SUNDERLAND V WEST HAM – MY FIVE TAKE AWAYS BY STEVE CLAYDON @TRBEAT
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 16 APRIL 2017 AT 3:44PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Steve Claydon @trbeat
Liability. Week in, Week out.
When Adrian went walkabout against Southampton and cost us the game, it was
time to replace him. If Bilic does not pull the trigger on Randolph, then
it's going to be a long last five games. Clean sheets require a mix of a
good back line and a solid keeper, or a solid back line and a good keeper.
Each and every week we can't seem to string those two requirements together,
and before you say we kept a clean sheet against Swansea, Randolph did his
best to try and ruin that. I'm done with Randolph. Nothing personal but
I've given him the benefit of the doubt for too long. This project is over.
#BringBackAdrian
Play to a Strength.
So, now I am confused and granted that does not take too much. We have the
big man playing upfront, so we go and play it on the floor, which is fine if
we are moving the ball forward. There were periods of this game where we
played some pretty football; however, it was in our third of the field, and
we were not moving forward.
A lot of times during this passing play, Sunderland pressured us into making
mistakes. I'm not asking us to lump it forward, pray and hope, but we have
a couple of fairly pacy backs and half decent wide midfielders that should
be looking to attack the wings and look for options. Our first goal
demonstrated that we could do it and that that tactic would work.
We looked most dangerous when we played wide, stretched the field and looked
for options, but those times were limited. We played today as if we had
Defoe on our side, looking and hoping that someone would make an intelligent
run to open space. Sunderland played to that strength, pulling defenders
and looking for incisive balls, and if not for some poor finishing and some
excellent defending by Fonte this would have been another game we lost.
Tactically we look confused at times and not sure what we are doing.
Couldn't even close out during a fire sale.
Twenty-two points dropped from winning positions. I would guess twenty-two
points lost in the last 5 minutes. Tottenham, West Brom, Bournemouth and
more left me feeling gutted. If I have no confidence that we will close out
a game thousands of miles away, on my comfy couch, what hope do I have that
the players will feel they can.
There is no strong mentality in this team. Leading by a goal means one
thing, backs to the walls and complete fear. If I were the opposing
manager, one goal down against us with five minutes in the game to go here
is what I would tell my team. We have this; they are there for the taking.
The sit back and try to suck up the pressure method does not work.
To end the game correctly requires communication between everyone and a
couple of players willing to show skill, determination and dedication to
take the game by the scruff of the neck and boss the last few minutes. This
rolling over needs to stop and STOP right now.
How to piss your boss off.
Bilic: I'm not sure I have full faith in you.
Byram: You can trust me.
Bilic: Sure?
Byram: Of course boss.
Bilic: Ok, well don't screw up then.
Byram: Will two yellows count as screwing up?
Bilic: MotherF%*ker
Silly boy. I get it; it can happen to anyone. I get that you can get two
yellow cards in the heat of a game. I get it. I get it. I get it. But
when you are incredibly thin at a position, and you already have some
challenges with people suspended and injured, you have to think bigger
picture. It was his take charge of, to own that role, to step up and
honestly say, I am the man for this job.
This fight for survival is not over yet, and all Byram accomplished was make
it that much harder for us next week. Everton is going to have a field day
running that channel with whoever puts their hand up and says "I'll do it,
boss".
I'm disappointed in Byram because I thought that he had turned the corner
the last couple of weeks. I think he still has a lot to learn with regards
to discipline. Learning in the EPL when you are thin at a position is not
ideal.
What is our first eleven next year?
As I mentioned, during the offseason I plan to write a team breakdown of
each positional area and outside of few players; Lanzini….umm Lanzini, oh
and Lanzini (Yup, I have a man crush on Lanzini) I'm not sure who should be
back.
Ok, that is a bold statement. This year has been terrible with injuries,
stadium move, the Payet issue and more but we can't and won't survive
another year of these challenges. We need to infuse the squad with
reliable, skilful and dedicated players. We have players who individually
meet these criteria but who meets them all? Again, maybe a bold statement
but our summer and winter signings have been wide of the mark, and we need a
team with quality starters and quality depth.
We, as fans, have moaned at nearly everyone during the year and I know that
that is part and parcel of the game, but a question for you, who do you see
as a must have player to be brought back? I already picked Lanzini, so he's
off the table.
See you next week.
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A SUMMER SHAKE UP IS NEEDED!
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 16 APRIL 2017 AT 9:20PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Hello everyone. I am writing to give my opinion on what I believe needs to
be done at the club during the summer.
So this season has been a complete disaster, and the sooner it ends the
better. Once the season is done, I believe that the club need to have a
massive shake up from top to bottom.
This shake up starts from the manager. Now I know a lot of people love Slav
and I am one of them people, but is he really the man to take us forward?
I'm not so sure. This is something that the board need to examine and it is
crucial that they make the right decision. If they decide to change things,
they have to bring in someone who is going to improve us and take us
forward. However if they decide to keep Bilic, then I feel that he has to
change his backroom staff.
I would like to see us hire a defensive coach to work alongside Slaven,
because our defending has been nothing short of embarrassing this season. We
have players that are capable of being a strong defence, but the
organisation just isn't good enough. I believe that with the right coach to
help Slav, we could become a very strong unit to break down. Bringing in
coaches does help, just look at how our strikers improved when Teddy was our
attacking coach.
I also feel that we need to look at changing our fitness coach. The current
coach is 70 years old, and for me that is not acceptable in the Premier
League. I think we should bring someone in that is going to push the players
to their limits. I hate to use them as an example, but look at how fit the
Spurs players are compared to ours. The difference is quite scary.
Now onto the players. We need to have a huge clear out in the summer. The
likes of Arbeloa, Tore, Nordtveit, Sakho, Valencia, Snodgrass and either of
our keepers will need to leave the club. As much as I like them, I just do
not think they are good enough for the level we are aiming to be at. I
cannot stress how important it is that we sign quality over quantity this
summer.
I think we need to bring in two strikers, a right back, a goalkeeper and
possibly another creative midfielder. These players must all be good enough
to get into our side straight away.
I am also a firm believer of giving youth a chance, and that is something
that I feel we must start to do more often. We have some players of real
quality in our youth system, but they are never given a proper chance to
prove themselves in the first team and it is very frustrating. Many teams in
the league have given chances to their youth players, some of which are now
first team regulars. I think it is about time we do the same.
A massive thank you to the West Ham Way for allowing me to voice my opinion,
and thank you all for taking the time to read my article.
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RANDY AIN'T DANDY
By Zaman Siddiqui 16 Apr 2017 at 07:00 827 comments
WTID
Embed from Getty Images
Gosh, that match against the team in the red and white stripes sure was
difficult. We were playing Southampton, right? Honestly, I don't know what
to make of that match. We are 13th, but surely won't stay there much longer.
We played so poorly that we made Sunderland look like Southampton. Prior to
this match, the Black Cats had failed to score in their last six matches,
losing five of those – they scored two against us and drew. Leicester had
failed to win away in the league all season before playing us – they beat
us. Bournemouth defeated us, in spite of missing two penalties. Why must we
be the club that makes others look good by comparison?
Randolph played horrendously. This is certainly not a one-off incident, as
he has conceded many goals from similar positions. He has been poor on
corners, conceding against West Brom and nearly against Swansea in our last
match. I wouldn't be surprised if pinning Randolph during corners was part
of Sunderland's game plan. But it isn't just this match alone: he has made
more errors leading to goals than any other player in the PL this season
(4). When our club was founded in 1895, I'm sure one of the main tenets was
to dispose of underperforming players to the bench, so that everyone has a
fair chance to play. Randolph earned his place in the starting XI this way.
Perhaps the same rules should apply to Adrián?
I think Randolph will be well acquainted with another invention from 1895 –
the Gillette disposable razor blade. I'm not sure if others noticed, but he
shaved off his beard for this match! Sadly, it proved to be ineffective, as
the clean-shaven goalkeeper couldn't keep a clean sheet. In fact, it was
arguably the worst thing he has ever done, as he conceded two dismal goals.
Fortunately, the newly-shaven Irishman will likely continue in goal. In his
post-match interview, Bilic said: "It was a well taken goal from Borini and
okay, you expect to clear the ball, but … the ball dropped and unfortunately
he couldn't hold it." Methinks the gaffer likes the new Randolph… Don't be
surprised to see Bilic sign Joe Hart in the summer, having watched him in a
Head & Shoulders ad.
Moving on, another thing that we can use to widen our understanding of the
ins and outs of football is two-part pricing. This is something that has
become ubiquitous in the modern economy. How this works is you buy a
relatively inexpensive product and spend considerably more on the
replacement. For instance, have you ever noticed how the cost of replacement
cartridges for an inkjet printer eventually add up to the cost of the
printer itself? The reason behind this is that manufacturers deliberately
sell their printers at a low cost to ensure that consumers buy ink
cartridges from them. (What other alternative do the consumers have? Buy a
new printer?) Likewise, Gillette sell their blade holder at a low price and
sell their blades at a higher one.
When Fonte and Snodgrass were brought in, they were given higher wages. This
isn't much of a problem, but they were also signed for large transfer fees.
This is what has caused a bit of kerfuffle in the dressing rooms with the
other players who are unsettled. Noble, Kouyaté and Reid make less than
them. Given the fact that the new players would have received a sell-on-fee
(percentage of the transfer fee), the amount they receive is even higher!
Had the club followed the basic rule of two-part pricing, the players could
have been signed on high transfer fees, as well as an increase on the
sell-on-fee percentage, in order to be able to offer lower wages. If
Southampton and Hull wanted a lot for them, that is fine. But for the
players to demand such exorbitant wages is detrimental to success. Simply
put, just because our new signings are on higher wages doesn't mean we are
making progress as a club.
Bilic needs to be able to select teams based on both form and closeness. By
that, I mean how well the player is doing in training sessions and how they
interact with others on the pitch. It is painstakingly obvious that Bilic is
stubborn. Be that his tactical nous or his team selection, he will never
relent. I'm just going to focus on the latter for the time being. I feel as
though he doesn't want to put Adrián back in, because it will send out the
message that both our keepers are subpar. They are, but it is very unlikely
we will upgrade our goalkeeping selection. I honestly don't believe he has
faith in Randolph. Either that or he wants Adrián to leave the club by
depriving him of game time.
One of the major problems we are experiencing is seeing games out. We have
conceded a lot of late goals and I believe this is down to our laid-back
approach. It simply isn't enough to lead. We need to start winning
convincingly. Much like Everton and Lukaku will be against us (I hope I'm
proven wrong on that). For instance, last season we lead 1-0 against Villa
who had 10 men on the pitch. We were desperately trying to put the game to
bed, but we did it eventually winning 2-0. That is the sort of ambition we
need to have. That includes discipline, as we have been shown more red cards
than any other side in the Premier League this season (5). Byram got one in
the 95th minute in this match as did Antonio in the 86th minute against
Watford.
Our match against Everton certainly doesn't fill me with confidence. If we
get anything from it, we can count ourselves lucky. Bookies will be lowering
their odds on Lukaku scoring. Had we won this match, I would have been
slightly more optimistic about our next one. In some ways, we were fortunate
to draw, given the fact that our two goals came from just three shots on
target. Sunderland had double the amount of shots we had, so anything could
have happened. If Bilic thinks that he will keep his job if we finish say
15th, then he is sorely mistaken. We are staying up, but that isn't enough
for a club like us. We have invested a considerable amount on players, so I
don't think he can rely on the success of last season. Just look at what
happened to Claudio Ranieri.
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Has Masuaku nicked the West Ham left back spot and Adrian vs Randolph - five
things we learned
Should Adrian replace Randolph? Should Collins get a new deal?
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
08:00, 16 APR 2017
West Ham conceded yet another late goal as they dropped two points away at
Sunderland, the hosts nabbing a late equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw. The
Hammers should have had too much for the Black Cats but a lack of attacking
intent, especially in the second half, cost them dear. Andre Ayew and
James Collins had twice put the visitors ahead but they were cancelled out
by Wahib Khazri before half time and Fabio Borini as the clock struck 90.
Here's five things we learned from the match.
Still no back-to-back wins since December
Since the Hammers narrowly saw off Hull and Burnley (both 1-0 against
terrible away teams) in Decemeber, West Ham haven't won two games in a row.
Sure, they struggled to win many games at all but they had a chance
yesterday and it wasn't taken. The wild inconsistency of this team is
something that has plagued them all season. Slaven Bilic must be cravng some
consistency. To win such an enormous game like they did against Swansea and
to then throw away the win late on (again) must be hugely frustrating. If
the Hammers are to have a solid, mid-table season then they need to go
winning runs, not just losing a couple, winning one then drawing one and
losing again. It won't cut it.
James Collins - what a man
No-one embodies West Ham more than the Ginger Pele. His wholehearted and
committed display agaisnt Sunderland was a joy to watch. He threw his head
in where it hurt on the defensive end and showed a deftness of touch to
steer home Robert Snodgrass's corner early in the second half. It was
noticeable that he was one of the few Hammers players to clap the away
supporters at the end and they noticed it too. He's out of contract soon but
the man is playing like he is determined to get a new one. Give it to him.
Adrian vs Randolph
Four errors Darren Randolph has made this season that have led to goals this
season - making him the one of the clumsiest players in the Premier League.
Slaven Bilic insisted after the game that he wasnt going to point the finger
at the Irishman after he droped the cross which led to Fabio Borini's late
equaliser. But, this isn't the first it's happened. Adrian was dropped after
his hgh-profile clanger against Stoke earlier this season and Randolph has
been in between the sticks. With games against Everton, Spurs and Liverpool
on the horizon, Bilic needs to decide whether to stick with the Irishman or
go back to the Spaniard. Either way, expect some movement in the goalkeeping
department this summer.
Has Masuaku nicked the left back slot?
Yes, Aaron Cresswell was Hammer of the Year the season before last but that
doesnt absolve anyone from criticism. Cresswell came in for that this
situation and his injury came at an unfortunate time as he was under severe
pressure for his place from Arthur Masuaku. The Frenchman has been superb
for the past three games now, putting in man of the match dispalys against
both Swansea and Sunderland. Cresswell is now fit but should he get that
spot back which was his beforehand? There is an argument to play them both,
with one in a left midfield role, which could work. But, if Bilic persists
with a narrow midfield, Masuaku doesn't deserve to be dropped. The next four
games are as tough as they come Everton at home, Stoke away, then Spurs and
Liverpool at the London Stadium.
Romelu Lukaku always seems to score against West Ham, going away to Stoke is
always a horrendous prospect, Tottenham are on an unbelievable streak and
still chasing the title and Liverpool are, well, Liverpool and could easily
go on the rampage should they fell like it. The Sunderland game was a chance
to give some real daylight between the Hammers and the bottom three - look,
they won't go down - but with this tough run of games coming up, the gap
could narrow.
Results went their way this weekend but West Ham can't always be relying on
others to do them a favour.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 16
Daily WHUFC News - 16th April 2017
Draw on Wearside after late leveller
WHUFC.com
A late Fabio Borini strike earned Premier League basement club Sunderland a point in a 2-2 draw after West Ham United had been in front for so long at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. The 90th minute equaliser spelled extreme frustration for Slaven Bilic's side, who had previously re-taken the lead through James Collins after Andre Ayew's opener had been cancelled out. The Hammers went almost two months without a victory prior to last week's triumph against Swansea, and it was so nearly two wins in two. Things started well for the visitors, without suspended skipper Mark Noble and the injured Michail Antonio. Less than two minutes in, Manuel Lanzini had a smart free-kick well stopped by Jordan Pickford, but there was nothing the local lad could do to save his side three minutes later.
Sam Byram's deep cross from the right found its way, after Andy Carroll's cut-back, to Ayew, who controlled and prodded in to open the scoring and bag his fourth goal in eight games. And as the home supporters inside the Stadium of Light began to turn on their side, they almost went even further behind as Robert Snodgrass curled narrowly wide from the edge of the box. But after a dominant 20-minute spell for the Hammers, the hosts awakened and started to prompt the famous Roker Roar. On 26 minutes, the equaliser came. Khazri, often the Black Cats' most dangerous outlet, won a corner and, going to take it himself from the left, levelled things in the north east. Darren Randolph was left stranded behind a forceful Victor Anichebe as the Tunisian curled directly in from the set piece – 1-1. Ayew was close to bagging a second ten minutes before the break, firing over from close range, but it was David Moyes' side who looked to most likely. Byram was forced to clear a dangerous attack after some pinball in the box, and Khazri rolled one into the arms of Randolph from 18 yards before the referee whistled for half time. But another 45, another fast West Ham start; another goal. Snodgrass corner, Ginge near post flick; back in front. Just the response Bilic's men needed after a disappointing 25 minutes previously.
The game slowly meandered towards its climax for the next 25 minutes. The next best opportunity came when Didier Ndong fired well over from just eight yards out, wasting the hosts' best chance to grab a second equaliser. But despite the miss, what was to come could be sensed. Borini, on for the injured Billy Jones after a lengthy stoppage, picked up Randolph's dropped catch and struck low past goalscorer Collins to make it 2-2 in the final minute of normal time. Ten minutes of injury time proved fruitless for West Ham, and to make things worse, Byram was shown a second yellow card and sent off late on. As the referee signalled the end of the action, the visitors were left with just a point to show for their efforts in the north east
Sunderland: Pickford, Jones (Borini 88), Manquillo (Kone 89), Denayer, O'Shea, Gibson, Khazri, Cattermole (Januzaj 77), Ndong, Anichebe, Defoe.
Subs not used: Mannone, Pienaar, Rodwell, Kone.
Goals: Khazri 26, Borini 90
West Ham United: Randolph, Byram, Fonte, Collins, Masuaku, Kouyate, Fernandes, Snodgrass (Nordtveit 81), Lanzini, Ayew, Carroll.
Subs not used: Adrian, Cresswell, Feghouli, Fletcher, Calleri, Rice.
Goals: Ayew 5, Collins 47
Bookings: Byram 70, 90+6
Red cards: Byram 90+6
Attendance: 40,168
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Ginge – It feels like a defeat
WHUFc.com
James Collins was left disappointed after conceding a late equaliser against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light
The defender thought he was to be the matchwinner after flicking home a header to make it 2-1 in the second half
But Fabio Borini snatched a late second for the Black Cats to make it 2-2 in the north east
James Collins admitted West Ham United's 2-2 draw at Sunderland felt like a defeat after the Black Cats scored a late equaliser to steal a point on Saturday.
The Hammers twice took the lead on Wearside, with Ginge bagging what the visitors thought was the winner when he headed home two minutes into the second half.
But Fabio Borini's 90th-minute strike earned the struggling hosts a point and piled on the frustration for Slaven Bilic and West Ham.
Andre Ayew fired in just five minutes into the contest in the north east to send the visiting supporters into raptures, but Whabi Khazri equalised halfway through the opening period.
After twice throwing away the lead, it proved to be a frustrating afternoon for the Hammers and Collins.
He said: "We're disappointed. To concede a late goal is always disappointing. I thought we were reasonably comfortable after we scored the second goal, and it feels more like a loss after that late goal. But a point's a point.
"To score two away from goals, it should be enough. We didn't defend either goal as well as we should have done. We're just disappointed that we haven't come away with three points.
"We need to have a good week's training and put it behind us and take the point. Away from home anywhere we can say is a good point."
Ginge flicked home his second goal of the season just after the break at the Stadium of Light, and despite the disappointing climax to proceedings up north, was pleased to get on the scoresheet.
"It's always nice to score, but I'd have taken a 1-0 and someone else scored than scoring and eventually drawing," the centre-back continued. "If we'd have held on to win it would have been doubly as enjoyable.
"We're on 37 points now. I've just said, we're looking up. We know we have the squad and the team to move up the league and finish as high as we can. We're going to have to put today behind us.
"I don't think we've ever been in real danger of ever looking like we're getting relegated so we'll look forward rather than back.
"I've probably made more mistakes than anyone in the dressing room over my career, so when we make them, we have to put them out of mind and move on."
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Bilic – It was a fair result
WHUFC.com
A 2-2 draw at Sunderland was fair, according to West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
His side twice led, though, at the Stadium of Light and could not prevent equalisers from Whabi Khazri and Fabio Borini
Andre Ayew and James Collins had previously put West Ham in front, but a late leveller on Wearside left the boss frustrated
A draw was a fair result according to West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic, who watched his side twice concede equalisers to earn a point against Sunderland on Saturday. The Hammers took the lead early on in both halves, scoring first through Andre Ayew and then James Collins with a Whabi Khazri equaliser sandwiched inbetween. But Fabio Borini's 90th-minute strike saw the struggling hosts snatch a draw at the Stadium of Light and though Bilic was left disappointed, he admitted a share of the spoils was fair. "We are disappointed because we were leading twice and after we scored both times, we were in charge and played some good football," the manager said. "We were looking for three points and when you concede goals in that manner – for both of them – they are strange goals and you're disappointed. "It was a fair result today. Three would have been brilliant but at this stage of the season, a point can be very, very important for us. "It was a well taken goal from Borini and OK, you expect to clear the ball, but with our goalkeeper in that position, the ball dropped and unfortunately he couldn't hold it. "We aren't pointing fingers. We are winning, losing, scoring and conceding goals as a team. We do it all as a team."
The point leaves the Hammers on a total of 37 in the Premier League, and Bilic is already eyeing next weekend's home clash against Everton as the opportunity to get to the landmark 40 points. "We tried to win the game today and we got a point so we have a chance next game to get to that magic points number of 40 and we will try to win it," he continued. "Today, after we scored the first one, we got nervous and then we had a good spell, but again after the second goal, it was us around the box. "But we couldn't finish them, and they started to throw the bodies up front, playing risky football because they were losing. "Of course when that happens, you expect a job to do in your box but they were also leaving a lot space in behind and we couldn't finish them off."
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Sunderland 2-2 West Ham United
By Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport
Substitute Fabio Borini scored a 90th-minute equaliser as Sunderland drew with West Ham to keep their faint hopes of Premier League survival alive. Andre Ayew opened the scoring for the Hammers, prodding past Jordan Pickford after a scuffed Andy Carroll volley fell to him in the penalty area. Sunderland finally broke their scoring duck, with Wahbi Khazri's corner flying straight in for the Black Cats' first goal in more than 11-and-a-half hours. James Collins headed in from a Robert Snodgrass corner to put the visitors in front, before Borini levelled from the edge of the box. Sam Byram was then sent off for West Ham for a second booking in added time, but Sunderland were unable to find a winner. It makes it eight games without a victory for David Moyes' side, who remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
Can Sunderland do the unthinkable?
Sunderland showed plenty of passion and desire in front of their home fans, but the hosts desperately needed three points at the Stadium of Light. They remain nine points from safety, albeit with a game in hand on 17th-placed Hull, who are one of three sides they face during the run-in that are also scrapping for survival.
Moyes knows his side must take points off the Tigers, as well as relegation-threatened Middlesbrough and Swansea, with trips to Champions League-chasing Arsenal and leaders Chelsea to follow. But the former Everton and Manchester United boss will have taken some positives from his side's attacking performance against West Ham, having previously gone seven games without finding the net. Khazri was instrumental and after his goal straight from a corner, which needed an element of luck, the winger set up Didier Ndong only for the midfielder to blaze over. Substitute Borini showed he can help ease the burden on top-scorer Jermain Defoe for goals, meaning the Black Cats are not quite resigned to the Championship just yet.
Hammers' defensive struggles
Sunderland's problems may lie with scoring goals, but West Ham's have stemmed from conceding them. They have now let in 59 this season - one more than the bottom-placed Black Cats - and it could have been more, were not for the hosts' profligacy in front of goal. Darren Randolph was perhaps blocked off by Victor Anichebe as Khazri's corner curled in, but the West Ham goalkeeper found himself out of position for Borini's leveller. Manager Slaven Bilic says his side "still have work to do" to make certain of their Premier League status for another year, although the Hammers are now closer to the top eight than they are the bottom three.
Bilic handed Carroll the armband and the forward was a nuisance throughout, finding space in the area from Byram's cross to inadvertently set up Ayew for the opener. West Ham's second goal, one of only three efforts on target from the visitors, also came as a result of being sharper in the box, with Snodgrass' teasing delivery met smartly by Collins.
Man of the match - Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland)
Khazri was making his first Sunderland start since October and proved the Black Cats' main attacking threat. He had more shots (four) and made more key passes (five) than any of his team-mates, while also providing more crosses than the rest of the Sunderland team combined.
'We need the football gods to shine on us'
Sunderland manager David Moyes: "We need to win games and today we've got to take three points. It wasn't for the want of trying [that we didn't]. "I thought the boys played really well, they showed great character to come back. "We'll keep believing while we're in with a chance, and somewhere along the line hope the football gods will shine on us." On defender Billy Jones, who was stretchered off: "The medical team tell me his head hit the ground and he lost consciousness, a bit of concussion. We've sent him to hospital, but I'm sure he'll be OK."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We are disappointed to concede a late goal. It was a fair result. It is a point, we wanted three and we were close. "They were throwing long balls in, putting the bodies in, from one of those situations they score the goal. "We have four points from the last two games, we have an unfinished job to do. We have to pick up more points to be safe."
Stats - Hammers throw away more points
Sunderland are without a win in their last eight top-flight games (D2 L6) and have won only one of their last 15.
West Ham have thrown away a league-high 22 points from leading positions in the Premier League this season.
West Ham have now gone 13 games without a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League.
Wahbi Khazri's goal was the first to come direct from a corner since Ben Watson for Watford against Manchester City in January 2016.
Fabio Borini's two Premier League goals this season have both come in the 90th minute.
West Ham have been shown more red cards than any other side in the Premier League this season (five).
What's next?
Sunderland travel to Middlesbrough, currently one place above them in 19th, on Wednesday, 26 April, before hosting Bournemouth three days later.
West Ham welcome Everton next Saturday, before a visit to Stoke a week later.
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REF WATCH: ANDRE MARRINER – SUNDERLAND VS WEST HAM
BY SAMTWHWREF ON 15 APRIL 2017 AT 8:21PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden
After getting three points in a must win game at home against Swansea, West Ham visit bottom of the league Sunderland who are seemingly likely to play Championship football next season. Sunderland have only scored four goals in ten games, all of which came in their 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at the beginning of February.
Andre Marriner was the referee appointed for this game and this was his fourth West Ham game that he has officiated this season, most recently was the home defeat against Chelsea in March. Within the refereeing officials team and accompanying Marriner were assistant referees Simon Beck and Sian Massey-Ellis. Sian is still the only female assistant referee in the men's professional game and since her debut in 2010, she has become a very consistent and reliable decision maker.
It was very busy first half for Andre Marriner and it only took 36 seconds for Lee Cattermole to get himself cautioned for pulling back West Ham record signing Andre Ayew 20 yards from goal. Marriner didn't hesitate with this decision and I completely agreed it warranted a yellow card.
It seemed that Sunderland fans felt they were a little hard done by after Marriner correctly didn't award a free kick to Anichebe after tangling with Fonte and didn't award a penalty to Defoe under pressure from Sam Byram. Victor Anichebe went down, very softly I must add, after a tangling with Sam Byram and Jose Fonte around 30 yards from goal. I felt that Marriner got this direction right as Anichebe tumbled under minimal, if any contact at all by the West Ham defenders. Whether Anichebe felt contact by one of the West Ham defenders, it was definitely not deliberate. The second appeal that Marriner waved away was when Defoe went down in the penalty area. Defoe was in a good position when Sam Byram challenged for the ball and Randoph was there to collect the ball. I personally feel that Marriner got this decision right. Firstly, the initial contact by Byram was outside the area before Defoe went down, so if it was deemed a foul by Marriner, it would have been a direct free kick on the edge of the area. Secondly, both players were battling for the ball when Defoe went down under pressure from Byram. I felt Byram's challenge was risky as he didn't need to make that challenge as Defoe wasn't in control of the ball and Randolph would have been there to collect, but the correct decision was made.
There is some debate on why Marriner should have allowed Sunderland's equaliser to stand. I've always said that some referees are extremely protective of goalkeepers but in this instance, it was clear that Anichebe backed into Randolph preventing the West Ham goalkeeper to attempt to go for the ball. I do have some sympathy for Marriner. There is always so much activity going on inside the penalty area whether it's pushing, blocking, shirt pulling etc. and he needed assistance from his assistant referee on that side. The assistant referee should have taken up a position to be inline with Randolph and his last defender. It was a disappointing decision by the officials.
In the second half, Marriner did okay however I felt there were a couple of decisions that he was too relaxed with. Lee Cattermole, who was booked in the first 36 seconds, was late in his challenge with Cheikhou Kouyaté. The Sunderland midfielder caught the West Ham powerhouse high on the ankle. This could have easily been a second yellow card but Marriner made the decision that it was just a foul and nothing more.
Sam Byram was sent off in the fifth minute of additional time for two bookable offences. I had no complaints with Marriner's decision for Byram's second yellow card on Januzaj but his first yellow card was debatable in my opinion. For Byram's second caution, he was horrendously late with his unnecessary challenge on Januzaj which is in my mind a 100% yellow card. However, the first yellow card given to Byram, I felt that Anichebe fooled Marriner in thinking Bryam pulled the big Sunderland striker to the floor which resulted in Byram being cautioned for it. Throughout the game, Anichebe was going to the floor way to easily for me with minimal pressure and this is something that I felt Marriner should have realised. Anichebe is no push over. He is built to hold up the ball for Sunderland and does it well. There is no debate on whether Sam Byram could wrestle a person of Anichebe's stature.
