of him last season. Representatives of West Ham have
also met with at least one other candidate today, as the Board seek to
secure the club's 16th full-time manager. Rafa Benitez, whose future at
Newcastle United remains in doubt, and former Manchester City title-winning
boss Manuel Pellegrini remain the club's leading contenders to replace
Moyes.
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Bilic, Moyes, Hugill, protests & Carroll - West Ham's 2017/18 Premier League
season rewind
The 2017/18 campaign was quite the rollercoaster for the Hammers - when has
it ever been different though?
By Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
11:35, 14 MAY 2018UPDATED11:37, 14 MAY 2018
After 38 games, ten months, two managers and a flirtation with relegation,
West Ham ended the 2017/18 Premier League in fine style on Sunday afternoon
as they breezed past Everton 3-1 at the London Stadium. The final 13th place
finish may well paper over the cracks somewhat, it's only two places below
where the club ended last term, but the battle against the drop this season
was very real and only avoided after beating Leicester City a little more
than a week ago.
Back in August 2017, there was cause for optimism. West Ham had signed Marko
Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Joe Hart - Premier League proven players -
and the deadwood had also been binned that had underperformed the season
before. But the warning signs were there from early at the start of this
season. If you can stomach it, let's take a look back at the campaign and
the good points, as well as the bad.
The first three away games
Thanks to the London Stadium being used for the World Athletics
Championships last summer, West Ham had to play their first three games of
the season on the road at Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle. West
Ham lost all three and Slaven Bilic offered his resignation after the 3-0
drubbing at St James' Park, which was declined by the Hammers co-owners and
the Croat stayed on. The warning signs were already alarming as Bilic's side
shipped ten goals in those three games and scored just two goals of their
own.
Declan Rice had a confidence hit after Bilic subbed him at half time against
the Toon following a mistake, Marko Arnautovic had thudded an elbow into the
face of Saints defender Jack Stephens and was banned for three games - it
wasn't an ideal start.
The first home win
West Ham comfortably beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 at the London Stadium in
their first game back at home on September 11 but would only win one more
game in Stratford before November 4. Bilic was on the ropes, especially
after a 3-0 thumping at home by newly-promoted Brighton on October 20.
Then there was the horrible final minute at Selhurst Park as Michaul Antonio
crossed into the box for no-one rather than keeping hold of the ball in
injury time, Crystal Palace broke and Wilf Zaha scored a very late equaliser
in a 2-2 draw. We can't forget the 3-2 win over Spurs Wembley in the Carabao
Cup though, that was fun.
The end of Slaven Bilic
With only wins against Huddersfield and Swansea City in the Premier League
to his name, Liverpool arrived in east London for Saturday evening football
on November 4 and duly romped to a 4-1 win.
Two days later, it was curtains for Bilic as the Hammers had slumped into
the relegation zone. Karren Brady was dispatched to Rush Green on the Monday
morning and told the Croatian to pack his bags after two and a half years at
the helm. It should have been done sooner but the owners had no choice and
like that, Bilic was out.
The beginning of Moyes
It didn't take long for West Ham to appoint David Moyes as manager until the
end of the season to replace Bilic and the Scotsman was bullish in his first
interview after being handed the job. "If you don't run, you won't play,"
was the quote that stuck out. Not that he got off to a good start. West Ham
lost the three of their first four games under Moyes, including that 4-0
whacking at Everton but it was the 2-1 loss to Man City that, weirdly,
started a revivial.
The revival of Marko Arnautovic
December 9 2017 should be a day that sticks out for West Ham fans as it was
the game that Moyes unleashed Marko Arnautovic as a centre forward. The
Austrian had been like a £25m club-record bust up until his mazy run and
super finish past Thibaut Courtois that earned the Hammers a precious 1-0
win over Chelsea at the London Stadium, their first under Moyes and just
their third of the season in the league. Arnautovic would go on to score ten
more goals between then and the end of the season. That also started a run
of three clean sheets in the league, culminating in the 3-0 victory at Stoke
City. The Boxing Day game at Bournemouth will stick out in the memory for
the hugely controversial late equaliser by Callum Wilson who was offside and
also handballed it but referee Bobby Madley overruled his linesman to award
the goal. At the end of 2017, West Ham were one place above the relegation
zone in 17th.
January...
As always, West Ham were linked with a lot of players who didn't arrive -
Leander Dendoncker, Islam Slimani, Ibrahim Amadou, William Carvalho (again),
Fedor Smolov to name but a few - and in came Joao Mario on loan and Jordan
Hugill. The latter has played 22 minutes of Premier League football since
then. Also in January, the revelations came to light of alleged racist
remarks made my former head of recruitment Tony Henry and after a very swift
investigation, Henry was fired in disgrace. The Hammers played eight games
in January across all competitions and only lost one of them - the 2-1 FA
Cup reverse against Wigan. There was a 4-1 victory over Huddersfield in
there, a 1-1 draw with Spurs when Pedro Obiang scored the goal of the season
and a 2-1 victory against West Brom.
The protests
By the time March arrived, Swansea had dispatched West Ham 4-1 at the
Liberty Stadium and Moyes' side were only three points off the drop zone in
14th. Burnley were the visitors to the London Stadium up next. We all
remember what happened. Ashley Barnes put the visitors ahead and the fans
had enough, revolted and threw their ire in the direction of the West Ham
co-owners. Four pitch invasions later, West Ham had lost 3-0, their third
defeat in a row and had fallen to 16th in the table. New security was
introduced for the remainder of the season but the seething feeling in the
stands was very evident, though a 3-0 win over Southampton the game after
helped hugely.
Back-to-back 4-1 defeats, Andy Carroll and seven points from nine
Moyes side were trounced by Arsenal and Man City in April and it culminated
in Andy Carroll and Moyes having a bust-up at Rush Green after the latter
failed to give the former some game time against City.
May was a different story though as West Ham went unbeaten, picked up seven
points from the final nine available and ended the season in 13th. The 2-0
win at Leicester effectively sealed their Premier League place, getting a
point against Man Utd was a bonus and they played Everton of the park on the
final day.
It was not the easiest of seasons but David Moyes, aided by his backroom
team of Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay, did what they had to
do. It wasn't pretty, it was borderline tough to watch at times, but the
Hammers will be a Premier League team next season.
Now, let's never go through that kind of season again....
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham owners make huge promise to supporters ahead of summer overhaul at
the London Stadium
David Sullivan and David Gold have taken to the matchday programme to
outline their plans for this summer
By Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
07:52, 14 MAY 2018
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have promised to "leave no
stone unturned" this summer in order to have a successful 2018/19 campaign
after a two seasons of struggle at the London Stadium. Ahead of the final
day meeting with Everton on Sunday afternoon, the Hammers could finish tenth
in the table if they beat the Toffees and other results go in their favour
and that in turn will bring an extra £14m in prize money. A tenth-placed
finish certainly won't gloss over what has been a real struggle in E20 this
season as West Ham secured survival just last weekend with a 2-0 win over
Leicester City and followed that up with a 0-0 draw against Manchester
United on Thursday. David Moyes contract as manager will expire in the next
few days and he is expected to have a meeting to discuss his future with the
Hammers board next week while football.london understands the likes of Unai
Emery, Marco Silva, Manuel Pellegrini and Paulo Fonseca are on the clubs
wishlist as a new manager if they cho
Gold and Sullivan penned a joint article in the matchday programme for the
Everton game and have reflected on what has been a tough campaign but also
informed us all of their plans for this summer - loosely. The owners said:
"One thing that hasn't wavered is our desire and ambition for West Ham to be
successful. Along with every other member of staff here, everything we do is
aimed at trying to improve the experience we offer our supporters. "However,
we know that, ultimately, for the vast majority of our supporters, what
matters most is a strong team, playing good football and regularly winning
matches. "This summer, we will leave no stone unturned in making sure that
everything is in place to give our management and playing staff the best
chance possible of success next year."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dean Ashton explains why he expects David Moyes to leave Hammers
Play Video
Moyes' contract officially expired at midnight on Sunday
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Monday, May 14, 2018
Dean Ashton has told talkSPORT he expects David Moyes to leave West Ham now
the Premier League season is over. Moyes guided the Hammers to top flight
safety following his appointment as Slaven Bilic's successor in early
November. The Scot stabilised a club that had serious relegation worries,
winning nine and drawing 10 of the 31 matches played under his guidance.
