Antonio signs new deal
WHUFC.com
• Hammer of the Year Michail Antonio has signed a new and improved contract with West Ham United
• Winger and leading goalscorer has put pen to paper on a deal until summer 2021
• Antonio has scored 18 goals in 69 appearances since arriving in east London in summer 2015
Hammer of the Year Michail Antonio has signed a new and improved long-term contract with West Ham United. The newly-crowned player of the season and leading scorer put pen to paper on a four-year deal at London Stadium on Friday, pledging his future to the Club he joined in September 2015.
The 27-year-old will now spend the prime years of his career in east London, having already made a huge impact during his two seasons in Claret and Blue by scoring 18 goals in 69 appearances and earning his maiden England call-up. Antonio was pleased to put end speculation over his future and commit himself to the Hammers until June 2021.
"It's about time, eh!" said the winger, with a laugh. "I'm only joking! I'm over the moon, I've loved my time here and I'm just happy that we have managed to get things sorted so I can move onto next season and do what I've done this season. "I'm delighted to have signed a new four-year deal. I'd like to thank the Chairman [David Sullivan] because we had a nice little deal for this to get sorted. He's a lovely man and thanks very much!"
"When I was younger, I was growing up in south London and I used to come to West Ham games. I've loved my time here. Last season I managed to finish as runner-up in the Hammer of the Year award and this year I've won it, so it's a case of pushing on and I don't want to drop my standards next season.
"This year has been a better year than last year because I've played from start to finish and I managed to get the England call-up I've been dreaming of since I was a child. Hopefully I can keep pushing on and doing even better, because I always want to do better than I have done previously."
I'm delighted to have signed a new four-year deal. I'd like to thank the Chairman David Sullivan because we had a nice little deal for this to get sorted. He's a lovely man and thanks very much!
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan, who worked tirelessly to secure the deal, said: "Michail has been absolutely outstanding since he joined the Club nearly two years ago, and was deservedly voted Hammer of the Year this week. "We are determined to keep our best players at the Club and Michail is certainly one of them. His best years are still ahead of him and we are looking forward to seeing him spend them in a Claret and Blue shirt. "We wish Michail well with the rehabilitation off his hamstring injury and look forward to seeing him come back stronger next season!"
Antonio's new deal marks the latest stage in his stunning career, which saw the winger start out with non-league Tooting & Mitcham United before climbing the Football League ladder with Reading, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest. A relentless worker and model professional, the ambitious Antonio made it to the Premier League at the age of 25, when he joined the Hammers from Forest 21 months ago.
The powerful and versatile south Londoner made his debut at Manchester City before netting his maiden goal against Southampton at the Boleyn Ground just after Christmas 2015.
It marked the start of a marvellous run of form, goals and eye-catching celebrations, including vital headers against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, that saw him become a hero among the Claret and Blue Army. After being rewarded with a new four-year deal in July, Antonio continued to make the headlines by nodding in the first Premier League goal in London Stadium history against AFC Bournemouth. Further goals against Manchester City, Watford and West Bromwich Albion followed, while he was named in the England squad for the first time by former West Ham boss Sam Allardyce. Antonio's versatility shone through when Slaven Bilic lost key players to injury, with the No30 turning out on both wings, at right-back and as a centre forward during the winter. The season ended on another high when Antonio was voted Hammer of the Year for the first time by supporters, receiving his award at the 2016/17 Player Awards earlier this week.
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Antonio - I can fulfil my ambitions here
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio put the finishing touches on a memorable season by signing a new long-term contract with West Ham United.
Fresh from scoring the first Premier League goal at London Stadium, receiving his first England call-up and winning his first Hammer of the Year award, Antonio put pen to paper on an improved four-year deal with the Hammers.
Having pledged his future to the Claret and Blue, the winger sat down with West Ham TV to reflect on an unforgettable 2016/17 and look ahead to the future.
Congratulations Michail! What's your reaction to signing a new deal until 2021?
"I'm over the moon, I've loved my time here and I'm just happy that we have managed to get things sorted so I can move onto next season and do what I've done this season.
"I'm delighted to have signed a new four-year deal. I'd like to thank the Chairman [David Sullivan] because we had a nice little deal for this to get sorted. He's a lovely man and thanks very much!"
You've had quite a year…!
"When I was younger, I was growing up in south London and I used to come to West Ham games. I've loved my time here. Last season I managed to finish as runner-up in the Hammer of the Year award and this year I've won it, so it's a case of pushing on and I don't want to drop my standards next season.
"This year has been a better year than last year because I've played from start to finish and I managed to get the England call-up I've been dreaming of since I was a child. Hopefully I can keep pushing on and doing even better, because I always want to do better than I have done previously."
You have achieved so much in your career already, but you only turned 27 in March, so do you feel the best years of your career are still ahead of you?
"Definitely, I always wanted to get this sorted, get the contract sorted because this year I'm going to be in my prime of my career and anything could happen.
"Every footballer wants to leave a mark in their career and I've managed to do that. I scored the very first goal at London Stadium, one of the last goals at the Boleyn Ground so I just love that I manage to leave a mark in my football career but I don't want to end on that and I want to leave more marks as I go."
You've always said you are ambitious and want to take the next step in your career whenever you can, so presumably signing a new deal means you feel your ambitions can be fulfilled with West Ham United?
"I'm a very ambitious person, one thing I want to do is play Champions League and me signing this contract now, in my prime years, is showing that I believe West Ham can get in to the Champions League spots. I believe that we can push on and that we can be involved in the top four and that is my mission and something I'm hoping we achieve."
Are West Ham a bigger club than you believed you were signing for in September 2015?
"I've always known West Ham as a massive club with a massive fan base. When I went to the Boleyn Ground, I was very surprised it was only 35,000 holding there because I was thinking 'where are all the rest of the fans?' Everywhere I'd go, I meet West Ham fans – doesn't matter where I've gone, Dubai, Japan – wherever I go there is West Ham fans there! "I knew we definitely needed to double the capacity and moving here was definitely the best decision we've done."
You've already been part of some of the biggest moments in our history at London Stadium. Do you feel we are now making this magnificent arena home?
"Leaving the Boleyn Ground, that's where people's whole lives were and so much history was left there and so obviously people were going to be intimidated by moving to the new place.
"It's like moving home – it's not going to feel like 'home' for a couple of years and it's taken a bit of time for us to get used to it and work through everything but now things are working out and this will turn in to the new West Ham home."
Sorry to put a downer on things, but you're currently nursing a hamstring injury. How is the rehab going?
"The rehab is going well, right now I'm still on the crutches and will be for the next week and after that I'll be off them. I'll start doing some strength work for the next two, three, four weeks, then I'll be outside doing running and I'll be in and out of training to get my way back in for the start of the season.
"It's either I'll be back for the first couple of games or, the worst case scenario, I'll be back fully available for the team after the international break at the end of August."
You're getting married next month, so presumably you want to be off the crutches by then!
"I'll definitely be off the crutches by then [the wedding], I said I need to be off crutches by then! Imagine that, stood at the isle with the knee brace on and crutches in my arms – imagine the first dance – it's just not a nice look! But no, It will definitely be off by then and I'll be well on my way to strengthening it."
Finally, when you think you were playing non-league football just a few years ago, do you have to pinch yourself when you think about what you have achieved in the game?
"I do pinch myself. There's times when I wake up and I just can't believe my luck. To this day, I've got three kids, and I still pinch myself - 'I've got three kids, I'm 27, I still remember being 18 like it was yesterday.
"Life has just flown by and I am taking it my stride so it's a bit off both, I am really enjoying life. People say I one of those happy people, I'm always smiling, what can I complain about?"
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Noble to undergo surgery
WHUFC.com
West Ham United captain Mark Noble will have an operation to rectify a long-standing abdominal injury on Saturday and will miss the remainder of the 2016/17 Premier League season.
Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke confirmed that Noble has been playing with the painful condition for many weeks, but the skipper requested to delay the operation as long as possible.
"Mark has been playing in pain, but he is the captain and he wanted to do everything he could to ensure the Club retained its Premier League status," Vandenbroucke confirmed.
"Mark is as brave as they come and he ignored the pain as best he could, but the Premier League takes it toll.
"We attended an appointment with the specialist on the evening before the Tottenham game and it was deemed that the surgery was now urgent, he played in the game and played a big part in our victory that ensured the Club's safety."
Noble will miss the Premier League fixtures with Liverpool and Burnley.
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Bilic delighted by Antonio news
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic has expressed his delight at seeing Michail Antonio agree a new long-term contract and backed the 27-year-old to enjoy a brilliant future with West Ham United.
The 2016/17 Hammer of the Year was at London Stadium on Friday afternoon to sign a four-year deal, and the news was a huge boost for his manager, who admitted that Antonio's talent had not surprisingly attracted rival clubs.
"It's great news for us," said Slaven. "To be fair, I have always been confident Mikey would sign, but it is still a great feeling to have one of our top players to commit himself to us for the long term.
"The Chairman has worked very hard to get the deal done because, to be honest, it's not just paper talk – there have been a lot of big clubs interested in him, so it is great for the club to do this before the end of the season.
"He appreciates that we have done a lot for him as a club, and he sees his future at West Ham, which is brilliant."