Sunderland's Billy Jones was stretchered off after a challenge with Arthur Masuaku late in the second half. The right back hit his face on the floor after a fair shoulder to shoulder challenge by Masuaku. In my first opinion, it was a fair challenge by Masuaku and Marriner waved away appeals from Sunderland but correctly stopped the play and acknowledged Jones was down with a head injury.
Annoyingly, Randolph was at fault for another goal, that has cost West Ham points this season, and this particular incident led to Borini's equaliser. Anichebe challenged Randolph for the ball in the air and on this occasion I felt that there was no foul by Anichebe and he challenged for the ball fairly and won the ball which dropped into the path of Borini.
Overall, I thought that Andre Marriner was particularly relaxed in some of his decisions throughout the game and he seemed too reluctant to punish players such as Sunderland's Wahbi Khazri for persistently fouling. For Sunderland's first goal, the assistant referee needed to help Marriner out. The officials work hard together as a team and engage in constant communication throughout the game to ensure they collectively make the right decision however on this occasion they didn't.
It's infuriating that West Ham keep giving teams in the bottom of the table vital lifelines. Leicester won their first away game of the season at the London Stadium, Bournemouth won their first game in eight games and now Sunderland, who haven't scored in seven games, go and score two against us and get a valuable point. Tactically, it seems like Bilic set us up well to win but 10 minutes before the end brought on Havard Nordtveit to take a defensive approach. Defending has been our achilles heel all season. We've been terrible throughout and have conceded too many goals. Individual errors have cost us throughout the season and with ambitions of Europe for next season, there needs to be some significant changes.
Follow us on Twitter @TheWestHamWaycouk and @SamRoyden
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Fans call for clarity on Adrian position
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 15th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham supporters have urged the club to explain exactly why Adrian remains on the sidelines following another goalkeeping horror show from Darren Randolph at Sunderland this afternoon. The popular Spanish goalkeeper, who had been the club's first choice since moving to West Ham from Real Betis in 2013 was dropped by Slaven Bilic following some erratic performances in the opening games of the season. But with Randolph having made a series of clangers himself since - including two more notable errors that cost West Ham two points at Sunderland this afternoon - fans have demanded that Adrian be reinstated. "Bilic has remained silent for long enough," wrote KUMB follower @DamianADavis on Twitter following the final whistle at the Stadium of Light. "He must explain why he continues to pick Randolph, the supporters deserve that at the very least."
A recent KUMB poll resulted in 95 per cent of fans backing the reintroduction of the Spaniard, who is out of contract this summer - even though the club retain the option to extend his stay in London for a further two years - should they choose to.
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Slaven Bilic disappointed with leaky West Ham defence at Sunderland
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 15/04/17 7:41pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic was left disappointed after his West Ham side threw away a lead twice to draw 2-2 with Sunderland. The Hammers took the lead early in both halves, Andre Ayew opening the scoring in the fifth minute before James Collins struck two minutes into the second period. But Sunderland pegged them back on both occasions through Wahbi Khazri's direct corner and substitute Fabio Borini's 90th-minute leveller. "We're disappointed because we were leading twice and after we scored both goals we were in charge and played some good football," a pragmatic Bilic told Sky Sports. "We were looking for three points so when you concede two goals in the manner we did you are, of course, disappointed. "I have to say it was a fair result though. We wanted the win but the point, at this stage of the season, can be very good for us. "I'm disappointed because after our first goal they became nervous and we had a really good spell. You look to use that situation to your advantage but we didn't. "It happened again when we scored the second, it was us around the box and they were playing risky football - throwing bodies forward - but we couldn't finish them off. When that happens you expect there to be a job to do in your box they were leaving a lot of space behind that I was expecting us to use better."
West Ham were stunned in the 26th minute at the Stadium of Light when Khazri scored straight from a corner. "It was a well-taken corner but I would have expected us to clear that ball," the Hammer boss added. "We didn't and it put our goalkeeper in a position where the ball came too quick and unfortunately he could keep it out."
The draw lifts West Ham up to 13th in the Premier League and to within three points of a the 40-point mark. And, after what's been a testing campaign both on and off the pitch, Bilic has his sights set on finishing as high as possible, saying: "We tried to win today, got a point. "We have a chance to win next week that will take us to that magic number 40 and then we can talk about more."
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Everton and West Ham lead pursuit of Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany
Belgian centre-back Kompany is fit and firing again after a nightmare two-year injury spell
The Mirror
BYSTEVE BATES
22:30, 15 APR 2017
Vincent Kompany will be a wanted man this summer - with Everton and West Ham leading a host of clubs on his trail. But the 31-year-old Belgian international defender will first have to finish Manchester City's season strongly before chasing clubs firm up their interest. Kompany is fit and firing again after a nightmare two-year injury spell which has restricted his City appearances to just seven since the end of last season. Pep Guardiola restored Kompany to City's suspect defence in the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on April 5 - his first league game since a win at Crystal Palace in mid November. And although the Spaniard recognises the experienced star could play a role next season, suspicions remain that Kompany's injury history makes that a gamble.
After a solid return at Chelsea the City captain had a slight problem which caused him to miss the win over Hull but he was back for and scored in Saturday's 3-0 win away to Southampton. Kompany's injury issues haven't deterred other Premier League clubs with Everton among several teams keeping a close watch on his fitness progress. When he's on the pitch two-time Premier League winner Kompany is a forceful presence. But if City do let the defender go chasing clubs will structure any deal to off-set injury worries. Everton chief Koeman is hopeful he can sign Burnley's Michael Keane but he's weighing up other options with the new England centre back attracting plenty of attention. That's why Kompany is on Koeman's radar – with the Toffees boss also taking an active interest in Las Palmas centre-half Mauricio Lemos as he lines up summer defensive targets. The 21-year-old Uruguayan star turned down a move to Barcelona last summer to get more game time with La Liga side Las Palmas. Mauricio Lemos during the Spanish league match between Villarreal and Las Palmas at El Madrigal stadium on March 5, 2016 But it looks certain the South American youngster, valued around £25million by the Spaniards, will leave the Gran Canarians at the end of the season.
Koeman had Lemos watched in the 5-1 defeat at Athletico Bilbao on Friday and will continue to monitor the youngster before the window opens.
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West Ham Stars Set to Demand Big Pay Rises After January Signings Got Hefty Deals
Luke Calver
15 APR 2017
West Ham players are set to demand big pay rises in the summer, after the club handed new signings Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass huge pay packets when they first joined the club in January.
Fonte joined on a £65,000-a-week deal from Southampton, while Snodgrass joined on a deal worth around the £60,000-a-week mark from Hull City, which has caused huge unrest in the dressing room, according to the Mirror.
Hull City v West Ham United - Premier League
It is reported that many of the Hammers' top and most loyal players are set to demand high pay rises in the light of these two January signings. They feel that they are worth the same, or even more than Snodgrass and Fonte, and they want to be paid fairly with the amount of money West Ham have to offer.
The two January signings have slotted straight into the top of West Ham's high earners, just below top earner Andy Carroll, who is on a hefty £80,000-a-week. However, they are ahead of long serving captain Mark Noble and the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate, Winston Reid and Michail Antonio.
Arsenal v West Ham United - Premier League
Antonio is already in discussions over a new contract with the club, but they have yet been unable to agree a suitable arrangement, which could force arguably their best player to leave the club.
This could then start to occur with many of West Ham's other top talents, all because they signed Snodgrass and Fonte on such high wage packets, now all of the other West Ham players want in on the money.
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West Ham Boss Slaven Bilic Reveals Why Their Desperate Season Has Caused Him to 'Smash Tables'
Alex Gidden
15 APR 2017
The Hammers have been unable to build on a strong season last year and have been close to the relegation zone on a number of occasions during the current campaign. Despite finding his place as manager come under pressure, Bilic appears to have guided his side to safety and is now planning for a busy summer in preparation for next season. With his job seemingly secured for the near future, the Croatian has revealed that he has had to go to some extreme lengths in order to motivate his players during what has been a difficult campaign. "I've had my moments, yes." he told the Mail. "Every thing I do, whether before a game or at half-time, I do it deliberately. Even if I want to smash a table a little bit or whatever, you do it with a plan. I don't know about passionate. "Sometimes (my team talks) are calm, sometimes they are less calm. But that's the way I do it."
Having alluded to the fact that innocuous looking tables may have bore the brunt of his wrath, Bilic was quizzed over how many he may have broken throughout the season, but in typical style, the Hammers boss jokingly brushed off providing an exact figure by replying: "We'll have to go to IKEA." Whilst Bilic appears to have saved his job as Hammers' boss, a decision over his long-term future may be made over the summer as he has just over a year remaining on his contract and has yet to be offered a new one by his employers.
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West Ham Coach Julian Dicks Appears to Blame Players for Disappointing Season
Alex Gidden
15 APR 2017
West Ham coach Julian Dicks appears to have shifted blame away from Slaven Bilic's coaching staff and instead blamed the players for the Hammers' poor season.
Following on from last year's sixth-place finish, Bilic's side have struggled for consistency and have instead flirted with relegation for much of the season. A 1-0 win over Swansea last weekend appears to have eased fears that the Hammers may drop into the Championship, but speculation remains rife that Bilic will be made culpable for the team's poor form and lose his job in the coming weeks. As the debate continues over why West Ham have disappointed for long periods over the last eight months, former defender Julian Dicks, who is currently the east London club's first-team coach, insists that the coaching staff have done all they can and that ultimate responsibility lies with the players. In the interview with talkSPORT, Dicks also made a surprising revelation that his experience as a defender is not used by Bilic, and that he plays no role in helping the Hammers' back-line. "One, I don't do defensive coaching, I am responsible for shooting drills and crossing drills so for me we can't keep on conceding goals from set plays." he said, as quoted by HITC. "Listen, I have been in this many times with West Ham and it takes guts to get us out of this. Listen I will do everything I can, so does the manager, so does the other coaches. "When the players go out there it's up to them and as I have said I have been in this many times as a player, as a player you can do something about it, as a coach as soon as they cross that line it is down to them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
A late Fabio Borini strike earned Premier League basement club Sunderland a point in a 2-2 draw after West Ham United had been in front for so long at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. The 90th minute equaliser spelled extreme frustration for Slaven Bilic's side, who had previously re-taken the lead through James Collins after Andre Ayew's opener had been cancelled out. The Hammers went almost two months without a victory prior to last week's triumph against Swansea, and it was so nearly two wins in two. Things started well for the visitors, without suspended skipper Mark Noble and the injured Michail Antonio. Less than two minutes in, Manuel Lanzini had a smart free-kick well stopped by Jordan Pickford, but there was nothing the local lad could do to save his side three minutes later.
Sam Byram's deep cross from the right found its way, after Andy Carroll's cut-back, to Ayew, who controlled and prodded in to open the scoring and bag his fourth goal in eight games. And as the home supporters inside the Stadium of Light began to turn on their side, they almost went even further behind as Robert Snodgrass curled narrowly wide from the edge of the box. But after a dominant 20-minute spell for the Hammers, the hosts awakened and started to prompt the famous Roker Roar. On 26 minutes, the equaliser came. Khazri, often the Black Cats' most dangerous outlet, won a corner and, going to take it himself from the left, levelled things in the north east. Darren Randolph was left stranded behind a forceful Victor Anichebe as the Tunisian curled directly in from the set piece – 1-1. Ayew was close to bagging a second ten minutes before the break, firing over from close range, but it was David Moyes' side who looked to most likely. Byram was forced to clear a dangerous attack after some pinball in the box, and Khazri rolled one into the arms of Randolph from 18 yards before the referee whistled for half time. But another 45, another fast West Ham start; another goal. Snodgrass corner, Ginge near post flick; back in front. Just the response Bilic's men needed after a disappointing 25 minutes previously.
The game slowly meandered towards its climax for the next 25 minutes. The next best opportunity came when Didier Ndong fired well over from just eight yards out, wasting the hosts' best chance to grab a second equaliser. But despite the miss, what was to come could be sensed. Borini, on for the injured Billy Jones after a lengthy stoppage, picked up Randolph's dropped catch and struck low past goalscorer Collins to make it 2-2 in the final minute of normal time. Ten minutes of injury time proved fruitless for West Ham, and to make things worse, Byram was shown a second yellow card and sent off late on. As the referee signalled the end of the action, the visitors were left with just a point to show for their efforts in the north east
Sunderland: Pickford, Jones (Borini 88), Manquillo (Kone 89), Denayer, O'Shea, Gibson, Khazri, Cattermole (Januzaj 77), Ndong, Anichebe, Defoe.
Subs not used: Mannone, Pienaar, Rodwell, Kone.
Goals: Khazri 26, Borini 90
West Ham United: Randolph, Byram, Fonte, Collins, Masuaku, Kouyate, Fernandes, Snodgrass (Nordtveit 81), Lanzini, Ayew, Carroll.
Subs not used: Adrian, Cresswell, Feghouli, Fletcher, Calleri, Rice.
Goals: Ayew 5, Collins 47
Bookings: Byram 70, 90+6
Red cards: Byram 90+6
Attendance: 40,168
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Ginge – It feels like a defeat
WHUFc.com
James Collins was left disappointed after conceding a late equaliser against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light
The defender thought he was to be the matchwinner after flicking home a header to make it 2-1 in the second half
But Fabio Borini snatched a late second for the Black Cats to make it 2-2 in the north east
James Collins admitted West Ham United's 2-2 draw at Sunderland felt like a defeat after the Black Cats scored a late equaliser to steal a point on Saturday.
The Hammers twice took the lead on Wearside, with Ginge bagging what the visitors thought was the winner when he headed home two minutes into the second half.
But Fabio Borini's 90th-minute strike earned the struggling hosts a point and piled on the frustration for Slaven Bilic and West Ham.
Andre Ayew fired in just five minutes into the contest in the north east to send the visiting supporters into raptures, but Whabi Khazri equalised halfway through the opening period.
After twice throwing away the lead, it proved to be a frustrating afternoon for the Hammers and Collins.
He said: "We're disappointed. To concede a late goal is always disappointing. I thought we were reasonably comfortable after we scored the second goal, and it feels more like a loss after that late goal. But a point's a point.
"To score two away from goals, it should be enough. We didn't defend either goal as well as we should have done. We're just disappointed that we haven't come away with three points.
"We need to have a good week's training and put it behind us and take the point. Away from home anywhere we can say is a good point."
Ginge flicked home his second goal of the season just after the break at the Stadium of Light, and despite the disappointing climax to proceedings up north, was pleased to get on the scoresheet.
"It's always nice to score, but I'd have taken a 1-0 and someone else scored than scoring and eventually drawing," the centre-back continued. "If we'd have held on to win it would have been doubly as enjoyable.
"We're on 37 points now. I've just said, we're looking up. We know we have the squad and the team to move up the league and finish as high as we can. We're going to have to put today behind us.
"I don't think we've ever been in real danger of ever looking like we're getting relegated so we'll look forward rather than back.
"I've probably made more mistakes than anyone in the dressing room over my career, so when we make them, we have to put them out of mind and move on."
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Bilic – It was a fair result
WHUFC.com
A 2-2 draw at Sunderland was fair, according to West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
His side twice led, though, at the Stadium of Light and could not prevent equalisers from Whabi Khazri and Fabio Borini
Andre Ayew and James Collins had previously put West Ham in front, but a late leveller on Wearside left the boss frustrated
A draw was a fair result according to West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic, who watched his side twice concede equalisers to earn a point against Sunderland on Saturday. The Hammers took the lead early on in both halves, scoring first through Andre Ayew and then James Collins with a Whabi Khazri equaliser sandwiched inbetween. But Fabio Borini's 90th-minute strike saw the struggling hosts snatch a draw at the Stadium of Light and though Bilic was left disappointed, he admitted a share of the spoils was fair. "We are disappointed because we were leading twice and after we scored both times, we were in charge and played some good football," the manager said. "We were looking for three points and when you concede goals in that manner – for both of them – they are strange goals and you're disappointed. "It was a fair result today. Three would have been brilliant but at this stage of the season, a point can be very, very important for us. "It was a well taken goal from Borini and OK, you expect to clear the ball, but with our goalkeeper in that position, the ball dropped and unfortunately he couldn't hold it. "We aren't pointing fingers. We are winning, losing, scoring and conceding goals as a team. We do it all as a team."
The point leaves the Hammers on a total of 37 in the Premier League, and Bilic is already eyeing next weekend's home clash against Everton as the opportunity to get to the landmark 40 points. "We tried to win the game today and we got a point so we have a chance next game to get to that magic points number of 40 and we will try to win it," he continued. "Today, after we scored the first one, we got nervous and then we had a good spell, but again after the second goal, it was us around the box. "But we couldn't finish them, and they started to throw the bodies up front, playing risky football because they were losing. "Of course when that happens, you expect a job to do in your box but they were also leaving a lot space in behind and we couldn't finish them off."
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Sunderland 2-2 West Ham United
By Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport
Substitute Fabio Borini scored a 90th-minute equaliser as Sunderland drew with West Ham to keep their faint hopes of Premier League survival alive. Andre Ayew opened the scoring for the Hammers, prodding past Jordan Pickford after a scuffed Andy Carroll volley fell to him in the penalty area. Sunderland finally broke their scoring duck, with Wahbi Khazri's corner flying straight in for the Black Cats' first goal in more than 11-and-a-half hours. James Collins headed in from a Robert Snodgrass corner to put the visitors in front, before Borini levelled from the edge of the box. Sam Byram was then sent off for West Ham for a second booking in added time, but Sunderland were unable to find a winner. It makes it eight games without a victory for David Moyes' side, who remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
Can Sunderland do the unthinkable?
Sunderland showed plenty of passion and desire in front of their home fans, but the hosts desperately needed three points at the Stadium of Light. They remain nine points from safety, albeit with a game in hand on 17th-placed Hull, who are one of three sides they face during the run-in that are also scrapping for survival.
Moyes knows his side must take points off the Tigers, as well as relegation-threatened Middlesbrough and Swansea, with trips to Champions League-chasing Arsenal and leaders Chelsea to follow. But the former Everton and Manchester United boss will have taken some positives from his side's attacking performance against West Ham, having previously gone seven games without finding the net. Khazri was instrumental and after his goal straight from a corner, which needed an element of luck, the winger set up Didier Ndong only for the midfielder to blaze over. Substitute Borini showed he can help ease the burden on top-scorer Jermain Defoe for goals, meaning the Black Cats are not quite resigned to the Championship just yet.
Hammers' defensive struggles
Sunderland's problems may lie with scoring goals, but West Ham's have stemmed from conceding them. They have now let in 59 this season - one more than the bottom-placed Black Cats - and it could have been more, were not for the hosts' profligacy in front of goal. Darren Randolph was perhaps blocked off by Victor Anichebe as Khazri's corner curled in, but the West Ham goalkeeper found himself out of position for Borini's leveller. Manager Slaven Bilic says his side "still have work to do" to make certain of their Premier League status for another year, although the Hammers are now closer to the top eight than they are the bottom three.
Bilic handed Carroll the armband and the forward was a nuisance throughout, finding space in the area from Byram's cross to inadvertently set up Ayew for the opener. West Ham's second goal, one of only three efforts on target from the visitors, also came as a result of being sharper in the box, with Snodgrass' teasing delivery met smartly by Collins.
Man of the match - Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland)
Khazri was making his first Sunderland start since October and proved the Black Cats' main attacking threat. He had more shots (four) and made more key passes (five) than any of his team-mates, while also providing more crosses than the rest of the Sunderland team combined.
'We need the football gods to shine on us'
Sunderland manager David Moyes: "We need to win games and today we've got to take three points. It wasn't for the want of trying [that we didn't]. "I thought the boys played really well, they showed great character to come back. "We'll keep believing while we're in with a chance, and somewhere along the line hope the football gods will shine on us." On defender Billy Jones, who was stretchered off: "The medical team tell me his head hit the ground and he lost consciousness, a bit of concussion. We've sent him to hospital, but I'm sure he'll be OK."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We are disappointed to concede a late goal. It was a fair result. It is a point, we wanted three and we were close. "They were throwing long balls in, putting the bodies in, from one of those situations they score the goal. "We have four points from the last two games, we have an unfinished job to do. We have to pick up more points to be safe."
Stats - Hammers throw away more points
Sunderland are without a win in their last eight top-flight games (D2 L6) and have won only one of their last 15.
West Ham have thrown away a league-high 22 points from leading positions in the Premier League this season.
West Ham have now gone 13 games without a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League.
Wahbi Khazri's goal was the first to come direct from a corner since Ben Watson for Watford against Manchester City in January 2016.
Fabio Borini's two Premier League goals this season have both come in the 90th minute.
West Ham have been shown more red cards than any other side in the Premier League this season (five).
What's next?
Sunderland travel to Middlesbrough, currently one place above them in 19th, on Wednesday, 26 April, before hosting Bournemouth three days later.
West Ham welcome Everton next Saturday, before a visit to Stoke a week later.
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REF WATCH: ANDRE MARRINER – SUNDERLAND VS WEST HAM
BY SAMTWHWREF ON 15 APRIL 2017 AT 8:21PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden
After getting three points in a must win game at home against Swansea, West Ham visit bottom of the league Sunderland who are seemingly likely to play Championship football next season. Sunderland have only scored four goals in ten games, all of which came in their 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at the beginning of February.
Andre Marriner was the referee appointed for this game and this was his fourth West Ham game that he has officiated this season, most recently was the home defeat against Chelsea in March. Within the refereeing officials team and accompanying Marriner were assistant referees Simon Beck and Sian Massey-Ellis. Sian is still the only female assistant referee in the men's professional game and since her debut in 2010, she has become a very consistent and reliable decision maker.
It was very busy first half for Andre Marriner and it only took 36 seconds for Lee Cattermole to get himself cautioned for pulling back West Ham record signing Andre Ayew 20 yards from goal. Marriner didn't hesitate with this decision and I completely agreed it warranted a yellow card.
It seemed that Sunderland fans felt they were a little hard done by after Marriner correctly didn't award a free kick to Anichebe after tangling with Fonte and didn't award a penalty to Defoe under pressure from Sam Byram. Victor Anichebe went down, very softly I must add, after a tangling with Sam Byram and Jose Fonte around 30 yards from goal. I felt that Marriner got this direction right as Anichebe tumbled under minimal, if any contact at all by the West Ham defenders. Whether Anichebe felt contact by one of the West Ham defenders, it was definitely not deliberate. The second appeal that Marriner waved away was when Defoe went down in the penalty area. Defoe was in a good position when Sam Byram challenged for the ball and Randoph was there to collect the ball. I personally feel that Marriner got this decision right. Firstly, the initial contact by Byram was outside the area before Defoe went down, so if it was deemed a foul by Marriner, it would have been a direct free kick on the edge of the area. Secondly, both players were battling for the ball when Defoe went down under pressure from Byram. I felt Byram's challenge was risky as he didn't need to make that challenge as Defoe wasn't in control of the ball and Randolph would have been there to collect, but the correct decision was made.
There is some debate on why Marriner should have allowed Sunderland's equaliser to stand. I've always said that some referees are extremely protective of goalkeepers but in this instance, it was clear that Anichebe backed into Randolph preventing the West Ham goalkeeper to attempt to go for the ball. I do have some sympathy for Marriner. There is always so much activity going on inside the penalty area whether it's pushing, blocking, shirt pulling etc. and he needed assistance from his assistant referee on that side. The assistant referee should have taken up a position to be inline with Randolph and his last defender. It was a disappointing decision by the officials.
In the second half, Marriner did okay however I felt there were a couple of decisions that he was too relaxed with. Lee Cattermole, who was booked in the first 36 seconds, was late in his challenge with Cheikhou Kouyaté. The Sunderland midfielder caught the West Ham powerhouse high on the ankle. This could have easily been a second yellow card but Marriner made the decision that it was just a foul and nothing more.
Sam Byram was sent off in the fifth minute of additional time for two bookable offences. I had no complaints with Marriner's decision for Byram's second yellow card on Januzaj but his first yellow card was debatable in my opinion. For Byram's second caution, he was horrendously late with his unnecessary challenge on Januzaj which is in my mind a 100% yellow card. However, the first yellow card given to Byram, I felt that Anichebe fooled Marriner in thinking Bryam pulled the big Sunderland striker to the floor which resulted in Byram being cautioned for it. Throughout the game, Anichebe was going to the floor way to easily for me with minimal pressure and this is something that I felt Marriner should have realised. Anichebe is no push over. He is built to hold up the ball for Sunderland and does it well. There is no debate on whether Sam Byram could wrestle a person of Anichebe's stature.
Sunderland's Billy Jones was stretchered off after a challenge with Arthur Masuaku late in the second half. The right back hit his face on the floor after a fair shoulder to shoulder challenge by Masuaku. In my first opinion, it was a fair challenge by Masuaku and Marriner waved away appeals from Sunderland but correctly stopped the play and acknowledged Jones was down with a head injury.
Annoyingly, Randolph was at fault for another goal, that has cost West Ham points this season, and this particular incident led to Borini's equaliser. Anichebe challenged Randolph for the ball in the air and on this occasion I felt that there was no foul by Anichebe and he challenged for the ball fairly and won the ball which dropped into the path of Borini.
Overall, I thought that Andre Marriner was particularly relaxed in some of his decisions throughout the game and he seemed too reluctant to punish players such as Sunderland's Wahbi Khazri for persistently fouling. For Sunderland's first goal, the assistant referee needed to help Marriner out. The officials work hard together as a team and engage in constant communication throughout the game to ensure they collectively make the right decision however on this occasion they didn't.
It's infuriating that West Ham keep giving teams in the bottom of the table vital lifelines. Leicester won their first away game of the season at the London Stadium, Bournemouth won their first game in eight games and now Sunderland, who haven't scored in seven games, go and score two against us and get a valuable point. Tactically, it seems like Bilic set us up well to win but 10 minutes before the end brought on Havard Nordtveit to take a defensive approach. Defending has been our achilles heel all season. We've been terrible throughout and have conceded too many goals. Individual errors have cost us throughout the season and with ambitions of Europe for next season, there needs to be some significant changes.
Follow us on Twitter @TheWestHamWaycouk and @SamRoyden
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Fans call for clarity on Adrian position
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 15th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham supporters have urged the club to explain exactly why Adrian remains on the sidelines following another goalkeeping horror show from Darren Randolph at Sunderland this afternoon. The popular Spanish goalkeeper, who had been the club's first choice since moving to West Ham from Real Betis in 2013 was dropped by Slaven Bilic following some erratic performances in the opening games of the season. But with Randolph having made a series of clangers himself since - including two more notable errors that cost West Ham two points at Sunderland this afternoon - fans have demanded that Adrian be reinstated. "Bilic has remained silent for long enough," wrote KUMB follower @DamianADavis on Twitter following the final whistle at the Stadium of Light. "He must explain why he continues to pick Randolph, the supporters deserve that at the very least."
A recent KUMB poll resulted in 95 per cent of fans backing the reintroduction of the Spaniard, who is out of contract this summer - even though the club retain the option to extend his stay in London for a further two years - should they choose to.
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Slaven Bilic disappointed with leaky West Ham defence at Sunderland
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 15/04/17 7:41pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic was left disappointed after his West Ham side threw away a lead twice to draw 2-2 with Sunderland. The Hammers took the lead early in both halves, Andre Ayew opening the scoring in the fifth minute before James Collins struck two minutes into the second period. But Sunderland pegged them back on both occasions through Wahbi Khazri's direct corner and substitute Fabio Borini's 90th-minute leveller. "We're disappointed because we were leading twice and after we scored both goals we were in charge and played some good football," a pragmatic Bilic told Sky Sports. "We were looking for three points so when you concede two goals in the manner we did you are, of course, disappointed. "I have to say it was a fair result though. We wanted the win but the point, at this stage of the season, can be very good for us. "I'm disappointed because after our first goal they became nervous and we had a really good spell. You look to use that situation to your advantage but we didn't. "It happened again when we scored the second, it was us around the box and they were playing risky football - throwing bodies forward - but we couldn't finish them off. When that happens you expect there to be a job to do in your box they were leaving a lot of space behind that I was expecting us to use better."
West Ham were stunned in the 26th minute at the Stadium of Light when Khazri scored straight from a corner. "It was a well-taken corner but I would have expected us to clear that ball," the Hammer boss added. "We didn't and it put our goalkeeper in a position where the ball came too quick and unfortunately he could keep it out."
The draw lifts West Ham up to 13th in the Premier League and to within three points of a the 40-point mark. And, after what's been a testing campaign both on and off the pitch, Bilic has his sights set on finishing as high as possible, saying: "We tried to win today, got a point. "We have a chance to win next week that will take us to that magic number 40 and then we can talk about more."
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Everton and West Ham lead pursuit of Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany
Belgian centre-back Kompany is fit and firing again after a nightmare two-year injury spell
The Mirror
BYSTEVE BATES
22:30, 15 APR 2017
Vincent Kompany will be a wanted man this summer - with Everton and West Ham leading a host of clubs on his trail. But the 31-year-old Belgian international defender will first have to finish Manchester City's season strongly before chasing clubs firm up their interest. Kompany is fit and firing again after a nightmare two-year injury spell which has restricted his City appearances to just seven since the end of last season. Pep Guardiola restored Kompany to City's suspect defence in the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on April 5 - his first league game since a win at Crystal Palace in mid November. And although the Spaniard recognises the experienced star could play a role next season, suspicions remain that Kompany's injury history makes that a gamble.