However, he was never truly accepted by the West Ham support, and many have
called for him to be dismissed at the end of the season. His contract with
the London Stadium club actually expired at midnight on Sunday, so he is
officially out of a job, and there has been no statement from the club
clarifying his position. This is the reason Ashton, the former West Ham
striker, believes Moyes will be replaced as manager this summer. Speaking to
Monday's Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Ashton said: "I think the fact we've
not heard anything yet makes me think he will definitely leave and they'll
bring somebody new in. "I think he's done a really good job. He was brought
in to keep them safe - it's as simple as that. "He's not been brought in to
bring in fantastic football to watch, he's been brought in to keep them up -
and that's what he has done. "I'm still not sure the supporters have taken
to him, but you can see - especially yesterday - there's a real base there.
"[There are] some great attacking players, but I think they need a few more
defenders and they certainly need two or three midfield players, for me.
"But you can see there's a nucleus of players there, where, whoever it is -
David Moyes or a new manager - who comes in, they've got great attacking
flair and if they can be shored up at the back and in midfield there's no
reason why they can't have a great season next year."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes uncertain on future at London Stadium despite 'really enjoying'
time with Hammers
By Billy Hawkins - @bhawkinsss
Monday, May 14, 2018
TalkSport
David Moyes really enjoyed his time in charge of West Ham but he remains
uncertain on his future at the London Stadium. The Scot's tenure as manager
of the east London club officially ended at midnight on Sunday, and there
has been no confirmation as to whether he will extend his stay into the
2018/19 campaign.
The former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager was appointed
in November as successor to Slaven Bilic, with West Ham facing the serious
threat of relegation after a disastrous start to the season.
Moyes guided West Ham to victory in eight of the 27 Premier League matches
played under his guidance, including a 3-1 defeat of his old club Everton on
the final day that secured them a 13th place finish. Still, fans have never
truly got onside with David Gold and David Sullivan's decision to hire Moyes
as West Ham manager, and there have been more calls for him to leave this
summer than stay. And speaking to talkSPORT, Moyes admitted he will wait to
see what happens regarding his future at the London Stadium. "I've really
enjoyed West Ham," Moyes told Jim White. "Ever since I came everybody made
us really welcome, and we sort of got on with the job. "We tried to be
upfront and honest with everything which we've seen and what we think needs
to be done, and we'll do the same in the future. "We'll see what happens.
"The backroom staff are great lads, whether we want to see each other much
more after the way we've been… but we've had a great time together. "Stuart
Pearce, Alan Irvine and Billy McKinlay have made my job a lot easier and I
think because they've all been managers in their time they all know what
it's like, and everything we've had to do they helped muck in with all the
jobs. "There's so much going on at football clubs now and the experience
they've given me has really helped. They've been good."
Discussing the victory over Everton, which could have been Moyes last game
in charge of West Ham, he continued: "It was great. The players played
really well yesterday and overall the performance was as good as we have had
probably this season. The players knew it was to try and finish higher up
the league and we did that in the end."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes waits to hear from West Ham owners as he bids to convince them
he should stay
KEN DYER
ES Sport
David Moyes is waiting for the opportunity to convince West Ham he remains
the right man to take the club forward. Moyes' short-term deal expired at
midnight, so West Ham are effectively without a manager until the club's
owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, come to a decision. It is understood
the board will not be rushed and it could be 10 days or more before they
decide their next step. Former Manchester City manager Manuel Pelligrini,
currently in charge of Chinese Super League team Hebei Fortune, has been
linked with the job, along with Rafa Benitez, Marco Silva and Sean Dyche.
Moyes, though, believes he has a strong case for a longer deal, after
completing the job he was given in November, when West Ham were in the
bottom three, by keeping the club in the Premier League. After flirting with
relegation for much of the season, West Ham finished 13th and the Scot knows
that significant investment in the playing squad is essential during the
summer if the club are to make progress. "I don't know anyone who could make
that big a difference in six months," said Moyes. "Even Pep Guardiola took
time to get his team right. "You need longer. Everybody always thinks there
is something better out there and I would say, more often than not, it's
proved wrong. When I came, it was said the players didn't run around but you
looked at that performance against Everton and go 'wow', the running with
the ball and how good they were without it. "What would influence me? Good
performances like that mean there is something on which to build here."
On a potential meeting with the club's owners, Moyes said: "We're no further
forward. We'll meet and talk next week, although we've not arranged the
day."
He also had a message for Gold and Sullivan, when he told them: "You've had
plenty of time to see if what is going on here is right but if you don't
then it's not a problem because I'll have options myself." He added: "It's
not us challenging each other, though. I've had really good relations with
the board since I've been here. I speak regularly with them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's free-flowing final performance gives David Moyes hope for next
season, whether he stays or not
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
David Moyes says West Ham's performance in the final game of the season gave
him the sense there's a foundation to build on at London Stadium. The
Hammers signed off on a turbulent season with an encouraging, free-flowing
3-1 win over the Scotsman's former club Everton, as a fine brace from Manuel
Lanzini and an 11th goal of the season for Marko Arnautovic secured a 13th
placed finish. Moyes, whose contract officially ran out at midnight on
Sunday, joined the club in the relegation zone and has saved the club while
dealing with a shoddy defence, boardroom issues and a culture of
ill-discipline within the squad. Despite that, questions still remain over
his future, and he'll sit down for talks with owners David Sullivan and
David Gold this week. However, if he was in any doubt as what could be
achieved next season, the 55-year-old admitted he was given hope by the
final showing of the season. "I tell you what – the improvement in the
players I would say, when I came in they said they didn't run around, you'd
look at today and say 'wow'," Moyes said. "Running around without the ball,
good with the ball.
"So, will it influence me? Yeah, I think when you get good performances it
makes you think 'Hey, there's something to build on here.'"
After taking criticism from the stands over his team selections and style of
play, Moyes feels the attacking display against the Toffees was one of their
best this season. "It came very close, how good the performance was," he
added. "I thought we played really well with the ball. There were signs
against Leicester, signs against Manchester United. "The players are
improving. When I go back to when I took over, and how I was trying to get
results by hook or by crook, it certainly looks much more structured. "We've
got a very good way of playing. They were very good the players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Next West Ham manager odds: Will David Moyes stay at London Stadium?
STANDARD SPORT
ES Sport
West Ham have a vital summer ahead if they are to avoid another season of
turmoil at London Stadium. There is plenty to decide over the coming weeks,
with contracts expiring and loan deals coming to an end. However, first and
foremost, they must find a manager. The Hammers are, technically, currently
without a first team manager, with David Moyes' contract having expired at
midnight following the final game of the season against his former club
Everton. The Scotsman, who arrived in November, replaced Slaven Bilic with
the east Londoners dropping into the bottom three on the eve of his
appointment. Having dealt with problems on the pitch, in the dressing room
and in the stands, securing a 13th placed finish is a job well done for the
55-year-old. However, despite his relative success over the last six months,
there is still some division over the future of Moyes and his coaching
staff, all of whom also had a contract to the end of this season. Some fans
are pining for a more ambitious appointment, while there remain questions
both from Moyes' side and at boardroom level as to how his proposed changes
would sit over the coming season. Standard Sport runs you through the
frontrunners to be in charge at London Stadium come August…
Next West Ham manager Betfair odds
David Moyes 1/3
Ronald Koeman 4/1
Carlo Ancelotti 6/1
Marcelo Bielsa 8/1
Sean Dyche 8/1
Manuel Pellegrini 10/1
Eddie Howe 14/1
Rafa Benitez 16/1
David Wanger 16/1
Unai Emery 20/1
Rui Faria 20/1
Luis Enrique 25/1
Massimiliano Allegri 25/1
Leonardo Jardim 33/1
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 3, EVERTON 1. LOVE THAT REAR VIEW MIRROR.
By David Hautzig 13 May 2018 at 17:37
WTID
This is supposed to be fun, isn't it? Not a weekly argument over who should
manage, who should play, who's a supporter and who isn't. So as we all
waited for today's finale, which could be a finale on so many fronts, I'd be
hard pressed to believe anybody isn't thrilled this interminable, poisoned
season is finally in the rear view mirror.
It's so rare that West Ham do anything noteworthy in the opening minute of a
match….at least on the pitch….that one could be forgiven for not being
settled when Lanzini was fed in the box 45 seconds into the match. Had he
not slipped at the last moment he might have had a real chance to give the
home side an early lead.
West Ham looked energetic yet calm in the opening ten minutes. Masuaku set
up Arnautovic in the area but his shot was blocked by Jagielka. Seconds
after that, Arnautovic turned into the supplier when he rolled a pass to
Noble in the box. The captain was six yards out when he sent a hard, low
shot that four times out of five would have been a goal. But today was the
fifth time I guess because Pickford got a hand to it for a fine save.
