Sakho - I'm working very hard
WHUFC.com
Diafra Sakho is desperate to make his return to first-team action and get back to what he does best - scoring goals! With five to his name, the No15 will have to go some to reach his target of 20 for the season, but the Senegal striker is determined to honour his word to West Ham United supporters. Such is Sakho's eagerness to start hitting the net again that he is putting in extra fitness work at home in a bit to return to action from the thigh injury he suffered in late November. The 26-year-old has been working closely with head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke and rehab fitness coach Eamon Swift, with the former suggesting that Sakho could be back in a Claret and Blue shirt by the end of February. "Honestly, my recovery's going very well," Sakho told whufc.com. "Even though it's been a lot quicker than what I'd thought, I'm in a hurry to come back because I promised to score 20 goals and at the moment I'm only on five in all competitions. So that leaves 15. "I'm going to try right until the end to keep to my word. Even if the fans say, 'the whole season he only played 20 or so games', I hope, in the games that I'm going to play, to respect my words. That's very important to me. "I want to play right now. I need to play right now, but Stijn says 'No, no, I have to wait'. I'm working very hard with Stijn and with Eamon, and at home as well."
Sakho has proved a big hit since joining West Ham from French club Metz in August 2014, scoring 17 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions. The Guediawaye-born striker began the current season with two UEFA Europa League goals against FC Lusitans, before adding further goals in the Barclays Premier League victories at Liverpool and Manchester City. However, a pair of thigh injuries have restricted his appearances since October and the popular forward will be hoping to return and contribute to the Hammers' cause over the closing weeks of the 2015/16 campaign.
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Hammers reach Enterprise Challenge final
WHUFC.com
Students from Stepney Green Maths, Computing and Science College will be representing West Ham United at the Premier League Enterprise Challenge Final after winning their heat at the Emirates Stadium. The young Hammers beat off competition from Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur to win through to the London final in March and battle it out for the chance to win the coveted award for West Ham for the second time in three years. The innovative project is a business and skills based competition run by the Premier League and Sport Relief, which this year tasked pupils with working on a strategy to help encourage fans to spend more time at stadiums on match days. With 29 school groups representing Premier League and Football League clubs up and down the country, the Hammers will now progress to the final on 9 March, where they will go head-to-head in pitching their idea to a panel of judges from the world of sport and business. The local wannabe entrepreneurs will face stiff competition from five other school groups, representing Swansea City, Everton, Middlesbrough, Manchester United and Norwich City. Since its introduction in 2009, 10,000 young people aged between 13 and 17 have taken part in the programme which uses business models of professional football clubs to deliver enterprise education, with another 1,000 set to take part in this year's competition. The boys from Stepney Green were left stunned as they were announced as winners of the Challenge, having fended off stiff competition from other London based clubs. Foundation team member Rashadul Alam could hardly contain his delight. "I'm ecstatic! We worked for hours and hours on the presentation and that second when our name was read out was the realisation of all of that work. I've learnt so many new skills and I've gained so much confidence from this whole experience. I've been so grateful for the opportunity!"
The Premier League Enterprise challenge has the power to change lives and none more so than for the tournament's former winners from 2014 that, having come through the project with the WHU Foundation, are now mentoring this year's challengers. 2014 Enterprise Challenge winner Sayed Ashrabul said: "We've been through the Enterprise Challenge before and we know how much time and effort goes into it! The boys have done so well to reach the final and they fully deserve it. It's been fantastic to have been able to mentor them having won the tournament with the Foundation back in 2014. "Just like the West Ham United Foundation staff mentored us and helped develop us as people, we can now give back to the younger generation of students and help offer them some guidance."
The same sentiment was echoed by WHU Foundation Enterprise Co-Ordinator Jack Toghli, who had seen a massive personal development in the team. "The boys have done great. They've put a lot of hours in over the months and when I started with them they were nervous and they have come on massively. Their confidence levels have gone through the roof. "Having our 2014 winners here as mentors is such a fantastic example of the Foundation's commitment to creating the leaders of tomorrow, to go out into the community and inspire the next generation. Hopefully this year's participants can go on to mentor the Enterprise Challengers of the future!"
Premier League Executive Chairman, Richard Scudamore, who set this year's task said: "I am sure this year's challenge, our eighth, will produce even better ideas generated by even more enthusiastic and engaged young people. Our successful partnership with Sport Relief, Premier League and Football League clubs, to deliver education with football as the backdrop, continues to bring new and exciting entrepreneurs to the fore. I look forward to seeing the six Play-Off winning groups at the final in March."
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Hammers duo set for Romford store signing
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that Victor Moses and Emmanuel Emenike will be taking part in a store signing at the Club's official Liberty Romford store on Friday 19 February.
The pair, good friends off the pitch, have added real fire power upfront for the Hammers this season and will be attending the Club's Liberty Romford store between 1.30pm and 3.30pm*, signing merchandise brought in-store on the day and posing for photographs. Moses, on loan from Chelsea, helped fire the Hammers to a famous 2-1 away win at Manchester City with a fine first half strike while also having a hand in other crucial goals – most recently teeing up Dimitri Payet to kick-start the comeback against Norwich City. Meanwhile, fellow Nigerian international Emenike has looked dangerous since joining in January, making notable impacts off the bench against Southampton and the Canaries. This is the perfect chance to meet two of the newest Hammers' heroes, up close and personal so make sure you arrive with plenty of time to avoid disappointment.
*Please note end times are always subject to change and so fans are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
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The Big Interview - Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
West Ham United skipper Mark Noble says Saturday's 2-2 draw at Norwich City was the embodiment of the character needed for them to succeed over the final three months of the campaign.
After a draining extra time win at Liverpool in the week, they had to fight to come from 2-0 down at Carrow Road, with Noble himself grabbing a fine equaliser.
Now, with an FA Cup fifth round tie at Blackburn Rovers looming, plus league games against Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur, the Academy graduate is ready for a big end to the season.
When you talk about character and resilience, I guess that's the buzzword after Saturday at Norwich?
MN: "Yes, especially after the last couple of weeks we've had. We've had games Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday, and we obviously had the emotion of scoring in the last minute against Liverpool. That was 120 minutes of football which went to the wire and Norwich was an important game for us.
"We knew it was going to be tough, because they are fighting for points, but the way we came back and the belief we've got as a squad shone through. The subs we made had a huge impact and I thought we deserved a point in the end."
Victor Moses is a real impact player for you isn't he?
MN: "That's Victor. He's got that in him. When he and Andy Carroll came on they had that impact and he could have scored two goals himself. He was fantastic, he set up the first one with a great run and set up some vital chances for us.
"That's what we've got as a squad now, we've got the players to do that. The manager has players at his disposal to turn it around and as soon as they scored the second we really took the game to them."
Most people might have thought, 'they played 120 minutes on Tuesday, they're 2-0 down - they won't get back into it'...
MN: "We were 2-0 down, one a fantastic strike from Robbie Brady, but in the end we probably should have won it. The character and belief we have in the squad is fantastic."
You scored the equaliser - one of the best of your career?
MN: "Yes, probably. I was playing holding midfield at the time, but I saw the ball go forward and I saw Dimi on it. I know he's going to look for a pass, so I made the run, he rolled it across to the edge of the box and I just stuck it away. It was fantastic and gave us the foot up to go on and try to win the game."
After a week like this do you feel there's a bandwagon rolling for West Ham?
MN: "I hope so. There's the FA Cup game against Blackburn on Sunday, we've had a few days to rest after the couple of weeks we've had, and our league position allows us to go into the Cup game and give everything. It would be a fantastic thing for the Club to have a run in the FA Cup in the last season at Upton Park."
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Jelavic moves to China
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Nikica Jelavic has joined China League One club Beijing Renhe on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.
The Croatia international forward spent five-and-a-half months with the Hammers, scoring two goals in 14 appearances, including an Emirates FA Cup third-round winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers in January. The 30-year-old's move to the Far East ends a six-year spell in English football that also saw him turn out for Everton and Hull City. West Ham United would like to thank Nikica for his hard work during his time at the Boleyn Ground and wish him all the best for his future career.
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Jelavic joins Chinese revolution
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th February 2016
By: Staff Writer
Nikica Jelavic has joined Chinese second division side Beijing Renhe - only six months after leaving Hull to move to the Boleyn Ground. The 30-year-old former Croatian international, who moved to east London on transfer deadline day last September has finally completed his belated switch to Renhe in a deal worth around £2million - a similar fee to that West Ham paid Hull last year. West Ham's now former #26 scored two goals during his brief spell in east London, against Wolves in the FA Cup and at Newcastle in a 2-1 defeat last month. In all he made 15 appearances for Slaven Bilic's side. Jelavic, who also represented Rangers and Everton during his six-year stay in the UK is just the latest in a series of European-based players to move to China. He will earn in the region of £9million over the course of the next three years. Former Chelsea star Ramires joined Jiangsu Suning for £25m in January, whilst Columbian international Jackson Martínez left La Liga outfit Atlético Madrid to join Guangzhou Evergrande in a £31million switch on 2 February.
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Tickets for West Ham? Join the queue, Hodgson
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th February 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
The next time Roy Hodgson asks to visit West Ham, the club should kindly point him towards the ticket office and tell him to join the queue.
After all, what's the point of treating the incumbent England manager as a VIP and paying him lip-service if he has little to no interest whatsoever in selecting any United players for his England squads?
Hodgson has been in charge at Soho Square since 2012 and his predilection for selecting teams from the nation's elite clubs - plus Liverpool and Tottenham - renders him as short-sighted any of his predecessors.
His disinclination to back any Hammers came to a head last Saturday evening when Alan Shearer, of all people, put Hodgson on the spot during Match of the Day when asking why Mark Noble hadn't been offered the opportunity to represent his country.
And the England manager couldn't have made it any clearer that Noble has a cat in hell's chance of ever pulling on a white shirt whilst he remains at the helm. "A lot of people want to ask you, what about him? Is Mark Noble in your thoughts?" asked Shearer following a replay of Noble's equaliser at Carrow Road.
To which Hodgson replied: "It's always good to see Mark Noble - who we've watched for a long time - and Danny Drinkwater, another player we've watched for a long time doing so well and playing so well for their teams.
"We're pretty happy with our midfield, we've got a good group of players we think. But it's always nice that there's a bit of extra competition coming from the outside.
"We can never close the door on anyone who's English because there aren't that many," he added. "It's good to see them playing well and Mark is a very good character - as is Danny Drinkwater, I believe."
As snubs go, it was a fairly comprehensive and unequivocal one. But Hammers fans shouldn't really be surprised for it's been many, many years since players were picked to represent the nation based on form rather than the club shirt they happen to wear.
There are a whole plethora of bizarre selections to support this particularly well-employed theory. The much-discussed Tom Cleverley was a shoo-in for the England squad whilst a member of the Old Trafford mafia - whereas since moving to Aston Villa, he has barely been involved.
Arsenal, who rarely if ever fail to have a player included in the England squad - even when they regularly sent out teams consisting of 11 foreign players - can always count upon the likes of Kieron Gibbs or Callum Chambers being involved.
Returning north again, teenager Luke Shaw appeared in one England squad before he was on the verge of completing a move to Manchester United in the summer of 2014 - since when he had made 12 appearances, more than he's made for the Red Devils' first team this season.
And whilst Noble should have serious cause for complaint given his excellent recent run of form, defender Aaron Cresswell should feel just as put out by Hodgson's inability to look beyond the nation's elite clubs.
Since moving from Ipswich the left-sided defender has been a revelation at the Boleyn Ground, yet is still awaiting his first call up for the national team.
Meanwhile Dele Alli made just two competitive appearances for Tottenham's first XI - a defeat at Manchester United and a draw with Leicester - before getting the nod from the short-sighted Hodgson last August.
Although Liverpudlian Cresswell has little choice, Noble does of course have an alternative with the Republic of Ireland still holding out an olive branch.
Canning Town born and bred, Noble could potentially represent the Irish as a result of his Cork-born grandparents - although to his credit he has thus far refused. After all - if you don't feel it, you don't feel it.
So for as long as the door to our players remains firmly closed, West Ham please stop wasting your time.
And next time Hodgson calls, asking for free tickets and a plush seat in the Directors' Box, politely thank him for his interest and pass on contact details for the ticket office - where the myopic old fart can stand in a line with the rest of us.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Nikica Jelavic: West Ham striker completes move to China
BBC.co.uk
West Ham striker Nikica Jelavic has joined Chinese second division side Beijing Renhe for about £2m. The 30-year-old Croatia international has made one Premier League start this season under compatriot Slaven Bilic. He follows Chelsea's Ramires, who joined Jiangsu Suning for £25m last month, while striker Jackson Martinez joined Guangzhou Evergrande for £31m. The Colombian left Atletico Madrid for the Chinese Super League side, breaking the Asian transfer record. Jelavic signed for West Ham for £3m from Hull in August 2015, but has scored only once in the league despite making 12 appearances from the bench. He previously played for Everton and Rangers.
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THE WEST HAM FORWARD WHO SHOULD PLAY AT RIGHT BACK AGAINST BLACKBURN
By Iain Dale 16 Feb 2016 at 17:00
WTID
With Sam Byram cuptied and both James Tomkins and Joey O'Brien injured, Slaven Bilic has a real dilemma about who to play at right back on Sunday in the FA Cup fifth round match at Ewood Park. I'm not familiar enough with the Development Squad to know if any of them might be knocking on the first team door, but I suspect not.
In normal circumstances we might play a central defender at right back. The trouble is, we don't have any spare central defenders. Ogbonna and Collins are our only fit central defenders. Reece Oxford is another possibility, I guess, but I don't think he's ever played at right back.
The solution, I believe, is to play Michail Antonio there. He played for twenty minutes against Liverpool in that position and did brilliantly. He can tackle, he has pace and we know he can cross the ball. Surely it makes sense.
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England v Germany Boleyn game for Mooro?
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
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ClaretandHugh understands the club are looking into the possibility of staging an England XI v Germany XI match at the Boleyn Ground before the season ends to commemorate the contribution Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst made in winning the World Cup in 1966 fifty years ago.
A crowd of 93,000 spectators – including the Queen and Prince Phillip – filled London's Wembley Stadium to watch the host nation play West Germany in the final game of the 1966 championships.
Another 400 million people around the world watched the keenly fought match on television.
In the final moments of extra time former Hammer Geoff Hurst powered home his third goal to give England a 4-2 victory and to become the first man ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
After Germany had taken an early lead, Hurst levelled the score for England by half time with a header from a free kick taken by captain Bobby Moore. The West Ham and England Captain lifted the World Cup.
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FA Cup fifth round sells out
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West Ham has sold all 7,200 tickets for Ewood park this Sunday. Son of the chairman, David Sullivan Junior confirmed the news this evening on twitter by saying "We've sold out 7,200 ticket allocation for Blackburn, 5 days in advance. Bare in mind it's a 4/5 hour trip and on TV. Best fans going ⚒" His brother Jack followed up by adding "Best fans in the world IRONS" But Jack dashed any hopes of taking more than the 7,200 allocation by replying to West Ham fan who asked whether we could ask for more. "We have (asked) but we have a stand so we can't get anymore. I would urge not to buy in the Blackburn end." Blackburn average attendance is around 15,000 but they managed a gate of 28,415 last time they faced a Premier Opposition at Ewood park. In April 2015 they came off 1-0 losers in a sixth round FA Cup replay with Liverpool.
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£4 million Jelavic? In our dreams
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
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ClaretandHugh has again been assured this afternoon that reports of Nikicia Jelavic's transfer to China nrtting the club a transfer fee of £4 million are false. Various media outlets have claimed the Hammers sold the Croatian for £4 million but that was rubbished by a highly placed source at Upton Park. Such a fee would have given a 100 per cent profit on the former Hull City striker but the club has made it clear to us that is definitely not the case. We were told: "The club managed to salvage £1.5m of the £2.5m we paid, but it allows us to go again and releases one from the wage bill. "There seems to have been some confusion on the figures – maybe the media has mixed up transfer fees with wages but whatever the reason we certainly won't see £4 million."
ClaretandHugh reported earlier today the figure was believed to be between £1.5m – £2m and our source said: "You have had it correct from the start of the deal."
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Nobes testimonial unlikely to be rescheduled
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Sources close to club insist Mark Noble's testimonial will go ahead on Easter Monday 28th March despite the threat of a rail strike in the 24 hours before kick off at the Boleyn Ground.
Our source told us "We are aware of the threat of a rail strike but we have nearly sold out tickets to Mark Noble's testimonial and are unlikely to reschedule it"
Maintenance workers on London Underground are scheduled to stage a series of 12 and 24-hour strikes in a dispute over safety.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union are scheduled hold one of these strike's from 6.30am on Sunday, March 27th (Easter Sunday) until 6.29am on Monday, March 28th. (Easter Monday)
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Moses gave me good reasons to join Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News
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Emenike has told a Nigerian newspaper that Victor Moses gave him good reasons to join West Ham before he decided to join the Hammers on loan in a move he described God ordained for him.
Emenike told the Nation newspaper in Nigeria about Moses involvement in the loan "We have been talking before moving to West Ham. He was happy when I told him about the transfer and he gave me good reasons why West Ham is the best for me at this time. We joked about our Nations Cup of Africa (AFCON) glory in 2013 and we both agreed it was teamwork that gave us the victory. I hope that I am looking forward to play with him and share that great moment again. I have a wonderful connection with him and know we will get better on the pitch,".
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God ordained my move to West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
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"My transfer to West Ham came at the right time. It is like a blessing. I did not want to leave Al Ain but I think God ordained the move, it happened so fast and coming to the English Premiership is something I have always wanted," Emenike told the Nation newspaper in Nigeria. "This move is not about money but it is difficult to explain to people who think every move is down to money. I have learned from my past, I am a striker and I want to prove that I can still score goals," he added. "I will get well and better in the team, the atmosphere is great, and I am hoping to start on a high note. I am hoping my teammates and the coach will help me to fit in perfectly because I am ready to adapt quickly and keep the confidence alive"
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Agent confirms Zaza interest
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News
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Simone Zaza was heavily linked with a move to Premier League last month, with both West Ham and Palace reportedly keen on bringing him in on loan until the end of the season. The Hammers instead bought in Emenike on loan.
