Daily WHUFC News II - 22nd April 2017

Manager on Matchday
WHUFC.com


Slaven Bilic shares his thoughts as West Ham United prepare to host Everton
at London Stadium…


Good morning everyone.

Before I talk about today's game, I want to say a few words about Ugo
Ehiogu, who sadly passed away on Friday at the age of just 44.

I didn't know Ugo personally but I played against him, and he was a proper
gentleman and a proper player.

It is a big, big shock and our deepest condolences go out to Ugo's family,
friends and everyone who knew him.

We face Everton at London Stadium today in the Premier League and it is
another big game for us.

We hope to get the win this afternoon that would get us to that magic number
of 40 points and that should be enough for us to be safe, but we are not
thinking only of three more points.

We have five games left to play and 15 points to play for and we want to get
as many as we can, because we have shown we have a chance in every game when
we are good. We have got four points from the last two games and we want to
continue in that way.

Today, we play Everton and we have to stop Romelu Lukaku, which is a job not
only for our defenders, but for the whole team.

We have played well against him before, but he has still managed to score
goals. He can do you harm, but we need to stop the service to him, because
that will prevent him having the ball in dangerous positions. When he does
get the service, we need to double him and stop him getting shots away.

He is definitely one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment. He is
consistent, especially for his age, and has been scoring goals regularly and
getting better and better. I rate him really, really highly.

He's been linked with a lot of big, big clubs and Everton have shown how big
and ambitious they are by keeping him.

Everton are not one player, though. They are a very confident team,
especially at home, and they have removed the vulnerability they had last
season and are much more solid, and kept their offensive strength. They have
a lot of energy and ability.

Concentrating on our own fortunes, these five games are going to determine
where we are going to finish in the Premier League.

We are in a position where we can look above us, but we also need to keep
the gap below us and the relegation zone big. We can finish higher in the
table and a lot of things can happen in the last five games, as we found
when we lost five in a row recently.

The table is very congested, but it is more or less the same in most top
leagues in Europe, where the gaps between the mid-table teams are very
small.

We are without a number of important players today – Andy Carroll, Pedro
Obiang, Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio through injury and Sam Byram
after his red card at Sunderland – but we hope to have Diafra Sakho and
Winston Reid available.

Reidy has been training this week and he looked good, so his return would be
a big boost for us. Diafra was injured and missed the Sunderland game but he
returned to training on Thursday and we will assess him ahead of today's
game.

Whoever plays, we need to take our chances when we create them and be
stronger defensively, because in our recent matches we have taken a lead a
few times and not built on it.

We need to use our momentum to kill games off when we get our noses in front
and that will be the same if we go ahead today.

Defensively, we know the opposition will take risks and create chances if
they are behind, so we also need to be stronger and show more resolve as a
team to maintain our advantage.

Come on you Irons!

Slaven Bilic

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Pixie Lott to perform at London Stadium
WHUFC.com

West Ham United fan and singer Pixie Lott will perform her new song 'Baby'
at half-time in Saturday's Premier League meeting with Everton.

The 26-year-old star will entertain the sell-out London Stadium crowd with
the dance track, which is the first single Pixie has released since 2014.

Baby is a collaboration with DJ and producer Anton Powers and was performed
live on The Voice UK Final on BBC 1 earlier this month.

A popular performer, Pixie's debut single 'Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)' went
straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart in 2009, while her second
single 'Boys and Girls' also went to number one.

In recent years, she has also appeared on television in a variety of roles,
both as an actress and contestant, most notably on Strictly Come Dancing and
The Voice Kids UK.

Last year, she starred as Holly Golightly in a successful run of the musical
Breakfast at Tiffany's in London's West End.

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Both Sides of the Fence - Mark Ward
WHUFC.com

As someone who enjoyed a successful career with both West Ham and Everton,
Mark Ward truly knows what it means to be Claret and Blue.

Born in Prescot, Merseyside in October 1962, the winger joined his boyhood
heroes Everton as a schoolboy but was left devastated when the club released
him in his first year as a professional for being too small.

He battled back to forge a career at Oldham Athletic, before John Lyall paid
£250,000 to bring him to West Ham in the summer of 1985. 'Wardy' became an
instant fan favourite at Upton Park thanks to his pace, skill and
fully-committed approach, and played a key role in the record-breaking
1985-86 campaign, when Hammers reached their highest-ever league finish.

Despite remaining one of the club's most consistent performers over the next
three years, Mark suffered the pain of relegation and the departure of Lyall
in 1989 and, after falling out with his successor Lou Macari, joined
Manchester City in December 1989 after 165 appearances for the Hammers.

In 1991, his career came full circle when he signed for Everton for £1m and
finally achieved his dream of playing at Goodison Park. After three
successful years with his boyhood heroes, he joined Birmingham City and then
had further spells with Huddersfield and Leigh RMI before hanging up his
boots...

It will be a very tough game for West Ham given the amount of injuries and
suspensions Slaven has.
Thankfully, though, they have picked up those four points from their last
two games that have pushed them into a relatively safe position, and
hopefully they will approach this one feeling more relaxed and confident.
I've seen a lot of West Ham this season and it obviously hasn't gone as well
as everyone hoped, especially after such a fantastic campaign last year.
It's a shame that they haven't been able to build on that, and there are
probably lots of reasons why, but the main thing now is that they make sure
of their Premier League status - which I believe they have already done -
and look forward to next season. I've got a lot of respect for Slaven and
the chairmen, who I know from my time at Birmingham, and I know how much
they all want success for West Ham.

Everton are in great form at the moment and Romelu Lukaku will no doubt be
looking forward to the game.
His record against West Ham is phenomenal - I think it's nine games in a row
he has scored against them. Sometimes as a player you just have those
certain teams that you just seem to play well against and it almost becomes
psychological. I remember mine was Sheffield United - I always seemed to
score against them or have a brilliant game. I wouldn't say Lukaku is
unplayable but on his day he is a very difficult opponent, and West Ham's
central defenders will need to be on top of their game against him. There
are obviously suggestions that Winston Reid will be back from injury and
that would be great news for Slaven, because he has been one of the more
consistent performers, and James Collins has also played very well lately.

In some ways, you can compare West Ham's season to what happened to us after
1985-86.
We obviously had an exceptional season, that no-one really saw coming, but
it became far more difficult for us the following year. Basically, teams
sussed us out, and took us a lot more seriously. The tactics towards us
changed, and then we suffered injuries to some key players, which hadn't
happened the previous year. Suddenly things can become difficult very
quickly, and I think that has been the case for West Ham this season.
They've lost vital players for long periods - including Payet altogether of
course - and that is always going to have an impact. Mind you, it shows how
much football has changed when you think that, after finishing third in
1985-86, we didn't make a single new signing that summer. Imagine a team
finishing in the Champions League places now and not buying any new players!

A lot has been said about the new stadium and its effect on the team but,
I've got to be honest, I don't really buy into that.
A game of football is a pitch and two goals, and that doesn't change whether
you are playing at London Stadium, Goodison Park, Anfield or Hackney
Marshes! As a player, that was my philosophy, it didn't matter where I was
playing. There have been a number of reasons for West Ham's struggles this
season, but I don't think the stadium is one of them, and it certainly can't
be used as an excuse going into next season and the season after. At the end
of the day, it is a fantastic arena, with 57,000 fans packed in, and we've
seen at times how special it can be. I know I'd love to be playing there!

I actually watched the video highlights of the '85-86 season recently and, I
have to say, how good were we!
I was staying with a great friend of mine, Mick Tobyn, while working down
here, and his son Danny put it on. I'd just got in, I was knackered and just
wanted to jump in the shower, but I sat down and started watching it, and I
had to watch it to the end! I had never really looked back on it, and it
made me realise how special that team was. It was fantastic to be a part of,
and I will always treasure those memories.

I can say for sure now that I would never have left West Ham in 1989 if John
Lyall or Billy Bonds had been in charge.
I had a personality clash with Lou Macari and, basically, I felt that man
wasn't good enough to manage the club I loved. I didn't like the way he
wanted us to play - for him to say that I couldn't collect the ball from
Phil Parkes throwing it out was ridiculous. With the players we had in our
side, yet he wanted Parkesy to kick it long. And Parkesy couldn't kick it
anyway because his knees were dodgy! In hindsight, perhaps I should have
been a bit more patient, because it was a bit of a kick in the teeth to see
Macari go and Bonzo take over just a couple of months after I left. That was
the story of my career, though. I left Everton in 1994 under Mike Walker,
and just a few months later my old boss at Oldham Joe Royle came in and took
them to FA Cup glory that season!

West Ham will always have a piece of my heart but I think everyone knows
that Everton is in my blood.
It was almost 10 years to the day between them letting me go for nothing and
buying me back for a million pounds. I made my home debut at Goodison Park
against the champions Arsenal, the long wait to pull on the blue shirt,
coming out to the Z Cars theme. I'd taken a kick from Stuart Pearce the week
before when we played away at Nottingham Forest, but I wouldn't go in for
treatment in case the physio stopped me playing against Arsenal! I scored
two goals in a 3-1 win, and I always say it was probably my greatest ever
game of football. And although my departure from West Ham hadn't been very
pleasant, I have to look back and say that it actually led to me achieving
my boyhood dream.

I've worked hard to get my life back on track since coming out of prison in
2009.
I made a big mistake, and I paid the price for it, but I appreciate what
I've got now and life is positive. In 2014, I got married to Michelle, who
has made me very happy, and we are about to set up a small floristry
business in Liverpool, which we hope will be successful. I do some work on
the after-dinner speaking circuit, and I've also set up a successful West
Ham pre-match event that takes place at the East Ham Working Men's Club at
Upton Park before Saturday home games. The idea came from something similar
that happens in a pub near Everton, and so far it has been a great success.
We have a former player come in for every event, and lay on buses afterwards
to take everyone over to London Stadium. It's great for me personally to
stay involved, and to still have that bond with West Ham fans that I cherish
so dearly.

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Three Key Battles - Everton
WHUFC.com

West Ham United will hope to improve upon their disappointing Premier League
record against Everton when Ronald Koeman's side travel to London Stadium on
Saturday.

The Toffees have been beaten just once in their last 17 top flight meetings
with this afternoon's hosts, though that single victory for the Hammers did
come at Goodison Park last season.

With four points from their last two games, Slaven Bilic's outfit are keen
to build momentum and finish as high up the table as possible as the season
reaches its climax.

And the following six players will be vital for their respective sides on
the London Stadium pitch as West Ham and Everton go to battle…

Collins v Williams

With Winston Reid missing the last four matches through injury, James
Collins has returned to the side, looking to build a partnership alongside
Jose Fonte in the centre of defence.

The Welshman has played his part in the Hammers' recent positive results
too, scoring in last weekend's 2-2 draw at Sunderland.

That goal – which means his tally is double that of Everton defender and
international teammate Ashley Williams – was as important as his defensive
display at home to Swansea City was a fortnight ago.

Williams has been in fine form this season too, and has, over a number of
years now, been one of the Premier League's most consistent performers.

Lanzini v Barkley

With the burden of providing goals and chances for teammates resting on
their shoulders, Manuel Lanzini and Ross Barkley are hugely important to
today's sides.

Lanzini's performances since Christmas, during which he has scored four of
his five goals from open play this season, have been particularly impressive
and his passing stats rival the best in the Premier League.

Barkley's style is less measured and more off-the-cuff than the Argentine's,
but it is exciting and gets Toffees fans off their seats. The Englishman, as
shown by the above statistics, isn't afraid to try a killer pass or take a
shot at goal.

All of Lanzini's 2017 goals have come at London Stadium, so Hammers
supporters everywhere will be hoping he can add another to his collection on
Saturday.

Ayew v Mirallas

With Andy Carroll missing through injury and Michail Antonio ruled out for
the season, Andre Ayew will be the man the Hammers look to on Saturday for
goals, having bagged four in his last eight games.

Similar to Ayew, Kevin Mirallas normally plays off the main striker or on
the wing, and likes to get amongst the goals as well.