Signed from Nottingham Forest back in September 2015, Antonio has enjoyed a scintillating first two years in the claret and blue. After making his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 win at Manchester City later that month, he broke into Bilic's side two months later and hasn't looked back since, with nine goals in each campaign.
"His progress has been incredible," said the Hammers boss. "He was raw material when he played in the Championship, but he has now improved tactically, as a team player, and has kept that amazing physical ability.
"Of course, like any player, there are still things he can work on and continue to improve, but now he is much more complete.
"He represents the real modern day player. He can play up front, on the wings, or he can defend, he has pace, he has power and he scores goals, which of course is the most important thing in football. He's a great asset for us."
Having broken into the full England squad at the start of the season, Antonio was all set to make his international debut in March before injury ruled him out. However, Bilic firmly believes that the former Reading, Southampton and Forest star will force his way into Gareth Southgate's team next season.
"Yes I do," he said. "England have some good players in attacking positions but if Mikey continues to show the form he showed this season then he will be in the running.
"He got into the squad at the start of the qualification early in the season, and I expect him to push on and stay involved. Because not many players can do the kind of things he is doing on the pitch, week in, week out."
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AIN'T NO BODY, LIKE LANZINI
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 11 MAY 2017 AT 9:03PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @6_AaronLee
After Friday nights brilliant performance and result against Tottenham Hotspur we confirmed our Premier League status for next season and also stopped Spurs effectively having a chance of winning the league ( its happened again…).
I thought everyone on the night was brilliant the fans,players and also Slaven Bilic who I thought got his tactics absolutely spot on despite some questions being raised when the team news was confirmed,but one man in particular stood out for me and that was Manuel Lanzini. In a season of up's and lets be honest quite a few down's Manu has stepped up massively especially since Dimitri Payet's departure in January. He along with the likes of Antonio,Reid and Obiang have been consistent performers for West Ham this season and he has gone on to make himself a vital player for us.
You only need to look at his stats since January when he became our main creative man to see how pivotal he has been for the club by scoring some important goals for us and grabbing a few assists.
I've always been a big fan of Lanzini. You can't fault the guy for his work rate going forward and coming back when needed. On many occasions last season we see him during games beating opposition players with ease and getting into the right areas when the opportunity presented itself but there was always a claim that at times he would often go missing. This season after missing a few games due to an injury sustained at the Olympics with Argentina, upon his return he began to show glimpses of the player he can become but once again fans at times claimed that he would still drift in and out of games far to often. For me the moment he began to really assert himself was in our away victory against Crystal Palace in October, where he netted the winner and absolutely run the show, we were on a poor run of results and hadn't won away from home so far in the Premier League. Obviously we are all aware of what took place in the lead up to the January transfer window and despite the negativity we managed to put a run of form together and Lanzini was one of the main reasons for our upturn in form. I believe he has relished stepping out of other players shadow's and asserting himself as one of our key players and long may this continue because I think he has the talent to be one of the best players we have seen pull on a claret and blue shirt in many years.
For me personally Lanzini is the player we need to build our team around. You could see on Friday night just how important he is to us the fans, his team mates and Bilic. He was giving Kyle Walker the run around after the first few minuets, helping out defensively, dropping deep to collect the ball to begin an attack and going past the Spurs players as if they wasn't there and once again popping up in the right area to net our winner. You could see how much it meant to him as he ran towards the fans and displayed the hammers sign in celebration at his goal and once the cheering had stopped his song was belted out around the London Stadium.
It came as no surprise to me that he was voted players player of the season at our award ceremony on Tuesday, also coming runner up Hammer of the year to Michail Antonio due to his performances this season. Hopefully we can manage to keep hold of Lanzini for many years as I'm sure he will only get better and better.
Come on you Irons!
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"SLAV GOT HIS TACTICS SPOT ON!"-MARK WARD
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 11 MAY 2017 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @mark7ward
I really hope that the fantastic win against Spurs is the break through period of what we all have wanted. A frenzied atmosphere created by the fans but only created because of the intensity and professional performance of the players-to a man-brilliant. Slav got his tactics spot on.Lets have the same v Liverpool on Sunday and it would be another scalp to be proud of and a really positive end to a disappointing season.
Before the game on Sunday i will be hosting the last West Ham Way Pre Match Event of the season and have the one and only MAD DOG Martin Allen !!! It is not to be missed!! Get your tickets here: bit.ly/TWHWTICKET10
I would like to thank the two lads Dave and Ex for their hard work organising the event and we will be building on the success of these prematch events for next season. I hope to see more and more of you at them and make this the most go to place before any match!
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TIME FOR THE ACADEMY TO DELIVER
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 11 MAY 2017 AT 8:27PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
In July 2014 the club completed a much needed overhaul of The Academy, with Terry Westley replacing the legendary Tony Car as director of The Academy. Frankly, an overhaul was long overdue. We were producing quantity and not quality for far too long. Many people lived in the past, thinking we had a whole array of rich talent waiting in The Academy for a chance to prove they could be the next Peter's, Moore or Hurst.
After every poor run of results, whether it was Zola, Grant or Allardyce, the cry would be "Play The kids from The Academy! They will play for the shirt!" Well, you can play for the shirt all you want, but if you are not good enough forget it. Sam Allardyce got slaughtered for picking youngsters against Nottingham Forest in The FA Cup when we lost 5-0. Kids at 21 or 22? Do me a favour! When was he supposed to play them? Two of the brightest stars were Elliot Lee and Rob Hall, and where are they now? Luton Town and Oxford United. Says it all really. Granted, it is tough getting young talent to join the club in the first place. There is an ever decreasing pool of youngsters which clubs are virtually fighting over to sign.
Part of the problem is that a few decades back, families would often have 4, 5 or 6 kids. Now a typical family consists of 2 or 3 kids. Back then kids would head to the local Park, put jumpers down as goal posts, play till tea time, then after tea it would be back down the Park again! Kids would all want to be their personal hero. With the internet explosion things are different now. Instead of kicking a ball around, kids are updating their Facebook status or playing Call of Duty. The only football action they are likely to see is when they play FIFA.
The appointment of Terry Westley as Director of the Academy came as no surprise since he was Gold and Sullivan's youth Academy director at Birmingham City. In his first year at The Club, Westley saw the U 21's relegated from the The Premier League Division One without winning a single match. Yet Karen Brady rewarded failure by giving Westley a new five year contact. There have also been charges of nepotism against Westley, with his son Sam following him from Birmingham City. Clearly not good enough, yet he is kept on by The Club while other far more deserving players have been discarded.
However, it would be unfair on Terry Westley to say there has been no progress at The Academy. There has. The Club has gone about signing some talented youngsters who had been discarded by top Clubs, as well as players who turned down deals at their existing Clubs. We have signed the pacey and talented Nathan Holland from Everton, who has already made the bench this season, and former Chelsea midfielder Domingos Quina has had rave reviews for his performances for the U23's. Another rising star signed from Chelsea is U23 captain Declan Rice, has also made the bench. Toni Martinez, who has been a virtual goal machine at U 23 level, has done well at Oxford. Last but not least, my personal favourite, the wonderfully talented and elegant Martin Samuelsen, who can play down either wing or in midfield.
So as we can see it's not all doom and gloom at The Academy of Football. In the harsh world of professional football even talented footballers, for whatever reason, sometimes fail to make the grade.
I think few would argue that at this point the title of The Academy of Football belongs to Southampton Football Club. They have made big money bringing on talented youngsters and then selling them on for huge transfer fees. They don't send youngsters out on loan after loan and then discard them. What is the point of that? Copy Southampton's model! If they are old enough play them! At some point as in life, you must sink or swim in football. At Southampton Football Club, whether you are 16, 17, or 18, if you are good enough you play! One or two bad games? No problem! Youth players are kept in the squad, enabling them to develop a first team mentality. Are you telling me that you would back the likes of Jonathan Calleri over Toni Marinez? Must be having a laugh surely? Fair enough, if The Youth are given a fair crack of the whip and they fail then it's time to tell Terry Westley that he is the weakest link. However, if Southampton can do it, so can West Ham. With The Academy costing four million per year to run it's simply got to produce results. There is no reason why we cannot reclaim our worldwide reputation as The Academy of Football from Southampton. Over to you, Terry Westley!
We are more than a football club, we're a way of life!
COYI'S!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, May 12
Thursday, May 11
Daily WHUFC News - 11th May 2017
Antonio crowned Betway Hammer of the Year
WHUC.com
Michail Antonio crowned as the 2016/17 Betway Hammer of the Year
Manuel Lanzini finishes as runner-up, with Pedro Obiang in third place
Billy Bonds receives Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the late, great
Bobby Moore
Michail Antonio has been crowned as the 2016/17 Betway Hammer of the Year.
The winger has been recognised for his outstanding season for West Ham
United by becoming the 39th different player to win the acclaim of the
Claret and Blue Army. Antonio, who has scored nine goals and registered five
assists in 37 appearances, won 47 per cent of the vote, with Manuel Lanzini
finishing as runner-up with 21 per cent, and Pedro Obiang third with 14 per
cent. "It's just a great feeling and hopefully I can do it again!" said the
winger. "I'm extremely grateful to the fans who voted for me because they
have been to home and away games, week-in, week-out, so for them to give
this Award to me has left me so overwhelmed and buzzing. "It's crazy because
I've only been in the Premier League for two years and last year I came
runner-up and this year I've won it, so hopefully I can keep going, keep
pushing on and keep doing what I'm doing.