His agent has broken silence now confirmed that interest, but he insists the 24-year-old never wanted to leave Juventus. "There were expressions of interest from Premier League clubs in January," agent Christian Maifredi told inBlu Radio. "They'll benefit from greater financial resources next season from television rights. There was interest, but nothing more. There was never a real possibility of Zaza moving away from Juventus, that wasn't what he wanted or what the club wanted. Today no-one thinks of leaving this great team."
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Former Hammer on trial in Scotland
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Former Hammer, Julien Faubert has joined St Johnstone on trial. The 32-year-old has been a free agent since leaving Bordeaux in 2015 and is seeking to win a contract at McDiarmid Park.
He played for the Scottish Premiership club's Under 20 side on Monday night and was listed as a trialist. Faubert signed for the Hammers for £6.1m in 2007 on a five year contract amid big expectations, but could score only two league goals during 103 appearances. He was famously loaned to Real Madrid for a loan fee thought to £1.5m plus wages while a Hammer, where he was snapped sleeping on the subs bench. His loan spell finished with only two appearances. He is due to return to the Boleyn ground one more time to turn out for Mark Noble for his testimonial on Easter Monday. Earlier this year Faubert told Sky Sports "To be honest West Ham is just an amazing club in England. In France, the people don't know that club like English people. I think that's why I had some problems with the national team. But I really love that club." "West Ham is a part of my life now, and when I go back to Upton Park it feels like home," he says. "I spent a really good time there with crazy, special fans. If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have done.
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Lanzini set for Blackburn return
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West ham Chairman, David Gold says he is hopeful the Manuel Lanzini will travel with the Hammers squad to Blackburn for the fifth round FA Cup match at Ewood park on Sunday. Gold posted on twitter today "I'm hoping Lanzini travels to Blackburn. dg"
Ten days ago Bilic confirmed Lanzini has resumed first team training saying "On Sunday (7th Feb) Lanzini will start training with the team again, which is a big boost for us," while head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke told the club's official website."Lanzini is only a few days away before re-joining the team."
Lanzini is thought unlikely to start but there is a strong possibility he will make the bench and could feature in a small cameo role as he attempts to regain his match fitness.
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THE PAYET CONUNDRUM - WHY DIDN'T ANYONE ELSE SIGN HIM BEFORE WEST HAM?
By Iain Dale 16 Feb 2016 at 08:00
WTID
Guest Post by Daniel Grimes
Dimitri Payet has had an exceptional start to his West Ham career. He has greatly impacted not only the club, but the league as a whole. His creativity, quick feet, and seemingly effortless technique have lit up the Premier League, earning him potentially justifiable comparisons stemming from World Cup winner, Mesut Ozil, to West Ham and England legend, Sir Trevor Brooking. Despite missing three months with an ankle injury, 'Super Slaven's' man has picked up seven goals and five assists in just 19 Premier League games.
However, with Payet turning 29 in March, and arriving at The Boleyn Ground in the summer off the back of no fewer than 10 impressive seasons in Ligue 1, you can't help but wonder why it has taken this undeniable talent so long to make his mark on arguably the world's greatest league.
Payet enjoyed successful spells with Nantes, Saint-Etienne, Lille and Marseille, scoring 57 league goals and making it into Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2013 and 2015. Dimitri was no hidden gem by any means. Performing well for multiple French clubs and earning 15 international caps since 2010, it's clear that his talents were highly regarded in France at least, but why is it that no Premier League club turned their attention to Dimitri until the Summer of 2016?
One reason that could have contributed to this is the shortcomings of players with a similar style who tried their luck in the Premier League, especially those who arrived from Ligue 1. Despite the previous success of players such as Ginola, Cantona and Henry, French players have struggled to emulate the success of these players in England since. This isn't the same for all positions, but it certainly seems to be the trend with the technical positions such as the wingers and attacking midfielders.
Arsenal's former Ivorian winger, Gervinho, arrived from Lille as an exciting player, scoring 36 times in his two previous seasons in France. But, despite his pace and skill, it seemed he wasn't cut out for the Premier League, and Arsene Wenger offloaded him after two seasons.
Newcastle United had high hopes when they brought Remy Cabella to the Premier League for £8m following his four seasons in Ligue 1, where he averaged more than a goal every four games. However, he managed just one goal in 33 Premier League appearances, and was loaned back to Marseilles after just one season as part of the deal to bring French winger, Florian Thauvin (Likened to Franck Ribery) to the Prem for £12m.
Despite being named as one of the 10 most promising players in Europe by The Observer in 2014, Florian's time with Newcastle has proven to have been no better than Cabella's, with the winger already being loaned back to Marseille after just five months and 12 Premier League appearances.
So it is clear to see that even the most promising of Ligue 1's attacking players will or have struggled in the Premier League, and this may pose as too much of a risk for clubs who scouted Payet, as they decided not to take the gamble on him.
Another potential deterrent for any club looking Payet's way would be the Premier Leagues increasing emphasis on the physical side of the game. It is often said that The Prem offers a more physically competitive style of play than any of Europe's other top leagues. This physicality has also lead to some teams prioritising a strong, solid defence in order to combat the growing trend towards powerful attacking players, and athletically robust midfields. Plenty of managers such as Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have adopted defensive playing styles, favouring hard working players who can contribute in defence as much as attack.
At Chelsea, Mourinho even sold fans favourite Juan Mata off the back of two seasons in which he earned Chelsea's player of the season, just because the creative midfielder didn't track back effectively. This suggests that even top managers are refusing to adapt their tactics in order to suit the style of players who like to attack with freedom, if they aren't capable of pulling their weight off the ball.
This is an area of Payet's game that he has lacked in the past, with former Nantes coach, Stéphane Moreau describing him as a "talented player despite his natural indifference". This 'natural indifference' in Dimitri's game would almost certainly discourage Premier League managers who rely on the commitment and work ethic of their players as much as any characteristic. With Payet's physicality being average at best for a Premier League midfielder, the next best thing would be his work ethic, and with his naturally casual and effortless way of playing the game, it is not surprising to think that some managers would have averted their attention away from Payet.
One final reason as to why it has taken Payet so long to get his chance in the Premier League could possibly be Payet's worth to his former team, Marseille. Payet had been a long term target for Newcastle United during his time in France, but even when Marseille manager Marcelo Bielsa reportedly claimed that Payet had no future at the club back in 2014, the two clubs still couldn't agree on a price.
Marseille brought Payet to the Stade Vélodrome for around £10m, and would have been looking to at least recoup that, if not more. Slaven Bilic himself claimed that he attempted to sign Payet for Besiktas in 2014, and that it was 'impossible' to do a deal. On top of this, Payet's agent may have also made things difficult for clubs interested in him. Jacques-Olivier Auguste allegedly claimed that he wanted his client to stay at Marseille in the summer, despite the ongoing talks with West Ham. And just eight months into his West Ham career, Auguste caused further trouble by demanding his player earns £125,000 per week, which Sullivan and Gold have since given him.
In conclusion, I think it's a combination of these factors that have accumulated into Payet's late start to life in the Premier League. With a number of similar players failing to make their mark on the league, and managers looking towards midfielders that are more defensively sound or physically proficient, it becomes easier to understand why so many clubs decided to look beyond the Frenchman. On top of this, Marseille's valuation of the player, his worth to the club, and quite possibly the interference of Dimitri's agent would have provided an even riskier obstacle for any club who took an interest in the attacking midfielder.
So, two thirds into the season, and it appears that West Ham's bravery in the French transfer market may be paying off.
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Former Man City, Man United and West Ham striker Carlos Tevez snubs mega-money move to China
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Former Manchester City, Manchester United and West Ham forward Carlos Tevez has reportedly rejected a move to the Chinese Super League. Tevez has become the latest player to be linked with a lucrative switch to China and reports have suggested he's considered following fellow South American stars Jackson Martinez and Ramires to the Far East. The 32-year-old only left Juventus for La Bombonera last summer but Shanghai SIPG were said to be willing to offer the forward a huge sum of money to play for them for one season.However, according to Argentine newspaper Ole, Tevez has now decided he wants to stay in his home country and finish his career with boyhood club Boca Juniors.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 17
Tuesday, February 16
Daily WHUFC News - 16th February 2016
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic insists he saw plenty in West Ham United's stirring revival at
Norwich City on Saturday to prove that there will be no let up from his side
in the final third of the Barclays Premier League season. Following the
weekend's breathless 2-2 draw at Carrow Road, the Hammers are one point and
one place better off than at this stage last season. And while the Hammers'
form dipped dramatically in the latter stages of last term, Bilic expects an
altogether different story this time around, not least with the likes of
Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho soon to return to action. Next up for Bilic
and his charges is Sunday's trip to Ewood Park in the fifth round of the
Emirates FA Cup and an opportunity to go one better than the Hammers' last
16 exit at West Bromwich Albion this time last year. "We're going to try to
be different [to last season] and we're going to give everything," the Croat
confirmed. "This kind of performance gives us hope that it will be
different. We have the quality, we have the team spirit, we have the
character, we have legs, the only problem is the injuries. But we are
expecting a few players to come back after the Blackburn game and it gives
us hope, but only if we continue to play like the last half an hour, or if
we improve and raise our level of the game. "But we will not put the season
to bed now, no way, we have no right to do it. Even if you have no chance to
move up and down, this is the Premier League. We have fans, we have a team,
we are representing West Ham, no matter if it's a friendly or the Premier
League. So no way is that going to happen."
In all likelihood, Dimitri Payet will be pivotal to the Hammers' charge for
European football, just as he was at Carrow Road. Less than 48 hours after
pledging his long-term future to the Club, the Frenchman scored the first
and created the second. Reflecting on Payet's summer switch to east London,
Bilic is thankful that the Hammers stole a march on their rivals for the
midfielder's signature. Bilic continued: "It wasn't a record deal for West
Ham. Nowhere near that, I don't think. But we were first to react, or we
used the situation that for some reason bigger clubs didn't try to get him.
I don't know why, it was a bit of a surprise. "To be fair, I thought it was
going to be possible, but I didn't believe we were going to do it that
quickly. Credit to the Chairman, he did it very, very quickly, in the space
of ten days and he was our player. I was happy then and I'm happy now."
Meanwhile, the Hammers' exertions at Carrow Road is proof, says Bilic, of
the quality that now exists throughout the Premier League, with increased
spending power enabling clubs across the board to invest heavily in their
playing staff. "It's the Premier League and every team is good enough. I'm
not talking about resilience, I'm not talking about physical presence or
character, that is all Premier League clubs, I'm talking about the quality.
"Because with the money in the league, look at Norwich and how much money
they have spent a few weeks ago, that gives the so-called smaller clubs the
chance to improve and to close that gap to the big guns and that's what
we're trying to do. But not only us. You have Leicester, which is the best
example in Europe. But Leicester are not where they are because of the team
spirit and the character, they are there because they have quality players
and that goes with every club."
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Sam savours Norwich 'battle'
WHUFC.com
Don't let Sam Byram's baby-faced appearance fool you – West Ham United's new
No22 loves a battle! The right-back was at his combative best at Norwich
City on Saturday, enjoying an enthralling personal tussle with the Canaries'
equally feisty forward Steven Naismith. Thankfully for Byram, he avoided
being shown a tenth yellow card of the season and a two-match ban, but the
youngster is certainly not planning on retreating into his shell anytime
soon! "We had a good battle!" he smiled. "It's a big step up and I'm still
trying to ease my way in and learn on the training pitch and in games, so
hopefully I'll keep getting better and be able to express myself, the more
game time I get."
Byram was heavily involved in what was a fraught game at Carrow Road, where
West Ham came from two goals down to snatch a valuable Barclays Premier
League draw. Indeed, with substitutes Victor Moses, Andy Carroll and
Emmanuel Emenike adding to the firepower already on the pitch, the defender
said the Hammers could even have pulled off an unlikely victory. "I think it
was a very frantic game at times," he observed. "It was a back and forward
and I think we were a bit disappointed not to nick it at the end there. "I
think the changes we made and the players who came on made a big impact.
They changed the game and we showed great spirit and fight in the team to
get it back to two-all, and I think we were unlucky not to go on and get the
winner."
Coming hot on the heels of a last-minute Emirates FA Cup fourth-round replay
victory over Liverpool, Byram says the determination and team spirit in the
West Ham dressing room is there for all to see. "The fans were great and you
could hear them all game, while the set of lads we've got is brilliant, and
the spirit and the togetherness in the group have been brilliant to come
into," he revealed. "You can see the togetherness and the results we
achieved against Liverpool and Norwich showed the fight that we do have."
One player who epitomises the spirit and attitude within the squad is
Dimitri Payet, who provided another goal and another assist to turn things
around at Norwich – days after delivering the free-kick for Angelo Ogbonna's
winner against Liverpool. "He is some player and everyone is over the moon
that he has signed his future here and he is part of a very good squad of
players we have got and is key for what we're doing going forward," Byram
enthused. "We have got a great squad. You could see the impact made by the
people off the bench and it is not only down to one player. We all have to
dig in together to keep picking up the points."
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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen got off to a perfect start to life with Bradford City as he
helped inspire the Bantams to a 4-0 away win at Peterborough United.
The midfielder played the full ninety as James Hanson scored twice before
goals from Kyel Reid and Steven Davies finished the rout.
Fellow Hammer Reece Burke also played the full game, meanwhile Martin
Samuelsen started for Posh, being substituted by Chris Forrester in the 48th
minute.
Elliot Lee's Colchester United slipped to a 4-1 home defeat to Swindon Town.
The hosts were second best throughout the contest and were punished with
braces by Nicky Ajose and Michael Doughty. Joe Edwards' half-volley gave
Colchester a small glimmer of hope.
Stephen Hendrie played the full match as Southend United slipped to a 1-0
defeat away at Scunthorpe United. Paddy Madden's 11th minute goal sealed the
victory.
Clarke Bogard played the full game as Tilbury FC slipped to a 3-2 defeat
away at Cheshunt. Midfielder Ross Elsom played the match, and was replaced
with four to go.
Diego Poyet came on for final 15 minutes as Charlton drew 0-0 at home with
Cardiff City. The point takes the Addicks off the bottom of the
Championship, six points off safety.
Kyle Knoyle was unused substitute in Dundee United's 0-0 away draw at
Hamilton Academical.
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From the Terraces - Ollie Knight
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Ollie Knight looks back at Saturday's draw against Norwich
City...
West Ham United demonstrated their fighting spirit against a resilient
Norwich City team on Saturday.
Despite going two goals down early in the second half with goals from Robbie
Brady and Wes Hoolahan, the Hammers showed their grit and determination by
clawing back two goals from Dimitri Payet and the influential Mark Noble to
gain a share of the points.
New loan signing Emmanuel Emenike came within inches of grabbing the winner,
but he failed to make proper contact on the ball to nudge it past a
scrambling John Ruddy.
The draw sees Southampton leapfrog us into sixth place, but with Big Sam's
Sunderland side getting the better of Man Utd, there is just one point
between all three sides in the battle for fifth place and Europa League
qualification.
A fast paced first half ended 0-0 despite a powerful strike from Enner
Valencia, which was tipped just over Norwich's bar by John Ruddy.
Dimitri Payet was rewarded with a new contract this week keeping him with
the Hammers until 2021, Saturday's game proved just why he's thought of so
highly as the Frenchman played a part in both goals, scoring the first and
assisting Mark Noble for the second.
Inspired substitutions from Slaven Bilic saw Victor Moses, Andy Carroll and
Emmanuel Emenike come on in the second half for Enner Valencia, Michail
Antonio and Alex Song.
It was Moses that made the difference after a surging run stunned the
Norwich defence before a powerful shot was parried away by John Ruddy into
the path of Dimitri Payet who made it 2-1.
Payet then demonstrated his ability to create chances as well, as he laid a
perfectly weighted ball across the box to Mark Noble, who smashed the ball
into the top right corner.
West Ham showed no signs of tiredness following their 120 minute run out in
the FA Cup win against Liverpool midweek, as they kept going until the 90th
minute and came so close to clinching a winner at the end.
The Hammers travel to Blackburn in the FA Cup on Sunday and will be eager to
put themselves in the draw for the quarter-finals. Up to 7,200 Hammers are
expected to make the trip to Lancashire.
The FA Cup tie will be a good chance for Bilic to rest a few key players
that could be tired following a congested fixture list. It could also be a
good opportunity to give Andy Carroll a start following his return from a
hamstring injury.
West Ham's next Premier League outing is a final return to the Boleyn Ground
for Sam Allardyce's Sunderland team, which will be an excellent opportunity
to pick up all three points and make fifth place our own.
The trio of Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate are all
expected to return from injury over the next few weeks in what will be the
first time since the start of the season West Ham have had a full strength
side at their disposal.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United
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Ladies suffer Addicks' defeat
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies suffered another heavy defeat as a rampant Charlton
Athletic secured an 8-0 victory on Sunday 14 February.
After being knocked out of the FA Women's Cup in the third round by
Blackburn Rovers, the Ladies returned to league action and found themselves
4-0 down at half time through goals from Kit Graham, former Hammer Gemma
Shepherd, captain Kim Dixson and Stefanie Simmons.
The scoreline went from bad to worse in the second half, when Shepherd fired
home twice more, before skipper Dixson did the same to extend the Addicks'
lead to eight.
Manager Marc Nurse made a number of changes to his starting eleven in an
attempt to end the poor run of results. Development Squad goalkeeper Jodie
Sanderson was called on to replace Lauren Picton in goal, whilst Natalie
Strange stepped in for Erika Campesi and birthday girl Cindy Ferreira was
dropped to the bench to allow new signing Elizabeth Berkeley to start.
