Daily WHUFC News - 5th February 2017

Hammers stuff Saints
WHUFC.com

West Ham United win second straight Premier League away match by defeating Southampton
Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble on target in first-ever victory at St Mary's
Hammers have scored ten goals in their last four away games

West Ham United came from behind to win for the first time this season and, scoring a 3-1 Premier League victory at Southampton. The Hammers, who won at St Mary's for the first time in seven attempts, edged a lively game full of chances at both ends courtesy of Andy Carroll's sixth of the season, a first goal in Claret and Blue from Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble's deflected free-kick. Slaven Bilic's side, whose only previous points gained from losing positions came in draws with Middlesbrough and Liverpool before Christmas, also made it three away top-flight wins in a row. It was Southampton who took an early lead through debutant Manolo Gabbiadini, the Italy striker celebrating his January move from Napoli by latching onto Steven Davis's through ball and rifling high past Darren Randolph.
However, the Saints' lead lasted only two minutes before Obiang played a perfectly-weighted through ball for Carroll, who confidently slotted his fourth in four matches past England goalkeeper Fraser Forster. Having equalised, the visitors gained confidence as the first half wore on, with the impressive Aaron Cresswell testing Forster with a low shot on the half-hour mark. While Southampton continued to carry a threat themselves, it was no surprise when West Ham deservedly went ahead a minute before the break. Cresswell forced a corner, which was headed only as far as the advancing Obiang. The Spaniard took a touch, steadied himself and fired his first goal in 55 Hammers appearances into Forster's bottom left-hand corner.

There was still time for Randolph to show why he has made the No1 jersey his own in added time, as the Irishman dived low to push James Ward-Prowse's goal-bound shot well away from danger. The same pair were involved three minutes after the break, when the midfielder's dipping free-kick was pushed safely around the post by the Bray-born stopper. After another fine piece of defending from a resurgent Cresswell, who caught the eye alongside fellow former Hammer of the Year Mark Noble, led to the counter-attack which produced West Ham's third. Full debutant Robert Snodgrass was brought down on the edge of the penalty area and it was Noble whose free-kick deflected into the net via his opposite number Davis. Claude Puel, who had changed personnel and formation at half-time, sent on Shane Long, and the No9 forced fellow countryman Randolph to tip his header over the bar before sending a skimming 25-yard shot flashing past his right-hand post. With the home side upping the pressure, Randolph was called into action again with 16 minutes to go, but he held Davis's long-range effort, before Maya Yoshida volleyed Nathan Redmond's hanging cross into the stand. When Fonte's fellow UEFA Euro 2016 champion Cedric launched a shot high into the night with five minutes remaining, it was the cue for the home fans to make for the exits. Meanwhile, the 3,388-strong Claret and Blue Army did what they had done all afternoon – sing their hearts out for their lads.

Southampton: Forster, Cedric, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Boufal (Long 64), Davis ©, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez (Redmond 46), Gabbiadini
Subs not used: Taylor, Clasie, Gardos, Hojbjerg, McQueen
Goal: Gabbiadini 12

West Ham United: Randolph, Kouyate (Collins 71), Fonte, Reid, Feghouli, Obiang, Noble ©, Cresswell, Snodgrass, Antonio, Carroll (Lanzini 56)
Subs not used: Adrian, Fletcher, Calleri, Fernandes, Quina
Goals: Carroll 14, Obiang 44, Noble 52

Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 31,891 (3,388 Away)

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Slaven hails 'great team performance'
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic hails a 'great team performance' after guiding his team to victory at Southampton
West Ham United came from a goal down to score a deserved 3-1 win at St Mary's
Third away success in four sees the Hammers climb to ninth in the Premier League table

Slaven Bilic was a happy man after watching his West Ham United side climb to ninth in the Premier League with a 3-1 win at Southampton.

The Hammers scored their first-ever victory at St Mary's courtesy of goals from Andy Carroll and Pedro Obiang before half-time, and Mark Noble's deflected free-kick seven minutes after the break.

After losing 4-0 to Manchester City in midweek, Bilic's team could have crumbled when Manolo Gabbiadini blasted the Saints into an early lead, but Carroll levelled within two minutes and West Ham went on to complete their first come-from-behind win since the Final Game at the Boleyn Ground.

"It was fantastic," said the manager. "We had a plan and the guys executed it brilliantly, basically. They scored a great goal through Gabbiadini, which looked brilliant from the other end of the pitch.

"But we didn't give up, we continued to play and they let us play a little bit. To equalise very quickly obviously helped us and picked us up and basically it was a great team performance.

"We were solid, great defending in numbers, closing them down and when we could press them, we pressed them. With the ball, we had pace up front, bodies up front, presence up front and we also had great combinations and switched sides from the back.

"It's not only three points, but it was a really great performance and I'm so proud of the boys. As I said, it was just a fantastic team performance."

West Ham made it ten goals in their last three away matches and ten points from five after drawing 2-2 at Liverpool and winning 4-1 and 3-1 at Swansea City and Middlesbrough respectively.

A first victory at Southampton since November 2000 also more than doubled the number of points the Hammers have rescued from losing positions this season from two to five, taking them back into the top half into ninth place in the process.

"It makes it a little bit better!" the manager smiled. "It was a good away trip. They have played some good football this season and started the game one point below us, so it was one of those for both of us that was a six-pointer.

"It's extremely important at this stage of the season because all the crazy results have started to happen. We have to approach every game like it is our last game and, with a little bit of luck, we can continue to play like this or even better and we will be OK."

With the lack of a fit right-back and the return of Cheikhou Kouyate from the Africa Cup of Nations, Bilic reverted from a 4-4-2 to the 3-5-2 formation which had served his side well earlier this season.

With Southampton outnumbered in midfield, West Ham kept possession well and looked comfortable for the vast majority of the game to achieve a deserved win.

"We are changing to a couple of formations as we have some players who are very versatile," he confirmed. "I would like to congratulate Cheikhou as we had a problem at right-back as Sam Byram was injured and Havard Nordtveit also not available.

"Michail Antonio has been so good up front with Andy, so Cheikhou, who is a player whose quality, physique and pace mean he can play in any position, stepped in and did brilliantly."

West Ham will hope to close the gap on eighth-place West Bromwich Albion to two points when they host the Baggies at London Stadium next Saturday 11 February at 3pm.

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Fonte delighted with Saints return
WHUFC.com

Jose Fonte made the perfect return to his former team Southampton on Saturday – playing a key role in the heart of the West Ham United defence as they came from behind to triumph 3-1.

Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble were all on target to fire the Hammers up to ninth in the Premier League table and give Fonte his first three points since his switch to east London.

The fact it came back at his old club gave it extra meaning on an afternoon which he admitted was difficult on many levels.

The Portuguese was at St Mary's for seven years, winning two promotions and becoming a central figure in the club's rise as an established Premier League side.

But he put that aside in impressive fashion on Saturday and he could not have been happier with the result.

"It was a strange experience coming back to Southampton, " he admitted. "It was emotional, difficult, but in the end I can say a big thank you to everyone – to the West Ham supporters and my teammates for helping me get through this.

"I managed to block everything [out] and stay focused on the game. The most important thing was achieved, which is the three points and a great performance."

The Hammers showed admirable character to not only bounce back from Wednesday's heavy defeat to Manchester City, but also from the blow of conceding early on at St Mary's to Manolo Gabbiadini's strike.

Fonte continued: "It's never easy [after a result like Wednesday's against Manchester City]. It wasn't the start I wanted, we weren't at the races, but we showed great character and personality to come and play.

"We played some great football, scored three goals and could have scored a couple more. It was a fantastic performance from everyone today and we move on to the next one.

"The key was to keep trying to play, because we have great footballers in this team. If we play how we can and how we normally do in training, we are going to win many games.

"We stuck to our principles, kept calm, scored the goal and took momentum from there.

"It takes time to slot in and develop a partnership, but Winston Reid is an excellent defender. He has been in the Premier League for many years and has great experience.

"For myself, I've felt so welcome and everyone is trying to help me settle in. My teammates have been fantastic and I appreciate [that] from every single one of them."

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Unbeaten run over as U18s lose out
WHUFC.com

U18's Manager, Mark Phillips admitted that the best team won as the young Hammers were beaten 1-0 by Norwich City U18 at Little Heath on Saturday.

Both sides were guilty of conceding possession too easily in a first half which lacked many clear-cut opportunities.

For the Hammers, Korrey Henry and Anthony Scully both had shots blocked inside the box, whilst Norwich City's Branden Odei saw his free-header from six yards out slide across the face of goal.

It was a moment of brilliance from Norwich City's No8, Kamal Kamal, just past the half hour mark, which was eventually the difference.

The visitors were awarded a soft free-kick 25 yards out and the young midfielder stepped up and perfectly placed the ball over the wall and in the top right-hand corner. Hammers keeper Rihard Matrevics was left with no chance.

Despite changes in the second half, which included the introduction of U16 talents Louis Watson and Odi Spyrides, the story of the second half was much the same as the first.

Ben Johnson and Reece Hannon had the second half's best chances but neither tested the Norwich goalkeeper and the visitors eventually held out for the win.

"Norwich just deserved to win, they worked really hard – they're a hard-working side," admitted Hammers coach Mark Phillips.

"I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with our senior players. There were lots of U16s playing but the sprinkling of second years we had can play a lot better than what they did.

Before today, the Hammers U18s had been on an impressive five-game unbeaten run that stretched back to early-December and Phillips was quick to reassure his squad.

"I hope it is just a blip," he continued. "We've been on a good run so today is disappointing of course, but we still want to get into the top four."

Next up for the U18s, they welcome Aston Villa to Little Heath on Saturday 11 February, a side who the Hammers beat 2-1 back in October.

"We need to be wary – we beat Norwich comfortably earlier in the season too so we cant expect the pattern to always go like that," Phillips stated.

"I am optimistic that we will work hard in training this week. The manner of our passing was poor today so we will work to eradicate that and hopefully we'll be ready to go again next week."

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Southampton 1-3 West Ham United
By Michael Emons
BBC Sport

West Ham came from behind to beat Southampton and move into the top half of the Premier League. The Saints took an early lead when Manolo Gabbiadini blasted in an opener on his debut after a £14m move from Napoli on transfer deadline day. But Andy Carroll equalised when he finished after a fine pass from Pedro Obiang, who then put the Hammers ahead with a 30-yard low effort. West Ham grabbed a third as Mark Noble's free-kick deflected in off Saints midfielder Steven Davis. What a way to introduce yourself to your new club as Italy international Gabbiadini only needed 12 minutes to open his goalscoring account after his move from Serie A. It came when he collected Jay Rodriguez's lofted ball over a high West Ham defence and the 25-year-old timed his run perfectly to beat the Hammers offside trap. He then ran into the penalty area and blasted the ball from a tight angle past Darren Randolph. However, Gabbiadini should have done better later on when he shot over the bar after Cheikhou Kouyate's misjudged header had gifted the Italian a chance. With club record signing Sofiane Boufal limping off in the second half with a foot injury, Gabbiadini will need to show his best form if the Saints are to stay away from the relegation zone. But Saints fans may be getting nervous. They are now only seven points above the bottom three, with six defeats in their last seven league games, and they were not good enough against West Ham.