The Belgian, in-and-out of Ronald Koeman's starting XI this season, has an
impressive total of six assists to go alongside his four goals and has found
the back of the net three times previously against West Ham.

Could a goal from either of the pair prove crucial on Saturday?

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Noble urges Hammers to end Everton run
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble urges teammates to end decade-long run without a home league win
over Everton
West Ham United have not beaten Toffees in east London in top-flight since
April 2007
Suspended captain Noble says victory on Saturday would make Hammers all but
safe

Mark Noble has urged his teammates to embrace the spirit of the Great Escape
when West Ham United host Everton on Saturday. The Hammers have not beaten
the Blues on home turf in the Premier League since 21 April 2007, when Bobby
Zamora's wondergoal helped West Ham to a vital 1-0 win on their way to
miraculously beating the drop. Ten years on and the east Londoners welcome
the Merseysiders to London Stadium without seven senior players, including
captain Noble, through injury and suspension, but the skipper is not taking
that for an excuse for another defeat to the Toffees. "I was told that it
was ten years ago this week that we last beat the Blues at home in the
Premier League, 1-0 in a game I remember well because Bobby Zamora whipped
in a fantastic goal on our way to pulling off the Great Escape!" he recalled
in his exclusive column for Saturday's Official Programme. "While we are not
in immediate danger this season, we do need to pick up a positive result
this weekend if we are going to ensure our Premier League place for next
season. "If we can get the win, we will get to the 40-point mark and also be
in mid-table which, when you consider all the challenges we have faced this
season, not only as a team but as a Club, that's not a bad position to be
in."

Noble knows his teammates, including the returning Winston Reid, will need
to be at their best to stop Everton and their regular West Ham nemesis
Romelu Lukaku, who has scored in nine straight appearances against the
Hammers. But Everton are not the same force away from Goodison Park as they
are on home turf, as the midfielder pointed out, and he believes a lively
London Stadium atmosphere could help the hosts end their unwanted recent
record against both Lukaku and the Blues. "It's going to be tough, because
Everton are having a fantastic season," observed the No16, who is completing
a two-match ban for receiving ten yellow cards. "They are a force at home at
Goodison Park, where they have only lost once and have picked up 40 of their
57 points, but they are not quite so good on the road. "We need to take
advantage of that and recreate the performance we put in against Swansea
City a fortnight ago, when we created more than enough chances to win far
more comfortably than we did in the end. "The atmosphere that afternoon was
brilliant and, for me, was what the traditional West Ham United is all about
– everyone pulling together when our backs are against the wall and coming
out with the right result on the other side. "It was a massive game and the
atmosphere you created was incredible."

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U15s top the group in Prague
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U15s won their opening two matches at the Slavia
International Cup
As a result, they top Group A with three games left to play
The Hammers beat St Polten (Austria) 1-0 and Jiangsu Suning (China) 2-0

Head of U15-U18 Coaching Danny Searle believes his team have laid down a
marker after winning their opening two matches at the Slavia International
Cup.

The young Hammers travelled to Prague, Czech Republic yesterday and today
beat SKN St.Polten (Austria) and Jiangsu Suning (China) to top Group A.

They won the first 1-0 thanks to a close-range finish from Dan Chesters
before cruising to victory in the second match after goals from Amadou
Diallo and Charlie O'Connell.

"The first day is always tough and you have to make sure you're still in the
competition at the close of play," said Searle.

"The performances weren't necessarily the types we want but we did get
better as the games went on.

"We haven't conceded and we're top of the group so we have laid down a
marker and put breathing space between us and the rest.

The Hammers took on St.Polten in their first match and had to dig-in for the
three points against their resilient Austrian opponents.

Harry Costa went close in the opening stages with a long-range effort before
Chesters opened the scoring, sliding in to convert Captain Sam Caiger's
cross.

Polten went close in the final stages but the Hammers registered three
points in their opening game and used their momentum to dominate their
second fixture.

Their opponents Suning were no match for the East Londoners who went ahead
on the stroke of half-time thanks to a wonderful run and finish from Diallo.

Kai Corbett missed a great chance to double the lead midway through the
second half before substitute Charlie O'Connell finished well to ensure West
Ham topped Group A going into Day Two.

"Other teams have slipped up today so that gives us great confidence going
into a packed day tomorrow," added Searle.

"The aim is to reach the final and it's a great incentive that it will be
played at Slavia Prague's 20,000 seater stadium."

The Hammers play three group games tomorrow against hosts Slavia Prague, the
Chinese national team and MSK Zilina (Slovakia).

West Ham (v SKN St. Polten): Roach, Greenidge (O'Connell), Caiger, Costa,
Thomas, Nsumbu (Fevrier), Diallo, Chesters, Corbett (Khouri), Peake (Swyer),
King (Maragh).

Subs not used: Wilson-Esbrand.

Goals: Chesters.

Bookings: Costa.

West Ham (v Jiangsu Suning): Roach, Greenidge (O'Connell), Caiger (Fevrier),
Costa, Thomas, Nsumbu, Diallo (Maragh), Chesters, Corbett (Khouri), Lennon
Peake (Swyer), King.

Subs not used: Wilson-Esbrand.

Goals: Diallo, O'Connell.

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Phillips - Boys are relishing tests
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s travel to Manchester United tomorrow (1pm)
The Hammers haven't played a competitive fixture for three weeks
Mark Phillips thinks his players are looking forward to the final few tests
of the season

Mark Phillips believes his U18s are relishing their final few fixtures which
see them take on some of the biggest teams in the Academy scene.

The Hammers take on Manchester United today (1pm) at the Aon Training
Complex after a long three-week break from competitive action.

With three games left to play this season, assistant boss Phillips hopes his
team can end another terrific season on a positive note.

"It's a game that all the boys are looking forward to," he said. "We're not
sure what we're up against but the lads are relishing it. "

"It will be a bit of a balancing act with the U23s who have a really
important game on Monday night, which they have to win. So, we don't know
what personnel we'll have at this stage."

The Hammers last played against Liverpool three weeks ago, and despite going
behind with a few minutes to play, they deservedly hit back in the dying
embers to snatch a point.

Steve Potts's men started on the front foot from the first whistle and went
close when Jahmal Hector-Ingram forced the keeper into action from a tight
angle.

The Hammers emerged from the interval with the same intensity and missed a
terrific chance to take a deserved lead. Hector-Ingram returned the favour
for Anthony Scully who shot over from point blank range.

Against the run of play though, Liverpool snatched the lead with just
minutes to go. A mix-up in the Hammers defence allowed Okera Simmonds to
slot home from the edge of the box.

But the Hammers got their just rewards in injury time. Hector-Ingram was
brought down by the Liverpool keeper and up stepped Joe Powell to fire home
the penalty and give the visitors a deserved point.

"If you look at the chances we had, we had numerous occasions where we
should have scored," Phillips continued. "On chances created, we definitely
should have taken more than a point.

"It was a long six hour coach journey. To get off the coach, have little
time to warm-up and then play a competitive game of football is testament to
the boys.

"We were very pleased with their performance. It was up there with one of
our best performances of the season against good opposition."

Phillips now hopes the tasks coming up will spur his young players on to
finish the season well.

"We had a friendly recently against Barnet which was a worthwhile exercise
and a good, competitive game.

"You won't get three bigger games than Manchester United, Manchester City
and Arsenal. They're among the biggest teams in this country and that's an
incentive for us to keep going till the end of the season.

Kick-off between West Ham United U18s and Manchester United is at 1pm on
Saturday at the Aon Training Complex.

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MARK WARD'S EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: HOW DO YOU STOP LUKAKU?!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 21 APRIL 2017 AT 9:38PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

By Mark Ward @mark7ward

I am an Evertonian Hammer and have fond memories from my time at both clubs.
The two clubs have many links with a number of players having played for
both clubs, including our current manager Slaven Bilic. Both clubs mean so
much to me and it was at Goodison that we played (and lost) our final game
of the record breaking 85/86 season.

There is one player that obviously stands out as the biggest threat from the
opposition and that is Lukaku. His goalscoring record against the Hammers
is ridiculous and I think Slav should play with three centre backs to try
and counter his threat. His supply through the middle is often from scouser
Ross Barclay and they offer the biggest threat.

It is a very important game for the Hammers as I still do not believe they
are safe just yet, if they get a win however, they can start to look forward
to Premier League football next year.

I hope to see many of you at the West Ham Way Event tomorrow with former
Hammer of the Year Matthew Etherington. I really would urge you to come to
one of these events if you haven't before. COYI

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West Ham United v Everton
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th April 2017
By: Preview Percy

What does Ross Barkley have in common with Professor Stephen Hawking? More
than you might think actually. They both feature in Preview Percy's look at
this weekend's visit of Everton for a start. And, well, that's it
really......

Next up we play host to Everton. 3pm Saturday kick-off at the Olympic. Light
cloud and an anticipated high of 15 degrees (66.2 degrees in real
temperatures). Slight chance of a mid-morning shower. Now I have a piece of
news that might rightly be regarded as earth-shattering.

It is this: there are no engineering works between Liverpool Street and
points east on Greater Anglia this weekend. Well not until you get as far as
Ipswich anyway. Amazing isn't it? I mean we are at home and they are
thinking of running a train service. I mean don't go shouting about it or
they will realise it's an admin error or something and start digging the
tracks up again.

So Everton. Bit of a bogey team over the years. We have had the odd blip in
our favour here and there – beating them on penalties in the Cup in the
famous Adrian "gloves off" match and last year's comeback from 2-0 down up
on their patch leap to mind. However more often than not they have had the
edge – even when we have clearly been the better side.

They currently lie in 7th spot with 57 points from 33 games. They're not
exactly looking over their shoulders, having as they do a 13 point cushion
over West Brom in 8th place. Looking up they are just behind Arsenal in 6th
on goal difference though they have played two more matches. Both are three
points shy of the Thursday Night League qualification spot occupied by the
Salford Moaners who seem to have twigged that winning the Thursday Night
League might just be their best way of qualifying for the So Called
Champions League.

As usual the criteria for European qualification seems to have been put
together using some of the more fanciful equations used by Stephen Hawking
to prove the existence of Richard Dawkins but from Everton's point of view
they are in with a shout of some foreign travel next season, though our
experience suggests that that may be more hassle than it ends up being
worth.


It's been an eventful week or two in the Goodison area. There was already
some ongoing debate about the progress made by Ross Barkley in recent years.
Then he went out and got himself decked in an unprovoked attack which
Merseyplod are apparently investigating. This prompted Sun ex-editor and
columnist Kelvin MacKenzie to weigh in with his two pennorth-worth likening
the part-Nigerian Barkley to a "Gorilla" and suggesting that the Barkley is
one of the country's dimmest footballers.

The graphics department helpfully published a photo of Barkley next to a
gorilla (I presume there were captions for the hard of thinking to explain
which was which) and enquired as to whether the player was the missing link.
Both the Sun and MacKenzie denied having knowledge of Barkley's racial
background.

Now Barkley may well be not exactly the sharpest tool in the box – let's
face it professional footballers on the whole probably aren't
over-represented in the MENSA membership registers. But MacKenzie might want
to ponder the definition of the word dim and ask himself the question as to
which of them which one of them was "dim" enough to publish something so
stupid that they have been suspended from their job pending an
investigation. For the Sun readers amongst you the clue is it wasn't
Barkley.

The work experience girl wearing the Cult t-shirt without knowing who they
are tells me they brought in just the two players during the last window.
The big money (£20m plus another £4m in potential add-ons) went on Morgan
Schneiderlin who was out of favour, never having quite managed to get in
favour at Old Trafford. He had fallen so far down the pecking order that
France initially blanked him for last summer's Euros and, although injuries
did see him called up to the squad, he failed to make an appearance in the
tournament.

A "mere" £7.5m was required to prise Ademola Lookman from Charlton.
Lookman's surname sounds a bit Geordie though he is in fact from Wandsworth.
The 19 year-old has England honours at U18 and U19 level thus far in his
career and he turned down flat an invitation from the Nigerian FA to switch
allegiance to the country of his parents' ancestry. He made his mark on his
debut against Man City, sticking away the final goal in the Toffees' 4-0
demolition of the Citizens.