Before kick-off at Bridge Avenue, there was a minute of silence to remember
former West Ham and Charlton midfielder Katie Sheppard, who died at the age
of 22 in July 2014 and is forever loved and missed by all that knew her.
The Hammers started well and were getting plenty of time on the ball where
midfielders Gemma Abela and Danni Ritson were able to get the ball moving
and getting the speedy Whitney Locke and Romina Pinna away down the wings.
However, a defensive mistake from the Hammers allowed the Addicks to take
the lead as defender Strange was dispossessed by Shepherd, before giving the
ball to Graham to fire home from 18 yards.
Just a matter of minutes later, Graham turned from scorer to provider as she
laid the ball on a plate for Shepherd who confidently buried into the far
corner.
Hammers heads started to drop and around six minutes later, another
defensive lapse gave the ball away to Dixson, who fired an unstoppable
volley into the top corner to extend the visitors lead to 3-0.
There was little that Sanderson could do to stop the scoreline getting even
worse before the break, when a fantastic deep cross by Jenny Newman found
Simmons at the back post, where she fired in the top corner with power.
Nurse needed to spark some energy and inspiration into his team at the break
if they were to have any chance of grabbing a consolation goal.
The scoreline continued to get worse for the hosts though as a fifth goal
was scored after good work from Katie Flack, Simmons and Graham worked the
ball to Shepherd, who fired low into the corner.
Shepherd added her hat-trick goal just nine minutes after the break when
Simmons' whipped cross was slid home.
With around quarter of an hour left, Dixson took the captain's duty to
sealing the victory with two further goals of her own. First, she buried
home from close range after Shepherd blocked a West Ham clearance in the
penalty area, before she was well placed in the box to finish from
substitute Amy Howlett's cross.
That result leaves the Hammers in eighth place in the FA Women's Premier
League South, with just 14 points from their 16 league fixtures this season.
LADIES: Sanderson, Strange (Smith), Wheeler, Bottom (c), Sammons, Abela,
Missen, Ritson, Pinna (Ferreira), Locke, Berkley (Hinz)
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Monday Musings: A decent week
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 15th February 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
It's often said that in order to enjoy a productive season, a team should
aspire to win its home games and try not to lose too many away. In that
sense, it's been a pretty perfect week for West Ham United.
Slaven Bilic's side began it in superb fashion last Tuesday evening in front
of a full house at the Boleyn, enticed to this FA Cup fourth round replay by
cheaper tickets. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team were put to the sword for the
third time this season - although it took extra time plus a very late and
wildly-celebrated Angelo Ogbonna goal to separate the two on this occasion.
That left West Ham with a record against the Reds this season of played
four, won three and drawn one - with a goal tally of 7-1. That's
unprecedented in modern history and indicative of the positive progress West
Ham are making this season, their last before moving to Stratford's Olympic
Stadium.
The reward for that success was a fifth round trip to Blackburn, who are
currently struggling in the Championship having recently sold their key
player, striker Jordan Rhodes to rivals Middlesbrough. Which, as all
long-suffering Hammers fans know only too well, probably points to a Rovers
win next weekend!
Prior to that it was back to the Premier League with the Hammers facing a
trip to Norwich on Saturday, a team against whom the Irons had managed to
snatch a point against at the Boleyn earlier in the season having come from
behind twice to grab a 2-2 draw.
And it was a similar story in the return leg at Carrow Road, where an
out-of-form Canaries team that had suffered five defeats in its last six
games swept into a 2-0 lead having scored twice within nine minute at the
beginning of the second half. At least the Hammers kept a clean sheet in the
opening 45 minutes this week!
In years gone by that may have been the catalyst for a claret and blue
capitulation. However Bilic's side are made of stronger stuff and can always
count on the brilliant Dimitri Payet, who signed a new, improved contract
this week in order to stave off interest from elsewhere in England and
abroad.
With little more than quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Payet was well-placed to
convert a Vic Moses shot that had been spilled by John Ruddy to halve the
deficit - and within two minutes of that, Mark Noble fired home a superb
equaliser after being teed-up by a sublime pass from Payet.
Bilic admitted in a post-match interview that he had hoped to win the game,
but was happy with a point given the circumstances that led to it. Even
though his team have won just four of their last 16 Premier League outings,
it was enough to keep the Hammers seventh in the Premier League having
finally reached the magic 40-point mark - and with 12 more league games
still to play this season.
Next week Bilic will be accompanied on his travels by more than 7,500
travelling fans as the Hammers attempt to book a place in this year's FA Cup
quarter finals at Ewood Park. Should his team manage to win that, a home tie
at the Boleyn Ground in the last eight might just be the perfect send-off to
the club's spiritual home.
* An abridged version of this article first appeared in The Echo.
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David Sullivan's Exclusive Column: Players who have left the club that I
have really missed
February 14, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
David Sullivan
I am proud to have been asked to write my second article for The West Ham
Way, there is a good reason why it has been so long in the making, relating
to the theme of the article.
This article is on players who have left West Ham, who I have exceptionally
missed upon their departure or feel they would have been better off staying
with us at Upton Park. As I am sure many of you are aware, Mauro Zarate-the
love of my life, left us in the January transfer window. After coming to
terms with this and after a lengthy grieving process, consisting mostly of
crying and copious amounts of vodka, I feel it is time to talk openly about
this subject. For all of you wondering, yes my waist line has taken a huge
battering and I'm glad I've moved on and have since re-joined a gym, so
please don't worry about my physical or mental wellbeing.
Where can we start with Mauro Zarate. I will never forget when I first met
him, he was 17, fresh off a flight from Argentina and going to try and keep
Birmingham in the Premier League. Mauro had scored 12 in 19 during his
first full season in Argentina, at the age of only 16. He instantly became
very hot property and somehow my dad managed to secure a loan move for the
youngster, who scored 4 in 14 for Birmingham from the wing, just over 1 in 3
(a record any winger would be proud of). Birmingham got relegated and Mauro
moved to Lazio, but for the next couple of years we kept tabs on Mauro, even
featuring in my ultimate team during FIFA 13. Long story short, Mauro moved
back to Velez after stints in Italy and The Middle East, Velez being the
team who we signed him from during our Birmingham years. Mauro was the top
scorer in Argentina, so it made sense to continue the Sullivan love affair
with obscure South American strikers by signing him. I felt sad both times
Mauro left, as I feel he is a very passionate player and one all fans can
identify with. Look back to Arsenal away, the look on his face when he
scored and running straight into the away fans, this is part of what I feel
makes him so endearing. He is adored by the Lazio fans to this day and they
even sing his name (I doubt they do as of his transfer last week, but you
get the idea). Lastly, he has amazing natural ability, you only have to
look at all of the long shots and skills he performs in matches. I know
some fans were often frustrated by his almost unwillingness to give up the
ball, but I think every good player must want to do well and be greedy.
When you ask most West Ham fans to name an enigmatic young player who could
be capable of playing at the top top level, a large proportion would say
Ravel Morrison. When he left in the summer for Lazio, many likened the move
to that of Paul Gascoigne, both of which appeared to have troubled
situations and moved to the Italian team. Initially I was very happy for
Ravel, he had many distractions in the UK which aren't conducive for him to
develop as a player and a person. I feel that he really does love West Ham
and adored his time here. He can always be seen tweeting messages of
support, which he never does to his previous club Manchester United. Due to
this bond with West Ham I thought there was always a possibility he would
"come home". Ravel has showcased on many occasions, in flashes, what he is
capable of. If you haven't already, I'd recommend you search on YouTube for
a "Ravel Morrison welcome to Lazio" he looks as good as anyone and his
moments of genius are just that. However sometimes these moments come a bit
too few and far between, but in my eyes memories such as the third goal at
White Heart Lane are priceless. The main reason I was upset for his
departure, was I wondered to myself how Ravel would cope alone in a new
country with all new cultures. It is very rare English players move abroad
and possibly for this reason. I just hope that Ravel does reach his
potential and does himself proud, as he is a very nice man with too much
potential to go to waste. I don't want to imagine Ravel in 10 years time
being 33 years old and looking at what he has squandered. Right now it is
make or break for Ravel. Time shall tell.
Demba Ba is a player I was disappointed with when he left. I feel if we had
a Demba upfront for us now, I would see no reason why we couldn't be on a
similar points total to Leicester. There was no doubting Demba's quality
during his time at West Ham, scoring on many occasions, but unfortunately
not enough to keep us in the league. I do not blame Demba for leaving, as I
feel moving to the Premiership was used as a stepping stone for him and
playing in the championship was obviously not going to be as big of a stage
to show his talent. He is also a lovely man, we saw him a couple of years
ago in the street and he came in to have a drink and a look around.
Despite this being a West Ham blog, I feel it would only be fair to include
a Birmingham player or two who I wished had come to West Ham with us. I
promise I'll make this short for the West Ham fans. I was a huge fan of Seb
Larrson during his younger years, due to his set pieces and work-rate.
Similar to Seb was Cameron Jerome, who many knock for not being clinical
enough, but he reminds me of a Diafra Sakho character, a very large imposing
player with great speed and strength. Jerome also played upfront along side
Zarate in my FIFA 13 ultimate team….good times.
I want you all to let me know on Twitter which players you have missed the
most, send me your suggestions @davesulley or @westhamwaycouk
Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I hope you enjoyed
it!
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Matthew Etherington's column: Build this team around Payet
February 14, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Matthew Etherington
The overriding factor I feel since my last column, is how much I'm enjoying
this West Ham side play and how it is so obvious we have a very good
manager. We had a difficult period over Christmas with injuries etc, but the
thing I liked most is we didn't lose games we easily could have lost. Trust
me, I know and have heard that means the players are playing for the
manager. Speaking of Slaven, I think the performances show how much they
respect and want to play for the manager. Tactically and most importantly as
a man, they cannot speak highly enough of him. I think it shows on the pitch
as well.
I am speaking since the FA Cup win over Liverpool, I was at the Villa game
the week before and in the end via the sending off, it was a comfortable
win. The Liverpool result, maybe the last cup game under the lights, was yet
another special night at the Boleyn. I really have the feeling this could be
our year!! It would be the most amazing send off, maybe I'm dreaming but
this club and that amazing ground deserves that kind of send off.
I had seen talk of Payet to China before he signed his new deal, it was all
paper talk I know, but surely with the club moving into the new stadium and
the aspirations of this great club moving forward, all the key players will
want to stay. Build this already very good team around Payet and add more
quality, how special could these next few years be!
Lastly, it was an honour to be asked to play in Mark Noble's testimonial. A
chance to play at the Boleyn one last time, it means a lot to me. I'll go
into it more and about Nobe's in my next column.
#COYI
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Mark Noble says West Ham United are up for the fight
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 14/02/16 2:09pm
SSN
Mark Noble insists West Ham proved they are up for the fight after battling
to a point at Norwich on Saturday. aving won a marathon FA Cup replay after
extra time against Liverpool on Tuesday, the Hammers found themselves 2-0
down with less than half an hour to go at Carrow Road.
Midweek goal hero Michail Antonio's mistake let in Robbie Brady for the
opener and Wes Hoolahan looked to have wrapped up a precious three points
for the struggling Canaries. But West Ham refused to throw in the towel and
Dimitri Payet pulled one back with 16 minutes remaining, before setting up
Noble to crash home the equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw. "Especially after
the midweek game, the lads put in everything to get the point, which was so
important for us after being 2-0 down," skipper Noble told West Ham TV.
"Sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and we made a mistake, obviously
with Michail, but you can't blame him for that. "He's been fantastic for us,
and Robbie scored a great goal. But the fight, the character and the spirit
we had in coming back was great. We probably should have won it in the end.
We were gutted in there that we hadn't won. "We scored two really good goals
and what a great comeback for the club, especially after the winning in the
120th minute against Liverpool. To come back from that just finishes the
week off on a good note."
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Nikica Jelavic completes move to Chinese SECOND division side from West Ham
21:54, 15 FEB 2016 UPDATED 21:54, 15 FEB 2016
BY JAMES WHALING
The former Everton striker has joined Beijing Renhe in a £4million deal
after starting just one Premier League game for the Hammers
The Mirror
Nikica Jelavic has become the latest big name to move for the riches of
China - joining second division outfit Beijing Renhe in a £4million deal
from West Ham. The former Everton striker only moved to Upton Park in the
summer, but has managed just one Premier League start for the Hammers,
scoring only one goal. Jelavic fell further down the pecking order with the
loan arrival of Emmanuel Emenike in January, and has now secured a lucrative
move away from the East End. It ends a six-year stay on British shores,
representing Hull and Rangers as well as the Toffees and Irons during his
time in the UK. Beijing Renhe finished 15th in the Chinese Super League last
season, relegating them to the second tier. The transfer window remains open
in the country until February 26, with several household names having
already secured big-money moves to the Far East.
Jelavic joins the likes of Jackson Martinez, Ramires and Gervinho in
switching to China.
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Obiang form bad news for Irons hopeful
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News
C and H
Pedro Obiang has staked a massive claim to become part of a regular midfield
involving Mark Noble and Cheik Kouyate. And that's very bad news for
contract-chasing Alex Song whose hopes of landing a permanent end of season
deal are now rated at less than 50/50 by a number of Irons insiders. The
loanee returned to the team from injury in November and has since been
involved in 12 games either as a starting player or sub. He has failed to
recapture the form seen when he first arrived at the club and key insiders
now believe that a permanent deal is not a serious option. One told
ClaretandHugh: "It hasn't happened for Alex whilst Pedro has impressed more
and more over recent weeks, notably against Liverpool in the Cup replay when
he was outstanding. "There's now a very strong feeling that he should get a
real chance at an extended run and that of course is bad news for Alex. If
we are brutally honest his chance may not be as good as even money."
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Bilic makes a pledge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic has given an assurance there will no repeats of last season
with the Hammers sliding down the table. The draw at Norwich, following the
defeat at Southampton, has set up the spectre of an end of season similar to
last year when we sunk after a brilliant start. The Irons of course started
their fall after being beaten by West Brom in the FA Cup on Valentines
eventually finishing in 13th after that fine start. Such was the slide, the
Hammers won just two more games in a dreadful second half of the season.
Bilic won't hear of such a decline this season pledging that it's simply not
going to happen under his stewardship. Speaking after the game against
Norwich he said: " No way will we put the season to bed now – we have no
right to do that and it will not happen. "Maybe we will lose games, because
mistakes can happen, but there's no chance that we are going to stop. No,
no, no."
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Jack makes Noble 'testimonial' decision
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Jack Collison claims he "can just about get out to play " in Mark Noble's
Testimonial on March 28. Having retired from the game because of a knee
injury Jack will turn out in the game even if it turns out to be for short
time. Speaking to the ClaretandHugh interview section of
MooreThanJustAPodcast tonight – he declares: "Nobes was a massive
inspiration for the likes of myself, James Tomkins, "Junior Stanilas and all
the younger boys who were trying to make it through at the same time. "Nobes
had been there and done it and we were all aspiring to make that
breakthrough." "I was excited when I got the call, luckily enough I can just
about get out to play. it's going to be an amazing event, last season at the
Boleyn, "What better way to honour one of the best servants that West Ham
have had in the modern era. Nobes has been fantastic, he has probababy
played under seven or eight managers now and he has always been a regular
and even more so this season."
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Jelavic arrives in China
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham striker Nikica Jelavic has arrived in China to complete his move to
Beijing Renhe. Jelavic has landed in China to wrap up the formalities of the
transfer to Renhe, who were relegated after finishing 15th in the top flight
last year. The Croatia forward joined the Hammers on deadline day last
September for around £2.5m from Hull and the 30-year-old has since scored
two goals in 14 appearances. He is said to have been offered £60,000 per
week on a three year deal worth over £9m to himself but West Ham are thought
to see very little of it.
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Jelavic fee agreed …but not at £9m!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham are set to receive a humble £1.5 million for Nikica Jelavic.
Despite reports that the club is set to receive anything from between £4
million to £9 million for the striker we revealed on February 2 that the fee
would be less than they paid for him. The fee of £9 million mentioned in
fact relate to Jelavic's wages whilst the £4 million suggested by a national
newspaper some days ago is incorrect. Jelavic has today arrived in China as
he aims to complete the deal and the club confirmed to us today: "There is a
fee involved of around £1.5 million which of course represents a loss on
what we paid. " The story first appeared in CandH under the headline
http://www.claretandhugh.info/irons-reveal-jelavic-fee/ Jelavic follows the
likes of Chelsea's Ramires who moved east earlier this month to join Jiangsu
Suning in a stunning £25million deal. Newcastle United's Cheikh Tiote is
also wanted to play in Beijing. Jelavic joined West Ham from Hull City in
the last transfer window and has scored three goals in 13 appearances, 11 of
them as sub.
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Zarate sent off for love bite
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Former Hammer Mauro Zarate was sent off after grabbing and possibly biting
Inter Milan's Jeison Murillo by the neck on Valentine's day evening. However
Zarate claims he was punched twice during the scenes that marred the end of
Fiorentina's 2-1 win on Sunday night. After Khouma Babacar scored the winner
in stoppage time, Zarate initially refused to give the ball back to Inter. A
scuffle ensued, and Zarate was sent off after grabbing Inter's Jeison
Murillo by the neck. Zarate apologised for his red card in a message on
Twitter, but he claimed he had been assaulted before he was sent off.
"Apologies to the television viewers for the ugly scenes!" "Three points and
still third! I am very happy, shame about the red, but when you receive two
punches from two different players it is difficult to stay calm. Obviously I
should not react even in these situations. Forza Viola."
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Slaven Bilic admits he was surprised West Ham United signed Dimitri Payet
from Marseille last summer
The Guardian
Dimitri Payet celebrated committing his long-term future to West Ham United
by creating one and scoring another as the Hammers came from 2-0 down to
draw at Norwich City on Saturday.