It's hard to ignore a simple fact of life this season. When Masuaku played
and played well, we were a decent outfit. When he missed six matches due to
his overactive salivary gland, we were abject. So when Funes Mori scissor
tackled him from behind in the 15th minute, which forced him off, the only
saving grace was that it was the last match of the season. Everton must
practice scissor tackles when they prepare to play us.
West Ham came inches away, maybe even one single inch, from taking the lead
in the 27th minute when Lanzini sent a through ball from near the center
circle that found Mario in full stride. The Inter Milan loanee had
Arnautovic in the box but decided to let a low shot go and it almost found
the far corner but rolled just wide.
Ogbonna has had a truly fine season for us. But in the 31st minute he should
have had to hang his head from making a mistake that led to an opening goal
by Niasse. Ogbonna tried to head a Sam Special away and just made a mess of
it. Niasse jumped on the error and was in alone on Adrian. But the on again,
off again West Ham number one made a very good save with his leg and won a
meal, not just a drink, from his central defender.
It's rare a mistake by a West Ham player turns out benefitting West Ham. But
in the 39th minute, Mario tried to find Arnautovic with a pass near the top
of the Everton eighteen yard box. He just missed that pass, but then again
so did about four Everton players. The ball rolled into the path of Lanzini,
who took a few more steps into the box and fired a low shot past Pickford
and into the back of the net.
West Ham 1
Everton 0
There is one thing about my second favorite sport, ice hockey, I
occasionally long for in football. A few minutes after the Lanzini goal,
Arnautovic tried to chase down a long ball. Pickford gathered it up before
Arnie could get there. The England keeper decided to greet the West Ham
frontman with a knee in the thigh. Intentionally. In hockey, I can all but
guarantee that at some point later in the game Pickford would have paid for
that. At worse, a two minute penalty would have ensued for the player
exacting justice. In football the punishments are far more serious.
Rightfully. But I would have loved to see someone skate through Pickford's
crease with a high elbow as a little reminder not to pull that s*#t again.
Halftime
West Ham 1
Everton 0
Everton came out for the second half with more energy, not to mention an
extra body in midfield due to a tactical change, and caused the home side to
fall back on their heels. While we waited for Moyes to adjust, which
prompted visions of the Vogons in Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Everton
won a corner and kept West Ham in their own end.
By all accounts, Michael Keane has had a good season for the Toffees. But in
the span of a couple of minutes he made two mistakes that led to two
opportunities for West Ham. First he gave up a corner when his attempted
clearance went the wrong direction, and then a minute later he was called
for a foul on Kouyate at the edge of the Everton penalty area. Cresswell
took both set pieces, and neither amounted to much. But at least the action
was on their end of the pitch for a little bit.
What makes a great goal? Stunning bits of skill have delivered West Ham fans
that goal by DiCanio, that free kick by Tevez, and recent blasts by Obiang
and Noble. But in the 64th minute, I'd argue we saw a goal of equal
greatness. Just for different reasons. The way Arnautovic went around Keane
like the English defender wasn't even there. The way the shot was right at
Pickford….almost on a line to his forehead….yet he couldn't even fathom how
to stop it. Maybe I'm overstating it. But I was awestruck by that
Arniestrike.
West Ham 2
Everton 0
Everton almost got back into the match in the 73rd minute when Niasse got on
the end of a long ball on the right side of penalty area. His blast went off
Adrian's hands and off the post for a corner. Moments later, Everton won a
second corner and this time they capitalized. Declan Rice tried to clear the
area, but his header went back into the danger area and after an initial
attempt was blocked Niasse did very well to split the West Ham defense with
a little flick to himself and his shot from point blank range gave Adrian no
chance.
West Ham 2
Everton 1
The Hammers came back reasonably strong after the Everton goal. First,
Arnautovic tried to feed Mario inside the Everton penalty area but Keane got
a foot in and sent it out for a corner. The home side won a second corner
seconds later but again Mario didn't find a teammate in the box.
Remember what I said above about Arnautovic's goal? Well, I won't wax as
poetic but in the 82nd minute we were treated to another wonderful bit of
football. Zabaleta sent a long, cross field pass for Lanzini to run onto.
The man they call The Jewel gathered the ball and took a few steps towards
the edge of the area. Then, he let loose with a curling right footed shot
that Pickford got a hand to. Not that it mattered. The Everton keeper should
be thankful he didn't lose a finger as the ball flew into the back of the
net.
West Ham 3
Everton 1
Everton might have made the final minutes as nervy as a meaningless game can
be in the 85th minute when Walcott went in on Adrian alone on the right side
of the box, but the West Ham keeper made a good stop with his right foot.
The ball flew into the air and landed at the feet of Niasse on the left side
of the box. His shot bounced off the turf and headed towards goal but Adrian
made a diving stop to his left and pushed the ball out for a corner.
You cannot buy class. Nor can it be overstated. In my world, the way I try
to raise my two kids, the same can be said for kindness. When James Collins
was announced as a sub, I thought it was a class move by Moyes. It has been
widely reported that not only has the club not offered him a new deal, they
haven't even had the courtesy to tell him they won't. Total radio silence.
When Noble embraced Ginge and handed him the Captains Armband, I was
overcome by the moment. It was one of the classiest, kindest, most Captain
like moments I have seen in my many years on this orb watching men and women
play games.
Final Score
West Ham 3
Everton 1
42 points. 13th place. Considering how precarious our position was eight
days ago it doesn't look so awful. But of course it was. Fans turning on
fans, the Burnley game, the shambolic play at times, the behavior and words
of the board at times. Yet I believe the ethos and the heart of the club
will always prevail because those things don't reside in Stratford or with
the board. They live within the supporters. Millions of them. So regardless
of who our manager is, or which players come or go, it will always be West
Ham United. The club I inexplicably latched onto about 25 years ago.
Have a good summer.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THUMBS UP TO MOYES
By Tony Hanna 14 May 2018 at 07:16
WTID
Last week I was each way on my opinion of whether West Ham should continue
with David Moyes beyond this season. I am at the point now where I really
hope he gets a new contract. When he was appointed I am sure most of us
would have taken 13th and 42 points in a heartbeat? The football we played
against Everton on the weekend was delightful and the way Arnie, Lanzini and
Mario linked together was hopefully a taster of what is to come next season.
But on reflection the advantage Moyes holds now is that he knows the players
inside out. He knows what the team can do and what it can't. He knows where
we need to improve and he knows who is surplus to requirements. Get a new
manager in now and he won't know any of this until he has got games under
his belt and the likelihood will be that our summer transfer budget will be
spent on hopefully the best players we can buy in our budget, but without
the knowledge of who we really need to get the best out of the team. So it
is a thumbs up for David Moyes from me. Personally, I would keep Adrian as
number one next season. To get a top keeper will be expensive and I just
don't see the need when the money is best spent elsewhere. The central
defensive midfield role is the top priority and I would also like to see
Mario signed on a permanent deal or at least for an extended year-long loan.
As for signings, one of the first ones I would try and get done is Craig
Dawson from West Brom. He is a quality defender who can play full back or as
a central defender.
Back in mid-November when David Moyes became manager I asked in my article
for your predicted finishing positions in the league. We were currently 18th
in the table. Forty seven of you had a crack and there were five people who
correctly predicted 13th. They were; Heedsy, Iron Mike, Milk Man, Dave
Innots and Rob who had a cheeky double chance 13th/14th tip. There were a
few including myself that missed by one; the others were hammermolder,
Hammertime Mikey, Tom, IronFish, Daz and Paul Smith. Peter Jameson was the
only one who had us getting relegated which is remarkable considering our
plight at the time so I am sure he is very pleased to get the wooden spoon!
Thanks to all for having a go.
So, it is goodbye to West Brom, Stoke and Swansea. At the beginning of the
season I doubt many would have predicted that trio in its entirety getting
relegated, especially with Brighton and Huddersfield in the frame. Which
leads me to reconfirm one of my strong view points on relegation matters. I
wrote an article a few years ago titled "Is three up, three down fair?" I
followed that up this season with a similar piece. Last week I wrote an
article "Survival in the League of Fourteen." For those who missed it that
article focused on how the PL has now become two divisions in one. An elite
group of six with a separate division of fourteen clubs who are basically
playing with a singular goal of avoiding the drop. When I started going to
football in the 1960's there were 22 clubs in the top flight, a league we
fondly remember as the old first division. Every season two teams were
relegated (9%) and the top two from the 2nd division took their place. The
1960's through to 1980 was an era where up to fourteen teams every season
had some slither of a chance of winning the title when the competition
started. In the 23 seasons from 1958 to 1981 there were no fewer than 13
different Champions. I saw Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester
City all relegated. Forward to today and we now have twenty teams, a
reduction of two, yet an increase up to three teams who will be replaced
each season. With the elite six having no chance of being relegated that
effectively means three from fourteen (21.4%) will drop – quite an increase
from 9%. But when you get a season like this one when none of the clubs that
were promoted last season have been relegated and none of last seasons
relegated teams are promoted back, it effectively means in just two seasons
that SIX of the fourteen bottom dwellers (42.8%) have changed. Middlesbrough
could alter that stat if they are promoted through the play offs but I hope
you see where I am going here? The effect relegation has on clubs is awful.