Up front they will be able to call on the services of Romelu Lukaku who has
scored in so many consecutive matches against us for them that the odds on
him not scoring down at Winstone's the Turf Accountant are identically
astronomical to those of Mike Dean getting through a live tv match without
deliberately doing something controversial. I did check the injury list in
the hope that he might have some embarrassing rash or something that might
need to have him quarantined from the rest of the squad but sadly for us he
is fit enough to continue his run.

Defender Phil Jagielka has scored three in his last three. However he will
be forever remembered around these parts for that handball for Sheffield
United against Wigan in 2007 that (it says here following extensive editing
by our lawyers) was in no way shape or form deliberate. It was just
coincidence that he put his hand up to stop a ball that was going nowhere
near an opponent to produce a scoreline that would have seen both teams stay
up at our expense had we rolled over and lost.

They will of course be without Seamus Coleman whose horrible injury in the
recent Republic of Ireland v Wales qualifier the other week was so bad that
even Sky wouldn't show the replay. Bizzarely the usual injury listing site
shows Coleman as being a "major doubt" for the weekend. Really? Better hurry
up with that plaster then Seamus. Seriously though, one's best wishes go to
him of course, though I can't quite bring myself to send the same sort of
greeting to McCarthy whose hamstring problem can be attributed to the
football gods as payback for the Payet assault last season. Even if it was
Payet.

Elsewehere I see that Captain. Racist. Twat. John Terry is to leave
Abrahamovic's money laundering operation. Some have linked him with a move
to us. No thanks. Others have suggested he might go to China or the US. Here
at the Avran Grant Olympic Rest Home For the Bewildered we think he will
sign for a club in the English Defence League or, alternatively, replace
Kelvin MacKenzie as a Sun columnist.

Us? Well I am waiting for an explanation of how their first equaliser was
allowed to stand last week. Anichebe was so all over Randolph that the
'keeper required a pregnancy test post-match. Probably. The goal represented
a dreadful but all-too-common dereliction of duty from the match officials.
Time and time again we hear how officials need to be protected but from what
exactly? I mean it's a different kettle of fish at amateur level but I don't
recall too many instances of top level referees ever being on the end of
violence (notwithstanding Alcock's comedy performance in the sitcom "Paul
and Paolo").

As usual there were a number of games this weekend where goals were allowed
due to the failure of officials to apply the laws that they are paid to
apply. (Mike Dean now does this so often that nobody notices anymore). And
the consequences of these errors for those responsible? Nothing. You don't
believe me? Well consider this then: three times as many people have walked
on the moon as have been permanently demoted from the Select Group. The
authorities have spent so much time falling for the lie perpetuated by PGMOL
that referees need "protection" that it is now virtually impossible to get
rid of a useless ref unless he does something really stupid like leaving
early in his own car to go and see Ed Sheerhan.

That said we took the foot off the gas twice and got what we deserved.
Byram's red resulted from two yellows the first of which should have been
given to Anichebe for diving. Meanwhile Cattermole, who picked up a yellow
on 37 seconds proceeded to kick and trip his way through the game without
further punishment. Yet again Marriner will escape any punishment from his
ineptitude whilst we get punished by missing a player in an already worrying
position for us.

The big question mark surrounds Darren Randolph whose form of late has been
less than inspiring. For the second goal he came so far they charged him
excess on his Oyster card. He doesn't seem at his most confident and with
Jagielka in goal-machine type form in penalty areas lacking a dominant
'keeper at the moment I would be a bit concerned that his understandable
lack of confidence might prove costly.

Slav was quick to defend Randolph with his "we win or lose as a team"
statement at the weekend and many took this as a sign that Randolph might
keep his place for this weekend. I'm not so sure – I took the comments as an
admirable refusal to single out one particular player for criticism.
Internally Bilic will have his own thoughts on Randolph's form which has
been a worry for a while now and I would not be in the slightest bit
surprised to see Adrian come into the side.

On the injury front we are approaching the date listed for a return for
Winston Reid – he has been training and is slated for a much-welcome return.
Then there's the Sakho affair. It's been suggested that the player refused
to go to Sunderland to sit on the bench last weekend. This has been denied
by all and Sakho is said to be ready to go on Saturday.

Which is just as well as Andy Carroll is injured. A thigh problem we hear.
That noise you can hear is best described as a "resigned sigh". Further
comment is superfluous.

So prediction then. Easy this week. They're in good fettle. We aren't.
Lukaku will score against us because he usually does. Sorry but the £2.50 I
managed to rescue from club cash before the terms and conditions changed
will be going on an away win – stick me down for 3-1 to them then Mr
Winstone.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met At The Boleyn: Drew 1-1 (Premier League November 2015)
Aided by some of the most spineless refereeing ever seen outside of the
Jellyfish Premier League, Everton proceeded to kick us off the park.
McCarthy's disgraceful scissors tackle on Payet put him out for 3 months
whilst a whole catalogue of cynical challenges went unpunished by anything
stronger than a free-kick. Lanzini opened the scoring. You don't really have
to ask who got the equaliser.

Referee: Roger East – this was the joker who told Vardy off for diving but
somehow forgot to book him in the recent league match v Leicester. Could we
have Buzz Aldrin instead please.

Danger Man: You reallydon't have to ask that either.

Percy's Poser: Last week we asked you what was unusual about the transfer of
Ivor Broadis from Carlisle to Sunderland in 1949. A tip of the hat to Mrs
Mavis Soft-Brexit (no relation) of Writtle who informs us: "Ivor Broadis can
have no complaints over the Carlisle manager wanting to get rid of him as,
he himself held that position at the time" Yes Broadis effectively
transferred himself, which must have led to some interesting fee
negotiations back then. Mrs Soft-Brexit wins a copy of "1,001 things to do
in Monkwearmouth" which will be published as soon as an author who hasn't
already lost the will to live can be found.

For this week's poser we ask you: what is it that Everton were allegedly the
first to do in the 1880s that every club now does as a matter of routine?
First correct answer out of the had wins a kumb cash credit of £500, amounts
to be credited at 11:59pm on 31 August. Expiry date 1 September.

Good luck everyone!

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

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WILL WEST HAM CLOSE THE GAP ON SPURS?
By Sean Whetstone 20 Apr 2017 at 08:00
WTID

The owners have frequently talked about ambition for West Ham to become a
top six side in the future and that starts with closing the gap on Spurs
they claim.

In terms of financial power, West Ham lags behind their North London rivals.
Tottenham published their accounts for 2016 last month showing an increase
in turnover to just under £210m to compared to the Hammers £142m for the
same period last season.

Spurs Premier League gate receipts were £22.2m. Like the Hammers White Hart
Lane sold out for all Premier League home games but they claim to have a
waiting list for season tickets of 63,200 compared to our 55,000 waiting
list. They reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League resulting in
gate receipts and prize money of £18.7m. Revenue from the domestic cup
competitions earned the Club £2.4m. Television and media revenues rose to
£94.8m after they finished third in the Premier League.

In reality, their income will continue to outstrip West Ham's as the
Champions League mega money comes through this season and they look odds on
favourite's to qualify again this season and continue on that money trail.

Next season they will play at Wembley and could see regular attendances of
over 80,000. In February this year, they had an attendance of 80,465 that
watched Tottenham v Gent which is a new UEFA Europa League attendance
record, beating the previous high set when Manchester United met Liverpool
last season. They have applied to Brent Council to hold Premier League games
at the full 90,000 capacity for the next two seasons.

Their new 61,000 capacity £800million stadium should be ready ahead of the
2018-19 season. Although they will need to fund it for many years, it has
been purpose built for football, they own it and will, therefore, sell the
naming rights for as much as £20m per year and they keep all the catering
and pouring income.

Although technically West Ham will one day have the ability to claim a
66,000 capacity rented stadium, the when is less clear due to a requirement
for planning permission for extra toilet and catering to cope with 9,000
additional match day fans. The stadium owners and the club are currently at
a stalemate over money at the moment and any increase from 57,000 is
debatable for next season as it stands. Spurs also plan to sign up an
American football franchise for their new stadium.

On the pitch is probably the biggest gap. Despite Spurs being the sixth
biggest turnover in the Premier League, they have outperformed their
financial might on the pitch last season and again this season.

They have 71 points and are in second place just four points behind league
leaders Chelsea while West Ham settles for 13th position on 37 points.

Their chairman rarely talks to the media, is not on twitter and never makes
promises or statements he can not realistically deliver. We may not like
Levy but it hard not to admire his business acumen and transfer dealings.

They have invested wisely and bought and developed youngsters. Eastender
Harry Kane was a youth product of their academy and they signed a young
Delli Alli for £5m from MK Dons in 2015 to name just a few.

Pochettino is a well-respected manager. He has a squad of players that
routinely outclass their opposition in terms of distance covered on the
pitch. With training sessions allegedly higher in intensity than matches and
a rigorous preseason training regime, Pochettino ensures that even if his
team lose, it would not be due to a lack of effort.His team rarely lose,
especially at home. They have an impeccable defence and has conceded the
fewest goals in the league.

The core of the Spurs side is refreshingly young with Harry Kane at 23, Dele
Alli at 21 and Christian Eriksen at 24, among others. The Argentinian
manager seems comfortable to integrate a steady inflow of talent from the
youth academy, there is no other manager who would be quite as prepared to
risk his reputation for giving youth a chance.

On the flip side, it is true that we have the largest TV screen in Europe at
the London Stadium but this is the only thing we could claim to have the
upper hand over them over the foreseeable future. It pains me to write all
of this and embarrassing that our club boasts the largest TV screen in
Europe as a positive.

However, we have closed the gap on the physical distance between the two
clubs, West Ham is only 4.5 miles away from White Hart Lane compared to 6.4
miles away from the Boleyn ground. By road, the shortest route is 5.8 miles
along the A10 while it would be 10.5 miles by road from the Boleyn ground.

In reality beyond TV screens and physical distance, we will not be catching
Spurs anytime soon and not be joining the top six anytime soon either. It is
time we just accept that and move on.

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Speculation over use of Olympic Stadium could pave way for West Ham to
properly convert new home
HITC
Damien Lucas

Speculation surrounding the future use of West Ham United's Olympic Stadium
home has made the headlines again this week. The Hammers have had to request
to play the first three games of next season away from their new home due to
the World Athletic Championships taking place there, as reported by The
Mirror. The IAAF competition, which runs between August 4th and 13th, means
West Ham could not play at home on the opening day regardless and require
special dispensation from the Premier League to be granted an away fixture.
But then the much-criticised retractable seating at the 60,000 seater ground
- which will cost an eye-watering £8 million each time it is done - will
have to be reconfigured again for football mode, a process which takes
around 15 days
Many supporters are unhappy with broken promises over the stadium which they
feel has not been transformed to be fit for football. The scaffolding
seating solution leaves a huge gap between the East and West Stands and the
pitch given the bowl shape of the ground. Supporters want to see the stadium
redeveloped to make the seats closer to the pitch and there could be new
hope on that front this week. Well placed Hammers fans' website Claret and
Hugh, which often gets exclusive club news first, claimed earlier this week
that UK Athletics could be paid to quit the London Stadium after the 2017
London Anniversary Games and World Athletics Championships. The report
states that the huge £8m cost of moving what it more accurately describes as
'relocatable' seating is not feasible long term and one idea being explored
is paying UK Athletics to relocate the Anniversary Games to their home base
in Birmingham, giving up their 50-year agreement to use the London Stadium.
Cancelling the agreement would cost millions but could work out cheaper than
the annual transformation bill. But it could also free up West Ham to
properly convert the stadium as the running track would no longer be
required. While the sightlines are not too bad at the stadium, the huge gap
between the playing surface and supporters is not conducive to generating
the kind of atmosphere the club were famous for at their former Upton Park
home. Whether co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold would put up the money
to make such changes is up for debate, but should UK Athletics relocate it
may well attract a buyer with more money and ambition to bid to takeover the
East Londoners.