The French playmaker signed a five-year deal with the Hammers on Thursday
evening after several days of speculation about his future. Canaries winger
Robbie Brady opened the scoring after 55 minutes, breezing into space on the
edge of the area before curling into the top corner. Eleven minutes later
Alex Neil's strugglers doubled up. Steven Naismith hit a shot which
deflected into the path of Wes Hoolahan. The Irishman promptly slammed under
Adrian to give the hosts an unassailable lead. Payet kick-started the
Hammers' revival with 16 minutes remaining, sliding in to hook the ball into
an empty net after Victor Moses had been denied by John Ruddy. The former
Marseille man then laid on West Ham's equaliser three minutes later. After
getting to the byline he cut back to the edge of the penalty area for
skipper Mark Noble to lash into the top corner.
Head coach Slaven Bilic admitted afterwards it was a surprise to bring Payet
to Upton Park in summer in a deal worth £10.5 million. "It wasn't a record
deal for West Ham. Nowhere near that – I don't think," he said. "But we were
first to react, or we used the situation that for some reason bigger clubs
didn't try to get him. "I don't know why, it was a bit of a surprise. "To be
fair, I thought it was going to be possible, but I didn't believe we were
going to do it that quickly. "Credit to the chairman, he did it very, very
quickly. In the space of ten days and he was our player. I was happy then
and I'm happy now."
The Hammers go to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday
looking to go one better than last season's defeat by West Bromwich Albion
at the same stage. "We're going to try to be different [to last season] and
we're going to give everything," Bilic said. "This kind of performance gives
us hope that it will be different. We have the quality, we have the team
spirit, we have the character, we have legs, the only problem is the
injuries. "But we are expecting a few players to come back after the
Blackburn game and it gives us hope, but only if we continue to play like
the last half an hour, or if we improve and raise our level of the game.
"But we will not put the season to bed now, no way, we have no right to do
it. Even if you have no chance to move up and down, this is the Premier
League. "We have fans, we have a team and we are representing West Ham, no
matter if it's a friendly or the Premier League. So no way is that going to
happen."
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Martin Samuelsen agrees with David Gold regarding West Ham first-team
chances for next season
HITC
Mathew Nash
The Norwegian looks like a future star at West Ham. Last night saw
Peterborough United push Premier League side West Bromwich Albion all the
way in the FA Cup. The League One side went to a penalty shoot-out but lost
after misses from Lee Angol and West Ham loanee Martin Samuelsen. The
Norwegian's game was blighted slightly by the miss from 12 yards, after he
has shone in the Posh midfield. The teenager, on loan from West Ham United,
attracted plenty of attention for his performance in the game and prior to
the fixture he had spoken to the press in his Norwegian homeland. He spoke
to Verdens Gang about the fixture and also mentioned his plans for next
season. He made it clear that he hopes to be in the West Ham first-team next
term:
"I hope to play in the Premier League next season. That's my goal. "One of
the owners wrote on Twitter that he thought I could be ready as early as
next season. I also feel that I can be."
West Ham chairman David Gold in fact stated his belief that Samuelsen could
go on to become as good as West Ham legend Sir Trevor Brooking. West Ham
fans were no doubt excited by the performance of the baby-faced midfielder.
His ball control and energy is fantastic and he looks like being a potential
star of the future at West Ham. He will still only be a teenager next season
and West Ham might in fact decide to send him out on loan to the
Championship next term. But if he can impress in pre-season enough than the
Norwegian might very well be in the West Ham first-team sooner rather than
later.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic insists he saw plenty in West Ham United's stirring revival at
Norwich City on Saturday to prove that there will be no let up from his side
in the final third of the Barclays Premier League season. Following the
weekend's breathless 2-2 draw at Carrow Road, the Hammers are one point and
one place better off than at this stage last season. And while the Hammers'
form dipped dramatically in the latter stages of last term, Bilic expects an
altogether different story this time around, not least with the likes of
Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho soon to return to action. Next up for Bilic
and his charges is Sunday's trip to Ewood Park in the fifth round of the
Emirates FA Cup and an opportunity to go one better than the Hammers' last
16 exit at West Bromwich Albion this time last year. "We're going to try to
be different [to last season] and we're going to give everything," the Croat
confirmed. "This kind of performance gives us hope that it will be
different. We have the quality, we have the team spirit, we have the
character, we have legs, the only problem is the injuries. But we are
expecting a few players to come back after the Blackburn game and it gives
us hope, but only if we continue to play like the last half an hour, or if
we improve and raise our level of the game. "But we will not put the season
to bed now, no way, we have no right to do it. Even if you have no chance to
move up and down, this is the Premier League. We have fans, we have a team,
we are representing West Ham, no matter if it's a friendly or the Premier
League. So no way is that going to happen."
In all likelihood, Dimitri Payet will be pivotal to the Hammers' charge for
European football, just as he was at Carrow Road. Less than 48 hours after
pledging his long-term future to the Club, the Frenchman scored the first
and created the second. Reflecting on Payet's summer switch to east London,
Bilic is thankful that the Hammers stole a march on their rivals for the
midfielder's signature. Bilic continued: "It wasn't a record deal for West
Ham. Nowhere near that, I don't think. But we were first to react, or we
used the situation that for some reason bigger clubs didn't try to get him.
I don't know why, it was a bit of a surprise. "To be fair, I thought it was
going to be possible, but I didn't believe we were going to do it that
quickly. Credit to the Chairman, he did it very, very quickly, in the space
of ten days and he was our player. I was happy then and I'm happy now."
Meanwhile, the Hammers' exertions at Carrow Road is proof, says Bilic, of
the quality that now exists throughout the Premier League, with increased
spending power enabling clubs across the board to invest heavily in their
playing staff. "It's the Premier League and every team is good enough. I'm
not talking about resilience, I'm not talking about physical presence or
character, that is all Premier League clubs, I'm talking about the quality.
"Because with the money in the league, look at Norwich and how much money
they have spent a few weeks ago, that gives the so-called smaller clubs the
chance to improve and to close that gap to the big guns and that's what
we're trying to do. But not only us. You have Leicester, which is the best
example in Europe. But Leicester are not where they are because of the team
spirit and the character, they are there because they have quality players
and that goes with every club."
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Sam savours Norwich 'battle'
WHUFC.com
Don't let Sam Byram's baby-faced appearance fool you – West Ham United's new
No22 loves a battle! The right-back was at his combative best at Norwich
City on Saturday, enjoying an enthralling personal tussle with the Canaries'
equally feisty forward Steven Naismith. Thankfully for Byram, he avoided
being shown a tenth yellow card of the season and a two-match ban, but the
youngster is certainly not planning on retreating into his shell anytime
soon! "We had a good battle!" he smiled. "It's a big step up and I'm still
trying to ease my way in and learn on the training pitch and in games, so
hopefully I'll keep getting better and be able to express myself, the more
game time I get."
Byram was heavily involved in what was a fraught game at Carrow Road, where
West Ham came from two goals down to snatch a valuable Barclays Premier
League draw. Indeed, with substitutes Victor Moses, Andy Carroll and
Emmanuel Emenike adding to the firepower already on the pitch, the defender
said the Hammers could even have pulled off an unlikely victory. "I think it
was a very frantic game at times," he observed. "It was a back and forward
and I think we were a bit disappointed not to nick it at the end there. "I
think the changes we made and the players who came on made a big impact.
They changed the game and we showed great spirit and fight in the team to
get it back to two-all, and I think we were unlucky not to go on and get the
winner."
Coming hot on the heels of a last-minute Emirates FA Cup fourth-round replay
victory over Liverpool, Byram says the determination and team spirit in the
West Ham dressing room is there for all to see. "The fans were great and you
could hear them all game, while the set of lads we've got is brilliant, and
the spirit and the togetherness in the group have been brilliant to come
into," he revealed. "You can see the togetherness and the results we
achieved against Liverpool and Norwich showed the fight that we do have."
One player who epitomises the spirit and attitude within the squad is
Dimitri Payet, who provided another goal and another assist to turn things
around at Norwich – days after delivering the free-kick for Angelo Ogbonna's
winner against Liverpool. "He is some player and everyone is over the moon
that he has signed his future here and he is part of a very good squad of
players we have got and is key for what we're doing going forward," Byram
enthused. "We have got a great squad. You could see the impact made by the
people off the bench and it is not only down to one player. We all have to
dig in together to keep picking up the points."
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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen got off to a perfect start to life with Bradford City as he
helped inspire the Bantams to a 4-0 away win at Peterborough United.
The midfielder played the full ninety as James Hanson scored twice before
goals from Kyel Reid and Steven Davies finished the rout.
Fellow Hammer Reece Burke also played the full game, meanwhile Martin
Samuelsen started for Posh, being substituted by Chris Forrester in the 48th
minute.
Elliot Lee's Colchester United slipped to a 4-1 home defeat to Swindon Town.
The hosts were second best throughout the contest and were punished with
braces by Nicky Ajose and Michael Doughty. Joe Edwards' half-volley gave
Colchester a small glimmer of hope.
Stephen Hendrie played the full match as Southend United slipped to a 1-0
defeat away at Scunthorpe United. Paddy Madden's 11th minute goal sealed the
victory.
Clarke Bogard played the full game as Tilbury FC slipped to a 3-2 defeat
away at Cheshunt. Midfielder Ross Elsom played the match, and was replaced
with four to go.
Diego Poyet came on for final 15 minutes as Charlton drew 0-0 at home with
Cardiff City. The point takes the Addicks off the bottom of the
Championship, six points off safety.
Kyle Knoyle was unused substitute in Dundee United's 0-0 away draw at
Hamilton Academical.
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From the Terraces - Ollie Knight
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Ollie Knight looks back at Saturday's draw against Norwich
City...
West Ham United demonstrated their fighting spirit against a resilient
Norwich City team on Saturday.
Despite going two goals down early in the second half with goals from Robbie
Brady and Wes Hoolahan, the Hammers showed their grit and determination by
clawing back two goals from Dimitri Payet and the influential Mark Noble to
gain a share of the points.
New loan signing Emmanuel Emenike came within inches of grabbing the winner,
but he failed to make proper contact on the ball to nudge it past a
scrambling John Ruddy.
The draw sees Southampton leapfrog us into sixth place, but with Big Sam's
Sunderland side getting the better of Man Utd, there is just one point
between all three sides in the battle for fifth place and Europa League
qualification.
A fast paced first half ended 0-0 despite a powerful strike from Enner
Valencia, which was tipped just over Norwich's bar by John Ruddy.
Dimitri Payet was rewarded with a new contract this week keeping him with
the Hammers until 2021, Saturday's game proved just why he's thought of so
highly as the Frenchman played a part in both goals, scoring the first and
assisting Mark Noble for the second.
Inspired substitutions from Slaven Bilic saw Victor Moses, Andy Carroll and
Emmanuel Emenike come on in the second half for Enner Valencia, Michail
Antonio and Alex Song.
It was Moses that made the difference after a surging run stunned the
Norwich defence before a powerful shot was parried away by John Ruddy into
the path of Dimitri Payet who made it 2-1.
Payet then demonstrated his ability to create chances as well, as he laid a
perfectly weighted ball across the box to Mark Noble, who smashed the ball
into the top right corner.
West Ham showed no signs of tiredness following their 120 minute run out in
the FA Cup win against Liverpool midweek, as they kept going until the 90th
minute and came so close to clinching a winner at the end.
The Hammers travel to Blackburn in the FA Cup on Sunday and will be eager to
put themselves in the draw for the quarter-finals. Up to 7,200 Hammers are
expected to make the trip to Lancashire.
The FA Cup tie will be a good chance for Bilic to rest a few key players
that could be tired following a congested fixture list. It could also be a
good opportunity to give Andy Carroll a start following his return from a
hamstring injury.
West Ham's next Premier League outing is a final return to the Boleyn Ground
for Sam Allardyce's Sunderland team, which will be an excellent opportunity
to pick up all three points and make fifth place our own.
The trio of Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate are all
expected to return from injury over the next few weeks in what will be the
first time since the start of the season West Ham have had a full strength
side at their disposal.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United
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Ladies suffer Addicks' defeat
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies suffered another heavy defeat as a rampant Charlton
Athletic secured an 8-0 victory on Sunday 14 February.
After being knocked out of the FA Women's Cup in the third round by
Blackburn Rovers, the Ladies returned to league action and found themselves
4-0 down at half time through goals from Kit Graham, former Hammer Gemma
Shepherd, captain Kim Dixson and Stefanie Simmons.
The scoreline went from bad to worse in the second half, when Shepherd fired
home twice more, before skipper Dixson did the same to extend the Addicks'
lead to eight.
Manager Marc Nurse made a number of changes to his starting eleven in an
attempt to end the poor run of results. Development Squad goalkeeper Jodie
Sanderson was called on to replace Lauren Picton in goal, whilst Natalie
Strange stepped in for Erika Campesi and birthday girl Cindy Ferreira was
dropped to the bench to allow new signing Elizabeth Berkeley to start.
Before kick-off at Bridge Avenue, there was a minute of silence to remember
former West Ham and Charlton midfielder Katie Sheppard, who died at the age
of 22 in July 2014 and is forever loved and missed by all that knew her.
The Hammers started well and were getting plenty of time on the ball where
midfielders Gemma Abela and Danni Ritson were able to get the ball moving
and getting the speedy Whitney Locke and Romina Pinna away down the wings.
However, a defensive mistake from the Hammers allowed the Addicks to take
the lead as defender Strange was dispossessed by Shepherd, before giving the
ball to Graham to fire home from 18 yards.
Just a matter of minutes later, Graham turned from scorer to provider as she
laid the ball on a plate for Shepherd who confidently buried into the far
corner.
Hammers heads started to drop and around six minutes later, another
defensive lapse gave the ball away to Dixson, who fired an unstoppable
volley into the top corner to extend the visitors lead to 3-0.
There was little that Sanderson could do to stop the scoreline getting even
worse before the break, when a fantastic deep cross by Jenny Newman found
Simmons at the back post, where she fired in the top corner with power.
Nurse needed to spark some energy and inspiration into his team at the break
if they were to have any chance of grabbing a consolation goal.
The scoreline continued to get worse for the hosts though as a fifth goal
was scored after good work from Katie Flack, Simmons and Graham worked the
ball to Shepherd, who fired low into the corner.
Shepherd added her hat-trick goal just nine minutes after the break when
Simmons' whipped cross was slid home.
With around quarter of an hour left, Dixson took the captain's duty to
sealing the victory with two further goals of her own. First, she buried
home from close range after Shepherd blocked a West Ham clearance in the
penalty area, before she was well placed in the box to finish from
substitute Amy Howlett's cross.
That result leaves the Hammers in eighth place in the FA Women's Premier
League South, with just 14 points from their 16 league fixtures this season.
LADIES: Sanderson, Strange (Smith), Wheeler, Bottom (c), Sammons, Abela,
Missen, Ritson, Pinna (Ferreira), Locke, Berkley (Hinz)
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Monday Musings: A decent week
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 15th February 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
It's often said that in order to enjoy a productive season, a team should
aspire to win its home games and try not to lose too many away. In that
sense, it's been a pretty perfect week for West Ham United.
Slaven Bilic's side began it in superb fashion last Tuesday evening in front
of a full house at the Boleyn, enticed to this FA Cup fourth round replay by
cheaper tickets. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team were put to the sword for the
third time this season - although it took extra time plus a very late and
wildly-celebrated Angelo Ogbonna goal to separate the two on this occasion.
That left West Ham with a record against the Reds this season of played
four, won three and drawn one - with a goal tally of 7-1. That's
unprecedented in modern history and indicative of the positive progress West
Ham are making this season, their last before moving to Stratford's Olympic
Stadium.
The reward for that success was a fifth round trip to Blackburn, who are
currently struggling in the Championship having recently sold their key
player, striker Jordan Rhodes to rivals Middlesbrough. Which, as all
long-suffering Hammers fans know only too well, probably points to a Rovers
win next weekend!
Prior to that it was back to the Premier League with the Hammers facing a
trip to Norwich on Saturday, a team against whom the Irons had managed to
snatch a point against at the Boleyn earlier in the season having come from
behind twice to grab a 2-2 draw.
And it was a similar story in the return leg at Carrow Road, where an
out-of-form Canaries team that had suffered five defeats in its last six
games swept into a 2-0 lead having scored twice within nine minute at the
beginning of the second half. At least the Hammers kept a clean sheet in the
opening 45 minutes this week!
In years gone by that may have been the catalyst for a claret and blue
capitulation. However Bilic's side are made of stronger stuff and can always
count on the brilliant Dimitri Payet, who signed a new, improved contract
this week in order to stave off interest from elsewhere in England and
abroad.
With little more than quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Payet was well-placed to
convert a Vic Moses shot that had been spilled by John Ruddy to halve the
deficit - and within two minutes of that, Mark Noble fired home a superb
equaliser after being teed-up by a sublime pass from Payet.
Bilic admitted in a post-match interview that he had hoped to win the game,
but was happy with a point given the circumstances that led to it. Even
though his team have won just four of their last 16 Premier League outings,
it was enough to keep the Hammers seventh in the Premier League having
finally reached the magic 40-point mark - and with 12 more league games
still to play this season.
Next week Bilic will be accompanied on his travels by more than 7,500
travelling fans as the Hammers attempt to book a place in this year's FA Cup
quarter finals at Ewood Park. Should his team manage to win that, a home tie
at the Boleyn Ground in the last eight might just be the perfect send-off to
the club's spiritual home.
* An abridged version of this article first appeared in The Echo.
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David Sullivan's Exclusive Column: Players who have left the club that I
have really missed
February 14, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
David Sullivan
I am proud to have been asked to write my second article for The West Ham
Way, there is a good reason why it has been so long in the making, relating
to the theme of the article.