"I have to say my England call-up was a massive highlight and winning Hammer
of the Year is amazing because it's come from the fans, who can be our
biggest critics."
Antonio has enjoyed two superb seasons since arriving from Nottingham Forest
in summer 2015, scoring 18 goals in 69 appearances, including the equaliser
in West Ham's unforgettable Final Game win over Manchester United at the
Boleyn Ground last May. The current campaign saw the No30 kick-off in style,
scoring the first Premier League goal in London Stadium history against AFC
Bournemouth in August, and five in his opening four top-flight appearances.
That form saw him earn a first-ever England call-up for Sam Allardyce's only
game in charge, and he was included in the Three Lions squad for a second
time by Big Sam's successor Gareth Southgate in March.
While his scoring rate in Claret and Blue slowed, Antonio continued to
produce the goods in a variety of positions, as injuries and suspensions saw
him fielded as a right wing-back, right winger and centre forward by manager
Slaven Bilic. After scoring at Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City either
side of Christmas, the Wandsworth-born player turned provider against
Crystal Palace, when his three second-half assists inspired the Hammers to a
vital 3-0 home win. A ninth and final goal of the campaign arrived at AFC
Bournemouth before a hamstring injury prematurely ended Antonio's season,
but the 27-year-old had already done enough to secure a deserved maiden
Hammer of the Year award. Antonio was one of a host of winners at the
2016/17 Player Awards brought to by Betway in aid of the Academy, which were
held for the first time at InterContinental London – The O2.
Lanzini took home the Players' Player of the Year honour, Andy Carroll
benefited from one of Antonio's aforementioned assists to net the Goal of
the Season against Crystal Palace, while Darren Randolph's fingertip stop to
deny Liverpool's Jordan Henderson scooped the Save of the Season award.
James Collins' display in the 1-0 win over Swansea City won the Best
Individual Performance trophy, while the 2-1 EFL Cup victory over Chelsea at
London Stadium was the Best Team Performance.
Signing of the Season went to Edimilson Fernandes, while Young Hammer of the
Year was Declan Rice and Domingos Quina won the Dylan Tombides Award.
Finally, the late, great Bobby Moore OBE was recognised with a posthumous
Lifetime Achievement Award. Bobby Moore OBE led his club to their first
major domestic and European trophy before completing a unique, unforgettable
hat-trick by captaining England to FIFA World Cup glory in 1966. Born in
Barking in 1941, Moore attended Westbury Primary School and Tom Hood School,
Leytonstone, before joining the Hammers at the age of 15 in 1956 Two years
later, having honed his game under the watchful eye of Ted Fenton and
Malcolm Allison inside the Academy of Football, the blond-haired,
ball-playing defender was handed his first-team debut at 17, in a 3-2 First
Division win over Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground. It was the
beginning of a special career spanning nearly two decades at the very
highest level, which encompassed winning the FA Cup, European Cup Winners'
Cup, FIFA World Cup, 108 England caps and numerous other accolades. Sadly,
Moore passed away following a brave battle with bowel cancer in 1993, aged
just 51, but his legacy lives on in the shape of the Bobby Moore Fund for
Cancer Research UK charity.
2016/17 Player Awards brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy winners
Betway Hammer of the Year Michail Antonio
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by JM Sealant Contracts Bobby Moore OBE
Best Individual Performance sponsored by Peter Rayney Tax Consulting James
Collins v Swansea City (H), Premier League, 8 April 2017
Best Team Performance sponsored by Shore Capital v Chelsea (H), EFL Cup
third round, 26 October 2017
Players' Player of the Year sponsored by Asmatt Ltd Manuel Lanzini
Goal of the Season sponsored by FRP Advisory Andy Carroll v Crystal Palace
(H), Premier League, 14 January 2017
Save of the Season sponsored by Higgins Darren Randolph v Liverpool (A),
Premier League, 11 December 2016
Signing of the Season sponsored by S14 VIP Limited Edimilson Fernandes
Top Goalscorer sponsored by Mulalley Michail Antonio or Manuel Lanzini
Young Hammer of the Year sponsored by Ark Build PLC Declan Rice
Dylan Tombides Award sponsored by Rich Energy Domingos Quina
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Ginge and Manu win acclaim
WHUFC.com
James Collins wins Best Individual Performance award for outstanding display
in win over Swansea City
Manuel Lanzini is acclaimed by his teammates as Players' Player of the Year
Unforgettable 2-1 EFL Cup win over Chelsea at London Stadium is voted Best
Team Performance
James Collins and Manuel Lanzini were the headline-makers as four more
trophies were presented at the West Ham United 2016/17 Player Awards,
brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy. Centre-half Collins was
rewarded for his outstanding display in the vital 1-0 Premier League win
over Swansea City in April as the fans' choice for Best Individual
Performance, sponsored by Peter Rayney Tax Consulting. The Wales
international made an imperious 12 clearances to ensure the Hammers kept a
clean sheet in defeating the Swans at London Stadium, ensuring he took home
the Award ahead of Cheikhou Kouyate, Darren Randolph, Winston Reid, Michail
Antonio and Pedro Obiang. "It's a massive honour and my first Award in the
ten years I've been here, and to win it for my performance in such a big
game is massive!" said the Ginger Pele. "We had lost to Arsenal earlier on
in the week and everyone was a bit down, but the Gaffer came in and said
'You've got to forget about this as quick as possible because we've got a
big game against Swansea', so we knew it was a massive game, but we
performed well and got the three points. "We'd have liked it to have been a
bit more comfortable, but as a defender I was happy with the one and the
clean sheet all day!"
Meanwhile, Argentinian playmaker Lanzini capped an impressive campaign by
winning the acclaim of his teammates to scoop the Players' Player of the
Year award, sponsored by AsMATT Limited. The No10 has been outstanding in
recent months, especially, scoring beautiful goals in wins over Crystal
Palace – home and away – and a vital strike in the home victory over
Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium.
With eight in all competitions, the 24-year-old is also in the running for
the Top Goalscorer award, sponsored by Mulalley. With two games remaining,
Lanzini sits just one goal behind Michail Antonio in the scoring charts.
Meanwhile, manager Slaven Bilic took to the stage with his players to
receive the Best Team Performance award, for the 2-1 EFL Cup fourth-round
win over Chelsea at London Stadium in October. Cheikhou Kouyate and
Edimilson Fernandes were the heroes as the Hammers edged out Antonio Conte's
Blues on an unforgettable night in Stratford, beating off fellow nominees
and Premier League wins over Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and
Southampton.
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The Big Interview – Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble wants Friday's victory against Tottenham Hotspur to help launch
the Hammers into a finishing position in the Premier League's top half. The
memorable derby success extended West Ham's unbeaten run to five games and
made absolutely sure of their top flight spot. But, with Liverpool and
Burnley left to play, Noble wants more and believes ending in the top ten is
achievable.
Mark, a win over Tottenham on Friday and then your 30th birthday on Monday –
it was a good few days for you!
After Friday night, the weekend I had was pretty special. I'm still getting
over Friday now to be honest with you, it was amazing.
You've done it before, haven't you? That was our sixth win against Spurs in
the last six years…
For me, we should have beaten them away from home this season as well, to be
honest. We saw again on Friday night when this Club pulls together as one, a
little bit like the Swansea game too when we needed to win, [what we can
do]. It was definitely one of the highlights of the season.
The atmosphere was something special…
Yes. As I said, when we needed each other this year – the players and fans –
against Swansea, against Crystal Palace and the Spurs game as well, we've
been together and we've got results.
The Swansea game was special for you for another reason. It was your 400th
game for West Ham. When you were on the terraces as a kid, did you ever
dream of 400 appearances?
I used to walk to the stadium and ask for autographs after games, so to
captain this great Club and play 400 games is pretty special, not just for
me but for everyone. To have one of their own captain the Club is great.
Just finally we don't want the Tottenham game to be the last good thing to
happen this season, so we? We want to finish strongly and on a high…
The aim is to get more points on the board. We can't worry about Spurs any
more, it was a great performance and a great win but we want to beat
Liverpool at home. I know we're going to have the crowd behind us and then
we want to go away to Burnley and get some points there.
We want to finish as high up the table as possible and after beating Spurs,
to not go on and get some more results would be disappointing. We want to
finish in the top half and then that would be a very good season for us.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lanzini gets shirty with Lionel!
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini has expressed his pride after Lionel Messi posted a photo of
his West Ham United shirt on social media.
The Barcelona superstar published an image of himself and son Thiago sitting
among his collection of football shirts on Instagram, with Lanzini's Claret
and Blue No28 taking pride of place next to Messi's own jerseys.
Among the dozens of other shirts on show were those Messi had exchanged with
the likes of Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, Francesco Totti, Raul, Deco, Cesc
Fabregas and Thierry Henry – but it was Lanzini's which stood out alongside
the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's iconic Argentina No10 strip.