Southampton's defensive problems continue

What is the reason for Southampton's slump? Well, they are defending badly and have now conceded 10 goals in their last three matches in all competitions.
Their former captain Jose Fonte looked assured in the West Ham defence after his £8m move in January and with influential defender Virgil van Dijk out for up to three months with an ankle injury, the Saints look short of options at the back. They provided little resistance as West Ham, who moved up to ninth in the table, equalised within two minutes of conceding the opener. The Saints backline were caught square and Obiang was allowed to slot a pass through to Carroll, who then registered his fourth goal in as many games. Just before the break, Obiang was given time and space to drill in a low shot from 30 yards out, which went through a crowded penalty area and goalkeeper Fraser Forster could not react in time.
If the first two West Ham goals came from poor Southampton defending, the third was down to bad luck. Noble's free-kick was on target and heading straight at Forster before Davis' swipe at the ball steered it into his own net. Southampton did force Hammers goalkeeper Darren Randolph into a number of routine saves late in the second half, but it made no difference to the result.

Rare St Mary's win for West Ham - the stats

Manolo Gabbiadini's first Premier League goal was also the 400th goal netted by an Italian player in the competition (excluding own goals).
Andy Carroll has scored four goals in his last four Premier League appearances, the same total he had scored in his previous 14 before this run.
After conceding just five goals in their first eight home Premier League games under Claude Puel, Saints have shipped nine in their last four.
This was West Ham's first away victory at Southampton since November 2000. They had drawn four and lost three of the previous seven matches.
The Saints have lost three home Premier League games from leading positions this season - no side has lost more.

Man of the match - Pedro Obiang (West Ham)
Pedro Obiang scored one and made one in West Ham's 3-1 win. His goal was his first for the club

Bilic on a 'crazy league' & Fonte's mixed emotions - what they said

Southampton manager Claude Puel said: "We started well - a fantastic goal from Gabbiadini - but after that we made mistakes and it was difficult. "In the second half we had many chances but without the possibility to come back. We have the quality to play, to score, now we need to keep a clean sheet. We have to correct this and find a clean sheet and find confidence about the situation." On Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini, who scored on his debut, Puel added: "I'm happy with his first game. We saw a great player for the future. He is technical, gives solutions, sees the game and is a very interesting player." On their defensive problems, the Frenchman said: "It is important to give confidence to the squad about the defensive chances. We can't replace the best defender (the injured Virgil Van Dijk) in the Premier League."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "The guys were fantastic, we had a gameplan and they executed it in the best way. We were solid behind the ball, we kept the ball, attacked well and it was a great team performance. "We have a team that is working hard for each other. We have a brilliant atmosphere in the dressing room, not because Payet left, but because we have won six of nine. It is a crazy league and there are 42 points to play for. There are crazy results and that is why we have to keep playing as we are."
On Andy Carroll, who scored his fourth goal in four games, Bilic added: "He is a matured man. He is happy, stable, has got three kids. The key is that and the number of training sessions. The best prevention of injuries is training."
West Ham's Jose Fonte, who handed in a transfer request at Southampton before joining the London club, said: "The move is still fresh and only a couple of weeks ago I was still a Southampton player. "No doubt it was tough, but the main thing was to stay focused on the game and do my job the best I could. "It was almost eight seasons so it was tough but with the help of my team-mates and West Ham supporters the most important thing was achieving what we got - the three points. "I always gave my best for Southampton - my sweat and blood - so my conscience is clear. The past was good but now I look forward to the new challenge ahead of me."

What's next?

Southampton play away at the Premier League's bottom team, Sunderland, on Saturday, 11 February (15:00 GMT), while West Ham entertain West Brom at the same time.

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SOUTHAMPTON 1-3 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 4 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 6:52PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

The Hammers got back to winning ways this afternoon with a 3-1 victory at St Mary's, which was their first win there in seven attempts. Deadline-day signing Manolo Gabbiadini fired Saints ahead just 12 minutes into his debut, but that was as good as it got for the hosts. Andy Carroll equalised within two minutes with his 6th goal of the season, Pedro Obiang added his first ever goal for the Irons and a Mark Noble free kick via a deflection from Steven Davis gave the visitors their sixth win in nine games. It also meant a winning return to the south coast for former Saints captain Jose Fonte, who left to join West Ham a fortnight ago.

Jay Rodriguez's speculative ball somehow caught out the West Ham defence for the opening goal, looping over Fonte and Cheikhou Kouyate into the path of Gabbiadini with claims of offside from Winston Reid amongst others. The £17million new boy still had plenty to do as he cut in from the left but his powerful angled drive rocketed past Darren Randolph and in off the underside of the crossbar. Within two minutes the Hammers were level. Obiang's pass forward dissected centre-halves Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens, allowing Carroll to slot in his sixth goal in 12 games. Saints keeper Fraser Forster did well to beat out Aaron Creswell's shot before the left-back's cross found Sofiane Feghouli, who could not convert at the far post.

At the other end Gabbiadini glanced a Cedric Soares cross wide, but when the crucial second goal did arrive it came from an unlikely source. A minute before half-time Robert Snodgrass' corner was headed out to Obiang, who was 30 yards from goal. The Spanish midfielder, sent a low drive through a crowd of players which seemed to deceive Forster as it crept inside the far post for his first Hammers goal.

Saints came out after the break determined to claw themselves level, with James Ward-Prowse forcing a sharp near-post save from Randolph and Cresswell denying Gabbiadini a second with a vital block. But seven minutes after the restart West Ham won a free-kick down the left, Mark Noble swung it towards goal and Davis stuck out a foot to inadvertently hook the ball into his own net.

Gabbiadini had the chance to pull one back but skied his effort from 12 yards out and Randolph held Davis' drive to secure a welcome three points and lift the Hammers back up to into the top half.

Southampton: Forster, Cedric, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Boufal (Long 64), Davis, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez (Redmond 46), Gabbiadini
Subs not used: Taylor, Clasie, Gardos, Hojbjerg, McQueen
Goal: Gabbiadini 12
West Ham United: Randolph, Kouyate (Collins 71), Fonte, Reid, Feghouli (Calleri 90), Obiang, Noble, Cresswell, Snodgrass, Antonio, Carroll (Lanzini 56)
Subs not used: Adrian, Fletcher, Fernandes, Quina
Goals: Carroll 14, Obiang 44, Noble 52
Bookings: Cresswell, Reid
MOTM: Obiang
Referee: Graham Scott

Attendance: 31,891

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Oh Claude! Puel bemoans late Christmas gifts
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 4th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

Southampton boss Claude Puel believes his side handed three points to West Ham in this afternoon's defeat at the hands of Slaven Bilic' side. West Ham ran out 3-1 winners despite having fallen behind to Manola Gabiandini's 12th minute opener - leaving Puel fuming at the standard of his team's dedending. "We have to correct this situation. It's not possible to give presents like this to the opponent," he fumed during his post-match press conference. "It was difficult to come back after the first-half. "To concede the [Noble] goal from a free-kick is very hard because they had one situation in the second-half and they score. It's too easy to score against us at the moment and we have to correct this. "We started this game very well with a fantastic goal from Gabbiadini. It was a pity to concede a goal a few minutes after. The second-half was interesting; we had a lot of situations, with many chances without a good result or a good finish." And Puel's disappointment was echoed by Saints star James Ward-Prowse, who conceded that Southampton looked "vulnerable" throughout the afternoon "What's been a bit of our downfall lately is that we've conceded goals straight after scoring them," he said. ""That's something we need to rectify. "It's a vulnerable time for any team after they've scored, and we need to make sure we put that right. We need to make sure that we're solid and see that little period through - and make sure we get a second and a third to see it through."

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Karren Brady defends West Ham's decision to sell 'dead loss' Dimitri Payet
By Sky Sports
Last Updated: 04/02/17 9:08am
SSN

Karren Brady insists selling "dead loss" Dimitri Payet was the right thing to do for West Ham. In another parting shot to the forward, who joined Marseille for £25m last weekend, the Hammers vice-chairwoman wrote in her column in The Sun that they did good financial business on a player they bought for £10m in the summer of 2015. "Dimitri Payet would have become a legend to every Hammers supporter. But he's a dead loss instead," Brady said. "It would be unfair to say he hasn't been trying this season but the manager knew in the weeks before Christmas that his heart wasn't in it. "Once Slaven Bilic realised the damage Payet was inflicting to morale, we did the only thing that made sense. We sold him for as much as we could, to the only club who wanted to buy him. "That was £25m to Marseille, representing 250 per cent of the original price we paid to them 18 months ago. "On paper, good business; in reality, bad business. But other than treat a man like a naughty schoolboy - and with no legal right to force him to play - we took the only sensible option available." Payet's Ligue 1 return ended in despair for Marseille as struggling Metz produced a shock 1-0 win on Friday evening.

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Southampton 1-3 West Ham: Hammers claim first St Mary's victory
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 04/02/17 5:43pm
SSN

West Ham claimed their first Premier League victory at St Mary's as they came from behind to seal a deserved 3-1 win over Southampton on Saturday. Goals from Andy Carroll (14), Pedro Obiang (45) and Mark Noble (52) represented the perfect response from Slaven Bilic's men, who had fallen behind to debutant Manolo Gabbiadini's stunning 12th-minute opener. It would prove to be an afternoon to forget for the Italian and his new team-mates as Saints lost for the sixth time in their past seven league outings. West Ham had drawn four and lost three of their previous seven visits to St Mary's, dating back to January 2002. But their third league triumph in four sees them atone for their midweek drubbing against Manchester City and move up to ninth. Southampton drop to 13th. Gabbiadini's inclusion was one of four changes Claude Puel made following the Saints' midweek defeat at Swansea. After coming on as a substitute against City, Robert Snodgrass made his full West Ham debut, while Cheikhou Kouyate returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty. There was also a swift return to St Mary's for former Southampton defender Jose Fonte. An edgy opening was swept aside on 12 minutes when Gabbiadini evaded the Hammers' offside trap and, from a tight angle, rifled the ball in off the underside of the bar to cap his debut in style. But the lead would last just two minutes as Carroll spun in behind Jack Stephens to gather Obiang's fine through pass before stroking the ball past the advancing Fraser Forster. Carroll's fourth goal in his last four Premier League outings exuded confidence for the visitors in an assured first-half display, which was capped by them taking the lead. Having set up Carroll for the equaliser, Obiang got in on the act on the stroke of half-time, drilling home his first West Ham goal beyond Forster via the slightest of Ryan Bertrand deflections.

OptaJoe ✔ @OptaJoe
1 - Pedro Obiang is the first West Ham player to both score and assist in a Premier League game this season. Influence.
3:51 PM - 4 Feb 2017
93 93 Retweets 131 131 likes

Darren Randolph had to be alert on 48 minutes to prevent James Ward-Prowse's near-post free-kick drawing Saints level as the hosts started the second period strongly. Gabbiadini spurned a great chance to double his tally on 51 minutes, allowing Aaron Cresswell to block his effort. And it proved to be costly as West Ham extended their lead in the next passage of play. Oriol Romeu tripped Snodgrass on the edge of the Saints area, handing Noble a free-kick in the inside left channel.
The Hammers captain lashed the ball into a dangerous area where Saints skipper Steven Davis deflected the already goal-bound effort beyond a stricken Forster.
Gabbiadini had the chance to reduce the arrears immediately but he failed to punish Kouyate's poor clearance on the hour, missing the target from 10 yards.
Saints kept searching for a route back into the game but Ward-Prowse, Maya Yoshida and then, at the death, Davis failed to set up a grandstand finish as the Hammers left with the points.