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Slaven Bilic could drop Darren Randolph for Everton clash as West Ham look
again to Adrian
West Ham host Everton at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon
The Hammers look set to drop goalkeeper Darren Randolph for Adrian
Bilic made Randolph his No 1 in November after dropping Adrian
By Andy Sims, Press Association Sport
PUBLISHED: 23:46, 21 April 2017 | UPDATED: 23:46, 21 April 2017
Daily Mail

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is considering dropping goalkeeper Darren
Randolph for Saturday's clash with Everton. Republic of Ireland
international Randolph was responsible for both Sunderland goals in last
weekend's 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, the latest in a string of
unconvincing performances. Bilic made Randolph his number one in November
after dropping Spanish keeper Adrian following some high-profile mistakes.
But Adrian could now be in line for a dramatic recall as Bilic attempts to
plug the holes in a defence which has let in more goals than rock-bottom
Sunderland this season. 'We are going to see, we have to discuss it,' said
Bilic. 'We win as a team, we lose as a team, but if we are talking about
individual errors when we conceded a few goals then the whole world knows
when a keeper makes a mistake. 'But we are winning as a team and losing as a
team. We can't forget how many times he has done a really good job for us.
'Is he still the number one? We are going to see, we have two really good
goalkeepers. 'With keepers they need confidence like every other player.
It's wrong to judge keepers on one mistake, and to change them on a weekly
basis. If you do that you lose both your keepers.' Adrian has not made a
first-team appearance since the FA Cup third-round visit from Manchester
City in January, which West Ham lost 5-0. 'When I decided to drop Adrian to
give Randy a chance, and then again after that, we have spoken a couple of
times about his future,' added Bilic. 'He's a great professional and he
never dropped one bit his level in training. I told him he had to wait for
his chance and that is exactly how it is.' Whoever lines up in goal will be
facing the daunting task of stopping Romelu Lukaku, the striker who cannot
stop scoring against West Ham. The Belgian has scored in each of his last
nine matches against the Hammers, and Bilic admitted: 'It's a job for our
defenders. 'In some of the games we've played against them we were really
good, but still he scored a goal. 'He is good and, not only that, he is
consistent for his age. People forget how young he is as he has been on the
radar for a long time. 'Everton have done a really good job to keep him. He
is one of best strikers, not only in the Premier League, but in Europe.'

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WEST HAM LINING UP BID FOR A GOALKEEPER NICKNAMED THE 'BUTTERFLY'Featured
Image
Date: 21st April 2017 at 9:00pm
Written by: David Tully

West Ham are interested in a move for Trabzonspor goalkeeper Onur Kivrak,
according to Turkish website F5haber.com. Kivrak is Trabzonspor's captain
and has been nicknamed the 'Butterfly" because of his spectacular saves. The
29 year old has been at his current club for nine years and Hammers boss
Slaven Bilic would no doubt be aware of the player after his two year spell
in charge at Besiktas. F5haber report that West Ham have previously made an
"official proposal" for Kivrak but Trabzonspor turned down the offer as they
felt they couldn't sell their club captain during the club's 50 year
anniversary. They say that may change in the future though. This season,
Kivrak has played 27 times, conceded 27 goals and kept 13 clean sheets. West
Ham may be looking for a new number one with both first team goalkeepers
Darren Randolph and Adrian struggling for form and making errors this
season. Whether Kivrak is the answer though, remains to be seen.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Grant McCann claims West Ham United midfielder Martin Samuelsen has lost all
his confidence
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United attacking midfielder Martin Samuelsen has been on loan at
Peterborough United since January. Peterborough United boss Grant McCann has
told the League One side's official Youtube channel that West Ham United
prospect Martin Samuelsen seems to have lost his confidence. Samuelsen was
on loan at Posh last season, and he impressed hugely during his time at the
ABAX Stadium. The Norwegian international then opted to move to Blackburn
Rovers on loan at the start of this season, but that switch did not work out
as planned. The West Ham youngster barely played at Ewood Park, but Posh
tried to rescue his season in January. Unfortunately, Samuelsen's second
move to Peterborough was nowhere near as productive as his first. The
talented attacking midfielder barely featured for Posh, and rarely showed
the quality that he possesses. And McCann believes that Samuelsen's
confidence has gone after his spell at Blackburn. "The Martin Samuelsen that
was here last year was an unbelievable talent. He is an unbelievable talent.
But for whatever reason his confidence got knocked when he went to
Blackburn," McCann said, after confirming that Samuelsen's loan had been
terminated early. "He didn't have the confidence to try things that he once
did, when he was here. I wanted him to express himself more. "He needs to
get somewhere where he can play week in week out. He should've come here at
the start of the season, but he decided to go to the Championship. "He's a
great kid, he'll have a massive future in the game."
West Ham now appear to have work to do to coax Samuelsen back to his best,
as they look to help the youngster fulfil his potential. Samuelsen is still
very highly regarded at West Ham, but Slaven Bilic may have to think long
and hard about the next move he takes with the youngster, as another knock
to his confidence could be extremely damaging.

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RUBIN KAZAN STAR "HONOURED" BY WEST HAM INTERESTFeatured Image
Date: 21st April 2017 at 5:00pm
Written by: David Tully

Rubin Kazan right back Moritz Bauer says he is flattered by the interest
being shown in him. Italian website Tuttomercatoweb have linked the 25 year
old with a move to West Ham, Inter Milan and Valencia.
When asked about moving to one of those clubs by the same website, Bauer
responded: "It 's an honour that teams of this calibre are interested in me.
At the moment I am happy to Rubin Kazan, where I can still grow a lot, but
if they come in the summer with a very good deal for all parties involved
[then I] will evaluate it carefully."

Bauer has featured 20 times in all competitions for Rubin this season,
making four assists so far. The Hammers are looking for a right back in the
summer. At 25, he would perhaps be a younger alternative to other full
backs currently being linked with West Ham. 32 year old Pablo Zabaleta and
34 year old Bacary Sagna of Manchester City have been the two players who
are rumoured to be on the Hammers' radar. Both players are out of contract
at the end of the season and will be available on free transfers. Stoke
City's Glen Johnson was also said to be a target for West Ham but the full
back signed a new one year contract to stay with the Potters this week.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 22nd April 2017

Preview - Everton
WHUFC.com

When and where?

West Ham United v Everton
Premier League
Saturday 22 April 2017, 3pm BST
London Stadium

What's the story?

The Hammers are in Saturday 3pm action at London Stadium for the final time in the 2016/17 season when they welcome Everton to east London.

With the closing stretch of the campaign in full swing, Slaven Bilic's men will be hoping to build on a run of four points from their last two outings.

The victory over Swansea City and the draw at Sunderland followed a run of five consecutive defeats and lifted the Hammers nine points clear of the relegation zone.

With just three points separating them from Watford in tenth, West Ham eyes are still on a top half finish, and victory over the Toffees would be a significant step in that direction.

Everton, of course, enjoy a terrific record against West Ham, having not lost in east London in the Premier League since 2007 and only once at home over that same timeframe.

The Toffees have had a resurgence under the management of Ronald Koeman this season, and currently lie seventh in the Premier League table.

One more win will guarantee them European football next season, and with seven points separating them from Manchester City in fourth, they still have an outside sniff of UEFA Champions League qualification.

At home, they have been nearly unstoppable, taking 40 of their 57 points to date on their own turf. That will give West Ham optimism, with the Toffees having won just four times away from home this term.

Their last victory on the road came in January when they saw off Crystal Palace by the only goal, but Romelu Lukaku has been in tremendous form and the Hammers will have to be wary of his threat – not that they need reminding of his record against them.

Team news

West Ham will have to do without Andy Carroll for the visit of Everton on Saturday as the striker suffered an abductor injury in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland last week.

Diafra Sakho could be back after missing out at the Stadium of Light, but Sam Byram is banned after being sent-off late on in that game and Mark Noble serves the second of his two-match ban.

Winston Reid has returned to training after a month out injured and is available for selection, although Michail Antonio (hamstring), Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Pedro Obiang (ankle) are out.

For the Toffees, Hammers loanee Enner Valencia is ineligible to face his parent side, while James McCarthy continues to struggle with a hamstring problem.

Muhamed Besic is working his way back from a serious knee injury, while Ramiro Funes Mori (knee), Yannick Bolasie (knee), Seamus Coleman (broken leg) and Aaron Lennon are all missing.

How do I get to the game?

There are no planned disruptions to London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway or TfL Rail services which call at Stratford and Hackney Wick on Saturday. Click here for the latest news on these networks.

Greater Anglia services running into Liverpool Street are also scheduled to operate as planned. Click here for up-to-the-minute news on National Rail.

Our Matchday Guide contains all the information you need to make the most of matchday at London Stadium. Click here to access it.

How can I watch the game?

This match is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, if you live overseas you may be able to tune in. Check our widget below for coverage details in your territory.

You can follow all the action live as it happens on whufc.com, with free audio commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Get involved in the conversation on social using #WHUEVE

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Westley – Ugo had outstanding qualities
WHUFC.com

Academy Manager Terry Westley pays tribute to Tottenham Hotspur U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu
Former England defender passed away at the age of 44, after suffering a cardiac arrest
Centre-half played 355 Premier League games for Middlesbrough and Aston Villa

West Ham United Academy Manager Terry Westley has paid tribute to Tottenham Hotspur U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu, who has sadly passed away at the age of 44.

The former Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and England defender, who was born just a short distance from the Hammers' London Stadium home in Homerton, died on Friday morning, hours after suffering a cardiac arrest at Spurs' training ground.

Westley managed in opposition to Ehiogu on many occasions during his time at Tottenham's Academy, where he worked his way up to be appointed U21 coach in 2014 and U23 coach last summer, and also spent time talking football with the former defender on coaching courses.

"It is staggering news," said Westley. "It was only a few weeks ago when we took an U23 team to play against Ugo's Tottenham at their training ground in an 8v8 friendly match, and we stood together on the touchline by their indoor pitch talking football.

"Ugo was a very thoughtful man who had time for everybody. He had no ego and no edge to him, which you might have expected for someone who played so many games at Premier League level.

"Ugo will be sorely missed by everybody in the football world."

Westley was hugely impressed by the approach Ehiogu took to his own coaching career, which saw him rise through the Academy ranks at Tottenham, learning from his colleagues and putting his knowledge and experience to use developing the next generation of players for the north London club.

As someone who also watched Ehiogu develop himself into one of this country's outstanding centre-halves with Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, playing 355 times in the Premier League, Westley paid tribute to the late defender's commitment to excellence.

"Ugo had outstanding qualities as a player and he took those into his coaching career, where he spent years developing his skills under the guidance of Tottenham's head of coaching and development, John McDermott," he confirmed.

"Ugo worked hard, developed his skills as a coach and thoroughly deserved his chance to lead Tottenham's U23 side.

"I and my coaching staff were talking on learning the sad news and we all agreed that Ugo's character was what set him apart. He was a thoughtful, football man who loved to talk about the game, he had respect and time for everyone and his passing has left us all with a feeling of immense sadness."

West Ham United's U23s travel to Ehiogu's first club West Bromwich Albion on Monday evening in Premier League 2 Division 2, when tributes are expected to be paid to the former Baggies defender before kick-off.

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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 visitors Everton...

1. George Kitchen

Derbyshire-born George Kitchen was an outstanding all-round sportsman, becoming a professional golfer as a teenager and coaching cricket at Dulwich College. After playing for Lancashire League Stockport County, Kitchen spent seven seasons with Everton, helping the Toffees finish as runners-up in the First Division in 1901/02. On moving to east London, he amazingly scored the winning penalty on his debut against Swindon Town in the Southern League on 2 September 1905. Kitchen would score four times in his first season in Claret and Blue, including on his FA Cup bow at Woolwich Arsenal, and six times overall in 205 appearances.

2. Lucas Neill

Australia defender Lucas Neill spent 12 years with Millwall and Blackburn Rovers before joining West Ham United's bid to make a Great Escape in January 2007. The right-back was appointed captain two months later, leading the Hammers on a memorable run of seven wins in nine games and salvation at Old Trafford on the final day. Neill remained with West Ham for two more seasons, totalling 88 appearances before departing for Everton in summer 2009. The experienced Socceroo spent just four months at Goodison Park before joining Turkish side Galatasaray.