The Argentinian duo met in Barcelona through a mutual friend last year, when
they swapped signed shirts, with the Hammers' newly-crowned Players' Player
of the Year describing the encounter as a 'dream come true'.
Lanzini himself spotted the post, telling whufc.com he idolised the
29-year-old during his own formative years with Buenos Aires giants River
Plate.
"It's amazing, because the best player in the world put my t-shirt on
there!" said the 24-year-old. "I could not believe it.
"I would not say we are friends, but I met him one time in Barcelona because
we have a mutual friend and that's when it happened. He gave me his t-shirt
and I gave him my t-shirt and he's a very good person. It's good!"
Playmaker Lanzini has enjoyed an impressive season for West Ham, scoring
eight goals in 37 games in all competitions, while Messi has continued his
imperious form for Barcelona, netting an amazing 51 times in 49 appearances.
The Hammers No10 was selected for the Argentina Olympic squad for Rio 2016,
only to miss the tournament through injury, but the former River Plate star
could yet force his way into Jorge Sampaoli's for next summer's FIFA World
Cup finals in Russia.
Should he do so, he would line up in the same shirt as Lionel Messi!
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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: SLAV TO BE BACKED THIS SUMMER, TWO STRIKERS LINKED,
ENNER TO DEPART?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 10 MAY 2017 AT 1:41PM
TheWestHamWay.couk
Hello Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
Michail Antonio was named as West Ham's Player of the Season last night at
the club's awards night. (Sky Sports)
I personally thought Winston Reid should have won the award, but
congratulations to Michail. He has had a brilliant season and hopefully he
will continue to improve with us next season.
West Ham are targeting deals for Michy Batshuayi and Shane Long this summer.
(Evening Standard)
I would be very happy if these deals were to happen. Michy Batshuayi is top
of my personal wishlist, because I think he could well be the missing link
in our team. I do hope we go in with a huge offer to Chelsea in the summer.
Shane Long is another good striker, in my opinion. He isn't the best, but he
gets his fair share of goals during a season. I also feel that with his
pace, he could be a great option to bring off the bench to stretch
opposition defenders.
West Ham will back Slaven Bilic in the summer and are targeting Yaya Toure
as a statement signing. (Telegraph)
This is exactly how it should be. You back your manager in the transfer
window. I hope the board back him properly and give him the funds to improve
the team over the summer. However, I am not so sure on Yaya Toure. He is
without doubt a great player, but he is ageing now and he is also on
ridiculous wages. I don't think that deal will happen to be honest.
David Gold has revealed that Michail Antonio is close to signing a new
contract at West Ham. (Football Insider)
Michail fully deserves a new contract. I know he only got an improved deal
last summer, but the season he has had fully warrants getting another one.
He also won the Player of the Year award last night, and that only backs up
him deserving a new deal.
Tony Cottee says he would love to see Jermain Defoe back at West Ham. (HITC)
Back in January, I would have agreed with this. However, not so much now. He
has had a brilliant career and will go down as one of the Premier League's
greatest strikers, without a doubt. He is now 35 years old and is apparently
still demanding £80,000 a week over a three year deal. I do not think he is
worth that, and I also think we could get someone better and younger for
less than that.
Enner Valencia is being lined up to return to former club Pachuca in the
summer. (HITC)
I actually like Enner. I think he tries very hard, but it just isn't enough.
He is not good enough for the Premier League and I believe we should sell
him this summer. He is still relatively young and will be more suited to a
league abroad I feel, so we may be able to get a decent fee for him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Michail Antonio named West Ham's Player of the Season
By Alice Piper
Last Updated: 10/05/17 12:16am
SSN
Michail Antonio was named Player of the Season at West Ham's end-of-season
awards on Tuesday. The 27-year-old winger has impressed for the Hammers this
season, contributing nine goals from 29 league appearances before his term
came to an abrupt end when he suffered a hamstring injury last month. Manuel
Lanzini picked up the Players' Player of the Year award, having produced a
number of impressive displays to fill the void in midfield following Dimitri
Payet's departure. The 24-year-old Argentinian, who joined the Hammers from
Al Jazira Club in July 2015, has scored eight goals from 33 league
appearances this campaign. Meanwhile, Andy Carroll won Goal of the Season
for his unstoppable bicycle kick that sealed West Ham's 3-0 win over Crystal
Palace in January. James Collins claimed Best Individual Performance for his
display in West Ham's 1-0 win over Swansea in April, while the club's Young
Hammer of the Year went to defender Declan Rice.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic's West Ham future assessed ahead of Liverpool clash
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 10/05/17 6:28am
SSN
Slaven Bilic has enjoyed mixed fortunes during his two-year spell at West
Ham, but is it time for the Croatian to leave?
The Hammers' 1-0 victory over rivals Tottenham on Friday Night Football
finally guaranteed their Premier League survival after a difficult first
season at London Stadium. Despite the win, talks over a new contract for
Bilic are on hold and Sky Sports News HQ understands the 48-year-old's
position will be reviewed at the end of the season. It is a far cry from
last season when Bilic led West Ham to their highest ever points total in
the Premier League- 62 - as they finished in seventh place, securing
qualification for the Europa League. So, does that leave the West Ham
manager still in credit or facing the sack? Ahead of the Super Sunday clash
against Liverpool, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, Nick Lustig assesses whether
Bilic should still be in charge next season…
SUMMER SIGNINGS
A case can be made that West Ham's failings on the pitch this season were
more due to disappointing recruitment rather than the much-publicised move
from the Boleyn Ground to London Stadium. A scattergun approach to transfers
last summer, with the club preparing to play in the Premier League as well
as the Europa League, left Bilic with a disjointed squad that at times
lacked functionality and cohesion. The experiment of playing Michail Antonio
at right-back came to a rather inevitable conclusion in August and left
Bilic with three right wingers following the arrivals of Sofiane Feghouli
and Gokhan Tore. It also left him with a gap at right-back, with the
subsequent acquisition of former Liverpool and Real Madrid defender Alvaro
Arbeloa doing little to fill that hole. The failure to sign a recognised
goalscorer has also blighted West Ham, with an all too familiar picture
forming with Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho once again struck down by a
series of injuries. It has left them 20 goals worse off from last season and
light in terms of capable options.
Simone Zaza's disastrous loan spell was cut short in January after 11 games
without a goal, while Andre Ayew, Ashley Fletcher and Jonathan Calleri are
still yet to make any real goalscoring impact following their summer moves.
There is currently an apparent lack of clarity on who is making the
decisions on the players the club signs, with Bilic, head of recruitment
Tony Henry and co-owner David Sullivan all involved in the dialogue. This
confusion has transmitted into the club's transfer dealings and unless Bilic
is given freedom to build the squad he wants, it is hard to make a case
against him.
VERDICT: Bilic must take part of the blame on the club's recruitment,
however, he deserves the chance of another summer transfer window to rectify
last year's failings. Bilic stays.
COPING WITHOUT DIMITRI PAYET
The acrimonious departure of the France midfielder in January cannot be
underestimated. Payet was integral to the way West Ham played under Bilic
and his return to Marseille left the Hammers boss without his talisman for
the second half of the season. Payet was instrumental in West Ham's
memorable final season at the Boleyn Ground, providing 12 goals, the same
number of assists and a catalogue of memorable moments. His sensational form
was duly rewarded and then some. A new five-and-a-half year contract, worth
£125,000-a-week, made Payet the highest-paid player in the club's history, a
mural for him was created at London Stadium and a £1m loyalty bonus also
followed. But the new season did not bring with it the Payet from the
previous year. Rumours of the 30-year-old's discontent at the club had
already begun to circulate following his brilliant Euro 2016 campaign. And
although there were fleeting moments of the old Payet, the same desire to
play for the club was no longer apparent and it came as no surprise in early
January when Bilic went public on the French international's refusal to play
because of his wish to return to Marseille.
It left Bilic with a huge predicament, but one he dealt with admirably.
Payet was demoted to the U23s squad before eventually sealing his £25m move
back to the south of France, while Bilic turned his focus to uniting his
squad and building his team around midfield playmaker Manuel Lanzini. "We
have talked about the importance of Manuel Lanzini last year. But of course
from some players on the ball you are expecting more and for sure, he is one
of them," Bilic said in January. Lanzini has certainly stepped up to the
plate and been nothing less than superb for West Ham. No longer in the
shadow of Payet, Lanzini has become the go-to man and creative spark for his
team-mates. A shift into a more central attacking role has enabled Lanzini
to increase his influence on matches and it is no surprise that his stats
show a vast improvement in his productivity on the pitch. Bilic certainly
deserves enormous credit for not allowing the negativity from the Payet saga
to derail his side's battle to secure Premier League safety, while the
decision to promote Lanzini to the fore has been vindicated and allowed
supporters to forget about the once revered Frenchman.