Player ratings
Southampton: Forster (6), Cedric (7), Stephens (5), Yoshida (5), Bertrand (6), Ward-Prowse (6), Romeu (6), Davis (6), Boufal (5), Gabbiadini (7), Rodriguez (4).
Used subs: Long (4), Redmond (5).

West Ham: Randolph (7), Kouyate (5), Reid (6), Fonte (6), Antonio (6), Obiang (8), Noble (7), Cresswell (7), Feghouli (6), Carroll (7), Snodgrass (7).
Used subs: Lanzini (5), Collins (4), Calleri (n/a).

Man of the Match: Pedro Obiang

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Slaven Bilic hails 'fantastic' West Ham win at Southampton
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 04/02/17 8:06pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic praised West Ham's complete performance as they returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win at Southampton. Goals from Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble saw the Hammers bounce back from Wednesday's drubbing against Manchester City in style. West Ham also recovered from Manolo Gabbiadini's opener at St. Mary's to secure a third win in four league outings, and Bilic was unanimous. "The key was everything, we played a fantastic game," he told Sky Sports. "We had our plan and the guys executed it brilliantly. "Gabbiadini's goal was great but we didn't give up and continued to play like we played. "They let us play a little bit and that's why we were good, we grew with the game and equalised quick. "It was a great team performance, solid defending with numbers and closing them down. When we could press them we pressed them. "With the ball we had pace, presence and bodies up front and we were great switching sides with combinations from the back. "It's not only three points it's a great performance and I'm so proud of the boys." West Ham's victory - their first ever at St. Mary's - lifted the club to ninth in the Premier League, 14 points clear of Southampton who dropped to 13th. And Bilic claimed victory against one of their direct rivals would leave the Hammers in good stead going forward. "This is a very difficult away trip, they have played some really good stuff both at home and away," he added. "They were one point below us before the game so this was one of them six pointers so it was extremely important for this stage of the season because the crazy results have started to happen. "Forty two points to go and we have to approach every game like it was our last. "With a little bit of luck if we continue to play like this over even better or with a little bit less unluckiness we're going to be OK."

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Slaven Bilic: West Ham knew about Robert Snodgrass' quality but his work-rate was brilliant in Southampton win
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Robert Snodgrass was "brilliant" in West Ham's 3-1 win over Southampton, but it was only what Slaven Bilic expected from his new signing.

The former Hull winger, a £10.2million arrival in January, started his first game for West Ham on the left of a 4-4-2 and combined well with Aaron Cresswell as the visitors dominated the flanks.

Snodgrass may not have contributed to the scoresheet but he deserved an assist for a fizzing cross for which Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster did exceptionally to whip the ball off the feet of Sofiane Feghouli.

Along with his crossing it was the energy and industry of his new signing that particularly impressed Bilic, who said: "We knew about his left foot, we knew about his vision and his plan in his head to combine with other players and to use space and everything.

"But the work-rate was amazing. The work-rate was fantastic. From all the players, but if you ask me about him, definitely. When he was alone at front, when we switched to five at the back, he was brilliant.

"We expected that from him to be fair. Maybe not this quick but that's why we got him. He showed that in Hull and he has continued to show that today."


The Scottish winger was much coveted during the January transfer window and chose West Ham over Burnley and Crystal Palace.

Snodgrass has not regretted his decision and is now focused on aiding West Ham's battle to establish themselves in the top 10.

"The lads have been terrific, everybody has been so welcoming," Snodgrass told West Ham TV. "I just want to get down to business, playing games, starting games, working hard for my team-mates.

"We need to keep going, we've got a home game against West Brom and we'll go there believing we can win and start getting some points on the board to stay in the top 10."

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Daily WHUFC News - 4th February 2017

Preview - Southampton
WHUFC.com

When and where

Southampton v West Ham United
Premier League
Saturday 4 February 2017, 3pm GMT
St Mary's Stadium

What's the story?

West Ham United have made a good habit of bouncing back from setbacks in
recent months and they will be looking to revisit the trend when they head
to Southampton on Saturday.

Slaven Bilic's men followed 5-1 and 5-0 defeats against Arsenal and
Manchester City respectively by drawing 2-2 at Liverpool and putting Crystal
Palace to the sword by an emphatic 3-0 scoreline.

Now they will need to summon that spirit again after suffering a 4-0 reverse
at the hands of the Citizens at London Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Hammers have still won five of their last eight league starts and
currently sit eleventh in the Premier League table, one place and one point
ahead of Saturday's opponents.

The Saints also came up short in their midweek fixture, going down 2-1 at
Swansea City. Shane Long brought Claude Puel's side level following Alfie
Mawson's first half opener, but Gylfi Sigurdsson won it for the Swans with
20 minutes remaining.

Southampton made it through to the EFL Cup final with a semi-final victory
over Liverpool last month and will be hoping to use that route in order to
qualify for European football for a third consecutive season.

Team news

Robert Snodgrass will hope for his first start in Hammers colours after
making his debut from the bench in Wednesday's defeat to Manchester City.

Cheikhou Kouayte is back from international duty at the Africa Cup of
Nations, but Andre Ayew was still involved on Thursday in Ghana's semi-final
defeat to Cameroon so is unavailable.

Sam Byram is a doubt after injuring his hamstring in midweek.

For Southampton, Virgil van Dijk is out for three months with an ankle
problem, but Jay Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse are back. New signing
Manolo Gabbiadini could feature.

Player head-to-head

Maya Yoshida v Winston Reid head-to-head

Any links between the two?

West Ham's January arrival Jose Fonte faces a swift return to St Mary's,
having left the South Coast club to link up with Slaven Bilic's squad.

Fonte spent seven years with the Saints, playing 260 league games and
winning two promotions.

Meanwhile, Michail Antonio also played for Southampton earlier in his
career, turning out for the club on 39 occasions during a loan spell in the
2009/10 campaign.

How do I get to the game?

Click here for information on visiting St Mary's Stadium.

For the latest news on the trains, click here. Up-to-the-minute updates on
the roads can be found here.

How can I watch the game?

Saturday's match is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, you can
follow all the action as it happens live on whufc.com, with live audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Join in
the conversation on social using #SOUWHU

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

It is never easy talking about a big defeat at home and it was very painful
for everyone connected with the football club.

However, we have to move on, we have to stay resolute and we have to stay
strong.

It was even more disappointing as we had played so well going into the game
and the players were full of confidence following the recent wins over
Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough.

But we came up against an outstanding Manchester City side and you could
argue that on the evidence of that display, we were facing one of the best
teams in the world at the moment.

If you make the smallest of mistakes whilst playing against them, they will
punish you.

From time to time we are going to get these setbacks but it is about
bouncing back now.

We obviously need to be upset and angry over what happened in the last game,
but we cannot dwell on what happened and we have to put this behind us.

We need to come out fighting on Saturday and that includes everyone at the
football club.

Our fans are going to play a major role in this and there is no question we
have one of the best away followings in the top flight and they play such a
key role.

We go to Southampton believing we can come away with a victory.

We are boosted by the fact that Cheikhou Kouyate is back from the Africa Cup
of Nations and will be in the squad for the game on Saturday.

He is an important part of the squad and I know Slaven will welcome the
chance to have him back in contention.

Finally, I want to pay tribute to Frank Lampard who announced his retirement
from the game this week.

Frank is the ultimate professional and deserves all the praise he is getting
at the moment.

We cannot forget he is a West Ham boy and came through the famous Academy.
He made his professional debut for the Club back in January 1996 and I
always remember his first game.

After a short period of seeing him in action, you could sense he was going
to be a top player.

I have followed him throughout his career and he has enjoyed a number of
memorable moments.

You can never question the dedication that Frank had towards football and
even from a young age, he would always stay behind after training and try to
improve his game.

We will certainly miss his quality but I hope he enjoys his retirement.

I wish all our fans a safe journey down to the south coast on Saturday and
hope we can get straight back on the winning trail.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Westley - First half was a masterclass
WHUFC.com

Terry Westley praised his PL2 side's first half display in their defeat to
Blackburn Rovers
Westley also praised Noha Sylvestre, Grady Diangana and Joe Powell who came
into the side
The Hammers were beaten 2-1 in Lancashire

Terry Westley labelled West Ham United PL2's first half display a "proper
masterclass" but said silly mistakes cost them in his side's 2-1 defeat to
Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers went a goal down inside four minutes after a cross from Anthony
Stokes somehow dipped into the top corner but responded when Grady Diangana
finished off a superb team move on his return to the starting eleven.

Josh Pask unfortunately put through his own net ten minutes before
half-time, and that proved to be the decisive goal, but Westley was still
full of praise for his players' performance.

"It was a good performance but probably the wrong result," he said. "You
don't always get what you deserve in this game and I've been in this game
long enough to understand that.

"In terms of development and how we want to play, particularly first half
was a proper masterclass. We were very, very good.

"But if you let two in away from home, you've got to score three to win. The
game got broken up a bit in the second half, we gave away silly free kicks
and their goalkeeper was taking a long time.

"So it was a mixture second half and we weren't as good as we were in the
first half. But we're really disappointed to get back on the bus and not
take any points from the game."

Westley made three changes to the side that drew with Aston Villa last week.
Noha Sylvestre, Grady Diangana and Joe Powell came into the side and
impressed the manager.

"They came in and we still played with the same identity and style," Westley
continued. "All three, particularly Joe Powell playing up front on his own,
were very good. Noha was good and Grady, particularly first half, was very
dangerous as a No10.

"The two goals killed us. But if we continue to play as we do and pass the
ball like we did tonight, we'll come through those games (against Leicester
and Nottingham Forest in the Cup) and come through well."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Southampton v West Ham United
SAT, 04 FEB 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: St. Mary's Stadium
BBC.co.uk

West Ham put in one of their worst performances of the season when they were
beaten 3-0 by Southampton at the London Stadium back in September.

TEAM NEWS

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has been ruled out for up to three
months with an ankle injury.

Manager Claude Puel is boosted by the return of Jay Rodriguez and James
Ward-Prowse, while new £14m signing Manolo Gabbiadini is also in contention.

West Ham's Andre Ayew remains on Africa Cup of Nations duty but Cheikhou
Kouyate has returned from the competition and is available.

Sam Byram is a doubt after injuring his hamstring against Manchester City.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

John Motson: "This is an interesting tussle between two teams that are in
the bottom half of the table after a season blighted by inconsistency so
far.

"All eyes will be on Jose Fonte on his return to St Mary's just weeks after
giving up the captain's armband at Southampton and moving to West Ham.

"Saints fans will be cursing his departure even more now that his former
central defensive partner Virgil van Dijk faces a lengthy spell on the
sidelines.

"They have been boosted, though, by the arrival of striker Manolo
Gabbiadini, who should invigorate an attack that has struggled slightly
without the injured
Charlie Austin, while West Ham will be hoping Robert Snodgrass can help make
up for the departure of Dimitri Payet."

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Southampton manager Claude Puel on dealing with West Ham striker Andy
Carroll: "It's difficult to take him because he is so strong and we know his
quality.

"It's important to win duels with good presence around the second ball, and
always to defend with good cover.