Already we have clubs and forum sites looking at the lists of players at
Stoke, Swansea and West Brom to see what players will be easy pickings. This
whole scenario is only making this league of fourteen more unstable and the
top six are loving it. Their financial stability and growth means they will
grow even more powerful at the expense of the others whilst this system is
in place.
The transfer news is very thin on the ground at present and I would imagine
the decision on David Moyes tenure at the club will play a significant part
on any early dealings. Here are some early odds that I am sure will
fluctuate over the next week or so.
Manuel Lanzini is 1-2 (66%) to remain at West Ham with Liverpool at 5/2
(28%) for his signature. Looks like this could be a bit of re-run of the
winter window, hopefully with the same result.
Joe Hart his future seems as up in the air as it was before he signed his
loan deal with the Hammers last year. Celtic are 3/1 (25%) favourites and we
are second favourites at 6/1 (14%) which just goes to show I think the
bookies are just guessing as much as Joe is at present.
Craig Dawson is 14/1 (6.67%) to join the Hammers with Newcastle and Celtic
the early favourites to sign a player who I think would be a great
acquisition for our club.
Marouane Fellaini is 7/1 (12.5%) to become a West Ham player although the
way the market is framed I think the bookies have as much of a clue about
where he will end up as they do Joe Hart.
Shaqiri has a number of clubs showing interest after Stokes relegation and
Everton currently lead the pack. West Ham are quoted at 6/1 (14%).
Elsewhere Spurs at 5/4 (44%) are leading the chase for Alfie Mawson and our
January interest in him seems to have waned. Antoine Griezmann looks
Barcelona bound and Liverpool are strong favourites to sign Jack Butland and
Nabil Fekir. Burnley lead a pack of clubs for West Broms Jay Rodriguez
whilst Leicester's Riyad Mahrez could end up at either Man City or Chelsea.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Two-goal hero Manuel Lanzini has thanked the West Ham United fans for their
incredible support throughout the 2017/18 season. Lanzini scored two
excellent goals for the Hammers in Sunday's finale, taking his tally to five
in the Premier League for the campaign, as the Irons saw off Everton 3-1 at
London Stadium.
The Argentinian expertly tucked home from the edge of the area with his left
foot in the first half to put West Ham ahead, before curling home an
exquisite finish to secure the three points for the Irons.
The 25-year-old was given a standing ovation by West Ham supporters when he
was substituted in the second period, and Lanzini has personally expressed
his gratitude to the fans for their continued encouragement. "I always say
that the West Ham fans are amazing," Lanzini told WHUTV. "All season they
have followed us at every Stadium and for this has been really good for us.
I want to say thank you to them. "I am really happy because we've finished
like this. We deserve this. It was a long season – sometimes good and
sometimes not good – but we finished good. This is good for us and good for
the people, for all of us."
Lanzini's two goals saw the midfielder named the Betway Man of the Match in
Sunday's finale, but the South American has praised the quality of the
passes into him for the goals, with Cheikhou Kouyate setting him up for the
first finish. Lanzini added: "I think the finishes were good because the
passes to me were good, and then I tried to do what I could with them."
The No10 has also offered praise for manager David Moyes. The Scotsman
joined the Hammers in November, with the Club in the relegation zone, and
has guided the team to a 13th placed finish and 42 points, with the Irons
collecting seven points in their last three matches. "He's a good coach and
a good person. He's done a good job and we will stay in the Premier League,
and that's down to his good work. But first he's a good person as well."
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Noble: Sunday was just a brilliant way to finish the season
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble thanked the Claret and Blue Army for sticking with him and his
West Ham United teammates until the very end of a tough season. The Hammers
signed off the 2017/18 campaign with seven points from their final matches
to climb to 13th in the Premier League table, having at one stage sat in the
bottom three with just 14 points from the first 17 top-flight matches. The
finale came on Sunday, when two outstanding goals from Manuel Lanzini and a
rocket from Marko Arnautovic secured an emphatic 3-1 win over Everton amid a
feelgood atmosphere at London Stadium. "Brilliant, the way we played from
start to finish," said the skipper, reflecting on the victory. "They came on
strong at the start of the second half, but with our quality going forward,
we put the game to bed.
"We definitely should have been two or three up in the first half. With my
chance, I thought I was offside but I should just have worried about
finishing it. But it's just a brilliant way to finish the season. The season
we've had has been tough, but I can finally go on holiday and enjoy myself."
"We've got special players. We were in a bad position because we didn't show
that. I honestly think we can really compete with the best when we play that
way and we've proven it this season in some of the games. "It happens every
year that I look at the table after we've finished and I see we are five or
six points off the top eight or nine. When you see the games we've chucked
away and the points we've lost this season, it could have been us, but
that's football for us. The last few weeks, the training ground has been
fantastic. It's been a good place to play football."
Noble was grateful to the tens of thousands of supporters who stayed after
the final whistle to show their appreciation to the players who, in turn,
thanked the fans for their loyal support throughout a challenging campaign.
"I'm just really happy for everyone. Thank you to everyone who stayed behind
and clapped the boys because we played at Leicester away last week and we
saw there weren't many people left. There were loads left for us and it was
fantastic for them to stay and clap the boys."
Noble, his wife and two children, as well as every player and their family,
will now enjoy some well-earned time off before returning for pre-season
training in early July. The No16, for one, is relishing the opportunity to
recharge his batteries before embarking on his 15th season as a first-team
player. "There are a few big, big decisions to be made over the summer but
that's the last thing on my mind at the minute. I can't wait to go on
holiday with my family and enjoy the time off and come back raring to go
next season."
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Sir Trevor: My final West Ham game was an amazing and emotional experience
WHUFC.com
Sir Trevor Brooking brought down the curtain on his illustrious West Ham
United career on 14 May 1984. The gifted midfielder pulled on a Claret and
Blue shirt for the 643rd and final time as the Hammers hosted Everton at the
Boleyn Ground. However, unlike the season just ended, West Ham failed to
rise to the occasion, losing 1-0 to complete a disappointing end to the
1983/84 campaign which had begun with five consecutive First Division wins
but end with John Lyall's side losing four of their last six matches to slip
to ninth in the table. The last game of the season might have ended in
defeat, but it was still an occasion to celebrate the career of Brooking,
who had scored 102 goals across 17 seasons as a first-team player. Then 35,
the five-time Hammer of the Year had made just one appearance in the 1982/83
season – on the final day against Arsenal – after undergoing successful
surgery to rectify a longstanding groin injury.
However, he had returned, pain-free, for the start of the 1983/84 campaign
and started 35 of West Ham's 42 First Division matches, scoring what turned
out to be his final goal in a New Year's Eve win over Tottenham Hotspur,
five League Cup ties and three FA Cup matches. The penultimate game of
Brooking's career came on Saturday 12 May, when Nottingham Forest were the
visitors to Upton Park. Despite West Ham taking the lead, Forest fought back
to win, but it was still an unforgettable occasion for the Barking-born
playmaker. "There was a surprise for me before the match when the Forest
manager Brian Clough made a presentation to me on the pitch – a cut-glass
bowl to mark the end of my career," Brooking wrote in his autobiography My
Life in Football. "It was a nice gesture. "An even bigger surprise followed
when my six-year-old son Warren walked out as our match-day mascot. I had no
idea he'd been selected for the job."
A little more than 48 hours later, the Hammers were beaten again by FA Cup
finalists Everton, angering manager Lyall, Brooking recalled. "John Lyall
was furious in the dressing room afterwards. He launched into us and accused
us of complacency and missing a great opportunity," he wrote. "He said we
should have finished in the top four, instead of which we let it slip in the
last weeks of the season. He was probably right." Having received a dressing
down, Brooking began to get changed out of his kit for the final time, but
then there was a knock on the door from Chairman Len Cearns. "He looked at
John, then he looked at me. 'Sorry John," he said, 'but the crowd won't go
home until Trevor goes out and says goodbye'. So I put my gear back on and
went onto the pitch amid great cheering.
"I ran around the pitch, waving to the crowd and picking up the scarves they
threw at me. It was an amazing and emotional experience, but what surprised
me more than anything was that it seemed virtually everyone in the stadium
had stayed behind to bid their farewells. "Quite unforgettable. I was
lapping it up while the rest of my teammates were getting a rollicking from
the manager!"