Manuel Lanzini
With Payet Per
90 Without Payet Per 90
Games played 17 -
17 -
Games started 14 -
16 -
Minutes played 1152 -
1468 -
Goals 3
0.23 5 0.31
Mins per goal 384 -
293.6 -
Total shots 26
2.03 43 2.64
On target shots 7 0.55
15 0.92
Conversion rate 11.54 -
11.63 -
Assists 0
0 2 0.12
Chances created 21 1.64
34 2.08
Touches 856
66.88 1229 75.35
Passing accuracy 85.93 -
88.05 -
Dribbles completed 22 1.72
62 3.8
VERDICT: Losing your best player midway through a season is a manager's
worst nightmare, but Bilic has managed to find a way of playing without
Payet and a formula that has guided West Ham to Premier League safety. Bilic
stays.
LONDON STADIUM
The first season at London Stadium was always going to prove difficult for
West Ham following 112 years at the Boleyn Ground. Persistent standing,
ineffective segregation and crowd trouble were the teething issues that
overshadowed the opening months at the club's new home - serious issues, but
not ones that are likely to have impacted on player performances. However,
what Bilic and the players have had to contend with is a longer pitch and
fans who are further away. The pitch at the London Stadium is 4.5 metres
longer and, in March, Michail Antonio admitted the new dimensions had caused
difficulties. He said: "We're not used to the pitch, we're not used to the
size of it. It's massive. The Boleyn was a nice, tight ground, and we could
get round pressing. Now we have to sit back and choose when to go. It has
taken time but we have got used to it."
Heavy home defeats to Southampton, Arsenal and Manchester City certainly did
not help, but West Ham are not the first club to find it hard in their first
season in a new stadium. Manchester City struggled in their maiden campaign
at the City of Manchester Stadium (later renamed the Etihad Stadium) and
ultimately finished in 16th place. Recent home form has improved. Victory
over London rivals Tottenham is certain to have gone a long way to making
London Stadium feel more like home for West Ham and also keeps them within
touching distance of securing a top-10 finish.
VERDICT: It was always going to take time for West Ham to settle into their
new surroundings and Bilic faced an unenviable task of attempting to provide
an immediate winning formula. Bilic stays.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Michail Antonio's five best games which earned him West Ham Hammer of the
Year award
The winger has been inspired this season
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:51, 10 MAY 2017
He might be out injured for the rest of the season but Michail Antonio
scooped the much-coveted Hammer of the Year at the West Ham Player Awards in
London last night. The 27-year-old, still the Hammers' top scorer this
season despite missing the past four games, won the prize ahead of Manuel
Lanzini in second place and Pedro Obiang, who finished in third. Antonio -
who hinted at his future in his acceptance speech saying he "wants to win it
again" - has been a shining light in what has been a tough season for the
Hammers, despite his own injury issues as well. But what were his stand out
performances that led him to being crowned Hammer of the Year? We have had a
look at five of his games in claret and blue this year - statistically at
least - that were his best.
West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth (August 21, 2016)
The eyes of the footballing world were on the London Stadium as West Ham
played their first Premier League game at their new home having moved from
the Boleyn after 112 years. The hosts won a nervy clash 1-0 thanks to
Antonio's 85th minute header. The England man had the most shots of any
player on the pitch (4), had 54 touches, a pass success rate of 82% and a
100% dribble success rate. He also won seven aerial battles and won two of
his three attempted tackles. But, getting the winning goal was the most
important stat of all.
West Brom 4-2 West Ham (September 16)
That was a rough day at the Hawthorns but Antonio certainly stood out on
what was a very tough afternoon, especially when the visitors were 3-0 down
at half time. Antonio had got on the scoresheet to give the Hammers hope at
3-1 and struck eight times at goal in an attempt to salvage something. He
also had an 82% pass success rate, completed two dribbles won two aerial
challenges defensively and two offensively as well. He also had a 100%
tackle success rate from his two attempted, with Arhthur Masuaku (4) only
bettering that.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 West Ham (November 19, 2016)
This performance came in defeat for Antonio and West Ham but he was the best
Hammer on the pitch that night as Harry Kane's late spot kick condemned the
Hammers to defeat. Deployed on the right wing, Antonio had three shots on
goal, 81 touches, a pass success rate of 70%, completed three dribbles, won
four corners and dispossessed Spurs three times - the most of any visiting
player. Antonio also got on the scoresheet, giving the Hammers a 1-0 lead in
the 24th minute but ultimately, it wouldn't be enough.
West Ham 3-0 Crystal Palace (January 14, 2017)
Antoni didn't find the target during this game, arguably one of the Hammers
better performances this season (until beating Spurs that is) but the
wideman bagged himself an assist for all three West Ham goals. He had just
the one shot on target but supplied the pass for Sofiane Feghouli to open
the scoring, the cross for Andy Carroll's world-class overhead kick (goal of
the season at the awards do) and the defence splitting pass for Manuel
Lanzini to chip home the third. Antonio also completed two dribbles, won all
of his aerial challenges (4), dispossessed Palace four times and completed
two tackles as well. Statistically, it was his best game this season.
Bournemouth 3-2 West Ham (March 11, 2017)
Another game where Antonio shone in defeat for the Hammers as Josh King
bagged himself a hat trick (and missed a penalty) on the south coast.
Antonio was playing in the number ten role behind Andy Carroll for this game
and smashed six shots on goal, only one of them was off target - the most
for any Hammers player. His pass success rate of 85% was the best of any
Hammer who started the game and completed his solitary dribble of the game.
Antonio also completed two tackles and won possession back twice in
attacking areas.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Michy Batshuayi and Shane Long on West Ham wishlist as Slaven Bilic targets
pace
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham will prioritise pace when they strengthen their squad in the
summer. Now that Premier League safety is assured, the board, manager Slaven
Bilic and head of recruitment Tony Henry have begun planning for next
season, with the emphasis on signing mobile players who will increase the
tempo of the team. Apart from Michail Antonio, who is out for the rest of
the season with a hamstring injury, there is a lack of lightning pace in the
squad and Bilic will be looking to rectify that situation, especially with
the bigger pitch at London Stadium in mind. The playing surface is 105m x
68m, which is almost five metres longer than it was at the club's previous
home, the Boleyn Ground. West Ham's players, while finding it difficult
initially, have gradually adjusted to their new environment and last
Friday's 1-0 victory over Tottenham was, arguably, their best all-round team
performance since they moved there last summer.
Against Tottenham, Bilic's team managed to get behind the visitors' defence
on occasions but, again, their lack of real pace let them down. So, quick
offensive players are what are required by the Hammers — and preferably
those who have Premier League experience.
Southampton's Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long, who was on the club's
radar last summer, could again become a target, while another player who
would fit the bill is Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi.
West Ham looked favourites to sign the Belgian international last year after
offering his then club Marseille £30million. Crystal Palace joined the race
with an increased offer of £31.5m but the 23-year-old striker finally joined
Chelsea for £33.2m. Batshuayi's opportunities have been limited — all 17 of
his Premier League appearances have come off the bench — and the Stamford
Bridge club could be prepared to let him go this summer, probably on a loan
deal. Another priority for West Ham remains a right-back. The experiment of
playing Antonio in a wide, defensive position proved a failure, while their
only other specialised right-back, Sam Byram, has been plagued with injury.
The future of West Ham goalkeeper Adrian also remains uncertain. Although
restored to being first-choice goalkeeper and playing well, his contract
expires this summer and several La Liga clubs are interested in signing the
Spaniard. Adrian has intimated that he wants to stay but with assurances
that he will remain the No1. West Ham have been linked with a move for
Manchester City's Joe Hart, who is on loan at Torino.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham want Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure
HITC
Saikat Mandal
West Ham United are reportedly considering making a move for Manchester City
midfielder Yaya Toure in the summer transfer window. West Ham United are
considering making Yaya Toure one of their major signings of the summer
transfer window, according to reports from The Telegraph. The Ivorian is out
of contract at City at the end of the season, and is yet to agree a one-year
contract extension. The report suggests that West Ham are emerging as a
viable destination for the 33-year-old. Although Toure has been offered a
new deal to stay, the Ivorian is thinking of turning down a contract
extension at the club. He feels that his first team chances could be limited
next season. One of the major problems for West Ham will be to meet his wage
demands, should he leave City, and Toure may have to take a wage drop if he
is keen to move on. The report adds that a deal could be struck, given that
he would be available as a free agent, and that Toure would decide on his
future soon. At one point of time, it looked like he was heading for the for
the exit, having not played a Premier league game under Pep Guardiola till
mid-November. However, he made full use of the opportunity after Ilkay
Gundogan got injured and has gone on to play 28 matches in all competitions.
West Ham could face a tough competition from Newcastle United in the race to
sign Toure. According to reports from The Sun, the Magpies are believed to
be tracking Toure as well. However, any possible deal will hinge upon
whether the midfielder takes a significant pay-cut or not.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUC.com
Michail Antonio crowned as the 2016/17 Betway Hammer of the Year
Manuel Lanzini finishes as runner-up, with Pedro Obiang in third place
Billy Bonds receives Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the late, great
Bobby Moore
Michail Antonio has been crowned as the 2016/17 Betway Hammer of the Year.