"But we should not just try to win those duels. We need a good work habit
and not to get just one player in duels."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on Southampton: "They've had a great run in
the League Cup. I remembered they played some really good football and
played some good away games - and then I saw they are below us.

"They have some new players and some injuries, and it will be a tough game
for us and for them. It is an important game because we are only one point
above them and we want to make that gap bigger."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Just as they did in the FA Cup a few weeks ago, West Ham made it easy for
Manchester City on Wednesday - and paid the price.

Southampton also come into this game on the back of a poor result, losing to
struggling Swansea on Tuesday, but I think they will be much improved here.

Prediction: 2-1

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

West Ham are without a win in their last seven away league games against the
Saints (D4, L3). Their last victory at St Mary's came in November 2000 under
Harry Redknapp.
Southampton have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home games
against West Ham.
Southampton

They have won just one of their last six league matches.
Only four teams have conceded fewer goals at home than the 11 Southampton
have let in so far this season.
The Saints have lost two home Premier League games from leading positions
this season - no side has lost more (level with Bournemouth).
Fraser Forster hasn't conceded a league goal against West Ham in 333 minutes
of action, keeping three consecutive clean sheets in that time.
West Ham United

The Hammers have conceded 40 Premier League goals this season from their 23
games - it took them 32 games to concede as many in 2015-16.
West Ham have kept just one clean sheet away from home in the league this
season.
They have conceded a league-high 82.5% of their goals from open play this
season.
Andy Carroll has scored five goals in his last nine Premier League away
games after a run of 10 games without scoring on the road.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 26%
Probability of home win: 51% Probability of away win: 23%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football
matches.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Henry - I'm elated with my form
WHUFC.com

Korrey Henry is pleased with his current form for West Ham United U18s this
season
The versatile 17-year-old is the Hammers' second highest scorer with nine
goals
West Ham are in action at home to Norwich City on Saturday

Korrey Henry is "elated" with his current form and believes the U18s are
confident they can achieve their aim of finishing in the top four. The
Hammers are currently third in U18 Premier League South with just four games
left of the regular season. They host Norwich City at Little Heath this
Saturday (12pm kick-off) and Henry is expecting the team to go into the
match full of confidence. "We are more than confident at the moment. We all
know we have the ability to achieve and it's just about performing well when
we have a game," he said. "It's important not to get complacent though
because every game in this league can be tough, no matter if you play top of
the league or bottom of the league."

Henry is the most versatile player in the U18s setup, having played in
numerous positions this season. He has played in the striker position,
right across the midfield and even at centre-back, leading to praise from
coaches Steve Potts and Mark Phillips. "I like all the positions to be
honest, but my favourite one is playing in the No8 role because I can attack
and defend," Henry continued.
"Steve and Mark give me lots of praise and they're pleased that I understand
how to play in lots of positions. "It's an asset to me and an asset to the
team and I'm very grateful to the coaches for believing in me to do lots of
different roles."

Norwich are the vistors to Little Heath on Saturday, with the Hammers aiming
to make it six unbeaten in the league. Potts's side ran out comprehensive
5-2 winners at the Colney Training Centre in the reverse fixture, with Henry
scoring a hat-trick. "I'm very confident at the moment and if I play, I
fancy myself to score. "We have to treat every game like on its own. As I
said, there is no easy game in this league and we have to be prepared for
whatever challenge."

West Ham U18s' Premier League South match with Norwich City kicks off at
12pm from Little Heath Sports Ground. Parking and admission are both free.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Five Talking Points – Southampton
WHUFC.com

Five big points for discussion ahead of West Ham United's Premier League
trip to St Mary's to face the Saints on Saturday afternoon...

Unhappy hunting ground

West Ham United have NEVER won at St Mary's in five visits to Southampton's
new home, earning two draws and suffering three defeats.
In fact, the Hammers have scored just one goal in those five trips to the
south coast – Andy Carroll's low free-kick in the 1-1 Premier League draw
there in April 2013. Just for the record, West Ham's four other visits ended
in a 1-0 Championship defeat in October 2011, goalless Premier League draws
in September 2013 and February 2015 and a 1-0 top-flight defeat in February
2016.

Former Saints

Two West Ham United players will have extra motivation to help the Hammers
achieve their first-ever victory at Southampton on Saturday.
Jose Fonte played 288 times for the Saints between 2010 and 2016, winning
back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in 2011 and
2012, before being appointed captain. Michail Antonio spent a much shorter
period on the south coast, being loaned to Southampton from Reading for the
2009/10 season. During his stay, he and Fonte lined up together at Wembley
Stadium in the 2010 Football League Trophy final, in which Antonio scored in
a 4-1 victory over Carlisle United.

Bouncebackability

Both clubs will be eager to bounce back after disappointing midweek Premier
League results. West Ham United were humbled 4-0 by Manchester City at
London Stadium, while Southampton were beaten 2-1 at Swansea City. Those
results left the Hammers and the Saints eleventh and twelfth in the table
respectively, with Slaven Bilic's side holding a one-point advantage over
Claude Puel's men, who have lost five of their last six Premier League
matches. Victory on Saturday could see the winner rise into the top half,
with both ninth-place Stoke City and tenth-place Burnley playing away from
home.

New boy

Italy international Manolo Gabbiadini is set to be named in the Southampton
squad for the first time on Saturday. The £14m striker was snapped up from
Napoli, where he has been used sparingly over the past 18 months, and Saints
manager Claude Puel has admitted he will not rush the 25-year-old into
action this weekend. Having started just 19 games since the start of the
2015/16 season, and completed a full 90 minutes just once this season,
Gabbiadini will likely need time to work his way up to full match-fitness.
However, the former Atalanta and Sampdoria forward has made 158 Serie A
appearances and knows where the goal is, having scored 38 goals in Italy's
top-flight, so West Ham will need to be on their guard should the new boy be
given his debut.

James Ward-Prowse

The 'other' Academy of Football

While West Ham United have been known as 'The Academy of Football' for more
than half a century, Southampton are themselves developing quite a
reputation for producing top-quality home-grown players. England
internationals Martin Chivers, Mick Channon, Matthew Le Tissier and Alan
Shearer all came through the ranks with the Saints. Over the past decade or
so, Southampton have unearthed and developed the likes of Theo Walcott,
Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calum Chambers, Luke
Shaw.
On Saturday, James Ward-Prowse, Jack Stephens, Sam McQueen and Josh Sims
could all featured against the Hammers. With a large catchment area, expert
recruitment and high-class coaching and education programmes, Southampton's
Academy is rightly considered one of the best in the country.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Calleri seeks advice from Tevez
WHUFC.com

Jonathan Calleri has sought advice from West Ham legend and fellow Argentine
Carlos Tevez about adapting to life in English football.
The 23-year-old forward has so far found first team opportunities hard to
come by, making eight appearances since signing on loan from Uruguayan
outfit Deportivo Maldonado. However, having scored his first goal in Claret
and Blue during the convincing 3-1 victory away at Middlesbrough, Calleri
explained how he's hoping to follow Tevez's footsteps into West Ham
folklore. He said: "Yes, I spoke to Carlos Tevez. When he first arrived here
at West Ham he was in a similar situation to what I'm in. "He said it was
hard for him at first, the coach changed, and there was a time when he
wanted to leave but he stayed and turned the situation around. "Obviously
we're not the same player, I believe Carlos Tevez is an absolutely fantastic
player so I want to take his advice and follow in his footsteps."

Looking back, it's hard to believe it took 'Carlitos', twenty games to first
find the back of the net, before hitting a purple patch that saved the
Hammers from relegation. Now sixth months into life in east London, Calleri
freely admits that his time as a Hammer has been stop start so far. He
continued: "I knew when I arrived it was going to take some time to settle
in. When I signed I was expecting a tough six months, but I've learnt a lot
and it has been a great experience. I am working hard and trying to take the
opportunities when they come."

And it would appear that Calleri's first Hammers' goal which wrapped up the
3-1 victory at the Riverside has done him the world of good. Speaking with
renewed conviction, he said: "Scoring my first goal was a big boost for my
confidence, to score my first goal in the Premier League but also European
football, it is something I was very motivated to do."

His manager, Slaven Bilic, evidently believes in the young striker as he
decided against bolstering his frontline during the transfer window, happy
with Calleri as one of his options alongside Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew,
Ashley Fletcher and Diafra Sakho. During the window, Calleri confirmed that
he had had a full and frank conversation with Bilic, where the boss
reiterated his faith: "Yes, I did speak to the manager. He told me the
truth, he said he had faith in me. He couldn't promise me anything because
it's difficult to do that in football but he said if I work hard and train
well, I will get my chances. "I believe in myself and my ability. I am
looking forward to the second half of the season and excited for the future.
I will take things step by step and learn all I can from the top players we
have here. "I am on a one year loan, now I am very confident that I can give
more to the team and break into the starting XI. It hasn't happened yet but
I know I can do it."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slav says Lampard is a role model
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic pays tribute to 'legend' Frank Lampard following his former
teammate's retirement
Manager and former England midfielder played together at West Ham United
during 1996/97 season
Lampard went on to win 106 England caps and a host of trophies during an
illustrious career

Manager Slaven Bilic has paid a glowing tribute to his former West Ham
United teammate Frank Lampard, who announced his retirement from football at
the age of 38 this week. Bilic was a first-team regular when Lampard broke
into Harry Redknapp's squad 21 years ago, and was in the team when the
midfielder made his full debut at Arsenal in August 1996 - two years after
joining the Club as a full-time scholar. The pair played together 16 times
in Claret and Blue, before the Academy of Football graduate Lampard joined
Chelsea in 2001. The son of Hammers legend Frank Senior netted 303 goals in
1,019 career games for club and country, including 38 in 187 appearances for
his boyhood team, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999.

"People talk about legends and it's a very common word, but Frank is one of
the ambassadors, one of the biggest legends in the Premier League," Bilic
began. "I know him well, of course, as he started his career here, him and
Rio Ferdinand, when I was playing for West Ham in 1996/97. "I use his
example many, many times in my spell in Croatia as a national-team manager
and in Russia, in Turkey and even here, because what he achieved is purely
unbelievable."

Bilic recalled watching Lampard hone his game for hour after hour on the
training pitch at Chadwell Heath, eking out every last bit of talent in his
pursuit of greatness. The manager revealed that he used the example of his
old teammate when coaching young players aspiring to follow in the footsteps
of the man who was voted the second-best player in the world and Footballer
of the Year in 2005.
"He stayed with his feet on the ground and he's a top gentleman, a top
player, a top….basically everything," he observed. "He didn't rely only on
his talent. I remember him staying after every session, not once, twice or
three times a week, but after every session to have shooting practice or do
little doggies to try to improve his sharpness. "He is the biggest and
greatest example to young players to show what they have to do to be in
position to achieve something in football."

Lampard is now studying for his own coaching qualifications and is
reportedly set to be offered a role with the Football Association.
Bilic said he would welcome the return of the Romford-born player to his
hometown, where the Hammers now train at their new Rush Green base. "Frank
is always very welcome in our Club and I am sure he's gonna be, like he was
serious in his football career, very, very serious in his management
career."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SIMONE ZAZA: THIS IS WHY I FAILED AT WEST HAM
BY 337HAMMER ON 3 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 2:52PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

SIMONE ZAZA admits he's 99 per cent responsible for his failed spell at West
Ham. The Juventus striker arrived on loan at the London Stadium in August
with a view to a permanent £17m deal. Zaza, 25, made 11 appearances in all
competitions for West Ham, but failed to register a single goal during his
lacklustre four-month spell.