3. Danny Williamson

Born in West Ham, Danny Williamson had cheered on the Hammers from the Boleyn Ground's North Bank and played for Newham and Essex Schoolboys before joining his boyhood club. Williamson spent four seasons as part of the first-team squad, making his debut at Arsenal on 30 April 1994. A first goal arrived in a 3-3 home draw with Southampton a week later, and he totalled 58 appearances and five goals. A talented midfielder, Williamson's career was affected by injuries both before and after his August 1997 move to Everton, where sadly he made just 17 appearances before officially retiring in 2000.

4. Mark Ward

A Liverpool-born winger, Mark Ward started his career as a schoolboy with Everton, before being released for reportedly being 'too small'.
After dropping into non-league football, Ward enjoyed two fine seasons with Oldham Athletic before joining West Ham United for £250,000 in August 1985. Ward's first season in east London was sensational, as he was ever-present in the Hammers' run to third place in the First Division. In all, he totalled 14 goals in 209 games. After 18 months with Manchester City, Ward returned to Everton in 1991, following his former City manager Howard Kendall, and made 94 appearances over the next two-and-a-half seasons.

5. Tony Cottee

A hero in both east London and on the blue half of Merseyside, Tony Cottee scored goals galore for both West Ham United and Everton in the 1980s and 1990s. A teenage prodigy at the Boleyn Ground, Cottee helped the Hammers to third in the old First Division in 1986 before departing for Everton two years later. In six seasons at Goodison Park, Cottee netted 82 goals and appeared in the 1989 FA Cup final defeat by Liverpool, before returning for a second spell in east London, where he ended his time with 146 goals in 336 games.

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Bilic – Stopping Lukaku will be key
WHUFC.com

Stopping Romelu Lukaku at London Stadium will be crucial if West Ham United are to get a result on Saturday, says Slaven Bilic
The boss believes the Belgian is currently one of Europe's top scorers
Lukaku has scored in his last nine consecutive matches against the Hammers

Stopping in-form Everton striker Romelu Lukaku will be vital if West Ham United are to beat the Toffees at London Stadium on Saturday, according manager Slaven Bilic.

The Belgian has been a constant thorn in the side for the Hammers over a number of years, having scored in nine consecutive games against the Claret and Blues, including the opener in October's Goodison Park meeting between the two sides.

And Lukaku, with eight goals in his last eight Premier League games, will be the main danger for the hosts' defence to worry about once again on Saturday, believes Bilic.

The boss said: "It's a job for our defenders [to stop Lukaku], but not only the defenders, to stop him. In some games we've played against them, our defenders were really good against him but last time he scored a goal.

"He is an individual and he can do you harm. It's about the teamwork though and we have to stop the service. The more you stop the service, the less likely he will hurt you.

"You try to get him out of these positions he's really good in. We have to stop the service and when it does come, to get close to him and double up on him.

"Lukaku is really good. He's also consistent for his age. People forget how young he is because he's been on the radar for a long time. He's been scoring goals since he went on loan from Chelsea and every season at Everton.

"He's been getting better and better and that's why he's been linked with a lot of big, big clubs."

Still only 23-years-of-age, Lukaku has already scored 81 Premier League goals in less than 200 appearances and has been on the top of his game this side of Christmas.

And despite transfer speculation surrounding the Belgian ahead of the summer window, Bilic thinks Everton have shown great ambition to keep hold of their sough-after talent so far.

"Everton have done a really great job to keep him and they've showed with that how big and ambitious they are," he continued.

"I rate him really, really high like most people do, and for me he's definitely one of the best strikers not only in the Premier League but in general in Europe.

"Sometimes it does not have to mean you are not ambitious if you have to sell a player. OK, they sold John Stones, but with that money they bought Yannick Bolasie, Idrissa Gueye and Ashley Williams; it doesn't mean you're not ambitious."

Currently sitting seventh in the league table, Everton have had a successful first season under Ronald Koeman and Bilic believes the Dutchman has built a strong team, meaning Lukaku is not the only danger.

"They are a very confident team now, especially at home where they broke that record with all the wins. Last year with Roberto Martinez they were very good up-front and offensively but they were a bit unlucky and also they were vulnerable at the back, not only with a back-four or back-three but as a unit.

"They've now kept that offensive part of their game really well, but they are much more solid. Espeically in midfield, they have legs, aggression and energy with the players they have got.

"With Tom Davies, Ronald Koeman showed he had guts to put him in to play, he's 18."

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Reidy return a boost for Bilic
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic confirmed Winston Reid has returned to training ahead of Saturday's home fixture against Everton
The New Zealand defender has missed West Ham United's last four Premier League matches with a groin problem
Andy Carroll, however, along with the suspended Sam Byram, will miss out against the Toffees

West Ham United defender Winston Reid is fit again and ready to return to action against Everton on Saturday, according to manager Slaven Bilic. The New Zealand international has missed the Hammers' last four Premier League matches due to a groin problem suffered during March's Premier League clash against Leicester City. But now back in training, the Club's vice-skipper will be available for selection when the Toffees travel to London Stadium this weekend, Bilic confirmed. He said: "Winston Reid is good. He is back from injury and it's good for us, of course. He's one of our most important players "We will see if he is going to start but he's been training throughout this week and in his rehabilitation programme, of course he did some individual training. "But he looks good, as I said. It's a big boost for us."

Saturday's hosts will also, of course, be without Sam Byram, who picked up two yellow cards and subsequently a red against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last week. The full-back misses out through suspension, while Bilic also revealed Andy Carroll is ruled out at the weekend. "From the game against Sunderland, we are without Sam Byram, who got a red card at the end of that game, and we are also without Andy Carroll," the former defender continued. "He will probably be fit for our next game, but for this game, no."

Having missed last week's north east clash through injury, Diafra Sakho will return to training on Thursday and the boss is due to access the forward's fitness before making a decision upon his inclusion in Saturday's squad. "I have spoken about the thing with Diafra Sakho that was in the papers and all that already," Bilic stated. "He was injured against Sunderland. There wasn't a row or anything. "I should know about that if there was because it involves me who spoke with him and everything! He was injured for that game. "Diafra is supposed to train today, and we will see what condition he is in after."

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Lanzini is big Barkley fan
WHUFC.com

Manuel Lanzini is a big fan of Everton attacking midfielder Ross Barkley
Hammers No10 says Barkley should relish the pressure being put on him to perform
England international is nine months younger than West Ham United's Argentinian star

Manuel Lanzini has urged fellow attacking midfielder Ross Barkley to relish the pressure being put on him to perform.

Born nine months apart in 1993, expectations have been high on the West Ham United No10 and Everton No8 since both were schoolboys.

Lanzini won titles with River Plate in his native Argentina and Fluminense in Brazil as a teenager before excelling in his first two seasons with the Hammers, while Liverpool-born Barkley has spent almost his entire professional career in a Toffees shirt, being tipped for great things.

Capped 22 times by England, Barkley's talent has already been rewarded, but some critics have recently claimed the 23-year-old needs to do more with his undoubted ability.

Lanzini, who turned 24 last month, is not one of them, and has encouraged the man he will share the London Stadium pitch with on Saturday afternoon to keep doing what he does best.

"Of course I have seen Everton and they are a very good team with very good players," Lanzini began, when asked about this weekend's high-flying visitors to east London. "Ronald Koeman has a good striker in Romelu Lukaku, who is an amazing player, but we also have very good players. The game is going to be a good one.

"They also have Ross Barkley, who is a very good player. I don't think he is thinking about the pressure people are putting on him, because there was a lot of pressure on him last week and he played really well against Hull City.

"He has a good touch, good finishing and good recovery, so he is a very good player. I don't think the pressure is a bad thing for him.

"Speaking personally, it's not easy when the pressure is on you, but it's not difficult either, because I like the pressure and the responsibility of the team and of the people to be on me. This is football and you need pressure for motivation."

Lanzini himself may be small in stature, but his diminutive appearance marks a strong character and a steely determination to succeed honed during his formative years at Buenos Aires giants River Plate.

There, he debuted at 17 and was handed the coveted No10 shirt while still a teenager, before inspiring Los Millonarios to the Primera Division title in 2014.

Belief and confidence, the South American continued, are vital to success on the pitch.

"I think confidence in football is very important, because when you have confidence you can try anything and it's OK," Lanzini explained. "The last game with Sunderland, for example, we played very well in the first 30 minutes but, after they scored, the game was difficult because they pressed us. We have been working on this and we will be OK on Saturday.

"When you play with smiles on your faces and joy in your heart, football becomes easier, but sometimes you also have to be serious. It is about getting the balance right.

"We need to take points [on Saturday]. It's difficult because this season has been difficult for us, but now is the time to work hard and to think about the game with Everton. It's going to be a very difficult game, but we are ready to work and ready to play and that's it."

Lanzini has netted seven times in the Premier League this season, eclipsing his tally from last term, when one of his six strikes was an exquisite curler in the 1-1 Boleyn Ground draw with Everton in October 2015.

He would love to repeat the trick in a home win that would take the Hammers onto 40 points and, most likely, secure their top-flight status.

"It was one of my best goals for West Ham!" he smiled. "I was very happy with that goal and I would love to get another one on Saturday, because this game is important for us and we need to win."

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The Big Interview - Slaven Bilic
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic says West Ham United are looking to finish the season strongly after picking up four points from their last two Premier League matches.

The Hammers host in-form Everton at London Stadium on Saturday, having beaten Swansea City and drawn with Sunderland, and Bilic is expecting the Toffees to provide a sticky test.

The manager also revealed that Winston Reid will be fit to face Ronald Koeman's side and responded to speculation about Diafra Sakho.

Slaven, you have taken four points from the last two matches and are now on 37, but will that be enough to keep you in the Premier League?

"I don't know if we have enough points to keep us safe, but we have five games to play and I think that we still need points, because we don't want a situation where we are waiting for other results to go with us and wonder 'Is it going to be enough?'.

"The good thing is that we have four points from the last two games and have a bit of a cushion and also we have motivation because we are three points below mid-table, let's say it like that.

"It's also stupid to think that way, even if we were safe, because we can't think 'That may be enough' because we still need points."

Is it your aim to finish in the top half of the table?

"We are looking both ways. We can't be arrogant and say we are not interested in what is happening below us. We are pretty much in that situation, still, and we want to get out.

"We want to look above us, of course, but that is a theory because the only way we can get into the situation where we are only looking up is by winning games, so we need points, starting from Saturday against Everton.

"OK, these last two games made the situation for us a little bit easier, but there are still a lot of games to be played and 15 points to be decided. Some of the clubs have six games left, so of course we need points."

You have some good news about one of your most important players?

"Yes, Winston Reid is back. He's been training with the rehab and fitness coaches for a week now and they have done good work on his fitness, so he is back and trained with us on Tuesday.

"We know from before that he doesn't need many games to get his form good, so it's big for us of course because he's one of our major players, one of the senators, as I call them. It's a big boost for us for the remainder of the season.

"He is one of our best players of the season, so we are expecting him to make our defence more solid."

What can you tell us about the situation with Diafra Sakho not being involved at Sunderland at the weekend?

"It was in the 'papers that I had a row with Diaf, but no, there is no rift between us. I called Diaf on the day we travelled to Sunderland and asked him what was happening because he got injured and all that.

"He said 'I am only frustrated because I have a small injury but I hope to be back for the game against Everton' and we will see that. There was no argument whatsoever between us.

"I can say from my direct conversation with Diaf that it's not the case and it's not true what it said in the 'papers."

You said you need to kill teams off, as it has been a problem this season?

"Yes, in many games this season, in our last two away games for example at Hull and Sunderland, we scored early goals and were on top of them for 15-20 minutes, but we have to punish them.

"Against Swansea we won 1-0, but in the second half we created three or four chances and we really had to score goals.

"At Sunderland, especially when we scored our second goal and when a point was not good enough for them, so they were risking and throwing bodies up front, they were leaving space behind and we should have exploited that and used that to our advantage and killed the game off."