The winger has been recognised for his outstanding season for West Ham
United by becoming the 39th different player to win the acclaim of the
Claret and Blue Army. Antonio, who has scored nine goals and registered five
assists in 37 appearances, won 47 per cent of the vote, with Manuel Lanzini
finishing as runner-up with 21 per cent, and Pedro Obiang third with 14 per
cent. "It's just a great feeling and hopefully I can do it again!" said the
winger. "I'm extremely grateful to the fans who voted for me because they
have been to home and away games, week-in, week-out, so for them to give
this Award to me has left me so overwhelmed and buzzing. "It's crazy because
I've only been in the Premier League for two years and last year I came
runner-up and this year I've won it, so hopefully I can keep going, keep
pushing on and keep doing what I'm doing.
"I have to say my England call-up was a massive highlight and winning Hammer
of the Year is amazing because it's come from the fans, who can be our
biggest critics."
Antonio has enjoyed two superb seasons since arriving from Nottingham Forest
in summer 2015, scoring 18 goals in 69 appearances, including the equaliser
in West Ham's unforgettable Final Game win over Manchester United at the
Boleyn Ground last May. The current campaign saw the No30 kick-off in style,
scoring the first Premier League goal in London Stadium history against AFC
Bournemouth in August, and five in his opening four top-flight appearances.
That form saw him earn a first-ever England call-up for Sam Allardyce's only
game in charge, and he was included in the Three Lions squad for a second
time by Big Sam's successor Gareth Southgate in March.
While his scoring rate in Claret and Blue slowed, Antonio continued to
produce the goods in a variety of positions, as injuries and suspensions saw
him fielded as a right wing-back, right winger and centre forward by manager
Slaven Bilic. After scoring at Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City either
side of Christmas, the Wandsworth-born player turned provider against
Crystal Palace, when his three second-half assists inspired the Hammers to a
vital 3-0 home win. A ninth and final goal of the campaign arrived at AFC
Bournemouth before a hamstring injury prematurely ended Antonio's season,
but the 27-year-old had already done enough to secure a deserved maiden
Hammer of the Year award. Antonio was one of a host of winners at the
2016/17 Player Awards brought to by Betway in aid of the Academy, which were
held for the first time at InterContinental London – The O2.
Lanzini took home the Players' Player of the Year honour, Andy Carroll
benefited from one of Antonio's aforementioned assists to net the Goal of
the Season against Crystal Palace, while Darren Randolph's fingertip stop to
deny Liverpool's Jordan Henderson scooped the Save of the Season award.
James Collins' display in the 1-0 win over Swansea City won the Best
Individual Performance trophy, while the 2-1 EFL Cup victory over Chelsea at
London Stadium was the Best Team Performance.
Signing of the Season went to Edimilson Fernandes, while Young Hammer of the
Year was Declan Rice and Domingos Quina won the Dylan Tombides Award.
Finally, the late, great Bobby Moore OBE was recognised with a posthumous
Lifetime Achievement Award. Bobby Moore OBE led his club to their first
major domestic and European trophy before completing a unique, unforgettable
hat-trick by captaining England to FIFA World Cup glory in 1966. Born in
Barking in 1941, Moore attended Westbury Primary School and Tom Hood School,
Leytonstone, before joining the Hammers at the age of 15 in 1956 Two years
later, having honed his game under the watchful eye of Ted Fenton and
Malcolm Allison inside the Academy of Football, the blond-haired,
ball-playing defender was handed his first-team debut at 17, in a 3-2 First
Division win over Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground. It was the
beginning of a special career spanning nearly two decades at the very
highest level, which encompassed winning the FA Cup, European Cup Winners'
Cup, FIFA World Cup, 108 England caps and numerous other accolades. Sadly,
Moore passed away following a brave battle with bowel cancer in 1993, aged
just 51, but his legacy lives on in the shape of the Bobby Moore Fund for
Cancer Research UK charity.
2016/17 Player Awards brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy winners
Betway Hammer of the Year Michail Antonio
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by JM Sealant Contracts Bobby Moore OBE
Best Individual Performance sponsored by Peter Rayney Tax Consulting James
Collins v Swansea City (H), Premier League, 8 April 2017
Best Team Performance sponsored by Shore Capital v Chelsea (H), EFL Cup
third round, 26 October 2017
Players' Player of the Year sponsored by Asmatt Ltd Manuel Lanzini
Goal of the Season sponsored by FRP Advisory Andy Carroll v Crystal Palace
(H), Premier League, 14 January 2017
Save of the Season sponsored by Higgins Darren Randolph v Liverpool (A),
Premier League, 11 December 2016
Signing of the Season sponsored by S14 VIP Limited Edimilson Fernandes
Top Goalscorer sponsored by Mulalley Michail Antonio or Manuel Lanzini
Young Hammer of the Year sponsored by Ark Build PLC Declan Rice
Dylan Tombides Award sponsored by Rich Energy Domingos Quina
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ginge and Manu win acclaim
WHUFC.com
James Collins wins Best Individual Performance award for outstanding display
in win over Swansea City
Manuel Lanzini is acclaimed by his teammates as Players' Player of the Year
Unforgettable 2-1 EFL Cup win over Chelsea at London Stadium is voted Best
Team Performance
James Collins and Manuel Lanzini were the headline-makers as four more
trophies were presented at the West Ham United 2016/17 Player Awards,
brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy. Centre-half Collins was
rewarded for his outstanding display in the vital 1-0 Premier League win
over Swansea City in April as the fans' choice for Best Individual
Performance, sponsored by Peter Rayney Tax Consulting. The Wales
international made an imperious 12 clearances to ensure the Hammers kept a
clean sheet in defeating the Swans at London Stadium, ensuring he took home
the Award ahead of Cheikhou Kouyate, Darren Randolph, Winston Reid, Michail
Antonio and Pedro Obiang. "It's a massive honour and my first Award in the
ten years I've been here, and to win it for my performance in such a big
game is massive!" said the Ginger Pele. "We had lost to Arsenal earlier on
in the week and everyone was a bit down, but the Gaffer came in and said
'You've got to forget about this as quick as possible because we've got a
big game against Swansea', so we knew it was a massive game, but we
performed well and got the three points. "We'd have liked it to have been a
bit more comfortable, but as a defender I was happy with the one and the
clean sheet all day!"
Meanwhile, Argentinian playmaker Lanzini capped an impressive campaign by
winning the acclaim of his teammates to scoop the Players' Player of the
Year award, sponsored by AsMATT Limited. The No10 has been outstanding in
recent months, especially, scoring beautiful goals in wins over Crystal
Palace – home and away – and a vital strike in the home victory over
Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium.
With eight in all competitions, the 24-year-old is also in the running for
the Top Goalscorer award, sponsored by Mulalley. With two games remaining,
Lanzini sits just one goal behind Michail Antonio in the scoring charts.
Meanwhile, manager Slaven Bilic took to the stage with his players to
receive the Best Team Performance award, for the 2-1 EFL Cup fourth-round
win over Chelsea at London Stadium in October. Cheikhou Kouyate and
Edimilson Fernandes were the heroes as the Hammers edged out Antonio Conte's
Blues on an unforgettable night in Stratford, beating off fellow nominees
and Premier League wins over Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and
Southampton.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview – Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble wants Friday's victory against Tottenham Hotspur to help launch
the Hammers into a finishing position in the Premier League's top half. The
memorable derby success extended West Ham's unbeaten run to five games and
made absolutely sure of their top flight spot. But, with Liverpool and
Burnley left to play, Noble wants more and believes ending in the top ten is
achievable.
Mark, a win over Tottenham on Friday and then your 30th birthday on Monday –
it was a good few days for you!
After Friday night, the weekend I had was pretty special. I'm still getting
over Friday now to be honest with you, it was amazing.
You've done it before, haven't you? That was our sixth win against Spurs in
the last six years…
For me, we should have beaten them away from home this season as well, to be
honest. We saw again on Friday night when this Club pulls together as one, a
little bit like the Swansea game too when we needed to win, [what we can
do]. It was definitely one of the highlights of the season.
The atmosphere was something special…
Yes. As I said, when we needed each other this year – the players and fans –
against Swansea, against Crystal Palace and the Spurs game as well, we've
been together and we've got results.
The Swansea game was special for you for another reason. It was your 400th
game for West Ham. When you were on the terraces as a kid, did you ever
dream of 400 appearances?
I used to walk to the stadium and ask for autographs after games, so to
captain this great Club and play 400 games is pretty special, not just for
me but for everyone. To have one of their own captain the Club is great.
Just finally we don't want the Tottenham game to be the last good thing to
happen this season, so we? We want to finish strongly and on a high…
The aim is to get more points on the board. We can't worry about Spurs any
more, it was a great performance and a great win but we want to beat
Liverpool at home. I know we're going to have the crowd behind us and then
we want to go away to Burnley and get some points there.
We want to finish as high up the table as possible and after beating Spurs,
to not go on and get some more results would be disappointing. We want to
finish in the top half and then that would be a very good season for us.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lanzini gets shirty with Lionel!
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini has expressed his pride after Lionel Messi posted a photo of
his West Ham United shirt on social media.
The Barcelona superstar published an image of himself and son Thiago sitting
among his collection of football shirts on Instagram, with Lanzini's Claret
and Blue No28 taking pride of place next to Messi's own jerseys.
Among the dozens of other shirts on show were those Messi had exchanged with
the likes of Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, Francesco Totti, Raul, Deco, Cesc
Fabregas and Thierry Henry – but it was Lanzini's which stood out alongside
the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's iconic Argentina No10 strip.