After a solid return at Chelsea the City captain had a slight problem which caused him to miss the win over Hull but he was back for and scored in Saturday's 3-0 win away to Southampton. Kompany's injury issues haven't deterred other Premier League clubs with Everton among several teams keeping a close watch on his fitness progress. When he's on the pitch two-time Premier League winner Kompany is a forceful presence. But if City do let the defender go chasing clubs will structure any deal to off-set injury worries. Everton chief Koeman is hopeful he can sign Burnley's Michael Keane but he's weighing up other options with the new England centre back attracting plenty of attention. That's why Kompany is on Koeman's radar – with the Toffees boss also taking an active interest in Las Palmas centre-half Mauricio Lemos as he lines up summer defensive targets. The 21-year-old Uruguayan star turned down a move to Barcelona last summer to get more game time with La Liga side Las Palmas. Mauricio Lemos during the Spanish league match between Villarreal and Las Palmas at El Madrigal stadium on March 5, 2016 But it looks certain the South American youngster, valued around £25million by the Spaniards, will leave the Gran Canarians at the end of the season.
Koeman had Lemos watched in the 5-1 defeat at Athletico Bilbao on Friday and will continue to monitor the youngster before the window opens.
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West Ham Stars Set to Demand Big Pay Rises After January Signings Got Hefty Deals
Luke Calver
15 APR 2017
West Ham players are set to demand big pay rises in the summer, after the club handed new signings Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass huge pay packets when they first joined the club in January.
Fonte joined on a £65,000-a-week deal from Southampton, while Snodgrass joined on a deal worth around the £60,000-a-week mark from Hull City, which has caused huge unrest in the dressing room, according to the Mirror.
Hull City v West Ham United - Premier League
It is reported that many of the Hammers' top and most loyal players are set to demand high pay rises in the light of these two January signings. They feel that they are worth the same, or even more than Snodgrass and Fonte, and they want to be paid fairly with the amount of money West Ham have to offer.
The two January signings have slotted straight into the top of West Ham's high earners, just below top earner Andy Carroll, who is on a hefty £80,000-a-week. However, they are ahead of long serving captain Mark Noble and the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate, Winston Reid and Michail Antonio.
Arsenal v West Ham United - Premier League
Antonio is already in discussions over a new contract with the club, but they have yet been unable to agree a suitable arrangement, which could force arguably their best player to leave the club.
This could then start to occur with many of West Ham's other top talents, all because they signed Snodgrass and Fonte on such high wage packets, now all of the other West Ham players want in on the money.
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West Ham Boss Slaven Bilic Reveals Why Their Desperate Season Has Caused Him to 'Smash Tables'
Alex Gidden
15 APR 2017
The Hammers have been unable to build on a strong season last year and have been close to the relegation zone on a number of occasions during the current campaign. Despite finding his place as manager come under pressure, Bilic appears to have guided his side to safety and is now planning for a busy summer in preparation for next season. With his job seemingly secured for the near future, the Croatian has revealed that he has had to go to some extreme lengths in order to motivate his players during what has been a difficult campaign. "I've had my moments, yes." he told the Mail. "Every thing I do, whether before a game or at half-time, I do it deliberately. Even if I want to smash a table a little bit or whatever, you do it with a plan. I don't know about passionate. "Sometimes (my team talks) are calm, sometimes they are less calm. But that's the way I do it."
Having alluded to the fact that innocuous looking tables may have bore the brunt of his wrath, Bilic was quizzed over how many he may have broken throughout the season, but in typical style, the Hammers boss jokingly brushed off providing an exact figure by replying: "We'll have to go to IKEA." Whilst Bilic appears to have saved his job as Hammers' boss, a decision over his long-term future may be made over the summer as he has just over a year remaining on his contract and has yet to be offered a new one by his employers.
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West Ham Coach Julian Dicks Appears to Blame Players for Disappointing Season
Alex Gidden
15 APR 2017
West Ham coach Julian Dicks appears to have shifted blame away from Slaven Bilic's coaching staff and instead blamed the players for the Hammers' poor season.
Following on from last year's sixth-place finish, Bilic's side have struggled for consistency and have instead flirted with relegation for much of the season. A 1-0 win over Swansea last weekend appears to have eased fears that the Hammers may drop into the Championship, but speculation remains rife that Bilic will be made culpable for the team's poor form and lose his job in the coming weeks. As the debate continues over why West Ham have disappointed for long periods over the last eight months, former defender Julian Dicks, who is currently the east London club's first-team coach, insists that the coaching staff have done all they can and that ultimate responsibility lies with the players. In the interview with talkSPORT, Dicks also made a surprising revelation that his experience as a defender is not used by Bilic, and that he plays no role in helping the Hammers' back-line. "One, I don't do defensive coaching, I am responsible for shooting drills and crossing drills so for me we can't keep on conceding goals from set plays." he said, as quoted by HITC. "Listen, I have been in this many times with West Ham and it takes guts to get us out of this. Listen I will do everything I can, so does the manager, so does the other coaches. "When the players go out there it's up to them and as I have said I have been in this many times as a player, as a player you can do something about it, as a coach as soon as they cross that line it is down to them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th April 2017
Preview – Sunderland
WHUFC.com
Sunderland
When and where?
Sunderland v West Ham United
Premier League
Saturday 15 April 2017, 3pm BST
Stadium of Light
What's the story?
The Hammers make the long trip to Sunderland on Saturday looking to take
another step towards mid-table.
Last weekend's 1-0 victory against Swansea City was West Ham's first for
seven matches and lifted them eight points clear of their visitors.
Now, with just a point separating Slaven Bilic's side from tenth place, they
know a victory against the division's bottom side would virtually secure
their Premier League position with five games to go.
Sunderland are in desperate trouble at the foot of the table and haven't
scored for seven games.
Their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last Sunday means they are stuck on 20
points from their 31 matches this season, ten points behind fourth-bottom
Hull City.
Sunderland were unfortunate not to pick something up from their trip to
London Stadium earlier this season, falling to a 1-0 loss with Winston Reid
smashing in the winner in stoppage time.
Last season the points were shared at the Stadium of Light, Carl Jenkinson
and Dimitri Payet netting for the Hammers as they struck back from 2-0 down
to secure a 2-2 draw.
Team news
West Ham United face a number of injury concerns ahead of Saturday's game.
Michail Antonio (hamstring) is definitely out after suffering an injury in
the victory over Swansea City, while Winston Reid (thigh), Pedro Obiang
(ankle) and Angelo Ogbonna (knee) are all on the sidelines.
Mark Noble serves a two-game ban after picking up his tenth booking of the
season, but Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Aaron Cresswell will be hoping to
be involved following their injuries.
Sam Byram is available, despite rolling his ankle against Swansea.
For Sunderland, Sebastian Larsson is suspended after being sent off in the
defeat to Manchester United, while Brian Oviedo is a doubt with a hamstring
injury.
John O'Shea could feature for the first time since the death of his father.
Any links between the two?
Sunderland frontman Jermain Defoe started off at the Academy of Football,
scoring 29 league goals in 93 games before moving on in 2004.
He has scored goals throughout his career and is still knocking them in at
the age of 34, with 15 – including one for England – to his name this term.
How do I get to the game?
The Hammers have sold their allocation of 3,000 tickets for Saturday's game.
Click here for details of how to get to the Stadium of Light.
The latest travel news on the trains can be found here. If you're travelling
by road, up-to-the-minute news can be found here.
How can I watch the game?
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK, but if you're watching
from overseas the match may be televised in your territory. Check our
widget below for details.
You can follow all the action as it happens on whufc.com, with live audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Get
involved in the conversation on social using #SUNWHU.
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Sunderland betting preview with Betway
WHUFC.com
Sunderland betting preview
'Sheer relief' were the words used by James Collins to describe last
weekend's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Swansea City, but this weekend West
Ham United have an excellent chance to make it back-to-back wins as they
take on bottom-placed Sunderland.
The Hammers travel to the north-east knowing that three points is a
necessity as they look to put further daylight between themselves and the
teams below.
With six matches remaining in the campaign, a top 10 finish is still very
much achievable, but first they'll have to get past a Sunderland team
fighting for their own survival.
Nevertheless, West Ham are strong favourites coming into this one at 5/4,
with Sunderland 11/5 to win and the draw at 12/5.
Recent history favours the Hammers, with West Ham unbeaten in their last
seven matches against the Mackems, both home and away, four of which have
been won by a single goal.
There's some value in a winning margin of one goal at 11/8, while those
expecting the Irons to find the net more than once can back them with a -1
handicap at 16/5.
West Ham already boast a victory over this weekend's opponents, with a 1-0
win at the London Stadium back in October.
That scoreline is 15/2, while a repeat of last season's 2-2 draw at the
Stadium of Light is currently priced at 11/1 on Betway's 'Correct Score'
market.
In his pre-match press conference, boss Slaven Bilic warned of Sunderland's
desperation for a win, describing Saturday as a 'big game' for both teams.
But he'll have to manage it without this season's star man, Michail Antonio.
The attacker has been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury,
meaning the goalscoring onus will be placed elsewhere.
Andy Carroll is certainly capable of taking it on, with the Hammers striker
expected to play a more prominent role this weekend. He's 9/2 to open the
scoring on Saturday and 6/5 to find the net at anytime. You can also get him
at 9/2 to score the last goal of the game.
Three of West Ham's last six goals have come from midfield, so expect those
in the middle of the park to play a telling role in the trip to the Stadium
of Light.
Fancy Manuel Lanzini to find the net in a West Ham win? Then back him to
score in an Anytime Wincast at 4/1.
Sunderland's barren run in front of goal extended to over eleven hours
following their latest defeat, and those expecting that to continue can back
a West Ham clean sheet at 21/10. The Hammers to win to nil is currently
priced at 3/1.
With so much on the line for both teams, don't be surprised if this one is a
tight affair. You can get the Irons to win with under 2.5 goals score at
17/4, with West Ham also priced at 5/6 to score the first goal of the game.
There are more than 100 markets on Sunderland vs. West Ham available at
Betway. And if you're an existing customer, why not join our Free Bet Club?
You can guarantee yourself £10 in Free Bets every week. Just opt in at
Betway and place at least £25 on football multiples (trebles or higher)
before midnight every Friday*.
Visit betway.com or download our app from the App Store or Google Play for
more.
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Edi tipped for 'huge' future
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic praises the impact made by Swiss youngster Edimilson Fernandes
Midfielder has made 22 Premier League appearances, but has started just
three times
Manager suggests former FC Sion star could replace suspended Mark Noble
Slaven Bilic may put his 'huge plans' for Edimilson Fernandes into action at
Sunderland on Saturday.
The West Ham United manager played a big part in signing the Switzerland
midfielder last summer and believes the man who turns 21 on Saturday has a
bright future ahead of him.
With extensive domestic and European experience already under his belt from
his time with FC Sion, Fernandes has already been given a succession of
opportunities in a Claret and Blue shirt – although 19 of his 22 Premier
League appearances have come from the substitutes' bench.
However, with captain Mark Noble suspended for the trip to the Stadium of
Light and the home game with Everton, Bilic hinted that the youngster will
be given a chance to impress from the kick-off.
"When we signed Edi most of the people, including him, were a little
surprised," Bilic began, when asked about the possibility of Fernandes
starting at Sunderland. "There were talks about him going out on loan, but
no.
"He is playing a lot for us. He is not starting a lot but he is playing. The
impact he has made is quite significant. He is always on the verge. Every
week we are talking about him starting. Sometimes he has started, but on the
other hand he came into a good team and he is an option in a few positions
where we have Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate and Pedro Obiang, who has
played really good this season.
"Edi is doing very well in training and every time he has come on he has
made a good impact, whether we have to keep the result or in midfield when
we need someone to distribute the ball with his quick feet."
Quick over the ground, a fine athlete and accurate passer, Fernandes has
many of the attributes required to become a top-level Premier League player,
while his EFL Cup match-winner against Chelsea suggests he also has an eye
for goal.
As he continues to accrue experience and hone his skills, Bilic believes he
will make an even bigger impact in 2017/18 – providing he improves his
command of the English language!
"Our plans for him in the next season are huge," the manager confirmed. "I
am expecting him to be a top player. He has asked me about playing, but not
in a negative way. He knows he is the player who is being used almost every
time.
"I spoke to him a few times and he has to learn his English much better and
he has already made a big step considering he came at the age of 20. But he
has adjusted well and he has a good chance to start next game against
Sunderland and we are planning to use him a lot next season.
"I spoke to him about the language and we are helping him. I remember when I
came to a new country like Germany I was struggling, not necessarily on the
pitch but to integrate off it. It is key. He has improved a lot, but he has
to do better.
"I spoke to his cousin who is playing in France, [the former Manchester City
midfielder] Gelson Fernandes who speaks five languages, perhaps he can loan
Edi one!"
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Five Talking Points - Sunderland
WHUFC>com
The big topics for discussion ahead of West Ham United's Premier League
fixture at Sunderland...
1. Forward thinking
Despite the absence of the injured Michail Antonio, who has been ruled out
for the season with a hamstring injury, Slaven Bilic says he has 'options'
up front.
After recovering from their own injuries, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho were
only fit enough for cameo roles against Swansea City last weekend, meaning
Jonathan Calleri was called upon when Antonio pulled up in the first half.
Calleri put in a superb shift for his team in the lone striker's role,
harassing the Swans' centre-backs, creating space for his teammates with his
intelligent running and finding himself in the right place to score his
first London Stadium goal – only for his shot to hit the side-netting. Bilic
hinted that Carroll and Sakho could both feature at Sunderland, with the
suggestion that Calleri or Carroll could start, with one replacing the other
at some stage.
2. Left-back conundrum
Arthur Masuaku started and played well in keeping a clean sheet against
Swansea City last weekend in the absence of the injured Aaron Cresswell.
However, the England international is fit again and will be part of the
squad which travels to the North East. The likelihood is that Slaven Bilic
will stick with the athletic Frenchman at left-back, but Cresswell has been
the de-facto starter since his arrival nearly three years ago, and his
Premier League pedigree is not in doubt, despite his injury-affected season.
4. Beware the wounded Black Cat
It has been a very difficult season for Sunderland, who go into the weekend
ten points from safety with just six games remaining. If a game was ever
'must-win' then this is it for David Moyes' team, who have amassed just 20
points from their 31 Premier League matches played so far. The Black Cats
have not scored in their last SEVEN top-flight games and more than eleven
hours of football, a run dating back to a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace on 4
February, but that unwanted record must end sometime. With the games running
out and away matches at Arsenal and Chelsea to round out the season,
Sunderland will be targeting a home game against West Ham as a chance to
score a much-needed victory.
While their form has been indifferent, the Hammers must beware the wounded
Black Cats.
4. Jermain's Defoe-nitely going to score…
Jermain Defoe is definitely going to score against West Ham, isn't he...
Or is he?
While the common perception among West Ham United supporters is that Jermain
Defoe ALWAYS scores against his old club, it is not strictly true.
In 16 appearances against the Hammers since departing in 2003, the striker
has netted six times, but has not scored against West Ham in his last six
games against them. Also, Defoe has not exactly enjoyed the greatest success
against his former employers, ending up on the winning side in just five of
those 16 matches, drawing four and losing seven. Just for the record, he has
also chalked up two assists and been booked five times in games against West
Ham.
5. Seven and counting…
West Ham United have not lost any of their last seven Premier League matches
against Sunderland dating back to a 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in
January 2013. Since then, the Hammers have scored four wins and three draws
against the Black Cats, including 1-0 victories in their two most-recent
meetings and a come-from-behind 2-2 draw on Wearside last season. One player
who certainly enjoys playing against Sunderland is Andy Carroll who, despite
scoring just once in nine appearances against the team many of his family
support, has won five and lost just one of those nine games. Could it be
time to unleash the Big Man again on Saturday?
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Snoddy seeks back-to-back wins
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass says West Ham United want to record back-to-back wins at
Sunderland
Hammers scored vital 1-0 Premier League victory over Swansea City last time
out
Scotland winger says another three points keep West Ham in hunt for top-ten
finish
Robert Snodgrass says West Ham United are determined to build on their vital
1-0 win over Swansea City and set the foundations for a top-ten finish.
The Scotland midfielder was an important part of the Hammers' hard-fought
victory over the Swans a week ago, when his industry and calmness in tight
situations helped keep Iceland star Gylfi Sigurdsson quiet.
If West Ham can score consecutive victories for the first time since January
by beating Sunderland, they could rise into the top ten and all but secure
their Premier League status in the process. Whatever happens at the Stadium
of Light, the No11 insists Slaven Bilic's side will keep working until the
final whistle blows at Burnley on 21 May.
"We take each game as it comes, and I certainly don't think we can say 'if
we beat Sunderland we can take our foot off the gas'," Snodgrass began.
"That's not what it's all about.
"It's about trying to build on each performance and the level of performance
against Swansea was very good, so why not keep going and try and better that
at Sunderland? First and foremost, we want to try and get the three points
and then keep building from that.
"We've got to go and do it by winning the games we've got left, trying to
get some good results for the fans, for the staff and for your teammates, to
have the good feeling by being able to say 'We did finish in the top ten'
and we'll try to build on that next season."
Snodgrass said the squad took great pride in the way they played through the
pressure against Swansea to keep their first clean sheet in 12 matches and
score their first win in eight.
Indeed, the 29-year-old said the Hammers were rewarded for their positive
approach to a match that they simply had to win.
"It was tense before the Swansea game because we'd lost five games in the
Premier League and we were in a fight against relegation and we didn't want
that," he recalled.
"The manager said it would be a lot easier for us if we won that game
because we'd be able to look up towards the top ten, where this club should
be, rather than towards the bottom. It was a good win for us, and the way we
won it as well was good."
"There are certain games where you feel the tension and that was certainly
one of them because, if we'd lost, we'd have gone to Sunderland worrying
about losing again.
"There are loads of things behind it, but I think the way we approached the
game and the way we were in the game, there was only one team who was going
to go on and win it.
"As football players, you're paid to play under that pressure and a lot of
players like it and are fine with it, while some don't like it, but when you
saw that game you could see there was one team enjoying playing in the game
and trying to win it, and that was us."
Having experienced the elation of victory for just the second time since
joining from Hull City in January, the left-sided player is hoping to make
it three this weekend.
"It doesn't matter if it was that game or any game, you've always got a buzz
around the place and it's a better place to be around when you've won," he
observed.
"The manager and his staff are happy because of the win, and we work hard
throughout the week to get that buzz and that winning feeling, because
nobody likes losing."
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Sunderland v West Ham United
SAT, 15 APR 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: Stadium of Light
TEAM NEWS
Sebastian Larsson begins a three-match ban for Sunderland after an appeal
against his red card in Sunday's defeat by Manchester United was rejected.
Adnan Januzaj returns after being ineligible for that game and John O'Shea
is available for the first time since the death of his father, but Bryan
Oviedo (hamstring) is sidelined.
West Ham's Michail Antonio is out for the season with a hamstring injury.
Mark Noble is banned but Andy Carroll, Aaron Creswell and Sam Byram are fit.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Alistair Mann: "It's now only the most optimistic Sunderland supporters who
still believe their side will emerge successful from the latest of their
annual battles to beat the drop. "Realistically, they will need to win at
least five of their remaining seven games, having so far won only five of
their first 31. "Offering those optimists a glimmer of hope is the fact that
their run-in intriguingly includes games against five of the bottom seven,
with West Ham the first. "The Hammers certainly relieved some of their own
anxiety with their first win in eight against Swansea last weekend but will
still feel that a top-10 finish, not simply safety, should be their target
in the remaining weeks."
Twitter: @alistairmann01
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Sunderland manager David Moyes: "I think we have a good chance of winning
the game. "We have to try and cause them problems but they had a big result
last week - and we need one this week."
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It's a big game for us. Sunderland are
desperate for a win and we are looking to win to secure or get closer to
securing safety.
"Every win gives you a boost, especially after five defeats in a row. The
confidence is back but the belief was permanent and we never lost it."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
I actually think Sunderland will win this game, because they are at home and
it is basically the last throw of the dice.
Prediction: 2-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Sunderland are winless against West Ham in seven Premier League meetings,
losing the last two 1-0.
However, they are undefeated in seven of the last nine home fixtures (W3,
D4).
The Hammers are looking for a first league double over Sunderland since
2008-09.
Sunderland
Sunderland have lost 10 of their last 14 matches - winning just one - and
they could suffer a fourth straight defeat for the first time this season.
They have gone seven matches without scoring, the worst Premier League run
since Derby in 2007. Crystal Palace are the only club with a longer barren
streak in the Premier League, going nine matches in a row without a goal in
1994-95.
The Black Cats have not won at the Stadium of Light in seven league games
since beating Watford 1-0 on 17 December.
Jermain Defoe has scored six goals in 15 Premier League games against his
former club West Ham, but is yet to score against them in three appearances
for Sunderland.
West Ham United
West Ham's victory over Swansea last time out ended a run of five straight
losses.
It was also their first clean sheet in 11 top-flight games.
The Hammers have lost 16 Premier League matches this season - twice as many
as last season.
Dimitri Payet has still created 33 more goalscoring chances than any other
West Ham player this season, despite playing his last game for the club on 2
January.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 27%
Probability of home win: 33% Probability of away win: 40%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football
matches.
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Sakho to miss Sunderland test
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
Diafra Sakho is out of this weekend's trip to Sunderland, KUMB can confirm.
The Senegal international, who has barely featured for the club this season
made his return to the first team squad last week in the 3-0 defeat at
Arsenal but was an unused substitute at the weekend as West Ham beat Swansea
1-0 at the Olympic Stadium. And following rumours that Slaven Bilic was less
than happy with the striker's condition since returning to full training,
Sakho has been left out of the party that flew to the North East this
lunchtime (Friday). However there was slightly better news for Slaven Bilic
after Andy Carroll was passed fit to play - as is the case with Sam Byram,
who was a doubt earlier this week, and Aaron Cresswell. The trio are joined
in the squad by 18-year-old defender Declan Rice, who is yet to feature for
the first team. Meanwhile club captain Mark Noble, who is ineligible to play
this weekend after picking up his tenth booking of the campaign has
travelled with the first team party and is expected to sit with the away
fans at The Stadium of Light.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland v West Ham preview: Black Cats search for second league win of
2017
Last Updated: 14/04/17 3:00pm
SSN
Bottom-club Sunderland's hopes of avoiding the drop are hanging by a thread
as they prepare to host West Ham in the Premier League. The Black Cats have
won just once in 2017 and are 10 points from safety, though they do have a
game in hand over 17th-placed Hull City. Meanwhile, West Ham were slipping
precariously close to the drop zone after a run of five defeats, but victory
over Swansea moved them up to 36 points alongside Leicester, Burnley and
Stoke. Captain Mark Noble believes the Hammers need just one more win to
confirm safety, while Sunderland are unable to hit the 40-point mark even if
they win their remaining seven games.
Team news
Bryan Oviedo has a hamstring injury and could be out for up to four weeks,
while John O'Shea could feature after returning to Sunderland training.
Sebastian Larsson is suspended for the clash after he was sent off against
Manchester United last weekend.
West Ham winger Michail Antonio has been ruled out for the rest of the
season after manager Slaven Bilic confirmed the 26-year-old suffered a
"significant" hamstring injury against Swansea last weekend. Noble begins a
two-match ban but Bilic is confident Andy Carroll, Sam Byram and Aaron
Cresswell will be fit to face.
Opta stats
Sunderland are winless in their last seven league games against West Ham (D3
L4), with the last two finishing 1-0 to the Hammers. However, West Ham
haven't done the league double against Sunderland since the 2008/09 campaign
(under Gianfranco Zola). Jermain Defoe has scored six goals in 15 Premier
League games against his former club, but he's yet to score against them in
three appearances for Sunderland. Sunderland have now gone seven successive
Premier League games and 675 minutes without scoring. The Premier League
record is currently held by Crystal Palace in 1994/95, who went nine
consecutive games and 838 minutes without a goal. On Saturday, it'll be over
three months since Sunderland scored a goal at home in the Premier League
(January 14) and they've now attempted 51 successiveshots without scoring at
the Stadium of Light.
West Ham have lost 16 Premier League matches this season, already twice the
number they lost in the whole of last season (8).
Merson's prediction
Sunderland, welcome to the last-chance saloon. I think they are down
regardless but they have to win this match to stand any chance.
There are ways of going down and they need to get three points for the fans,
to give them something ahead of next season.
You might as well turn the floodlights off if they lose.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (Sky Bet odds 10/1)
Betting
West Ham are Sky Bet's 6/5 favourites for the victory with Sunderland 21/10
while the draw is a 5/2 chance. Carroll and Defoe share favouritism in the
first goalscorer betting and are 4/1 to both find the net.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic jokingly suggests West Ham player needs to borrow something from his
cousin
HITC
Antony Martin
The West Ham United midfielder has struggled to settle in his debut season
with the club. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic spoke to reporters ahead of his
side's clash against Sunderland tomorrow, and highlighted the qualities of
Edimilson Fernandes, sharing his 'huge' plans for the Swiss star next
season, as quoted by the club's official website. West Ham signed the
20-year-old from FC Sion in the summer of 2016, for a fee believed to be in
the region of £5.5 million, but he has taken his time to settle in East
London, making just three Premier League starts for Bilic's side this
season. The Croatian is adamant that Fernandes will come good, however,
sharing his belief that he will become a top player, as quoted by WHUFC.com:
"When we signed Edi most of the people, were a little surprised. He is not
starting a lot but he is playing. The impact he has made is quite
significant. Our plans for him in the next season are huge. I am expecting
him to be a top player. I spoke to him a few times and he has to learn his
English much better and he has already made a big step considering he came
at the age of 20. I spoke to him about the language and we are helping him,
it is key. He has improved a lot, but he has to do better. I spoke to his
cousin who is playing in France, Gelson Fernandes who speaks five languages,
perhaps he can loan Edi one!"
The Hammers squad has certainly been exposed as well below par this season,
with a lack of both quality and strength in depth leading to an
underwhelming campaign as a whole. And many of their poor performances this
season could be attributed to their weakness in the middle of the park, what
with Mark Noble regressing from last term, Havard Nordtveit failing to
settle and persistent injury problems for the likes of Pedro Obiang and
Cheikhou Kouyate. So maybe now is the time for the Switzerland international
to come to the fore, and show his manager and the West Ham fans what he is
truly capable of.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Sunderland
When and where?
Sunderland v West Ham United
Premier League
Saturday 15 April 2017, 3pm BST
Stadium of Light
What's the story?
The Hammers make the long trip to Sunderland on Saturday looking to take
another step towards mid-table.
Last weekend's 1-0 victory against Swansea City was West Ham's first for
seven matches and lifted them eight points clear of their visitors.
Now, with just a point separating Slaven Bilic's side from tenth place, they
know a victory against the division's bottom side would virtually secure
their Premier League position with five games to go.
Sunderland are in desperate trouble at the foot of the table and haven't
scored for seven games.
Their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last Sunday means they are stuck on 20
points from their 31 matches this season, ten points behind fourth-bottom
Hull City.
Sunderland were unfortunate not to pick something up from their trip to
London Stadium earlier this season, falling to a 1-0 loss with Winston Reid
smashing in the winner in stoppage time.
Last season the points were shared at the Stadium of Light, Carl Jenkinson
and Dimitri Payet netting for the Hammers as they struck back from 2-0 down
to secure a 2-2 draw.
Team news
West Ham United face a number of injury concerns ahead of Saturday's game.
Michail Antonio (hamstring) is definitely out after suffering an injury in
the victory over Swansea City, while Winston Reid (thigh), Pedro Obiang
(ankle) and Angelo Ogbonna (knee) are all on the sidelines.
Mark Noble serves a two-game ban after picking up his tenth booking of the
season, but Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Aaron Cresswell will be hoping to
be involved following their injuries.
Sam Byram is available, despite rolling his ankle against Swansea.
For Sunderland, Sebastian Larsson is suspended after being sent off in the
defeat to Manchester United, while Brian Oviedo is a doubt with a hamstring
injury.
John O'Shea could feature for the first time since the death of his father.
Any links between the two?
Sunderland frontman Jermain Defoe started off at the Academy of Football,
scoring 29 league goals in 93 games before moving on in 2004.
He has scored goals throughout his career and is still knocking them in at
the age of 34, with 15 – including one for England – to his name this term.
How do I get to the game?
The Hammers have sold their allocation of 3,000 tickets for Saturday's game.
Click here for details of how to get to the Stadium of Light.
The latest travel news on the trains can be found here. If you're travelling
by road, up-to-the-minute news can be found here.
How can I watch the game?
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK, but if you're watching
from overseas the match may be televised in your territory. Check our
widget below for details.
You can follow all the action as it happens on whufc.com, with live audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Get
involved in the conversation on social using #SUNWHU.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland betting preview with Betway
WHUFC.com
Sunderland betting preview
'Sheer relief' were the words used by James Collins to describe last
weekend's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Swansea City, but this weekend West
Ham United have an excellent chance to make it back-to-back wins as they
take on bottom-placed Sunderland.
The Hammers travel to the north-east knowing that three points is a
necessity as they look to put further daylight between themselves and the
teams below.
With six matches remaining in the campaign, a top 10 finish is still very
much achievable, but first they'll have to get past a Sunderland team
fighting for their own survival.
Nevertheless, West Ham are strong favourites coming into this one at 5/4,
with Sunderland 11/5 to win and the draw at 12/5.
Recent history favours the Hammers, with West Ham unbeaten in their last
seven matches against the Mackems, both home and away, four of which have
been won by a single goal.