He recently joined Valencia for the remainder of the season, but has
reflected on his time at West Ham, and says he didn't think so much could
have gone wrong. Zaza told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Once I realised that I
needed to leave Juve I decided to try an adventure abroad. "West Ham was one
of the teams that I wanted the most. But quickly I didn't feel great in so
many ways – environment, culture, training, nutrition. I'm not being a
victim, I know that plying your trade as a footballer allows you to earn so
much. I'm just trying to explain the causes of my failure. I knew I would
find some difficulties, but I did not think there could be so many. I do not
blame anyone, 99 per cent of it's my fault because I was not able to adapt."

"I was sure that I'd make it but it was probably because I'm set in my ways.
I'm attached to my habits, my things, my points of reference otherwise I'm
lost and I can't find myself. I was not good physically. I had been through
pre-season with Juventus so I was OK. When I got there I found a different
method of training. You exercise less, sometimes the sessions last 40
minutes and almost immediately I didn't feel good."

"I need to train more, for someone to kick my ass. The problem is that on
Sunday other people went to a thousand percent. Not me. I wanted to do
things that come naturally when I'm playing well and I could not do them.
And I became crazy. What went wrong? I've been wondering myself because my
story says that I have always done everything to reverse difficult
situations. Maybe in London I was thinking too much. And maybe this
different personal attitude ended up being counter-productive."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic: It's impossible for West Ham to compete on quality with
Manchester City and we weren't physical
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

Let me say first that Manchester City were exceptional against us on
Wednesday. Well done to them but we helped them. We let them play, we gave
them time and made elementary mistakes for which, when you are playing
against top players, you will be punished.
I expected more from us, not based on hope but on recent performances and
results plus the quality I know we have in the squad.
How will Manchester City fare this season? Do they have a chance of the
Premier League title? I was asked these questions after our 4-0 defeat. To
be honest, I don't care. What I've been thinking solely about since
Wednesday night's disappointment, is why it has happened to us three times
already this season?

Some have said the pitch is too big for us, others that we are still
acclimatising to our new home. Well, there are regulations which govern the
size of the pitch and I am fed up with answering questions about the
stadium. No one mentioned either factor when we beat Crystal Palace
recently. I am not one for excuses.

Basically, you cannot make the mistakes like we did which led to their first
and third goals. Sometimes, if you are playing against teams with less
quality, you can get away with it but not against a team as good as City.
They don't miss those opportunities.

It's very frustrating, especially following a period when we have been
improving and moving up the Premier League table. It's a blow, particularly
when it happens at home as it has three times already this season. We
weren't aggressive enough, we gave them time and space, in fact the opposite
of everything we talked about before the match.

When you play them, you have to be complete to have a chance. You have to
have numbers, yes, but you also have to be physical. We weren't and the
question now is, are we a physical team? Against City, we have to admit that
we weren't, so can we do it? I am sure sometimes that we can but, to be
fair, we are not a proper physical team and if you compete purely on quality
against such a team, then it is impossible.

Of course, I am very disappointed. I didn't treat this as a bonus game, I
honestly expected we could get something from it but now we move on. We're
not going to let this ruin everything good that we have produced recently.
On the other two occasions when we've been beaten heavily at home this
season, we have showed good character in the next match. After losing 5-0 to
Arsenal we drew 2-2 at Liverpool and then, after again conceding five goals
to City in the FA Cup, we beat Crystal Palace 3-0. We can't let this damage
our confidence and I will be expecting a similar response when we play at
Southampton tomorrow — and then at home to West Brom the following weekend.

Ideally, one more day before the Southampton game would have helped — they
played at Swansea on Tuesday — but we can't change that and again, let's not
use that as an excuse.

Of course, there is bound to be criticism after such a defeat, just as there
is praise after a good performance but I know these players will react well,
including our new signings, Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass. We wouldn't
have signed them if we didn't believe they will make us much better.

For Southampton, we expect to have Cheikhou Kouyate back in the squad. He's
back from playing for Senegal in the African Cup of Nations, he trained with
us yesterday and should be ready.

Cheikhou is someone who definitely has that kind of physicality which we
lacked against Manchester City. Every time he doesn't play you miss his
physical presence, as was the case in those two previous home defeats, by
Arsenal and then Manchester City in the FA Cup.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Metz shock Marseille as Dimitri Payet returns to Ligue 1
Last Updated: 03/02/17 10:30pm
SSN

Dimitri Payet's Ligue 1 return ended in despair for Marseille as struggling
Metz produced a shock 1-0 win. Metz substitute Yann Jouffre provided the
decisive moment of a dull contest eight minutes from time when goalkeeper
Yohann Pele failed to deal with his 20-yard free-kick. Payet left West Ham
in a £25m move last weekend and made his second Marseille debut as a
substitute in a Coupe de France victory over Lyon on Wednesday. The France
international was again left on the bench until the 55th minute, when he
joined the action along with Marseille's top scorer Bafetimbi Gomis. Within
two minutes, Gomis had the ball in the Metz net after Payet's free-kick had
been flicked on, but the on-loan Swansea striker was correctly ruled
offside. Simon Falette then diverted Payet's teasing ball onto his own
crossbar before Jouffre's finish five minutes later took Metz four points
clear of the relegation zone.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Riz lands new role
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 3rd February 2017
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer Omer Riza has been appointed as the new Assistant Manager at
Leyton Orient. Riza, who was only appointed as Under 18s coach last summer
having previously worked with the Under 14s has been promoted to work as
number two to Danny Webb at Brisbane Road following the departure of Andy
Edwards and his team last weekend. 37-year-old Riza spent three years at
West Ham after making a move from Arsenal in 1999, but failed to make a
single first team appaearance under either Harry Redknapp oor Glenn Roeder
during his time at the club. Following spells on loan with Barnet and
Cambridge, Riza eventually joined the latter on a permanent basis in 2002.
He then spent five years in Turkey, playing for Denizlispor and Trabzonspor
before returning to England where he saw out his playing career in
non-league, having featured briefly for Shrewsbury. Hi sfinal destination
was Harlow Town in 2015.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Help Amos
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 3rd February 2017
By: Staff Writer

A JustGiving page has been started on behalf of Amos Nasha after it was
revealed that the former Hammer is struggling to make ends meet. According
to close friend Simon Bywater, Nasha - who was released on a free transfer
by West Ham in June of last year - has been unable to find a new club
laregly because he has to look after his younger brother Mark on a full-time
basis following the death of their parents. And that has left the duo
struggling to make ends meet, as Bywater explains. "Tragically, a few years
ago, they lost their mother,," he said. "It was a shock but they showed
immense unity in dealing with this devastating news. Amos bravely continued
with his football ambitions and Mark pushed on with his studies. "Early
last year their father suffered a heart attack which resulted in him having
to sell his shoe shop in east London while he recovered. In the summer, Amos
Jnr was released by West Ham and like many young lads got on the depressing
treadmill of 'trialling' to find a new club. "A week before Christmas 2016
Amos Snr collapsed and suffered fatal heart failure. This tragic event has
left the lads in a state of shock. Trying to work through this has been
extremely tough on the lads. "Sadly they live in rented accommodation and
now face the real fear of becoming homeless in the months ahead given they
have no current income. "Amos Jnr is now the Guardian of Mark who is
attempting to sit his A levels. Amos Jnr's football has had to take a back
seat while he deals with much more important priorities in his life.
"www.jesushouse.org.uk church have been supporting Amos and Mark through
their faith to deal with their current situation. Sadly they lack
significant funding. What I'm looking at through this article is publicity
and donations to help keep these decent lads moving forward through a very
difficult time in their lives. "They have no immediate family in this
country and need our support. If you are able to send a donation to help
Amos and Mark it will be gratefully received and I will ensure they use it
wisely."

Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund may do so here
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/simon-bywater?utm_id=60&utm_term=qXA
AdKXmk

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 0-4 Man City (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 3rd February 2017
By: HeadHammerShark

1. Bad Dreams

My poor Dad. February 1st is his birthday, and as a treat I decided to take
him to a West Ham game. I actually bought him a ticket to the Man Utd
fixture as his present, but as that was just ninety minutes of tedious
Mourinhoan pedagogy I felt guilty and bought him another one for this game.
This brings me on nicely to the definition of insanity. Albert Einstein is
credited as describing this as "doing the same thing over and over again and
expecting different results". But Albert Einstein never watched West Ham,
and therefore had no meaningful grasp on the concept of despair, or mental
degradation.

The actual definition of insanity is buying a ticket to watch West Ham play
Man City in the FA Cup, watching them lose 5-0 and then buying a ticket to
watch the same fixture in the league three weeks later even when you know
the outcome will be the same. As my Dad said on the way out - "I'll be fine
with a book next year, thanks".

2. Game Day

This truly was a sh*tshow. A perfect Piers Morgan of a performance as most
of the team took to the field without a spine, and were duly humiliated once
again by a team who can't defend and have conceded four goals against both
Leicester and Everton.

But none of that truly captures the abject, insipid, utterly limp nature of
this display. This was f*cking awful. Most distressingly of all, it was
almost a note for note reproduction of the cup game, right down to the 3-0
half time score, the sh*tty penalty award, the funereal atmosphere and the
overarching feeling of being in a cable car that has just got to the crest
of a mountain but instead of going forward, has suddenly, inexplicably
started falling back down the slope at a dizzying speed.

If you have ever played football at a certain level you will have experience
of being screamed at by an angry coach over "in balls". These are passes
from full backs to central midfielders which are cut out and are described
by The Secret Footballer as being responsible for 40 per cent of all goals
conceded from open play. Angry English youth coaches generally prefer you to
"stick it in the f*ckin' mixer" rather than attempt them.

Anyway, even now I can picture you all nodding along as you think of Aaron
Cresswell and Pedro Obiang paying homage to the art form last night with two
beauties of the genre. The reason that these passes are so dangerous is that
players intercepting them are almost always facing forward, advancing at
pace on to a back pedaling defence, and crucially with no holding
midfielders to worry about. City's first and third goals came from these
mistakes and whilst they were beautifully constructed and finished, there
was the familiar air of self inflicted wounds to the whole affair.

In between this, Leroy Sane had ghosted past debutant Jose Fonte almost as
though he were an ageing 33-year-old rather than the key to all our
defensive problems, before crossing for David Silva to score from about two
yards out. As I said, a note for note remake of the cup game. A bit like
when Gus van Sant recreated Psycho shot for shot, except that this was
actually terrifying to watch and didn't feature Vince Vaughn.

Half time came and went with no discernible difference apart from the fact
that the stadium was emptying quicker than a broken hourglass. Raheem
Sterling capped off a fine display with a superb two-stage dive as he jinked
past Fonte. As we know from the cup game a lack of contact is no impediment
to City players falling over but Toure duly squeezed the penalty home anyway
and, with that, everybody stopped bothering. City stopped trying, the
supporters started to gauge when they needed to leave to best utilise the
world class transport facilities and Guardiola brought on Fabian Delph after
presumably losing a bet to someone.


