Daily WHUFC News - 10th February 2017

Bilic- Late decision on Carroll
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic has revealed he will hand late fitness tests to influential
trio Andy Carroll, Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell ahead of the game
against West Brom on Saturday. All three players have missed training in the
early part of the week, but the West Ham manager said that Cresswell and
Kouyate were expecting to resume training on Thursday after they picked up
slight knocks during the 3-1 win over Southampton. Carroll came off early in
the second half at St Mary's Stadium after he felt a slight groin problem
and Bilic remains hopeful that he will be able to resume training on Friday.
After scoring four goals in his last four games, the Hammers boss knows the
importance of seeing Carroll declaring his fitness for the game at London
Stadium. Bilic said: "We have a few players who have not trained this week
and we will see on Friday. Kouyate, Carroll and Cresswell have not trained.
"Kouyate and Cresswell will train on Thursday and we will see on Friday
about Andy. "Andy is in good form and has been great for us. He felt his
groin and we didn't want to take a risk so we will make a decision on Friday
on whether he will be available for Saturday. "It is not something major
because if it was bigger it would rule him out of the game. It is still open
and is not a big injury. Basically it is very similar to the one he had
against Middlesbrough and he played after that. "There is no point talking
about a percentage and hopefully he will train on Friday and we will make a
decision for Saturday."

Bilic says he would have no problems naming Carroll in the starting line-up
despite his lack of training in the build-up to the game and feels they have
found the right balance in maintaining his fitness. Bilic added: "This is
the only week he has not trained with us since he came back from injury that
ruled him out for a long time. "He has basically trained 80 to 90 per cent
of the training sessions we have had and for me that is the key. "You have
to find a balance for every player, especially Andy who has had a history of
injuries. The players have to train to stay fit and to prevent injuries. "If
the player is match fit and has trained for a few weeks there is no harm if
they rest for the whole week. I know there have been examples of players who
never trained and just played like Ledley King, but they are one-offs. "But
players need to train to avoid injuries."

Carroll's impressive form in recent weeks has certainly not gone un-noticed
and there has been talk of a potential call-up to the England squad for the
forthcoming friendly against Germany and the World Cup Qualifier against
Lithuania at the end of March. Bilic has no doubts that Carroll would take
even more confidence from a recall to the national team, but insists he has
had no conversations with England boss Gareth Southgate. "It is always good
for us and the player to be called up. It is the biggest proof that they are
in good form especially when it happens to a mature player like Andy and he
would take that as a big boost of confidence.
"I have not spoken to him (Gareth Southgate) about it. We spoke last year
when he was manager of the U21s but I have not spoken to him about Andy
since he took over."

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Obiang wants more goals
WHUFC.com

Pedro Obiang is hoping to go on a goalscoring run and help the Hammers push
even higher up the table as they prepare for another big home game against
West Brom on Saturday.

Obiang has been one of the star performers for the east London Club this
season but has been left frustrated following his failure to get his name on
the scoresheet.

But after 54 games and 19 months in a claret and blue shirt, the Spanish
midfielder finally ended his goal drought when he scored the crucial second
goal during the impressive 3-1 win over Southampton last weekend.

Obiang quickly dedicated the goal to his seven-month old son Jeremih and has
now got the hunger to get even more as he looks to help the Hammers make it
back-to-back wins once again this weekend.

Obiang said: "These are good times for everyone connected with the Club at
the moment. I have finally managed to score my first goal and we have been
talking about this for weeks.

"It has finally arrived and I am really happy. I feel like the pressure has
been taken off my shoulders.

"I have watched the goal back a few times and hopefully there will be more
to come. People say when you score the first one, you have the possibility
to score more and I hope this will be the case.

"I have many plans and after my first goal I start to dream! I am really
happy because although I started on the bench, I then managed to play a
number of games and things have only improved for me this season. I need to
continue like this."

Obiang knows the importance of securing another victory before the team head
into a short break before the next Premier League game at Watford.

The 24-year-old has welcomed the arrivals of new signings Jose Fonte and
Robert Snodgrass and cannot praise his team-mates enough for the way they
have all come together in recent weeks to help get their season back on
track.

Obiang added: "This is a very important week as we want to take another
three points before we have a little break.

"We have a great dressing room and all the new players are made to feel
welcome so it is a good atmosphere.

"We showed against Southampton that we are a team. When we have suffered a
big defeat we have showed that we are a team and bounced straight back and I
hope we can stay on a positive streak and get another victory."

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Bilic - The players will work hard in Dubai
WHUFC.com

As a light flurry of snow fell at West Ham United's Rush Green training
ground this morning, Slaven Bilic watched his players pull on their hats,
gloves and thermal under-layers, and carefully monitored their movements as
they took extra care warming up in the freezing conditions.

This time next week, the horizon will look somewhat different, as the squad
enjoy the sunshine and warmth of a training camp in Dubai, giving them the
opportunity to enhance their training programme and refresh body and mind
ahead of the final third of the season.

After picking up six wins from their last nine Premier League matches and
climbing to ninth in the table, Bilic and his players will take advantage of
the two-week gap between Saturday's clash against West Brom at London
Stadium and the next match at Watford on February 25, and the Hammers boss
is in no doubt about the benefit of the trip.

"We are going to train more in Dubai than we would if we were here," said
the Hammers boss at his press conference ahead of the visit of Tony Pulis'
team this weekend.

"And it's not a question of where you are going, it's a question of what you
are doing while you are there.

"The players will have some free time of course, to clear their heads and
recharge the batteries, which psychologically is important for the remainder
of the season.

"First and foremost, though, we are going to train, and the team will do
some very important sessions."

The squad will fly out following next Wednesday's Family Fun Day at London
Stadium and return early the following week to prepare for the trip to
Vicarage Road.

While the trip will be the first of its kind that Slaven has led since
arriving as manager in the summer of 2015, the warm-weather training format
at this stage of the season certainly isn't a new idea for Premier League
clubs.

"It's very common in England," said Slaven. "A lot of teams do it when they
have time.

"Since I have been here, we haven't had a trip like this. Last year we
couldn't go anywhere because we progressed to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

"Now we have a two-week gap between our games and we are going to Dubai, for
a few reasons, but mainly to do some important training.

"Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture, and I'm sure this trip
will be of great benefit to us."

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Noble dismisses Payet 'WhatsApp' rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 9th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

Mark Noble says that rumours suggesting Dimitri Payet was excluded from a
players' group on phone app WhatsApp before he left the club are untrue.
West Ham's captain, speaking to Sky Sports ahead of this weekend's Premier
League clash with West Bromwich Albion dismissed the widely-circulated story
that appeared shortly after Slaven Bilic confirmed the Frenchman wanted to
leave London. "That is rubbish, it's totally rubbish," said Noble. "I think
he was only removed when he had actually signed for Marseille. That was once
it was done and his medical was done - obviously you don't want hundreds of
messages going to him when we are here."
However Noble insisted that the dressing was a far happier place now Payet
has returned to France. "He had a massive impact on our team because he was
a big player in the changing room", he added. "The players loved him and
would do anything for him. It got a bit disjointed and it was a tough time
for all of us. But it has become a happy place again. "I think it was on
the manager's mind. He didn't want to get rid of Dimi, but he wanted to get
rid of the situation. Obviously we had to deal with all of that and the best
way to do that was by winning games - and that's what we've done."

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THREE doubtful for Albion test, admits Bilic
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 9th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic is facing an anxious wait ahead of this weekend's clash with
West Bromwich Albion. The Hammers boss is waiting to hear whether three
players who featured against Southampton last weekend - Cheikhou Kouyate,
Aaron Cresswell and Andy Carroll - will be fit enough to face Tony Pulis'
side at the Olympic Stadium. "We have a few players who have not trained
this week," Bilic, speaking to the media this morning said. "We will see on
Friday. Kouyate, Carroll and Cresswell have not trained. Kouyate and
Cresswell will train on Thursday and we will see on Friday about Andy.
"Andy is in good form and has been great for us. He felt his groin and we
didn't want to take a risk so we will make a decision on Friday on whether
he will be available for Saturday. "There is no point talking about a
percentage and hopefully he will train on Friday and we will make a decision
for Saturday." "It is not something major. If it was bigger it would rule
him out of the game. It is still open and is not a big injury. Basically it
is very similar to the one he had against Middlesbrough and he played after
that."

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West Ham happier without Dimitri Payet, says Mark Noble
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 09/02/17 6:21pm
SSN

Mark Noble has admitted life at West Ham has become happier since the
departure of Dimitri Payet. Payet completed a £25m return to Marseille in
January after telling Hammers manager Slaven Bilic that he would no longer
play for the club. West Ham have responded by winning three of their last
four Premier League matches without Payet and Noble says the first-team
squad are far more settled bunch following the exit of the France
international.
"Obviously we were gutted. The manager, as you saw from his press
conference, was obviously gutted as well," the West Ham captain told Sky
Sports News HQ.
"He had a massive impact on our team because he was a big player in the
changing room. The players loved him and would do anything for him. "It got
a bit disjointed and it was a tough time for all of us. But it has become a
happy place again. I think it was on the manager's chest and mind. "He
didn't want to get rid of Dimi, but he wanted to get rid of the situation.
Obviously we had to deal with all of that and the best way to do that was by
winning games, that's what we've done."
Payet had been training with West Ham's U23s prior to his departure and did
not feature in last month's wins over Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough.
Reports in the national press had claimed the West Ham squad had removed
Payet from their WhatsApp text messaging group before his move back to the
Stade Velodrome. However, Noble has insisted that was not the case and says
the 29-year-old was only removed once he had completed his switch to the
Ligue 1 club. "No, that is rubbish it's totally rubbish," he said. "I think
he was only removed when he had actually signed for Marseille. "That was
once it was done and his medical was done because obviously you don't want
hundreds of messages going to him when we are here."

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Andy Carroll an injury doubt for West Ham's match with West Brom
Last Updated: 09/02/17 11:59am
SSN

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has said Andy Carroll has not trained all week
and is a doubt for Saturday's match with West Brom. Bilic said a decision
will be made on Friday whether the in-form striker plays this weekend or not
but said the groin injury is nothing serious, with the club only taking
precautions due to his history with injuries. He said: "A few players have
not trained like (Aaron) Cresswell, Carroll and (Cheikhou) Kouyate but we
will wait and see on Friday. "It is not anything major. Andy felt something
similar to what he had at Middlesbrough and hopefully he will be okay for
Saturday. This is the only week he didn't train with us basically since he
came back from injury that ruled him out for a long time. "He trained 80-90
per cent of the sessions of the time he has trained with us and for me that
is the key. Of course you have to find a balance for every player,
especially for him who has had a history of injuries but the players have to
train to maintain fitness and to prevent injuries."
Bilic feels an England call-up for Carroll would give the striker a major
confidence boost. His form since returning from injury, with four goals in
his last four matches, has prompted talk of an international recall. His
last England appearance came in October 2012 in a World Cup qualifier
against San Marino. Bilic said: "It's always good for us, and the player, to
win a cap because that is the biggest proof he is in good form. "Especially
when it is happening to mature players like Andy, he will take that only as
another boost of confidence." The manager is expecting another hard game
against West Brom as his side look for a fourth league win in their last
five before they head to the Middle East for a mini-break. He said: "West
Brom are a very strong team and are hard to beat. They are great at
set-pieces and very versatile. It will be a tough game on Saturday. "The
first target for us is 40 points and we still have a lot to do to reach it.
Since I have been here we have not been away during the season. We now have
a gap [after West Brom] and we are going to Dubai. "We are going there to
train, work hard and re-charge the batteries. You have to think about the
bigger picture."

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West Ham trio Carroll, Kouyate and Cresswell major doubts for West Brom
visit
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Andy Carroll is one of three West Ham players who are major doubts for
Saturday's Premier League match against West Brom. Carroll, who has been
tipped to be included in Gareth Southgate's next England squad, has scored
five goals in his last six matches and his absence would be a big blow for
manager Slaven Bilic. Carroll has been suffering from a groin injury in
recent weeks and Bilic said today that he will assess the striker's fitness
tomorrow before making a final decision. "We have a few players who didn't
train this week — Andy, Cheikou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell," said the West
Ham manager. "Speaking about Andy, he's really in good form and he's been
great for us but we don't want to take a risk with him. "It's not something
major but it's similar to the groin pain he felt against Middlesbrough. This
is the only week he hasn't trained with us since he came back from injury
but, of course, you have to find a balance, especially with someone like
him, with his history."
With regard to Carroll's possible selection for England, Bilic said: "It's
always good for the player and us to be called up because it's the biggest
proof they are doing well."

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West Ham's first team set to recharge batteries with five-day training camp
in Dubai
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham will "recharge" their batteries ahead of the Premier League run in
with a five-day training camp in Dubai next week. The Hammers have picked up
nine points from a possible total of 15 since the turn of the year to climb
to ninth place in the table.
Slaven Bilic's side host West Brom at the London Stadium this weekend and
victory will reignite hopes that the east Londoners can mount a late
challenge for a top-seven finish. Having already been knocked out of the FA
Cup West Ham will not be in action again after facing Tony Pulis's side
until they travel to Watford on February 25. And Stijn Vandenbroucke - West
Ham's Head of Medical and Sports Science - has welcomed an opportunity to
give his players the chance to recover from the demands of the season so
far. "The manager will take the first-team squad to Dubai for a warm-weather
training camp next week," he told the club's official website.
"We will do five days of training in a welcome change of scenery, under what
we hope will be warm and sunny skies. "It will not be a holiday, but a
chance for players to recharge physically and mentally at the end of a long,
relentless period of football. "Some our players have had very little time
off since the summer of 2015, having played at UEFA Euro 2016 and not had a
winter break like their European counterparts. "With international matches
being played until the middle of June, it is important to take this
opportunity to change the training environment for a few days and freshen up
body and mind," Vandenbroucke added. Dubai and other areas of the Middle
East have become popular destinations for mid-season breaks for Premier
League teams. The climate is often a key factor, allowing players to unwind
away from the pressures of home turf, while training facilities on offer are
among the finest in the world.