The Argentinian duo met in Barcelona through a mutual friend last year, when
they swapped signed shirts, with the Hammers' newly-crowned Players' Player
of the Year describing the encounter as a 'dream come true'.
Lanzini himself spotted the post, telling whufc.com he idolised the
29-year-old during his own formative years with Buenos Aires giants River
Plate.
"It's amazing, because the best player in the world put my t-shirt on
there!" said the 24-year-old. "I could not believe it.
"I would not say we are friends, but I met him one time in Barcelona because
we have a mutual friend and that's when it happened. He gave me his t-shirt
and I gave him my t-shirt and he's a very good person. It's good!"
Playmaker Lanzini has enjoyed an impressive season for West Ham, scoring
eight goals in 37 games in all competitions, while Messi has continued his
imperious form for Barcelona, netting an amazing 51 times in 49 appearances.
The Hammers No10 was selected for the Argentina Olympic squad for Rio 2016,
only to miss the tournament through injury, but the former River Plate star
could yet force his way into Jorge Sampaoli's for next summer's FIFA World
Cup finals in Russia.
Should he do so, he would line up in the same shirt as Lionel Messi!
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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: SLAV TO BE BACKED THIS SUMMER, TWO STRIKERS LINKED,
ENNER TO DEPART?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 10 MAY 2017 AT 1:41PM
TheWestHamWay.couk
Hello Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
Michail Antonio was named as West Ham's Player of the Season last night at
the club's awards night. (Sky Sports)
I personally thought Winston Reid should have won the award, but
congratulations to Michail. He has had a brilliant season and hopefully he
will continue to improve with us next season.
West Ham are targeting deals for Michy Batshuayi and Shane Long this summer.
(Evening Standard)
I would be very happy if these deals were to happen. Michy Batshuayi is top
of my personal wishlist, because I think he could well be the missing link
in our team. I do hope we go in with a huge offer to Chelsea in the summer.
Shane Long is another good striker, in my opinion. He isn't the best, but he
gets his fair share of goals during a season. I also feel that with his
pace, he could be a great option to bring off the bench to stretch
opposition defenders.
West Ham will back Slaven Bilic in the summer and are targeting Yaya Toure
as a statement signing. (Telegraph)
This is exactly how it should be. You back your manager in the transfer
window. I hope the board back him properly and give him the funds to improve
the team over the summer. However, I am not so sure on Yaya Toure. He is
without doubt a great player, but he is ageing now and he is also on
ridiculous wages. I don't think that deal will happen to be honest.
David Gold has revealed that Michail Antonio is close to signing a new
contract at West Ham. (Football Insider)
Michail fully deserves a new contract. I know he only got an improved deal
last summer, but the season he has had fully warrants getting another one.
He also won the Player of the Year award last night, and that only backs up
him deserving a new deal.
Tony Cottee says he would love to see Jermain Defoe back at West Ham. (HITC)
Back in January, I would have agreed with this. However, not so much now. He
has had a brilliant career and will go down as one of the Premier League's
greatest strikers, without a doubt. He is now 35 years old and is apparently
still demanding £80,000 a week over a three year deal. I do not think he is
worth that, and I also think we could get someone better and younger for
less than that.
Enner Valencia is being lined up to return to former club Pachuca in the
summer. (HITC)
I actually like Enner. I think he tries very hard, but it just isn't enough.
He is not good enough for the Premier League and I believe we should sell
him this summer. He is still relatively young and will be more suited to a
league abroad I feel, so we may be able to get a decent fee for him.
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Michail Antonio named West Ham's Player of the Season
By Alice Piper
Last Updated: 10/05/17 12:16am
SSN
Michail Antonio was named Player of the Season at West Ham's end-of-season
awards on Tuesday. The 27-year-old winger has impressed for the Hammers this
season, contributing nine goals from 29 league appearances before his term
came to an abrupt end when he suffered a hamstring injury last month. Manuel
Lanzini picked up the Players' Player of the Year award, having produced a
number of impressive displays to fill the void in midfield following Dimitri
Payet's departure. The 24-year-old Argentinian, who joined the Hammers from
Al Jazira Club in July 2015, has scored eight goals from 33 league
appearances this campaign. Meanwhile, Andy Carroll won Goal of the Season
for his unstoppable bicycle kick that sealed West Ham's 3-0 win over Crystal
Palace in January. James Collins claimed Best Individual Performance for his
display in West Ham's 1-0 win over Swansea in April, while the club's Young
Hammer of the Year went to defender Declan Rice.
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Slaven Bilic's West Ham future assessed ahead of Liverpool clash
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 10/05/17 6:28am
SSN
Slaven Bilic has enjoyed mixed fortunes during his two-year spell at West
Ham, but is it time for the Croatian to leave?
The Hammers' 1-0 victory over rivals Tottenham on Friday Night Football
finally guaranteed their Premier League survival after a difficult first
season at London Stadium. Despite the win, talks over a new contract for
Bilic are on hold and Sky Sports News HQ understands the 48-year-old's
position will be reviewed at the end of the season. It is a far cry from
last season when Bilic led West Ham to their highest ever points total in
the Premier League- 62 - as they finished in seventh place, securing
qualification for the Europa League. So, does that leave the West Ham
manager still in credit or facing the sack? Ahead of the Super Sunday clash
against Liverpool, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, Nick Lustig assesses whether
Bilic should still be in charge next season…
SUMMER SIGNINGS
A case can be made that West Ham's failings on the pitch this season were
more due to disappointing recruitment rather than the much-publicised move
from the Boleyn Ground to London Stadium. A scattergun approach to transfers
last summer, with the club preparing to play in the Premier League as well
as the Europa League, left Bilic with a disjointed squad that at times
lacked functionality and cohesion. The experiment of playing Michail Antonio
at right-back came to a rather inevitable conclusion in August and left
Bilic with three right wingers following the arrivals of Sofiane Feghouli
and Gokhan Tore. It also left him with a gap at right-back, with the
subsequent acquisition of former Liverpool and Real Madrid defender Alvaro
Arbeloa doing little to fill that hole. The failure to sign a recognised
goalscorer has also blighted West Ham, with an all too familiar picture
forming with Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho once again struck down by a
series of injuries. It has left them 20 goals worse off from last season and
light in terms of capable options.
Simone Zaza's disastrous loan spell was cut short in January after 11 games
without a goal, while Andre Ayew, Ashley Fletcher and Jonathan Calleri are
still yet to make any real goalscoring impact following their summer moves.
There is currently an apparent lack of clarity on who is making the
decisions on the players the club signs, with Bilic, head of recruitment
Tony Henry and co-owner David Sullivan all involved in the dialogue. This
confusion has transmitted into the club's transfer dealings and unless Bilic
is given freedom to build the squad he wants, it is hard to make a case
against him.
VERDICT: Bilic must take part of the blame on the club's recruitment,
however, he deserves the chance of another summer transfer window to rectify
last year's failings. Bilic stays.
COPING WITHOUT DIMITRI PAYET
The acrimonious departure of the France midfielder in January cannot be
underestimated. Payet was integral to the way West Ham played under Bilic
and his return to Marseille left the Hammers boss without his talisman for
the second half of the season. Payet was instrumental in West Ham's
memorable final season at the Boleyn Ground, providing 12 goals, the same
number of assists and a catalogue of memorable moments. His sensational form
was duly rewarded and then some. A new five-and-a-half year contract, worth
£125,000-a-week, made Payet the highest-paid player in the club's history, a
mural for him was created at London Stadium and a £1m loyalty bonus also
followed. But the new season did not bring with it the Payet from the
previous year. Rumours of the 30-year-old's discontent at the club had
already begun to circulate following his brilliant Euro 2016 campaign. And
although there were fleeting moments of the old Payet, the same desire to
play for the club was no longer apparent and it came as no surprise in early
January when Bilic went public on the French international's refusal to play
because of his wish to return to Marseille.
It left Bilic with a huge predicament, but one he dealt with admirably.
Payet was demoted to the U23s squad before eventually sealing his £25m move
back to the south of France, while Bilic turned his focus to uniting his
squad and building his team around midfield playmaker Manuel Lanzini. "We
have talked about the importance of Manuel Lanzini last year. But of course
from some players on the ball you are expecting more and for sure, he is one
of them," Bilic said in January. Lanzini has certainly stepped up to the
plate and been nothing less than superb for West Ham. No longer in the
shadow of Payet, Lanzini has become the go-to man and creative spark for his
team-mates. A shift into a more central attacking role has enabled Lanzini
to increase his influence on matches and it is no surprise that his stats
show a vast improvement in his productivity on the pitch. Bilic certainly
deserves enormous credit for not allowing the negativity from the Payet saga
to derail his side's battle to secure Premier League safety, while the
decision to promote Lanzini to the fore has been vindicated and allowed
supporters to forget about the once revered Frenchman.