Next up on the fixture list is a home game with Everton. What sort of test are you expecting from them?

"Well, it's a very difficult game. They are playing well at the moment and are still fighting for one of those top six positions. They have done well and have improved a lot.

"But, you know, it is about us. Recently we are playing good at home. OK, we are in the position that we are but, in 2017, in all the games, it was only Manchester City twice and the second half against Arsenal away that you say they were better and they deserved to win.

"All the other games were like 50/50 and we had a chance to win any of those games. I'm talking Bournemouth and Hull away, Leicester, West Brom and Swansea at home, and now the game against Sunderland.

"OK, Everton are going to be tough, they are a good side, they have more than enough points and are highly motivated to finish as high as possible and all that, but we are very confident."

Finally, how important will the support of the Claret and Blue Army be at London Stadium this Saturday?

"They were very important for us during this season, not to mention last season when we made history and they were brilliant for us.

"We asked for them to support us against Swansea and they gave us a boost in energy for that 90 minutes to keep a clean sheet and produce a solid performance. Now, I'm sure they are going to be the same against Everton.

"Their backing has been very important for me personally because the most important thing about a Club is the fans. We are playing football for the fans and if there weren't fans, we wouldn't be speaking about football now."

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Collins looks forward to Lukaku challenge
WHUFC.com

James Collins is relishing the challenge of facing in-form Everton striker Romelu Lukaku
Defender spoke to Saturday's Official Programme about the task of marking the Belgian
Issue also includes interviews with Alvin Martin, David Cross and Blues-supporting boxer Tony Bellew

James Collins will need to use all his experience when faced with the challenge of the Premier League's best centre forward on Saturday afternoon.

Powerful, fast and clinical, Everton's Romelu Lukaku has a league-leading 24 goals to his name, while he has also netted nine in eleven career appearances against the Hammers.

The Welshman has played against Lukaku six times in and Everton shirt and the Belgium international has scored in all six of them. Of those six games, the Toffees have won all four in the Premier League, with the Hammers securing a draw before progressing in a thrilling FA Cup third-round replay in January 2015.

The defender admits neither Lukaku nor Everton are his favourite opponents, so he is eager to end the 23-year-old's record of having scored on all nine appearances for the Blues against the Hammers.

"I've played against loads of centre forwards in my time who are deadly in the box, and we will have to be on our toes as every team you play against these days seems to have a striker who is capable of scoring 20-plus goals a season, so in that respect it's no different than any other game," Collins told Saturday's Official Programme, when asked about the challenge of marking Everton's No10.

"Of course, Lukaku has got a good record against us, and we probably haven't defended as well against him as we could have done in games gone by.

"Physically, he has got everything, he is big, strong and he can finish so it's going to be a tough game. He's obviously on top of his game, but I'm happy with the way I'm playing at the minute, so I'm looking forward to pitting my wits against one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

"It's going to be a tough afternoon for all of us at the back, but I'm pretty happy with my form at the moment and I'm looking forward to a good challenge."

Saturday's issue is packed full of exclusive content, including columns penned by Joint-Chairman David Gold, manager Slaven Bilic and captain Mark Noble.

Also inside, fans can enjoy Ian 'Moose' Abrahams' interview with Everton-mad boxer Tony 'Bomber' Bellew, Ken Dyer's discussion with 1980 FA Cup hero David Cross and a revealing chat with Liverpool-born Hammers great Alvin Martin.

With the complete lowdown on Saturday's visitors Everton, the Official Programme is the essential guide to your London Stadium matchday. At just £3.50 for 100 action-packed pages, it's great value too!

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Ladies edged out at White Hart Lane
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies beaten 4-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in historic White Hart Lane fixture
Spurs are new FA Women's Premier League Southern Division champions
Hammers host north London rivals in their final home game of the season on Sunday 14 May

West Ham United Ladies put up a brave display but new FA Women's Premier League Southern Division champions Tottenham Hotspur ultimately proved too strong at White Hart Lane.

The historic fixture was played at Spurs' soon-to-be demolished stadium on Wednesday evening, a year after West Ham had welcomed their London rivals to the Boleyn ground for a fixture in similarly emotional circumstances.

With 2,140 fans present, including hundreds of travelling Hammers, the unbeaten home side showed why they have won all but one of their league matches this season to complete a 4-0 victory that saw them secure the Southern Division title.

A competitive first half ended with Spurs a single Josie Green goal to the good, but the hosts netted three more times after the break through Wendy Martin, Nikita Whinnett and Bianca Baptiste.

For West Ham, who welcome Tottenham to Thurrock FC in their final league game on Sunday 14 May, Chloe Burr tested former Hammer Toni-Anne Wayne in the Spurs goal, fired a second effort narrowly wide and saw a third blocked before half-time.

Into the second half and Jasmine Auguste and Shannon Albuery both went close, but Greg De Carnys' team just could not find a way past Wayne and her well-drilled defence, which has now conceded just six goals in 17 league matches.

"It's obviously not a nice feeling being on the end of that scoreline and to watch them win the league, to get the trophy and do it at White Hart Lane as well," De Carnys admitted.

"But we have to look at the positives. We obviously now have to play Tottenham again and we have to learn from what happened again in the game.

"I think in the first half it was quite an even game, I'm sure that they would agree, but unfortunately towards the end of the second half their quality and fitness levels started to show. There was some important defending that had to be done at the end of that second half."

Defeat at White Hart Lane leaves West Ham ninth in the eleven-team table, four points ahead of Queens Park Rangers Ladies and one ahead of Swindon Town Ladies in tenth.

Both teams below the Hammers have games in-hand, but De Carnys is hopeful his team will not be bottom of the pile come the season's end.

"We have to also recognise the position that we are in the league, we're currently third from bottom now, four points ahead of Queens Park Rangers, so even little things like the blocks on the line we made could be really important if it came down to goal difference," he continued.

"We are where we are because of all the games that we have had this season. Now we have got to dig deep and find something special for the last game of the season and that is what we are hoping to do."

Whatever happens in the remaining weeks of the 2016/17 campaign, De Carnys believes he and his coaching staff will be working with a talented and improving squad next season.

"We are a young squad who are building a project for the long term and to have such a group of young players – we have an average age of 19 in the squad – is great for the future," he confirmed.

"We were taking on a Tottenham team that is going to be an FA Women's Super League (WSL) 2 team next year and a good WSL 2 team I think.

"Our girls have a lot of things to learn but also have a lot of potential because they are young, ambitious and they have got quality. They are still gelling as a team, I think those sorts of things will grow and hopefully we will be in a similar position to Tottenham in not too long."

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Loanee round up
WHUFC.com

There was a packed schedule for those Hammers on loan in the Football League over the Easter weekend
Reece Oxford and Reading are close to sealing their place in the Championship play-offs
Likewise, Bradford City and Josh Cullen are still set for a top-six finish in League One

There was a packed schedule for many West Ham United loanees with most Football League clubs in action twice over the Easter weekend.

Starting with first the Premier League, however, Enner Valencia's Everton were in action just once as they beat Burnley 3-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday. Ecuadorian international Valencia played the full second half for the Toffees, who took the lead through Phil Jagielka four minutes after the Hammers man's introduction. Sam Vokes equalised for the Clarets shortly after with a penalty but Everton went back in front with 19 minutes left on the clock as Ben Mee was unfortunate to deflect into his own net. Romelu Lukaku rounded off the victory minutes later, scoring for a ninth successive home game to, albeit for a day, push Ronald Koeman's side up to fifth in the Premier League table.

Reece Oxford missed out on Reading's 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, but was back in the squad as the Royals beat rock-bottom Rotherham United on Monday. The centre-back was an unused sub, however, as he watched Lewis Grabban and John Swift overturn a Tom Adeyemi opener to make it five wins in six games. Oxford's men now mathematically need only a win and a draw – though realistically fewer would probably suffice – from three final games to seal their place in the Championship play-off spots.

In League One, there was no rest for Josh Cullen who played the entirety of Bradford City's two Easter weekend clashes. On Good Friday, the Bantams' weekend got off to the perfect start as they beat Oxford United – who were without the injured Toni Martinez – 1-0 at Valley Parade. Nicky Law scored the game's only goal on the hour mark as he touched home Charlie Wyke's glancing header as Stuart McCall's men then began to focus on Monday's clash against Sheffield United. There was a party atmosphere, however, at Bramall Lane as the Blades – already promoted – looked to secure the third tier's top spot. They did so, putting three past Bradford thanks to Leon Clarke, who grabbed a brace, and League One top scorer Billy Sharp. Cullen and Bradford, six points clear of seventh-placed Southend United, still look a sure bet for the play-offs, despite Monday's defeat.

In League Two, Newport County kept their survival hopes alive with a 1-0 Friday win over Yeovil Town, with Hammer Jaanai Gordon as an unused substitute. Mickey Demetriou's second half free-kick proved the decisive moment and despite a 6-1 thrashing two days later at promoted Plymouth Argyle, the Exiles remain just a point from safety.

Finally, Sam Howes played for Hampton and Richmond Borough in the National League South though they were beaten 3-1 at Dartford. The Beavers are now unable to qualify for the play-off spots.

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'It was an amazing game'
WHUFC.com


London Stadium steward Harinder Dhillon ran the line on a famous night at the Boleyn Ground 31 years ago!

Today marks 31 years since West Ham United's memorable 8-1 victory over Newcastle United during the famous 1985/86 campaign, and the event that became a compulsory trivia question for any self-respecting football quizmaster over the years.

All Hammers fans over a certain age will recall that Alvin Martin became the only player to score three goals against three different goalkeepers on a crazy evening at Upton Park, when John Lyall's side stuffed the Magpies on their way to a highest-ever league finish.

Less commonly known is the fact that a current long-serving member of staff at London Stadium also made a rather unique and significant contribution to that unforgettable encounter near the end of the record-breaking Boys of '86 year.

Harinder Dhillon, known to his friends and colleagues as Harry, is a familiar, friendly face as one of the security stewards based in the players' tunnel on matchdays, ensuring that the area is kept clear and safe as the two teams and officials enter and leave the playing arena.

However, he is also a qualified Class One referee, and was handed his officiating 'debut' in top flight professional football thanks to another quirk of fate on that balmy April evening at the Boleyn Ground back in April 1986.

Taking up the story, Harry, now 64, recalled: "I used to play and manage a local amateur team. But I didn't enjoy the managing so I took up refereeing, getting my qualification in 1981. After that it was a case of climbing up the ranks and going through the process to achieve Class One, allowing you to officiate in the professional game.

"I got my Class One in 1985, and towards the end of that season, I was appointed reserve official at West Ham, my local club, for their match against Newcastle. It was the first time I'd been given the role at senior level, for a top-flight match.

"At half-time I was in the referee's dressing-room, making the tea, ready for him and his two linesmen. Then one of the linesman comes in and said he's twisted his ankle. So they called for the West Ham physio, Rob Jenkins, who took a look and said he'd better not carry on.

"Next thing I know, they're telling me to take the flag and get ready for the second half! So I was a straight substitute for the linesman and did the second half in front of the Chicken Run, which was an experience!

"I was running the line at the Newcastle defensive end, so I was up there for Alvin's penalty against Peter Beardsley. It was an amazing game, and West Ham could have had even more than eight.

"After the game, the assessor came in and said he hadn't even noticed the change, which was obviously nice to hear and meant I'd done a decent job. Later on, I got a nice letter from the Football League and a cheque for £20, which was a bonus!"

Despite working on the security staff at West Ham for over 15 years, Harry's unique connection to the match only came to light recently when he bumped into Alvin prior to a fixture at London Stadium and recounted the story to the legendary Hammers defender, who responded with typical wit and humour.

"Blimey, I thought I was the only one who had a good story to tell about that game!" laughed Alvin.

Harry's surprise introduction turned out to be his one and only appearance as an official in the old First Division, but he went on to enjoy a long and distinguished career refereeing at non-league level, covering games in the Ryman League and Essex and Herts Border Combination, and still referees park football now.