This article is on players who have left West Ham, who I have exceptionally
missed upon their departure or feel they would have been better off staying
with us at Upton Park. As I am sure many of you are aware, Mauro Zarate-the
love of my life, left us in the January transfer window. After coming to
terms with this and after a lengthy grieving process, consisting mostly of
crying and copious amounts of vodka, I feel it is time to talk openly about
this subject. For all of you wondering, yes my waist line has taken a huge
battering and I'm glad I've moved on and have since re-joined a gym, so
please don't worry about my physical or mental wellbeing.
Where can we start with Mauro Zarate. I will never forget when I first met
him, he was 17, fresh off a flight from Argentina and going to try and keep
Birmingham in the Premier League. Mauro had scored 12 in 19 during his
first full season in Argentina, at the age of only 16. He instantly became
very hot property and somehow my dad managed to secure a loan move for the
youngster, who scored 4 in 14 for Birmingham from the wing, just over 1 in 3
(a record any winger would be proud of). Birmingham got relegated and Mauro
moved to Lazio, but for the next couple of years we kept tabs on Mauro, even
featuring in my ultimate team during FIFA 13. Long story short, Mauro moved
back to Velez after stints in Italy and The Middle East, Velez being the
team who we signed him from during our Birmingham years. Mauro was the top
scorer in Argentina, so it made sense to continue the Sullivan love affair
with obscure South American strikers by signing him. I felt sad both times
Mauro left, as I feel he is a very passionate player and one all fans can
identify with. Look back to Arsenal away, the look on his face when he
scored and running straight into the away fans, this is part of what I feel
makes him so endearing. He is adored by the Lazio fans to this day and they
even sing his name (I doubt they do as of his transfer last week, but you
get the idea). Lastly, he has amazing natural ability, you only have to
look at all of the long shots and skills he performs in matches. I know
some fans were often frustrated by his almost unwillingness to give up the
ball, but I think every good player must want to do well and be greedy.
When you ask most West Ham fans to name an enigmatic young player who could
be capable of playing at the top top level, a large proportion would say
Ravel Morrison. When he left in the summer for Lazio, many likened the move
to that of Paul Gascoigne, both of which appeared to have troubled
situations and moved to the Italian team. Initially I was very happy for
Ravel, he had many distractions in the UK which aren't conducive for him to
develop as a player and a person. I feel that he really does love West Ham
and adored his time here. He can always be seen tweeting messages of
support, which he never does to his previous club Manchester United. Due to
this bond with West Ham I thought there was always a possibility he would
"come home". Ravel has showcased on many occasions, in flashes, what he is
capable of. If you haven't already, I'd recommend you search on YouTube for
a "Ravel Morrison welcome to Lazio" he looks as good as anyone and his
moments of genius are just that. However sometimes these moments come a bit
too few and far between, but in my eyes memories such as the third goal at
White Heart Lane are priceless. The main reason I was upset for his
departure, was I wondered to myself how Ravel would cope alone in a new
country with all new cultures. It is very rare English players move abroad
and possibly for this reason. I just hope that Ravel does reach his
potential and does himself proud, as he is a very nice man with too much
potential to go to waste. I don't want to imagine Ravel in 10 years time
being 33 years old and looking at what he has squandered. Right now it is
make or break for Ravel. Time shall tell.
Demba Ba is a player I was disappointed with when he left. I feel if we had
a Demba upfront for us now, I would see no reason why we couldn't be on a
similar points total to Leicester. There was no doubting Demba's quality
during his time at West Ham, scoring on many occasions, but unfortunately
not enough to keep us in the league. I do not blame Demba for leaving, as I
feel moving to the Premiership was used as a stepping stone for him and
playing in the championship was obviously not going to be as big of a stage
to show his talent. He is also a lovely man, we saw him a couple of years
ago in the street and he came in to have a drink and a look around.
Despite this being a West Ham blog, I feel it would only be fair to include
a Birmingham player or two who I wished had come to West Ham with us. I
promise I'll make this short for the West Ham fans. I was a huge fan of Seb
Larrson during his younger years, due to his set pieces and work-rate.
Similar to Seb was Cameron Jerome, who many knock for not being clinical
enough, but he reminds me of a Diafra Sakho character, a very large imposing
player with great speed and strength. Jerome also played upfront along side
Zarate in my FIFA 13 ultimate team….good times.
I want you all to let me know on Twitter which players you have missed the
most, send me your suggestions @davesulley or @westhamwaycouk
Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I hope you enjoyed
it!
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Matthew Etherington's column: Build this team around Payet
February 14, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Matthew Etherington
The overriding factor I feel since my last column, is how much I'm enjoying
this West Ham side play and how it is so obvious we have a very good
manager. We had a difficult period over Christmas with injuries etc, but the
thing I liked most is we didn't lose games we easily could have lost. Trust
me, I know and have heard that means the players are playing for the
manager. Speaking of Slaven, I think the performances show how much they
respect and want to play for the manager. Tactically and most importantly as
a man, they cannot speak highly enough of him. I think it shows on the pitch
as well.
I am speaking since the FA Cup win over Liverpool, I was at the Villa game
the week before and in the end via the sending off, it was a comfortable
win. The Liverpool result, maybe the last cup game under the lights, was yet
another special night at the Boleyn. I really have the feeling this could be
our year!! It would be the most amazing send off, maybe I'm dreaming but
this club and that amazing ground deserves that kind of send off.
I had seen talk of Payet to China before he signed his new deal, it was all
paper talk I know, but surely with the club moving into the new stadium and
the aspirations of this great club moving forward, all the key players will
want to stay. Build this already very good team around Payet and add more
quality, how special could these next few years be!
Lastly, it was an honour to be asked to play in Mark Noble's testimonial. A
chance to play at the Boleyn one last time, it means a lot to me. I'll go
into it more and about Nobe's in my next column.
#COYI
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Mark Noble says West Ham United are up for the fight
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 14/02/16 2:09pm
SSN
Mark Noble insists West Ham proved they are up for the fight after battling
to a point at Norwich on Saturday. aving won a marathon FA Cup replay after
extra time against Liverpool on Tuesday, the Hammers found themselves 2-0
down with less than half an hour to go at Carrow Road.
Midweek goal hero Michail Antonio's mistake let in Robbie Brady for the
opener and Wes Hoolahan looked to have wrapped up a precious three points
for the struggling Canaries. But West Ham refused to throw in the towel and
Dimitri Payet pulled one back with 16 minutes remaining, before setting up
Noble to crash home the equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw. "Especially after
the midweek game, the lads put in everything to get the point, which was so
important for us after being 2-0 down," skipper Noble told West Ham TV.
"Sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and we made a mistake, obviously
with Michail, but you can't blame him for that. "He's been fantastic for us,
and Robbie scored a great goal. But the fight, the character and the spirit
we had in coming back was great. We probably should have won it in the end.
We were gutted in there that we hadn't won. "We scored two really good goals
and what a great comeback for the club, especially after the winning in the
120th minute against Liverpool. To come back from that just finishes the
week off on a good note."
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Nikica Jelavic completes move to Chinese SECOND division side from West Ham
21:54, 15 FEB 2016 UPDATED 21:54, 15 FEB 2016
BY JAMES WHALING
The former Everton striker has joined Beijing Renhe in a £4million deal
after starting just one Premier League game for the Hammers
The Mirror
Nikica Jelavic has become the latest big name to move for the riches of
China - joining second division outfit Beijing Renhe in a £4million deal
from West Ham. The former Everton striker only moved to Upton Park in the
summer, but has managed just one Premier League start for the Hammers,
scoring only one goal. Jelavic fell further down the pecking order with the
loan arrival of Emmanuel Emenike in January, and has now secured a lucrative
move away from the East End. It ends a six-year stay on British shores,
representing Hull and Rangers as well as the Toffees and Irons during his
time in the UK. Beijing Renhe finished 15th in the Chinese Super League last
season, relegating them to the second tier. The transfer window remains open
in the country until February 26, with several household names having
already secured big-money moves to the Far East.
Jelavic joins the likes of Jackson Martinez, Ramires and Gervinho in
switching to China.
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Obiang form bad news for Irons hopeful
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News
C and H
Pedro Obiang has staked a massive claim to become part of a regular midfield
involving Mark Noble and Cheik Kouyate. And that's very bad news for
contract-chasing Alex Song whose hopes of landing a permanent end of season
deal are now rated at less than 50/50 by a number of Irons insiders. The
loanee returned to the team from injury in November and has since been
involved in 12 games either as a starting player or sub. He has failed to
recapture the form seen when he first arrived at the club and key insiders
now believe that a permanent deal is not a serious option. One told
ClaretandHugh: "It hasn't happened for Alex whilst Pedro has impressed more
and more over recent weeks, notably against Liverpool in the Cup replay when
he was outstanding. "There's now a very strong feeling that he should get a
real chance at an extended run and that of course is bad news for Alex. If
we are brutally honest his chance may not be as good as even money."
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Bilic makes a pledge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic has given an assurance there will no repeats of last season
with the Hammers sliding down the table. The draw at Norwich, following the
defeat at Southampton, has set up the spectre of an end of season similar to
last year when we sunk after a brilliant start. The Irons of course started
their fall after being beaten by West Brom in the FA Cup on Valentines
eventually finishing in 13th after that fine start. Such was the slide, the
Hammers won just two more games in a dreadful second half of the season.
Bilic won't hear of such a decline this season pledging that it's simply not
going to happen under his stewardship. Speaking after the game against
Norwich he said: " No way will we put the season to bed now – we have no
right to do that and it will not happen. "Maybe we will lose games, because
mistakes can happen, but there's no chance that we are going to stop. No,
no, no."
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Jack makes Noble 'testimonial' decision
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Jack Collison claims he "can just about get out to play " in Mark Noble's
Testimonial on March 28. Having retired from the game because of a knee
injury Jack will turn out in the game even if it turns out to be for short
time. Speaking to the ClaretandHugh interview section of
MooreThanJustAPodcast tonight – he declares: "Nobes was a massive
inspiration for the likes of myself, James Tomkins, "Junior Stanilas and all
the younger boys who were trying to make it through at the same time. "Nobes
had been there and done it and we were all aspiring to make that
breakthrough." "I was excited when I got the call, luckily enough I can just
about get out to play. it's going to be an amazing event, last season at the
Boleyn, "What better way to honour one of the best servants that West Ham
have had in the modern era. Nobes has been fantastic, he has probababy
played under seven or eight managers now and he has always been a regular
and even more so this season."
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Jelavic arrives in China
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham striker Nikica Jelavic has arrived in China to complete his move to
Beijing Renhe. Jelavic has landed in China to wrap up the formalities of the
transfer to Renhe, who were relegated after finishing 15th in the top flight
last year. The Croatia forward joined the Hammers on deadline day last
September for around £2.5m from Hull and the 30-year-old has since scored
two goals in 14 appearances. He is said to have been offered £60,000 per
week on a three year deal worth over £9m to himself but West Ham are thought
to see very little of it.
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Jelavic fee agreed …but not at £9m!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham are set to receive a humble £1.5 million for Nikica Jelavic.
Despite reports that the club is set to receive anything from between £4
million to £9 million for the striker we revealed on February 2 that the fee
would be less than they paid for him. The fee of £9 million mentioned in
fact relate to Jelavic's wages whilst the £4 million suggested by a national
newspaper some days ago is incorrect. Jelavic has today arrived in China as
he aims to complete the deal and the club confirmed to us today: "There is a
fee involved of around £1.5 million which of course represents a loss on
what we paid. " The story first appeared in CandH under the headline
http://www.claretandhugh.info/irons-reveal-jelavic-fee/ Jelavic follows the
likes of Chelsea's Ramires who moved east earlier this month to join Jiangsu
Suning in a stunning £25million deal. Newcastle United's Cheikh Tiote is
also wanted to play in Beijing. Jelavic joined West Ham from Hull City in
the last transfer window and has scored three goals in 13 appearances, 11 of
them as sub.
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Zarate sent off for love bite
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Former Hammer Mauro Zarate was sent off after grabbing and possibly biting
Inter Milan's Jeison Murillo by the neck on Valentine's day evening. However
Zarate claims he was punched twice during the scenes that marred the end of
Fiorentina's 2-1 win on Sunday night. After Khouma Babacar scored the winner
in stoppage time, Zarate initially refused to give the ball back to Inter. A
scuffle ensued, and Zarate was sent off after grabbing Inter's Jeison
Murillo by the neck. Zarate apologised for his red card in a message on
Twitter, but he claimed he had been assaulted before he was sent off.
"Apologies to the television viewers for the ugly scenes!" "Three points and
still third! I am very happy, shame about the red, but when you receive two
punches from two different players it is difficult to stay calm. Obviously I
should not react even in these situations. Forza Viola."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic admits he was surprised West Ham United signed Dimitri Payet
from Marseille last summer
The Guardian
Dimitri Payet celebrated committing his long-term future to West Ham United
by creating one and scoring another as the Hammers came from 2-0 down to
draw at Norwich City on Saturday.
The French playmaker signed a five-year deal with the Hammers on Thursday
evening after several days of speculation about his future. Canaries winger
Robbie Brady opened the scoring after 55 minutes, breezing into space on the
edge of the area before curling into the top corner. Eleven minutes later
Alex Neil's strugglers doubled up. Steven Naismith hit a shot which
deflected into the path of Wes Hoolahan. The Irishman promptly slammed under
Adrian to give the hosts an unassailable lead. Payet kick-started the
Hammers' revival with 16 minutes remaining, sliding in to hook the ball into
an empty net after Victor Moses had been denied by John Ruddy. The former
Marseille man then laid on West Ham's equaliser three minutes later. After
getting to the byline he cut back to the edge of the penalty area for
skipper Mark Noble to lash into the top corner.
Head coach Slaven Bilic admitted afterwards it was a surprise to bring Payet
to Upton Park in summer in a deal worth £10.5 million. "It wasn't a record
deal for West Ham. Nowhere near that – I don't think," he said. "But we were
first to react, or we used the situation that for some reason bigger clubs
didn't try to get him. "I don't know why, it was a bit of a surprise. "To be
fair, I thought it was going to be possible, but I didn't believe we were
going to do it that quickly. "Credit to the chairman, he did it very, very
quickly. In the space of ten days and he was our player. I was happy then
and I'm happy now."
The Hammers go to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday
looking to go one better than last season's defeat by West Bromwich Albion
at the same stage. "We're going to try to be different [to last season] and
we're going to give everything," Bilic said. "This kind of performance gives
us hope that it will be different. We have the quality, we have the team
spirit, we have the character, we have legs, the only problem is the
injuries. "But we are expecting a few players to come back after the
Blackburn game and it gives us hope, but only if we continue to play like
the last half an hour, or if we improve and raise our level of the game.
"But we will not put the season to bed now, no way, we have no right to do
it. Even if you have no chance to move up and down, this is the Premier
League. "We have fans, we have a team and we are representing West Ham, no
matter if it's a friendly or the Premier League. So no way is that going to
happen."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Martin Samuelsen agrees with David Gold regarding West Ham first-team
chances for next season
HITC
Mathew Nash
The Norwegian looks like a future star at West Ham. Last night saw
Peterborough United push Premier League side West Bromwich Albion all the
way in the FA Cup. The League One side went to a penalty shoot-out but lost
after misses from Lee Angol and West Ham loanee Martin Samuelsen. The
Norwegian's game was blighted slightly by the miss from 12 yards, after he
has shone in the Posh midfield. The teenager, on loan from West Ham United,
attracted plenty of attention for his performance in the game and prior to
the fixture he had spoken to the press in his Norwegian homeland. He spoke
to Verdens Gang about the fixture and also mentioned his plans for next
season. He made it clear that he hopes to be in the West Ham first-team next
term:
"I hope to play in the Premier League next season. That's my goal. "One of
the owners wrote on Twitter that he thought I could be ready as early as
next season. I also feel that I can be."
West Ham chairman David Gold in fact stated his belief that Samuelsen could
go on to become as good as West Ham legend Sir Trevor Brooking. West Ham
fans were no doubt excited by the performance of the baby-faced midfielder.
His ball control and energy is fantastic and he looks like being a potential
star of the future at West Ham. He will still only be a teenager next season
and West Ham might in fact decide to send him out on loan to the
Championship next term. But if he can impress in pre-season enough than the
Norwegian might very well be in the West Ham first-team sooner rather than
later.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, February 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th February 2016
Moses - We showed great desire
WHUFC.com
Victor Moses was delighted to play his part as West Ham United came from 2-0
down to claim a point at Norwich City on Saturday. Moses was introduced to
the action with that two-goal deficit, but his surging run and shot in the
74th minute paved the way for the Dimitri Payet goal which started the
fightback. Mark Noble levelled the scores just three minutes later, leaving
Moses and his teammates far more satisfied with the final outcome. "It was a
great game," he said. "First half wasn't the best for us, but in the second
half we turned it around [after going 2-0 down]. "You could see the passion
and desire we had to come back and we got two goals in two or three minutes.
It ended up being a great day for us. "The most important thing is the point
we got. It's good that we didn't lose."
Moses more than played his part in the Hammers' revival at Carrow Road, with
one of the other star performers being Payet, who followed his goal by
setting up the Noble leveller. Moses continued: "Dimitri Payet is a great
player. We all know he has a huge amount of talent. The first goal was a
little similar to the one he scored against Newcastle. This time the keeper
saved it and he's put it in the back of the net. "It was a good move from me
and Dimi as well, and I'm very happy that he was on the scoresheet."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Norwich City 2-2 West Ham United
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport
Norwich blew a two-goal lead but ended a run of five league defeats with a
draw against West Ham. Robbie Brady robbed Michail Antonio of the ball and
curled in a shot before Wes Hoolahan drove in a close range effort to put
the home side 2-0 up. But Dimitri Payet slotted in for the Hammers after
Victor Moses had a shot parried into his path. Payet then pulled the ball
back for Mark Noble to steer in a shot and complete West Ham's comeback.
Hammers substitute Emmanuel Emenike had a great chance late on when he got
on the end of an Andy Carroll flick on but he trapped the ball instead of
diverting it towards goal and allowed keeper John Ruddy to gather. In a
frantic finale, Nathan Redmond had a shot blocked by keeper Adrian, while a
Norwich corner was also cleared from the Hammers goalmouth.