3. The Detail

Regular readers will know that I am a fan of the xG concept. This looks at
the type and location of the chances created by teams and assigns them an
"expected goal" value. It's a useful tool for reminding ourselves that
whenever somebody (usually Alan Shearer) says "he has to score from there"
it is invariably bullsh*t.

What's remarkable about this game is how little threat we posed. As you can
see here, using the superb xG Maps at @11tegen11, our xG in this game was
0.43 compared to City's 2.07. This feels about right as we generally carried
the same level of threat as the Swiss navy, and this now marks 180 minutes
of complete offensive ineptitude against a team playing John Stones at
centre half like that's a professionally acceptable thing to do.

If you're looking for a comparison, Hull generated chances worth 0.51 and
restricted Man Utd to 1.45 in their game last night. A-f*cking-hem.

Our only chance fell to Cresswell, who was beautifully found in acres of
space by Andy Carroll, but was so surprised by this turn of events that he
promptly forgot how to use his legs. His resulting shot was ballooned miles
over the bar and was so overhit that it almost made it into the seats behind
the goal.

Our wide man Sofiane Feghouli was so useless that the only player to
complete fewer passes in the final third of the pitch was City keeper, Willy
Caballero which, if you're following along at home, means that he managed
less completions than Darren Randolph. That - as the kids say - is f*cked
up.

Aside from this, or perhaps because of it, we looked completely clueless as
to how we were ever going to score. I recall a game against Man City back in
October 2010 when we lost 3-1 and spent the first hour looking totally
inept. This was during the Allardici "no striker" period when Allardyce
played with six midfielders and just said "we won 3-0 at Spurs" when anyone
pointed out that this meant we had stopped scoring. Even that night, when we
had no f*cking strikers, we still eventually scored and had a bit of a go.

Everyone has a different tolerance for losing games, and I'd like to think
mine is pretty high but at the very least I expect my team to have a vague
idea of how they intend to win the match. It is my fearless prediction that
these constant surrenders at home to any team with even a semblance of
something about them, will eventually cost Bilic his job.


4. The Lessons

What was very evident from the first whistle tonight was that there was no
coherence to our defensive play. Forget for a moment the lack of attacking
intent and ponder instead the failure to get even remotely close to City
after they scored their first.

In contrast to the visitors there was no pressure on the ball, and if you
don't press then you must be compact and difficult to break down and we
weren't doing that either. Instead the team operated in some sort of strange
hinterland where nobody marked and nobody hassled and David Silva strolled
around majestically in a Hawaiian shirt and a flip flops like he was playing
on a beach in Brazil. I'm going to be so excited when Sullivan tries to sign
him in five years.

Much of this confusion stems from our formation which, having watched the
game both live and in highlight form, I still can't really fathom out.
Carroll definitely played up front and behind him we had some sort of
interpretive dance movement whereby Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini
fluttered around like Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream whilst Feghouli
stood motionless on the wing as if traumatised by the whole thing.

It's easy to say that the big pitch or our slow players aren't well suited
to pressing but I think this misses the point. It's our defensive structure
that isn't working. Pressing needs to be done at the right time, in the
right situation and with a co-ordinated plan where players aren't too
isolated when they make the decision to go and challenge the ball. What we
currently have is a mishmash, where the immobile Carroll can't really do it
against good ball playing defenders, and as a result our midfielders are
getting pulled all over the place. In turn, when we do manage to break we
can't transition with any pace because players aren't where they need to be,
and generally we're f*cking clueless on the ball unless Lanzini has it. So
against cr*p teams we can get away with it, and against good teams we keep
getting skewered.

This is born out by the fact that in matches against the current bottom half
we have a record of P11 W7 D1 L3 but against the top ten it reads P12 W1 D3
L8. Yowzers. We have become a team for the small occasion, and the only
reason we have a win against a "good" team is because Burnley have somehow
snuck into tenth.

What this tells me is that we have a method which works against weak teams,
and have been unusually clinical in finishing them off, but we have nothing
to offer against anyone half decent. This can't continue - I understand that
we're going to lose more often than not to teams like Man City given the
huge advantages they enjoy, but we've just played them twice in a month and
got schooled both times. We're not getting any closer, we're getting further
away and that, more than anything, is a cause for concern.


5. Corner Boys

Having gone into the transfer window needing a right back and a centre
forward, we bought a winger and a centre half. This is genius stuff from the
Board who have sensibly realised that the way to win football games is to do
what your opponents least expect. Centre halves when you need full backs,
play a lion in goal, have everybody in the ticket office type using their
weaker hand, sell drones instead of food at concession stands. That kind of
thing.

So, for the second consecutive window we failed to get a right back, leaving
Sam Byram a free run at the position for the rest of the season. In truth
I'm not opposed to that, given that this season is a slowly smouldering
bonfire and we are playing for nothing other than prize money, which will
only be wasted on agents fees anyway.

So Byram gets a 15 match audition in which to state his case, and if he gets
injured then we'll be back to asking people to do jobs they aren't qualified
for, which sort of seems normal now that Donald Trump is President of
America.

On the other side, Cresswell is having the worst season of his West Ham
career. He was injured to start the campaign and it's entirely possible that
rushing him back hasn't helped. I have seen a few calls for Arthur Masuaku
to be given a run in his stead, but the last time I saw him he was moving
like he was on smack, so I don't see how that would be an improvement.
Cresswell would probably benefit from having a genuine wide player in front
of him which I suppose Robert Snodgrass is, even if Bilic played him on the
right when he brought him on, because anything else would have been stupid.

The overarching theme is that without functioning full backs, teams can't
survive in modern football. Look at Spurs and Chelsea, who use their wide
defenders in different systems but to very similar effect. Cresswell did
that superbly last season and if he could get back to that form again, and
Byram can start to develop into the player we hope he can be, then we would
have something on which to base the massive summer overhaul that is
required. The genuinely worrying thing is that we have been searching for
additional right sided cover for two windows and Sullivan hasn't been able
to unearth anybody. I suspect I may return to this point.


6. All Due Respect

The only home player to really emerge with much credit from tonight was
Antonio who played in his odd new position, flitting between the wing and
the second striker role, and worked gamely in the most lost of causes.

I would love to say something positive about Reid and Fonte, who at least
kept working until the and but we conceded four goals in a defensive
clusterf*ck that would have been startling if it wasn't for the fact that
this was the sixth time we've conceded at least four this season, and the
fourth time at home. At some point we might need to accept that shuffling
keepers, recruiting new centre halves and praying to St Christopher might
not be the answer to our problems. Our defensive structure isn't working but
it would probably also help us immensely if our back four could tackle.


7. The Buys

Alright, you knew this was coming. I'm about to go off on one about our
January transfer window. Stop me if you think that you've heard this one
before.

How to assess our January work, then? Well, in isolation the players we
brought in will probably improve the team. Snodgrass is not a patch on
Payet, but the latter wanted out so he will probably provide better results
than the uninterested Frenchman would have done. Likewise Fonte will replace
the injured Ogbonna and is undoubtably a better player than the alternative,
James Collins.

But, between them they set us back £18m and will stay on the payroll for the
next three seasons despite Fonte being 33 and Snodgrass being 29. My
apologies if you follow me on Twitter and saw me rant about this last week
but I think it bears repeating. I did a little research and decided to
compare our transfer policy to Southampton and Spurs.

Both are loosely similar to us in that they don't win much but have some
money, are well established Premier League teams and are looking to break
into the upper echelons of the league. Spurs have surged ahead in this
latter regard, but these were the gaps that the stadium move was supposed to
help bridge.

Well, here's how many players that each of them have signed in the last four
years who are as old as either Snodgrass or Fonte:

Spurs - none
Southampton - none

One has to go back to 2012 to find Spurs signing outfield players as old as
29 (Clint Dempsey) or 33 (Ryan Nelson). For Southampton it's 2011 (Hooiveld)
and 2009 (Jaidi) respectively.

Those statistics don't have to mean anything, but they do. Our competitors
do not make signings of this type anymore, and instead we've made three this
season alone. I actually don't mind the idea that we might be doing
something contrary to popular thinking if I thought it was because our
brains trust had hit upon some market inefficiency that others had yet to
exploit. But of course that's not what this is - it's a case of David
Sullivan getting the life scared out of him by our summer disasters and
instantly reverting back to a market he thinks he knows. And lo and behold,
two wildly over the top transfer fees later, we have two ageing players we
may not need beyond the end of this season and around £30m committed to
buying and paying them.

You know how there is always a team around that everybody else just points
at, laughs and wonders what on earth they're doing? Congratulations - you
support them.

Sullivan then followed up his latest masterstrokes with the quote: "Robert
is British and is proven in the Premier League and I must say we'd like to
sign a few more British players".

This makes perfect sense to me having watched multiple World Cups, European
Championships, Champions Leagues and Europa Leagues the overriding feeling
that I am always left with is that British players are by some distance the
best on the planet.

Sure, the only world class one plays in Spain but if you get the opportunity
to snap up a guy who has played for Leeds, Norwich and Hull then you bloody
well take it.

I despair. I despair of the short sightedness of this bullsh*t policy that
Sullivan is now espousing. Being British and having Premier League
experience wasn't required for Kouyate or Payet. They were good buys because
they were good players. Alli, Arnatouvic, Van Dijk, Tadic, Rondon - all were
brought into the Premier League from elsewhere and all hit the ground
running. Each of them were affordable and would have improved our team.

That said, tragically, he actually had it right for a couple of years when
he let Tony Henry have free reign and we signed players from overseas and
the lower leagues and largely steered clear of paying over the odds for
domestic players. That all changed this summer when our recruitment went
awry and Andre Ayew was signed in a deadline beating frenzy for a mystifying
£20.5m and has now been supplemented by these new buys. £40m on Ayew,
Snodgrass and Fonte, two of whom play in the same position. You have to get
up pretty early to outsmart Sullivan, yessiree.

Rather than look at their recruitment process and decide that the thinking
was right, but the execution was poor we have now instead reverted back to
the old Sullivan Birmingham mantra. New signings have a huge whiff of "Ooh,
I've heard of him" about them and as a result we're getting screwed on fees.
Consequently we're getting older, slower and more expensive just as everyone
else is getting younger, fitter and cheaper.

If you're doing something different to everybody else in your field then
you're either leading it or you are trailing behind. I know where I think we
are.


8. Moral Midgetry


This is horrendously inappropriate and just confirms the long held suspicion
that we are a joke club. It may have got four thousand likes from the
Megabantz crowd but it's an awful reflection on our club. I'll say no more -
I already feel like a bully.


9. Storm Warnings


Er, let's just back the f*ck up here a minute shall we?

We sold our soul for this. I'm not getting into the rights or wrongs of the
move, but nobody can deny the irrevocable change that has been visited upon
our club. We gave up our spiritual home, our history and our distinct home
pitch advantage to come to the London Stadium.

Somehow there seems to be this misconception that because we've got this
bright new stadium and a huge digital wrap, and 60,000 seats that now it's
time to pay our side of the bargain. The board gave us a new house - and now
we have to turn up and make it a home.

Well, I'm sorry, but that's the wrong way round. We allowed them to move us
and now they need to repay us with a team worthy of that sacrifice. The
house might be bigger but it's an athletics stadium, and it comes with a lot
of problems. As I took twenty minutes to walk from one side of the ground to
the other last night due to the bottlenecks, as I saw the biblical queues
for the concessions stand, as I sat on the broken down, ancient TFL train at
Stratford, the very furthest thing from my mind was the phrase "world
class".