There's some value in a winning margin of one goal at 11/8, while those
expecting the Irons to find the net more than once can back them with a -1
handicap at 16/5.
West Ham already boast a victory over this weekend's opponents, with a 1-0
win at the London Stadium back in October.
That scoreline is 15/2, while a repeat of last season's 2-2 draw at the
Stadium of Light is currently priced at 11/1 on Betway's 'Correct Score'
market.
In his pre-match press conference, boss Slaven Bilic warned of Sunderland's
desperation for a win, describing Saturday as a 'big game' for both teams.
But he'll have to manage it without this season's star man, Michail Antonio.
The attacker has been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury,
meaning the goalscoring onus will be placed elsewhere.
Andy Carroll is certainly capable of taking it on, with the Hammers striker
expected to play a more prominent role this weekend. He's 9/2 to open the
scoring on Saturday and 6/5 to find the net at anytime. You can also get him
at 9/2 to score the last goal of the game.
Three of West Ham's last six goals have come from midfield, so expect those
in the middle of the park to play a telling role in the trip to the Stadium
of Light.
Fancy Manuel Lanzini to find the net in a West Ham win? Then back him to
score in an Anytime Wincast at 4/1.
Sunderland's barren run in front of goal extended to over eleven hours
following their latest defeat, and those expecting that to continue can back
a West Ham clean sheet at 21/10. The Hammers to win to nil is currently
priced at 3/1.
With so much on the line for both teams, don't be surprised if this one is a
tight affair. You can get the Irons to win with under 2.5 goals score at
17/4, with West Ham also priced at 5/6 to score the first goal of the game.
There are more than 100 markets on Sunderland vs. West Ham available at
Betway. And if you're an existing customer, why not join our Free Bet Club?
You can guarantee yourself £10 in Free Bets every week. Just opt in at
Betway and place at least £25 on football multiples (trebles or higher)
before midnight every Friday*.
Visit betway.com or download our app from the App Store or Google Play for
more.
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Edi tipped for 'huge' future
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic praises the impact made by Swiss youngster Edimilson Fernandes
Midfielder has made 22 Premier League appearances, but has started just
three times
Manager suggests former FC Sion star could replace suspended Mark Noble
Slaven Bilic may put his 'huge plans' for Edimilson Fernandes into action at
Sunderland on Saturday.
The West Ham United manager played a big part in signing the Switzerland
midfielder last summer and believes the man who turns 21 on Saturday has a
bright future ahead of him.
With extensive domestic and European experience already under his belt from
his time with FC Sion, Fernandes has already been given a succession of
opportunities in a Claret and Blue shirt – although 19 of his 22 Premier
League appearances have come from the substitutes' bench.
However, with captain Mark Noble suspended for the trip to the Stadium of
Light and the home game with Everton, Bilic hinted that the youngster will
be given a chance to impress from the kick-off.
"When we signed Edi most of the people, including him, were a little
surprised," Bilic began, when asked about the possibility of Fernandes
starting at Sunderland. "There were talks about him going out on loan, but
no.
"He is playing a lot for us. He is not starting a lot but he is playing. The
impact he has made is quite significant. He is always on the verge. Every
week we are talking about him starting. Sometimes he has started, but on the
other hand he came into a good team and he is an option in a few positions
where we have Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate and Pedro Obiang, who has
played really good this season.
"Edi is doing very well in training and every time he has come on he has
made a good impact, whether we have to keep the result or in midfield when
we need someone to distribute the ball with his quick feet."
Quick over the ground, a fine athlete and accurate passer, Fernandes has
many of the attributes required to become a top-level Premier League player,
while his EFL Cup match-winner against Chelsea suggests he also has an eye
for goal.
As he continues to accrue experience and hone his skills, Bilic believes he
will make an even bigger impact in 2017/18 – providing he improves his
command of the English language!
"Our plans for him in the next season are huge," the manager confirmed. "I
am expecting him to be a top player. He has asked me about playing, but not
in a negative way. He knows he is the player who is being used almost every
time.
"I spoke to him a few times and he has to learn his English much better and
he has already made a big step considering he came at the age of 20. But he
has adjusted well and he has a good chance to start next game against
Sunderland and we are planning to use him a lot next season.
"I spoke to him about the language and we are helping him. I remember when I
came to a new country like Germany I was struggling, not necessarily on the
pitch but to integrate off it. It is key. He has improved a lot, but he has
to do better.
"I spoke to his cousin who is playing in France, [the former Manchester City
midfielder] Gelson Fernandes who speaks five languages, perhaps he can loan
Edi one!"
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Five Talking Points - Sunderland
WHUFC>com
The big topics for discussion ahead of West Ham United's Premier League
fixture at Sunderland...
1. Forward thinking
Despite the absence of the injured Michail Antonio, who has been ruled out
for the season with a hamstring injury, Slaven Bilic says he has 'options'
up front.
After recovering from their own injuries, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho were
only fit enough for cameo roles against Swansea City last weekend, meaning
Jonathan Calleri was called upon when Antonio pulled up in the first half.
Calleri put in a superb shift for his team in the lone striker's role,
harassing the Swans' centre-backs, creating space for his teammates with his
intelligent running and finding himself in the right place to score his
first London Stadium goal – only for his shot to hit the side-netting. Bilic
hinted that Carroll and Sakho could both feature at Sunderland, with the
suggestion that Calleri or Carroll could start, with one replacing the other
at some stage.
2. Left-back conundrum
Arthur Masuaku started and played well in keeping a clean sheet against
Swansea City last weekend in the absence of the injured Aaron Cresswell.
However, the England international is fit again and will be part of the
squad which travels to the North East. The likelihood is that Slaven Bilic
will stick with the athletic Frenchman at left-back, but Cresswell has been
the de-facto starter since his arrival nearly three years ago, and his
Premier League pedigree is not in doubt, despite his injury-affected season.
4. Beware the wounded Black Cat
It has been a very difficult season for Sunderland, who go into the weekend
ten points from safety with just six games remaining. If a game was ever
'must-win' then this is it for David Moyes' team, who have amassed just 20
points from their 31 Premier League matches played so far. The Black Cats
have not scored in their last SEVEN top-flight games and more than eleven
hours of football, a run dating back to a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace on 4
February, but that unwanted record must end sometime. With the games running
out and away matches at Arsenal and Chelsea to round out the season,
Sunderland will be targeting a home game against West Ham as a chance to
score a much-needed victory.
While their form has been indifferent, the Hammers must beware the wounded
Black Cats.
4. Jermain's Defoe-nitely going to score…
Jermain Defoe is definitely going to score against West Ham, isn't he...
Or is he?
While the common perception among West Ham United supporters is that Jermain
Defoe ALWAYS scores against his old club, it is not strictly true.
In 16 appearances against the Hammers since departing in 2003, the striker
has netted six times, but has not scored against West Ham in his last six
games against them. Also, Defoe has not exactly enjoyed the greatest success
against his former employers, ending up on the winning side in just five of
those 16 matches, drawing four and losing seven. Just for the record, he has
also chalked up two assists and been booked five times in games against West
Ham.
5. Seven and counting…
West Ham United have not lost any of their last seven Premier League matches
against Sunderland dating back to a 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in
January 2013. Since then, the Hammers have scored four wins and three draws
against the Black Cats, including 1-0 victories in their two most-recent
meetings and a come-from-behind 2-2 draw on Wearside last season. One player
who certainly enjoys playing against Sunderland is Andy Carroll who, despite
scoring just once in nine appearances against the team many of his family
support, has won five and lost just one of those nine games. Could it be
time to unleash the Big Man again on Saturday?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Snoddy seeks back-to-back wins
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass says West Ham United want to record back-to-back wins at
Sunderland
Hammers scored vital 1-0 Premier League victory over Swansea City last time
out
Scotland winger says another three points keep West Ham in hunt for top-ten
finish
Robert Snodgrass says West Ham United are determined to build on their vital
1-0 win over Swansea City and set the foundations for a top-ten finish.
The Scotland midfielder was an important part of the Hammers' hard-fought
victory over the Swans a week ago, when his industry and calmness in tight
situations helped keep Iceland star Gylfi Sigurdsson quiet.
If West Ham can score consecutive victories for the first time since January
by beating Sunderland, they could rise into the top ten and all but secure
their Premier League status in the process. Whatever happens at the Stadium
of Light, the No11 insists Slaven Bilic's side will keep working until the
final whistle blows at Burnley on 21 May.
"We take each game as it comes, and I certainly don't think we can say 'if
we beat Sunderland we can take our foot off the gas'," Snodgrass began.
"That's not what it's all about.
"It's about trying to build on each performance and the level of performance
against Swansea was very good, so why not keep going and try and better that
at Sunderland? First and foremost, we want to try and get the three points
and then keep building from that.
"We've got to go and do it by winning the games we've got left, trying to
get some good results for the fans, for the staff and for your teammates, to
have the good feeling by being able to say 'We did finish in the top ten'
and we'll try to build on that next season."
Snodgrass said the squad took great pride in the way they played through the
pressure against Swansea to keep their first clean sheet in 12 matches and
score their first win in eight.
Indeed, the 29-year-old said the Hammers were rewarded for their positive
approach to a match that they simply had to win.
"It was tense before the Swansea game because we'd lost five games in the
Premier League and we were in a fight against relegation and we didn't want
that," he recalled.
"The manager said it would be a lot easier for us if we won that game
because we'd be able to look up towards the top ten, where this club should
be, rather than towards the bottom. It was a good win for us, and the way we
won it as well was good."
"There are certain games where you feel the tension and that was certainly
one of them because, if we'd lost, we'd have gone to Sunderland worrying
about losing again.
"There are loads of things behind it, but I think the way we approached the
game and the way we were in the game, there was only one team who was going
to go on and win it.
"As football players, you're paid to play under that pressure and a lot of
players like it and are fine with it, while some don't like it, but when you
saw that game you could see there was one team enjoying playing in the game
and trying to win it, and that was us."
Having experienced the elation of victory for just the second time since
joining from Hull City in January, the left-sided player is hoping to make
it three this weekend.
"It doesn't matter if it was that game or any game, you've always got a buzz
around the place and it's a better place to be around when you've won," he
observed.
"The manager and his staff are happy because of the win, and we work hard
throughout the week to get that buzz and that winning feeling, because
nobody likes losing."
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Sunderland v West Ham United
SAT, 15 APR 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: Stadium of Light
TEAM NEWS
Sebastian Larsson begins a three-match ban for Sunderland after an appeal
against his red card in Sunday's defeat by Manchester United was rejected.
Adnan Januzaj returns after being ineligible for that game and John O'Shea
is available for the first time since the death of his father, but Bryan
Oviedo (hamstring) is sidelined.
West Ham's Michail Antonio is out for the season with a hamstring injury.
Mark Noble is banned but Andy Carroll, Aaron Creswell and Sam Byram are fit.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Alistair Mann: "It's now only the most optimistic Sunderland supporters who
still believe their side will emerge successful from the latest of their
annual battles to beat the drop. "Realistically, they will need to win at
least five of their remaining seven games, having so far won only five of
their first 31. "Offering those optimists a glimmer of hope is the fact that
their run-in intriguingly includes games against five of the bottom seven,
with West Ham the first. "The Hammers certainly relieved some of their own
anxiety with their first win in eight against Swansea last weekend but will
still feel that a top-10 finish, not simply safety, should be their target
in the remaining weeks."
Twitter: @alistairmann01
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Sunderland manager David Moyes: "I think we have a good chance of winning
the game. "We have to try and cause them problems but they had a big result
last week - and we need one this week."
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It's a big game for us. Sunderland are
desperate for a win and we are looking to win to secure or get closer to
securing safety.
"Every win gives you a boost, especially after five defeats in a row. The
confidence is back but the belief was permanent and we never lost it."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
I actually think Sunderland will win this game, because they are at home and
it is basically the last throw of the dice.
Prediction: 2-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Sunderland are winless against West Ham in seven Premier League meetings,
losing the last two 1-0.
However, they are undefeated in seven of the last nine home fixtures (W3,
D4).
The Hammers are looking for a first league double over Sunderland since
2008-09.
Sunderland
Sunderland have lost 10 of their last 14 matches - winning just one - and
they could suffer a fourth straight defeat for the first time this season.
They have gone seven matches without scoring, the worst Premier League run
since Derby in 2007. Crystal Palace are the only club with a longer barren
streak in the Premier League, going nine matches in a row without a goal in
1994-95.
The Black Cats have not won at the Stadium of Light in seven league games
since beating Watford 1-0 on 17 December.
Jermain Defoe has scored six goals in 15 Premier League games against his
former club West Ham, but is yet to score against them in three appearances
for Sunderland.
West Ham United
West Ham's victory over Swansea last time out ended a run of five straight
losses.
It was also their first clean sheet in 11 top-flight games.
The Hammers have lost 16 Premier League matches this season - twice as many
as last season.
Dimitri Payet has still created 33 more goalscoring chances than any other
West Ham player this season, despite playing his last game for the club on 2
January.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 27%
Probability of home win: 33% Probability of away win: 40%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football
matches.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sakho to miss Sunderland test
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
Diafra Sakho is out of this weekend's trip to Sunderland, KUMB can confirm.
The Senegal international, who has barely featured for the club this season
made his return to the first team squad last week in the 3-0 defeat at
Arsenal but was an unused substitute at the weekend as West Ham beat Swansea
1-0 at the Olympic Stadium. And following rumours that Slaven Bilic was less
than happy with the striker's condition since returning to full training,
Sakho has been left out of the party that flew to the North East this
lunchtime (Friday). However there was slightly better news for Slaven Bilic
after Andy Carroll was passed fit to play - as is the case with Sam Byram,
who was a doubt earlier this week, and Aaron Cresswell. The trio are joined
in the squad by 18-year-old defender Declan Rice, who is yet to feature for
the first team. Meanwhile club captain Mark Noble, who is ineligible to play
this weekend after picking up his tenth booking of the campaign has
travelled with the first team party and is expected to sit with the away
fans at The Stadium of Light.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland v West Ham preview: Black Cats search for second league win of
2017
Last Updated: 14/04/17 3:00pm
SSN
Bottom-club Sunderland's hopes of avoiding the drop are hanging by a thread
as they prepare to host West Ham in the Premier League. The Black Cats have
won just once in 2017 and are 10 points from safety, though they do have a
game in hand over 17th-placed Hull City. Meanwhile, West Ham were slipping
precariously close to the drop zone after a run of five defeats, but victory
over Swansea moved them up to 36 points alongside Leicester, Burnley and
Stoke. Captain Mark Noble believes the Hammers need just one more win to
confirm safety, while Sunderland are unable to hit the 40-point mark even if
they win their remaining seven games.
Team news
Bryan Oviedo has a hamstring injury and could be out for up to four weeks,
while John O'Shea could feature after returning to Sunderland training.
Sebastian Larsson is suspended for the clash after he was sent off against
Manchester United last weekend.
West Ham winger Michail Antonio has been ruled out for the rest of the
season after manager Slaven Bilic confirmed the 26-year-old suffered a
"significant" hamstring injury against Swansea last weekend. Noble begins a
two-match ban but Bilic is confident Andy Carroll, Sam Byram and Aaron
Cresswell will be fit to face.
Opta stats
Sunderland are winless in their last seven league games against West Ham (D3
L4), with the last two finishing 1-0 to the Hammers. However, West Ham
haven't done the league double against Sunderland since the 2008/09 campaign
(under Gianfranco Zola). Jermain Defoe has scored six goals in 15 Premier
League games against his former club, but he's yet to score against them in
three appearances for Sunderland. Sunderland have now gone seven successive
Premier League games and 675 minutes without scoring. The Premier League
record is currently held by Crystal Palace in 1994/95, who went nine
consecutive games and 838 minutes without a goal. On Saturday, it'll be over
three months since Sunderland scored a goal at home in the Premier League
(January 14) and they've now attempted 51 successiveshots without scoring at
the Stadium of Light.
West Ham have lost 16 Premier League matches this season, already twice the
number they lost in the whole of last season (8).
Merson's prediction
Sunderland, welcome to the last-chance saloon. I think they are down
regardless but they have to win this match to stand any chance.
There are ways of going down and they need to get three points for the fans,
to give them something ahead of next season.
You might as well turn the floodlights off if they lose.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (Sky Bet odds 10/1)
Betting
West Ham are Sky Bet's 6/5 favourites for the victory with Sunderland 21/10
while the draw is a 5/2 chance. Carroll and Defoe share favouritism in the
first goalscorer betting and are 4/1 to both find the net.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic jokingly suggests West Ham player needs to borrow something from his
cousin
HITC
Antony Martin
The West Ham United midfielder has struggled to settle in his debut season
with the club. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic spoke to reporters ahead of his
side's clash against Sunderland tomorrow, and highlighted the qualities of
Edimilson Fernandes, sharing his 'huge' plans for the Swiss star next
season, as quoted by the club's official website. West Ham signed the
20-year-old from FC Sion in the summer of 2016, for a fee believed to be in
the region of £5.5 million, but he has taken his time to settle in East
London, making just three Premier League starts for Bilic's side this
season. The Croatian is adamant that Fernandes will come good, however,
sharing his belief that he will become a top player, as quoted by WHUFC.com:
"When we signed Edi most of the people, were a little surprised. He is not
starting a lot but he is playing. The impact he has made is quite
significant. Our plans for him in the next season are huge. I am expecting
him to be a top player. I spoke to him a few times and he has to learn his
English much better and he has already made a big step considering he came
at the age of 20. I spoke to him about the language and we are helping him,
it is key. He has improved a lot, but he has to do better. I spoke to his
cousin who is playing in France, Gelson Fernandes who speaks five languages,
perhaps he can loan Edi one!"
The Hammers squad has certainly been exposed as well below par this season,
with a lack of both quality and strength in depth leading to an
underwhelming campaign as a whole. And many of their poor performances this
season could be attributed to their weakness in the middle of the park, what
with Mark Noble regressing from last term, Havard Nordtveit failing to
settle and persistent injury problems for the likes of Pedro Obiang and
Cheikhou Kouyate. So maybe now is the time for the Switzerland international
to come to the fore, and show his manager and the West Ham fans what he is
truly capable of.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, April 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th April 2017
Slav - Confidence is back
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says confidence has returned after a 1-0 Premier League win
over Swansea City
Victory lifted the Hammers eight points clear of the relegation zone with
six matches remaining
Manager admits he is not surprised to see Saturday's opponents Sunderland
struggling again
Slaven Bilic says confidence has come flooding back into his players after
they ended a five-match losing run by beating Swansea City.
West Ham United had not won in seven games going into their Premier League
meeting with the Swans at London Stadium, piling pressure on Bilic and his
players to arrest their slide with a vital victory.
Thanks to a first clean sheet since January and Cheikhou Kouyate's fine
goal, the Hammers got the win they craved and now travel to bottom club
Sunderland arguably just three or four points away from securing their
top-flight status.
"It's a big game for us," the manager confirmed. "We beat Swansea, which
also a big, big game and now we're approaching the second one. Every game is
big and Sunderland is in a situation that they are desperate for a win and
that's why it's a big game for them, but also it's a big game for us.
"We are looking forward to that game to secure, or getting closer to
securing our Premier League status.
"Every win gives you a boost, especially if you're doing it in such a big
game as we had against Swansea, after five defeats in a row. Of course, the
confidence is back.
"As I said before, belief is permanent and we never lost it, and the
confidence comes and goes. Sometimes you lose it in the same game because
you struggle in the first five or ten minutes, but belief never goes and it
is a key factor and you can't lose it.
"That's the reason why we played so good. Now we have the confidence back,
we have to build on that and not lose it again."
With home games to follow against Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool,
and away fixtures at Stoke City and Sunderland, Bilic wants his team to
reach the 40-point mark as soon as possible, and they can get to 39 with
another three at the Stadium of Light.
"Of course, that's what we want, but I have had a look at the schedules for
all the clubs and most of them have similar schedules, playing two or three
games against the clubs either near you or below you, and two or three games
against the top six or seven clubs," he observed.
"We are in no different a situation and now we have the game against
Sunderland is going to be extremely hard, like every game is, but it is an
opportunity for us to come closer to safety and get some points."
When asked specifically about Sunderland, Bilic admitted he was not
surprised to see them struggling again this season, seeing as the Black Cats
have not reached 40 points in any of the last four Premier League seasons.
"Nobody expected in the beginning when David Moyes took over that they would
suddenly be safe just because they appointed a big name and a great
manager," he observed. "They already had big name managers, be they Big Sam
or Dick Advocaat, who are massive names in the world of football, and they
somehow managed to stay up, but in the last few seasons, sadly for them and
unfortunately, it has become a common situation for them.
"They have a lot of the same players, so the majority of their players have
been there before and somehow they have done it.
"I know David Moyes is a top manager. I mean, at Everton he made them come
back again to the position they should have been with the size of the club
and everything – the name of the club, Goodison and Evertonians and Toffees
and all that – so he's brilliant, but the manager can only do as good as his
set of players."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic rues Antonio absence
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic confirmed Michail Antonio will be out for the remainder of the
season through injury
Winger suffered a hamstring problem in 1-0 Premier League win over Swansea
City on Saturday
Manager hopes Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho, Sam Byram and Aaron Cresswell
could all face Sunderland
Slaven Bilic has admitted losing Michail Antonio for the remainder of the
2016/17 Premier League season with a hamstring injury is a 'massive blow'.
The manager confirmed that West Ham United's leading scorer will be
sidelined for the remainder of the campaign after pulling up in the first
half of the 1-0 win over Swansea City at London Stadium. Bilic told his
pre-Sunderland press conference that, while the No30 will be absent, a host
of other players, including forwards Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho and
full-backs Sam Byram and Aaron Cresswell, should be available for selection
for Saturday's important fixture at the Stadium of Light. "We are without
Michail Antonio," he confirmed. "For Antonio it is a significant injury so
he is out for the season. Mark picked up the tenth yellow card so he is out
for two games and it's a big blow for us. "Sam Byram had a problem with his
ankle in the first half against Swansea but he is training on Thursday, so
he should be OK, but we're going to see. Also, Andy Carroll should be fit
and is also training on Thursday.
"From the last game we have no Antonio and no Mark Noble, but Andy can be
back and then Cresswell is training with us on Thursday, and Winston Reid
will start to train with us on Monday. That's the situation with us."
When asked for his reaction to Antonio's injury, Bilic was naturally
disappointed, but backed his other forwards, including Jonathan Calleri, to
fill the void. The Argentinian replaced Antonio at London Stadium on
Saturday and caught the eye with his hard-working display, while also going
close to scoring his second Premier League goal on a number of occasions.
"It's a massive blow, of course," he admitted. "We know what he is giving us
in every game. He's one of our best players, so it's going to be a big blow
that we're going to be without him for the rest of the season."
"We're going to see. It's a good thing that, despite Michail's injury, we
have options. Calleri did really well when he came on against Swansea with
his energy, with his pressing and with his creating open spaces for other
people. Also, he had a couple of good chances.
"We're going to see with Andy. He is always a big weapon for us and a threat
for the opponent. It's a good thing we have options, and we're definitely
going to need both of them on Saturday to share the minutes of the game.
Who's going to start? We're going to decide on Saturday, of course."
When asked about Calleri's long-term future with the Hammers, Bilic had
further words of praise for the on-loan Deportivo Maldonado forward. "We
will see," said the manager. "He is a very good professional, a very good
boy. He didn't play a lot. He played at the start of the season and in the
middle of the season. He is not a regular, but he never dropped one per cent
of energy in training.
"He is great to have around. He is training like he is playing 90 minutes
every week, he is doing his best and that's why he deserved a chance. He
played really well when he came on against Swansea and it's good to have
him."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Five-a-side
WHUFC.com
whufc.com selects a five-a-side team from players who have represented both
West Ham United and Saturday's opponents Sunderland...
1. Ernie England
No goalkeeper has pulled on the colours of both Sunderland and West Ham
United. Left-back Ernie England played 352 times for the Black Cats between
1919-29, making his name with his perfectly-timed right-footed slide tackles
that invariably stopped opposition wingers in their tracks. Signed from
non-league Shirebrook for just £100, England helped Sunderland to finish as
runners-up in the old First Division in 1922/23. England was 29 when West
Ham United paid £500 to bring him to the Boleyn Ground in October 1930, but
his debut did not arrive until 3 January 1931, when the Hammers played out a
sensational 5-5 draw with Aston Villa.
England played just five times in Claret and Blue before moving to Mansfield
Town and ending his career in the non-league ranks.
2. George McCartney
Another left-back, George McCartney had two spells with both West Ham United
and Sunderland, winning promotion to the Premier League with both during his
career. The Belfast-born Northern Ireland international was a committed,
tough and uncompromising defender who became a fans' favourite at the Boleyn
Ground.
A quietly-spoken, amiable character off the pitch, McCartney captained
Sunderland to the Championship title in 2005, before joining the Hammers a
year later.
After returning to the North East for a less-successful second spell with
the Black Cats, he returned to the Boleyn Ground following West Ham's
relegation in 2011, and he played an influential role in the east London
side winning promotion via the Play-Offs in May 2012.
Now 35, McCartney has not played professionally since leaving the Boleyn
Ground in June 2014.
3. Harry Hooper
One of the oldest-surviving Hammers, Harry Hooper was born in the
traditional coal mining village of Pittington in County Durham in June 1933.
Now 83, Hooper joined West Ham United in 1950 after his father Harry Senior
was appointed as a coach at the Boleyn Ground, and his form saw him named as
a back-up for England's 1954 FIFA World Cup finals squad. A skilful winger,
Hooper spent six years in east London before enjoying shorter but
outstanding spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City,
reaching the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final with the Blues in 1960. Hooper
then joined Sunderland, spending three years challenging for promotion from
the Second Division, before winding down his career in the non-league ranks.
4. Bryan 'Pop' Robson
Sunderland-born centre forward Bryan 'Pop' Robson played for his hometown
club on no fewer than 154 occasions in the Football League, scoring an
impressive 60 goals, across three spells. The distinctive striker also spent
two separate spells in east London, netting 104 goals in 255 games in all
competitions, and finishing as leading scorer in 1972/73, 1976/77, 1977/78
and 1978/79. Amazingly, the prolific Robson also found time to bang in 82
goals in 206 League appearances for Newcastle United at the start of his
career, 26 in 72 games for Carlisle United and three in 15 appearances for
Chelsea. After hanging up his boots, Robson coached and scouted for the
Black Cats, before ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light in 2013.
5. Jermain Defoe
Signed from Charlton Athletic as a schoolboy, Jermain Defoe spend
two-and-a-half seasons in the West Ham United first team from August 2001
until December 2003. Despite the Hammers' struggles during that period, the
diminutive striker hit the back of the net regularly, scoring 41 times in
105 appearances – 33 of them as a substitute. Then just 17, Defoe scored on
his debut in a League Cup win at Walsall in September 2000, and enjoyed a
record-breaking loan spell with AFC Bournemouth later the same year. The
forward went on to enjoy a successful career with Tottenham Hotspur and
Portsmouth before joining Sunderland in 2015. His form there has seen him
earn an England recall, and he now has 20 goals in 56 games for his country.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Randolph ready for Defoe duel
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph relishing his first-ever duel with Sunderland striker
Jermain Defoe
Goalkeeper hoping to make it two clean sheets in a row at Stadium of Light
Irishman also expressed condolences for Ireland teammate John O'Shea
Darren Randolph is relishing his first-ever duel with Sunderland striker
Jermain Defoe.
Despite both being senior professionals for more than a decade, the West Ham
United goalkeeper has never shared a pitch with the England forward.
Defoe and Sunderland have not scored in their last seven Premier League
matches, but Randolph is wary of the threat posed by the prolific
34-year-old.
"He's a dangerous and clinical finisher, as he's proved throughout his whole
career," the Hammers No1 observed of Defoe. "Any half-chance, he will take
it, so that's obviously what Sunderland look for.
"This will be the first time I've played against him in my career, believe
it or not. I've played against teams he's been involved in, but he's never
actually played as he's been injured.
"We obviously need to limit his space and chances."
Randolph and his teammates head for the Stadium of Light in good spirits
after keeping their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches last
weekend.
West Ham defeated struggling Swansea 1-0 at London Stadium thanks to a
resilient defensive display, and the Irishman is hoping the Hammers can
reproduce that form and extend Sunderland's unwanted run of more than eleven
hours without a Premier League goal.
The Black Cats have not hit the net since winning 4-0 at Crystal Palace on 4
February, but Randolph is still expecting to have work to do in the North
East.
"It was our first clean sheet since Palace and it's nice for everybody, not
just me as the goalkeeper, because it means you have all put a shift in," he
said of the Swansea victory. "It's good to get that clean sheet and win
along with it.
"Sunderland will score eventually and it's just a matter of when.
Personally, I don't care if they score on Saturday as long as we win, as
that's all that matters.
"If we can go there and put them under pressure and frustrate them and try
to get ourselves ahead in the game, then clearly it will make it a lot
easier for us.
"But they are scrapping for their own survival and it's a home game for
them, and they're not looking at us as a Chelsea or a Tottenham or a Man
United or Man City, but as a West Ham who are only a few places above them,
so they might play with a bit more freedom than usual.
"Regardless, we'll go there our own gameplan and try to execute that as best
we can and get three points."
Last but by no means least, Randolph also made a point of expressing his
condolences to his long-time Republic of Ireland teammate John O'Shea, who
sadly lost his father Jim earlier this month.