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Why West Ham won't play any home games for the first MONTH of next season
The Hammers have asked the Premier League for a run of away games at the
outset of the season while the World Athletic Championships takes place
The Mirror
BYALEX SMITH
10:50, 9 FEB 2017

West Ham will not play a HOME game at the London Stadium for the first month
of next season. The Hammers have asked the Premier League to play their
first three matches of the 2017-18 campaign away due to the World Athletic
Championships, according to football.london . The IAAF competition, which
runs between August 4th and 13th, has been in the diary since 2011 but the
problem revolves around retractable seating. The seating in the E20 section
has to be removed for the athletics, which costs an eye-watering £8 million
each time it is done. Before this season, when the Hammers switched from
Upton Park, it took 15 days of 24-hour-work to place the seats. The Premier
League will start on August 12th. The east London club have requested to
have their opening weekend played on the road before switching the
designated home game the following match-day to their visitors' ground -
similarly to Liverpool this season. A club source told football.london: "We
have special dispensation to play the first game away from home, and then
will seek to switch the second game, therefore will play the first three
games away from home. Liverpool did the same this season due to their new
stand."
Slaven Bilic's men only won one of their first seven Premier League games in
the ground. The Hammers pay an annual rent of £2.5 million on the 99-year
lease at the former Olympic Stadium. Initially expected to cost £250 million
to build, London Stadium's costs eventually tripled to £752 million.

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Slaven Bilic on West Ham's latest team news, what Andy Carroll's injury is
and the Dubai trip
The West Ham manager faced reporters at Rush Green this morning and
discussed his side's injuries amongst various other topics
London Football
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:55, 9 FEB 2017

Slaven Bilic spoke to the press ahead of West Ham's clash with West Brom in
the Premier League this weekend. There are injury concerns over Andy
Carroll, Aaron Cresswell and Cheikhou Kouyate heading into the game, while
the boss also spoke about Carroll's potential England recall. The Hammers
will head off to Dubai next Wednesday for a training camp as they have a
fortnight off, owing to the FA Cup fifth round taking place next weekend.
Here's all you need to hear from the manager ahead of the West Brom game.
"Carroll, Cresswell and Kouyate are not training today (Thursday). I am not
ruling them out of Saturday, they are only minor injuries. We are hopeful
they will train on Friday and then be OK for Saturday but we will wait and
see."

On Andy Carroll's fitness : "He is playing with a smile on his face, he is
one of the leaders in the team. "It's always good for us and the player
(Carroll) to be called up for England. When it happens to mature players
like Andy he will take it only as a boost of confidence. "His injury is
similar to the one he suffered against Middlesbrough. We have to be careful,
this is the first time he hasn't trained with us since his last injury. We
hope he will be OK for Saturday."

On the threat posed by West Brom : "They are doing amazing for their
standard this season. "They are very strong defensively, they are compact,
hard to beat, very difficult to play against. We know we will be in for a
tough game. "They also have very pacy strikers as well. They are a good
team, I am impressed by them."

On the Dubai trip next week : "It's a common thing to do here. We have a gap
so we decided to go away. "It is a chance for the players to recharge their
batteries but absolutely, we will be training hard. We have an important run
of games after it. "If anything, we will be training more in Dubai than we
would do here. The players will be working hard. They will be very important
sessions for us, they will do us good."

On why there has been an upturn in form : "Everything has clicked. "We have
had players come back from injury and then get match fitness and they have
gained so much confidence from going on a winning run. "40 points (three
more wins) is our first target. We have others in mind but we want to get to
the 40 points first of all and then we can look forward. That is the
priority."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 9th February 2017

Stewart backs fellow Scot Snodgrass
WHUFC.com

Ray Stewart backs fellow Scot Robert Snodgrass to be a success at West Ham United
Full-back played more than 400 times in Claret and Blue, winning the FA Cup in 1980
Penalty king Stewart was Livingston manager when Snodgrass was coming through the ranks there

Ray Stewart believes that Robert Snodgrass can follow in his footsteps and join the exclusive group of Scottish crowd favourites at West Ham United. After signing from Hull City for £10.2m last month, the 21-times capped Snodgrass added his name to a popular list that includes the likes of John Dick, Frank McAvennie and Christian Dailly, topped by legendary right-back and penalty king Stewart, a member of the Hammers' 1980 FA Cup-winning side. And Ray, who went on to make 432 appearances for the Hammers after signing from Dundee United in 1979, believes that Snodgrass has all the ingredients needed to form a special bond with the Club's supporters.

"I'm sure he will be a great success," said Ray, when we caught up with him this week. "He is a playmaker and a goalscorer, but he works hard for the good of the team, and that is a winning combination for West Ham fans. "I'm so pleased he has ended up at West Ham. He is signing for a wonderful club, with wonderful supporters, and he will hopefully enjoy the prime years of his career with us.
"I was only a young boy when I came down, and I also carried a fairly big price tag, but if you've got confidence in your ability then you don't think about that. You just think about working hard and showing what you can do. "Robert will want to do that, and I'd really love him to become a favourite among the fans. I know how special that feeling is, and I still have that bond now."

And the link between the pair goes beyond the claret and blue shirt. Ray was manager of Livingston back at the turn of the Millennium – the same time that a teenage Snodgrass was making his way through the schoolboy and youth ranks at the Scottish club. "I can't take any credit!" laughs Ray. "I was obviously responsible for the first team at the time and Robert broke through after I left, but his name was always mentioned as one to watch in the future. "A guy named Tony Taylor was the head of the youth set-up at that time, when Livingston had a great reputation for bringing players through. The likes of Graham Dorrans and Leigh Griffiths all came through their system, but Robert was always the one who stood out. "His career has gone from strength to strength since those days, and I'm so delighted he is at West Ham now."

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Powell hoping to seize opportunity
WHUFC.com

The Hammers' U23s take on Leicester City at Dagenham and Redbridge in the Premier League Cup on Thursday
Joe Powell is hoping the side can bounce back after last week's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers
The winger got the chance to play centre-forward in Lancashire and now wants to build on that opportunity

Academy star Joe Powell is hoping he did enough during West Ham United Premier League 2's last outing at Blackburn Rovers to keep his place in the side when the U23s take on Leicester City in the Premier League Cup on Thursday. The Hammers face the Foxes knowing a second victory against the side in the competition this season would see them as favourites to qualify for the knockout stages in group E alongside Brighton and Hove Albion. Terry Westley's side put on one of their most accomplished performances against Leicester back in October when they were 2-0 winners, scoring one of the goals of the season – Domingos Quina's incredible strike from the halfway line.
And Powell, who played in the No9 role against Rovers last week, hopes he can be a part of another Hammers victory. He said: "Now I've got that opportunity with the U23s, and considering I think I did pretty well in the last game, I just want to kick on and stay in this squad until the end of the season. That's the aim for me. "It was definitely a different challenge playing in that role from what I'm used to but I enjoyed the challenge of playing there and I think I did well in the game. "Obviously it was disappointing not to pair that with a good result, but hopefully we can perform better against Leicester."

With a number of the U23s' staple players from the first half of the season moving out on loan in the Football League – Marcus Browne, Toni Martinez and Alex Pike to name a few – spots in the starting XI are up from grabs. And Powell believes the next few weeks present a real chance for the younger players at the Club to shine in the older age groups. "There are so many opportunities now," he continued. "That goes the same for the U16s into the U18s as well as the U23s and there's just massive opportunities for everybody all throughout the Academy from now until the end of the season. "That's a big thing for all the younger players to gain experience in older age groups. "There have probably been a few more loans this year and that shows our massive progression in the last few years, with Terry Westley wanting every single player to move forward. "Obviously, you want everyone to get opportunities with the first team but when that's not possible, going on loan can be the best thing to get experience. "I wasn't involved in the cup run last season so this season that's a new experience for me. I'd like to be involved in some part of it and hopefully we can do as well as we did last season and get the win."

The Hammers take on Leicester City in the group stages of the Premier League Cup on Thursday 9 February at Dagenham and Redbridge's Chigwell Construction Stadium. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £3 concessions, while West Ham Season Ticket Holders can attend for free.

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues an update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone,

Like you all, the Medical and Sports Science department has enjoyed our recent run of good form and results and we are all hoping to celebrate a seventh win in ten Premier League matches on Saturday. We picked up a few bumps and bruises in our fantastic victory at Southampton last weekend and the staff have been working hard all week to prepare the players and have them available for selection by the manager. At time of writing, we still have 72 hours, two training sessions and a few question marks before we kick-off against West Bromwich Albion.

Andy Carroll came off with an injury at St Mary's. He had a similar problem in the game at Middlesbrough, but we were able to prepare him for the Manchester City and the Southampton games, where he did brilliantly with limited training. We will now work with Andy to prepare him for Saturday. It is always a fine balance not to put him at risk of serious injury as he has not trained a lot in 2017.

We have some positive news regarding a number of other senior players. Havard Nordtveit and Sam Byram have been training all week. Sam missed the Southampton game as a precaution, having only recently returned from a long-term hamstring surgery and rehabilitation period. Alvaro Arbeloa is also in full training. Arthur Masuaku has turned the last corner in his own rehab and has been training with the PL2 squad this week under the direction of our rehabilitation fitness coach. He will return to first-team training on Friday.

Diafra Sakho is continuing his rehab following his back surgery in December and we are looking at him being brought back at the end of March or start of April.

Angelo Ogbonna underwent successful surgery on his knee in Paris and has now returned to London to continue his rehab, which is a 12 to 16-week programme.

The manager will take the first-team squad to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp next week, following the Family Fun Day at London Stadium. We will do five days of training in a welcome change of scenery, under what we hope will be warm and sunny skies. It will not be a holiday, but a chance for players to recharge physically and mentally at the end of a long, relentless period of football. Some our players have had very little time off since the summer of 2015, having played at UEFA Euro 2016 and not had a winter break like their European counterparts. With international matches being played until the middle of June, it is important to take this opportunity to change the training environment for a few days and freshen up body and mind.

Before then, we have work to do ahead of the West Brom game!
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Snodgrass ready to face former team-mates
WHUFC.com

It will be a case of friends reunited when Robert Snodgrass lines up against West Brom at London Stadium on Saturday.

Snodgrass is in line to make his first start at London Stadium and has already made an impact following his move from Hull at the end of January.

The talented midfielder played a big role in helping the Hammers record a 3-1 win over Southampton as he helped set up Pedro Obiang for the crucial second goal.

Snodgrass is now looking forward to lining up against his former Hull team-mate Jake Livermore for the first time after he completed his move to West Brom last month and his Scotland team-mates Darren Fletcher and James Morrison.

The 29-year-old has special praise for Morrison who has got two goals in his last two games and knows will be a major threat to his side on Saturday.

Despite their friendship, Snodgrass hopes to earn the bragging rights over the trio at the final whistle and celebrate his first home win since joining West Ham.

Snodgrass said: "It will be very weird playing against Jake as it has not been that long since we last played together.

"It will be strange and they have also got a couple of the Scottish lads – Morrison and Fletcher and it will be good to come up against them but I want the three points for West Ham.

"They are both playing really well, especially James who is getting more of the headlines because he is scoring goals we so need to be fully aware of him because he is a good player, especially when he gets in the final third.

"But we have got players who can also cause problems and hopefully we can take our chances when they come.

"I want to get my first win at London Stadium because there has been a lot of talk about our home form and we need to get back to winning ways there."

The West Ham players are certainly full of confidence following their impressive victory at St Mary's Stadium which saw them move up to ninth in the table and are now just five points behind West Brom.

Snodgrass has nothing but praise for the way the whole squad has come together and showed the spirit needed to get their season back on track.

Snodgrass added: "It was good to obviously start the game against Southampton. I said when I signed that it was a great move and the Club has a great tradition. They are a great bunch of lads but the most important thing for me was to start playing and be part of a successful side.

"I was saying to the lads that when I played against West Ham a couple of months they were hovering just above relegation and I could not understand it, considering the success they had last year.

"I think you can now see the team spirit and all the lads have rallied together. That is how you are going to get results and move up the table. We believe we can go and win the game on Saturday with the confidence we are showing at the moment.

"It will be a tough game as it is never easy playing against a Tony Pulis team. I played against them when I was at Hull and we went 1-0 up and then lost the game 3-1. We know what to expect.

"They are a very good side with some very good players but so have we and we need to take our chances when they come like we did in the last game."

Snodgrass hopes to see another special atmosphere inside London Stadium on Saturday and has nothing but praise for how the Hammers fans have got behind the team.

"Our support at Southampton was fantastic and they are fanatical about their club. It is great to be a part of that and they are like the 12th man. They want to be entertained and they want the club to win."

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Charity match to honour Dylan
WHUFC.com

Dylan Tombides to be honoured at special charity match in his home city of Perth, Australia
Game will see Manchester United Legends take on rofessional Footballers Australia Legends
Former Hammer Teddy Sheringham among star names set to take part at nib Stadium

West Ham United hero Dylan Tombides will be honoured at a special charity match being played in his home city of Perth in March.

The game, between Professional Footballers Australia Legends team and Manchester United Legends, will raise funds for DT38 Foundation, the charity founded in memory of the late Hammers striker, and Manchester United Foundation.