However, I'd accept all of that if I saw progress. If I saw cutting edge,
industry leading thinking that was putting a young, dynamic, fearless team
on the pitch. I'd accept the sh*t food, the cr*p acoustics and the lousy
view if only I could see the team was actually taking that mythical next
step.

But I don't. I see a board that haven't got the self awareness to see their
own failings on the football side of the business, doomed to continue
repeating them, wasting millions as they go.

And losing 5-1 at home to Arsenal and now 5-0 and 4-0 to City is shameful.
We were risible in those games, and the thought of what Spurs and Liverpool
will do to us at season end terrifies me.

The only way this stadium move will work is if the team takes a step
forward. If we're just going to meekly roll over for the bigger boys and
just point to their annual turnover when asked why, then we might as well
have stayed put. At least Upton Park had an atmosphere.

The board might not be prepared to accept this, but I see a lot of fans as
still being in "wait and see" mode. This is a dead season, so they had
better be planning for the summer with the intention of looking to
drastically improve rather than just supplement this team.

And this weeks peerless setting up of Bilic has been incredibly obvious too.
Everything was publicly declared to be the choice of the manager. No
striker, no right back, no turning down the ear splitting PA? All down to
Bilic. Keep an eye on Rafa Benitez at Newcastle - there is previous, he's
unhappy and they're targeting Bilic. I wonder.....


10. The Wire


You might recall that last week I (correctly) pointed out that the second
series of seminal US crime drama The Wire was the best in the run. Indeed,
the eagle eyed among you may have recognised the theme for this weeks
article as a result. In any case, several people disagreed with me, leading
me to run a poll on Twitter to establish once and for all that I was correct
the will of the people.

As you can see from the embedded tweet above, it's impossible to tell how
many people voted, but I gotta tell you folks it looked like maybe a
million, a million and a half took part. And as you can see, the correct
answer is Season 2.

And that, is the nearest I have come to a victory in the last week.

A Plea

I don't usually do this sort of thing as it's fraught with danger but I saw
something while researching this article and thought West Ham fans would
want to know. Former youth team player Amos Nasha faces being made homeless
as a result of losing both his parents.

Details are here and there is a JustGiving page here if you wanted to donate
anything to the cause.

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.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Southampton v West Ham preview: Jose Fonte makes swift return
Last Updated: 03/02/17 12:22pm
SSN

West Ham United will be aiming to pick up their first ever win league win at
St Mary's when they travel to face Southampton on Saturday. The Hammers are
winless in their last seven away league games against Saints (D4 L3), last
winning in Southampton in November 2000 under Harry Redknapp. Slaven Bilic's
men will fancy their chances of ending the barren run on the south-coast as
the hosts have lost five of their last six Premier League games, including
four straight defeats. West Ham were showing that life without Dimitri
Payet, who joined Marseille after a messy fallout, was looking rosy after
winning back-to-back Premier League games before losing 4-0 to Man City on
Wednesday night.
Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has been ruled out for up to three
months with an ankle injury. Jay Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse are back in
training after spells out and could be added to the squad. New striker
Manolo Gabbiadini will also be involved, although manager Claude Puel has
yet to decide whether to hand him a place in the starting line-up.
Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is back in the West Ham squad, having
returned from the African Cup of Nations. Right-back Sam Byram felt his
hamstring after the midweek 4-0 defeat by Manchester City and will be
assessed. Robert Snodgrass could make his full debut after coming on as a
substitute against City.

Opta stats

Southampton have won their last two matches against the Hammers; they last
won a third consecutive match against them in April 1998.

Southampton have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home games
against West Ham (W3 D4 L0).

Fraser Forster hasn't conceded a Premier League goal against West Ham in 333
minutes of action, keeping three consecutive clean sheets.

The Saints have lost two home Premier League games from leading positions
this season - no side has lost more (level with Bournemouth).

Only Sunderland (0) have kept fewer away Premier League clean sheets than
West Ham (1) this season.

The Hammers have conceded 40 Premier League goals this season after 23 games
- it took them 32 games to concede this many in 2015-16.

Andy Carroll has had a hand in six goals in his last nine away Premier
League games (five goals, one assist) after a run of 10 games without
scoring or assisting away from home.

West Ham have conceded a league-high 82.5% of their goals from open play
this season (33/40).

Van Dijk has the best aerial duel success rate of any defender to have been
involved in 100+ aerial duels (75%).

Only Sam Vokes (19.2 per game) has been involved in more aerial duels per 90
minutes on average than Carroll (18.5) this season in the Premier League.

Merson's prediction

It's difficult to know what you are going to get from these sides.
Southampton beat Liverpool over two legs to reach the EFL Cup final but were
then thrashed by Arsenal in the FA Cup. To be honest, I thought what Puel
did by putting out a lot of youngsters against the Gunners was not good.
They then lost to Swansea in midweek and it's really difficult to know which
Southampton team will turn up.

It's the same with West Ham. They put back-to-back wins together against
Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough but are then thumped by Manchester City -
but Pep Guardiola's side always seem to save their best football for the
Hammers. I think home advantage will play a part here so that's why I'm
going with a slender Southampton win.

PAUL PREDICT: 2-1 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic reveals admiration for Joe Hart
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 03/02/17 12:05pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has revealed his admiration for Joe Hart, but
has insisted he is not currently thinking about making a move for the
England goalkeeper. Sky sources understand the Hammers are interested in
signing the 29-year-old in the summer once his season-long loan spell with
Serie A side Torino comes to an end. Hart told Sky Sports in December that
he saw his long-term future away from parent club Manchester City, having
been quickly frozen out following the arrival of manager Pep Guardiola at
the Etihad last summer. However, Bilic claimed signing a goalkeeper is not a
top priority for him, citing current stoppers Darren Randolph and Adrian as
the reason why. "We are heavily linked with every player looking for a move.
I rate Joe Hart really highly as a great goalkeeper and personality," Bilic
said. "On the other hand, if there is one position that I am not even
thinking of changing it is goalkeeper because I have two great ones."

West Ham face Southampton at St Mary's on Saturday aiming to bounce back
from their emphatic 4-0 home defeat to Manchester City in midweek. Central
defender Jose Fonte left the Saints to join West Ham in January and is
expected to start against his former side, despite having a debut to forget
against City. Fonte, who gave away a penalty in the loss at London Stadium,
has received the backing of Bilic ahead of the trip down to south-coast.
"Fonte is a very experienced player and is focused," Bilic said. "He has
nothing but good memories of Southampton and is looking forward to it.
"Injury-wise, we had a recover day on Thursday and we have nothing serious.
Sam Byram has a hamstring but we hope he will be okay."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jonathan Calleri: Carlos Tevez told me to stay at West Ham
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 03/02/17 7:37am
SSN

Jonathan Calleri has revealed a phone call from West Ham cult hero Carlos
Tevez convinced him to remain with the club. Argentine forward Calleri has
endured a difficult spell at West Ham since joining on a season-long loan
from Deportivo Maldonado last summer, finding the net only once in 10
appearances. Tevez also struggled to adapt during his first few months in
England during the 2006-07 campaign, taking 20 games to open his Hammers
account before going on to score a further six goals to help the club avoid
relegation.
Calleri, who turned down the chance to join La Liga side Las Palmas in
January, has vowed to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot by making
his spell at West Ham a success. "I did speak to him a few months ago. When
he arrived at West Ham, he was in a similar situation that I found myself
in," the 23-year-old, who scored in the 3-1 success at Middlesbrough in
January, told Sky Sports News HQ. "It was hard for him and it was also hard
for me. I am staying here, I want to battle, I have taken his advice on
board and I want to be successful and follow in his footsteps." Calleri also
insisted West Ham can cope without Dimitri Payet, who completed a £25m
return to Marseille in January. Prior to his departure, Payet had been
training with the U23s after informing manager Slaven Bilic that he would no
longer play for the club. "Yes, it's true that a great player in Dimitri
Payet has left the club, but there is no player more important than the
whole squad and having a united dressing room and a united team," Calleri
said.
"So, if we are all united and pulling in the same direction, we won't miss
Dimitri Payet." West Ham travel to face Southampton in the Premier League on
Saturday, with just one point and one place separating the two sides in
mid-table.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simone Zaza says he failed to adapt to life at West Ham
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 03/02/17 10:12am
SSN

Simone Zaza has claimed his unsuccessful loan spell with West Ham was down
to a failure to adapt to life in England. The Italy forward joined the
Hammers on a season-long loan from Juventus in August, but endured a
terrible time and failed to score in 11 appearances for the club. West Ham
agreed to cut Zaza's spell at the London Stadium short in January, enabling
the 25-year-old to join La Liga side Valencia on loan for the remainder of
the season. "I didn't feel great in so many ways: environment, culture,
training, nutrition," Zaza told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I'm not being a
victim, I know that plying your trade as a footballer allows you to earn so
much. "I'm just trying to explain the causes of my failure. I knew I'd find
some difficulties, but I did not think there could be so many. I do not
blame anyone: 99 per cent of it's my fault because I was not able to adapt.
"I was sure that I'd make it, but it was probably because I'm set in my
ways. I'm attached to my habits, my things, my points of reference otherwise
I'm lost and I can't find myself. "I was not good physically. I had been
through pre-season with Juventus so I was okay. When I got there I found a
different method of training: you exercise less, sometimes the sessions last
40 minutes and almost immediately I didn't feel good. "I need to train more,
for someone to kick my ass. The problem is that on Sunday other people went
to a thousand percent. Not me. I wanted to do things that come naturally
when I'm playing well and I could not do them. And I became crazy. "It was
not easy. Be left in a sense of being a loser bothers me. It will remain a
blot on the landscape that this story that did not go as I hoped."

A clause in the loan agreement meant West Ham would have had to sign Zaza
permanently for £17m if he played 14 matches for the club.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic opted against the deal following the return of
forward Andy Carroll to form and fitness in December, leaving Zaza free to
join Valencia where he has since appeared twice but is yet to score.
"Already in early October I received calls from several teams. And I said no
because I wanted to do well in London," Zaza added. "Up until West Ham gave
me the news that they wouldn't buy me. Then I started to listen to offers.
After what I'd been through in England I was afraid to change country again,
I preferred to return to Italy, but it was very complicated. "Valencia was
always been the team I wanted most, and then there was [Cesare] Prandelli. I
showed interest and it took time. I wanted to know how they live here. Among
others I heard from Nicola Sansone, who lives here."

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Southampton vs West Ham: Prediction, team news, line-ups, start time, live,
TV, head to head, odds - Premier League preview
ALEX YOUNG
Evening Standard

West Ham will be looking to make immediate amends for another home thrashing
when they travel to face Southampton on Saturday. Manchester City hit four
without reply at the London Stadium on Wednesday, adding to the 5-0
hammering handed out in the FA Cup third round less than a month previous.
It was another sobering result for Slaven Bilic & Co. following a run of
five wins in their previous seven Premier League games, and anything less
than three points on Saturday will see West Ham leapfrogged by Southampton
in the standings. Claude Puel's side, though, are struggling themselves
having taken just three points from the previous 18 on offer, and captain
Jose Fonte jumped ship to the Hammers during the transfer window.