O'Shea is Ireand's third-highest all-time appearance maker with 118 caps to
his name, and Randolph has huge admiration for the defender he lined up
alongside at UEFA Euro 2016 and in recent FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
"I heard the unfortunate news about John's father and I extend my sympathies
to him and his family at this time, and I hope I can see him on Saturday,"
said Randolph. "John has got more than 100 caps for Ireland and won loads of
trophies during his time at Man United, he's a great player and a good guy."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: ANTONIO INJURY UPDATE, NOBLE'S POINTS TARGET, CHANCE FOR
NORDTVEIT?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 1:25PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Hello Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
Michail Antonio will be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring
injury. (BBC Sport)
This is a big blow for us, but I believe we have enough in our squad to get
through to the end of the season. Hopefully Michail will come back even
stronger next season.
Mark Noble says he expects 39 points to see West Ham to safety this season.
(Evening Standard)
I agree with Mark on this one. I think we will be pretty much safe if we
come away from Sunderland with all three points on Saturday.
Andy Carroll is expected to start for West Ham against Sunderland this
weekend. (Daily Star)
I love Andy Carroll, and he is one of my favourite players at the club.
However, I think it would be incredibly harsh on Jonathan Calleri to not
start him at the weekend. He came on against Swansea and I thought he was
brilliant, so he deserves a run out in this game over Carroll in my opinion.
Joe Hart is set to be sold by Manchester City this summer, with West Ham
being linked with the England goalkeeper. (Football Insider)
I would love it if we were to sign Joe Hart, but I cannot see it happening.
I think we need a new goalkeeper in the summer, but I think we should look
at Jordan Pickford. He is a young goalkeeper who is already showing real
quality, and he is also more of a realistic target for us. I think we should
start building for the future and sign some younger players, starting with
him.
Former Besiktas director of football Onder Ozen says Mario Mandzukic will be
a West Ham player next season. (Shoot)
Mandzukic is a very good player in my opinion, but I wouldn't want him at
West Ham. He is a target man, but we already have Andy Carroll for that
role. He is also on the wrong side of thirty now and as I just said, I think
we should start to build a younger side.
Havard Nordtveit is set to be given a final chance to save his West Ham
career against Sunderland this weekend. (HITC)
I hope Nordtveit is given a chance towards the end of the season, because he
is a real quality player. Sadly, he is another who just hasn't been given a
chance at the club. He is a tough tackling midfielder and I think with Noble
and Obiang both missing, he would fit in perfectly.
Slaven Bilic has suggested that a permanent deal for Jonathan Calleri could
be on the cards. (TalkSport)
I would not be against this deal at all. I know he hasn't had a season that
would warrant a permanent deal, but the game against Swansea has changed my
opinion on him. However, I do believe that he deserves a run of games to
prove himself properly in this league before any final decision is made on
him.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW? BY DAISY LOWE
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 10:01AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Daisy Lowe @DaisyLoweX
It wouldn't be a day at West Ham without seeing your stand out player from
the game limp to his car on crutches would it?
On Saturday I was lucky enough to be in Club London for a drink after the
game with my friend Shannon who worked The West Ham Way event with me. We
were leaving at the same time as a few of the players, including a rosy
cheeked Sam Byram hobbling around on crutches! I couldn't quite believe my
personal Man of the Match was now injured and in pain getting to his car?!
I will admit Byram hasn't always impressed me (perhaps because I was
secretly a massive Carl Jenkinson lover) but I have loved watching him
blossom and develop these past few games, throwing himself around the pitch
and expertly blocking shots on target. With a few starts under his belt, and
a vote of confidence from the manager and fans, Byram is becoming a
controlled and confident player who I believe will be essential in taking us
forward.
We haven't had the best of luck this season with injuries and signings, but
for me Sam is a perfect example of the standard of the type of player we
have on the bench, and for some reason, are not playing regularly enough …
Burke, Oxford, Cullen, Fernandes and Fletcher are just a few players who we
must utilise more! Whether they are on our bench our out on loan – It's time
to make these players feel important, before they lose sight of what it is
lik to play for West Ham United.
Being a footballer shouldn't be about turning up to a few hours of training,
getting your wages and then never playing a full 90 minutes for your club.
What discipline does this install? Does this encourage these youngsters to
work for their money? I worry that never having a vote of confidence in a
youngster kills their passion for the club where they ultimately lose sight
of the badge and get caught up in the world of caring more about what
nightclub they are going to that weekend, than if they are playing for the
team.
In some ways I feel sorry for these players. I have friends that play for
the club and I know that football is mentally and physically demanding. It
can be demoralising to never make the team. I also know that if a manager
isn't giving players a chance to shine and feel important to our club, they
lose their head and playing for our beloved club becomes a job and not a
responsibility. I think Sam Byram is the perfect example of why we need to
put more faith into our youngsters.
We have a great squad in the changing room. Let's give them a chance to
leave the London Stadium on crutches too!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
TIME TO BACK THE BOARD! BY ELLIOT POLLARD
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 10:26AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Elliot Pollard
Isn't it amazing how quickly football can change in just 1 week, with just 1
result; yet at the same time so incredible how quickly us as football fans
forget.
On the 17th of January 2010 West Ham United were precariously perched above
the relegation zone on goal difference with just 19 points from 21 games.
The club was owned by Icelandic bank Straumur-Burdaras who injected a lot of
cash into the club, demonstrated by the famous signings of Carlos Tevez and
Javier Mascherano. Unfortunately due to the collapse of the Icelandic
banking sector and miss management from the board, the club ended up in a
reported debt of £110 million and were flirting dangerously close to
administration.
On the 18th of January 2010 Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan bought a 50% share in
the club and became the majority shareholders. That year we did manage to
escape relegation; however were unable to repeat this the following season
suffering a miserable campaign; something which I do hold the David's
completely accountable for as they refused to sack hopeless Avram Grant!
Having said that the appointment of Sam Allardyce and the injection of cash
into the transfer kitty meant we were able to bounce straight back to the
top flight at the first time of asking; something only 3 other clubs can
boast of achieving in the last decade after finishing 20th in the previous
season.
It is also worth remembering at the time of the clubs sale, the only other
serious bidders were Tony Fernandes, the then chief executive of Air Asia,
and Massimo Cellino, the owner of Italian football club Cagliari. Tony
Fernandes went on to purchase QPR in August 2011 who have since spent an
estimated £124 million on transfers, suffered 2 relegations from the Premier
League and are now currently lingering around the bottom half of the
Championship with no return to the top flight in sight.
Mr Cellino on the other hand went on to purchase Leeds United in 2014 and
has since attracted nothing but controversy, not to mention the dismissal of
7 managers in 3 years! This gives you an insight into what may have happened
to our beloved club, not to mention what administration could have resulted
in, you only have to ask Charlton and Portsmouth fans about that feeling.
The David's have since managed to stabilise the club financially, which has
allowed us to develop into a profitable Premier League football club again.
The David's should also be recognised for their bravery in letting Big Sam
leave and appointing fan favourite Slaven Bilic to take charge of our final
season at Upton Park. Allardyce would have been a certainty to maintain our
Premier League status going into the Olympic Stadium there is no doubt. This
change meant we were able to achieve one of our best league finishes and
witness one of the best players to ever represent West Ham; although he will
not be named for obvious reasons.
With 11 players arriving over the summer David Sullivan has since come under
a lot of criticism for the lack of quality brought into the club, with some
reports suggesting he went for quantity over quality. None of the signings
have made a real impact on the squad yet but at the time the players brought
in did look like they would improve the team.
Sofiane Feghouli was singed from Spanish giants Valencia where he scored 31
and assisted 40 goals in 202 appearances. He also has 40 caps for Algeria
and previously won the Algerian player of the year in 2012. A fairly
respectable return and a player who was in high demand on a free transfer at
the time. Simone Zaza was signed from Serie A title winners Juventus where
he scored 8 goals in 24 appearances and ironically demonstrated his scoring
ability in the opening game of at the London Stadium.
At the time these players looked like fantastic coupes from big European
clubs but unfortunately they have struggled to settle in the Premier League.
The efforts to try and sign a marquee striker were obviously well reported
and I'm hopeful that the club has finally learnt not to spread its transfer
intentions all over the media.
I also believe the London Stadium has been used a scape goat for our poor
results this season. Unfortunately the transition from Upton Park to the
Olympic Stadium has been bumpy to say the least. Having said that I do
believe a lot of fans were deceived by the final season we were lucky enough
to experience at the Boleyn. Thankfully the team gave Upton Park a
tremendous stadium send off last year with some unforgettable victories;
however in previous seasons this has not been the case. In fact I have
personally experienced the most hostile atmosphere of my life at Upton Park
following a 3-1 defeat to Wolves in 2010 with very emotive chants of "you're
not fit to wear the shirt".
The truth is, when we were winning Upton Park produced an electric
atmosphere, as does the London Stadium, noticeably experienced with
victories over Chelsea, Palace and Swansea this season. When the results
don't go our way the atmosphere drops. It's the fans who control the
atmosphere, not the stadium. I know we sit a lot further away from the pitch
compared to Upton Park and this does make a big difference, but I guarantee
if we had experienced the same home victories at the London Stadium as we
did last season, the stadium would have not been criticised as harshly as it
has.
The move to the new stadium probably came a few years too early for us as a
club but the owners had no choice to take the opportunity to move to the
Olympic Stadium. You only have to look at Chelsea, Tottenham and Everton who
are all building new grounds with increased capacities to see how quickly
other clubs are growing.
As the club means so much to us fans it is natural to place blame when
results aren't going our way; but the reality is not many football clubs
have progressed as much as us in the last 5 years and we do have the owners
to thank for that. I believe our owners will carry us as far as they can
before they will inevitably pass us onto a bigger investor, but for now we
are in good hands.
With Sunderland coming up on Saturday a positive result will relieve the
pressure further and hopefully see us finish the season on a high!
COYI
Written by Elliot Pollard
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WHO I WOULD SIGN IN THE SUMMER. SOME INTERESTING TARGETS HERE….
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 7:36PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Greg Richardson @rakis14
Following Saturday's hard fought but thoroughly deserved win, I feel safer
on thinking about next season as a Premier League side. Way I see it we need
4 key players in summer = Goal Keeper, Right Back, a Payet replacement and a
Striker.
For each I position I have stated a 'dream signing, a realistic signing and
the player I would go for if I was in charge of transfers.
Goalkeeper – Dream signing = Joe Hart
The England number 1s future seems destined to be away from Man City and Pep
and we have been linked with him in the press for a while. An excellent shot
stopper, has good command of the penalty area and communicates with his back
4, he would certainly be an upgrade on our current incubants between the
sticks. He is also prone to the odd rush of blood to the head (like our very
own Adrian) but the positives far out way his negatives and for this reason
he is probably bound for sides higher up the table than us…Liverpool,
Everton and Arsenal could all be looking in the summer and would be more
willing than our board to spend the money required to capture this keeper.
Realistic = Jordan Pickford
The fact that Pickford has won as many plaudits as he has this season whilst
playing behind the sieve like defence of Sunderland speaks volumes for his
ability. Young, English, good reflexes and full of potential he would be
well out of our price range but with Sunderlands relegation being more a
case of when rather than if, we could pick him up for a cut price (which
will appeal to our board). We may find competition from other clubs but
Saints and WBA both have solid keepers and I'd like to think we have more
appeal than the rest of the club's around us.
Me – Victor Valdes
For the record is like to see us go for Pickford but if we get priced out or
just out manoeuvred, Victor Valdes would be the guy I turn to. He's kept 8
clean sheets this season behind a very average defence at Boro and has shown
enough to suggest he could do a job for us. Like Hart he has a winner's
mentality and is still a very capable as a shot stopper. And as Boro also
look likely to go down he'd be a decent budget signing.
Right Back –
Dream signing = Kieran Trippier
The former Burnley man hasn't featured much for Spurs this year but in those
rarities he has played, as well as his time with the Tykes, he has shown
that he is a top class modern right back. Solid in the tackle, good
positional sense and adept at the overlapping run, his forte is his ability
to whip in a cross better than most wingers. In truth we should have gone
after him in the summer, promised 1st team starts rather than a squad player
at Tottenham and wages to match. Now his price will have sky rocketed
(purely because of how Levy operates) and will be even higher for us (purely
because of how Levy tries to screw us at every opportunity) so is only
possible really if the board have a desire to spend really big this summer.
Or if Levy has a lobotomy.
Realistic = Zabaleta
Linked with us and available on a free, he is the sort of signing our board
love. But whatever negativity that the 'free' price tag may come with, there
is no denying the pedigree of Pablo Zabaleta. A title winner, experience
international with Argentina and a leader on the pitch, he is tough tackling
defender who is not shy at getting forward either. He would be a good person
for Sam Byram to learn from and would be a solid addition to the defence.
His age may put some of, as will his undoubtedly high wages, but 32 is no
age in the modern game and if it is a relatively short deal, the ability to
call on his experience when we are away to the bigger teams, could be well
worth the gamble.
Me – Nyom
The WBA full back really caught my eye when the Baggies came down to The
London stadium. Big, strong, fast and defensively sound enough to play in a
Tony Pulis back four, he is what I imagine would happen if Kouyate and
Antonio had a child and trained it to play right back so they never had to
play there again! He has more tackles, blocks and interceptions than Kyle
Walker (widely regarded as the best right back in league) and whilst his
delivery isn't as prolific as other counterparts he still creates chances.
At 28 he is experienced but young enough to make the right back position his
own for the foreseeable future.
Payet replacement*
*Dsiclaimer; by Payet replacement I mean a midfielder who is capable of
creating and scoring goals.
Dream signing = Cesc Fabregas
Fabregas is a creator. In his time with Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea is
ability to pick a pass and assist is beyond question. He has featured as a
bit part player for Contes Chelsea playing just over 900 minutes but has
registered 7 assist and 4 goals in the time he has been afforded. His game
has developed over the years and he is now more likely to play a less
advanced role, instead preferring to play as a deep lying playmaker. His
signing would not only take some of the creative pressure off of Manuel
Lanzini but also still allow the little argentine to occupy his preferred
no.10 role. He would also bring with him a professionalism and winning
mentality that could help elevate those around him.
Realistic = Gylfi Sigurdsson
A man that many hoped we would spend the Payet money on in January,
Sigurdsson is as close to a guarantee of goals and assists from midfield as
we can realistically afford. In his 32 games this season for perennial
strugglers Swansea he has scored 8 and assisted 11 goals. He is athletic,
strong and not afraid to put in a shift when his side are under the cosh
something that cannot be said of all of our creative types. With Swansea's
position in the Premier League still in the balance, many of us will be
hoping that they, and subsequently Sigurdsson's asking price, will go down
by the seasons end.
Me = Aaron Ramsey
Forget the Aaron Ramsey that we have seen at Arsenal for the last season or
two. That Ramsey has been played out of position and has been a player on
the periphery of a side in a downward spiral. Think of Aaron Ramsey the
Wales international. He is the main man in that midfield, the conductor of
much of their play, capable of playing defence splitting passes, ghosting
into the penalty area and has decent finishing ability too. He is a wholly
different animal to the one used as a bit part player by Wenger this season.
He creates and scores goals for his country as he once did for Arsenal
before he was utilised differently by his club side. Given the
responsibility of being our main man and played as a central midfielder, I
believe he would be an incredible signing for us.
Striker
Dream = Javier Hernandez
The little Pea/Chicharito is the epitome of the fox in the box striker. He
just seems to be in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the
net. He also has great movement off the ball which would be a dream for
Lanzini as the argentine is crying out for movement ahead of him (which
Carroll just does not offer). In his 23 games for Leverkusen this season he
has scored 10 goals and registered 2 assists, whilst also creating a further
18 chances for his team mates. As a side we tend to create half chances,
little sniffs at goal – Hernandez would be the ideal man to have in the box
ot put those chances away.
Realistic = Jermain Defoe
Everything I have just said about Hernandez is equally applicable to Defoe.
Probably English footballs most natural born striker, his movement and knack
of being there to tuck away half chances have resulted in 14 goals in 31
games for Sunderland this season. His only down side is that he is 34 and
that some still hold his infamous transfer request against him. However his
age has not stopped him playing as often as he has this season or from
getting himself back into the England squad, so why should it put us off?
The fact that he is will be available for next to nothing in the summer
if/when Sunderland go down and that he feels he has unfinished business with
us also point to this being a signing that could and should happen.
Me = Kelechi Iheanacho
An honourable mention must go to Alvaro Negredo of Boro, who I also think is
an option worth exploring in the summer but for me we should chase up Man.
City's Kelechi Ihenacho. Young, strong, unerring finishing and capable of
playing as a lone striker or as part of a front 2, the boy could spear head
our attack for years to come if we can get him. He has played 20 times for
Pep's side this season, but only racked up 600 or so minutes as he has been
used predominantly as a substitute, but in these brief cameo's he has scored
6 goals, registered 3 assists and created 13 chances for team mates. At any
other club you would say he will have a massive role next season, but with
Aguero and Gabriel Jesus ahead of him and City bound to sign another
attacker in the summer, he could find himself well done the pecking order
and a sneaky loan to buy deal could get us a huge talent.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE STADIUM IS IMPROVING DUE TO POSITIVE CHANGES BY THE BOARD! WRITTEN BY
HAMMER&TALK
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 8:16PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Hammer and Talk @hammerandtalk
The mood has changed around the stadium as the season has progressed in my
opinion. The best way to describe it is when a married couple both finally
decide to put their cards on the table in a desperate act to save their
marriage, obviously referring to the fans on social media saying exactly how
they feel about the stadium and the ownership of the club. Since many fans
have vented their frustrations, I feel the calm has most certainly followed
the storm due to positive changes made by the West Ham board. Maybe this is
just how I see it.
Since the beginning of West Ham's ownership of the stadium there has been
much improvement in and around the newly built stadium. An increase of
stewards have been employed to aid the struggles of fan conflict within
games. This has been a proven success. Also shelving has been placed in
various blocks at the stadium to ensure fans can rest their drinks at half
time during the break. Drinks are now being pre-poured in almost all of the
blocks to ensure a shortage of queues.
Whether thoughts are of negativity or unrest, there's no denying that things
are improving around the stadium and the old saying of 'Rome wasn't built in
a day' has much more impact to West Ham fans now than than ever before
especially whilst going from the fortress that is the Boleyn to the London
Stadium.
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Fan's anger at late fixture changes
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
A US-based West Ham United supporter arranged a trip to see both the
Tottenham and Liverpool games - but will now see neither due to fixture
amendments. Life-long Hammer Paul Wilkins, who moved from Stratford to the
Unites States three years ago had booked flights and accommodation that
would have enabled him too see his beloved Hammers face both teams as the
2016/17 draws to a close. However with the Tottenham match being moved
forward to the Friday and the Liverpool games pushed back 24 hours, Wilkins
- who was responsible for the web's first ever West Ham website back in the
mid 1990s - will now miss both matches. "Anyone that knows me will confirm
that I love West Ham," he posted via Facebook. "So much so, that when
booking a holiday back to London to see family and friends I purposely did
so with Spurs (Saturday, 6 May) and Liverpool at home (Saturday, 13th May)
firmly in mind. "I asked a good friend to get me some tickets and he obliged
accordingly. Fantastic! Er, not. "I found out that the Spurs game had been
moved to the Friday (5 May). Well, that's the day we arrive. But we still
have Liverpool, right? WRONG. They've changed it to Sunday 14th - the day we
fly back..."
Meanwhile another ex-pat Hammer, who posts on Twitter as 'Far Eastender'
also revealed that he would be out of pocket as a result of the Premier
League's decision to move the fixture at late notice. "Great. £87 to change
the flight for the Spurs game and £ 115 to change for Liverpool," he wrote
following the revelation that the Liverpool game was being moved.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic fears attacks such as the Borussia Dortmund bus explosions are
'impossible' to prevent
Borussia Dortmund's team bus was rocked by three explosions on Tuesday
Police believe the explosions were a targeted bomb attack on the squad
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic fears such attacks are now hard to prevent
Bilic was in charge of Besiktas when rival club Fenerbahce's bus was shot at
By Andy Sims, Press Association Sport
PUBLISHED: 00:14, 14 April 2017 | UPDATED: 00:16, 14 April 2017
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was shocked at the attack on the Borussia
Dortmund team coach, but fears such incidents are impossible to prevent.
Three explosions occurred around the bus - believed to be a targeted bomb
attack - as the Dortmund players left the team hotel en route to the Signal
Iduna Park stadium for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final
against Monaco, which was swiftly postponed. Dortmund's Spanish defender
Marc Bartra was taken to hospital, where he required an operation for a
broken bone in his right wrist. Bilic recalled a similarly frightening
incident while he was managing Turkish side Besiktas, when rival club
Fenerbahce's bus was shot at. 'I remember once when I was in Turkey when
Fenerbahce were in Trabzon and the coach was attacked,' he said. 'There was
a shotgun and it just missed the driver, and they were driving at 80mph. It
was so close. 'Those people are doing those kind of things because they
don't want us to feel secure - not just footballers but you and me and the
whole world. Nobody is secure. But you have to try to continue with your
normal life. We sympathise with Dortmund, of course, and it was such a
shock. You have to continue to do your job. You have to continue with your
life. 'But I don't know, for example, how Dortmund could stop that attack.
It's impossible. What one club can do to prevent it, I really don't know.'
West Ham have suffered their own security scare this season, with striker
Andy Carroll having been the victim of an attempted robbery at gunpoint in
November as he drove home from training.
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IS IT TIME FOR WEST HAM TO LOOK FOR A YOUTHFUL KEEPER?
DANIEL WEBSTER @danwebbo
readWestHam
West Ham have two great 'keepers at their disposal, current first choice
Darren Randolph who regularly features for the Republic of Ireland and
Adrian who is perhaps my favourite West Ham 'keeper in what feels like a
very, very long time.
Both are at the age now of 29 and 30 respectively, which is not old for a
keeper by any means, but with our third string 'keeper Raphael Spiegel at
the age of 24, I just cannot see him breaking into the first-team with some
of his performances. Randolph's performances haven't been up to scratch
lately also, keeping just one clean sheet since January, which is why I do
think it is time now for Adrian to return, but maybe we should look forward
into the future?
An excellent young keeper is Alban Lafont, currently playing for Toulouse
and at the age of just 18 is regularly featuring for their first-team. I do
not doubt that many top clubs will be vying for his signature, but if the
board are going to be keeping their promises of bringing in quality talent
and pushing for European places, a place we could start is in the keeper
position.
Many teams are playing more youthful keepers now, with the likes of
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, Mattia Perin and Jan
Oblak all playing for their first teams and being 24 and under, it would
seem very wise to attain a young keeper as they usually play a lot longer
than their outfield compatriots. Even another young keeper, Simone Scuffet,
who is 20-years-old and was touted to be the man who would take Italian
legend Buffon's mantle as number one for Italy, could be a great
alternative. Maybe something for West Ham to ponder in the future?
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WEST HAM ONE OF THREE TEAMS IN FOR JOE HART
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam
While Slaven Bilic may be public in his support for both of his goalkeepers,
the co-owners aren't strangers to getting themselves involved in transfer
activity. There have been reports that West Ham are interested in signing
Joe Hart, as the Daily Mail note, but they aren't alone in their pursuit of
the England international as both Everton and Chelsea have made their
interest known. Hart was made an outcast by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City
and was sent on loan to Serie A with Torino where he has enjoyed a great
season and maintained his place as England's No.1. City are keen on a
permanent sale for Hart in the summer and have rebuffed a second loan offer
from Torino. It's understood they're after a fee in the region of £15m to
part ways with Hart. The 29-year-old would like a permanent return to the
Premier League and a move to West Ham where he would instantly become the
club's No.1, much like he would at Everton.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FILIP BENKOVIC: A CENTRE BACK PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE?
DANIEL WEBSTER @danwebbo
ReadWestHam
Amongst the talented crop of players we have in our ranks vying for a centre
back position, namely Reece Oxford and Reece Burke, there is an interesting
player plying his trade in Croatia which we should definitely have a look
at.
Filip Benkovic, who currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb, is building a name
for himself through rising through the youth system to become a first-team
player. Part of a successful Zagreb side that have won two trophies that
including capturing the Croatian league title, he has also grabbed himself a
couple of goals in the Croatian first league, he has also appeared in the
Champions League facing the likes of Juventus and Sevilla, playing the full
90 minutes of each.
At the tender age of 19, he is a year older than Oxford and has been given a
lot more game time, gaining valuable experience in the field, which I think
given a chance Oxford would definitely be able to cope with. A young centre
back with valuable experience beside our maybe one-day captain would be a
very good pairing indeed.
Bilic's strong ties with Dinamo Zagreb (even advising the coach on how to
beat Arsenal back in 2015), and hailing from Croatia himself, he certainly
wouldn't feel out of place at West Ham but the deal wouldn't seem likely. As
mentioned before we have extreme talent in the burgeoning star of Oxford,
and taking a gamble on available first team minutes might not appeal to the
young Croatian, but it would be a very good signing for the future.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM WEIGHING UP PERMANENT DEAL FOR JONATHAN CALLERI
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
readWestHam
This season has been a real struggle for West Ham and Jonathan Calleri. The
Argentine striker joined on a season-long loan from Uruguayan side Deportivo
Maldonado and the Hammers beat off the likes of Sevilla and Inter Milan to
land his loan signature.
In purely a move to put his name out there in Europe and try to land a
lucrative transfer the following summer, Calleri really hasn't lived up to
the hype since arriving at the club. With 14 appearances to his name to date
and no starts in the Premier League, it's fair to say that Slaven Bilic
hasn't had much faith in the former Boca Juniors standout, but that could be
changing. Many thought that his goal at Middlesbrough would be the catalyst
for a turn in form but he only played 47 minutes of football in the nine
games between then and the Swansea match last weekend. Calleri replaced an
injured Michail Antonio in the first half and really put in a good shift.
His off the ball movement was very good, his hold up play was solid and
overall it was a decent outing, even if the end product wasn't always there.
There's talk that he could start at Sunderland this weekend with Antonio out
and both Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho not at 100% in what could very well
be his last chance to make a lasting impression. When asked today about the
chances of signing the 23-year-old on a permanent basis, Bilic hinted that
the club are still weighing up the decision.
Las Palmas were keen on take him on loan in January when the Hammers were
expected to terminate his contract with the club, but a decision was made to
keep him around and perhaps we're about to reap the rewards of that
decision.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Full transcript: West Ham boss Slaven Bilic rules out Antonio for the season
and looks ahead to Sunderland
The boss had a lot to say at his press conference this morning
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:46, 13 APR 2017
Slaven Bilic faced the media at Rush Green on Thursday morning ahead of this
weekends Premier League clash away at Sunderland. The Hammers boss ruled out
Michail Antonio for the rest of the season through injury and provided
updates on other injury news, the prospect of Jonathan Calleri starting this
weekend and looking ahead to the Black Cats clash. Here is everything the
boss had to say.
Injury news
We are without Antonio. it is a significant injury so is out for the season.
Mark [Noble] picked up the yellow card, his tenth so misses two games and is
a big blow. Sam [Byram] had an ankle problem against Swansea but is training
today and should be OK. Also, Andy Carroll is also training today and can be
back for Sunderland. [Aaron] Cresswell is training today and Winston Reid is
starting to train on Monday.
Antonio out for the season
It's a big blow, we know what he gives us in every game and is one of our
best players that we are going to be without until next season.
Jonathan Calleri or Andy Carroll to replace him? We will see, we have
options despite the injury to Michail. Calleri done really well when he came
on against Swansea with his energy and opening spaces for other people, he
had some chances, but we will see with Andy.
He is always a big weapon for us and a threat. Probably, most definitely, we
will need them both on Saturday to share the minutes. Who will start, I'll
decide on Saturday.
Beat Sunderland and safety secured?
Win and safe? Yeah, I think so. It's a big game, we have won our last big
game and this is the second one. Every game is big. Sunderland are desperate
for a win and it's a big game for them as well as us and we are looking
froward to it to secure or get closer to securing our status in the Premier
League.
Slavisa Jokanovic being linked with his job
I didn't see it until i was just told. I know Slavisa, we are from the same
region, speak the same language, I like him a lot as a person and a manager,
he is doing with great with Fulham but I am not bothered, the same as last
week or last year. I don't talk to the owners about every name that appears
in the papers.
Who is your Premier League player of the year?
It's difficult, they all have had great seasons. [Harry] Kane, [Alexis]
Sanchez, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic definitely, [N'Golo] Kante obviously but for
me to pick one, then it's [Eden] Hazard, that's my opinion. All of them are
great. They all make the difference, Ibra at United definitely, he's amazing
but that goes for every one of them. A big team like Spurs are different
without Kane, Chelsea without Kante, Sanchez has been unstoppable but for me
it's Hazard. The way he creates chances for other people, the way he makes
space, the way he breaks defences, he tears them apart and then he scores
goals regularly, very important goals. He's amazing, with his skill, he is
for me the best player of the season.
On the terror attack in Dortmund
I don't know that we have shatterproof glass [on the team bus]. We all have
security but it's very hard to stop, you cant secure everything. It was a
very sad day for the world of football for that to happen. Unfortunately, it
happened and we all unite with [Marc] Batra and with Dortmund. It shouldn't
be happening of course but unfortunately that is the world we live in.
Calleri's long term prospects at West Ham
We will see. He is a very good professional, a very good boy. He hasn't
played a lot, but he never dropped one per cent of energy in training. He is
great to have around and training like he's playing every week, he's doing
his best and he deserves a chance. He came on against Swansea and did well,
he is good to have.