Academy of Football graduate Dylan passed away in April 2014 at the age of 20, following a long and courageous battle with testicular cancer.

Dylan's father Jim said: "It's an honour for our family to have Dylan's foundation to be selected as one of the nominated charities that will benefit from such a momentous occasion."

The match, which will take place at the Western Australian city's nib Stadium, outside which a sculpture of Dylan was unveiled in august 2015. It will feature some of the biggest names in world football, including former Manchester United players Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, Denis Irwin and former Hammers striker Teddy Sheringham.

The Manchester United Legends will be managed by former Red Devils and England captain Bryan Robson, while the Professional Footballers Australia Legends team will be coached by former Socceroos coach Frank Farina.

The DT38 Foundation raises awareness and aims to change the stigma associated with men's health, with a focus on testicular cancer.

DT38 Foundation managing director Natasha Evans said the game represents an opportunity to raise awareness about the need for young men to be tested for testicular cancer.

It would also provide the foundation with the opportunity to educate young men about the necessary knowledge for them to conduct self-checks.

The charity was one of three chosen by West Ham captain Mark Noble to benefit from his Testimonial, which was held at the Boleyn Ground in February 2016.

For information on the DT38 Foundation, visit dt38.org

Tickets for the Legends match go on sale on Friday 10 February through Ticketmaster Australia, priced from $79 plus fees.

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Carroll linked with England return as Southgate checks in
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 8th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham striker Andy Carroll's recent fine run of form should result in an England call-up, according to a number of pundits. nd the message appears to have found favour with current England manager Gareth Southgate, who has confirmed he will be visiting the Olympic Stadium this weekend to watch Carroll and Co. against West Bromwich Albion. Carroll, who celebrated his 28th birthday last month last featured for the national side five years ago in the 2012 European Championships, a year or so after moving to Liverpool in a £35million switch from Newcastle. He has attracted Southgate's attention having scored six goals in 16 outings so far this season - four of which have come from his four most recent appearances against Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Southampton.
Also in contention for a spot in Southgate's national squad from the WHU stable are flying winger Michail Antonio and defender Aaron Cresswell, who made his international bow in a 2-2 draw with Spain at Wembley last November.

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In Slaven we trust
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 8th February 2017
By: Paul Walker

If anyone had any doubts that Slaven Bilic has the backing of West Ham fans and our team, these past few days should have dispelled them.

So let's hope that's the end of the constant, annoying speculation about his future. All that seems a little out of place when you consider that Bilic has just reached 25 league victories, quicker than any manager in the club's history.

Trouble is these days, with the infuriating ignorance that floods through social media--and somehow makes those opinions more important than a few blokes arguing at the bar(which to my mind is the same thing), the spotlight rarely dims.

But when a manager has seen his side take 19 points from the past 30 and the side lose only three of their last ten league games, despite the trauma of the Dimi Payet treachery, you begin to wonder just what people expect from Bilic.

That last phrase came from a WhatsApp group I am in--basically the motley crew of mates I attend games with--and where the banter and abuse would not survive a Beckham-style hacking scandal. Thankfully, nobody is looking for a knighthood!

But it got me thinking. Our good friends at the C&H website produced one of their polls after the Roberto Mancini nonsense, which confirmed what everyone knew, that a vast majority fans back Bilic to the hilt.

And the team, now shorn of their selfish little French super star--who has had his own problems with WhatsApp groups--have just underlined that faith.

Bilic is not perfect. Some of his transfers don't work, his tactics sometimes worry people, but his style of management is big on team spirit and inclusive group trust, and he seemed back to his 'kiss and cuddle' best from last season after the victory at Southampton.

Recipient of the Croatian kiss this time was Mark Noble, our skipper who has had as much stick as Slav this term. Funny, every time our team hits on hard times, it is Noble who gets the abuse. But the Bilic/Noble-out brigade have gone a bit quiet of late.

Not suggesting Noble has been anywhere near his best this season. But you can never question the commitment and effort, the lunge busting runs and the kicks he has to contend with in the midfield battleground.

Yes, he's not quick. But he never has been. But that little cuddle and kiss we all saw on TV from Bilic underlines what Noble still has to offer. Maybe it's because he's supposed to be one of us, a tough little East Ender who can take it. But he's a leader who cares, and he will certainly do for Slav.

He's not having to do Payet's running for him now, and the whole side has stepped up to the plate since the French midfielder worked his ticket back to Marseille. Of course we will miss his skills, control, balance, eye for a chance or a pass as well as those free-kicks.

But we did not see much of that that this season, and we now all know that Bilic has been having to contend with 'le sulk' for months.

There have been some disasters this season, along with the terrible list of injuries and all the teething problems of the move and new stadium. (More like root canal surgery if you ask me.) But three times this season Bilic's abilities have been clear to see,and really put to the test.

He has managed to raise spirits, instil discipline and force a show of character and team spirit from the team. First time was after the back-to-back heavy defeats to Arsenal, and Manchester United in the League Cup. Bilic was instantly under pressure, but the team went up to Liverpool and drew with a gutsy display and then won three league games on the trot.

Then after the 5-0 Cup defeat to Manchester City, wins against Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough followed. Again the knives were out and again Bilic got the team sorted.

Then more recent crisis came the horrible TV defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup, what followed was Saturday's first-ever win at St.Mary's against Southampton.

The Payet shambles became public a few days before the Palace game, and the way Bilic handled the situation and the way he had put overall team morale first, was met with overwhelming appreciation from the OS fans.

Suddenly it was all out in the open and the team look like players who have had a huge weight lifted from their shoulders. The side is playing with more freedom, that old intensity Slav was talking about is back.

Confidence has flooded back. Robert Snodgrass, who has not been tainted by the Payet turmoil, worked his socks off, won the free-kick for the third at St.Mary's and showed that a journeyman wide player who works the length of the flank is a better bet than a disinterested, half-hearted superstar.

Pedro Obiang is playing out of his skin, Andy Carroll is nearly back to his unplayable best. Just pray he stays fit, while Jose Fonte--who not surprisingly struggled a fair bit in his first game for a month against Man City, looked the composed, organised defender he is. Even the erratic Sofiane Feghouli put in a shift.

Fonte must be the quickest player ever at the club to have his own song being sung already, although to be fair I have always felt that, Susanne Sulley, the cute little blonde in the Human League, is fitter!! Having just googled her (behave yourselves) she doesn't look too bad at 54.

I digress, I'm easily distracted! Back to the subject…the problem for Slav was the arrival of Mancini last week in the posh seats, complete with Instagram pic on his flight home and an 'I want a Premier League job again' quote. It seems to be AC Milan now!

Not helped by the Mirror's Darren Lewis running a "Slav under pressure again" story, which produced a load of questions for the manager about his future in the pre and post match press conferences. Then more headlines on the internet when the bookies start quoting prices for his sacking. (Please explain why that is news rather than just the betting industry keeping itself going.)

There is a feeling, I am told, that Lewis has the ear of our board, so people take his stuff seriously. I keep seeing his material used on West Ham websites as a 'friend of the club.' Not sure about that, I have always been told he's a big Spurs supporter.

Anyway, the material was given legs and Bilic was not surprisingly bemused to be asked about his future AFTER the win at Southampton. Now lets hope that's the end of it all, and he can concentrate on keeping us in the top half.

He will now need to establish a solid league finish to match last term's seventh spot. David Sullivan gave us a ' don't worry, we will have another crack at it in the summer' after the January window ended so disappointingly.

I'll let that go for now, my views on our owner and his transfer market work are pretty well recorded. But it is a fact that he does need to be able to sell our club (no pun intended), without Champions League football, to unconvinced European players.

He had all those problems last summer when he was desperately trying to buy big to impress Payet, but at least he did try to crack the next level.

The problems are clear, and Real Madrid star James Rodriguez underlined that when it was reveal we tried to buy him after Payet left. The Columbian passed on that one, claiming that leaving the CL arena would seriously damage his endorsements (boots, clothes, kit etc). That in a nutshell is the problem Sullivan has trying to pull players out of the Champions League bubble.

But as for Bilic and his future, it would be nice now if the briefings and 'steers' stopped. Three times now since last season, we have been told the board will delay any talks until the summer. From what I have seen, Bilic hasn't once brought up the subject in public, preferring to let his work do the talking. So silence should be the key now from everyone, it's all to easy to let a 'nod and a wink' on a subject provide a week of newspaper headlines.

And what about Bilic's record? Well that's more than decent. His league record to date is P 62 W25 D18 L19 F97 A92 Pts 93. Overall, league, cups and Europe it's : P81 W33 D 22 L 26 F 119 A 115.

Now under the circumstances, that's not at all bad, considering the stuff Slav has had to deal with this term. The problem is obvious, we are shipping far too many goals, but we are in the top half and a couple of wins away from safety. But as my young friend said: "What exactly do the board want from him?"

One final point. Our pitch at the OS is exactly the same size as the one at St.Mary's…115 yards long by 74 yards wide. So let's hear the last of this daft excuse from the ill-informed. Yes, I do mean you Gary Neville after the rubbish spouted after the Man City game.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Quality over quantity: nine names for summer
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 8th February 2017
By: madhammer

It's about quality over quantity this summer, for me. The basis of Slaven Bilic's first XI and squad is strong enough to achieve an 8th-12th placed finish in my opinion, as we shall see this season despite a poor opening half to the campaign. Therefore serious investment should be focused on the two positions that should have been addressed during the last two seasons: a right back and a striker. Assuming a budget of £35-45m, I would be looking at the below targets. Most of these i mentioned in the KUMB Forum's January transfer thread but seeing as the positions weren't addressed, I thought it worth posting again...

Right Backs

Šime Vrsaljko (25) Atletico Madrid
Made a big money move to Madrid in the summer but has subsequently struggled for game time. This shouldn't be used as a stick to beat him with as Juanfran and Felipe Luis are continually excellent and Simeone likes a settled team. A fellow Croat he should be well know to Slav, and given his lack of playing time may even be available on an initial 6 month loan with option to buy that the owners seem to love so much. Bigger than the average fullback i don't think he'd struggle with the physicality of the league, like Byram has seemed to at times. While he gets forward well too and seems comfortable on the ball.

Mitchell Weiser (23) Hertha Berlin

A player who always stands out to me when i watch Hertha in the Bundesliga Highlights show. In what is a fairly ordinary, defensive team, with little width in midfield. He really gets forward well from RB and provides width to the team. I think he began his career as a RM at Bayern Munich but like so many modern full backs has been converted to RB, thus he's very confident on the ball and can take his man on and beat him. If the rumoured signing of Fonte is true and 3 at the back a genuine tactic for Slav moving forward i think he could play RWB with ease too.

Rafael (26) Lyon

Must admit to being a little bit shocked when LVG and Man Utd sold him for as little as £3m a couple of years ago. Much sought after Premier League and Champions League experience, and even a title winner i believe. Everyone will be aware of his playing style, gets forward well and even know to chip in with the odd goal. Despite his small size he likes a bit of scrap and a tussle with the opposition wide man. Although Lyon and Aulus are known to be difficult to deal with, come the summer he will only have 2 years left on contract so reckon he could be picked up for £10m or maybe even less

Mario Fernandes (26) CSKA Moscow

Admittedly this one might require a bit more scouting having only seen him play a couple of CL games for an otherwise terrible CSKA. But he was the one standout player, and their best attacking player in all games i saw, quite impressive considering he was playing RB.
Physically strong and quite imposing he reminded me a lot of Chelsea's Marcos Alonso in his playing style. Calm on the ball and keen to get forward, he showed good stamina levels to get up and down the flank.

Mario Gaspar (26) Villarreal

I first mentioned him in the summer and learnt in this very thread that he had recently signed a new contract extension. However, Villarreal are a selling club and we could certainly afford a wage increase that would turn his head he was only earning £20k a week pre-contract extension and Villarreal don't have the biggest of budgets. Destined for bigger things i'm not sure the usual Spanish suitors of Madrid (Carvajal, Danillo), Atletico (Juanfran, Vrsaljko) and Barcelona (Roberto, Vidal) will be in for him meaning we'd have an excellent run at him given the PL riches. Has all the attributes required of the modern FB and being Spanish as you would expect is technically sound on the ball. Owing to these qualities i would however accept he might be out of our league and wouldn't be to surprised to see him rock up at Man City next year, assuming Pep is still there.

Strikers

Danny Wellbeck (26) Arsenal

Would be my top striking target in the summer. Knows the league and assuming Sanchez stays at Arsenal this summer, which i think he will, will he be content continuing to play from the Left Wing and only getting the odd run up front given he left Man Utd for precisely this reason. At 26, I wouldn't be surprised to learn he wanted regular first team football in his favoured position.
A hard worker and willing runner he would allow us to press from the front much like Sakho does, while is touch and link up play is far superior to that of Sakho's. He's also strong and powerful enough that his arrival doesn't mean a complete abandonment of the direct style Slav seems to favour meaning evolution rather than revolution.

Anthony Modeste (28) F.C. Koln

Linked to him in the summer of 2016. While a little underwhelming at the time given the promise of £20m strikers, given the situation we now find ourselves in, having passed up the opportunity of a lifetime (7th place finish, stadium move and looking upwards), i think he represents an excellent upgrade on the injury prone Sakho. Like Wellbeck he his strong and powerful enough to lead the line in Carroll's absence, whether injury or tactically enforced, but is a far more willing runner able to run the channels and stretch defences, an option we sorely miss when Sakho isn't available. At 28 he's very much one for the here and now and having played in Germany for the last 3-4 seasons i think the adaption to the premier league should be much easier than if moving from a different country.