START TIME

West Ham travel to St. Mary's with kick-off scheduled for 3pm on Saturday,
February 4.

LIVE COVERAGE

The match will not be televised live in the UK, but you can follow all the
build-up and action from 2pm with Standard Sport's London Football live
blog. Enter your email address below to be informed when coverage begins.

TEAM NEWS

Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass made their West Ham debuts against
Manchester City on Wednesday, with the latter coming off the bench, so both
are expected to start at the weekend. Fonte will be facing the club he left
in January. Elsewhere, Slaven Bilic has no new injuries concerns beyond
current absentees Havard Nordtveit, Angelo Ogbonna, Diafra Sakho, Arthur
Masuaku, Gokhan Tore and Alvaro Arbeloa.

It is less positive news for Southampton with Claude Puel confirming on
Thursday that Virgil van Dijk will be sidelined for two to three months with
an ankle injury picked up in Janury. The commanding centre-back joins a long
list of sidelined Saints players, but fitness concerns James Ward-Prowse and
James Rodriguez could return.

Manolo Gabbiadini is available to make his debut after completing a £17
million deadline-day switch from Napoli, though is lacking in match fitness
after nearly a month without first-team action.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Southampton starting XI: Forster; Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand;
Davis, Romeu, Clasie; Tadic, Gabbiadini, Redmond

West Ham starting XI: Randolph; Byram, Fonte, Reid, Cresswell; Obiang,
Noble; Snodgrass, Lanzini, Antonio; Carroll

BETTING ODDS (via 888 Sport)

Southampton to win: 19/25
Draw: 14/5
West Ham to win: 41/10

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Slaven Bilic admits West Ham United miss Cheikhou Kouyate every time he
doesn't play
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has been away with Senegal
recently. Slaven Bilic has admitted in the London Evening Standard that West
Ham United miss Cheikhou Kouyate every time he doesn't play. West Ham have
been without Kouyate recently, as he has been representing Senegal at the
Africa Cup of Nations. And Bilic his hinted that the powerful midfielder
could return to West Ham's starting line-up this weekend, when they take on
Southampton. "For Southampton, we expect to have Cheikhou Kouyate back in
the squad," Bilic said. "He's back from playing for Senegal in the African
Cup of Nations, he trained with us yesterday and should be ready. "Cheikhou
is someone who definitely has that kind of physicality which we lacked
against Manchester City. "Every time he doesn't play you miss his physical
presence, as was the case in those two previous home defeats, by Arsenal and
then Manchester City in the FA Cup."
Whether Kouyate will start for West Ham against Southampton remains to be
seen. The Hammers need to bounce back in the contest, after what was a poor
display against City. Pep Guardiola's side tore the Hammers apart on Tuesday
evening, in what was another frustrating night at the London Stadium. West
Ham are currently in 11th place in the Premier League table, after what has
been a disappointing campaign so far.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham forward Andre Ayew tells Ghana team-mates to 'shut up and go home'
after AFCON exit
Andre Ayew bemoaned side's performance in 2-0 defeat but wants to move on
He scored twice in tournament but admitted Cameroon deserved win
Ghanaian insisted his team should now 'shut up and go home' after loss
Ayew believes preparations should now begin for next two years
By Jonny Singer for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 10:33, 3 February 2017 | UPDATED: 10:36, 3 February 2017

West Ham forward Andre Ayew told his team-mates to 'shut up and go home'
after they were put out of the Africa Cup of Nations by Cameroon on Thursday
night. Ayew, who scored two penalties on the way to the semi-final, was
unable to contribute on the night, as Ghana froze in their sixth consecutive
Cup of Nations semi-final. But the former Swansea star was eager to move on,
accepting the defeat and already looking ahead to two years time, when he
insisted the Black Stars would be back. 'We have to be honest, Cameroon
deserved the victory today, we didn't do what we had to do,' said Ayew. 'We
are very disappointed, but there's not much to say. We just need to shut up,
go home, and prepare for the next two years. It is now 35 years since Ghana,
who have a talented squad but rarely performed at their best in Gabon, won a
title, but Ayew was adamant that this group can still hit the heights they
were always tipped to reach. 'We've got to work hard, and sooner or later we
will get this title. 'It's football. We are trying, we want to, and we will
win it one day. I know it. I believe it. 'But this is not our time. We want
to go, work hard, and one day it will be our time.
'We know our country will be difficult, they're not going to be happy,
because they expect the cup, which is normal when you have players like you
have in the Ghana team. 'So we are going to go home, keep quiet, work hard,
and we'll see you in two years.'

Manager Avram Grant claimed his side did not deserve to lose, and suggested
that the loss of captain Asamoah Gyan to injury was a big factor in their
semi-final exit. 'I think, except the start of the game, things went well
for us. 'We dominated the game, in the second half we created chances to win
the game, and then the first attack of Cameroon in the second half, a set
piece, they scored a goal. This is football. 'Asamoah Gyan is a great
player. He's good for us. He played the first game 60 minutes, the second
game 60 minutes, he won one penalty and scored one goal. 'He's a big miss
for us. He didn't train. I'm very impressed by the way he recovered, but we
couldn't use him. No doubt that with him things would be better for this
team.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Exclusive: Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham singled out for not ensuring
staff are paid 'a fair wage'
Ben Rumsby
3 FEBRUARY 2017 • 12:01AM
Telegraph.co.uk

Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United were on Thursday night
singled out by living-wage campaigners after being accused of failing to
ensure everyone who works for them was paid "a fair wage". The chairmen of
the three London clubs were sent open letters by Citizens UK – which has
long lobbied for the living wage – calling on them to join Chelsea and
Everton in becoming a so-called 'Living Wage club'. The letter followed one
sent to Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and Crystal Palace last month by London
Mayor Sadiq Khan urging the quartet to pay the London living wage as part of
a drive to ensure all employers across the capital do so.

In 2015, a month after securing a record £5.14 billion domestic television
deal, Premier League clubs committed en masse to paying their full-time
staff the living wage – which is now £9.75 inside London (19,012.50 per
year) and £8.45 (£16,477.50 per year) elsewhere.
But that did not extend to subcontracted staff such as match-day stewards
and catering staff, who it has been claimed make up the majority of their
employees.

The intervention by Citizens UK comes as the UK broadcast rights for the
Champions League and Europa League are being sold. Their value is expected
to exceed the £897 million paid by BT Sport under the existing deal, which
would make Premier League teams, and their players, even richer.

Citizens UK said: "Despite the Premier League announcing in 2015 that their
clubs must pay all of their directly employed staff a living wage, that is
not extended to many of the sub-contracted staff on match days, who are
often on low pay.

"Clubs often claim the responsibility for pay lies with the contractors
themselves, such as Delaware North, who provide much of the catering
services at Arsenal, and Vinci Facilities, who operate the stadium at West
Ham.


"However, Citizens UK believe it's the responsibility of the clubs
themselves to ensure all staff who work on their site, and are so vital to
the match-day experience, are paid a fair wage."

Arsenal responded by stating that, as well as paying all their employees
more than the London living wage, they went "beyond the commitment" made by
all Premier League clubs and said their match day stewards earned £10 per
hour or more.

A spokesman told the Daily Telegraph pay conditions also formed part of
their negotiations with third-party contractors, with their most recently
signed deal implementing the living wage.

Tottenham said they held "positive discussions" with their contractors on
progressing the living wage and were committed to reviewing this during any
renegotiations.

West Ham said they paid their permanent full-time and part-time staff the
living wage, although that is not the case for all of the workers at their
London Stadium home, which is publicly owned and the operation of which
falls under the jurisdiction of City Hall.


Khan vowed on Thursday night to ensure those not currently receiving the
living wage would do so in future.

A spokesman for the mayor said: "Sadiq is extremely unhappy with this
position and has given instructions for this to be put right immediately.
Sadiq is wholly committed to the London living wage and is leading by
example."

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, which accredits
employers that pay the independently-calculated living wage, said: "It would
be great if more Premier League clubs joined the nearly 3,000 living wage
employers who are choosing to go further than the legal minimum on pay and
invest in staff at the lower end of the pay scale."

Chelsea became the first Premier League club to be accredited two years ago,
with Everton following suit in October.

Outside the top flight, only Derby County, Luton Town, FC United and Heart
of Midlothian are accredited Living Wage clubs.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Demolition firm salvages Upton Park bricks and supporters are urged to claim
theirs
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United fans will always treasure their memories of Upton Park but
now have a chance to reclaim a keepsake. The Hammers brought the curtain
down on 112 years at their beloved former Boleyn Ground home in the summer
as they departed for the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium in Stratford. While
many fans did not want to leave their famous East London home, the majority
signed up to the new era with the club boasting 52,000 season ticket holders
- second only to Manchester United. After the unforgettable 3-2 farewell win
over the Red Devils last May some supporters took souvenirs from the ground
while others purchased items from a club auction and even bought their
season ticket seat. Something that could not be relocated or handed back to
supporters though, were the personalised bricks in the wall of Upton Park's
redeveloped West Stand. Fans were disappointed and with the ground currently
being demolished, they had accepted they would never be seen again. But
there could be hope than lots of fans will get theirs back after the
demolition firm salvaged around 200 of them. And they have arranged to hand
them over to popular young West Ham fundraiser Jonjo Heuerman to be
distributed to their rightful owners. In a message posted on Twitter
supporters were urged to spread the word. "Share the hell out of this...
copy and paste and post in as many groups as you can," the message says.
"The demolition company has salvaged around 200 bricks from Upton Park. The
bricks bear the name of lost loved ones, names of supporters, messages etc.
"Matt WestHam has kindly arranged for them to be passed on to Jonjo/BMF to
sort and list so that he can help find the owners of the bricks and pass
them onto them. A couple of JJ's helpers will visit the site to sort the
bricks into alphabetical order and make a list so that we can share the
messages/names on the bricks and help find the owners. "Hoping to arrange a
collection point on Saturday February 11th but need to make the final
arrangements with the company. Please do not turn up at the site in the
meantime. "If you know that your family/loved one had a memorial brick at
Upton Park please post the message on the brick or their name in a comment
on this post (see Twitter post below). This may help speed up the process.
Please note that not all the bricks could be saved. "Alternatively you can
email jonjo@fornannyandbobby.com and we will do our best."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United to make £15m bid for Joe Hart
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

Reported West Ham United target Joe Hart is on loan at Torino from
Manchester City at the moment. West Ham United will make a £15 million bid
for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart in the summer transfer window,
according to The Sun. Hart is on a season-long loan deal at Torino at the
moment, having joined the Italian club from Premier League giants City in
the summer of 2016. "Hart is understood to demand wages of around
£100,000-a-week to join West Ham, which would make him their highest-paid
player," states the report in The Sun. "And London Stadium chiefs want to
offload Adrian, 30, for £5m in the summer, and give his £40,000-a-week money
to the England goalkeeper." Hart is a good goalkeeper, and he would prove to
be a good signing for West Ham. But would the England international be
willing to join the London club? The 29-year-old is used to challenging for
Premier League titles and playing in the Champions League. Joining Torino in
the summer was a step down for Hart, but it was a rushed decision and there
was no space available for him at one of the bigger clubs in England. West
Ham are a big club in their own rights, but there could be a situation where
Hart would have offers from other teams. While the Hammers would be wise to
make a move for the Englishman in the summer, they should have other options
as back-ups.

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