Planning for next season
I spend a lot of time with my staff on a daily basis to discuss next season
as well as this one but to be fair, it's all about Sunderland at the moment.
I have spoken with the chairmen for next season, of course.
David Moyes
He is a great manager. But they have had big names before, Sam Allardyce,
Dick Advocaat have been there and somehow they managed to stay up. In the
last few seasons it has been a common situation and now it looks really bad
but the majority of their players have been there before and they have done
it. I know Moyes is a top manager, at Everton he made them come back to the
position they should have been with the size of the club so he's great but
he can only do as good as his players.
Boost of confidence after Swansea
I mean, every win gives you a boost especially if you do it in such a
massive game and after five defeats in a row. The confidence is back but as
I said before, it's belief that is permanent and we never lost it. The
confidence it comes and goes but belief is there, it is a key factor you
can't lose and that's the reason why we played so good. Now we also have
confidence back and have to build that and not lose it again.
Remaining fixtures this season
It sets us up for the rest, yes but of course, I look at the schedule for
all the clubs and most of us have two or three against teams with and around
you and below you, then two or three against the top six or seven, so we are
in no different a situation. Against Sunderland, we know it'll be hard,
every game is but it's a good opportunity for us to come closer and get some
points of course.
Why did Calleri come on against Swansea instead of Carroll or Diafra Sakho?
I spoke about Calleri and how he is doing, we needed a fit player. With Andy
it was he'd be on the bench and if we needed him, 15 minutes maximum 20 but
now it's totally different. With Diafra also he was out for a long time,
played half hour against Arsenal but we opted for Calleri, it was a good
choice.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SLAVEN BILIC UPDATES ON CARROLL AND SAKHO SITUATIONS
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
readWestHam
During the win at Swansea, West Ham were dealt a crushing injury blow in the
first half when top scorer Michail Antonio suffered a recurrence of the
hamstring injury he had been struggling with and had to come off, an injury
which has since ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The expectation was that Andy Carroll would come on to replace Antonio and
lead the line, or possibly even Diafra Sakho for only his second appearance
since November.
Slaven Bilic saw differently and decided to give Jonathan Calleri the best
part of 60 minutes to make his mark on the game and to his credit, he gave a
determined performance, probably his best for the club to date.
But why were Carroll and Sakho not picked ahead of the Argentine like one
would expect? Bilic says they simply didn't have the legs.
With Andy, he could play for 15-20 minutes against Swansea, but this
Saturday is completely different. It's the same with Diafra.
Carroll started the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal last week but was brought off at
the hour mark and replaced by Sakho who had only just returned from a
long-term back injury.
Bilic later confirmed that Carroll felt a niggle in his groin which had been
plaguing him for a number of weeks and was substituted as a precaution.
Both players failed to see any action during the win at Swansea three days
later and have another 10 days of rest and training under their belts with
no setbacks and should be able to play some part at Sunderland.
After his performance at Swansea, however, Bilic seems keen on handing
Calleri some more game time to see what he can do and Sakho appears to be
the one who'll have to sit on the bench for the time being.
It's a big blow with Antonio [missing the rest of the season] because he has
been good in every game. We have options up front with Andy Carroll and
Jonathan Calleri. We're likely going to need both Andy and Jonathan on
Saturday and they'll share the minutes on the pitch.
West Ham know that a win at Sunderland will virtually secure their place in
the Premier League for next season and with a couple tricky fixtures left in
the run-in, getting points on the board is paramount.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IT'S MAKE OR BREAK FOR HAVARD NORDTVEIT
DAN BRIARD @briard_dan
ReadWestHam
Is Mark Noble's successor rotting on the Hammers bench? Quite possibly I
think. Havard Nordtveit joined on a free transfer from Borussia
Monchengladbach last summer but has found that first-team opportunities are
hard to come by, making only 17 appearances since his move from Germany. The
former Arsenal youth player was a regular in the side early in the season,
playing a holding midfield role in the Europa League qualifiers and started
the first two Premier League games of the season but soon lost his place due
to Pedro Obiang's fine form.
In the midst of West Ham's latest injury bug, Nordtveit, who had found
himself on the outside looking in during the Autumn, playing just seven
minutes of football in October and November, was shunted into right-back and
he started four games during December and January at the position but failed
to make an impact in a position he's not comfortable with.
A lot of fans hold the defeat at Tottenham against him after coming on as a
late sub to see out the game before giving away a penalty at the death which
Harry Kane slotted away and gave Spurs the win.
But is the Norway international really that bad? I'm not so sure. During his
six seasons with Borussia Monchengladbach, he made over 150 appearances for
the German club and was even made captain of the team. He has Champions
League experience, which only a handful of players can say in the current
Hammers squad.
More importantly, Nordtveit is a central midfielder and has to be given a
chance in his natural position, given that Pedro Obiang, the midfield
maestro is out injured for the rest of the season and Noble will now miss
two games after picking up his 10th booking of the season.
West Ham fans will be sick of hearing about the number of players who have
been used at right back this season, with Nordtveit being one of the those.
The central midfielder has waited patiently for his chance and I do believe
that he could fill in well for Pedro Obiang. After all, it seems that
Nordtveit will be moved on in the summer, but will he be given one last
chance to prove himself?
He's not featured since January 2nd, a 12-game run and has seemingly fallen
out of favour with the coaching staff but perhaps he could be handed a
reprieve at Sunderland. You never know, these last games could help us see
that Nordtveit can perform on the big stage, but he has to be given a chance
where I think he may be able to shock a lot of fans, let's hope so.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Mark Noble expects 39 points to make Slaven Bilic's side
safe this season
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
Mark Noble expects 39 points to be enough for West Ham to retain their
Premier League status this season. The Hammers started the campaign aiming
to push towards the European places, having finished seventh in their final
season at the Boleyn Ground, but have fallen short of expectations. Slaven
Bilic's side lost five consecutive top-flight fixtures prior to last week's
crucial victory over Swansea but are now eight points clear of the
relegation zone ahead of the run-in. The 40-point mark is commonly seen as
the total required to stay up but Noble is convinced just one more victory
will be enough for the Hammers, who currently have a tally of 36.
"One more win should see us safe," he told the club's official website.
"Hopefully we've broken that run of losses – games we shouldn't have lost.
Sunderland away is massive and then we have some tough games."
The Hammers face Sunderland on Saturday afternoon and will be hopeful they
can get the better of David Moyes' side. The Black Cats have failed to win
in seven games and appear destined to drop into the Championship next term.
Noble will not feature at the Stadium of Light due to suspension but the
club captain is planning to travel north with the rest of Bilic's squad
regardless. "I'll be going up with them, for sure. I wouldn't be able to
relax otherwise. My Saturday would be the worst Saturday in history if I
didn't go! "I need to be there, so I'm pretty sure the manager will be happy
with me travelling up with the lads and supporting them, because obviously
we're in this together," Noble added.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham winger Michail Antonio to miss the rest of the season with
hamstring injury
Michail Antonio is to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury
He limped off in the first half of West Ham's win over Swansea on Saturday
Antonio will miss the Hammers' remaining six games
By Sam Cunningham for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 10:55, 13 April 2017 | UPDATED: 10:59, 13 April 2017
West Ham winger Michail Antonio is to miss the rest of the season with a
hamstring injury suffered during the first half of his side's 1-0 Premier
League win over Swansea. Antonio will miss the Hammers' remaining six games,
including their trip to Sunderland on Saturday, but it is not clear if he
will be fit for England's World Cup qualifier with Scotland on June 10.
Having been on of West Ham's most impressive players this season, the
England winger limped off during last weekend's crucial win. West Ham
manager Slaven Bilic told a press conference: 'We are without Michail
Antonio. It's a significant injury and he's out for the season.'It's a big
blow with Antonio because he has been good in every game.'
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KICK 'EM WHEN THEY'RE DOWN – POACHING BARGAINS IN THE SUMMER SALES
By Michael Brook 13 Apr 2017 at 08:00
WTID
"Armageddon" is how David Sullivan described relegation from the Premier
League. The financial chasm between English football's top two tiers has
never been greater; demoted clubs currently receive £86m in parachute
payments over 3 years on a front-loaded sliding scale, but miss out on a
minimum of £100m per season in TV rights. Based on a three-year cycle of
'bouncebackability', that equates to a deficit of £214m. The gap continues
to widen as the tectonic plates shift further apart.
Relegation inevitably results in 'fire sales' as companies look to strip out
expendable assets, resource and overheads. Squads are overhauled as clubs
seek to underwrite themselves in order to absorb considerable losses and
work within EFL financial regulations. Relegation in 2003 decimated our
squad – Defoe, David James, Carrick, Joe Cole, Sinclair, Glen Johnson, Di
Canio and Kanoute all departed the Boleyn. Our ill-fated inaugural campaign
under Avram Grant similarly culminated in the likes of Demba Ba and Scott
Parker leaving the Club.
Many of these players moved on cut-price deals. Purchasing clubs have little
incentive to act before the latter stages of the transfer window, knowing
full well that selling clubs are desperate to offload. Inequality of
bargaining power drives down price. Post-season vultures begin to circle in
gleeful anticipation of feasting upon the charred remains of another Premier
League casualty. Attractive propositions can be readily enticed with a
return to the Promised Land. Take Newcastle for example: having been
relegated at the end of last season, the following players became available
– Krul, Townsend, Coloccini, Cissé, Wijnaldum, Cabella, Janmaat, Sissoko,
Tioté, Thauvin and Rivière. Not a bad carcass to pick the bones out of
there! Opportunity knocks again this summer and the Hammers must be ready to
pounce. Relegated players can meet a variety of business and sporting needs;
purchase to plug gaps, develop, upsell or enhance our current squad.
For me, it's now 3 from 4 for relegation; Sunderland will be joined by
Middlesbrough, Swansea and/or Hull City. Whilst I'm not suggesting we should
recruit all (or even any) of the following players, I'm curious to consider
how we might bolster our ranks by targeting trapdoor teams:
Relegation XI 2016/17
GK: Lukasz Fabianski – The Swansea shot-stopper has always impressed me and,
at 31 years of age, still has several good seasons ahead of him. Whilst
Jordan Pickford also deserves a mention, we need a keeper to hit the ground
running and truly replace Rob Green. There will also be greater competition
for Pickford's signature.
RB: Kyle Naughton – Our relegation candidates lack a stand-out right back.
Middlesbrough's Fabio is a liability and the Tigers' Elmohamady is a winger
by trade who lacks defensive discipline. From the options available in the
basement battle, I'd be tempted to take a punt on former Spurs man Naughton.
However, the reality is that we need to invest heartily to secure an
accomplished PL performer to tackle this problem position properly.
CB: Alfie Mason – At just 23 years of age, this lad has a bright future.
Quick, reads the game well despite his inexperience, good in the air and has
an eye for goal with 4 strikes already in just 21 Swansea appearances.
CB: Lamine Koné – Built like the proverbial brickhouse, the Ivory Coast
international brings sheer physicality and athleticism to the backline. With
a tad more focus and application, he could be a colossal centre half. At 28,
the Black Cats' defender looks a shrewd purchase. I would have included Ben
Gibson, but we won't beat other bidders for the Borough boy's services.
LB: Andrew Robertson – The marauding fullback has done enough in his 2
appearances against us alone to warrant inclusion. Loves to get forward but
has added maturity and leadership to his game. Martin Olsson gets a nod, but
I'd plump for the young Scot to team-up with his international colleague
down our left flank.
RM: Luciano Narsingh – I watch a lot of Dutch football and this boy is a
tricky customer. At his best in transition and clinical on the counter
attack, he would suit our style of play, particularly away from home.
Players from the Edervisie take time to settle whilst they get to grips with
the frenetic pace and physicality of the league. A modicum of faith would
reap rewards on this occasion.
CDM: Jan Kirchhoff – A class act when fit (which raises justifiable question
marks), the former Mainz and Bayern Munich man is adept at breaking up play
and forging intelligent passes between the lines. A slick and silky operator
who strikes the right balance between skill and pragmatism.
CAM: Gylfi Sigurdsson – All. Day. Long. This guy has vision, guile and
technique. Not to mention he chalks up goals and assists for fun. A
go-to-guy for fantasy football fans everywhere, a goal-scoring central
midfielder is exactly what we require if Slaven persists with playing one up
top. Gastón Ramírez was considered, but the temperamental and nomadic
midfielder simply cannot compete with the Icelandic technician.
LM: Kamil Grosicki – Full of technique and dribbling ability, the diminutive
Pole has more twists and turns than a series of Broadchurch. Adama Traoré
gets an honourable mention, but is a winger of the headless chicken variety,
a la Yannick Bolasie. Application is a given, but output is key.
ST: Jermain Defoe – The former Hammer simply had to be included. With 14
goals in a struggling Sunderland side, it is embarrassing to consider where
the Mackems would be without him. The prolific forward has a relegation
release clause, so expect widespread clamour for his services. I have a
hunch that Spurs will come calling to bolster their stable of strikers.
Wouldn't it be great if 'Judas' finally restored the balance and chose us
over them?
ST: Fernando Llorente – Slim pickings in the forward department amongst our
relegation fodder. The Swansea target man's 11 league goals this season
represent a healthy return. The Spanish international has also forged a
decent partnership with Sigurdsson. Indeed, the Swans have missed Llorente
dearly in recent weeks as their form has tailed-off alarmingly. Abel
Hernández and Álvaro Negredo were considered, whilst Borini, Mbokani and
Anichebe were roundly mocked and quickly consigned to the relegation
scrapheap.
It's a game of opinions – what's yours?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alan Stephenson: 'It's certainly another 'must-win' game for West Ham'
Thursday, 13 April 2017 By Brian Jeeves in Football
By Brian Jeeves
ALAN STEPHENSON was relieved that his former side saw off Swansea City last
time out, easing their relegation fears. The Hammers had lost five Premier
League matches on the bounce going into last weekend's clash with the Swans
at the London Stadium. However, Stephenson, who made 108 appearances for the
east London club between 1968 and 1972, was mindful that they had to make it
back-to-back victories when they travel to the Stadium of Light to face
rock-bottom Sunderland on Saturday. Speaking to Yellow Sport ahead of the
clash, Stephenson said: "It was a crucial win for Slaven Bilic and the team
last week. It lifted a little of the gloom and doom around the London
Stadium. They now need to secure their Premier League status as soon as
possible. That way they can play with a little more freedom in the remaining
games, perhaps giving their supporters some optimism for next season. "It's
certainly another 'must-win' game for West Ham at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland are rooted to the bottom of the table and have not so much as
scored a goal at home since mid-January. Bilic's team must make it count
this week as three points should make them all-but safe from the drop."
Despite Sunderland's struggles, Stephenson was wary of one particular Black
Cats player who he believed would offer a genuine threat: "Jermaine Defoe
has recently been linked with a return to the Hammers. He has scored more
than half of Sunderland's twenty-four goals this season and will be busting
a gut to add to that tally this weekend. "Remarkably, Defoe recently made a
goalscoring return to the England side. He has made a big impact for every
club he has represented and is an excellent example to younger footballers.
"The Hammers backline, particularly James Collins, were terrific against
Swansea. They will have to be on their toes again this week to snub out
Defoe's threat. "
But Stephenson was also concerned with the Hammers ever growing injury list,
adding: "Michail Antonio appears to be out for the remainder of the season,
while there are question marks over Andy Carroll's fitness. This is a big
worry for Bilic, especially as his side need another four or five points to
be safe from relegation. "For me, Andre Ayew has to come alive and justify
just why the Hammer paid a club record £20 million for him. This is a
perfect opportunity for him to get amongst the goals and help his team away
from trouble. "West Ham still have eighteen points to play for. However,
with the likes of Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur still to come
they will face an anxious run-in if they fail to win against a poor
Sunderland side."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ex-Newcastle man Andy Carroll will need no extra motivation to move
Sunderland closer to relegation
GARY ROWELL 06:38
Thursday 13 April 2017
SunderlandEcho.com
Sunderland have a second consecutive home game when West Ham United provide
the opposition this weekend and while there is a glimmer of hope they have
got to go for it even though everyone knows we are so far behind we could
win on Saturday and probably still go down. ADVERTISING inRead invented by
Teads West Ham have had a troubled season. The move from Upton Park to the
new stadium has proved to be anything but easy; star player Dimitri Payet
engineered a move back to France and lost his hero status with fans; and the
team's results haven't been as good as I'm sure the owners expected. Slaven
Bilic might be feeling the heat a little bit and I am sure he will be
desperate to finish the season with a flourish after they scraped a win over
Swansea City on Saturday. Then, of course, there is Andy Carroll – so often
a thorn in our side. If fit, he will need no extra motivation to pile on
more misery for the Sunderland fans. The ex-Newcastle striker might have his
critics but if you play a system that suits him and get the service right,
then he is a huge problem for any centre-back and I am sure all of our back
four would prefer to play a Hammers team with him out of it, than in it.
Sunderland's position now is beyond desperate, even before the United game
every Sunderland fan I talked to thought we would go down – even the blindly
optimistic ones. So a 3-0 defeat in that game hasn't improved morale one
bit. There were nearly 44,000 fans at the last home game, and no doubt there
will be another good turn-out against West Ham. Unbelievable support both
home and away considering what the fans have had to endure this season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Embarrassing' - West Ham fans react to Jack Sullivan writing about the club
in national newspaper
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United fans have reacted furiously after the teenage son of
co-owner David Sullivan announced he is writing a column for The Sun.
Sullivan, fellow co-owner David Gold and Karren Brady have come under fire
for washing the club's dirty linen in public. Fans have also been critical
of Sullivan's sons David and Jack for discussing club affairs and transfers
on Twitter. A bizarre columnist dubbed The Insider - which openly discussed
transfer targets and fees amongst other things - was pulled on the orders of
Brady earlier this season after complaints from supporters. So you can
imagine how West Ham fans have reacted to the revelation from Jack Sullivan
that he is to write a twice monthly column for national newspaper The Sun.
Announcing his column, Jack said on Twitter: "My first Sun article, about
the Swansea game. Check it out, will be writing 1/2 a month."
The teenager went on to insist he will not be 'giving anything away' and
donates the fee for the column to charity. But fans were still disappointed,
with some furious reactions. As the son of the club's owner and a West Ham
fan, it must be exciting for young Jack who says he just wants to interact
with the club's supporters. Indeed many fans enjoy his regular updates and
inside information, particularly when the transfer window is open and in
full swing. But just as many feel it is unnecessary and point to the example
set by other clubs who conduct their business in a more professional manner.
Jack Sullivan ? @jsullivanwhu
My first sun article, about the Swansea game. Check it out, will be writing
1/2 a
month.https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/3316959/west-hams-brilliant-1-
0-win-over-swansea-can-be-catalyst-for-change-after-problems-on-and-off-the-
london-stadium-pitch/ …
Fred Stanley @fredjstanley
@jsullivanwhu @TheSun when will you and the rest of club management learn to
keep your gob shut??
5:20 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 13 13 likes
WEZ @FADEandDIE
@jsullivanwhu Scum bags news paper disgusted our club world be linked with
it's disgusting lying scum bag paper
5:16 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 2 2 likes
George? @George_Whufc
@jsullivanwhu Why the sun? Disgraceful
4:57 PM - 12 Apr 2017
12 12 Retweets 26 26 likes
Steve Brown @Steve_Brown01
@jsullivanwhu Sorry, but this is another major PR own goal (for WH)
Jack...This rag is the most despised in football. Suggest u retract
5:03 PM - 12 Apr 2017
12 12 Retweets 16 16 likes
Dylan Dench @DylanDench
@jsullivanwhu Owners son writing articles about the team in the Sun haha
couldn't make it up, club never learn, embarrassing
4:58 PM - 12 Apr 2017
14 14 Retweets 29 29 likes
46 and 2 @KingYeates
@jsullivanwhu the sun? For Shame. Expect it from Brady, but not so much you.
?They Fly So High? @TFSH_WHUFC
@jsullivanwhu @karren_brady and you should be ashamed after what Sun has
done to the genuine football fan, but then you lot like lies don't
you......FACT. pic.twitter.com/EnZx3SdeXl
7:35 PM - 12 Apr 2017
View image on Twitter
1 1 Retweet 5 5 likes
DA @DDDAAA74
@jsullivanwhu Just what we need ... we don't hear enough from your family.
Not like your dad shouts his mouth off to anybody who'll listen
5:08 PM - 12 Apr 2017
Retweets 5 5 likes
joe kuzsel ? @JoeKuzsel
@jsullivanwhu @ExWHUemployee If you dont understand why you shouldnt write
for the sun then you understand very little about football fans. Very sad
situation...
8:05 PM - 12 Apr 2017 · Stratford, London
1 1 Retweet 1 1 like
Tony Price @tonycprice
@jsullivanwhu Hi Jack, I haven't got a problem with you writing about a club
you are obviously passionate about, but please, please not for that rag.
6:44 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 1 1 like
Munky @IAmTheMunky
@jsullivanwhu Another one using my club as a platform to build their
personal brand, just like @karren_brady . Oh, and #dontbuythesun
6:20 PM - 12 Apr 2017
Retweets 1 1 like
Pep Harris @UglyKidPep
@jsullivanwhu Why doesn't anyone at our club know when to shut their mouths?
Too many flash Harrys. oh, and #DontBuyTheSun
5:57 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 2 2 likes
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
JACK SULLIVAN West Ham's brilliant 1-0 win over Swansea can be catalyst for
change after problems on and off the London stadium pitch
Jack Sullivan, son of Hammers chairman David Sullivan, reflects on the win
over Swansea and looks ahead to the game against Sunderland
The Sun
By Jack Sullivan
12th April 2017, 4:11 pm Updated: 12th April 2017, 7:37 pm
WHAT an important win that was on Saturday. It wasn't the prettiest but it
was effective and, for me, the best win at London Stadium to date. We won
1-0, possibly a scoreline that flattered Swansea, as Andre Ayew, Jonathan
Calleri and Sam Byam all had decent chances that we maybe should have scored
from. I thought we played decently and the most important thing for me was
the clean sheet – something we have struggled with this season, conceding
1.8 goals a game on average – something I know we will be looking to rectify
for next season.
If you look at Chelsea and Spurs, who are the top two teams in the Premier
League, both do not concede goals. Possibly because I've grown up watching
teams managed by Steve Bruce, Alex McLeish and Big Sam, I do like a clean
sheet with strong tackles, blocks and shape.
However, I do also love good football as well, and this is something that
Slaven Bilic's teams do like to give you – there is a balance to be struck
and it is possible to achieve. For me, the Man of the Match on Saturday was
James Collins. His heart and passion was second to none, as it always is and
in a six-pointer game like that, that is exactly what is needed. Sam Byram,
someone who has had to fight for his place this season, also performed
superbly. He has really grafted for his chance and has been improving with
every game. Sadly, he has a minor niggle, but hopefully nothing serious. The
most impressive thing about the goal was the celebration, as it showed how
much it meant to the players! Everyone at the club knew it was a massive six
pointer and a game we had to win. We all know it's been a far from ideal
season, with problems on and off the pitch, but let's hope this is the
catalyst for a strong last few games of the campaign. Your support on
Saturday was one of the best it's been and it massively helped – we know it
has been a tricky season of adjustment, but just bear with us.
Hopefully we can get a result against Sunderland and really move up the
table. We have a difficult last five games, but winnable if we go in with
some form. The list of injuries is getting longer, which is a worry for the
Sunderland game. However, we do have decent back up cover so hopefully we
can get a result. Finally, readers might be wondering why am I writing for
SunSport? I was asked and for me it gives me a platform to connect with
Hammers' fans and write my views on the club – I hope this will be something
informative and entertaining for you all!
Please follow me on Twitter at @jsullivanwhu and Instagram at @jsullivanwhu
– and it goes without saying that all views are my own and not those of West
Ham United.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says confidence has returned after a 1-0 Premier League win
over Swansea City
Victory lifted the Hammers eight points clear of the relegation zone with
six matches remaining
Manager admits he is not surprised to see Saturday's opponents Sunderland
struggling again
Slaven Bilic says confidence has come flooding back into his players after
they ended a five-match losing run by beating Swansea City.
West Ham United had not won in seven games going into their Premier League
meeting with the Swans at London Stadium, piling pressure on Bilic and his
players to arrest their slide with a vital victory.
Thanks to a first clean sheet since January and Cheikhou Kouyate's fine
goal, the Hammers got the win they craved and now travel to bottom club
Sunderland arguably just three or four points away from securing their
top-flight status.
"It's a big game for us," the manager confirmed. "We beat Swansea, which
also a big, big game and now we're approaching the second one. Every game is
big and Sunderland is in a situation that they are desperate for a win and
that's why it's a big game for them, but also it's a big game for us.
"We are looking forward to that game to secure, or getting closer to
securing our Premier League status.
"Every win gives you a boost, especially if you're doing it in such a big
game as we had against Swansea, after five defeats in a row. Of course, the
confidence is back.
"As I said before, belief is permanent and we never lost it, and the
confidence comes and goes. Sometimes you lose it in the same game because
you struggle in the first five or ten minutes, but belief never goes and it
is a key factor and you can't lose it.
"That's the reason why we played so good. Now we have the confidence back,
we have to build on that and not lose it again."
With home games to follow against Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool,
and away fixtures at Stoke City and Sunderland, Bilic wants his team to
reach the 40-point mark as soon as possible, and they can get to 39 with
another three at the Stadium of Light.
"Of course, that's what we want, but I have had a look at the schedules for
all the clubs and most of them have similar schedules, playing two or three
games against the clubs either near you or below you, and two or three games
against the top six or seven clubs," he observed.
"We are in no different a situation and now we have the game against
Sunderland is going to be extremely hard, like every game is, but it is an
opportunity for us to come closer to safety and get some points."
When asked specifically about Sunderland, Bilic admitted he was not
surprised to see them struggling again this season, seeing as the Black Cats
have not reached 40 points in any of the last four Premier League seasons.
"Nobody expected in the beginning when David Moyes took over that they would
suddenly be safe just because they appointed a big name and a great
manager," he observed. "They already had big name managers, be they Big Sam
or Dick Advocaat, who are massive names in the world of football, and they
somehow managed to stay up, but in the last few seasons, sadly for them and
unfortunately, it has become a common situation for them.
"They have a lot of the same players, so the majority of their players have
been there before and somehow they have done it.
"I know David Moyes is a top manager. I mean, at Everton he made them come
back again to the position they should have been with the size of the club
and everything – the name of the club, Goodison and Evertonians and Toffees
and all that – so he's brilliant, but the manager can only do as good as his
set of players."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic rues Antonio absence
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic confirmed Michail Antonio will be out for the remainder of the
season through injury
Winger suffered a hamstring problem in 1-0 Premier League win over Swansea
City on Saturday
Manager hopes Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho, Sam Byram and Aaron Cresswell
could all face Sunderland
Slaven Bilic has admitted losing Michail Antonio for the remainder of the
2016/17 Premier League season with a hamstring injury is a 'massive blow'.
The manager confirmed that West Ham United's leading scorer will be
sidelined for the remainder of the campaign after pulling up in the first
half of the 1-0 win over Swansea City at London Stadium. Bilic told his
pre-Sunderland press conference that, while the No30 will be absent, a host
of other players, including forwards Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho and
full-backs Sam Byram and Aaron Cresswell, should be available for selection
for Saturday's important fixture at the Stadium of Light. "We are without
Michail Antonio," he confirmed. "For Antonio it is a significant injury so
he is out for the season. Mark picked up the tenth yellow card so he is out
for two games and it's a big blow for us. "Sam Byram had a problem with his
ankle in the first half against Swansea but he is training on Thursday, so
he should be OK, but we're going to see. Also, Andy Carroll should be fit
and is also training on Thursday.
"From the last game we have no Antonio and no Mark Noble, but Andy can be
back and then Cresswell is training with us on Thursday, and Winston Reid
will start to train with us on Monday. That's the situation with us."
When asked for his reaction to Antonio's injury, Bilic was naturally
disappointed, but backed his other forwards, including Jonathan Calleri, to
fill the void. The Argentinian replaced Antonio at London Stadium on
Saturday and caught the eye with his hard-working display, while also going
close to scoring his second Premier League goal on a number of occasions.
"It's a massive blow, of course," he admitted. "We know what he is giving us
in every game. He's one of our best players, so it's going to be a big blow
that we're going to be without him for the rest of the season."
"We're going to see. It's a good thing that, despite Michail's injury, we
have options. Calleri did really well when he came on against Swansea with
his energy, with his pressing and with his creating open spaces for other
people. Also, he had a couple of good chances.
"We're going to see with Andy. He is always a big weapon for us and a threat
for the opponent. It's a good thing we have options, and we're definitely
going to need both of them on Saturday to share the minutes of the game.
Who's going to start? We're going to decide on Saturday, of course."
When asked about Calleri's long-term future with the Hammers, Bilic had
further words of praise for the on-loan Deportivo Maldonado forward. "We
will see," said the manager. "He is a very good professional, a very good
boy. He didn't play a lot. He played at the start of the season and in the
middle of the season. He is not a regular, but he never dropped one per cent
of energy in training.
"He is great to have around. He is training like he is playing 90 minutes
every week, he is doing his best and that's why he deserved a chance. He
played really well when he came on against Swansea and it's good to have
him."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Five-a-side
WHUFC.com
whufc.com selects a five-a-side team from players who have represented both
West Ham United and Saturday's opponents Sunderland...