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Alese and England progress to Euro semi-finals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Ajibola Alese progressed to the UEFA U17 European
Championship semi-finals on Sunday as his England side were 2-0 winners over
Norway in the last eight of the tournament. The teenage centre-back, who
broke into the Hammers' U23 side this season, has played the Young Lions'
last two matches in the campaign and will be hoping to help his team – the
competition's hosts – claim silverware this summer. Also with a spot in the
semis already booked are Italy – who England beat 2-1 in the group stages –
and Belgium, while the winner of Monday night's Republic of Ireland vs.
Holland tie will also join them. Either side of the 2-1 victory over the
Italians was an opening contest win against Israel and a 1-0 defeat to
Switzerland. Upon securing a spot in the last four, 17-year-old Alese told
whufc.com: "The whole team are really excited for the semi-finals. There is
a sense of confidence within us, now. "I think we were mostly in control
against Norway and we scored an early goal, which confirmed our dominance in
the game. "Overall in the tournament so far, we've played really well. We've
show resilience to come back from losing positions and we've shown that we
can play good football against good oppositions."
Bobby Duncan – cousin of former Three Lions senior team captain and current
Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard – got England off to a good start in
their first knockout-round game before Arsenal's Xavier Amaechi put the
result beyond doubt. Though Alese was left out as England secured their
qualification to the quarters with two wins from as many games, the defender
has been pleased with his performances since coming into the side and is
hoping to continue his good form. "I think I played well in the game against
Switzerland," he explained, "and we were unlucky to lose. In the quarters,
it was a different kind of game but it was difficult. "We all have
confidence, the whole team, that on our day we can beat most teams. If we
face Italy again, they will be looking for revenge though so we have to be
ready and play even better. "For me personally, if I was able to cap off
this season with a medal, it would be nice after the campaign I've had. "We
are playing as hosts and the support is amazing, so hopefully we can do
that. Every tackle, every piece of skill, good play or goal is cheered very
loudly. "It's great to have thousands of people cheering you on, wanting you
to win so hopefully we can keep going and win twice more."
The two semi-final fixtures will both take place on Thursday 17 May, with
the final scheduled three days later on Sunday.
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West Ham to enter transfer window manager-less
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are set to enter the transfer window without a manager as the Board
ponder who to appoint as the club's next full time head coach. David Moyes'
short-term contract expired last night just a matter of hours after he
guided the Hammers to a respectable 13th-place finish in the Premier League,
with the club apparently no closer to announcing their new choice. And
whilst the Scot remains in the running to continue the job he began last
November, West Ham have revealed that they may not have a man in place until
the beginning of next month - which happens to coincide with the season
ticket renewal deadline. The 2018 summer transfer window opens this Thursday
(17 May) as a result of the decision to move the deadline forward to 9
August - 48 hours ahead of the start of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign
(on Saturday 11 August).
The leading candidates to follow Moyes in the West Ham hotseat are as
follows...
Manuel Pellegrini (64, Hebei Chinese Fortune)
The Chilean cut his managerial teeth in South America with clubs such as San
Lorenzo and River Plate before trying his luck in Europe with Villareal,
Real Madrid and Malaga. In 2013 he arrived in England and won the Premier
League with Manchester City in his first season. He has been in China since
2016.
Paulo Fonseca (45, Shakhtar Donetsk)
The former Portuguese central defender has been coaching since retiring as a
pro at the age of just 32. Having led relative minnows Pacos de Ferreira to
the Champions League, he was hired by Porto -but fired before the season was
out with the Dragões in third place in the league. Successful spells at
Pacos (again) and Braga led to Fonseca moving abroad for the first time to
manage Shakhtar in 2016, since when he has won the domestic double and taken
the Ukrainians to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Rafa Benitez (58, Newcastle Utd)
One of the most well-known faces in the Premier League, Benitez worked at
Liverpool and Chelsea before moving to Newcastle where he is adored by the
fans having led the Magpies to instant promotion from the Championship and a
top ten Premier League finish. Wanted by West Ham when Sam Allardyce left,
West Ham's Board were unsuccessful but hope once more to lure the former
defender - who has also enjoyed spells with the likes of Real Madrid, Inter
and Napoli - to east London.
Unai Emery (46, Paris St Germain)
Emery has alerady confirmed that he will be leaving Paris this summer, which
will no doubt have been music to the ears of West Ham's Board who are not
know for paying compensation for managerial staff. However Arsenal are
likely to have first dibs on the Spaniard, who spent much of his playing
career in the Spanish second division.
David Moyes (55, out of contract)
Moyes exceeded all expectations at West Ham having succeeded Slaven Bilic at
the tail end of 2017 by steering the Hammers clear of relegation and into a
13th-place finish, largely as a result of taking seven points from United's
final three matches. An experienced Premier League manager, he is the safe
choice should the Board choose to go British.
A number of other names have been linked with the vacancy in recent days,
including Ronald Koeman, Carlo Ancelotti and Marcelo Bielsa.
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David Moyes: West Ham manager could be set to leave
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
David Moyes could be set to leave West Ham despite guiding the club to
Premier League survival. The Scot met senior Hammers figures on Monday and
while a final decision on his future is yet to be made, the indications are
the two sides will go their separate ways. Moyes took over at West Ham in
November with the club in the relegation zone. But the former Manchester
United manager has experienced difficulty getting to grips with the club. He
has complained about the amount of leaks to the media and also had to deal
with the aftermath of the events of 10 March, when fans ran onto the pitch
during a home defeat by Burnley and children went to the Clarets dug-out for
safety following widespread protests against the club's hierarchy. Moyes is
credited with getting the best out of £25m forward Marko Arnautovic.
Although the Hammers flirted with relegation after a run of two wins in 12
Premier League games, seven points out of the last nine allowed the club to
finish in 13th spot, nine points in front of the drop zone.
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No role for Moyes as interview process begins
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's desire to sign a big name manager means that David Moyes is
unlikely to be offered a full time role at the club. The 55-year-old Scot,
who led the Hammers to 13th spot in the Premier League last season met with
the Board earlier today in order to hold discussions with view to landing a
permanent role at the club. However it is reported that Moyes was told he is
unlikely to be offered the position on a permanent basis, despite having met
all the targets set of him last season. Representatives of West Ham have
also met with at least one other candidate today, as the Board seek to
secure the club's 16th full-time manager. Rafa Benitez, whose future at
Newcastle United remains in doubt, and former Manchester City title-winning
boss Manuel Pellegrini remain the club's leading contenders to replace
Moyes.
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Bilic, Moyes, Hugill, protests & Carroll - West Ham's 2017/18 Premier League
season rewind
The 2017/18 campaign was quite the rollercoaster for the Hammers - when has
it ever been different though?
By Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
11:35, 14 MAY 2018UPDATED11:37, 14 MAY 2018
After 38 games, ten months, two managers and a flirtation with relegation,
West Ham ended the 2017/18 Premier League in fine style on Sunday afternoon
as they breezed past Everton 3-1 at the London Stadium. The final 13th place
finish may well paper over the cracks somewhat, it's only two places below
where the club ended last term, but the battle against the drop this season
was very real and only avoided after beating Leicester City a little more
than a week ago.
Back in August 2017, there was cause for optimism. West Ham had signed Marko
Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Joe Hart - Premier League proven players -
and the deadwood had also been binned that had underperformed the season
before. But the warning signs were there from early at the start of this
season. If you can stomach it, let's take a look back at the campaign and
the good points, as well as the bad.
The first three away games
Thanks to the London Stadium being used for the World Athletics
Championships last summer, West Ham had to play their first three games of
the season on the road at Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle. West
Ham lost all three and Slaven Bilic offered his resignation after the 3-0
drubbing at St James' Park, which was declined by the Hammers co-owners and
the Croat stayed on. The warning signs were already alarming as Bilic's side
shipped ten goals in those three games and scored just two goals of their
own.
Declan Rice had a confidence hit after Bilic subbed him at half time against
the Toon following a mistake, Marko Arnautovic had thudded an elbow into the
face of Saints defender Jack Stephens and was banned for three games - it
wasn't an ideal start.
The first home win
West Ham comfortably beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 at the London Stadium in
their first game back at home on September 11 but would only win one more
game in Stratford before November 4. Bilic was on the ropes, especially
after a 3-0 thumping at home by newly-promoted Brighton on October 20.
Then there was the horrible final minute at Selhurst Park as Michaul Antonio
crossed into the box for no-one rather than keeping hold of the ball in
injury time, Crystal Palace broke and Wilf Zaha scored a very late equaliser
in a 2-2 draw. We can't forget the 3-2 win over Spurs Wembley in the Carabao
Cup though, that was fun.