Jhon Cordoba (23) Mainz

Maybe not the proven quality of the other two but has a lot of very similar attributes. Namely, quick, a willing runner who works the channels, makes runs in behind defenders and able to press from the front. He's certainly a little rawer and less polished than the other two and in that regards is maybe not the immediate upgrade on Sakho the other two are, however i'm not 100% convinced Sakho has been properly re-incorporated in to the squad following the summer and think his re-appearance versus Spurs and Man Utd were more out of the necessity of not having any other strikers available. Definitely has the potential to improve and i think his style of play would be ideally suited to the open spaces, slightly frenetic and physical nature of the PL.

Giovanni Simeone (21) Genoa

Son of Diego and very much one who will be attracting a lot of interest across Europe given his age and goal scoring exploits this season. However, Europe's elite might consider it one season to early for him, so now is our time to strike potentially. Unlike the others on my list he's much more of a poacher who does his best work in the opposition box. Strikes meas as a natural goal scorer given his movement and finishing prowess. Would be capable of playing in a two with Carroll while also having a decent turn of pace, dribbling skills and the technique to play in a slightly withdrawn role. Also while he might not be 6ft like the others on my list, smaller Argentine strikers like Aguero, Tevez, Lavezzi seem quite adept at rising to the physical challenge when coming up against players bigger and stronger than them. Also being the son of Diego Simeone, it seems like some of his character traits have rubbed off on him and he don't seem like the sort to be bullied out of the game. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Charity match to honour Dylan
WHUFC.com

Dylan Tombides to be honoured at special charity match in his home city of Perth, Australia
Game will see Manchester United Legends take on rofessional Footballers Australia Legends
Former Hammer Teddy Sheringham among star names set to take part at nib Stadium

West Ham United hero Dylan Tombides will be honoured at a special charity match being played in his home city of Perth in March.
The game, between Professional Footballers Australia Legends team and Manchester United Legends, will raise funds for DT38 Foundation, the charity founded in memory of the late Hammers striker, and Manchester United Foundation. Academy of Football graduate Dylan passed away in April 2014 at the age of 20, following a long and courageous battle with testicular cancer. Dylan's father Jim said: "It's an honour for our family to have Dylan's foundation to be selected as one of the nominated charities that will benefit from such a momentous occasion."
The match, which will take place at the Western Australian city's nib Stadium, outside which a sculpture of Dylan was unveiled in august 2015. It will feature some of the biggest names in world football, including former Manchester United players Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, Denis Irwin and former Hammers striker Teddy Sheringham. The Manchester United Legends will be managed by former Red Devils and England captain Bryan Robson, while the Professional Footballers Australia Legends team will be coached by former Socceroos coach Frank Farina.
The DT38 Foundation raises awareness and aims to change the stigma associated with men's health, with a focus on testicular cancer.
DT38 Foundation managing director Natasha Evans said the game represents an opportunity to raise awareness about the need for young men to be tested for testicular cancer. It would also provide the foundation with the opportunity to educate young men about the necessary knowledge for them to conduct self-checks. The charity was one of three chosen by West Ham captain Mark Noble to benefit from his Testimonial, which was held at the Boleyn Ground in February 2016.

For information on the DT38 Foundation, visit dt38.org

Tickets for the Legends match go on sale on Friday 10 February through Ticketmaster Australia, priced from $79 plus fees.

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New deal for Bilic, claims source
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 8th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

A matter of days after Roberto Mancini was spotted at the Olympic Stadium, Slaven Bilic is on the verge of landing a new contract - according to a tabloid newspaper. Rumours of Bilic's impending doom were rife across social media last weekend when former Manchester City boss Mancini, who has been out of work since leaving Inter last August was spotted at the match between West Ham and his former club. However the same tabloid which suggested Bilic was on the verge of being replaced by the 52-year-old Italian reports today that the club are willing to offer Bilic a new contract at the end of the current campaign. "There's nothing we want more than for Slaven to go onto his third year with us but we really do need to start seeing some decent performances," said an unnamed 'London Stadium source'. "There have been some scrappy wins and we need to see some good football and stuff to please the fans. That's important.
"Then we can go into next season free of any source of anxiety and think about another contract at the end of this one as has always been the case at this club. That was what we wanted to see and it was great to watch."

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Reserves prepare for OS test
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 8th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

The Under 23s will be playing their first match at the Olympic Stadium later this month. And season ticket holders will be able to watch the game free of charge, after the club announced their pricing structure for the match. Non season ticket holders will pay a fiver to watch Terry Westley's youngsters take on Fulham on Monday, 20 February whilst concessions and under 21s will be charged £3.
Unusually for reserve fixtures there will be no pay on the door scheme in operation. The club intent to open the Betway Lower Stand only, with the match designated as an all-ticket affair due to limited space. The Hammers are currently fifth in (a 12-team) Division 2, seven points adrift of the Cottagers who are currently in second place in the table.

* In other club news today, former Hammer Dylan Tombides is to be honoured with a game in his own country later this Spring. Former pros such as Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, Denis Irwin and ex-Hammer Teddy Sheringham will take to the field as Manchester United legends face a team of Australian legends at Perth's nib Stadium - Dylan's home town - in a benefit gig for the DT38 Foundation.
"It's an honour for our family to have Dylan's foundation to be selected as one of the nominated charities that will benefit from such a momentous occasion," said Dylan's father Jim.

* It has been confirmed that the new 'Iron Men' documentary is to be released on 3 March. Available on DVD, the film features the likes of Mark 'Ribman' Gevaux and former OLAS editor Gary Firmager.

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Cheikhou Kouyate's agency believes player is now worth £21.3m
HITC
Mathew Nash

The West Ham United star cost a fraction of that price when West Ham signed him. The agent in charge of West Ham United midfielder Cheikou Kouyate's representative company has commented on the value of the player – in relation to Liverpool's apparent interest in Anderlecht midfielder Dennis Praet.
Jacques Lichtenstein was speaking to L'Avenir when he mentioned how Anderlecht were struggling to sell attacking midfielder Praet – despite winning the Golden Boot in Belgian football. He used West Ham midfielder Kouyate as the prime example of how values can be skewed in Belgium. Liechtenstein, who is the director of Kouyate's agency Eleven Management, had this to say about the rise of the Senegalese midfielder's transfer value: "As a scout from Liverpool makes a positive report about Dennis Praet, which is important. He has won the Golden Boot, is not important. "Cheikhou Kouyaté is the perfect example. He was never in the top five and he was 8 million euro (£6.8 million) sold to West Ham United. He is now worth 25 (£21.3 million)."
There is no doubt that West Ham have got value for money with the midfield enforcer. Not only has he proved a consistent and valuable member of the West Ham first-team but he has also managed to be a flexible squad member, playing at centre-back when needed under Slaven Bilic's management. Kouyate, who was often linked with a move to the Premier League prior to the West Ham switch, has certainly proven himself to be a bargain buy for the London club.

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EXCLUSIVE: West Ham will play their first three games away from home next season
The London Stadium will be otherwise engaged at the beginning of next season's Premier League campaign
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
16:04, 8 FEB 2017UPDATED16:06, 8 FEB 2017

West Ham will play the first three games of the 2017/18 Premier League season away from the London Stadium, football.london can confirm. The Hammers' home is hosting this year's World Athletics Championships, due to run between August 4 and 13. The Premier League announced yesterday (Tuesday) that the opening round of fixtures will start on August 12, so West Ham would not be able to play at home that day should the fixture computer have thrown that out. The main reason why the Hammers will have to play their first three league games away from E20 is all to do with the retractable seating. A club source confirmed to football.london: "We have special dispensation to play the first game away from home, and then will seek to switch the second game, therefore will play the first three games away from home. Liverpool did the same this season due to their new stand."
The seating will have been taken down for the athletics championships as, obviously, the athletes wouldn't be able to run around the track if it was there. The cost of moving rows of seats from where they are for games, to removing them for athletics and putting them back again, somehow soared from original estimates of £300,000 to a whopping £8m every time it needs to be done. This past summer, before the Hammers moved in, it took 15 days of working 24 hours around the clock to put the seats back in place. With projected costs of the stadium conversion to a multi-purpose venue itself absolutely skyrocketing to £323m from an original £51m less than that, plus the Hammers only paying £2.5m a year in the "deal of the century" struck by Karren Brady and a £15m contribution to help the conversion, the club will be in the spotlight once again. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has already ordered an independent inquiry into the vast sums of cash being swallowed up by the move. And if the stadium is not being used for the first few weeks of the season as there is no football going on – it won't be making any money. So, it's safe to assume that Hammers fans might not be taking their seats at the London Stadium to watch a match until at least September 2017.

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Why West Ham United need to hand Slaven Bilic a new deal right now
We look at whether Gold and Sullivan need to hand the boss a new deal
Footbal London
BYKEVIN BEIRNE
14:56, 8 FEB 2017UPDATED15:00, 8 FEB 2017

With the Hammers' upturn in form (six wins in their past nine games), is now the time for the hierarchy to sit down with the Slaven Bilic and discuss a new deal? After a, let's be honest, wretched start to the season, West Ham have recovered and currently sit in ninth in the Premier League, just two places below where they eventually finished last season. Bilic's position has been under constant scrutiny this season. After a fantastic campaign last year, some very heavy defeats this year have threatened to de-rail his Hammers adventure. Starting the season with four defeats in five Premier League games and being knocked out of the Europa League by Astra Girgiu didn't help. The demoralising 5-1 thrashing by Arsenal saw an under-pressure Bilic call his players out in public after the game, accusing them of lacking intensity on the pitch and on the training ground as well. But, he has steered the team back to where he believes it should be at the very least. He has about a year and a half to run on his contract and talks over extending that were planned for last month. However, they never took place after an alarming slump in results left the club in the relegation zone but the 48-year-old manager has had backing from the majority of West Ham fans. Recent results have improved however and football.london understands that Bilic could be offered a new deal at the end of the season should West Ham keep up their current form and finish in the Premier League's top ten for a second successive season.

Roberto Mancini being in the stands for the City game sent the nonsense rumour mill into overdrive but the aftermath showed that Bilic has the backing of the fans, social media especially backing the boss to the hilt. The manager handled the sorry Dimitri Payet saga expertly and perfectly. Bilic didn't want to sell Payet but knew he had to get him away from the club as the toxic atmosphere it created wasn't helping the team. Confidence is flowing through the team now – just look at Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang, even the under-par Mark Noble last weekend, Robert Snodgrass looks like he's been with the team for years – this is down to Bilic. Yes, he has made mistakes, namely the summer transfer window which turned out to be a shambles, but don't we all? He rectified that with his January business. Jose Fonte was going to struggle having not played for a month and then facing Manchester City, while Robert Snodgrass is proven Premier League quality. Bilic bleeds West Ham, you can see it in pre-match and post-match press conferences, he really cares about the club. For me, there is no-one better placed to manage this football club. He should be here for years and years to come.

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Antonio makes compelling case for inclusion
The Scout 08/02/2017
www.premierleague.com

Thrust into a role in a West Ham United front two, Michail Antonio can carry a major threat to Gameweek 25 opponents West Bromwich Albion and re-establish himself as a key target for Fantasy Premier League managers. A recent trio of assists at home to Crystal Palace in Gameweek 21 was typical of his contribution at London Stadium this season. Antonio's total of three goals and five assists means he has been involved in 66% of his side's goals on home turf – more than any other FPL midfielder. Recently shifted up front alongside Andy Carroll (£6.3m), the versatile winger has been somewhat overshadowed by his strike partner, who has scored four goals over the last six Gameweeks. But despite failing to find the net during that spell, Antonio is joint-top with Carroll for the Hammers when it comes to total attempts (14) across that period, and is only narrowly beaten for efforts inside the opposition box by 11 to nine – a tally bettered by only five FPL midfielders.

Antonio's last six Gameweeks
Total West Ham rank
Goal attempts 14 Joint 1st
Penalty-area attempts 9 2nd
Goal attempts on target 4 Joint 1st
Chances created 9 2nd
ICT Index 43.3 2nd

In terms of accuracy, Antonio has also matched Carroll's four shots on target, highlighting his eye for goal at a time when the target man's fitness remains a concern following his precautionary early withdrawal in the win at Southampton. Antonio has earned four assists from Gameweek 19 onwards, providing nine goalscoring chances for the Hammers. That is level with Manuel Lanzini (£6.3m) and bettered only by new arrival Robert Snodgrass (£5.8m), who has supplied a total of 15 key passes over that period, with 14 of them for former club Hull City.

Having recorded victories against Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Southampton over the last four Gameweeks, West Ham will seek to maintain momentum against a Baggies side who have registered just a single clean sheet on their travels this season. Found in more than 533,000 squads (12%), FPL managers can also look to Antonio as a means of navigating a tricky schedule of fixtures: West Ham are currently one of only six sides certain to feature in both Gameweeks 26 and 28.

With five of the Hammers' next six opponents scoring two in the Fixture Difficulty Rankings (FDR), Antonio has the platform to flourish and revive his reputation as a go-to midfield option.

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West Ham remain confident 1966 World Cup heroes statue will be relocated to the London Stadium
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham remain confident the statue of the club's 1966 World Cup heroes will be relocated to the London Stadium by the start of next season. There has been opposition from local residents to the plan to move the statue, of West Ham trio Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters plus defender Ray Wilson. Opposition centres on the need to mark the 100-year history of the club in the area and Newham Council is expected to make a decision within two months. West Ham are prepared to cover the cost of moving the statue to Stratford but the process has been complicated by who will pay for a road improvement scheme at the same junction with ongoing consultation between Newham Council and Transport for London. Meanwhile, left back Aaron Cresswell believes any team in the Premier League would love to have Andy Carroll in their squad. "I have seen a change and his performances have been fantastic," Cresswell told West Ham's official website. "He has been unlucky with injuries but we all hope he can stay fully fit now. He is going into every game believing he can score.