'It is the same old story'
Norwich were 3-1 up against Liverpool recently but contrived to lose 5-4 and
they were at it again when it came to throwing away points from a winning
position. At 2-0 up, they should have been easing to victory against a West
Ham side that had suffered key injuries having been taken to extra-time in a
midweek FA Cup replay win over Liverpool. However, when they needed cool
heads, the home side capitulated as they lost their organisation and
discipline. While the nature of the draw may feel like a defeat for the
Canaries, they moved up one place and out of the relegation zone on goal
difference following Newcastle's 5-1 thrashing by Chelsea in the later
kick-off. "It is the same old story," said Brady. "We can't let teams back
into the game when we have a two-goal lead."
Hammers sensed Norwich frailties
West Ham improved with the introduction of winger Victor Moses, whose
powerful run forward and parried shot led to his side pulling a goal back.
The goal breathed new life into the Hammers and, with Payet starting to have
more of an influence, they finished the game stronger and equalised through
Noble. "We were just thinking about getting the next goal [when we were 2-0
down]," said Noble. "They have had a tough time here at Norwich and we knew
if we could get the goal it would be hard for them." Both league games
between the two sides this season have now finished 2-2 and, while West Ham
salvaged a point, they dropped a place to seventh in the Premier League
after being overtaken by Southampton.
Man of the match - Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet (left) had a quiet game by his standards but finished strongly
as he scored a goal and assisted one
Manager reaction:
Norwich manager Alex Neil: "We created good opportunities and it was a
better performance than we have had recently. But from 2-0 up at home and
with the way the game was going we should have seen it out. "We will take a
lot from the performance but we are disappointed we let a lead slip."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We are never happy with a point, we are not
buzzing. But when that point comes after being 2-0 down it gives us
confidence and satisfaction. "After Tuesday night (the FA Cup fourth-round
replay against Liverpool) when we played 120 minutes, to show that kind of
strength, resilience, character and quality makes us happy."
'Psychological damage'
Former Norwich striker Chris Sutton said he felt his ex-club would go down
if they did not get a win against West Ham. He added: "I just think if you
look at Liverpool when they were 3-1 up and lose, two goals up today, this
will do Norwich so much damage psychologically."
The stats you need to know
West Ham have won just one of their last nine Premier League away matches
(won one, drew four, lost four).
Norwich have won none of their last six Premier League games conceding at
least twice in each of those games.
Norwich have conceded 50 Premier League goals this season - a joint-high
alongside Sunderland.
Dimitri Payet has scored or assisted 12 Premier League goals this season -
twice as many as any other West Ham player.
Both of Robbie Brady's Premier League goals for Norwich have been against
West Ham.
What next?
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is keen for his side to go all out in the FA Cup
and their next game sees the Hammers face a trip to Blackburn on Sunday, 21
February (14:00 GMT) in the fifth round of the competition. Norwich are not
in action until Saturday, 27 February, when they visit Leicester in a 15:00
GMT kick-off.
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Jack Collison: Ex-West Ham and Wales player retires at 27
BBc.co.uk
Ex-West Ham United and Wales midfielder Jack Collison is retiring from
football at the age of 27 because of injury. Collison played 121 times for
West Ham, but suffered persistent knee problems. He signed for League One
Peterborough in 2015, playing 12 times, but will now focus on a coaching and
media career. "The nights I wake up in pain, or the mornings where I
struggle to walk, will be a constant reminder I was lucky enough to play the
game I love," said Collison, capped 17 times by Wales. "I still wake up some
mornings feeling good and think 'one more try'," said Collison, who
dislocated a kneecap while playing for the Hammers in 2009. "But that would
be unfair on myself, my fellow pros and my family. I want to bow out with
some pride intact."
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Slav's content …but an issue may remain
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Ok, I can understand why Slav declared himself content with the 2-2 draw at
Carrow Road.
To pull two goals back is always an achievement and he of course mentioned
the extraordinarily emotional and physically draining game against Liverpool
in midweek.
I think it's pretty obvious by now that I'm as big a fan of the manager's as
anybody else but the word 'content' carried some connotations which caused
concern because what was said before the match didn't fully square with what
came afterwards.
At the pre match presser Slv said: "We have a few knocks and injuries but
overall it's a good feeling. Even those guys with a knock, they feel good.
When you win you don't feel the fatigue as much. 120 minutes is of course a
lot to play, but we are all looking forward to the Norwich game on
Saturday."
Yesterday in the post match presser he declared: "You can talk about
positives and negatives but when you consider we played for 120 minutes on
Tuesday night and the fact we were two goals down here in a very short
period of time, it was a good draw."
Now, the two statements aren't entirely contradictory but it's a photo
finish and whilst I'm certainly not prepared to blast the boss or anyone
else at the end of a week when we won an important Cup game and gained a
draw in the League it's important to maintain perspective.
And the simple truth is that for 70 minutes we didn't perform against a not
very good side who somehow were allowed to establish a two goal lead.
That we recovered both of them very quickly and with more direction and pace
from Emenike – who has barely been involved and is therefore totally
presumably full of himself – could have won, tells its own story.
I'd also be more ready to accept the Liverpool match explanation had I not
see the team perform in the same manner on several other occasions this
season.
The slow starting business has been a feature of many games and can't really
be put down to a Liverpool hangover.
At the end of it all we have collected another point from a totally
desperate relegation haunted outfit and at this stage of the season those
games are as tough as they come.
But we are not helping ourselves and dare I suggest that had we played for
90 minutes in every game this seaon we may even be top of the league.
It's a problem but then every team has one or two. I'm not moaning and I
trust our superb manager to get it right. But it's becoming frustrating and
is not an issue that I believe can be blamed on tiredness or anything else!
One other point. No two players worked harder and drove themselves to the
point of exhaustion on Tuesday than Valencia and Antonio. Maybe we might
have started with Carroll and Moses yesterday. Just saying.
COYI
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Collison raving about this Iron
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Jack Collison has become a massive Michail Antonio fan.
The Hammers cult hero – who has gone through more than most during his time
in the game – announced his retirement on Saturday.
And tomorrow evening he will appear in the ClaretandHugh interview section
of MooreThanJustAPodcast when among much else he will discuss the impact he
believes the £7 million signing has had on the Hammers.
He says: ""I think he has been a fantastic signing. The one thing that
Antonio has done since the moment he put the shirt on is was work hard, put
his body on this line, make tackles, get forward and even more pleasing is
the goals that he has scored.
Collison" It was great finish against Liverpool I saw in the cup, scored a
bit of scrawny one which bounced off his body last week but I think if he
keeps applying himself the way he does then he is only going to get better
and better and become a big part of West Ham's team"
Jack will talk about his career, where he goes from here and why he is so in
love with the Irons.
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OS capacity unlikely to increase in short term
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Yesterday, Claret and Hugh revealed as many as 25,000 West Ham supporters on
the Olympic Stadium priority list could be disappointed as demand for OS
season tickets outstrips supply. There are believed to be fewer than 9,000
season tickets remaining for next season for the 34,000 strong waiting list
who have paid a tenner piece to join for a chance. The article has prompted
many fans on the list to question why the capacity can not be increased
beyond 54,000 before August this year to meet the demand.
Hammer vice-chairman, Karren Brady has publicly told of the club's desire to
increase capacity if the demand is there and the sightlines are acceptable.
During a BT Sports interview in December last year she confirmed West Ham
were looking to increase capacity to 60,000. In a Daily Mail article last
year, she went one step further by saying the club are in discussions to
take capacity to 66,000.
westhamseata2708a_2She told Martin Samuel from the Mail "We always knew this
was a possibility and it would certainly seem the interest is there, We have
to look at the logistics of it because these would be the seats furthest
from the pitch, so we have to make sure they are worth having. There is no
point sticking someone in a corner with a poor view. But if the sight lines
are still good, we could fit in 66,000. It's a very exciting prospect."
However, Claret and Hugh understand that despite there being 66,510 seats in
the converted stadium in sports pitch mode, the chance of increasing
capacity for the start of next season remains extremely remote and the
increase in capacity is very much a future ambition of the club. The 54,000
capacity of the Stadium is a restriction of the planning permission granted
and a safety certificate issues to former Olympic venue. An increase of
12,000 in capacity would also mean the need for more infrastructure such as
extra toilets and catering outlets. All of these things are possible but
would take time to sort out and the appetite to spend more tax payers money
to increase stadium facilities for the benefit of West Ham would be quite
low as the LLDC and Newham council have already come under fire for the
£272m already spent to transform to the Stadium.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Victor Moses was delighted to play his part as West Ham United came from 2-0
down to claim a point at Norwich City on Saturday. Moses was introduced to
the action with that two-goal deficit, but his surging run and shot in the
74th minute paved the way for the Dimitri Payet goal which started the
fightback. Mark Noble levelled the scores just three minutes later, leaving
Moses and his teammates far more satisfied with the final outcome. "It was a
great game," he said. "First half wasn't the best for us, but in the second
half we turned it around [after going 2-0 down]. "You could see the passion
and desire we had to come back and we got two goals in two or three minutes.
It ended up being a great day for us. "The most important thing is the point
we got. It's good that we didn't lose."
Moses more than played his part in the Hammers' revival at Carrow Road, with
one of the other star performers being Payet, who followed his goal by
setting up the Noble leveller. Moses continued: "Dimitri Payet is a great
player. We all know he has a huge amount of talent. The first goal was a
little similar to the one he scored against Newcastle. This time the keeper
saved it and he's put it in the back of the net. "It was a good move from me
and Dimi as well, and I'm very happy that he was on the scoresheet."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Norwich City 2-2 West Ham United
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport
Norwich blew a two-goal lead but ended a run of five league defeats with a
draw against West Ham. Robbie Brady robbed Michail Antonio of the ball and
curled in a shot before Wes Hoolahan drove in a close range effort to put
the home side 2-0 up. But Dimitri Payet slotted in for the Hammers after
Victor Moses had a shot parried into his path. Payet then pulled the ball
back for Mark Noble to steer in a shot and complete West Ham's comeback.
Hammers substitute Emmanuel Emenike had a great chance late on when he got
on the end of an Andy Carroll flick on but he trapped the ball instead of
diverting it towards goal and allowed keeper John Ruddy to gather. In a
frantic finale, Nathan Redmond had a shot blocked by keeper Adrian, while a
Norwich corner was also cleared from the Hammers goalmouth.
'It is the same old story'
Norwich were 3-1 up against Liverpool recently but contrived to lose 5-4 and
they were at it again when it came to throwing away points from a winning
position. At 2-0 up, they should have been easing to victory against a West
Ham side that had suffered key injuries having been taken to extra-time in a
midweek FA Cup replay win over Liverpool. However, when they needed cool
heads, the home side capitulated as they lost their organisation and
discipline. While the nature of the draw may feel like a defeat for the
Canaries, they moved up one place and out of the relegation zone on goal
difference following Newcastle's 5-1 thrashing by Chelsea in the later
kick-off. "It is the same old story," said Brady. "We can't let teams back
into the game when we have a two-goal lead."
Hammers sensed Norwich frailties
West Ham improved with the introduction of winger Victor Moses, whose
powerful run forward and parried shot led to his side pulling a goal back.
The goal breathed new life into the Hammers and, with Payet starting to have
more of an influence, they finished the game stronger and equalised through
Noble. "We were just thinking about getting the next goal [when we were 2-0
down]," said Noble. "They have had a tough time here at Norwich and we knew
if we could get the goal it would be hard for them." Both league games
between the two sides this season have now finished 2-2 and, while West Ham
salvaged a point, they dropped a place to seventh in the Premier League
after being overtaken by Southampton.
Man of the match - Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet (left) had a quiet game by his standards but finished strongly
as he scored a goal and assisted one
Manager reaction:
Norwich manager Alex Neil: "We created good opportunities and it was a
better performance than we have had recently. But from 2-0 up at home and
with the way the game was going we should have seen it out. "We will take a
lot from the performance but we are disappointed we let a lead slip."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We are never happy with a point, we are not
buzzing. But when that point comes after being 2-0 down it gives us
confidence and satisfaction. "After Tuesday night (the FA Cup fourth-round
replay against Liverpool) when we played 120 minutes, to show that kind of
strength, resilience, character and quality makes us happy."
'Psychological damage'
Former Norwich striker Chris Sutton said he felt his ex-club would go down
if they did not get a win against West Ham. He added: "I just think if you
look at Liverpool when they were 3-1 up and lose, two goals up today, this
will do Norwich so much damage psychologically."
The stats you need to know
West Ham have won just one of their last nine Premier League away matches
(won one, drew four, lost four).
Norwich have won none of their last six Premier League games conceding at
least twice in each of those games.
Norwich have conceded 50 Premier League goals this season - a joint-high
alongside Sunderland.
Dimitri Payet has scored or assisted 12 Premier League goals this season -
twice as many as any other West Ham player.
Both of Robbie Brady's Premier League goals for Norwich have been against
West Ham.
What next?
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is keen for his side to go all out in the FA Cup
and their next game sees the Hammers face a trip to Blackburn on Sunday, 21
February (14:00 GMT) in the fifth round of the competition. Norwich are not
in action until Saturday, 27 February, when they visit Leicester in a 15:00
GMT kick-off.
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Jack Collison: Ex-West Ham and Wales player retires at 27
BBc.co.uk
Ex-West Ham United and Wales midfielder Jack Collison is retiring from
football at the age of 27 because of injury. Collison played 121 times for
West Ham, but suffered persistent knee problems. He signed for League One
Peterborough in 2015, playing 12 times, but will now focus on a coaching and
media career. "The nights I wake up in pain, or the mornings where I
struggle to walk, will be a constant reminder I was lucky enough to play the
game I love," said Collison, capped 17 times by Wales. "I still wake up some
mornings feeling good and think 'one more try'," said Collison, who
dislocated a kneecap while playing for the Hammers in 2009. "But that would
be unfair on myself, my fellow pros and my family. I want to bow out with
some pride intact."
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Slav's content …but an issue may remain
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Ok, I can understand why Slav declared himself content with the 2-2 draw at
Carrow Road.
To pull two goals back is always an achievement and he of course mentioned
the extraordinarily emotional and physically draining game against Liverpool
in midweek.
I think it's pretty obvious by now that I'm as big a fan of the manager's as
anybody else but the word 'content' carried some connotations which caused
concern because what was said before the match didn't fully square with what
came afterwards.
At the pre match presser Slv said: "We have a few knocks and injuries but
overall it's a good feeling. Even those guys with a knock, they feel good.
When you win you don't feel the fatigue as much. 120 minutes is of course a
lot to play, but we are all looking forward to the Norwich game on
Saturday."
Yesterday in the post match presser he declared: "You can talk about
positives and negatives but when you consider we played for 120 minutes on
Tuesday night and the fact we were two goals down here in a very short
period of time, it was a good draw."
Now, the two statements aren't entirely contradictory but it's a photo
finish and whilst I'm certainly not prepared to blast the boss or anyone
else at the end of a week when we won an important Cup game and gained a
draw in the League it's important to maintain perspective.
And the simple truth is that for 70 minutes we didn't perform against a not
very good side who somehow were allowed to establish a two goal lead.
That we recovered both of them very quickly and with more direction and pace
from Emenike – who has barely been involved and is therefore totally
presumably full of himself – could have won, tells its own story.
I'd also be more ready to accept the Liverpool match explanation had I not
see the team perform in the same manner on several other occasions this
season.
The slow starting business has been a feature of many games and can't really
be put down to a Liverpool hangover.
At the end of it all we have collected another point from a totally
desperate relegation haunted outfit and at this stage of the season those
games are as tough as they come.
But we are not helping ourselves and dare I suggest that had we played for
90 minutes in every game this seaon we may even be top of the league.
It's a problem but then every team has one or two. I'm not moaning and I
trust our superb manager to get it right. But it's becoming frustrating and
is not an issue that I believe can be blamed on tiredness or anything else!
One other point. No two players worked harder and drove themselves to the
point of exhaustion on Tuesday than Valencia and Antonio. Maybe we might
have started with Carroll and Moses yesterday. Just saying.
COYI
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Collison raving about this Iron
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Jack Collison has become a massive Michail Antonio fan.
The Hammers cult hero – who has gone through more than most during his time
in the game – announced his retirement on Saturday.
And tomorrow evening he will appear in the ClaretandHugh interview section
of MooreThanJustAPodcast when among much else he will discuss the impact he
believes the £7 million signing has had on the Hammers.
He says: ""I think he has been a fantastic signing. The one thing that
Antonio has done since the moment he put the shirt on is was work hard, put
his body on this line, make tackles, get forward and even more pleasing is
the goals that he has scored.
Collison" It was great finish against Liverpool I saw in the cup, scored a
bit of scrawny one which bounced off his body last week but I think if he
keeps applying himself the way he does then he is only going to get better
and better and become a big part of West Ham's team"
Jack will talk about his career, where he goes from here and why he is so in
love with the Irons.
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OS capacity unlikely to increase in short term
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Yesterday, Claret and Hugh revealed as many as 25,000 West Ham supporters on
the Olympic Stadium priority list could be disappointed as demand for OS
season tickets outstrips supply. There are believed to be fewer than 9,000
season tickets remaining for next season for the 34,000 strong waiting list
who have paid a tenner piece to join for a chance. The article has prompted
many fans on the list to question why the capacity can not be increased
beyond 54,000 before August this year to meet the demand.
Hammer vice-chairman, Karren Brady has publicly told of the club's desire to
increase capacity if the demand is there and the sightlines are acceptable.