The end of Slaven Bilic
With only wins against Huddersfield and Swansea City in the Premier League
to his name, Liverpool arrived in east London for Saturday evening football
on November 4 and duly romped to a 4-1 win.
Two days later, it was curtains for Bilic as the Hammers had slumped into
the relegation zone. Karren Brady was dispatched to Rush Green on the Monday
morning and told the Croatian to pack his bags after two and a half years at
the helm. It should have been done sooner but the owners had no choice and
like that, Bilic was out.
The beginning of Moyes
It didn't take long for West Ham to appoint David Moyes as manager until the
end of the season to replace Bilic and the Scotsman was bullish in his first
interview after being handed the job. "If you don't run, you won't play,"
was the quote that stuck out. Not that he got off to a good start. West Ham
lost the three of their first four games under Moyes, including that 4-0
whacking at Everton but it was the 2-1 loss to Man City that, weirdly,
started a revivial.
The revival of Marko Arnautovic
December 9 2017 should be a day that sticks out for West Ham fans as it was
the game that Moyes unleashed Marko Arnautovic as a centre forward. The
Austrian had been like a £25m club-record bust up until his mazy run and
super finish past Thibaut Courtois that earned the Hammers a precious 1-0
win over Chelsea at the London Stadium, their first under Moyes and just
their third of the season in the league. Arnautovic would go on to score ten
more goals between then and the end of the season. That also started a run
of three clean sheets in the league, culminating in the 3-0 victory at Stoke
City. The Boxing Day game at Bournemouth will stick out in the memory for
the hugely controversial late equaliser by Callum Wilson who was offside and
also handballed it but referee Bobby Madley overruled his linesman to award
the goal. At the end of 2017, West Ham were one place above the relegation
zone in 17th.
January...
As always, West Ham were linked with a lot of players who didn't arrive -
Leander Dendoncker, Islam Slimani, Ibrahim Amadou, William Carvalho (again),
Fedor Smolov to name but a few - and in came Joao Mario on loan and Jordan
Hugill. The latter has played 22 minutes of Premier League football since
then. Also in January, the revelations came to light of alleged racist
remarks made my former head of recruitment Tony Henry and after a very swift
investigation, Henry was fired in disgrace. The Hammers played eight games
in January across all competitions and only lost one of them - the 2-1 FA
Cup reverse against Wigan. There was a 4-1 victory over Huddersfield in
there, a 1-1 draw with Spurs when Pedro Obiang scored the goal of the season
and a 2-1 victory against West Brom.
The protests
By the time March arrived, Swansea had dispatched West Ham 4-1 at the
Liberty Stadium and Moyes' side were only three points off the drop zone in
14th. Burnley were the visitors to the London Stadium up next. We all
remember what happened. Ashley Barnes put the visitors ahead and the fans
had enough, revolted and threw their ire in the direction of the West Ham
co-owners. Four pitch invasions later, West Ham had lost 3-0, their third
defeat in a row and had fallen to 16th in the table. New security was
introduced for the remainder of the season but the seething feeling in the
stands was very evident, though a 3-0 win over Southampton the game after
helped hugely.
Back-to-back 4-1 defeats, Andy Carroll and seven points from nine
Moyes side were trounced by Arsenal and Man City in April and it culminated
in Andy Carroll and Moyes having a bust-up at Rush Green after the latter
failed to give the former some game time against City.
May was a different story though as West Ham went unbeaten, picked up seven
points from the final nine available and ended the season in 13th. The 2-0
win at Leicester effectively sealed their Premier League place, getting a
point against Man Utd was a bonus and they played Everton of the park on the
final day.
It was not the easiest of seasons but David Moyes, aided by his backroom
team of Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay, did what they had to
do. It wasn't pretty, it was borderline tough to watch at times, but the
Hammers will be a Premier League team next season.
Now, let's never go through that kind of season again....
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West Ham owners make huge promise to supporters ahead of summer overhaul at
the London Stadium
David Sullivan and David Gold have taken to the matchday programme to
outline their plans for this summer
By Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
07:52, 14 MAY 2018
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have promised to "leave no
stone unturned" this summer in order to have a successful 2018/19 campaign
after a two seasons of struggle at the London Stadium. Ahead of the final
day meeting with Everton on Sunday afternoon, the Hammers could finish tenth
in the table if they beat the Toffees and other results go in their favour
and that in turn will bring an extra £14m in prize money. A tenth-placed
finish certainly won't gloss over what has been a real struggle in E20 this
season as West Ham secured survival just last weekend with a 2-0 win over
Leicester City and followed that up with a 0-0 draw against Manchester
United on Thursday. David Moyes contract as manager will expire in the next
few days and he is expected to have a meeting to discuss his future with the
Hammers board next week while football.london understands the likes of Unai
Emery, Marco Silva, Manuel Pellegrini and Paulo Fonseca are on the clubs
wishlist as a new manager if they cho
Gold and Sullivan penned a joint article in the matchday programme for the
Everton game and have reflected on what has been a tough campaign but also
informed us all of their plans for this summer - loosely. The owners said:
"One thing that hasn't wavered is our desire and ambition for West Ham to be
successful. Along with every other member of staff here, everything we do is
aimed at trying to improve the experience we offer our supporters. "However,
we know that, ultimately, for the vast majority of our supporters, what
matters most is a strong team, playing good football and regularly winning
matches. "This summer, we will leave no stone unturned in making sure that
everything is in place to give our management and playing staff the best
chance possible of success next year."
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Dean Ashton explains why he expects David Moyes to leave Hammers
Play Video
Moyes' contract officially expired at midnight on Sunday
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Monday, May 14, 2018
Dean Ashton has told talkSPORT he expects David Moyes to leave West Ham now
the Premier League season is over. Moyes guided the Hammers to top flight
safety following his appointment as Slaven Bilic's successor in early
November. The Scot stabilised a club that had serious relegation worries,
winning nine and drawing 10 of the 31 matches played under his guidance.
However, he was never truly accepted by the West Ham support, and many have
called for him to be dismissed at the end of the season. His contract with
the London Stadium club actually expired at midnight on Sunday, so he is
officially out of a job, and there has been no statement from the club
clarifying his position. This is the reason Ashton, the former West Ham
striker, believes Moyes will be replaced as manager this summer. Speaking to
Monday's Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Ashton said: "I think the fact we've
not heard anything yet makes me think he will definitely leave and they'll
bring somebody new in. "I think he's done a really good job. He was brought
in to keep them safe - it's as simple as that. "He's not been brought in to
bring in fantastic football to watch, he's been brought in to keep them up -
and that's what he has done. "I'm still not sure the supporters have taken
to him, but you can see - especially yesterday - there's a real base there.
"[There are] some great attacking players, but I think they need a few more
defenders and they certainly need two or three midfield players, for me.
"But you can see there's a nucleus of players there, where, whoever it is -
David Moyes or a new manager - who comes in, they've got great attacking
flair and if they can be shored up at the back and in midfield there's no
reason why they can't have a great season next year."
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David Moyes uncertain on future at London Stadium despite 'really enjoying'
time with Hammers
By Billy Hawkins - @bhawkinsss
Monday, May 14, 2018
TalkSport
David Moyes really enjoyed his time in charge of West Ham but he remains
uncertain on his future at the London Stadium. The Scot's tenure as manager
of the east London club officially ended at midnight on Sunday, and there
has been no confirmation as to whether he will extend his stay into the
2018/19 campaign.
The former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager was appointed
in November as successor to Slaven Bilic, with West Ham facing the serious
threat of relegation after a disastrous start to the season.
Moyes guided West Ham to victory in eight of the 27 Premier League matches
played under his guidance, including a 3-1 defeat of his old club Everton on
the final day that secured them a 13th place finish. Still, fans have never
truly got onside with David Gold and David Sullivan's decision to hire Moyes
as West Ham manager, and there have been more calls for him to leave this
summer than stay. And speaking to talkSPORT, Moyes admitted he will wait to
see what happens regarding his future at the London Stadium. "I've really
enjoyed West Ham," Moyes told Jim White. "Ever since I came everybody made
us really welcome, and we sort of got on with the job. "We tried to be
upfront and honest with everything which we've seen and what we think needs
to be done, and we'll do the same in the future. "We'll see what happens.
"The backroom staff are great lads, whether we want to see each other much
more after the way we've been… but we've had a great time together. "Stuart
Pearce, Alan Irvine and Billy McKinlay have made my job a lot easier and I
think because they've all been managers in their time they all know what
it's like, and everything we've had to do they helped muck in with all the
jobs. "There's so much going on at football clubs now and the experience
they've given me has really helped. They've been good."