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West Ham handed injury boost with Arthur Masuaku expected back in weeks
The full-back could make his return from injury sooner than expected
London Football
BYSAM INKERSOLE
12:38, 8 FEB 2017

West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku could hand boss Slaven Bilic a timely boost with his return from injury which could be by the end of the month, football.london has learned. The summer signing from Olympiacos has had an indifferent start to life in east London which has been ruined by two fairly hefty injuries. Masuaku was bought as cover for the then-injured Aaron Cresswell and performed well against Chelsea and Manchester City in the early rounds of the Premier League before suffering a horror show away at West Bromwich Albion. Masuaku injured medial knee ligaments in the 1-0 EFL Cup win over Accrington Stanley in September before going down again on December 7, meaning he has been out of action for a total of 138 days through injury. Aaron Cresswell is the undisputed number one choice at left back but some Hammers fans have been concerned over the Liverpudlians form. In fact, Cresswell has committed a few errors in recent weeks that have got the Hammers into trouble. While it is not a given that Masuaku would immediately take Cresswell's place, it certainly does provide competition and finally some cover again in the left-back slot, something West Ham have been short of. Masuaku is scheduled to return on February 25 – the day of the trip to Watford – but is unlikely to feature as to ease him back into action. Havard Nortdveit and Diafra Sakho are still in recovery from ankle and back injuries respectively, with striker Sakho aiming for a return at some time in March.

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West Ham boss could get new deal – report
By London Football News 08/02/2017

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic will be offered a new contract at the end of the season if his team finish in the top eight. The Hammers have endured a troubled campaign and were recently thrashed at home by Manchester City for the second time this season.
But they have won three of their last four matches and The Sun reckon that upturn might have put him on course for a new deal
A 'London Stadium source' is quoted as saying: "There's nothing we want more than for Slaven to go onto his third year with us but we really do need to start seeing some decent performances. "There have been some scrappy wins and we need to see some good football and stuff to please the fans. That's important. "Then we can go into next season free of any source of anxiety and think about another contract at the end of this one as has always been the case at this club. "That was what we wanted to see and it was great to watch.
"It's West Brom next and they are a good team but we have real confidence and if we continue like that a top eight finish is on."

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Slaven Bilic planning rigorous training programme at West Ham United
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United are set to have two weeks off from competitive action after this weekend. According to a report in the Daily Mail, West Ham United players are set to be put through a rigorous training routine Dubai next week. West Ham have two weeks away from competitive action, following their match against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The Hammers are out of the FA Cup, meaning that they get some time away from competitive games. And Bilic is keen to ensure that his side do not rest on their laurels during the break. As a result, West Ham are set to travel to Dubai on a training week, and the Mail report that they have been told by a club insider that the training will be very tough. Bilic is reportedly keen to put his side through their paces, to ensure that they don't lose fitness or match sharpness during their time off. West Ham may have little left to play for this season, but Bilic does not want his side switching off. The Hammers are currently in ninth place in the Premier League table, and head into their match against West Brom, after beating Southampton 3-1 in their most recent outing.

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Ex-West Ham midfielder makes Argentina move
23:53 - 7 Feb 2017

Former Charlton and West Ham midfielder Diego Poyet has joined Argentine side Godoy Cruz. Poyet, 21, has been a free agent since leaving the London Stadium last summer. The former England youth international, who was born in Spain, has also represented Uruguay at Under-20 level.

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West Ham star Aaron Cresswell enjoying life post-Dimitri Payet: Here's why
AARON CRESSWELL is certainly not missing Dimitri Payet - and it's all down to West Ham's 'fantastic' new boys.
Daily Star
By Marc Williams / Published 8th February 2017

West Ham spent over £18m on Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte last month while Payet's transfer saga was finally settled when he return to Marseille for £25m. While the Frenchman's exit could have been a disaster for the east London club, Cresswell insists the Hammers' new recruits have filled his void perfectly so far. The defender told the club's website: "Snods has been fantastic since he came into the club. "It is not easy when you move from one end of the country to the other and he has pretty much gone straight into the side. "He started on Saturday and played in front of me and has fitted in straight away with the other lads and is a great lad. His performance showed that."
On Fonte, Cresswell said: "He is another player who has settled in straight away and is a great leader and has a lot of experience.
"You could see straight away the leadership qualities he will bring into the squad and you get that feeling that he has the quality. He is a fantastic defender." West Ham, who are currently ninth in the Premier League table, have won three of their last four top-flight fixtures. Slaven Bilic's Hammers take on West Brom this weekend who are just one place above them. Cresswell added: "They are just five points ahead of us in the table and I am sure they will want to stay in the top half but there are still 14 games to go and we want to get past them. "We hope we can close the gap with a victory on Saturday. We have had a few good results this season when the crowd have really got behind us. "It certainly helps when the crowd are behind you and it helps in our performance."

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Sky Sports pundit explains why West Ham man will become so much better without Payet
HITC
Antony Martin

West Ham United allowed the Frenchman to join Marseille last month. Speaking live on Sky Sports' Premier League Daily at 11:16 am on February 7th, former Hammers centre-back Tony Gale explained how Andy Carroll will benefit from the fact that Dimitri Payet has now left the club, and the inclusion in the team of Robert Snodgrass and Sofiane Feghouli. The former Newcastle United and Liverpool hitman has been in devastating form of late, with four goals in his last four Premier League outings for Slaven Bilic's men. And Gale, who made 368 appearances for the Hammers, during a spell with the club that lasted more than a decade, told Sky Sports how West Ham fans should be excited about the prospect of how much better Carroll could become, now that Payet has left for pastures new:
"Andy Carroll is now firing on all cylinders. He was hanging about, waiting for things to come in from Payet. Now he's got Feghouli on one side, Snodgrass on the other, and he's even going to get little passes into him, like when he scored the goal [against Southampton]."
The East Londoners now sit in ninth position in the Premier League table, and if Carroll can continue to show the form that has earned him such high praise of late, there will no reason why they cannot make a sustained push to replicate last season's seventh placed finish, and in turn, qualify for the Europa League

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West Ham star offers explanation for their struggles against top sides this season
HITC
Antony Martin

Darren Randolph believes West Ham United need to assert themselves against the Premier League's best sides. Hammers goalkeeper Darren Randolph spoke to the club's official website, and highlighted how his side need to improve when they play against teams inside the top six. Slaven Bilic's men have really struggled against the big boys this season, especially at their new London Stadium, with heavy home defeats coming against Arsenal, and twice against Manchester City. They have bounced back extremely well from each embarrassing loss, however, and the spirit amongst the West Ham squad seems to be as good as it has been all season long. And Randolph spoke to WHUFC.com about the high levels of confidence running through the side at the moment, but stressed the need for the Hammers to start producing better performances against the league's top teams:
"Against the top six, you need to try and stop them playing, which takes away from the way you play. Against the other teams we know we can cause them all sorts of problems."

The East Londoners now sit in ninth position in the Premier League table, nine points adrift of seventh placed Everton. And if they can continue the impressive run of form that they have been on of late, whilst cutting out some of the awful displays that have led to heavy defats, they have every chance of equalling last season's fantastic achievement of finishing seventh in the table.

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est Ham set to jet off to the Middle East for five-day warm weather training camp after West Brom clash
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic wants to press ahead with a five-day training camp
The Hammers have a two-week break after this weekend's game with West Brom
The trips are designated as warm weather training and team-bonding escapes
West Ham have found confidence off the back of three Premier League wins
By Sam Cunningham for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:30, 7 February 2017 | UPDATED: 01:09, 8 February 2017

West Ham are pressing ahead with their warm weather training camp in Dubai. Three victories in their last four matches have lifted Slaven Bilic's side well away from the relegation places but the Croatian is taking no chances and plans on putting the players through their paces during a gruelling five-day trip to the UAE. After their Premier League fixture against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday they have a two-week break from action after being knocked out of the FA Cup and are intent on taking full advantage.
Next Wednesday, the players will take part in an open training session in front of 8,500 junior members and season ticket holders at the London Stadium as part of a family fun day and from there will travel straight to Heathrow Airport to jet off to the Middle East late in the afternoon. According to West Ham sources the camp will involve 'hard sessions' in the heat as Bilic prepares his players for the final run-in. On their return, they face in-form Watford and then host league leaders Chelsea.
The Hammers' decision to pursue warmer climate comes after Crystal Palace pulled the plug on plans to do the same themselves following Saturday's 4-0 loss at home to rock bottom Sunderland. Eagles boss Sam Allardyce was due to take advantage of Palace's upcoming fortnight break by taking his squad to the Middle East, but club chairman Steve Parish and the majority shareholders have vetoed the trip. Parish is concerned about how flying to the other side of the world would be viewed by their supporters, who were left deeply disgruntled by another humiliating home defeat.

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REFLECTING ON SOUTHAMPTON
By JackSparrow86 8 Feb 2017 at 08:00
WTID

A tactically astute and energetic team performance secured maximum points at St Mary's for the first time in the clubs history.
The players executed their manager's instructions with precision and discipline, moving with purpose and fluidity as they fought their way to victory. In Slaven's own words "The key was everything, we played a fantastic game. We had our plan and the players executed it brilliantly."

The players

The whole team performed admirably but I wanted to pick out a few for praise, starting with Snodgrass. His energy, closing down, organisation, discipline and technique are superb. Held the ball well, chased and closed the opposition from the front and tracked his man every time. He made the most high-intensity sprints of any player on the pitch with 81 and was a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. He also covered more ground in the match than every player except for Noble, who covered 12.09km with Snodgrass a close second with 11.79km. One of his best assets is his intelligence on and off the ball. His runs are calculated and his positional awareness is exemplary. He constantly communicates with his teammates, orchestrating defensive and attacking movements down his flank. He works incredibly hard and covers his full back well, this time partnering with Cresswell to great effect.

Obiang was back to his best and although his goal grabbed the headlines, it was his dominant performance in midfield that earned him man of the match. He completed 39/49 passes (79.6%), scored one goal, created one chance, one assist, one take-on, seven ball recoveries, 3/4 tackles, three interceptions and 2/2 aerial duels. He was imperious.

Randolph was again solid in the sticks. He displayed excellent shot stopping ability and held onto several shots that lesser keepers would have been forced to parry. He appeared to command his area well and his distribution was varied and accurate.

Carroll again led the line superbly. Strong, agile and his movement appears to be improving by the day. His movement for the goal was excellent and he showed great composure with the finish It's frightening to think of what he'll be capable of if he remains fit and injury free.

Kouyate was nothing short of heroic at right back. His athleticism, power and understated technique give him a versatility afforded to very few players. He was outstanding.

Noble deserves a mention too. He was brilliant throughout the match, providing the engine in midfield along with Obiang, as well as chipping in with some excellent passes and a well deserved (and correctly awarded) goal. He was deployed in a slightly deeper role and this allowed him to cover the defence more effectively and utilise his range of passing. He completed 44/51 passes (86.3%) and made 11 ball recoveries. Our captain has come in for a lot of criticism this season, with myself included, but he led by example and fought for every inch of ground he covered. Well played Nobes!

Bilic

This man has been tested on every level this season. His honesty, integrity and belief in playing attacking, expansive football are commendable and he does not always receive the praise he deserves. Southampton are a top side and Bilic set the team up perfectly to exploit their weaknesses. As I covered in my last piece, he's not the finished article, but he's got all the ingredients to become one of the best managers in the league. He can be a little naïve or stick to seemingly lost causes at times, but it's all part of his make-up and I admire his character. For any remaining doubters out there please find the following information courtesy of our official website:
"For Bilic, Saturday was his 25th league win as West Ham United boss – no manager has reached this feat quicker than the Croatian in the club's 122 year history."

He's earned our admiration and respect and if the club are serious about their vision to improve, then retaining Bilic is key.

Tactics

Bilic was bold and started with a 4-4-2. Antonio partnered Carroll up front and Snodgrass came in for Lanzini on the left wing. The work-rate and intelligence of Snodgrass aided the team in retaining their shape and prevented us becoming overloaded in midfield. Antonio and Carroll both put in tremendous shifts defending from the front, pressing Southampton's midfield relentlessly and forcing errors.

Kouyate was excellent filling in at right back and Cresswell showed great improvement, helped along by his new wing partner Snodgrass.

Reid and Fonte looked more comfortable playing together and put in a dominant defensive display. Fonte's passing range is superb and his composure on the ball is a huge asset to the team.

After the Manchester City defeat on Wednesday, Fonte revealed that the players felt responsible for the nature of the defeat as they failed to follow the manager's tactics. This was not the case against Southampton as previous mistakes were rectified.

From front to back the team attacked and defended as a unit. This was a display that encapsulated Bilic's style of play, high-energy tactical pressing, with fast fluid attacking movement. Although so far this season we've only enjoyed glimpses of this coming together for 90 minutes, this was as complete a performance as we've seen this season.

Looking ahead to West Brom

The players will take confidence into their game with West Brom and I'd be surprised if Bilic changed the formation. We may see a change in personnel if Byram is fit and chosen to play, but that would leave a tough call on Kouyate with his inclusion necessitating the withdrawal of Noble or Obiang, neither of whom deserve to be dropped.

At least this is a good problem for Bilic to have and it's good to see competition for places, even in such an unorthodox manner.

Tony Pulis is a better tactician than people think and he's created a strong and resolute squad of players that will be very tough to break down. They will match our physicality and not many teams in the league can boast that. They are a potent threat from set plays and will pose more of an aerial threat than any of the teams we've faced recently.