During a BT Sports interview in December last year she confirmed West Ham
were looking to increase capacity to 60,000. In a Daily Mail article last
year, she went one step further by saying the club are in discussions to
take capacity to 66,000.
westhamseata2708a_2She told Martin Samuel from the Mail "We always knew this
was a possibility and it would certainly seem the interest is there, We have
to look at the logistics of it because these would be the seats furthest
from the pitch, so we have to make sure they are worth having. There is no
point sticking someone in a corner with a poor view. But if the sight lines
are still good, we could fit in 66,000. It's a very exciting prospect."
However, Claret and Hugh understand that despite there being 66,510 seats in
the converted stadium in sports pitch mode, the chance of increasing
capacity for the start of next season remains extremely remote and the
increase in capacity is very much a future ambition of the club. The 54,000
capacity of the Stadium is a restriction of the planning permission granted
and a safety certificate issues to former Olympic venue. An increase of
12,000 in capacity would also mean the need for more infrastructure such as
extra toilets and catering outlets. All of these things are possible but
would take time to sort out and the appetite to spend more tax payers money
to increase stadium facilities for the benefit of West Ham would be quite
low as the LLDC and Newham council have already come under fire for the
£272m already spent to transform to the Stadium.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, February 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th February 2016
Norwich City 2-2 West Ham United
WHUFC.com
West Ham United battled back from two goals down to score a dramatic 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw at Norwich City.
The Hammers, who have not won a league game at Carrow Road since Bryan 'Pop' Robson scored the only Division One goal in February 1973, looked set to lose in Norfolk again when Irish pair Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan put the hosts ahead after half-time.
However, Slaven Bilic sent on the attacking cavalry and got his reward as substitute Victor Moses played a pivotal role in Dimitri Payet's goal, which dragged West Ham back into it with 16 minutes to go.
Three minutes later, the comeback was complete as Moses started a move that saw fellow replacement Andy Carroll find Payet on the byline. The Frenchman looked up and cut back for Mark Noble to slam high into the net from 18 yards.
Both teams had big chances to snatch all three points in a frantic final period, but had to make do with a deserved share of the spoils in the end.
Much earlier, with both teams employing 4-2-3-1 formations, the first half was an evenly-contested, eventful if goalless affair, with both teams taking turns to enjoy periods in the ascendancy.
Accordingly, each also created a handful of goalscoring opportunities, half-chances and dangerous set piece positions, but neither could find a way past the opposition goalkeeper.
After Norwich had made the brighter start, with returning captain Russell Martin firing high and wide inside 30 seconds, the Hammers took control with their pass-and-move game inside the Canaries half.
Leading the line, Enner Valencia repeatedly attempted to run in behind the Norwich back four, with varying degrees of success.
On eleven minutes, he broke the offside trap onto Mark Noble's pass, only for his touch to let him down as he tried to bear down on John Ruddy's goal.
Seven minutes later, the Ecuador star showed a far firmer control when he collected from Dimitri Payet, took two touches and stung Ruddy's fingertips with a rasping left-foot shot from 20 yards.
Pedro Obiang then slipped as he attempted a long-range effort and that moment appeared to turn the tide of the game.
Norwich went back on the offensive and showed some real poise around the West Ham penalty are, with Wes Hoolahan in particular looking elusive and skilful, but once inside the 18-yard box things fell apart.
On 24 minutes, Hoolahan drew a foul from James Collins – who became the first of three first half bookings – after Adrian had put Michail Antonio under pressure with a quick throw, but Robbie Brady curled the free-kick over the top.
Collins and Steven Naismith both saw weak efforts elude the target as half-time approached and the two managers were able to regroup with the game still level at the break.
The second half was a completely different animal, with chances galore, Norwich racing into a two-goal lead and West Ham staging yet another late comeback to grab the point which takes them to 40 for the season.
Cameron Jerome had already fired wide before Brady opened the scoring ten minutes after the break, robbing Antonio before curling an exquisite shot past Adrian via the underside of the crossbar.
Ten minutes later, the game appeared to be up for Bilic's side as Naismith's shot was deflected into the path of Hoolahan, who calmly placed his shot under the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
In between the goals, the West Ham manager had brought on Carroll and Moses for Valencia and Alex Song, and those substitutions would pay off late on.
As the game went into the final 20 minutes, Antonio saw a low shot saved by Ruddy, but it would not be long before the Hammers found the net.
Moses raced clear from halfway into the Norwich box, appeared to be fouled twice, stayed on his feet and shot low and hard, Ruddy parried and the supporting Payet slid the ball into the unguarded net.
Three minutes later, it was two-all in stunning fashion. Moses found Carroll by the left touchline, and the England striker poked the ball through for Payet to run onto, look up and pick out Noble, who slammed a shot high past Ruddy from the edge of the area.
The final 15 minutes or so of normal and added time were breathless, with West Ham going close three times – twice through substitute Emmanuel Emenike and once through compatriot Moses.
Norwich nearly stole it themselves in the final seconds, but Adrian stood firm to save Nathan Redmond's low shot at the near post.
Seconds later, the final whistle was blown by referee Mike Jones and everyone inside Carrow Road could finally exhale!
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin ©, Bassong, Klose, Brady, Howson, O'Neil, Redmond, Hoolahan (Dorran 85), Naismith (Olsson 76), Jerome (Mbokani 84)
Subs not used: Rudd (GK), Pinto, Jarvis, Bamford
Goals: Brady 55, Hoolahan 65
Booked: Howson, Naismith
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Song (Moses 62), Noble ©, Obiang, Antonio (Emenike 70), Payet, Valencia (Carroll 62)
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Oxford, Browne, Parfitt-Williams
Goals: Payet 74, Noble 77
Booked: Collins, Obiang
Referee: Mike Jones
Attendance: 27,101 (2,645 West Ham United)
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Bilic content with Carrow Road comeback
WHUFC.com
Slaven gets his point across at Carrow Road
Slaven Bilic hailed the impact made by his substitutes as West Ham United came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw at Norwich City.
The Hammers trailed by two goals going into the final 20 minutes, but the introduction of Andy Carroll, Victor Moses and later Emmanuel Emenike almost saw the visitors snatch an unlikely victory at Carrow Road.
Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan had put Norwich into a seemingly unassailable position midway through the second half, but Moses' run set up Dimitri Payet to make it 2-1 with 16 minutes to go. Then both Moses and Carroll were involved in the move which ended with Mark Noble slamming Payet's expert cut-back into the top corner.
Emenike and Moses both went close to nicking it late on, and Bilic was fulsome in his praise for his replacements.
"They made the difference," he enthused. "They made a huge impact and I expected that from them, but the way they made that impact was great and they deserve all the praise."
Speaking in more general terms about a breathless second half in Norfolk, Bilic said he was content with a point following a physically and emotionally draining week.
"It was a game of emotions," said the manager. "You can talk about positives and negatives but when you consider we played for 120 minutes on Tuesday night [to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup] and the fact we were two goals down here in a very short period of time, it was a good draw.
"Their first goal was absolutely our gift to them and their second you could call a bit unlucky because there was a deflection and all that, so then you need team spirit and resilience, but you also need quality to come back.
"The way we played in the last half an hour was brilliant and I want to praise the team. The guys did really well to get a point for us."
Both goals showcased West Ham's spirit, desire and quality in the attacking third, with the players showing determination to get into position before showing the ability to finish those chances off.
The first came following an individual run and shot from Moses, which was finished by Payet following up after John Ruddy had parried the Nigerian's shot. The second came at the end of a decisive passing move that cut Norwich's defence to shreds.
West Ham continued to create chances in the final moments, with Emenike and Moses coming within inches of finding a winner.
"I am expecting them to do it because they have that quality and they showed it," the manager explained. "The first goal was a brilliant move, but that's why he's Victor Moses and that's why he is a West Ham player. I was then expecting a player to be there to finish the loose ball, whether that be Dimi or someone else.
"After that we continued to press them and continued to play and scored the second one and could have won the game.
"It summed it up that the home crowd, the home players and the home bench were unhappy with the five minutes of added time. After we got it back to 2-1, there was only one side on the pitch.
"OK, they had a last-second corner but it was us who were on top and wanted to win the game and didn't want the game to stop."
Bilic and his players will recover and regroup before starting preparations for next Sunday's Emirates FA Cup fifth-round trip to Blackburn Rovers.
In the meantime, the Claret and Blue Army can celebrate reaching 40 points, a place in the top six and the new long-term contract signed last week by talisman Payet.
"With our key players, we have to keep them and give them what they deserve and to be fair I have to praise the Chairmen and the Board for the way they reacted quite quickly," said Bilic.
"It's great because, although he already had a long contract, we wanted to show him we appreciate the way he is playing and want to tie his future to West Ham.
"Basically, we are not only showing by moving stadiums that we are moving forward, but also with the team selection and the squad that we have, so big congratulations to the Chairmen and the Board."
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Noble hails Hammers' resolve
WHUFC.com
Skipper Mark Noble was thrilled to end the week on a positive note after his third Barclays Premier League goal of the season completed a storming West Ham United comeback at Carrow Road on Saturday.
The Hammers were staring down the barrel of a second successive league defeat on their travels when Wes Hoolahan pounced on a ricochet in the box, after Robbie Brady had broken the deadlock with a fine effort via the underside of the bar.
But even after the exertions of 120 minutes against Liverpool on Tuesday, Noble and co found the strength to claw their way back.
Dimitri Payet swept home on the angle after Victor Moses had been denied, and the Frenchman then turned provider for Noble himself, who rifled emphatically into the corner from 18 yards to square the contest.
West Ham's No16 hailed the Hammers' resolve to drag themselves back from the brink and confessed to being disappointed that they hadn't left with all three points in the end.
He told West Ham TV: "Especially after the midweek game, the lads put in everything to get the point, which was so important for us after being 2-0 down.
"Sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and we made a mistake, obviously with Michail, but you can't blame him for that. He's been fantastic for us and Robbie scores a great goal. But the fight, the character and the spirit we had coming back was great.
"We probably should have won it in the end. We were gutted in there that we hadn't won. We scored two really good goals and what a great comeback for the Club, especially after the winning in the 120th minute against Liverpool. To come back from that just finishes the week off on a good note."
As for his all-important goal, Noble revealed that he may well have resisted the temptation to surge forward, after taking a knock to the knee, but wisely thought otherwise when Payet received possession.
"To be honest, I'd just got a kick on the halfway line and the back of my knee was sore.
"The ball obviously went forward and I saw Dimi had a bit of space and time, and I thought get on your bike, because he'll find you. I just kept going, Dimi found me and it just nestled nicely in the top corner."
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A message from Jack Collison
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United midfielder Jack Collison has announced his retirement from professional football...
It's hard knowing how to start this…
But as of tomorrow when I wake up, I am no longer Jack Collison – the footballer. As of tomorrow, I am officially retired.
I suppose this day has been coming for a while, but the harsh reality of actually admitting it and saying it is very different to just thinking about it. In all honesty it has been on the cards for a while, but I have never been one to give up without a fight, and this fight against injury has truly been a mammoth battle.
I never in a million years dreamt that, at 27 years of age, I would be having to announce my retirement, but then again I never thought I would have played in the Premier League and for my country by the age of 19.
I think every kid grows up dreaming of one day playing in packed stadiums against some of the best players in the world. I suppose the only difference is that I became obsessed with this dream at a young age and eventually accomplished it.
I feel very blessed to have achieved what I did in my short time playing the game. However deep down I feel there will always be a sickening feeling of 'what if'. Potential not quite reached? Maybe.
The fact that I have never been fully fit since my knee injury at the age of 20 may haunt me in later life, but it is something I have grown comfortable enough to live with for the time being.
It certainly wasn't through a lack of effort and trying. I dedicated my life to the game and even more so to my knee. Hours in the gym, sleepless nights, countless operations and thousands of pounds visiting the best physios around the world, all so I could make it out on to the pitch.
I'm happy that I can look myself in the mirror and say I threw my heart and soul into trying to accomplish my dreams.
However the time has finally come to say, enough is enough, and admit my body can no longer cope with the demands of modern day football.
The nights when I wake up in pain, or the mornings when I struggle to walk will be a constant reminder that I was lucky enough to play the game I love. That I put my body on the line time and time again to live out my dreams in front of the world.
I'm not after sympathy or a pat on the back, I just want to share my story and let people know how grateful I am that I had a little taste of it. I know I am one of the lucky ones.
When I look back now, I have many great memories. I can smile and enjoy sharing my experiences. I would be lying if I said I didn't still wake up some mornings feeling good and think 'one more try.' But that would be unfair. On myself, my fellow professionals and even more so my family. I have put them through hell fighting this battle, over the past couple of seasons especially.
I don't want to be remembered for being useless and just picking up my money, I want to bow out with some of my pride intact. I have had plenty of time to mull this over and have not acted hastily in this decision and I must say that Peterborough United have acted with class throughout. They have allowed me to make the easy transition from playing to coaching without any issues and I now intend to repay their faith by helping the next generation make the step from young up and coming player to first team superstar.
My passion for playing is slowly dying out, but my passion for football is burning ever so strong and I intend to stay within the game and make my mark in other areas.
I am currently completing my coaching badges, whilst managing The Posh U18s and I love watching my own Soccer School flourish. I have other interests as well, including a university degree in sports writing and a Miami venture which I am also very excited about. Although football has made me the man I am today it doesn't define me and I am very optimistic about the future.
I suppose the only way to end this is by showing my appreciation to those who have helped me at various stages in my career and helped me realise my dream.
Firstly, thank you to all of the great clubs I have played for. Thank you to my family, my agent and my friends for sticking by me. We have experienced the ultimate highs, and deepest of lows and It's been amazing to have you by my side throughout. A huge thank you to the fans as well, the support I have received has been amazing and I hope I have repaid some of you with some memorable moments on the pitch.
A special thank you must go to my fiancée and my little girl, I know at times it must have been tough living with such an obsessed maniac, but your love and support through it all has kept me going, even on the darkest of days and I intend to make it up to you now.
Lastly I would like to take the time to thank the beautiful game, for football has given me so much. Through the blood, sweat and tears I am forever grateful.
As a kid you gave me a dream, a vision so intense I dedicated my life to you. As an adult you gave me a livelihood, an opportunity and a platform to share my love of the game with the world, And even as a retired player you have still not stopped giving, as I set upon my journey to give back to the game that has given me so much.
So I'm signing off for now. With a tear in my eye, but a huge smile on my face, I sit here optimistic. I'm excited for the next chapter and if it's anything like the last I know it's going to be one hell of a journey
Thanks for being a part of it
JC x
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Norwich City 2-2 West Ham Utd <http://www.kumb.com/news_archive.php>
Filed: Saturday, 13th February 2016
By: Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Dimitri Payet will take all the plaudits once again after having a hand in both of West Ham's goals at Carrow Road this afternoon.
But the real star of the show for the Hammers was someone who's been at the club just a little longer.
Mark Noble, who celebrates his testimonial at the club next month was a constant throw-in the side of today's opponents, but even he couldn't prevent Norwich opening up a two-goal lead early on in the second half.
Whilst the Hammers had managed to keep their hosts out in a fairly even - yet largely uneventful - first half, two goals within nine minutes after the break put City in a strong position - and one from which they should have seen the game out comfortably.
Robbie Brady put the Canaries ahead when he took advantage of Michail Antonio dilly-dallying with the ball some 30 yards from goal.
The former Hull striker, whose penalty at the KC Stadium last season condemned West Ham to a narrow defeat strode towards goal unchallenged before unleashing a fierce volley that flew into the top corner leaving Adrian no chance.
West Ham were still reeling from falling behind when they conceded a second, nine minutes later. Wes Hoolahan took advantage of more defensive lapses by the Hammers and converted from close range to give Norwich what appeared to be an unassailable lead.
That was until Dimitri Payet, fresh from signing a new bumper contract decided to grab the bull by the horns and turn the game around with just quarter-of-an-hour of the game remaining.
Vic Moses, on as a replacement for an unusually quiet Antonio broke at pace towards Norwich's goal before being challenges by Canaries 'keeper John Ruddy. Fortunately for West Ham the ball broke kindly and Payet was on hand to slot home the loose ball.
Now playing with their tails up for the first time in the game, West Ham began to look a constant threat and they were rewarded just two minutes later. Payet, receiving the ball wide on the left pulled a low centre back for the advancing Noble, who drove the ball into the back of Ruddy's net to make it 2-2.
West Ham's comeback was gleefully accepted by Slaven Bilic, who said: ""We are never happy with a point, we are not buzzing. But when that point comes after being 2-0 down it gives us confidence and satisfaction.
"After Tuesday night when we played 130 minutes, to show that kind of strength, resilience, character and quality makes us happy."
Unsurprisingly Bilic's joy was not shared was Norwich boss Alex Neil, who was distraught at seeing his team let a two-goal lead slip once again.
"We created good opportunities and it was a better performance than we have had recently," he said. "But from 2-0 up at home and with the way the game was going we should have seen it out.
"We will take a lot from the performance - but we are disappointed we let a lead slip."
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Slaven Bilic praises impact of West Ham substitutes in 2-2 draw at Norwich
By Oliver Yew
Last Updated: 13/02/16 7:12pm
SSN
Having played 120 minutes in the FA Cup midweek, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was happy his side could salvage a 2-2 draw with Norwich
Slaven Bilic praised the impact of his substitutes as West Ham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Norwich.
West Ham found themselves 2-0 down after 65 minutes after goals from Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan, but Bilic, who threw on Victor Moses, Andy Carroll and Emanuel Emenike in the second-half, saw his side hit back through two goals in two second-half minutes from Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble.
While Bilic was disappointed his side could not find a winner, he praised his side's character and declared himself happy with a point.
"We have to praise the character and the spirit of the guys, especially after 120 minutes on Tuesday," Bilic told Sky Sports.
"From when we scored our first goal until their chance with the last kick of the game it was all us.
"When you come from two goals down to 2-2 you are happy but in the end we could have won the game.
"We probably should have won but then again it was a good point for us. My thoughts are positive. We wanted to win the game but to finish like we did, I'm happy."
Moses played an instrumental part in Payet's equaliser, forcing a save from Ruddy which rebounded to the Frenchman.