Discussing the victory over Everton, which could have been Moyes last game
in charge of West Ham, he continued: "It was great. The players played
really well yesterday and overall the performance was as good as we have had
probably this season. The players knew it was to try and finish higher up
the league and we did that in the end."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes waits to hear from West Ham owners as he bids to convince them
he should stay
KEN DYER
ES Sport
David Moyes is waiting for the opportunity to convince West Ham he remains
the right man to take the club forward. Moyes' short-term deal expired at
midnight, so West Ham are effectively without a manager until the club's
owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, come to a decision. It is understood
the board will not be rushed and it could be 10 days or more before they
decide their next step. Former Manchester City manager Manuel Pelligrini,
currently in charge of Chinese Super League team Hebei Fortune, has been
linked with the job, along with Rafa Benitez, Marco Silva and Sean Dyche.
Moyes, though, believes he has a strong case for a longer deal, after
completing the job he was given in November, when West Ham were in the
bottom three, by keeping the club in the Premier League. After flirting with
relegation for much of the season, West Ham finished 13th and the Scot knows
that significant investment in the playing squad is essential during the
summer if the club are to make progress. "I don't know anyone who could make
that big a difference in six months," said Moyes. "Even Pep Guardiola took
time to get his team right. "You need longer. Everybody always thinks there
is something better out there and I would say, more often than not, it's
proved wrong. When I came, it was said the players didn't run around but you
looked at that performance against Everton and go 'wow', the running with
the ball and how good they were without it. "What would influence me? Good
performances like that mean there is something on which to build here."
On a potential meeting with the club's owners, Moyes said: "We're no further
forward. We'll meet and talk next week, although we've not arranged the
day."
He also had a message for Gold and Sullivan, when he told them: "You've had
plenty of time to see if what is going on here is right but if you don't
then it's not a problem because I'll have options myself." He added: "It's
not us challenging each other, though. I've had really good relations with
the board since I've been here. I speak regularly with them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's free-flowing final performance gives David Moyes hope for next
season, whether he stays or not
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
David Moyes says West Ham's performance in the final game of the season gave
him the sense there's a foundation to build on at London Stadium. The
Hammers signed off on a turbulent season with an encouraging, free-flowing
3-1 win over the Scotsman's former club Everton, as a fine brace from Manuel
Lanzini and an 11th goal of the season for Marko Arnautovic secured a 13th
placed finish. Moyes, whose contract officially ran out at midnight on
Sunday, joined the club in the relegation zone and has saved the club while
dealing with a shoddy defence, boardroom issues and a culture of
ill-discipline within the squad. Despite that, questions still remain over
his future, and he'll sit down for talks with owners David Sullivan and
David Gold this week. However, if he was in any doubt as what could be
achieved next season, the 55-year-old admitted he was given hope by the
final showing of the season. "I tell you what – the improvement in the
players I would say, when I came in they said they didn't run around, you'd
look at today and say 'wow'," Moyes said. "Running around without the ball,
good with the ball.
"So, will it influence me? Yeah, I think when you get good performances it
makes you think 'Hey, there's something to build on here.'"
After taking criticism from the stands over his team selections and style of
play, Moyes feels the attacking display against the Toffees was one of their
best this season. "It came very close, how good the performance was," he
added. "I thought we played really well with the ball. There were signs
against Leicester, signs against Manchester United. "The players are
improving. When I go back to when I took over, and how I was trying to get
results by hook or by crook, it certainly looks much more structured. "We've
got a very good way of playing. They were very good the players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Next West Ham manager odds: Will David Moyes stay at London Stadium?
STANDARD SPORT
ES Sport
West Ham have a vital summer ahead if they are to avoid another season of
turmoil at London Stadium. There is plenty to decide over the coming weeks,
with contracts expiring and loan deals coming to an end. However, first and
foremost, they must find a manager. The Hammers are, technically, currently
without a first team manager, with David Moyes' contract having expired at
midnight following the final game of the season against his former club
Everton. The Scotsman, who arrived in November, replaced Slaven Bilic with
the east Londoners dropping into the bottom three on the eve of his
appointment. Having dealt with problems on the pitch, in the dressing room
and in the stands, securing a 13th placed finish is a job well done for the
55-year-old. However, despite his relative success over the last six months,
there is still some division over the future of Moyes and his coaching
staff, all of whom also had a contract to the end of this season. Some fans
are pining for a more ambitious appointment, while there remain questions
both from Moyes' side and at boardroom level as to how his proposed changes
would sit over the coming season. Standard Sport runs you through the
frontrunners to be in charge at London Stadium come August…
Next West Ham manager Betfair odds
David Moyes 1/3
Ronald Koeman 4/1
Carlo Ancelotti 6/1
Marcelo Bielsa 8/1
Sean Dyche 8/1
Manuel Pellegrini 10/1
Eddie Howe 14/1
Rafa Benitez 16/1
David Wanger 16/1
Unai Emery 20/1
Rui Faria 20/1
Luis Enrique 25/1
Massimiliano Allegri 25/1
Leonardo Jardim 33/1
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 3, EVERTON 1. LOVE THAT REAR VIEW MIRROR.
By David Hautzig 13 May 2018 at 17:37
WTID
This is supposed to be fun, isn't it? Not a weekly argument over who should
manage, who should play, who's a supporter and who isn't. So as we all
waited for today's finale, which could be a finale on so many fronts, I'd be
hard pressed to believe anybody isn't thrilled this interminable, poisoned
season is finally in the rear view mirror.
It's so rare that West Ham do anything noteworthy in the opening minute of a
match….at least on the pitch….that one could be forgiven for not being
settled when Lanzini was fed in the box 45 seconds into the match. Had he
not slipped at the last moment he might have had a real chance to give the
home side an early lead.
West Ham looked energetic yet calm in the opening ten minutes. Masuaku set
up Arnautovic in the area but his shot was blocked by Jagielka. Seconds
after that, Arnautovic turned into the supplier when he rolled a pass to
Noble in the box. The captain was six yards out when he sent a hard, low
shot that four times out of five would have been a goal. But today was the
fifth time I guess because Pickford got a hand to it for a fine save.
It's hard to ignore a simple fact of life this season. When Masuaku played
and played well, we were a decent outfit. When he missed six matches due to
his overactive salivary gland, we were abject. So when Funes Mori scissor
tackled him from behind in the 15th minute, which forced him off, the only
saving grace was that it was the last match of the season. Everton must
practice scissor tackles when they prepare to play us.
West Ham came inches away, maybe even one single inch, from taking the lead
in the 27th minute when Lanzini sent a through ball from near the center
circle that found Mario in full stride. The Inter Milan loanee had
Arnautovic in the box but decided to let a low shot go and it almost found
the far corner but rolled just wide.
Ogbonna has had a truly fine season for us. But in the 31st minute he should
have had to hang his head from making a mistake that led to an opening goal
by Niasse. Ogbonna tried to head a Sam Special away and just made a mess of
it. Niasse jumped on the error and was in alone on Adrian. But the on again,
off again West Ham number one made a very good save with his leg and won a
meal, not just a drink, from his central defender.
It's rare a mistake by a West Ham player turns out benefitting West Ham. But
in the 39th minute, Mario tried to find Arnautovic with a pass near the top
of the Everton eighteen yard box. He just missed that pass, but then again
so did about four Everton players. The ball rolled into the path of Lanzini,
who took a few more steps into the box and fired a low shot past Pickford
and into the back of the net.
West Ham 1
Everton 0
There is one thing about my second favorite sport, ice hockey, I
occasionally long for in football. A few minutes after the Lanzini goal,
Arnautovic tried to chase down a long ball. Pickford gathered it up before
Arnie could get there. The England keeper decided to greet the West Ham
frontman with a knee in the thigh. Intentionally. In hockey, I can all but
guarantee that at some point later in the game Pickford would have paid for
that. At worse, a two minute penalty would have ensued for the player
exacting justice. In football the punishments are far more serious.
Rightfully. But I would have loved to see someone skate through Pickford's
crease with a high elbow as a little reminder not to pull that s*#t again.
Halftime
West Ham 1
Everton 0
Everton came out for the second half with more energy, not to mention an
extra body in midfield due to a tactical change, and caused the home side to
fall back on their heels. While we waited for Moyes to adjust, which
prompted visions of the Vogons in Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Everton
won a corner and kept West Ham in their own end.