They will look to keep things tight and restrict the space between their lines. Snodgrass, Antonio, Carroll and Feghouli/Lanzini will need guile to create space in which to operate and transitioning quickly will be key.

The added energy, technique and composure of Snodgrass will again be a welcome addition in a match that could be defined by the finest of margins or moment of brilliance.

The team seems united, invigorated and hungry and I feel renewed confidence, rather than trepidation, going into our matches once again.

Super Slav has got his mojo back and the team looks like it's ready to forge ahead in its new chapter and keep the momentum going, starting with West Brom.

COYI

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Gareth Southgate will check out West Ham's Andy Carroll on Saturday as England boss prepares to name squad for Germany and Lithuania matches
Andy Carroll is set to start against West Brom at home on Saturday afternoon
The striker has nine caps and doesn't consider his England career to be over
Carroll's goals this season have helped West Ham rise to ninth in Premier League
Michail Antonio will also be seeking to impress Gareth Southgate on Saturday
By Kieran Gill for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 7 February 2017 | UPDATED: 23:00, 7 February 2017

Gareth Southgate will be at the London Stadium on Saturday with West Ham striker Andy Carroll hoping to do enough to earn another England call-up. Carroll has nine caps for the Three Lions so far and does not consider his international career done. The 28-year-old picked up a slight groin injury during Saturday's 3-1 win over Southampton but is training as normal with West Ham's first team this week. The former Newcastle and Liverpool striker is set to start against West Brom this weekend, having scored four goals over the last four games. Carroll's fine form has helped lift West Ham away from the Premier League's relegation zone, as they currently sit ninth. Southgate's next squad selection will be for March, when England play Germany in a friendly and Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier. West Ham workhorse Michail Antonio is another who will look to impress the Three Lions boss. Speaking to Sportsmail last week, Carroll said his fitness had prevented him from playing more for England. The goalscorer made his first appearance for four months in December following a knee injury that had kept him out since August. That return saw him score against Manchester City. Carroll's senior debut for his country came in 2010. He scored against Ghana in a friendly at Wembley in 2011, then against Sweden at the European Championship in 2012.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 8th February 2017

Randolph – We know we can cause teams problems
WHUFC.com

Darren Randolph says the Hammers were never worried at Southampton, despite falling behind early on to Manolo Gabbiadini's rocket.
Just three days after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City, the visitors showed admirable resolve to bounce back and turn that deficit at St Mary's into a 3-1 victory – a result which took them up to ninth in the Premier League table. With six wins from their last nine league games, Randolph is confident Slaven Bilic's men can continue to head in the right direction. The No1 said: "It was the perfect way to bounce back. We have done that every time we have had a bad result and we managed to do it again on Saturday. We knew it would be a tough game, but that we could do it a lot better than on Wednesday night. "We weren't worried going behind, because we had been playing pretty well, we played some good stuff and thankfully enough we equalised almost straight after and it put the pressure back on them and we continued to play some very good football. "Against the top six, you need to try and stop them playing, which takes away from the way you play. "Against the other teams we know we can cause them all sorts of problems and that was proved once again today."

Randolph had little chance with Gabbiadini's opener on Saturday, but more than played his part by making six saves to frustrate the home forwards. He explained: "I was happy with my performance. On Saturday, with the first shot they had they scored. To be honest I don't think if I had my hand in the top corner I would have saved it then, it was past me before I knew where to look. "In the second half I made more saves at key times and I was happy to make them. "I wish I could keep a clean sheet every week, but goals happen and it is how you react after that as a keeper, you just have to think about how you are going to save the next one. "I did make a save after their goal in the first half, so obviously that makes you feel better and in the second half I made some saves and that has helped us to get a victory."

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Hammers back Safer Internet Day
WHUFC.com

As millions of people around the world unite to promote online safety, West Ham United Foundation is encouraging fans to pledge their support to the Safer Internet Day campaign. West Ham United Foundation have joined the hundreds of schools and organisations from across the UK who are supporting the global awareness campaign in a bid to 'be the change' and make the internet a better place.

Coordinated by the UK Safer Internet Centre, today is a great opportunity to talk to friends and family about the safe, responsible and positive use of technology as we strive to help create a more welcoming online community.

As we call upon Hammers fans to 'be the change', here's how you can get involved in Safer Internet Day…

Help your family and friends to have a positive time online by giving them the information they need to stay safe. See advice at www.saferinternet.org.uk
Promote positive messages online, whether this is by backing a cause, helping a friend, reporting abuse
Make the internet a better place by making someone smile online. Post online using #SID2017 and join the #giveasmile social media campaign by sharing a smiley emoji or selfie.
Visit the UK Safer Internet Centre website where you can take the Safer Internet Day quiz, see what's happening on the day, and find out more about what you can do to help your friends and family to stay safe online.

Safer Internet Day is organised in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, which is a partnership of three charitable organisations, Childnet International, the South West Grid for Learning and the Internet Watch Foundation.

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Foundation team reach Premier League finals
WHUFC.com

The Wapping Irons team consists of Nathaniel Kemp, Selin Coskan, Jolina Bradley, Sade Harris, Freya Stewart-Williams, Syed Nafsan and Sophie Dimitrijevic
The Wapping Irons team are presented with certificates at last week's London finals. The team members are Nathaniel Kemp, Selin, Coskan, Jolina Bradley, Sade Harris, Freya Stewart-Williams with support from Syed Nafsan and Sophie Dimitrijevic.

For the fourth consecutive year West Ham United Foundation will have a representative in the prestigious PL Enterprise finals, due to be held at Ernest and Young in March.
Having beaten off competition from Clubs including QPR, Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Fulham at last week's London based final, held at the Emirates Stadium, Wapping Irons, a team from Wapping High School, will now face the final panel of judges in a bid to be crowned PL Enterprise Challenge winners 2017.

The PL Enterprise Challenge is an annual event inviting Premier League and Football League Club community organisations delivering Premier League Enterprise initiatives to create competition between schools, community groups and young people in their communities.

Wapping Irons, who won the West Ham United heats, beating last years Hammers finalists in the process, have been working with WHU Foundation staff to answer a challenge set by Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore. This seasons challenge is:

"You have been asked to create a plan to increase both your club's international fan base and it's income streams, specifically from the USA. Your fully costed proposal should consider how you can use your club's assets to generate interest and enthusiasm in the USA, how your club can engage fans in the USA via the club's digital channels, how your club can attract more American fans to travel to experience a live match in your stadium. The Board at your club is prepared to invest in the initiative but will want to see a return over a number of years. Your business plan should make it clear what the scale in the expected return will be."

Jolina Bradley, a member of the Wapping Irons team, said: "As a presenter, I had the opportunity to present what we had been practicing for months now and it was an experience like no other. I feel like the moment we stepped on the stage the experience had transformed from this small little project that we came up with in the classroom to this official presentation that felt very professional.

Jolina continued: "In my opinion, the best part was getting feedback from the judges who are trained and experienced professionals which will really help us in the finals. There was this second when we had won of just utter realisation and I am still in shock if I'm honest! It was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anybody! I gained confidence, speaking skills and team work most importantly."

The Challenge provides a fantastic opportunity for pupils to gain valuable work experience and develop skills in an exciting and alternative learning environment, as well as giving them the opportunity to learn about different aspects of West Ham United, including Marketing, Customer Service and Finance.

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The Big Interview - Aaron Cresswell
WHUFC.com

CresswellAaron Cresswell has nothing but praise for the impact the supporters had on the team during the impressive 3-1 win over Southampton on Saturday.

Over three thousand Hammers fans made the trip down to the south coast and more than played their part as they helped inspire the team to another impressive away victory.

Cresswell is now hoping to experience another special atmosphere at London Stadium on Saturday when they face West Brom as they look to climb even higher up the Premier League table....



Aaron, it was a great victory over Southampton at the weekend. What do you the put the performance down to and how much credit should the players take for the way everyone has come together?

AC: "It was obviously a great win considering we had not won down there for a number of years.

"The way team came back from 1-0 down and it was a great finish from the lad, showed great togetherness. It was pleasing to see.

"Over the last few weeks I don't think we have had any choice but to come together and we have showed a great team spirit. Apart from the Manchester City game it is showing in our performances and we want to continue this run."



If you analyse the starting line-up there are a number of positives to take at the moment, with Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass coming into the team and Pedro Obiang scoring his first goal for the Club last weekend. How pleased were you to see Pedro get on the scoresheet?

AC: "Everything is coming together and someone like Pedro does not always get the recognition he deserves.

"He fully deserved his goal and the performances he has put in the season. He has been fantastic.

"I hope he continues this form as he is a great lad."



Andy Carroll got among the goals once again with another impressive finish. Do you feel like that he is unstoppable at the moment?

AC: "I saw an impressive stat the other day saying he has scored 20 goals in his last 33 starts and

I think any team in the Premier League would take that goals to games ratio.

"Andy has got four in four and hopefully he can continue this great run of form."



You know Andy so well. Have you sensed a change in him?

AC: "I have seen a change and his performances have been fantastic.

"He has been unlucky with injuries but we all hope he can stay fully fit now and get as many goals as he can for us.

"He is going into every game believing he can score and for any striker it is all about confidence. When you have that mindset that no-one is going to stop you it can only bring the best out of him.

"It is fantastic to see Andy when he has that belief and I really hope he can continue this."


How pleasing is it to see new signing Robert Snodgrass settle straight into the squad and can you already see the quality that he will bring to the team over the coming weeks and months?

AC: "Snods has been fantastic since he came into the Club. It is not easy when you move from one end of the country to the other and he has pretty much gone straight into the side.

"He started on Saturday and played in front of me and has fitted in straight away with the other lads and is a great lad. His performance showed that."



You also have a new defensive partner in Jose Fonte. How much have you been impressed with his leadership qualities since he arrived at the Hammers?

AC: "It was always going to be a big day for him going back to his former club Southampton so quickly and it was tough for him, having spent such a long period down there.

"But he is another player who has settled in straight away and is a great leader and has a lot of experience.

"You could see straight away the leadership qualities he will bring into the squad and you get that feeling that he has the quality. He is a fantastic defender."



We now face another big game against West Brom on Saturday who sit just one place above us in the table. How much would we like to close the gap and set our sights even higher in the table?

AC: "They are just five points ahead of us in the table and I am sure they will want to stay in the top half but there are still 14 games to go and we want to get past them.

"We hope we can close the gap with a victory on Saturday. We have had a few good results this season when the crowd have really got behind us.

"It certainly helps when the crowd are behind you and it helps in our performance."

The away following at Southampton last weekend was very impressive. How much do the players recognise the fantastic support and how much would you love to see another special atmosphere inside London Stadium on Saturday?

AC: "We spoke about the great support from the fans after the game on Saturday and at times it felt like we were the home side.

"It can make a big difference and the fans were behind us for the whole 90 minutes. We hope we can keep giving them something to shout about.

"The atmosphere in the recent game against Crystal Palace was unbelievable and if we can replicate that every week it will be fantastic."

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PAYET WHO? PLAYERS WHO COULD REPLACE PAYET
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 6 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 9:41PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Irons Home @Irons_home

Hi all, this is my second piece writing for The West Ham Way. Here is my opinion on players who could replace the void in terms of quality not attitude which was disgracefully left by Dimitri Payet.

I just want to say a few words on Payet. Let's not lie here, in terms of quality the best we've had since the likes of club legend Paolo Di Canio. Payet last season was a world beater, could single handily win you a game, alongside Manuel Lanzini and Aaron Cresswell when all three interlinked it was fantastic to watch. Payet had it all, vision, trickery, free-kick specialist, his chances created were phenomenal and every fan was behind him. I'm pretty sure now every fan hates him. Not even a thank you to the club or Bilic for what Slav has done and the club has done for him, we made him an international name coming from quite an awful French league to the best league in the world was a huge risk which seemed to pay off. As well as making a £15m profit on a player with a horrible attitude, West Ham seem the real winners here.

It seems we are doing very well without Payet, although the summer transfer window seems a perfect opportunity to improve the quality of our attacking midfield since he has left.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

In my opinion the best player in the bottom half of the table. Absolutely quality and should be our top target in the summer. Every time I see Swansea play, he is always catching my attention, his free-kicks could be arguably better than Payet's. Having already scored 8 goals and grabbed 9 assists in a relegation threatened side, Sigurdsson has more than enough quality to impress the West Ham faithful. Much like Payet, Gylfi can operate centrally behind the striker or on the left side of an attacking 3 behind the striker. I would love to see him in Claret and Blue next season and hoping Swansea go down as they will be forced to sell their talisman although there will be huge competition from other clubs such as Everton who have made several enquiries in January for the attacking midfielder. Him with the likes of Lanzini and Antonio will create tonnes of chances and would be a great addition, we should all be opting for him to become a West Ham player at a reported £25m value, would you buy Gylfi for that.

Ivan Perisic

The Croatian attacking midfielder is a well-known player around Europe having been at Inter Milan for 2 seasons and had made a real name for himself in Germany. Having played 55 times for his national side, he has bagged 16 goals which is decent at international level especially as he plays left midfield for them. Much like Payet, Perisic is often cutting inside on his favoured right foot to either go alone on goal, or to deliver a teasing cross into the box, which would favour our style of play with the biggest aerial threat in world football already at West Ham. He Croatian link could favour our chances of landing Perisic as he is already proven throughout Europe any club would love to have him. Although would leaving Inter Milan to come to West Ham be a downgrade? I would hope not as we have a lot to offer as a club, if we have any chance of landing someone of this quality then we will have to finish very strongly in the second half of the season and also be prepared to pay a hefty fee for the Croatian midfielder but he would seem to be worth every penny.