1. Ernie England
No goalkeeper has pulled on the colours of both Sunderland and West Ham
United. Left-back Ernie England played 352 times for the Black Cats between
1919-29, making his name with his perfectly-timed right-footed slide tackles
that invariably stopped opposition wingers in their tracks. Signed from
non-league Shirebrook for just £100, England helped Sunderland to finish as
runners-up in the old First Division in 1922/23. England was 29 when West
Ham United paid £500 to bring him to the Boleyn Ground in October 1930, but
his debut did not arrive until 3 January 1931, when the Hammers played out a
sensational 5-5 draw with Aston Villa.
England played just five times in Claret and Blue before moving to Mansfield
Town and ending his career in the non-league ranks.
2. George McCartney
Another left-back, George McCartney had two spells with both West Ham United
and Sunderland, winning promotion to the Premier League with both during his
career. The Belfast-born Northern Ireland international was a committed,
tough and uncompromising defender who became a fans' favourite at the Boleyn
Ground.
A quietly-spoken, amiable character off the pitch, McCartney captained
Sunderland to the Championship title in 2005, before joining the Hammers a
year later.
After returning to the North East for a less-successful second spell with
the Black Cats, he returned to the Boleyn Ground following West Ham's
relegation in 2011, and he played an influential role in the east London
side winning promotion via the Play-Offs in May 2012.
Now 35, McCartney has not played professionally since leaving the Boleyn
Ground in June 2014.
3. Harry Hooper
One of the oldest-surviving Hammers, Harry Hooper was born in the
traditional coal mining village of Pittington in County Durham in June 1933.
Now 83, Hooper joined West Ham United in 1950 after his father Harry Senior
was appointed as a coach at the Boleyn Ground, and his form saw him named as
a back-up for England's 1954 FIFA World Cup finals squad. A skilful winger,
Hooper spent six years in east London before enjoying shorter but
outstanding spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City,
reaching the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final with the Blues in 1960. Hooper
then joined Sunderland, spending three years challenging for promotion from
the Second Division, before winding down his career in the non-league ranks.
4. Bryan 'Pop' Robson
Sunderland-born centre forward Bryan 'Pop' Robson played for his hometown
club on no fewer than 154 occasions in the Football League, scoring an
impressive 60 goals, across three spells. The distinctive striker also spent
two separate spells in east London, netting 104 goals in 255 games in all
competitions, and finishing as leading scorer in 1972/73, 1976/77, 1977/78
and 1978/79. Amazingly, the prolific Robson also found time to bang in 82
goals in 206 League appearances for Newcastle United at the start of his
career, 26 in 72 games for Carlisle United and three in 15 appearances for
Chelsea. After hanging up his boots, Robson coached and scouted for the
Black Cats, before ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light in 2013.
5. Jermain Defoe
Signed from Charlton Athletic as a schoolboy, Jermain Defoe spend
two-and-a-half seasons in the West Ham United first team from August 2001
until December 2003. Despite the Hammers' struggles during that period, the
diminutive striker hit the back of the net regularly, scoring 41 times in
105 appearances – 33 of them as a substitute. Then just 17, Defoe scored on
his debut in a League Cup win at Walsall in September 2000, and enjoyed a
record-breaking loan spell with AFC Bournemouth later the same year. The
forward went on to enjoy a successful career with Tottenham Hotspur and
Portsmouth before joining Sunderland in 2015. His form there has seen him
earn an England recall, and he now has 20 goals in 56 games for his country.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Randolph ready for Defoe duel
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph relishing his first-ever duel with Sunderland striker
Jermain Defoe
Goalkeeper hoping to make it two clean sheets in a row at Stadium of Light
Irishman also expressed condolences for Ireland teammate John O'Shea
Darren Randolph is relishing his first-ever duel with Sunderland striker
Jermain Defoe.
Despite both being senior professionals for more than a decade, the West Ham
United goalkeeper has never shared a pitch with the England forward.
Defoe and Sunderland have not scored in their last seven Premier League
matches, but Randolph is wary of the threat posed by the prolific
34-year-old.
"He's a dangerous and clinical finisher, as he's proved throughout his whole
career," the Hammers No1 observed of Defoe. "Any half-chance, he will take
it, so that's obviously what Sunderland look for.
"This will be the first time I've played against him in my career, believe
it or not. I've played against teams he's been involved in, but he's never
actually played as he's been injured.
"We obviously need to limit his space and chances."
Randolph and his teammates head for the Stadium of Light in good spirits
after keeping their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches last
weekend.
West Ham defeated struggling Swansea 1-0 at London Stadium thanks to a
resilient defensive display, and the Irishman is hoping the Hammers can
reproduce that form and extend Sunderland's unwanted run of more than eleven
hours without a Premier League goal.
The Black Cats have not hit the net since winning 4-0 at Crystal Palace on 4
February, but Randolph is still expecting to have work to do in the North
East.
"It was our first clean sheet since Palace and it's nice for everybody, not
just me as the goalkeeper, because it means you have all put a shift in," he
said of the Swansea victory. "It's good to get that clean sheet and win
along with it.
"Sunderland will score eventually and it's just a matter of when.
Personally, I don't care if they score on Saturday as long as we win, as
that's all that matters.
"If we can go there and put them under pressure and frustrate them and try
to get ourselves ahead in the game, then clearly it will make it a lot
easier for us.
"But they are scrapping for their own survival and it's a home game for
them, and they're not looking at us as a Chelsea or a Tottenham or a Man
United or Man City, but as a West Ham who are only a few places above them,
so they might play with a bit more freedom than usual.
"Regardless, we'll go there our own gameplan and try to execute that as best
we can and get three points."
Last but by no means least, Randolph also made a point of expressing his
condolences to his long-time Republic of Ireland teammate John O'Shea, who
sadly lost his father Jim earlier this month.
O'Shea is Ireand's third-highest all-time appearance maker with 118 caps to
his name, and Randolph has huge admiration for the defender he lined up
alongside at UEFA Euro 2016 and in recent FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
"I heard the unfortunate news about John's father and I extend my sympathies
to him and his family at this time, and I hope I can see him on Saturday,"
said Randolph. "John has got more than 100 caps for Ireland and won loads of
trophies during his time at Man United, he's a great player and a good guy."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: ANTONIO INJURY UPDATE, NOBLE'S POINTS TARGET, CHANCE FOR
NORDTVEIT?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 1:25PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Hello Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
Michail Antonio will be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring
injury. (BBC Sport)
This is a big blow for us, but I believe we have enough in our squad to get
through to the end of the season. Hopefully Michail will come back even
stronger next season.
Mark Noble says he expects 39 points to see West Ham to safety this season.
(Evening Standard)
I agree with Mark on this one. I think we will be pretty much safe if we
come away from Sunderland with all three points on Saturday.
Andy Carroll is expected to start for West Ham against Sunderland this
weekend. (Daily Star)
I love Andy Carroll, and he is one of my favourite players at the club.
However, I think it would be incredibly harsh on Jonathan Calleri to not
start him at the weekend. He came on against Swansea and I thought he was
brilliant, so he deserves a run out in this game over Carroll in my opinion.
Joe Hart is set to be sold by Manchester City this summer, with West Ham
being linked with the England goalkeeper. (Football Insider)
I would love it if we were to sign Joe Hart, but I cannot see it happening.
I think we need a new goalkeeper in the summer, but I think we should look
at Jordan Pickford. He is a young goalkeeper who is already showing real
quality, and he is also more of a realistic target for us. I think we should
start building for the future and sign some younger players, starting with
him.
Former Besiktas director of football Onder Ozen says Mario Mandzukic will be
a West Ham player next season. (Shoot)
Mandzukic is a very good player in my opinion, but I wouldn't want him at
West Ham. He is a target man, but we already have Andy Carroll for that
role. He is also on the wrong side of thirty now and as I just said, I think
we should start to build a younger side.
Havard Nordtveit is set to be given a final chance to save his West Ham
career against Sunderland this weekend. (HITC)
I hope Nordtveit is given a chance towards the end of the season, because he
is a real quality player. Sadly, he is another who just hasn't been given a
chance at the club. He is a tough tackling midfielder and I think with Noble
and Obiang both missing, he would fit in perfectly.
Slaven Bilic has suggested that a permanent deal for Jonathan Calleri could
be on the cards. (TalkSport)
I would not be against this deal at all. I know he hasn't had a season that
would warrant a permanent deal, but the game against Swansea has changed my
opinion on him. However, I do believe that he deserves a run of games to
prove himself properly in this league before any final decision is made on
him.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW? BY DAISY LOWE
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 10:01AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Daisy Lowe @DaisyLoweX
It wouldn't be a day at West Ham without seeing your stand out player from
the game limp to his car on crutches would it?
On Saturday I was lucky enough to be in Club London for a drink after the
game with my friend Shannon who worked The West Ham Way event with me. We
were leaving at the same time as a few of the players, including a rosy
cheeked Sam Byram hobbling around on crutches! I couldn't quite believe my
personal Man of the Match was now injured and in pain getting to his car?!
I will admit Byram hasn't always impressed me (perhaps because I was
secretly a massive Carl Jenkinson lover) but I have loved watching him
blossom and develop these past few games, throwing himself around the pitch
and expertly blocking shots on target. With a few starts under his belt, and
a vote of confidence from the manager and fans, Byram is becoming a
controlled and confident player who I believe will be essential in taking us
forward.
We haven't had the best of luck this season with injuries and signings, but
for me Sam is a perfect example of the standard of the type of player we
have on the bench, and for some reason, are not playing regularly enough …
Burke, Oxford, Cullen, Fernandes and Fletcher are just a few players who we
must utilise more! Whether they are on our bench our out on loan – It's time
to make these players feel important, before they lose sight of what it is
lik to play for West Ham United.
Being a footballer shouldn't be about turning up to a few hours of training,
getting your wages and then never playing a full 90 minutes for your club.
What discipline does this install? Does this encourage these youngsters to
work for their money? I worry that never having a vote of confidence in a
youngster kills their passion for the club where they ultimately lose sight
of the badge and get caught up in the world of caring more about what
nightclub they are going to that weekend, than if they are playing for the
team.
In some ways I feel sorry for these players. I have friends that play for
the club and I know that football is mentally and physically demanding. It
can be demoralising to never make the team. I also know that if a manager
isn't giving players a chance to shine and feel important to our club, they
lose their head and playing for our beloved club becomes a job and not a
responsibility. I think Sam Byram is the perfect example of why we need to
put more faith into our youngsters.
We have a great squad in the changing room. Let's give them a chance to
leave the London Stadium on crutches too!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
TIME TO BACK THE BOARD! BY ELLIOT POLLARD
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 10:26AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Elliot Pollard
Isn't it amazing how quickly football can change in just 1 week, with just 1
result; yet at the same time so incredible how quickly us as football fans
forget.
On the 17th of January 2010 West Ham United were precariously perched above
the relegation zone on goal difference with just 19 points from 21 games.
The club was owned by Icelandic bank Straumur-Burdaras who injected a lot of
cash into the club, demonstrated by the famous signings of Carlos Tevez and
Javier Mascherano. Unfortunately due to the collapse of the Icelandic
banking sector and miss management from the board, the club ended up in a
reported debt of £110 million and were flirting dangerously close to
administration.
On the 18th of January 2010 Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan bought a 50% share in
the club and became the majority shareholders. That year we did manage to
escape relegation; however were unable to repeat this the following season
suffering a miserable campaign; something which I do hold the David's
completely accountable for as they refused to sack hopeless Avram Grant!
Having said that the appointment of Sam Allardyce and the injection of cash
into the transfer kitty meant we were able to bounce straight back to the
top flight at the first time of asking; something only 3 other clubs can
boast of achieving in the last decade after finishing 20th in the previous
season.
It is also worth remembering at the time of the clubs sale, the only other
serious bidders were Tony Fernandes, the then chief executive of Air Asia,
and Massimo Cellino, the owner of Italian football club Cagliari. Tony
Fernandes went on to purchase QPR in August 2011 who have since spent an
estimated £124 million on transfers, suffered 2 relegations from the Premier
League and are now currently lingering around the bottom half of the
Championship with no return to the top flight in sight.
Mr Cellino on the other hand went on to purchase Leeds United in 2014 and
has since attracted nothing but controversy, not to mention the dismissal of
7 managers in 3 years! This gives you an insight into what may have happened
to our beloved club, not to mention what administration could have resulted
in, you only have to ask Charlton and Portsmouth fans about that feeling.
The David's have since managed to stabilise the club financially, which has
allowed us to develop into a profitable Premier League football club again.
The David's should also be recognised for their bravery in letting Big Sam
leave and appointing fan favourite Slaven Bilic to take charge of our final
season at Upton Park. Allardyce would have been a certainty to maintain our
Premier League status going into the Olympic Stadium there is no doubt. This
change meant we were able to achieve one of our best league finishes and
witness one of the best players to ever represent West Ham; although he will
not be named for obvious reasons.
With 11 players arriving over the summer David Sullivan has since come under
a lot of criticism for the lack of quality brought into the club, with some
reports suggesting he went for quantity over quality. None of the signings
have made a real impact on the squad yet but at the time the players brought
in did look like they would improve the team.
Sofiane Feghouli was singed from Spanish giants Valencia where he scored 31
and assisted 40 goals in 202 appearances. He also has 40 caps for Algeria
and previously won the Algerian player of the year in 2012. A fairly
respectable return and a player who was in high demand on a free transfer at
the time. Simone Zaza was signed from Serie A title winners Juventus where
he scored 8 goals in 24 appearances and ironically demonstrated his scoring
ability in the opening game of at the London Stadium.
At the time these players looked like fantastic coupes from big European
clubs but unfortunately they have struggled to settle in the Premier League.
The efforts to try and sign a marquee striker were obviously well reported
and I'm hopeful that the club has finally learnt not to spread its transfer
intentions all over the media.
I also believe the London Stadium has been used a scape goat for our poor
results this season. Unfortunately the transition from Upton Park to the
Olympic Stadium has been bumpy to say the least. Having said that I do
believe a lot of fans were deceived by the final season we were lucky enough
to experience at the Boleyn. Thankfully the team gave Upton Park a
tremendous stadium send off last year with some unforgettable victories;
however in previous seasons this has not been the case. In fact I have
personally experienced the most hostile atmosphere of my life at Upton Park
following a 3-1 defeat to Wolves in 2010 with very emotive chants of "you're
not fit to wear the shirt".
The truth is, when we were winning Upton Park produced an electric
atmosphere, as does the London Stadium, noticeably experienced with
victories over Chelsea, Palace and Swansea this season. When the results
don't go our way the atmosphere drops. It's the fans who control the
atmosphere, not the stadium. I know we sit a lot further away from the pitch
compared to Upton Park and this does make a big difference, but I guarantee
if we had experienced the same home victories at the London Stadium as we
did last season, the stadium would have not been criticised as harshly as it
has.
The move to the new stadium probably came a few years too early for us as a
club but the owners had no choice to take the opportunity to move to the
Olympic Stadium. You only have to look at Chelsea, Tottenham and Everton who
are all building new grounds with increased capacities to see how quickly
other clubs are growing.
As the club means so much to us fans it is natural to place blame when
results aren't going our way; but the reality is not many football clubs
have progressed as much as us in the last 5 years and we do have the owners
to thank for that. I believe our owners will carry us as far as they can
before they will inevitably pass us onto a bigger investor, but for now we
are in good hands.
With Sunderland coming up on Saturday a positive result will relieve the
pressure further and hopefully see us finish the season on a high!
COYI
Written by Elliot Pollard
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHO I WOULD SIGN IN THE SUMMER. SOME INTERESTING TARGETS HERE….
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 7:36PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Greg Richardson @rakis14
Following Saturday's hard fought but thoroughly deserved win, I feel safer
on thinking about next season as a Premier League side. Way I see it we need
4 key players in summer = Goal Keeper, Right Back, a Payet replacement and a
Striker.
For each I position I have stated a 'dream signing, a realistic signing and
the player I would go for if I was in charge of transfers.
Goalkeeper – Dream signing = Joe Hart
The England number 1s future seems destined to be away from Man City and Pep
and we have been linked with him in the press for a while. An excellent shot
stopper, has good command of the penalty area and communicates with his back
4, he would certainly be an upgrade on our current incubants between the
sticks. He is also prone to the odd rush of blood to the head (like our very
own Adrian) but the positives far out way his negatives and for this reason
he is probably bound for sides higher up the table than us…Liverpool,
Everton and Arsenal could all be looking in the summer and would be more
willing than our board to spend the money required to capture this keeper.
Realistic = Jordan Pickford
The fact that Pickford has won as many plaudits as he has this season whilst
playing behind the sieve like defence of Sunderland speaks volumes for his
ability. Young, English, good reflexes and full of potential he would be
well out of our price range but with Sunderlands relegation being more a
case of when rather than if, we could pick him up for a cut price (which
will appeal to our board). We may find competition from other clubs but
Saints and WBA both have solid keepers and I'd like to think we have more
appeal than the rest of the club's around us.
Me – Victor Valdes
For the record is like to see us go for Pickford but if we get priced out or
just out manoeuvred, Victor Valdes would be the guy I turn to. He's kept 8
clean sheets this season behind a very average defence at Boro and has shown
enough to suggest he could do a job for us. Like Hart he has a winner's
mentality and is still a very capable as a shot stopper. And as Boro also
look likely to go down he'd be a decent budget signing.
Right Back –
Dream signing = Kieran Trippier
The former Burnley man hasn't featured much for Spurs this year but in those
rarities he has played, as well as his time with the Tykes, he has shown
that he is a top class modern right back. Solid in the tackle, good
positional sense and adept at the overlapping run, his forte is his ability
to whip in a cross better than most wingers. In truth we should have gone
after him in the summer, promised 1st team starts rather than a squad player
at Tottenham and wages to match. Now his price will have sky rocketed
(purely because of how Levy operates) and will be even higher for us (purely
because of how Levy tries to screw us at every opportunity) so is only
possible really if the board have a desire to spend really big this summer.
Or if Levy has a lobotomy.
Realistic = Zabaleta
Linked with us and available on a free, he is the sort of signing our board
love. But whatever negativity that the 'free' price tag may come with, there
is no denying the pedigree of Pablo Zabaleta. A title winner, experience
international with Argentina and a leader on the pitch, he is tough tackling
defender who is not shy at getting forward either. He would be a good person
for Sam Byram to learn from and would be a solid addition to the defence.
His age may put some of, as will his undoubtedly high wages, but 32 is no
age in the modern game and if it is a relatively short deal, the ability to
call on his experience when we are away to the bigger teams, could be well
worth the gamble.
Me – Nyom
The WBA full back really caught my eye when the Baggies came down to The
London stadium. Big, strong, fast and defensively sound enough to play in a
Tony Pulis back four, he is what I imagine would happen if Kouyate and
Antonio had a child and trained it to play right back so they never had to
play there again! He has more tackles, blocks and interceptions than Kyle
Walker (widely regarded as the best right back in league) and whilst his
delivery isn't as prolific as other counterparts he still creates chances.
At 28 he is experienced but young enough to make the right back position his
own for the foreseeable future.
Payet replacement*
*Dsiclaimer; by Payet replacement I mean a midfielder who is capable of
creating and scoring goals.
Dream signing = Cesc Fabregas
Fabregas is a creator. In his time with Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea is
ability to pick a pass and assist is beyond question. He has featured as a
bit part player for Contes Chelsea playing just over 900 minutes but has
registered 7 assist and 4 goals in the time he has been afforded. His game
has developed over the years and he is now more likely to play a less
advanced role, instead preferring to play as a deep lying playmaker. His
signing would not only take some of the creative pressure off of Manuel
Lanzini but also still allow the little argentine to occupy his preferred
no.10 role. He would also bring with him a professionalism and winning
mentality that could help elevate those around him.
Realistic = Gylfi Sigurdsson
A man that many hoped we would spend the Payet money on in January,
Sigurdsson is as close to a guarantee of goals and assists from midfield as
we can realistically afford. In his 32 games this season for perennial
strugglers Swansea he has scored 8 and assisted 11 goals. He is athletic,
strong and not afraid to put in a shift when his side are under the cosh
something that cannot be said of all of our creative types. With Swansea's
position in the Premier League still in the balance, many of us will be
hoping that they, and subsequently Sigurdsson's asking price, will go down
by the seasons end.
Me = Aaron Ramsey
Forget the Aaron Ramsey that we have seen at Arsenal for the last season or
two. That Ramsey has been played out of position and has been a player on
the periphery of a side in a downward spiral. Think of Aaron Ramsey the
Wales international. He is the main man in that midfield, the conductor of
much of their play, capable of playing defence splitting passes, ghosting
into the penalty area and has decent finishing ability too. He is a wholly
different animal to the one used as a bit part player by Wenger this season.
He creates and scores goals for his country as he once did for Arsenal
before he was utilised differently by his club side. Given the
responsibility of being our main man and played as a central midfielder, I
believe he would be an incredible signing for us.
Striker
Dream = Javier Hernandez
The little Pea/Chicharito is the epitome of the fox in the box striker. He
just seems to be in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the
net. He also has great movement off the ball which would be a dream for
Lanzini as the argentine is crying out for movement ahead of him (which
Carroll just does not offer). In his 23 games for Leverkusen this season he
has scored 10 goals and registered 2 assists, whilst also creating a further
18 chances for his team mates. As a side we tend to create half chances,
little sniffs at goal – Hernandez would be the ideal man to have in the box
ot put those chances away.
Realistic = Jermain Defoe
Everything I have just said about Hernandez is equally applicable to Defoe.
Probably English footballs most natural born striker, his movement and knack
of being there to tuck away half chances have resulted in 14 goals in 31
games for Sunderland this season. His only down side is that he is 34 and
that some still hold his infamous transfer request against him. However his
age has not stopped him playing as often as he has this season or from
getting himself back into the England squad, so why should it put us off?
The fact that he is will be available for next to nothing in the summer
if/when Sunderland go down and that he feels he has unfinished business with
us also point to this being a signing that could and should happen.
Me = Kelechi Iheanacho
An honourable mention must go to Alvaro Negredo of Boro, who I also think is
an option worth exploring in the summer but for me we should chase up Man.
City's Kelechi Ihenacho. Young, strong, unerring finishing and capable of
playing as a lone striker or as part of a front 2, the boy could spear head
our attack for years to come if we can get him. He has played 20 times for
Pep's side this season, but only racked up 600 or so minutes as he has been
used predominantly as a substitute, but in these brief cameo's he has scored
6 goals, registered 3 assists and created 13 chances for team mates. At any
other club you would say he will have a massive role next season, but with
Aguero and Gabriel Jesus ahead of him and City bound to sign another
attacker in the summer, he could find himself well done the pecking order
and a sneaky loan to buy deal could get us a huge talent.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE STADIUM IS IMPROVING DUE TO POSITIVE CHANGES BY THE BOARD! WRITTEN BY
HAMMER&TALK
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 APRIL 2017 AT 8:16PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Hammer and Talk @hammerandtalk
The mood has changed around the stadium as the season has progressed in my
opinion. The best way to describe it is when a married couple both finally
decide to put their cards on the table in a desperate act to save their
marriage, obviously referring to the fans on social media saying exactly how
they feel about the stadium and the ownership of the club. Since many fans
have vented their frustrations, I feel the calm has most certainly followed
the storm due to positive changes made by the West Ham board. Maybe this is
just how I see it.
Since the beginning of West Ham's ownership of the stadium there has been
much improvement in and around the newly built stadium. An increase of
stewards have been employed to aid the struggles of fan conflict within
games. This has been a proven success. Also shelving has been placed in
various blocks at the stadium to ensure fans can rest their drinks at half
time during the break. Drinks are now being pre-poured in almost all of the
blocks to ensure a shortage of queues.
Whether thoughts are of negativity or unrest, there's no denying that things
are improving around the stadium and the old saying of 'Rome wasn't built in
a day' has much more impact to West Ham fans now than than ever before
especially whilst going from the fortress that is the Boleyn to the London
Stadium.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fan's anger at late fixture changes
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
A US-based West Ham United supporter arranged a trip to see both the
Tottenham and Liverpool games - but will now see neither due to fixture
amendments. Life-long Hammer Paul Wilkins, who moved from Stratford to the
Unites States three years ago had booked flights and accommodation that
would have enabled him too see his beloved Hammers face both teams as the
2016/17 draws to a close. However with the Tottenham match being moved
forward to the Friday and the Liverpool games pushed back 24 hours, Wilkins
- who was responsible for the web's first ever West Ham website back in the
mid 1990s - will now miss both matches. "Anyone that knows me will confirm
that I love West Ham," he posted via Facebook. "So much so, that when
booking a holiday back to London to see family and friends I purposely did
so with Spurs (Saturday, 6 May) and Liverpool at home (Saturday, 13th May)
firmly in mind. "I asked a good friend to get me some tickets and he obliged
accordingly. Fantastic! Er, not. "I found out that the Spurs game had been
moved to the Friday (5 May). Well, that's the day we arrive. But we still
have Liverpool, right? WRONG. They've changed it to Sunday 14th - the day we
fly back..."
Meanwhile another ex-pat Hammer, who posts on Twitter as 'Far Eastender'
also revealed that he would be out of pocket as a result of the Premier
League's decision to move the fixture at late notice. "Great. £87 to change
the flight for the Spurs game and £ 115 to change for Liverpool," he wrote
following the revelation that the Liverpool game was being moved.
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Slaven Bilic fears attacks such as the Borussia Dortmund bus explosions are
'impossible' to prevent
Borussia Dortmund's team bus was rocked by three explosions on Tuesday
Police believe the explosions were a targeted bomb attack on the squad
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic fears such attacks are now hard to prevent
Bilic was in charge of Besiktas when rival club Fenerbahce's bus was shot at
By Andy Sims, Press Association Sport
PUBLISHED: 00:14, 14 April 2017 | UPDATED: 00:16, 14 April 2017
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was shocked at the attack on the Borussia
Dortmund team coach, but fears such incidents are impossible to prevent.
Three explosions occurred around the bus - believed to be a targeted bomb
attack - as the Dortmund players left the team hotel en route to the Signal
Iduna Park stadium for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final
against Monaco, which was swiftly postponed. Dortmund's Spanish defender
Marc Bartra was taken to hospital, where he required an operation for a
broken bone in his right wrist. Bilic recalled a similarly frightening
incident while he was managing Turkish side Besiktas, when rival club
Fenerbahce's bus was shot at. 'I remember once when I was in Turkey when
Fenerbahce were in Trabzon and the coach was attacked,' he said. 'There was
a shotgun and it just missed the driver, and they were driving at 80mph. It
was so close. 'Those people are doing those kind of things because they
don't want us to feel secure - not just footballers but you and me and the
whole world. Nobody is secure. But you have to try to continue with your
normal life. We sympathise with Dortmund, of course, and it was such a
shock. You have to continue to do your job. You have to continue with your
life. 'But I don't know, for example, how Dortmund could stop that attack.
It's impossible. What one club can do to prevent it, I really don't know.'
West Ham have suffered their own security scare this season, with striker
Andy Carroll having been the victim of an attempted robbery at gunpoint in
November as he drove home from training.
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IS IT TIME FOR WEST HAM TO LOOK FOR A YOUTHFUL KEEPER?
DANIEL WEBSTER @danwebbo
readWestHam
West Ham have two great 'keepers at their disposal, current first choice
Darren Randolph who regularly features for the Republic of Ireland and
Adrian who is perhaps my favourite West Ham 'keeper in what feels like a
very, very long time.
Both are at the age now of 29 and 30 respectively, which is not old for a
keeper by any means, but with our third string 'keeper Raphael Spiegel at
the age of 24, I just cannot see him breaking into the first-team with some
of his performances. Randolph's performances haven't been up to scratch
lately also, keeping just one clean sheet since January, which is why I do
think it is time now for Adrian to return, but maybe we should look forward
into the future?
An excellent young keeper is Alban Lafont, currently playing for Toulouse
and at the age of just 18 is regularly featuring for their first-team. I do
not doubt that many top clubs will be vying for his signature, but if the
board are going to be keeping their promises of bringing in quality talent
and pushing for European places, a place we could start is in the keeper
position.
Many teams are playing more youthful keepers now, with the likes of
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, Mattia Perin and Jan
Oblak all playing for their first teams and being 24 and under, it would
seem very wise to attain a young keeper as they usually play a lot longer
than their outfield compatriots. Even another young keeper, Simone Scuffet,
who is 20-years-old and was touted to be the man who would take Italian
legend Buffon's mantle as number one for Italy, could be a great
alternative. Maybe something for West Ham to ponder in the future?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM ONE OF THREE TEAMS IN FOR JOE HART
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam
While Slaven Bilic may be public in his support for both of his goalkeepers,
the co-owners aren't strangers to getting themselves involved in transfer
activity. There have been reports that West Ham are interested in signing
Joe Hart, as the Daily Mail note, but they aren't alone in their pursuit of
the England international as both Everton and Chelsea have made their
interest known. Hart was made an outcast by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City
and was sent on loan to Serie A with Torino where he has enjoyed a great
season and maintained his place as England's No.1. City are keen on a
permanent sale for Hart in the summer and have rebuffed a second loan offer
from Torino. It's understood they're after a fee in the region of £15m to
part ways with Hart. The 29-year-old would like a permanent return to the
Premier League and a move to West Ham where he would instantly become the
club's No.1, much like he would at Everton.
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FILIP BENKOVIC: A CENTRE BACK PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE?
DANIEL WEBSTER @danwebbo
ReadWestHam
Amongst the talented crop of players we have in our ranks vying for a centre
back position, namely Reece Oxford and Reece Burke, there is an interesting
player plying his trade in Croatia which we should definitely have a look
at.