By all accounts, Michael Keane has had a good season for the Toffees. But in
the span of a couple of minutes he made two mistakes that led to two
opportunities for West Ham. First he gave up a corner when his attempted
clearance went the wrong direction, and then a minute later he was called
for a foul on Kouyate at the edge of the Everton penalty area. Cresswell
took both set pieces, and neither amounted to much. But at least the action
was on their end of the pitch for a little bit.
What makes a great goal? Stunning bits of skill have delivered West Ham fans
that goal by DiCanio, that free kick by Tevez, and recent blasts by Obiang
and Noble. But in the 64th minute, I'd argue we saw a goal of equal
greatness. Just for different reasons. The way Arnautovic went around Keane
like the English defender wasn't even there. The way the shot was right at
Pickford….almost on a line to his forehead….yet he couldn't even fathom how
to stop it. Maybe I'm overstating it. But I was awestruck by that
Arniestrike.
West Ham 2
Everton 0
Everton almost got back into the match in the 73rd minute when Niasse got on
the end of a long ball on the right side of penalty area. His blast went off
Adrian's hands and off the post for a corner. Moments later, Everton won a
second corner and this time they capitalized. Declan Rice tried to clear the
area, but his header went back into the danger area and after an initial
attempt was blocked Niasse did very well to split the West Ham defense with
a little flick to himself and his shot from point blank range gave Adrian no
chance.
West Ham 2
Everton 1
The Hammers came back reasonably strong after the Everton goal. First,
Arnautovic tried to feed Mario inside the Everton penalty area but Keane got
a foot in and sent it out for a corner. The home side won a second corner
seconds later but again Mario didn't find a teammate in the box.
Remember what I said above about Arnautovic's goal? Well, I won't wax as
poetic but in the 82nd minute we were treated to another wonderful bit of
football. Zabaleta sent a long, cross field pass for Lanzini to run onto.
The man they call The Jewel gathered the ball and took a few steps towards
the edge of the area. Then, he let loose with a curling right footed shot
that Pickford got a hand to. Not that it mattered. The Everton keeper should
be thankful he didn't lose a finger as the ball flew into the back of the
net.
West Ham 3
Everton 1
Everton might have made the final minutes as nervy as a meaningless game can
be in the 85th minute when Walcott went in on Adrian alone on the right side
of the box, but the West Ham keeper made a good stop with his right foot.
The ball flew into the air and landed at the feet of Niasse on the left side
of the box. His shot bounced off the turf and headed towards goal but Adrian
made a diving stop to his left and pushed the ball out for a corner.
You cannot buy class. Nor can it be overstated. In my world, the way I try
to raise my two kids, the same can be said for kindness. When James Collins
was announced as a sub, I thought it was a class move by Moyes. It has been
widely reported that not only has the club not offered him a new deal, they
haven't even had the courtesy to tell him they won't. Total radio silence.
When Noble embraced Ginge and handed him the Captains Armband, I was
overcome by the moment. It was one of the classiest, kindest, most Captain
like moments I have seen in my many years on this orb watching men and women
play games.
Final Score
West Ham 3
Everton 1
42 points. 13th place. Considering how precarious our position was eight
days ago it doesn't look so awful. But of course it was. Fans turning on
fans, the Burnley game, the shambolic play at times, the behavior and words
of the board at times. Yet I believe the ethos and the heart of the club
will always prevail because those things don't reside in Stratford or with
the board. They live within the supporters. Millions of them. So regardless
of who our manager is, or which players come or go, it will always be West
Ham United. The club I inexplicably latched onto about 25 years ago.
Have a good summer.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THUMBS UP TO MOYES
By Tony Hanna 14 May 2018 at 07:16
WTID
Last week I was each way on my opinion of whether West Ham should continue
with David Moyes beyond this season. I am at the point now where I really
hope he gets a new contract. When he was appointed I am sure most of us
would have taken 13th and 42 points in a heartbeat? The football we played
against Everton on the weekend was delightful and the way Arnie, Lanzini and
Mario linked together was hopefully a taster of what is to come next season.
But on reflection the advantage Moyes holds now is that he knows the players
inside out. He knows what the team can do and what it can't. He knows where
we need to improve and he knows who is surplus to requirements. Get a new
manager in now and he won't know any of this until he has got games under
his belt and the likelihood will be that our summer transfer budget will be
spent on hopefully the best players we can buy in our budget, but without
the knowledge of who we really need to get the best out of the team. So it
is a thumbs up for David Moyes from me. Personally, I would keep Adrian as
number one next season. To get a top keeper will be expensive and I just
don't see the need when the money is best spent elsewhere. The central
defensive midfield role is the top priority and I would also like to see
Mario signed on a permanent deal or at least for an extended year-long loan.
As for signings, one of the first ones I would try and get done is Craig
Dawson from West Brom. He is a quality defender who can play full back or as
a central defender.
Back in mid-November when David Moyes became manager I asked in my article
for your predicted finishing positions in the league. We were currently 18th
in the table. Forty seven of you had a crack and there were five people who
correctly predicted 13th. They were; Heedsy, Iron Mike, Milk Man, Dave
Innots and Rob who had a cheeky double chance 13th/14th tip. There were a
few including myself that missed by one; the others were hammermolder,
Hammertime Mikey, Tom, IronFish, Daz and Paul Smith. Peter Jameson was the
only one who had us getting relegated which is remarkable considering our
plight at the time so I am sure he is very pleased to get the wooden spoon!
Thanks to all for having a go.
So, it is goodbye to West Brom, Stoke and Swansea. At the beginning of the
season I doubt many would have predicted that trio in its entirety getting
relegated, especially with Brighton and Huddersfield in the frame. Which
leads me to reconfirm one of my strong view points on relegation matters. I
wrote an article a few years ago titled "Is three up, three down fair?" I
followed that up this season with a similar piece. Last week I wrote an
article "Survival in the League of Fourteen." For those who missed it that
article focused on how the PL has now become two divisions in one. An elite
group of six with a separate division of fourteen clubs who are basically
playing with a singular goal of avoiding the drop. When I started going to
football in the 1960's there were 22 clubs in the top flight, a league we
fondly remember as the old first division. Every season two teams were
relegated (9%) and the top two from the 2nd division took their place. The
1960's through to 1980 was an era where up to fourteen teams every season
had some slither of a chance of winning the title when the competition
started. In the 23 seasons from 1958 to 1981 there were no fewer than 13
different Champions. I saw Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester
City all relegated. Forward to today and we now have twenty teams, a
reduction of two, yet an increase up to three teams who will be replaced
each season. With the elite six having no chance of being relegated that
effectively means three from fourteen (21.4%) will drop – quite an increase
from 9%. But when you get a season like this one when none of the clubs that
were promoted last season have been relegated and none of last seasons
relegated teams are promoted back, it effectively means in just two seasons
that SIX of the fourteen bottom dwellers (42.8%) have changed. Middlesbrough
could alter that stat if they are promoted through the play offs but I hope
you see where I am going here? The effect relegation has on clubs is awful.
Already we have clubs and forum sites looking at the lists of players at
Stoke, Swansea and West Brom to see what players will be easy pickings. This
whole scenario is only making this league of fourteen more unstable and the
top six are loving it. Their financial stability and growth means they will
grow even more powerful at the expense of the others whilst this system is
in place.
The transfer news is very thin on the ground at present and I would imagine
the decision on David Moyes tenure at the club will play a significant part
on any early dealings. Here are some early odds that I am sure will
fluctuate over the next week or so.
Manuel Lanzini is 1-2 (66%) to remain at West Ham with Liverpool at 5/2
(28%) for his signature. Looks like this could be a bit of re-run of the
winter window, hopefully with the same result.
Joe Hart his future seems as up in the air as it was before he signed his
loan deal with the Hammers last year. Celtic are 3/1 (25%) favourites and we
are second favourites at 6/1 (14%) which just goes to show I think the
bookies are just guessing as much as Joe is at present.
Craig Dawson is 14/1 (6.67%) to join the Hammers with Newcastle and Celtic
the early favourites to sign a player who I think would be a great
acquisition for our club.
Marouane Fellaini is 7/1 (12.5%) to become a West Ham player although the
way the market is framed I think the bookies have as much of a clue about
where he will end up as they do Joe Hart.
Shaqiri has a number of clubs showing interest after Stokes relegation and
Everton currently lead the pack. West Ham are quoted at 6/1 (14%).
Elsewhere Spurs at 5/4 (44%) are leading the chase for Alfie Mawson and our
January interest in him seems to have waned. Antoine Griezmann looks
Barcelona bound and Liverpool are strong favourites to sign Jack Butland and
Nabil Fekir. Burnley lead a pack of clubs for West Broms Jay Rodriguez
whilst Leicester's Riyad Mahrez could end up at either Man City or Chelsea.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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