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain

This may be surprising to some but the Ox could be a really good addition for West Ham. Still young at the age of 23, Chamberlain is a real athlete who oozes pace but some may say lacks a bit of end product. He can play anywhere across midfield, as a winger, in central midfield, and attacking midfield due to his great athleticism. Also, when Arsenal have a fully fit squad, the Ox is not given a look in with players such as Alex Iwobi performing when given the chance by Arsenal. Even a season long loan deal with an option to buy in 2018 could be a great deal for all parties, especially if Chamberlain wants to cement a place in the England team. Chamberlain would offer much needed pace to the West Ham attack with only Michail Antonio having real quickness about his play, Chamberlain could be a very good signing for West Ham. We may face tough completion though as Leicester have been after him in the past but he may want to stay in London and favour us if we really have the intention of signing him.

Manuel Lanzini

Already at the club, our little gem could be better than the prime Payet. Already having made a name for himself at the last season at the Boleyn Ground, Lanzini has always been an integral part of the West Ham team. Having started as a winger for us, Slav has moved him centrally where he has flourished due to his link up play and movement with and without the ball. Lanzini is only 23 and has huge potential, he is also fans favourite as shown by his "Ain't nobody like Lanzini" chant. We all love him. Players like him are the reason why us fans go to watch the sport, he gets you off your seat with his pieces of skill, little turns and nutmegs he does are magical. Having not started vs Southampton due to having the flu, I'm sure Lanzini will be back at top form and stepping up even more now his mate Payet has left the club.

Ashley Young

A surprise mention goes to the out of favour winger. Not many would welcome this addition but honestly I think he could be good for us. Much like Downing, he needs to move to a smaller club than Manchester United and get regular game time to show his talents. Although he is 31 I believe he still has a lot to offer for any Premier League club other than the proven top 6. He is a proven Premier League player and has been in this league for over 10 years and we may just sign Premier League proven players in the summer because of the huge failures in the last summer window with the likes of Zaza and Gokhan Tore signing. Young was rumoured to be going to China this month and that still could potentially happen as the Chinese transfer window does not close until the end of February. Young's crossing abilities really appeals to me maybe due to Antonio's inconsistent crossing abilities, Young has a consistent technique of delivering a cross through open play or from a set-piece, especially with the likes of Andy Carroll in the team. If we could manage to lower Ashley's wages and either get him on loan or on a permanent contract, I believe this would be a good addition to the squad if we want to push for European qualification.

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Why West Ham will be out to rewrite the history books when the face West Brom
The Hammers face Tony Pulis' side on Saturday looking to improve on a poor recent record against the Baggies
Football.London
BYROB GUEST
12:56, 7 FEB 2017

Fresh from Saturday's morale-boosting 3-1 win at Southampton, West Ham will be looking to make it back-to-back wins with West Brom next on the agenda. The Hammers will be hoping the first game between the sides at the London Stadium will help improve their wretched home form against Tony Pulis' side. In eight home games in the Premier League era the club have only won twice against the Baggies, with five draws and one defeat. You have to go back four years for the Hammers last home win against West Brom, with in-form striker Andy Carroll at the double in a 3-1 win. Prior to that, West Ham's only other win in the Premier League era was 12 years ago, as Teddy Sheringham's solitary goal was enough to seal the win for Alan Pardew's team. Pulis' side have been one of the surprise packages of the season and are eighth in the table, five points ahead of the Hammers, following a run of four wins from six games.
The sides met earlier in the campaign at the Hawthorns with the Hammers falling to a 4-2 defeat, as the Baggies raced into a four-goal lead after an hour. West Brom have yet to record a Premier League double over West Ham but in order to do so they will have to improve their away record. The Baggies have only won three times on the road this campaign, with victories at Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Southampton. Their only success in eight attempts at Upton Park came in September 2002 with Jason Roberts netting in a 1-0 victory in their first season in the Premier League. West Ham will be looking to right their wrongs of their last game at the London Stadium and a much-needed home win over the Baggies could move them to within two points of the visitors.

Premier League home record v WBA
West Ham 0 West Brom 1, 11 September 2002
West Ham 1 West Brom 0, 5 November 2005
West Ham 0 West Brom 0, 16 March 2009
West Ham 2 West Brom 2, 10 Nov 2010
West Ham 3 West Brom 1, 30 March 2013
West Ham 3 West Brom 3, 28 December 2013
West Ham 1 West Brom 1, 1 Jan 2015
West Ham 1 West Brom 1, 29 Nov 2015

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Andy Carroll 'chuffed' with latest goal in hot streak for West Ham
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham striker Andy Carroll is delighted to have developed a clinical edge in front of goal in recent weeks. The 28-year-old struggled with injury at the start of the season but has enjoyed a rich vein of form since returning to fitness for Slaven Bilic's side. A calm finish in the Hammers' 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday took Carroll's tally to five goals in his last seven top-flight appearances. And the forward is pleased to be contributing so regularly, despite not carving out many chances at St. Mary's Stadium. "I'm happy with how it's going in front of goal for me at the minute. It was probably one of the only chances I had in the game, so it was nice to put it away," Carroll told West Ham's official website. "It was a good result for us on Saturday. We didn't deserve to go 1-0 down, but when we did I think it changed the game for the better. "We realised we were in a game, pushed up and got a goal straight away for myself. I was well chuffed with it, we carried on and got another just before half-time. "It was important to cancel out their goal so quickly. That's exactly what we did."

Questions were widely asked of West Ham's mental toughness after a chastening 4-0 defeat to Manchester City earlier this month. But the Hammers bounced back at the first time of asking against Claude Puel's side and Carroll is adamant there is plenty of belief in West Ham's camp. "We've been playing well lately. We've bounced back straight away from the Man City game and proved that we're playing well by getting three points. "We've got a very good team and we're always capable of winning games," Carroll insisted. West Ham face West Brom at London Stadium this weekend and will solidify their place in the top half of the table with victory over Tony Pulis's side.

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West Ham Still Have Best Stadium Announcers
Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 07/02/2017 - 11:01
westhamfans.org

Since the move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium there have been a few problems, most of which blown out of all proportion by media hounds and jealous supporters of other clubs less fortunate. The 'branding' of West Ham United London has been slick and efficient which is what is necessary to survive in the cut throat world of high end business supply, and whether you like it or not that is what the Barclays Premiership is all about now. Back in the day when it was possible to buy peanuts for a tanner a bag from the bloke in the brown jacket who would throw you the packet and then get you to pass the money down the line, global exposure was something that was read about in the now defunct News of the World, and it wasn't about football club branding! The London Stadium represents a giant leap forward and despite it's niggles will become an incredible home for West Ham once things have settled down a bit, of course success on the pitch will make all the difference and it is hoped that the remainder of the season will see Hammers pushing higher up the league, although achieving last season's heady heights is unlikely but not impossible.

One match day aspect that has fortunately been retained from the Boleyn is the match day announcement team, they are still accessible and are able to make a young fans day. Slightly self indulgent this, but despite incredibly short notice they managed to squeeze in a 'happy birthday' during the announcements at half time during the match against Manchester City to ed junior who had been incandescent with rage at the score, the smile on his face and the hug he gave when they announced his birthday were priceless! Never to be forgotten, it takes quite a lot to impress a seventeen year old nowadays....His happiness was compounded by the victory over Southampton which he saw as pay back to their gloating fans who had used the canvas covering the gaps at the London Stadium as a trampoline as they mocked the home fans!

A couple more victories and even the most paranoid of supporters, still scarred by the relegation with 46 points nightmare, will be able to breathe easy and look forward to another season at the 'top table'. Settling in at a new stadium was always going to take time, and perhaps expectations were a little unrealistic? However there is a whole new generation of young Hammers fans coming through and to them the London Stadium will be home, at least the oldies will have the stadium announcers to remind them of the past. - Ed

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Transfer ALERT! Lyon put £60m price tag on Arsenal and West Ham target Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal and West Ham Alexandre Lacazette
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Lyon have told Arsenal and West Ham it will cost them £60million if they want to sign Alexandre Lacazette. The striker was the subject of strong interest from the Premier League pair last summer and he has now revealed he is ready to leave at the end of the season. That has alerted both Arsenal and West Ham, who are expected to make fresh approaches for Lacazette following his recent comments. However, if either club has ideas about signing the France international they must be wary he won't come cheap as - according to reports in France - Lyon have set his asking price at £60m. The French club are very reluctant to let their star striker go and as such they will only sell if his valuation is met. Both Arsenal and West Ham had bids rejected for Lacazette last summer which were around £30m.

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West Ham United star Andre Ayew to rejoin London club today after disappointing AFCON campaign
Published on: 07 February 2017

Ghana international Andre Ayew will rejoin his club team mates today after playing in the Africa Cup of Nations for the last three weeks. Ayew, a 20.5 million pounds signing from Swansea City had a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign by his own high standards. In his absence West Ham United have fought well to move to the top half of the English Premier League and are 9 points clear off the relegation zone despite losing super star Dimitri Payet to Marseille and Ayew to the Africa Cup of Nations. Ayew played in and lasted the entire duration of all the six games in Gabon where he managed 2 goals albeit they were all from the spot. His return to West Ham United is coming at a good time to the club who enjoyed coming from a goal down to win 3-1 against Southampton over the weekend. In other news Swansea City's new signing Jordan Ayew is also set to move to the Welsh club today.

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West Ham prepared €100m offer for Real Madrid star after selling Dimitri Payet to Marseille
By Essex Chronicle | Posted: February 07, 2017
By Tommy Wathen

According to reports in Spain, West Ham United tabled an offer of around €100 million for Real Madrid and Columbia playmaker James Rodriguez in January - but the player decided to remain with Los Blancos. The 25 year-old midfielder has only started four La Liga matches for Madrid this season and has made a further five appearances from the substitutes bench - scoring just one goal. Spanish website don balon are reporting that after the Hammers sold Dimitri Payet back to French Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille for £25 million last month, the East Londoners were interested in a record-breaking deal for Rodriguez, but despite appreciating the offer from West Ham, the player decided that his career would progress better at a higher standard club. It is understood that the €100 million figure would've been made up between transfer fee and contract value, although it would still smash the Hammers current record-signing of Andre Ayew for around £20 million from Premier League rivals Swansea City.

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West Ham supporter blog: Pedro Obiang has been a shining light, but Bilic will stick with Noble
By Essex Chronicle | Posted: February 07, 2017
By Tommy Wathen

West Ham United have missed Cheikhou Kouyate during the 2017 African Cup of Nations, but the brutal blow was made easier to deal with by a number of outstanding performances by Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang. Over the past few months, Obiang has helped to steady the Hammers ship and has become one of the leading names on manager Slaven Bilic's team sheet, putting captain Mark Noble's position at threat.
Obiang put in yet another man-of-the-match performance away to Southampton on Saturday [February 4], setting up Andy Carroll for West Ham's equaliser with an inch-perfect through-ball, before smashing a low shot into the bottom corner to give the visitors all three points.
After watching the Hammers pick up a third Premier League victory in their past four games, 19 year-old West Ham fan George Benson from Bishop Auckland, County Durham blogs about how the Hammers almost lost a prized asset during the summer. "It's astonishing to think that back in August, Pedro Obiang was way down the pecking order at West Ham and almost returned to Italy after interest came in from AC Milan and Fiorentina. Thankfully, both clubs couldn't agree a fee for the 24 year-old and since then, Obiang has found himself an integral part of the West Ham midfield. "Pedro Obiang has been one of the shining lights in what has been a slightly underwhelming campaign thus far for the Hammers. He has protected our back four (or even five) from threats, whilst looking comfortable when passing the ball long and not just side-to-side. He did that despite manager Slaven Bilic continuously tinkering with players and formations throughout the season. "The midfielder's performance against Southampton on Saturday was truly brilliant and reminiscent of captain Mark Noble's during our final season at the Boleyn Ground. His assist for Carroll was a pass that was like cutting a knife through warm butter and a pass that West Ham midfielders have often failed to see this season. His goal, which came just before half time to put West Ham ahead, was great effort and hopefully something that the Spaniard can add to his game going forward. He also has the highest tackle success rate in the Premier League with 91%! "With Kouyate returning from the African Cup of Nations, 77% of supporters who voted on an Essex Live poll at @WestHamEC are expecting Bilic to drop club captain Mark Noble. In truth, Noble hasn't played anywhere near the level he was at last year. In my opinion, he should've been selected for an England call-up last season, but too many side ways passes and silly fouls make him look lost sometimes on the huge pitch at the London Stadium. Saying that, I still expect Bilic to stick with his captain and play him in the starting 11 - meaning that either Kouyate or Obiang may have to become a regular from the substitutes bench."

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THE LIFE AND CAREER OF SLAVEN BILIC
By Zaman Siddiqui 7 Feb 2017
WTID
Guest post by Aleksandar Babac

NOTE FROM ZAMAN: The author has written an enthralling piece on Super Slav! He is also the creator of the largest West Ham-based Croatian Facebook page.

There was definitely something in the air that hot September in 1968 when Slaven Bilic was born in Split on Wednesday the 11th. Seven days later, in the same hospital room, his childhood friend Toni Kukoc was born. They grew up together in the same building, and joined Hajduk's youth football academy together. But the coaches there told them that they weren't talented enough. Toni decided to play basketball professionally and later made sporting history, side by side with Michael Jordan, winning three consecutive NBA Championship titles with the Chicago Bulls.