Filip Benkovic, who currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb, is building a name
for himself through rising through the youth system to become a first-team
player. Part of a successful Zagreb side that have won two trophies that
including capturing the Croatian league title, he has also grabbed himself a
couple of goals in the Croatian first league, he has also appeared in the
Champions League facing the likes of Juventus and Sevilla, playing the full
90 minutes of each.
At the tender age of 19, he is a year older than Oxford and has been given a
lot more game time, gaining valuable experience in the field, which I think
given a chance Oxford would definitely be able to cope with. A young centre
back with valuable experience beside our maybe one-day captain would be a
very good pairing indeed.
Bilic's strong ties with Dinamo Zagreb (even advising the coach on how to
beat Arsenal back in 2015), and hailing from Croatia himself, he certainly
wouldn't feel out of place at West Ham but the deal wouldn't seem likely. As
mentioned before we have extreme talent in the burgeoning star of Oxford,
and taking a gamble on available first team minutes might not appeal to the
young Croatian, but it would be a very good signing for the future.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM WEIGHING UP PERMANENT DEAL FOR JONATHAN CALLERI
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
readWestHam
This season has been a real struggle for West Ham and Jonathan Calleri. The
Argentine striker joined on a season-long loan from Uruguayan side Deportivo
Maldonado and the Hammers beat off the likes of Sevilla and Inter Milan to
land his loan signature.
In purely a move to put his name out there in Europe and try to land a
lucrative transfer the following summer, Calleri really hasn't lived up to
the hype since arriving at the club. With 14 appearances to his name to date
and no starts in the Premier League, it's fair to say that Slaven Bilic
hasn't had much faith in the former Boca Juniors standout, but that could be
changing. Many thought that his goal at Middlesbrough would be the catalyst
for a turn in form but he only played 47 minutes of football in the nine
games between then and the Swansea match last weekend. Calleri replaced an
injured Michail Antonio in the first half and really put in a good shift.
His off the ball movement was very good, his hold up play was solid and
overall it was a decent outing, even if the end product wasn't always there.
There's talk that he could start at Sunderland this weekend with Antonio out
and both Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho not at 100% in what could very well
be his last chance to make a lasting impression. When asked today about the
chances of signing the 23-year-old on a permanent basis, Bilic hinted that
the club are still weighing up the decision.
Las Palmas were keen on take him on loan in January when the Hammers were
expected to terminate his contract with the club, but a decision was made to
keep him around and perhaps we're about to reap the rewards of that
decision.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Full transcript: West Ham boss Slaven Bilic rules out Antonio for the season
and looks ahead to Sunderland
The boss had a lot to say at his press conference this morning
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:46, 13 APR 2017
Slaven Bilic faced the media at Rush Green on Thursday morning ahead of this
weekends Premier League clash away at Sunderland. The Hammers boss ruled out
Michail Antonio for the rest of the season through injury and provided
updates on other injury news, the prospect of Jonathan Calleri starting this
weekend and looking ahead to the Black Cats clash. Here is everything the
boss had to say.
Injury news
We are without Antonio. it is a significant injury so is out for the season.
Mark [Noble] picked up the yellow card, his tenth so misses two games and is
a big blow. Sam [Byram] had an ankle problem against Swansea but is training
today and should be OK. Also, Andy Carroll is also training today and can be
back for Sunderland. [Aaron] Cresswell is training today and Winston Reid is
starting to train on Monday.
Antonio out for the season
It's a big blow, we know what he gives us in every game and is one of our
best players that we are going to be without until next season.
Jonathan Calleri or Andy Carroll to replace him? We will see, we have
options despite the injury to Michail. Calleri done really well when he came
on against Swansea with his energy and opening spaces for other people, he
had some chances, but we will see with Andy.
He is always a big weapon for us and a threat. Probably, most definitely, we
will need them both on Saturday to share the minutes. Who will start, I'll
decide on Saturday.
Beat Sunderland and safety secured?
Win and safe? Yeah, I think so. It's a big game, we have won our last big
game and this is the second one. Every game is big. Sunderland are desperate
for a win and it's a big game for them as well as us and we are looking
froward to it to secure or get closer to securing our status in the Premier
League.
Slavisa Jokanovic being linked with his job
I didn't see it until i was just told. I know Slavisa, we are from the same
region, speak the same language, I like him a lot as a person and a manager,
he is doing with great with Fulham but I am not bothered, the same as last
week or last year. I don't talk to the owners about every name that appears
in the papers.
Who is your Premier League player of the year?
It's difficult, they all have had great seasons. [Harry] Kane, [Alexis]
Sanchez, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic definitely, [N'Golo] Kante obviously but for
me to pick one, then it's [Eden] Hazard, that's my opinion. All of them are
great. They all make the difference, Ibra at United definitely, he's amazing
but that goes for every one of them. A big team like Spurs are different
without Kane, Chelsea without Kante, Sanchez has been unstoppable but for me
it's Hazard. The way he creates chances for other people, the way he makes
space, the way he breaks defences, he tears them apart and then he scores
goals regularly, very important goals. He's amazing, with his skill, he is
for me the best player of the season.
On the terror attack in Dortmund
I don't know that we have shatterproof glass [on the team bus]. We all have
security but it's very hard to stop, you cant secure everything. It was a
very sad day for the world of football for that to happen. Unfortunately, it
happened and we all unite with [Marc] Batra and with Dortmund. It shouldn't
be happening of course but unfortunately that is the world we live in.
Calleri's long term prospects at West Ham
We will see. He is a very good professional, a very good boy. He hasn't
played a lot, but he never dropped one per cent of energy in training. He is
great to have around and training like he's playing every week, he's doing
his best and he deserves a chance. He came on against Swansea and did well,
he is good to have.
Planning for next season
I spend a lot of time with my staff on a daily basis to discuss next season
as well as this one but to be fair, it's all about Sunderland at the moment.
I have spoken with the chairmen for next season, of course.
David Moyes
He is a great manager. But they have had big names before, Sam Allardyce,
Dick Advocaat have been there and somehow they managed to stay up. In the
last few seasons it has been a common situation and now it looks really bad
but the majority of their players have been there before and they have done
it. I know Moyes is a top manager, at Everton he made them come back to the
position they should have been with the size of the club so he's great but
he can only do as good as his players.
Boost of confidence after Swansea
I mean, every win gives you a boost especially if you do it in such a
massive game and after five defeats in a row. The confidence is back but as
I said before, it's belief that is permanent and we never lost it. The
confidence it comes and goes but belief is there, it is a key factor you
can't lose and that's the reason why we played so good. Now we also have
confidence back and have to build that and not lose it again.
Remaining fixtures this season
It sets us up for the rest, yes but of course, I look at the schedule for
all the clubs and most of us have two or three against teams with and around
you and below you, then two or three against the top six or seven, so we are
in no different a situation. Against Sunderland, we know it'll be hard,
every game is but it's a good opportunity for us to come closer and get some
points of course.
Why did Calleri come on against Swansea instead of Carroll or Diafra Sakho?
I spoke about Calleri and how he is doing, we needed a fit player. With Andy
it was he'd be on the bench and if we needed him, 15 minutes maximum 20 but
now it's totally different. With Diafra also he was out for a long time,
played half hour against Arsenal but we opted for Calleri, it was a good
choice.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SLAVEN BILIC UPDATES ON CARROLL AND SAKHO SITUATIONS
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
readWestHam
During the win at Swansea, West Ham were dealt a crushing injury blow in the
first half when top scorer Michail Antonio suffered a recurrence of the
hamstring injury he had been struggling with and had to come off, an injury
which has since ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The expectation was that Andy Carroll would come on to replace Antonio and
lead the line, or possibly even Diafra Sakho for only his second appearance
since November.
Slaven Bilic saw differently and decided to give Jonathan Calleri the best
part of 60 minutes to make his mark on the game and to his credit, he gave a
determined performance, probably his best for the club to date.
But why were Carroll and Sakho not picked ahead of the Argentine like one
would expect? Bilic says they simply didn't have the legs.
With Andy, he could play for 15-20 minutes against Swansea, but this
Saturday is completely different. It's the same with Diafra.
Carroll started the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal last week but was brought off at
the hour mark and replaced by Sakho who had only just returned from a
long-term back injury.
Bilic later confirmed that Carroll felt a niggle in his groin which had been
plaguing him for a number of weeks and was substituted as a precaution.
Both players failed to see any action during the win at Swansea three days
later and have another 10 days of rest and training under their belts with
no setbacks and should be able to play some part at Sunderland.
After his performance at Swansea, however, Bilic seems keen on handing
Calleri some more game time to see what he can do and Sakho appears to be
the one who'll have to sit on the bench for the time being.
It's a big blow with Antonio [missing the rest of the season] because he has
been good in every game. We have options up front with Andy Carroll and
Jonathan Calleri. We're likely going to need both Andy and Jonathan on
Saturday and they'll share the minutes on the pitch.
West Ham know that a win at Sunderland will virtually secure their place in
the Premier League for next season and with a couple tricky fixtures left in
the run-in, getting points on the board is paramount.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IT'S MAKE OR BREAK FOR HAVARD NORDTVEIT
DAN BRIARD @briard_dan
ReadWestHam
Is Mark Noble's successor rotting on the Hammers bench? Quite possibly I
think. Havard Nordtveit joined on a free transfer from Borussia
Monchengladbach last summer but has found that first-team opportunities are
hard to come by, making only 17 appearances since his move from Germany. The
former Arsenal youth player was a regular in the side early in the season,
playing a holding midfield role in the Europa League qualifiers and started
the first two Premier League games of the season but soon lost his place due
to Pedro Obiang's fine form.
In the midst of West Ham's latest injury bug, Nordtveit, who had found
himself on the outside looking in during the Autumn, playing just seven
minutes of football in October and November, was shunted into right-back and
he started four games during December and January at the position but failed
to make an impact in a position he's not comfortable with.
A lot of fans hold the defeat at Tottenham against him after coming on as a
late sub to see out the game before giving away a penalty at the death which
Harry Kane slotted away and gave Spurs the win.
But is the Norway international really that bad? I'm not so sure. During his
six seasons with Borussia Monchengladbach, he made over 150 appearances for
the German club and was even made captain of the team. He has Champions
League experience, which only a handful of players can say in the current
Hammers squad.
More importantly, Nordtveit is a central midfielder and has to be given a
chance in his natural position, given that Pedro Obiang, the midfield
maestro is out injured for the rest of the season and Noble will now miss
two games after picking up his 10th booking of the season.
West Ham fans will be sick of hearing about the number of players who have
been used at right back this season, with Nordtveit being one of the those.
The central midfielder has waited patiently for his chance and I do believe
that he could fill in well for Pedro Obiang. After all, it seems that
Nordtveit will be moved on in the summer, but will he be given one last
chance to prove himself?
He's not featured since January 2nd, a 12-game run and has seemingly fallen
out of favour with the coaching staff but perhaps he could be handed a
reprieve at Sunderland. You never know, these last games could help us see
that Nordtveit can perform on the big stage, but he has to be given a chance
where I think he may be able to shock a lot of fans, let's hope so.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Mark Noble expects 39 points to make Slaven Bilic's side
safe this season
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
Mark Noble expects 39 points to be enough for West Ham to retain their
Premier League status this season. The Hammers started the campaign aiming
to push towards the European places, having finished seventh in their final
season at the Boleyn Ground, but have fallen short of expectations. Slaven
Bilic's side lost five consecutive top-flight fixtures prior to last week's
crucial victory over Swansea but are now eight points clear of the
relegation zone ahead of the run-in. The 40-point mark is commonly seen as
the total required to stay up but Noble is convinced just one more victory
will be enough for the Hammers, who currently have a tally of 36.
"One more win should see us safe," he told the club's official website.
"Hopefully we've broken that run of losses – games we shouldn't have lost.
Sunderland away is massive and then we have some tough games."
The Hammers face Sunderland on Saturday afternoon and will be hopeful they
can get the better of David Moyes' side. The Black Cats have failed to win
in seven games and appear destined to drop into the Championship next term.
Noble will not feature at the Stadium of Light due to suspension but the
club captain is planning to travel north with the rest of Bilic's squad
regardless. "I'll be going up with them, for sure. I wouldn't be able to
relax otherwise. My Saturday would be the worst Saturday in history if I
didn't go! "I need to be there, so I'm pretty sure the manager will be happy
with me travelling up with the lads and supporting them, because obviously
we're in this together," Noble added.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham winger Michail Antonio to miss the rest of the season with
hamstring injury
Michail Antonio is to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury
He limped off in the first half of West Ham's win over Swansea on Saturday
Antonio will miss the Hammers' remaining six games
By Sam Cunningham for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 10:55, 13 April 2017 | UPDATED: 10:59, 13 April 2017
West Ham winger Michail Antonio is to miss the rest of the season with a
hamstring injury suffered during the first half of his side's 1-0 Premier
League win over Swansea. Antonio will miss the Hammers' remaining six games,
including their trip to Sunderland on Saturday, but it is not clear if he
will be fit for England's World Cup qualifier with Scotland on June 10.
Having been on of West Ham's most impressive players this season, the
England winger limped off during last weekend's crucial win. West Ham
manager Slaven Bilic told a press conference: 'We are without Michail
Antonio. It's a significant injury and he's out for the season.'It's a big
blow with Antonio because he has been good in every game.'
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KICK 'EM WHEN THEY'RE DOWN – POACHING BARGAINS IN THE SUMMER SALES
By Michael Brook 13 Apr 2017 at 08:00
WTID
"Armageddon" is how David Sullivan described relegation from the Premier
League. The financial chasm between English football's top two tiers has
never been greater; demoted clubs currently receive £86m in parachute
payments over 3 years on a front-loaded sliding scale, but miss out on a
minimum of £100m per season in TV rights. Based on a three-year cycle of
'bouncebackability', that equates to a deficit of £214m. The gap continues
to widen as the tectonic plates shift further apart.
Relegation inevitably results in 'fire sales' as companies look to strip out
expendable assets, resource and overheads. Squads are overhauled as clubs
seek to underwrite themselves in order to absorb considerable losses and
work within EFL financial regulations. Relegation in 2003 decimated our
squad – Defoe, David James, Carrick, Joe Cole, Sinclair, Glen Johnson, Di
Canio and Kanoute all departed the Boleyn. Our ill-fated inaugural campaign
under Avram Grant similarly culminated in the likes of Demba Ba and Scott
Parker leaving the Club.
Many of these players moved on cut-price deals. Purchasing clubs have little
incentive to act before the latter stages of the transfer window, knowing
full well that selling clubs are desperate to offload. Inequality of
bargaining power drives down price. Post-season vultures begin to circle in
gleeful anticipation of feasting upon the charred remains of another Premier
League casualty. Attractive propositions can be readily enticed with a
return to the Promised Land. Take Newcastle for example: having been
relegated at the end of last season, the following players became available
– Krul, Townsend, Coloccini, Cissé, Wijnaldum, Cabella, Janmaat, Sissoko,
Tioté, Thauvin and Rivière. Not a bad carcass to pick the bones out of
there! Opportunity knocks again this summer and the Hammers must be ready to
pounce. Relegated players can meet a variety of business and sporting needs;
purchase to plug gaps, develop, upsell or enhance our current squad.
For me, it's now 3 from 4 for relegation; Sunderland will be joined by
Middlesbrough, Swansea and/or Hull City. Whilst I'm not suggesting we should
recruit all (or even any) of the following players, I'm curious to consider
how we might bolster our ranks by targeting trapdoor teams:
Relegation XI 2016/17
GK: Lukasz Fabianski – The Swansea shot-stopper has always impressed me and,
at 31 years of age, still has several good seasons ahead of him. Whilst
Jordan Pickford also deserves a mention, we need a keeper to hit the ground
running and truly replace Rob Green. There will also be greater competition
for Pickford's signature.
RB: Kyle Naughton – Our relegation candidates lack a stand-out right back.
Middlesbrough's Fabio is a liability and the Tigers' Elmohamady is a winger
by trade who lacks defensive discipline. From the options available in the
basement battle, I'd be tempted to take a punt on former Spurs man Naughton.
However, the reality is that we need to invest heartily to secure an
accomplished PL performer to tackle this problem position properly.
CB: Alfie Mason – At just 23 years of age, this lad has a bright future.
Quick, reads the game well despite his inexperience, good in the air and has
an eye for goal with 4 strikes already in just 21 Swansea appearances.
CB: Lamine Koné – Built like the proverbial brickhouse, the Ivory Coast
international brings sheer physicality and athleticism to the backline. With
a tad more focus and application, he could be a colossal centre half. At 28,
the Black Cats' defender looks a shrewd purchase. I would have included Ben
Gibson, but we won't beat other bidders for the Borough boy's services.
LB: Andrew Robertson – The marauding fullback has done enough in his 2
appearances against us alone to warrant inclusion. Loves to get forward but
has added maturity and leadership to his game. Martin Olsson gets a nod, but
I'd plump for the young Scot to team-up with his international colleague
down our left flank.
RM: Luciano Narsingh – I watch a lot of Dutch football and this boy is a
tricky customer. At his best in transition and clinical on the counter
attack, he would suit our style of play, particularly away from home.
Players from the Edervisie take time to settle whilst they get to grips with
the frenetic pace and physicality of the league. A modicum of faith would
reap rewards on this occasion.
CDM: Jan Kirchhoff – A class act when fit (which raises justifiable question
marks), the former Mainz and Bayern Munich man is adept at breaking up play
and forging intelligent passes between the lines. A slick and silky operator
who strikes the right balance between skill and pragmatism.
CAM: Gylfi Sigurdsson – All. Day. Long. This guy has vision, guile and
technique. Not to mention he chalks up goals and assists for fun. A
go-to-guy for fantasy football fans everywhere, a goal-scoring central
midfielder is exactly what we require if Slaven persists with playing one up
top. Gastón Ramírez was considered, but the temperamental and nomadic
midfielder simply cannot compete with the Icelandic technician.
LM: Kamil Grosicki – Full of technique and dribbling ability, the diminutive
Pole has more twists and turns than a series of Broadchurch. Adama Traoré
gets an honourable mention, but is a winger of the headless chicken variety,
a la Yannick Bolasie. Application is a given, but output is key.
ST: Jermain Defoe – The former Hammer simply had to be included. With 14
goals in a struggling Sunderland side, it is embarrassing to consider where
the Mackems would be without him. The prolific forward has a relegation
release clause, so expect widespread clamour for his services. I have a
hunch that Spurs will come calling to bolster their stable of strikers.
Wouldn't it be great if 'Judas' finally restored the balance and chose us
over them?
ST: Fernando Llorente – Slim pickings in the forward department amongst our
relegation fodder. The Swansea target man's 11 league goals this season
represent a healthy return. The Spanish international has also forged a
decent partnership with Sigurdsson. Indeed, the Swans have missed Llorente
dearly in recent weeks as their form has tailed-off alarmingly. Abel
Hernández and Álvaro Negredo were considered, whilst Borini, Mbokani and
Anichebe were roundly mocked and quickly consigned to the relegation
scrapheap.
It's a game of opinions – what's yours?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alan Stephenson: 'It's certainly another 'must-win' game for West Ham'
Thursday, 13 April 2017 By Brian Jeeves in Football
By Brian Jeeves
ALAN STEPHENSON was relieved that his former side saw off Swansea City last
time out, easing their relegation fears. The Hammers had lost five Premier
League matches on the bounce going into last weekend's clash with the Swans
at the London Stadium. However, Stephenson, who made 108 appearances for the
east London club between 1968 and 1972, was mindful that they had to make it
back-to-back victories when they travel to the Stadium of Light to face
rock-bottom Sunderland on Saturday. Speaking to Yellow Sport ahead of the
clash, Stephenson said: "It was a crucial win for Slaven Bilic and the team
last week. It lifted a little of the gloom and doom around the London
Stadium. They now need to secure their Premier League status as soon as
possible. That way they can play with a little more freedom in the remaining
games, perhaps giving their supporters some optimism for next season. "It's
certainly another 'must-win' game for West Ham at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland are rooted to the bottom of the table and have not so much as
scored a goal at home since mid-January. Bilic's team must make it count
this week as three points should make them all-but safe from the drop."
Despite Sunderland's struggles, Stephenson was wary of one particular Black
Cats player who he believed would offer a genuine threat: "Jermaine Defoe
has recently been linked with a return to the Hammers. He has scored more
than half of Sunderland's twenty-four goals this season and will be busting
a gut to add to that tally this weekend. "Remarkably, Defoe recently made a
goalscoring return to the England side. He has made a big impact for every
club he has represented and is an excellent example to younger footballers.
"The Hammers backline, particularly James Collins, were terrific against
Swansea. They will have to be on their toes again this week to snub out
Defoe's threat. "
But Stephenson was also concerned with the Hammers ever growing injury list,
adding: "Michail Antonio appears to be out for the remainder of the season,
while there are question marks over Andy Carroll's fitness. This is a big
worry for Bilic, especially as his side need another four or five points to
be safe from relegation. "For me, Andre Ayew has to come alive and justify
just why the Hammer paid a club record £20 million for him. This is a
perfect opportunity for him to get amongst the goals and help his team away
from trouble. "West Ham still have eighteen points to play for. However,
with the likes of Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur still to come
they will face an anxious run-in if they fail to win against a poor
Sunderland side."
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Ex-Newcastle man Andy Carroll will need no extra motivation to move
Sunderland closer to relegation
GARY ROWELL 06:38
Thursday 13 April 2017
SunderlandEcho.com
Sunderland have a second consecutive home game when West Ham United provide
the opposition this weekend and while there is a glimmer of hope they have
got to go for it even though everyone knows we are so far behind we could
win on Saturday and probably still go down. ADVERTISING inRead invented by
Teads West Ham have had a troubled season. The move from Upton Park to the
new stadium has proved to be anything but easy; star player Dimitri Payet
engineered a move back to France and lost his hero status with fans; and the
team's results haven't been as good as I'm sure the owners expected. Slaven
Bilic might be feeling the heat a little bit and I am sure he will be
desperate to finish the season with a flourish after they scraped a win over
Swansea City on Saturday. Then, of course, there is Andy Carroll – so often
a thorn in our side. If fit, he will need no extra motivation to pile on
more misery for the Sunderland fans. The ex-Newcastle striker might have his
critics but if you play a system that suits him and get the service right,
then he is a huge problem for any centre-back and I am sure all of our back
four would prefer to play a Hammers team with him out of it, than in it.
Sunderland's position now is beyond desperate, even before the United game
every Sunderland fan I talked to thought we would go down – even the blindly
optimistic ones. So a 3-0 defeat in that game hasn't improved morale one
bit. There were nearly 44,000 fans at the last home game, and no doubt there
will be another good turn-out against West Ham. Unbelievable support both
home and away considering what the fans have had to endure this season.
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'Embarrassing' - West Ham fans react to Jack Sullivan writing about the club
in national newspaper
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United fans have reacted furiously after the teenage son of
co-owner David Sullivan announced he is writing a column for The Sun.
Sullivan, fellow co-owner David Gold and Karren Brady have come under fire
for washing the club's dirty linen in public. Fans have also been critical
of Sullivan's sons David and Jack for discussing club affairs and transfers
on Twitter. A bizarre columnist dubbed The Insider - which openly discussed
transfer targets and fees amongst other things - was pulled on the orders of
Brady earlier this season after complaints from supporters. So you can
imagine how West Ham fans have reacted to the revelation from Jack Sullivan
that he is to write a twice monthly column for national newspaper The Sun.
Announcing his column, Jack said on Twitter: "My first Sun article, about
the Swansea game. Check it out, will be writing 1/2 a month."
The teenager went on to insist he will not be 'giving anything away' and
donates the fee for the column to charity. But fans were still disappointed,
with some furious reactions. As the son of the club's owner and a West Ham
fan, it must be exciting for young Jack who says he just wants to interact
with the club's supporters. Indeed many fans enjoy his regular updates and
inside information, particularly when the transfer window is open and in
full swing. But just as many feel it is unnecessary and point to the example
set by other clubs who conduct their business in a more professional manner.
Jack Sullivan ? @jsullivanwhu
My first sun article, about the Swansea game. Check it out, will be writing
1/2 a
month.https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/3316959/west-hams-brilliant-1-
0-win-over-swansea-can-be-catalyst-for-change-after-problems-on-and-off-the-
london-stadium-pitch/ …
Fred Stanley @fredjstanley
@jsullivanwhu @TheSun when will you and the rest of club management learn to
keep your gob shut??
5:20 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 13 13 likes
WEZ @FADEandDIE
@jsullivanwhu Scum bags news paper disgusted our club world be linked with
it's disgusting lying scum bag paper
5:16 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 2 2 likes
George? @George_Whufc
@jsullivanwhu Why the sun? Disgraceful
4:57 PM - 12 Apr 2017
12 12 Retweets 26 26 likes
Steve Brown @Steve_Brown01
@jsullivanwhu Sorry, but this is another major PR own goal (for WH)
Jack...This rag is the most despised in football. Suggest u retract
5:03 PM - 12 Apr 2017
12 12 Retweets 16 16 likes
Dylan Dench @DylanDench
@jsullivanwhu Owners son writing articles about the team in the Sun haha
couldn't make it up, club never learn, embarrassing
4:58 PM - 12 Apr 2017
14 14 Retweets 29 29 likes
46 and 2 @KingYeates
@jsullivanwhu the sun? For Shame. Expect it from Brady, but not so much you.
?They Fly So High? @TFSH_WHUFC
@jsullivanwhu @karren_brady and you should be ashamed after what Sun has
done to the genuine football fan, but then you lot like lies don't
you......FACT. pic.twitter.com/EnZx3SdeXl
7:35 PM - 12 Apr 2017
View image on Twitter
1 1 Retweet 5 5 likes
DA @DDDAAA74
@jsullivanwhu Just what we need ... we don't hear enough from your family.
Not like your dad shouts his mouth off to anybody who'll listen
5:08 PM - 12 Apr 2017
Retweets 5 5 likes
joe kuzsel ? @JoeKuzsel
@jsullivanwhu @ExWHUemployee If you dont understand why you shouldnt write
for the sun then you understand very little about football fans. Very sad
situation...
8:05 PM - 12 Apr 2017 · Stratford, London
1 1 Retweet 1 1 like
Tony Price @tonycprice
@jsullivanwhu Hi Jack, I haven't got a problem with you writing about a club
you are obviously passionate about, but please, please not for that rag.
6:44 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 1 1 like
Munky @IAmTheMunky
@jsullivanwhu Another one using my club as a platform to build their
personal brand, just like @karren_brady . Oh, and #dontbuythesun
6:20 PM - 12 Apr 2017
Retweets 1 1 like
Pep Harris @UglyKidPep
@jsullivanwhu Why doesn't anyone at our club know when to shut their mouths?
Too many flash Harrys. oh, and #DontBuyTheSun
5:57 PM - 12 Apr 2017
1 1 Retweet 2 2 likes
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JACK SULLIVAN West Ham's brilliant 1-0 win over Swansea can be catalyst for
change after problems on and off the London stadium pitch
Jack Sullivan, son of Hammers chairman David Sullivan, reflects on the win
over Swansea and looks ahead to the game against Sunderland
The Sun
By Jack Sullivan
12th April 2017, 4:11 pm Updated: 12th April 2017, 7:37 pm
WHAT an important win that was on Saturday. It wasn't the prettiest but it
was effective and, for me, the best win at London Stadium to date. We won
1-0, possibly a scoreline that flattered Swansea, as Andre Ayew, Jonathan
Calleri and Sam Byam all had decent chances that we maybe should have scored
from. I thought we played decently and the most important thing for me was
the clean sheet – something we have struggled with this season, conceding
1.8 goals a game on average – something I know we will be looking to rectify
for next season.
If you look at Chelsea and Spurs, who are the top two teams in the Premier
League, both do not concede goals. Possibly because I've grown up watching
teams managed by Steve Bruce, Alex McLeish and Big Sam, I do like a clean
sheet with strong tackles, blocks and shape.
However, I do also love good football as well, and this is something that
Slaven Bilic's teams do like to give you – there is a balance to be struck
and it is possible to achieve. For me, the Man of the Match on Saturday was
James Collins. His heart and passion was second to none, as it always is and
in a six-pointer game like that, that is exactly what is needed. Sam Byram,
someone who has had to fight for his place this season, also performed
superbly. He has really grafted for his chance and has been improving with
every game. Sadly, he has a minor niggle, but hopefully nothing serious. The
most impressive thing about the goal was the celebration, as it showed how
much it meant to the players! Everyone at the club knew it was a massive six
pointer and a game we had to win. We all know it's been a far from ideal
season, with problems on and off the pitch, but let's hope this is the
catalyst for a strong last few games of the campaign. Your support on
Saturday was one of the best it's been and it massively helped – we know it
has been a tricky season of adjustment, but just bear with us.
Hopefully we can get a result against Sunderland and really move up the
table. We have a difficult last five games, but winnable if we go in with
some form. The list of injuries is getting longer, which is a worry for the
Sunderland game. However, we do have decent back up cover so hopefully we
can get a result. Finally, readers might be wondering why am I writing for
SunSport? I was asked and for me it gives me a platform to connect with
Hammers' fans and write my views on the club – I hope this will be something
informative and entertaining for you all!
Please follow me on Twitter at @jsullivanwhu and Instagram at @jsullivanwhu
– and it goes without saying that all views are my own and not those of West
Ham United.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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