"I was doing senior football when some of the current Premier League officials were starting out," said Harry. "Some of them remember me when they come here to do games, so it's nice to have a bit of banter with them and there are a few double-takes when they see me standing in the tunnel in my uniform!"

Harinder Dhillon and Jegta PadamHarry's colleague in the tunnel on matchdays is his long-time friend and neighbour, Jegta Padam, and the pair share yet another unique and heart-warming story when it comes to their association with West Ham United.

"We joined the Club together when the new main stand at the Boleyn Ground was built in 2001," recalls Harry. "Our friendship goes back much further than that though. We first met as kids in 1965, when we lived next door to each other in Rosebery Avenue, Manor Park. I lived at number 36 and Jegta lived at number 34.

"We went to school together and have been friends ever since. We first went to West Ham together as fans in the late '60s – we used to go in through the gate for the second half when they opened it to let people out!"

Jegta, just a few months older than his great friend at 65, says: "I came to this country at the age of 13, in 1964, the year West Ham won the FA Cup. I met Harry the following year and we've been inseparable ever since. It was Harry who persuaded me to go for the security job at West Ham with him.

"At the Boleyn Ground we worked up in the hospitality lounges, and started in the same role together when we moved over to the new stadium last summer.

"Then the positions in the tunnel became available, and we were asked to take up that role. I think everyone realises that we come as a pair!"

Keep checking whufc.com for more stories about some of the people who make West Ham United much more than just a football club. #WeAreWestHam

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Slaven Bilic column: West Ham manager says changing goalkeepers is the toughest call to make
EXCLUSIVE
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

The past two games — against Swansea and Sunderland — have improved our situation considerably, but because of the way we conceded a late equaliser at the Stadium of Light, the media focus this week has been on Darren Randolph.

I am not going to say here what my team will be against Everton tomorrow but, as a manager, you want all your players to be on their toes and also to be confident, not to be afraid of making mistakes.

As a player, if you start being concerned about errors, then it is very likely you'll make one. It is a balance between being confident but not lazy and too much in the comfort zone. It would be totally wrong to change your goalkeeper on a weekly basis because you would lose both of them.

I know there has been some criticism of Randy recently but two games ago we beat Swansea 1-0 and he was good.

Okay, as a manager you have always to think of the best team and things cannot go on for ever, but normally you have to stand behind your players whenever possible, especially goalkeepers.

The easy thing sometimes is to change a few players if you have that option, even goalkeepers. Even with Adrian earlier in the season, though, I didn't want to change but the situation came when I felt it was right for the team.

The last thing you want is to change the goalkeeper, but sometimes you have to because things cannot go on for ever.

Tomorrow we must again make some changes, anyway. We have five players out through injury and suspension but we should remain positive because it is an opportunity for others. One telling statistic is that, over this season so far, we've had 11 players who have been out for more than two months. Can you imagine that?

I always try to be honest. I hope people see that. I don't ever want to make excuses. Sometimes, even when there is a valid reason for something, it sounds like an excuse.

But when that many are out of action for that length of time it is bound to affect any club — even Manchester City with their resources.

Everton will provide tough opposition but they have not been quite as good away from home as at Goodison Park. At home they are third in the League but away they are ninth, one place ahead of us. At home we've struggled more this season but things are improving.

They are certainly not unbeatable but it is true that Romelu Lukaku's record against us — I believe he has scored in the past nine games between the two clubs — is scary. He is a top striker and all that but that record has to stop sometime, so why not tomorrow?

The four points we have earned from the last two games have put us into a much better position than before and mentally we responded really well against Swansea — we deserved to win and should have scored more goals.

It is a concern, though, that we have conceded too many points from winning positions. We seem to struggle when our opponents start throwing bodies forward because they are chasing the game.

Now we can talk about team defence or perhaps not exploiting the situation when you get the ball. We have many situations when we have the ball, yet we don't seem to create a lot of chances. I don't see their goalkeeper saving the game, it's more us who get into promising situations but then don't finish them.

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West Ham United v Everton
SAT, 22 APR 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS

Andy Carroll is a doubt for West Ham because of the recurrence of a groin injury, meaning Diafra Sakho could make his first start since November.
Winston Reid returns following five weeks out with a groin problem but Sam Byram and Mark Noble are both suspended.

Everton's on-loan forward Enner Valencia is ineligible to face his parent club.

James McCarthy may not play again this season because of a hamstring injury.

Muhamed Besic is nearing a return after missing the entire campaign with a knee injury.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Jonathan Pearce: "West Ham need three points for safety. Everton need to improve their away form to finish in the top five. They are favourites here even though they haven't won outside of Goodison Park for nearly three months.

"They've only lost once against the Hammers in 17 meetings. Romelu Lukaku has a lethal hit-rate against them. They also have pace in key attacking areas to trouble the patched-up home side.

"Injuries to Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna, plus suspensions for Sam Byram and Mark Noble, leave Slaven Bilic short of numbers. Too many of his summer signings haven't come up to scratch.

"There is much work to be done before they're safe."

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on a possible summer move for John Terry: "We are going to see. I'm a big admirer of John, he is one of the best that ever played, not only in that position but in general.

"He won everything, he did everything and we are talking about an England captain, a true leader.

"We are pretty well covered in that position, we have quality and we have experience, but we will see. You never say never."

Everton manager Ronald Koeman on Romelu Lukaku: "He has scored 24 goals and with five games to go he can reach a really high total.

"But I think he is improving in the rest of his football. He is doing better pressing and running in the channels. He is now a better striker for the team than he was last year.

"If someone is interested, for sure they will call the board and then we will speak about it but we will try to do everything to keep him at Everton next season."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

When they are on the road, the Toffees just don't seem to create the same number of chances that they do at home, so I am going to go for a draw here.

Prediction: 1-1

West Ham's record of five dismissals this season is a league-high

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

West Ham have only won seven of the last 48 league meetings spanning 30 years, losing 29 of those games.
The Toffees are on an eight-match unbeaten run away to West Ham in the Premier League, winning six and drawing two.
West Ham United

West Ham have won once in nine matches, but are unbeaten in the last two following five straight defeats.
The Hammers have 16 points fewer after 33 games than they had at this stage last season.
They have dropped an unrivalled 22 points from winning positions, their joint-worst return for a single Premier League season.
Slaven Bilic's side have scored 18 goals at home this season, eight fewer than they have away.
Everton

Everton are winless in their last five away games (L2, D3) and have just two victories in the last 14.
They have recovered 16 points from losing positions this season, a tally bettered only by Liverpool (18) and Tottenham (17).
Romelu Lukaku has scored once in each of his nine appearances against the Hammers.
Only Lionel Messi, with 17 goals, has scored more often in the top five European leagues than Lukaku in 2017. However, only one of the Belgian's 14 goals has come away from home.
Phil Jagielka has scored in his last three league appearances - as many as he managed in his previous 71.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 24%
Probability of home win: 33% Probability of away win: 43%
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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THE SEASON SO FAR BY KEVIN SLADE
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 20 APRIL 2017 AT 9:22PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Kevin Slade of Sex, Drugs and Carlton Cole @S_D_C_C

Writing an article based on your own opinion is difficult, but that's what makes the beautiful game so great; it's based on opinions. First & foremost I want to start with the season we've had thus far. Putting it bluntly, it's been a complete shower of shit. I honestly can't remember it being this disappointing & deflating watching West Ham United in the 25 years I've been a season ticket holder. The Avram Grant era was probably the worst I've seen, but on the other hand we wasn't heading into the 'most exciting season in our history', so the expectation was never going to be high. Let's not beat around the bush here – it was always going to be extremely difficult moving into a new stadium. Especially from a stadium as iconic as the Boleyn ground. I for one was excited and very much 'pro' stadium move as I made that clear on various articles & on our weekly radio show with Dave and Ex. The chance to move to a 60,000 seater stadium with the likes of Payet, Lanzini, & Bilic at the forefront of this amazing project to spearhead us into this exciting new era appealed to me in abundance. Having a player of Payet's ilk should have been one of the main focal points of this 'project' to really take us to the next level; similar to when Manchester City signed Robinho all those years ago. I'm not comparing the two players, nor do we have a bottomless pit of funds like City, but Payet was without a doubt the name on everyone's lips in world football during the Euro's last summer & was nominated for the Ballon D'or. We should have used that to our advantage to attract quality players to the club. THIS is where Bilic failed for me. Regardless of what people want to think there was money there to be spent and it was spent very very poorly. We had the chance to sign the likes of Benteke and Batshuayi – Strikers of that 'next level' calibre that I believe would have joined us. At £25-30m each a piece, we had the money but it was used on Andre Ayew for £20m (a panic buy in my opinion), and a £5m loan fee for Simeone Zaza with a view to a £25m permanent deal should he be successful after a certain amount of games. So the money was there to be spent, however, Bilic stalled on both players because he was too busy making everyone laugh jumping on tables during the Euro's, which inevitably resulted in them both going elsewhere. Prior to that, Alexandre Lacazette was heavily linked with all sorts of figures being thrown around for a possible transfer. THIS is where the board have failed for me. We aimed way too high at such an early stage of this new 'project', and making it as public as it was didn't do the board any favours. Especially after ending up with Zaza and Calerri. Lacazette is a player I could see playing for the likes of Arsenal and we are nowhere near Arsenal's status to attract a player who scores 30+ goals a season – as proven for the past few years. This is where false expection was built which has led to bitter disappointment. And like I said, this lays with both the board and Bilic between them.

Although it might sound like I'm leading a hate campaign towards Bilic, we have to face reality here. Too many of his mistakes have been swept under the carpet this season by using the stadium and various other excuses for him. This is the messiah who insisted on not needing a right back which has cost us so many points this season. He persisted on playing players out of their natural positions to fill the void instead of using Sam Byram or Alvaro Arbeloa time & time again. Yes, there's been a lot to deal with regarding the stadium move, Payet, etc, but why didn't Manchester City have these problems when they first moved to the common wealth stadium? Their billionaire owners took over 2-3 years after their move, yet they still didn't have the problems we've had. I didn't want to leave the Boleyn Ground – I spent 25 years of my life there. But I'm also fed up of mediocricy year after year, and I'll put my reputation on the line by saying this: Slaven Bilic isn't the man to make this dream a reality. He can't keep on living on his reputation from last season – Ranieri won the league with Leicester, was sacked, and they won 6 in 6 games. Mourinho steam rolled the league with Chelsea the season before he was sacked, and what happened when he lost his job? You guessed it, they started picking up points. It's not the stadium's fault Bilic has played players out of position all season, it's not the board's fault for Bilic not having a plan B or being able to motivate his players to show the fight we need to get out of this mess. Bilic's job title is 'football manager'. He's supposed to manage a football team and he's not doing that properly, is he? He also employed his backroom staff, who must I add, nobody knows what on earth they do! And then there's the situation with Diafra Sakho. What is Slav going to do about this. It's clear to see that Diafra is a bad apple after various rumours have been doing the rounds. Morgan Amalfitano once crossed Bilic and never played for the club ever again. Why is the situation with Diafra different to that? He's spent most of the season injured, everyone at the club has been patient with him, and he throws his toys out of the pram when he's 'fit'. The joke is if he wasn't so injury prone he'd now be playing for West Brom!

For the first time in my life I'm going through the motions with West Ham at the moment and I just can't wait for the season to end to be honest. Between the manager AND the board, this season has just been a complete & utter let down for our amazing supporters.

But they also know that Win, lose, or draw… We'll always be by their side.
Kevin Slade
(Sex Drugs & Carlton Cole)

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DIMITRI PAYET'S ANTICS, WHICH I'M CONVINCED STARTED LAST SEASON, HAVE COST US DEARLY.
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 20 APRIL 2017 AT 9:35PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Farehamhammer @farehamhammer

I'm afraid that I believe that Dimitri Payet's antics started much earlier than we were led to believe, and we have paid a dear price for them. Look, I don't want Slaven Bilic sacked, he gave us some incredible moments last season, and I think he will become a better manager because of the trials and tribulations he has faced this season. Contrary to popular opinion I don't think he handled the Payet saga at all well.