Carroll and Emenike also caused Norwich's defence problems and the latter could have won it towards the end of the 90 minutes, but missed a couple chances.
"All the guys deserve praise, especially those that came from the bench," Bilic added.
"All three of them made a great impact."
Bilic also singled out Payet, who signed a new five year deal with the club in midweek , for praise as the Frenchman took his tally for goals scored and assisted to 12 in the Premier League.
"He's like that," Bilic said. "He scored a goal and got another assist and he created the few chances we had at the end.
"It's not a surprise to me or for anyone."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United battled back from two goals down to score a dramatic 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw at Norwich City.
The Hammers, who have not won a league game at Carrow Road since Bryan 'Pop' Robson scored the only Division One goal in February 1973, looked set to lose in Norfolk again when Irish pair Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan put the hosts ahead after half-time.
However, Slaven Bilic sent on the attacking cavalry and got his reward as substitute Victor Moses played a pivotal role in Dimitri Payet's goal, which dragged West Ham back into it with 16 minutes to go.
Three minutes later, the comeback was complete as Moses started a move that saw fellow replacement Andy Carroll find Payet on the byline. The Frenchman looked up and cut back for Mark Noble to slam high into the net from 18 yards.
Both teams had big chances to snatch all three points in a frantic final period, but had to make do with a deserved share of the spoils in the end.
Much earlier, with both teams employing 4-2-3-1 formations, the first half was an evenly-contested, eventful if goalless affair, with both teams taking turns to enjoy periods in the ascendancy.
Accordingly, each also created a handful of goalscoring opportunities, half-chances and dangerous set piece positions, but neither could find a way past the opposition goalkeeper.
After Norwich had made the brighter start, with returning captain Russell Martin firing high and wide inside 30 seconds, the Hammers took control with their pass-and-move game inside the Canaries half.
Leading the line, Enner Valencia repeatedly attempted to run in behind the Norwich back four, with varying degrees of success.
On eleven minutes, he broke the offside trap onto Mark Noble's pass, only for his touch to let him down as he tried to bear down on John Ruddy's goal.
Seven minutes later, the Ecuador star showed a far firmer control when he collected from Dimitri Payet, took two touches and stung Ruddy's fingertips with a rasping left-foot shot from 20 yards.
Pedro Obiang then slipped as he attempted a long-range effort and that moment appeared to turn the tide of the game.
Norwich went back on the offensive and showed some real poise around the West Ham penalty are, with Wes Hoolahan in particular looking elusive and skilful, but once inside the 18-yard box things fell apart.
On 24 minutes, Hoolahan drew a foul from James Collins – who became the first of three first half bookings – after Adrian had put Michail Antonio under pressure with a quick throw, but Robbie Brady curled the free-kick over the top.
Collins and Steven Naismith both saw weak efforts elude the target as half-time approached and the two managers were able to regroup with the game still level at the break.
The second half was a completely different animal, with chances galore, Norwich racing into a two-goal lead and West Ham staging yet another late comeback to grab the point which takes them to 40 for the season.
Cameron Jerome had already fired wide before Brady opened the scoring ten minutes after the break, robbing Antonio before curling an exquisite shot past Adrian via the underside of the crossbar.
Ten minutes later, the game appeared to be up for Bilic's side as Naismith's shot was deflected into the path of Hoolahan, who calmly placed his shot under the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
In between the goals, the West Ham manager had brought on Carroll and Moses for Valencia and Alex Song, and those substitutions would pay off late on.
As the game went into the final 20 minutes, Antonio saw a low shot saved by Ruddy, but it would not be long before the Hammers found the net.
Moses raced clear from halfway into the Norwich box, appeared to be fouled twice, stayed on his feet and shot low and hard, Ruddy parried and the supporting Payet slid the ball into the unguarded net.
Three minutes later, it was two-all in stunning fashion. Moses found Carroll by the left touchline, and the England striker poked the ball through for Payet to run onto, look up and pick out Noble, who slammed a shot high past Ruddy from the edge of the area.
The final 15 minutes or so of normal and added time were breathless, with West Ham going close three times – twice through substitute Emmanuel Emenike and once through compatriot Moses.
Norwich nearly stole it themselves in the final seconds, but Adrian stood firm to save Nathan Redmond's low shot at the near post.
Seconds later, the final whistle was blown by referee Mike Jones and everyone inside Carrow Road could finally exhale!
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin ©, Bassong, Klose, Brady, Howson, O'Neil, Redmond, Hoolahan (Dorran 85), Naismith (Olsson 76), Jerome (Mbokani 84)
Subs not used: Rudd (GK), Pinto, Jarvis, Bamford
Goals: Brady 55, Hoolahan 65
Booked: Howson, Naismith
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Song (Moses 62), Noble ©, Obiang, Antonio (Emenike 70), Payet, Valencia (Carroll 62)
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Oxford, Browne, Parfitt-Williams
Goals: Payet 74, Noble 77
Booked: Collins, Obiang
Referee: Mike Jones
Attendance: 27,101 (2,645 West Ham United)
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Bilic content with Carrow Road comeback
WHUFC.com
Slaven gets his point across at Carrow Road
Slaven Bilic hailed the impact made by his substitutes as West Ham United came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw at Norwich City.
The Hammers trailed by two goals going into the final 20 minutes, but the introduction of Andy Carroll, Victor Moses and later Emmanuel Emenike almost saw the visitors snatch an unlikely victory at Carrow Road.
Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan had put Norwich into a seemingly unassailable position midway through the second half, but Moses' run set up Dimitri Payet to make it 2-1 with 16 minutes to go. Then both Moses and Carroll were involved in the move which ended with Mark Noble slamming Payet's expert cut-back into the top corner.
Emenike and Moses both went close to nicking it late on, and Bilic was fulsome in his praise for his replacements.
"They made the difference," he enthused. "They made a huge impact and I expected that from them, but the way they made that impact was great and they deserve all the praise."
Speaking in more general terms about a breathless second half in Norfolk, Bilic said he was content with a point following a physically and emotionally draining week.
"It was a game of emotions," said the manager. "You can talk about positives and negatives but when you consider we played for 120 minutes on Tuesday night [to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup] and the fact we were two goals down here in a very short period of time, it was a good draw.
"Their first goal was absolutely our gift to them and their second you could call a bit unlucky because there was a deflection and all that, so then you need team spirit and resilience, but you also need quality to come back.
"The way we played in the last half an hour was brilliant and I want to praise the team. The guys did really well to get a point for us."
Both goals showcased West Ham's spirit, desire and quality in the attacking third, with the players showing determination to get into position before showing the ability to finish those chances off.
The first came following an individual run and shot from Moses, which was finished by Payet following up after John Ruddy had parried the Nigerian's shot. The second came at the end of a decisive passing move that cut Norwich's defence to shreds.
West Ham continued to create chances in the final moments, with Emenike and Moses coming within inches of finding a winner.
"I am expecting them to do it because they have that quality and they showed it," the manager explained. "The first goal was a brilliant move, but that's why he's Victor Moses and that's why he is a West Ham player. I was then expecting a player to be there to finish the loose ball, whether that be Dimi or someone else.
"After that we continued to press them and continued to play and scored the second one and could have won the game.
"It summed it up that the home crowd, the home players and the home bench were unhappy with the five minutes of added time. After we got it back to 2-1, there was only one side on the pitch.
"OK, they had a last-second corner but it was us who were on top and wanted to win the game and didn't want the game to stop."
Bilic and his players will recover and regroup before starting preparations for next Sunday's Emirates FA Cup fifth-round trip to Blackburn Rovers.
In the meantime, the Claret and Blue Army can celebrate reaching 40 points, a place in the top six and the new long-term contract signed last week by talisman Payet.
"With our key players, we have to keep them and give them what they deserve and to be fair I have to praise the Chairmen and the Board for the way they reacted quite quickly," said Bilic.
"It's great because, although he already had a long contract, we wanted to show him we appreciate the way he is playing and want to tie his future to West Ham.
"Basically, we are not only showing by moving stadiums that we are moving forward, but also with the team selection and the squad that we have, so big congratulations to the Chairmen and the Board."
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Noble hails Hammers' resolve
WHUFC.com
Skipper Mark Noble was thrilled to end the week on a positive note after his third Barclays Premier League goal of the season completed a storming West Ham United comeback at Carrow Road on Saturday.
The Hammers were staring down the barrel of a second successive league defeat on their travels when Wes Hoolahan pounced on a ricochet in the box, after Robbie Brady had broken the deadlock with a fine effort via the underside of the bar.
But even after the exertions of 120 minutes against Liverpool on Tuesday, Noble and co found the strength to claw their way back.
Dimitri Payet swept home on the angle after Victor Moses had been denied, and the Frenchman then turned provider for Noble himself, who rifled emphatically into the corner from 18 yards to square the contest.
West Ham's No16 hailed the Hammers' resolve to drag themselves back from the brink and confessed to being disappointed that they hadn't left with all three points in the end.
He told West Ham TV: "Especially after the midweek game, the lads put in everything to get the point, which was so important for us after being 2-0 down.
"Sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and we made a mistake, obviously with Michail, but you can't blame him for that. He's been fantastic for us and Robbie scores a great goal. But the fight, the character and the spirit we had coming back was great.
"We probably should have won it in the end. We were gutted in there that we hadn't won. We scored two really good goals and what a great comeback for the Club, especially after the winning in the 120th minute against Liverpool. To come back from that just finishes the week off on a good note."
As for his all-important goal, Noble revealed that he may well have resisted the temptation to surge forward, after taking a knock to the knee, but wisely thought otherwise when Payet received possession.
"To be honest, I'd just got a kick on the halfway line and the back of my knee was sore.
"The ball obviously went forward and I saw Dimi had a bit of space and time, and I thought get on your bike, because he'll find you. I just kept going, Dimi found me and it just nestled nicely in the top corner."
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A message from Jack Collison
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United midfielder Jack Collison has announced his retirement from professional football...
It's hard knowing how to start this…
But as of tomorrow when I wake up, I am no longer Jack Collison – the footballer. As of tomorrow, I am officially retired.
I suppose this day has been coming for a while, but the harsh reality of actually admitting it and saying it is very different to just thinking about it. In all honesty it has been on the cards for a while, but I have never been one to give up without a fight, and this fight against injury has truly been a mammoth battle.
I never in a million years dreamt that, at 27 years of age, I would be having to announce my retirement, but then again I never thought I would have played in the Premier League and for my country by the age of 19.
I think every kid grows up dreaming of one day playing in packed stadiums against some of the best players in the world. I suppose the only difference is that I became obsessed with this dream at a young age and eventually accomplished it.
I feel very blessed to have achieved what I did in my short time playing the game. However deep down I feel there will always be a sickening feeling of 'what if'. Potential not quite reached? Maybe.
The fact that I have never been fully fit since my knee injury at the age of 20 may haunt me in later life, but it is something I have grown comfortable enough to live with for the time being.
It certainly wasn't through a lack of effort and trying. I dedicated my life to the game and even more so to my knee. Hours in the gym, sleepless nights, countless operations and thousands of pounds visiting the best physios around the world, all so I could make it out on to the pitch.
I'm happy that I can look myself in the mirror and say I threw my heart and soul into trying to accomplish my dreams.
However the time has finally come to say, enough is enough, and admit my body can no longer cope with the demands of modern day football.
The nights when I wake up in pain, or the mornings when I struggle to walk will be a constant reminder that I was lucky enough to play the game I love. That I put my body on the line time and time again to live out my dreams in front of the world.
I'm not after sympathy or a pat on the back, I just want to share my story and let people know how grateful I am that I had a little taste of it. I know I am one of the lucky ones.
When I look back now, I have many great memories. I can smile and enjoy sharing my experiences. I would be lying if I said I didn't still wake up some mornings feeling good and think 'one more try.' But that would be unfair. On myself, my fellow professionals and even more so my family. I have put them through hell fighting this battle, over the past couple of seasons especially.
I don't want to be remembered for being useless and just picking up my money, I want to bow out with some of my pride intact. I have had plenty of time to mull this over and have not acted hastily in this decision and I must say that Peterborough United have acted with class throughout. They have allowed me to make the easy transition from playing to coaching without any issues and I now intend to repay their faith by helping the next generation make the step from young up and coming player to first team superstar.
My passion for playing is slowly dying out, but my passion for football is burning ever so strong and I intend to stay within the game and make my mark in other areas.
I am currently completing my coaching badges, whilst managing The Posh U18s and I love watching my own Soccer School flourish. I have other interests as well, including a university degree in sports writing and a Miami venture which I am also very excited about. Although football has made me the man I am today it doesn't define me and I am very optimistic about the future.
I suppose the only way to end this is by showing my appreciation to those who have helped me at various stages in my career and helped me realise my dream.
Firstly, thank you to all of the great clubs I have played for. Thank you to my family, my agent and my friends for sticking by me. We have experienced the ultimate highs, and deepest of lows and It's been amazing to have you by my side throughout. A huge thank you to the fans as well, the support I have received has been amazing and I hope I have repaid some of you with some memorable moments on the pitch.
A special thank you must go to my fiancée and my little girl, I know at times it must have been tough living with such an obsessed maniac, but your love and support through it all has kept me going, even on the darkest of days and I intend to make it up to you now.
Lastly I would like to take the time to thank the beautiful game, for football has given me so much. Through the blood, sweat and tears I am forever grateful.
As a kid you gave me a dream, a vision so intense I dedicated my life to you. As an adult you gave me a livelihood, an opportunity and a platform to share my love of the game with the world, And even as a retired player you have still not stopped giving, as I set upon my journey to give back to the game that has given me so much.
So I'm signing off for now. With a tear in my eye, but a huge smile on my face, I sit here optimistic. I'm excited for the next chapter and if it's anything like the last I know it's going to be one hell of a journey
Thanks for being a part of it
JC x
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Norwich City 2-2 West Ham Utd <http://www.kumb.com/news_archive.php>
Filed: Saturday, 13th February 2016
By: Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Dimitri Payet will take all the plaudits once again after having a hand in both of West Ham's goals at Carrow Road this afternoon.
But the real star of the show for the Hammers was someone who's been at the club just a little longer.
Mark Noble, who celebrates his testimonial at the club next month was a constant throw-in the side of today's opponents, but even he couldn't prevent Norwich opening up a two-goal lead early on in the second half.
Whilst the Hammers had managed to keep their hosts out in a fairly even - yet largely uneventful - first half, two goals within nine minutes after the break put City in a strong position - and one from which they should have seen the game out comfortably.
Robbie Brady put the Canaries ahead when he took advantage of Michail Antonio dilly-dallying with the ball some 30 yards from goal.
The former Hull striker, whose penalty at the KC Stadium last season condemned West Ham to a narrow defeat strode towards goal unchallenged before unleashing a fierce volley that flew into the top corner leaving Adrian no chance.
West Ham were still reeling from falling behind when they conceded a second, nine minutes later. Wes Hoolahan took advantage of more defensive lapses by the Hammers and converted from close range to give Norwich what appeared to be an unassailable lead.
That was until Dimitri Payet, fresh from signing a new bumper contract decided to grab the bull by the horns and turn the game around with just quarter-of-an-hour of the game remaining.
Vic Moses, on as a replacement for an unusually quiet Antonio broke at pace towards Norwich's goal before being challenges by Canaries 'keeper John Ruddy. Fortunately for West Ham the ball broke kindly and Payet was on hand to slot home the loose ball.
Now playing with their tails up for the first time in the game, West Ham began to look a constant threat and they were rewarded just two minutes later. Payet, receiving the ball wide on the left pulled a low centre back for the advancing Noble, who drove the ball into the back of Ruddy's net to make it 2-2.
West Ham's comeback was gleefully accepted by Slaven Bilic, who said: ""We are never happy with a point, we are not buzzing. But when that point comes after being 2-0 down it gives us confidence and satisfaction.
"After Tuesday night when we played 130 minutes, to show that kind of strength, resilience, character and quality makes us happy."
Unsurprisingly Bilic's joy was not shared was Norwich boss Alex Neil, who was distraught at seeing his team let a two-goal lead slip once again.
"We created good opportunities and it was a better performance than we have had recently," he said. "But from 2-0 up at home and with the way the game was going we should have seen it out.
"We will take a lot from the performance - but we are disappointed we let a lead slip."
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Slaven Bilic praises impact of West Ham substitutes in 2-2 draw at Norwich
By Oliver Yew
Last Updated: 13/02/16 7:12pm
SSN
Having played 120 minutes in the FA Cup midweek, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was happy his side could salvage a 2-2 draw with Norwich
Slaven Bilic praised the impact of his substitutes as West Ham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Norwich.
West Ham found themselves 2-0 down after 65 minutes after goals from Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan, but Bilic, who threw on Victor Moses, Andy Carroll and Emanuel Emenike in the second-half, saw his side hit back through two goals in two second-half minutes from Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble.
While Bilic was disappointed his side could not find a winner, he praised his side's character and declared himself happy with a point.
"We have to praise the character and the spirit of the guys, especially after 120 minutes on Tuesday," Bilic told Sky Sports.
"From when we scored our first goal until their chance with the last kick of the game it was all us.
"When you come from two goals down to 2-2 you are happy but in the end we could have won the game.
"We probably should have won but then again it was a good point for us. My thoughts are positive. We wanted to win the game but to finish like we did, I'm happy."
Moses played an instrumental part in Payet's equaliser, forcing a save from Ruddy which rebounded to the Frenchman.
Carroll and Emenike also caused Norwich's defence problems and the latter could have won it towards the end of the 90 minutes, but missed a couple chances.
"All the guys deserve praise, especially those that came from the bench," Bilic added.
"All three of them made a great impact."
Bilic also singled out Payet, who signed a new five year deal with the club in midweek , for praise as the Frenchman took his tally for goals scored and assisted to 12 in the Premier League.
"He's like that," Bilic said. "He scored a goal and got another assist and he created the few chances we had at the end.
"It's not a surprise to me or for anyone."
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