Slaven was persistent with football, as with all things he does. He grew up in the city block of Spinut, near Hajduk's training ground with his parents and his brother, Domagoj, who gave him the nickname Nane, as he couldn't say Slaven. Allegedly, Slav used to eat a lot of bananas as a child, so Domagoj once mispronounced banana saying "Nane" and the nickname stuck. He still keeps it to this day in Croatia. Slav's father was a university professor and dean at the Faculty of Law at Split University where Slav graduated in 1993 and became a lawyer. "You're a lawyer. What are you doing playing football?" – was a common question asked by many of his teammates.

Slaven Bilic is anything but a typical footballer. He started his youth career in Hajduk Split at the age of 9 – the club became his greatest passion. In fact, there isn't a single person born in Dalmatia who doesn't love Hajduk, football and Split. It is a magical triangle right on the Dalmatian coast! In Hajduk Split, he finished his playing career 24 years later, and made his first steps in becoming a manager. Even in his younger days, Slaven showcased absolute loyalty to the team. There were two dressing rooms at the club – one classy (only for the chosen first team stars) and the second for the rest. When they called him in to use the first dressing room, he refused because he got used to the small one where all his friends were.

In 1991, the team won the final of the final Yugoslav Cup against Red Star in Belgrade. He was one of the most talented of Hajduk's footballers in a generation alongside skipper and former Hammer Igor Stimac, as well as Alen Boksic, and Robert Jarni. Even now, Slaven says that winning that trophy was one of the most memorable things of his entire career. Soon after his graduation in 1993, he moved to the Bundesliga where he joined Karlsruher. Ten months later, he became team captain, the first-ever foreign skipper in the top German league. It was such a big honour and accomplishment for such a young player from the newborn Balkan country of Croatia.

We know that the Olympic Stadium was his destiny, but on July 5th 1992, he debuted for the Croatian national team versus Australia at Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne. What a coincidence! Six years later, he was a member of the Golden Generation of the Vatren ('the Blazers'), achieving the most glorifying moment in Croatian football history finishing in 3rd place at World Cup in France 1998.

"My son, do you have some cigarettes? I need them for the bench… and when you will take off that earring?" – a question asked by Miroslav Ciro. Blazevic, the selector for the Croatian national team, who was the manager on the bench from 1994 to 2000. Slav replied: "I won't. The earring reminds me of my time at law school". As a matter of fact, Slaven started smoking during his faculty years, whilst all other team mates were sleeping. Ciro was very strict, and influential, but also very generous and emotional – just like Slav.

Nane learnt a lot from Ciro. The coach always stated that Slaven was like a son to him. In fact, we could say that Ciro had an influence on Slaven to pursue his dream of becoming a manager. Harry Redknapp brought him in 1996 for a fee of £1.3M, setting the club's record for the highest fee paid for an incoming player at the time. His dreams had finally come true, as Slaven finally lived in the country of rock music and where football was invented. In the same place, six months later, Slaven played his first and final European Championship. Croatia lost 2-1 at Wembley in the quarter-final against Germany after Igor Stimac was sent off. Slaven cried upon the confirmation of his team's defeat when the whistle blew.

Who could've imagined that ten years later, Slaven would become the Croatian national manager, and Igor Stimac would succeed him 6 years after? Who could've imagined that Slav would go back to Wembley 11 years later to defeat England 3-2 in the final qualifying match of the EURO's in 2008? Who could've predicted back then that England needed a draw in order to qualify, with it going down to the wire of the dozen matches? Slaven made a risky sub with former Hammer Mladen Petric scoring the winner for Croatia in the 77 minute.

A year later, Slaven moved to Merseyside, joining Everton in the summer of 1997. Terms were agreed much earlier, but he stayed with us until the end of the season to help the team not get relegated. The same year, he was presented as Hammer of the Year runner-up to Julian Dicks. Bilic became one of the most influential Croats in England with some offering him a position in the Croatian embassy. He was very influential for many generations of young players, as well to the Toffee's Wayne Rooney, who had his full size poster beside the bed. Although Slaven was one of the most valued defenders in the Premier League, many didn't know that his playing career finished just a month before the World Cup in France 1998.

"'We need you, my son. Just for one match – just for the Argentina match" said Ciro, who begged Slaven to play. Slaven replied: "But boss, how I will play with a hip fracture? I can't even walk, it hurts so much!" After giving it some thought, Slav said: "What the hell, it's now or never." He decided to go and to play at the World Cup, and was roommates with ex Real Madrid and Barcelona star, Robert Prosinecki, who later became Slaven's assistant on the Croatian national bench. As players, two of them were smokers, so they shared a smoking room and Ciro tolerated it.

It wouldn't have been the same without Slav. He was phenomenal and sophisticated, 'a good spirit' of the team and a good leader, sacrificing his health and playing with a fractured hip. Under the watchful eye of the medics, he received physio treatment every single day. He played seven full matches, elapsing 630 minutes during the 28-day tournament. Slaven and Igor Stimac got a chance for revenge for the EURO 96 defeat, which they took with a superb 3-0 win in Lyon against Germany in the World Cup quarter-final. It was a breathtaking moment for all of the football world to witness. Another former Hammer, Davor Suker, was the tournament star, scoring the most goals and winning the coveted Golden Boot award.

"I apologize for not wearing a tie" – were the first Slaven's words when he was unanimously appointed the manager of Croatian national football team. He managed the Croatian team for 6 years – only Ciro lasted longer. He showed courage and determination in each match. After that terrific win against England in Wembley back in 2007, many of us Croats knew that we had a manager with whom we could achieve big things. Even then, celebrating this victory, he showed his compassion comforting young Rooney, having known him since he was a teenager playing for Everton. After two EURO tournaments in 2008 and 2012, Slaven resigned from the national team but developed and introduced many young players to the big stage at the national level. Under his command, he gave debuts to Lovren, Corluka, Perisic, Mandzukic, and Rakitic.

When Slaven was born in September 1968, the no.1 hit on the UK Charts list was The Beatles Hey Jude. Their LP was the first album that Slaven bought as a kid – this is where his love of music and the British way of living began. Music influenced his life, and attitude. When he speaks about music, it is as if he is another person.

A passionate lyricist and guitarist, he wrote and played the Supporters anthem Vatreno Ludilo performed by his hard-rock band, Rawbau, often using Dalmatian buzzwords like Ludilo, and Strava (meaning "madness" and "scare") to describe his admiration for Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, and Judas Priest to name a few. During his playing career at West Ham, the Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman said he couldn't believe that Slav called him "a legend". From those days in London, Slaven developed a nice friendship with Iron Maiden's founder Steve Harris, who once asked him to join them on stage and play guitar at a Croatian concert.

"I was really living life to the full" – something Bilic would effectively say many times in interviews about his life in London.

"For me, London is the greatest city in the world. It represents everything for me: England, the British lifestyle, humour, music, football, Only Fools and Horses, Monty Python, The Rolling Stones – that's England for me. In the streets of London you can see everything: pubs, buskers, aristocracy, subcultures… When you see this mix of nations, religions, and cultures, you become inspired."
Slaven Bilic, a football manager, international player, guitarist, polyglot and a lawyer is definitely not the best and for sure not even the most talented Croatian footballer in history, but he has such a unique and strong personality which makes him a person to admire. Our rebel with a cause will always remain 'a good boy' of football. He is a respectable gentleman, Bilic – always was and will be the kid from the block.

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West Ham fan banned from football caught in Middlesbrough - but says 'he didn't read his order'
Tony Hackett, 57, was found at the Jury's Inn hotel in Middlesbrough on the same day of the West Ham v Boro game
BYMIKE BROWN
Evening Gazette

A West Ham fan banned from football matches travelled to Teesside on the day his team played Middlesbrough - saying he hadn't fully read his banning order. Tony Vincent Hackett, 57, was barred for five years from entering any town or borough where the Hammers were playing, for a four hour time period either side of the match. That order was placed on him on January 13 at Blackfriars Crown Court in London for violent disorder - where he received a one year prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. But just over a week later on January 21, Hackett travelled up to Middlesbrough to "visit a friend" at the Jury's Inn hotel on Fry Street, in the town centre. He didn't attend the Riverside to see the Londoners defeat Boro 3-1 - he watched the match in the hotel, he told a court - but admitted to Teesside Magistrates' Court he had breached the order by being on Teesside. An officer from the Met Police, working with counterparts in Cleveland to police the match, recognised Hackett in Middlesbrough from a previous away match. Andrew Foster, defending, said Hackett had not been given a copy of his order after the hearing and only contacted the court when a friend of his told him he should have been reporting to a police station as part of the ban. He was then emailed a copy by his solicitor on January 18 and printed it out, but admits he did not read it fully and originally thought the ban only extended to half a mile away from whichever ground West Ham were playing at. In fact, the distance was two miles - and he was banned altogether from town centres on matchdays. Encouraging magistrates to sentence Hackett today, Mr Foster said: "He has not travelled to Middlesbrough to attend the game. He's come alone, not with a gang, and not with football hooligans. He had printed out a hard copy of the order and put it in his bag, but admits he hadn't read it fully."
But prosecutor Rachel Dodsworth asked the bench to send the case to Blackfriars Crown Court, where Hackett could face a more serious sentence. Magistrates agreed and committed Hackett, of Hillview Road, Kirby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, to crown court for sentence at a date to be confirmed. Seven men were arrested before, during and after the Premier League clash between Boro and West Ham at the Riverside. It followed on from violence which marred the club's visit to the London Stadium in October, which Boro fans described as an "absolutely terrifying experience". West Ham fans broke a cordon and flooded the away end, while bottles and coins were hurled at Teessiders.

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Trevor Sinclair praises West Ham United board over one decision
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

West Ham United winger Robert Snodgrass, who moved from Hull City in the January transfer window, featured against Southampton in the Premier League at the weekend. Trevor Sinclair has taken to social networking site Twitter to praise West Ham United for signing Robert Snodgrass from Hull City in the January transfer window. The former West Ham winger made the comment following the London club's 3-1 victory over Southampton away from home at St. Mary's Stadium in the Premier League at the weekend. The 29-year-old winger started the match at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon and played for the entire 90 minutes. Snodgrass is a very good winger, and he should prove to be a brilliant signing for West Ham. The Scotland international has featured in two Premier League matches for the Hammers since his move from Hull, creating one chance in the process. The former Leeds United and Norwich City winger scored seven goals and created 45 chances in 20 Premier League matches for Hull this season. West Ham are ninth in the Premier League table at the moment with 31 points from 24 matches. Meanwhile, Hull currently find themselves third from bottom in the league table with 20 points from 24 games, just a point behind 17th-placed Swansea City.

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REAL STAR REPORTEDLY TURNS DOWN AUDACIOUS WEST HAM APPROACHFeatured Image
Date: 6th February 2017 at 8:00pm
Written by: David Tully

Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez reportedly turned down a big money move to West Ham in the January transfer window, according to Don Balon. In what seems to be a highly unlikely rumour, the Spanish publication assert that the Hammers were prepared to make an offer worth "close to 100 million euros" to land the Colombian playmaker.

The 25 year old was said to be grateful for the offer but he feels he must remain with a Champions League club in order to keep his lucrative sponsorship deals. He wants to either remain at Real Madrid to work himself back into Zinedine Zidane's first team plans or move to another club who are challenging for titles.

Don Balon says the move came after West Ham decided to sell Dimitri Payet for €30million to Marseille. It seems likelier though that if any attempt was made for Rodriguez it would have been on the lines of a loan bid, in view to buying the player.

Real's transfer ban means they couldn't sell or buy anyone in the January transfer window, although they could loan players. Perhaps West Ham's move for Rodriguez included a loan fee and a commitment to pay all of his wages which could have increased the value of their offer, although a €100m (£86m) deal would still seem too much.

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Statistic proves Slaven Bilic is on his way to becoming West Ham's best manager for 25 years
HITC
Damien Lucas

Slaven Bilic is well on his way to becoming West Ham United's best manager for a quarter of a century according to a key statistic.
The Hammers endured a torrid start to the Croatian's second season in charge of the East London club. It is a far cry from last season's record-breaking farewell to the club's Boleyn Ground home of 112 years which saw Bilic's side record their best ever Premier League points total and first positive goal difference since the club came so close to winning the title in 1986 as they finished just four points off the Champions League places. West Ham struggled badly in the first half of the season, going out of the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup and stuck near the bottom of the table lacking any kind of form or consistency. Results have picked up drastically of late, though, with six wins from the last nine league games coinciding with the Dimitri Payet situation and eventual exit before the January transfer window slammed shut.
Despite now sitting comfortably in ninth place, Bilic's future has been the subject of intense media speculation in recent weeks with former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini being tipped to replace him, as reported by the likes of The Times. Bilic himself told the press he is struggling to understand why his job would be under threat. And a new statistic has also made the speculation look laughable after it emerged the former Besiktas manager is well on his way to becoming the club's best manager for a quarter of a century. That's because Bilic is now the fastest West Ham manager to reach 25 wins since in the inauguration of the Premier League in 1992. Since 1992 West Ham have had 10 managers including Billy Bonds, Harry Redknapp, Glenn Roeder, Trevor Brooking (in a caretaker role), Alan Pardew, Alan Curbishley, Gianfranco Zola, Avram Grant, Sam Allardyce and Bilic. While Bonds, Roeder, Pardew and Allardyce had short spells outside the top flight while in charge none matched Bilic's fantastic success rate which has seen him reach 25 wins in just 62 Premier League games, drawing 18 and losing 19. It makes Bilic the fastest Hammers manager to reach the milestone and he has done so with a 40% win percentage.
Trevor Brooking's time in caretaker charge sees him hold a maximum 100% winning record during his short spell which ended in relegation on a record 42 points. But if, as we are constantly being told, football is 'all about winning' then this surely makes Bilic one of if not the best West Ham manager in 25 years.

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