I think that Payet started playing up during the last few games of last season, around about the time he got selected for France's Euro Squad. We were facing Stoke City in a game that would have meant automatic EUFA League qualification. Yet all sorts of stories emerged regards Payet: Payet had a slight knock, was 'tired' and needed to be 'rested' for the Euro's. Nothing about West Ham's needs of qualifying directly for The EUFA League! Already then Payet was calling the shots in my opinion. Fatal for any manager. We had Bilic at The Euro's standing on the table while a Pundit for ITV, arm's outstretched, shouting "P –A-Y-E-T! P-A-Y-E-T! "Yes, it looked impressive and the manager meant it. I like you and many others roared our approval!

Who could be blamed us or the manager? Payet was one of the finest player's to have donned the claret and blue…till the last four or five games of last season anyway. A superstar in anyone's language! "Our Dimi! We were not bothered with such niceties as, Payet has ALWAYS been loyal to Payet only. Strikes and threats has always been what Payet reverts to if he doesn't get his way. Almost like some youngster knowing their partner has a history of cheating, somehow believing that this time it would be different. Because the serial cheater really loved them. We believed that this time it would be different, because Payet loved the club and us! How wrong we were .With Bilic bending over backwards to please Payet, putting him on a virtual pedestal how do you think the rest of the squad felt? Resentment? You bet they did! Off to The Euro's went Payet where he performed fantastically. No doubt at that point Payet and his agent start really intensifying his efforts to leave West Ham. It took forever him to reappear for the club pre-season. When he did against Juventus at the London Stadium, his body language was terrible. The message was clear: I don't want to be here. I believe this could have had a knock on effect on our transfer activity. What does the club do? They have the no 27 shirt hanging at the London Stadium and plan to build a team around the club's super star. If they sell him they would get slaughtered and people would moan we are a selling club. The only way out would be if they could get £50-£60M for the player and bring in two or three top players in his place.

Reluctantly the Club were forced to draw up two transfer list, one with the Payet money and one without. The club in virtual limbo as far transfer activity was concerned. Payet had West Ham at virtual gunpoint. The Club waited and waited for the bids to come in and the transfer clock was going tick tock. Unfortunately it seems they never did. Small wonder our transfer activity was an utter shambles. No doubt Payet was ALREADY threatening to strike .In an effort to appease Payet the club gave him a million pound 'Loyalty bonuses'

No doubt The Club's reasoning if Payet kept up his EURO form the club would more than get their money back in January. So we had an uneasy truce. We had Payet who was person not grata to the rest of the players and seen by some no doubt as the manager's pet. A Club in disarray we most certainly were, no surprise then that results were poor on the pitch. Payet of course did not bother his arse on the pitch. Forcing the club to sell him for virtual peanuts at the end of January. Slaven Bilic eventually outing him during the January transfer window. Felt like lancing a boil, the poison being let out. Things have not been perfect since Payet left. Often setbacks in life see's people emerge stronger, As a Football Club we undoubtedly learnt a few valuable lesson's due to Payet gate. But I have no doubt we will emerge stronger as a Football Club because of it. We are more than a football club, we're a way of life! COYI'S!!

Farehamhammer!

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Carroll out - but duo set for return
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 21st April 2017
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Andy Carroll is likely to miss this weekend's clash with Everton - but hinted at a possible return for Diafra Sakho.

The Senegal international was missing from last week's travelling party that drew 2-2 at Sunderland and was rumoured to have exchanged angry words with Bilic having learned that he would not be part of the 18-man squad.

However Bilic denied rumours of a bust up - for the second time this week - and indicated that Sakho could return to face the Toffees.

"Diafra Sakho was injured against Sunderland," he said. "He was supposed to train today and then we're going to see what condition he's in. There was no row, I should know about that as it was me who spoke to him. No row at all."

And there was further good news as Bilic confirmed that Winston Reid is set to be involved following several weeks on the sidelines.

"He's back from injury which is good for us, as he's one of the most important players," added Bilic. "We'll see if he's going to start but he's been training this week. He looks good but it's a big boost for us."

Carroll is set to miss the game having picked up a minor knock, but is scheduled to return for the trip to Stoke the following weekend according to Bilic.

Meanwhile Sam Byram, who was sent off in the closing minutes at Sunderland last weekend will also miss out through suspension.

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Hammers keeping tabs on Besiktas star
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are one of FIFTEEN clubs said to have dispatched scouts to watch tomorrow's Europa League tie between Besiktas and Lyon.

And they'll all be there to watch Turkish international midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup, who has been enjoying an excellent season in the Super Lig with the Black Eagles.

First linked with a move to West Ham back in 2015, when former Besiktas boss Slaven Bilic expressed interest in bringing both Ozyakup and team mate Gokhan Tore to England, the 24-year-old been has on the radar of several of Europe's top clubs.

And along with West Ham, scouts from clubs such as Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg, Everton, Southampton and Anderlecht are expected to descend upon Istanbul's Vodafone Arena on Thursday evening to watch Besiktas attempt to turn around a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.

The Dutch-born Ozyakup started life at AZ Alkmaar's Academy before joining Arsenal's youth set-up in 2008 where he remained for four years, making just two first team appearances, before joining Besiktas.

Although he was already firmly established at Besiktas before Bilic became general manager in 2013, Ozyakup became a firm favourite of the Croatian manager's - who he subsequently referred to as "Turkey's most talented footballer" in an interview last year.

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Inzaghi inbound?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are preparing to offer Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi a five-year contract, according to reports emerging from Italy this morning.

The 41-year-old has enjoyed a successful first season in management, having taken the Rome club to within the reach of a Champions League spot and a spot in the Coppa Italia Final, where they will face Juventus.

And according to Corriere dello Sport, West Ham have approached Inzaghi with view to offering him a long-term contract to succeed Slaven Bilic, who is tied to West Ham until the summer of 2018.

Capped three times for Italy, Inzaghi spent the bulk of his career at Lazio, despite only making 129 appearances for the club in an 11-year spell. He also represented his country on three occasions.

* In other news, Slaven Bilic believes that John Terry could yet feature for another year in the Premier League.

When asked about the 36-year-old, who is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, the Hammers boss replied: "There are not many leaders like him. I do not think about it now, but never say never."

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Hammers linked with Bundesliga duo
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are being linked with another move for Koln's in-form striker Anthony Modeste.

The Hammers made discrete enquiries into the French forward's availability last summer after he hit 18 goals for the Bundesliga side during a busy 2015/16 season.

And according to SportBild, the Hammers have made a fresh enquiry into Modeste's availability after he continued that rich vein of form this season; thus far he has hit the net 25 times in just 32 appearances (Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal).

However the German club are unlikely to let the striker - who celebrated his 29th birthday earlier this week - leave for less than €30million, according to the source.

* In other transfer news West Ham are one of up to TEN clubs said to be chasing Hamburg forward Bobby Wood, who is said to be available for €12million. Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen are two of the other clubs said to be vying for the USA international's signature, according to SportBild.

* Meanwhile triallist Alexander Alp has returned to current club AIK Solna after failing to secure a contract. The highly-rated 16-year-old has initially impressed Hammers scouts but has now returned to Sweden.

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Ex Academy star indicted
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer

Former Academy star Blair Turgott is set to appear in court on charges of money laundering and fraud.

The 22-year-old winger is set to appear before Westminster Magistrate's Court next week (Friday 28 April) to face the two charges - which could potentially lead to a jail sentence.

Turgott, who claims to do 'God's Work' on his Twitter bio first joined West Ham as a nine-year old when he was invited for a trial having been spotted playing football for his father's local team in South London.

He was released by West Ham in February 2015, having made just one first team appearance - in the ill-fated FA Cup third round ie at Nottingham Forest in January 2014.

Following a short spell at Coventry City, Turgott returned to London with Orient but was released after just one season at Brisbane Road. Last summer he joined home town club Bromley, who play in the National League.

* Further reading: KUMB spoke to Blair in 2012 about his future hopes and aspirations. You may read the article here.

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West Ham v Everton preview: Romelu Lukaku aims to continue scoring streak
By James Walker-Roberts
Last Updated: 21/04/17 11:59am
SSN

Romelu Lukaku will be looking to score for the 10th game in a row against West Ham when Everton travel to the London Stadium on Saturday. The striker is the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 24 goals. And Hammers manager Slaven Bilic said: "We have to try to get him out of his favoured positions and stop the service to him. "Lukaku has a good record against us but it is a job for our defenders. In some of the games against Everton we did well but he still scored. "He's really good and also consistent for his age. Everton have done a great job to keep him which shows how ambitious they are. He's not only one of the best players in the Premier League but in the whole of Europe."
Lukaku's form has helped Everton challenge for a top-six spot in the Premier League this season and they start the weekend three points behind fifth-placed Manchester United. West Ham are 11 points clear of the relegation zone after drawing 2-2 with Sunderland last weekend. A last-gasp strike from Fabio Borini denied the Hammers back-to-back wins for the first time since January.

Team news

Andy Carroll and Sam Byram are the latest additions to West Ham's absentee list.

Striker Carroll is out with a recurrence of a groin injury and right-back Byram is suspended following his red card at Sunderland last weekend.

Captain Mark Noble completes a two-match ban while Michail Antonio (hamstring), Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Pedro Obiang (ankle) are injured, but Winston Reid (groin) and Diafra Sakho (back) could return.

Everton's on-loan striker Enner Valencia is ineligible to face his parent club West Ham.

Midfielder James McCarthy may not feature again this season as he continues to struggle with a hamstring problem.

Muhamed Besic will play his second match for the Under-23s on Friday as he steps up his comeback from a serious knee injury, while Ramiro Funes Mori and Yannick Bolasie (both knee), Seamus Coleman (broken leg) and Aaron Lennon all remain absent.

Opta stats

West Ham have won only one of their last 17 Premier League games against the Toffees (D5 L11).

Everton haven't lost away to West Ham in the Premier League since April 2007, winning six of the last eight (D2).

Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his nine previous appearances against West Ham for Everton (all competitions, nine goals in total).

Lukaku is the top scoring Premier League player in 2017, netting 14 times with just 23 shots on target.

Both teams have scored in each of the last seven Premier League games in which the Hammers have hosted Everton, although this is their first meeting at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have 16 fewer points this season after 33 Premier League games than they had at this stage last season (53).

Slaven Bilic's side have also scored eight more goals on the road this season (26) than they have at the London Stadium (18).

Phil Jagielka has scored in each of his last three games for Everton; as many as he had scored in his previous 71 in the Premier League.

Merson's prediction

It will be a difficult game for Ronald Koeman's side but Everton's fine form should continue in east London.

West Ham need to get a couple more points to confirm their top-flight status and I can see them battling to a draw this weekend.

I don't think they are as bad as everybody seems to be saying.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 11/2)

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic refuses to rule out move for Chelsea legend John Terry
Terry announced on Monday he will be leaving the west London club following 19 memorable years and has been linked with a move to the east London club
The Mirror
COMMENTS
BYMARC ISAACS
18:56, 18 APR 2017


West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic is refusing to rule out a move for John Terry after the club were strongly linked with a move for the Chelsea legend.
Terry announced on Monday that he will be leaving the west London club at the end of the season after 19-memorable years at Stamford Bridge.
The former England captain enjoyed an unforgettable spell winning the Champions League, four Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three League Cups. Terry, 36, still feels he can compete at the highest level and with the Hammers conceding a number of goals this season, he could add some crucial experience to their backline next season. Bilic has no doubts that the former England skipper can still perform in the Premier League, but is refusing to think about any future signings until the end of the season. Bilic said: "Every manager and club would think about him because there aren't many leaders like him. "But, then again, we have experience in that position. We have good players in that position so never say never but I don't think about that right now. "When you are talking about leadership and characters on the pitch, you are talking about them - [Steven] Gerrard, [Frank] Lampard, [Rio] Ferdinand and Terry, "John Terry is Mr Chelsea. He's done everything and he definitely has at least a couple of years left. "Whether that will be at West Ham or in the US, I don't know. We don't think about that right now. "I don't think this is the end of John Terry's career."

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