Manuel Lanzini
With Payet Per
90 Without Payet Per 90
Games played 17 -
17 -
Games started 14 -
16 -
Minutes played 1152 -
1468 -
Goals 3
0.23 5 0.31
Mins per goal 384 -
293.6 -
Total shots 26
2.03 43 2.64
On target shots 7 0.55
15 0.92
Conversion rate 11.54 -
11.63 -
Assists 0
0 2 0.12
Chances created 21 1.64
34 2.08
Touches 856
66.88 1229 75.35
Passing accuracy 85.93 -
88.05 -
Dribbles completed 22 1.72
62 3.8
VERDICT: Losing your best player midway through a season is a manager's
worst nightmare, but Bilic has managed to find a way of playing without
Payet and a formula that has guided West Ham to Premier League safety. Bilic
stays.
LONDON STADIUM
The first season at London Stadium was always going to prove difficult for
West Ham following 112 years at the Boleyn Ground. Persistent standing,
ineffective segregation and crowd trouble were the teething issues that
overshadowed the opening months at the club's new home - serious issues, but
not ones that are likely to have impacted on player performances. However,
what Bilic and the players have had to contend with is a longer pitch and
fans who are further away. The pitch at the London Stadium is 4.5 metres
longer and, in March, Michail Antonio admitted the new dimensions had caused
difficulties. He said: "We're not used to the pitch, we're not used to the
size of it. It's massive. The Boleyn was a nice, tight ground, and we could
get round pressing. Now we have to sit back and choose when to go. It has
taken time but we have got used to it."
Heavy home defeats to Southampton, Arsenal and Manchester City certainly did
not help, but West Ham are not the first club to find it hard in their first
season in a new stadium. Manchester City struggled in their maiden campaign
at the City of Manchester Stadium (later renamed the Etihad Stadium) and
ultimately finished in 16th place. Recent home form has improved. Victory
over London rivals Tottenham is certain to have gone a long way to making
London Stadium feel more like home for West Ham and also keeps them within
touching distance of securing a top-10 finish.
VERDICT: It was always going to take time for West Ham to settle into their
new surroundings and Bilic faced an unenviable task of attempting to provide
an immediate winning formula. Bilic stays.
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Michail Antonio's five best games which earned him West Ham Hammer of the
Year award
The winger has been inspired this season
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:51, 10 MAY 2017
He might be out injured for the rest of the season but Michail Antonio
scooped the much-coveted Hammer of the Year at the West Ham Player Awards in
London last night. The 27-year-old, still the Hammers' top scorer this
season despite missing the past four games, won the prize ahead of Manuel
Lanzini in second place and Pedro Obiang, who finished in third. Antonio -
who hinted at his future in his acceptance speech saying he "wants to win it
again" - has been a shining light in what has been a tough season for the
Hammers, despite his own injury issues as well. But what were his stand out
performances that led him to being crowned Hammer of the Year? We have had a
look at five of his games in claret and blue this year - statistically at
least - that were his best.
West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth (August 21, 2016)
The eyes of the footballing world were on the London Stadium as West Ham
played their first Premier League game at their new home having moved from
the Boleyn after 112 years. The hosts won a nervy clash 1-0 thanks to
Antonio's 85th minute header. The England man had the most shots of any
player on the pitch (4), had 54 touches, a pass success rate of 82% and a
100% dribble success rate. He also won seven aerial battles and won two of
his three attempted tackles. But, getting the winning goal was the most
important stat of all.
West Brom 4-2 West Ham (September 16)
That was a rough day at the Hawthorns but Antonio certainly stood out on
what was a very tough afternoon, especially when the visitors were 3-0 down
at half time. Antonio had got on the scoresheet to give the Hammers hope at
3-1 and struck eight times at goal in an attempt to salvage something. He
also had an 82% pass success rate, completed two dribbles won two aerial
challenges defensively and two offensively as well. He also had a 100%
tackle success rate from his two attempted, with Arhthur Masuaku (4) only
bettering that.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 West Ham (November 19, 2016)
This performance came in defeat for Antonio and West Ham but he was the best
Hammer on the pitch that night as Harry Kane's late spot kick condemned the
Hammers to defeat. Deployed on the right wing, Antonio had three shots on
goal, 81 touches, a pass success rate of 70%, completed three dribbles, won
four corners and dispossessed Spurs three times - the most of any visiting
player. Antonio also got on the scoresheet, giving the Hammers a 1-0 lead in
the 24th minute but ultimately, it wouldn't be enough.
West Ham 3-0 Crystal Palace (January 14, 2017)
Antoni didn't find the target during this game, arguably one of the Hammers
better performances this season (until beating Spurs that is) but the
wideman bagged himself an assist for all three West Ham goals. He had just
the one shot on target but supplied the pass for Sofiane Feghouli to open
the scoring, the cross for Andy Carroll's world-class overhead kick (goal of
the season at the awards do) and the defence splitting pass for Manuel
Lanzini to chip home the third. Antonio also completed two dribbles, won all
of his aerial challenges (4), dispossessed Palace four times and completed
two tackles as well. Statistically, it was his best game this season.
Bournemouth 3-2 West Ham (March 11, 2017)
Another game where Antonio shone in defeat for the Hammers as Josh King
bagged himself a hat trick (and missed a penalty) on the south coast.
Antonio was playing in the number ten role behind Andy Carroll for this game
and smashed six shots on goal, only one of them was off target - the most
for any Hammers player. His pass success rate of 85% was the best of any
Hammer who started the game and completed his solitary dribble of the game.
Antonio also completed two tackles and won possession back twice in
attacking areas.
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Michy Batshuayi and Shane Long on West Ham wishlist as Slaven Bilic targets
pace
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham will prioritise pace when they strengthen their squad in the
summer. Now that Premier League safety is assured, the board, manager Slaven
Bilic and head of recruitment Tony Henry have begun planning for next
season, with the emphasis on signing mobile players who will increase the
tempo of the team. Apart from Michail Antonio, who is out for the rest of
the season with a hamstring injury, there is a lack of lightning pace in the
squad and Bilic will be looking to rectify that situation, especially with
the bigger pitch at London Stadium in mind. The playing surface is 105m x
68m, which is almost five metres longer than it was at the club's previous
home, the Boleyn Ground. West Ham's players, while finding it difficult
initially, have gradually adjusted to their new environment and last
Friday's 1-0 victory over Tottenham was, arguably, their best all-round team
performance since they moved there last summer.
Against Tottenham, Bilic's team managed to get behind the visitors' defence
on occasions but, again, their lack of real pace let them down. So, quick
offensive players are what are required by the Hammers — and preferably
those who have Premier League experience.
Southampton's Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long, who was on the club's
radar last summer, could again become a target, while another player who
would fit the bill is Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi.
West Ham looked favourites to sign the Belgian international last year after
offering his then club Marseille £30million. Crystal Palace joined the race
with an increased offer of £31.5m but the 23-year-old striker finally joined
Chelsea for £33.2m. Batshuayi's opportunities have been limited — all 17 of
his Premier League appearances have come off the bench — and the Stamford
Bridge club could be prepared to let him go this summer, probably on a loan
deal. Another priority for West Ham remains a right-back. The experiment of
playing Antonio in a wide, defensive position proved a failure, while their
only other specialised right-back, Sam Byram, has been plagued with injury.
The future of West Ham goalkeeper Adrian also remains uncertain. Although
restored to being first-choice goalkeeper and playing well, his contract
expires this summer and several La Liga clubs are interested in signing the
Spaniard. Adrian has intimated that he wants to stay but with assurances
that he will remain the No1. West Ham have been linked with a move for
Manchester City's Joe Hart, who is on loan at Torino.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham want Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure
HITC
Saikat Mandal
West Ham United are reportedly considering making a move for Manchester City
midfielder Yaya Toure in the summer transfer window. West Ham United are
considering making Yaya Toure one of their major signings of the summer
transfer window, according to reports from The Telegraph. The Ivorian is out
of contract at City at the end of the season, and is yet to agree a one-year
contract extension. The report suggests that West Ham are emerging as a
viable destination for the 33-year-old. Although Toure has been offered a
new deal to stay, the Ivorian is thinking of turning down a contract
extension at the club. He feels that his first team chances could be limited
next season. One of the major problems for West Ham will be to meet his wage
demands, should he leave City, and Toure may have to take a wage drop if he
is keen to move on. The report adds that a deal could be struck, given that
he would be available as a free agent, and that Toure would decide on his
future soon. At one point of time, it looked like he was heading for the for
the exit, having not played a Premier league game under Pep Guardiola till
mid-November. However, he made full use of the opportunity after Ilkay
Gundogan got injured and has gone on to play 28 matches in all competitions.
West Ham could face a tough competition from Newcastle United in the race to
sign Toure. According to reports from The Sun, the Magpies are believed to
be tracking Toure as well. However, any possible deal will hinge upon
whether the midfielder takes a significant pay-cut or not.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th May 2017
Captain Rice hails unbelievable comeback
WHUFC.com
PL2 captain, Declan Rice led his side into the 2016/17 PL2 Play-Off Final following the 2-1 comeback win over Wolves on Monday evening
The win means West Ham will play Newcastle United at St James' Park for a place in PL2 Division One next season
Rice has consistently impressed this season and is now enjoying a run in Slaven Bilic's 1st Team match day squad.
West Ham United's PL2 captain Declan Rice described his side's last minute Play-off Semi Final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers as unbelievable. The Hammers came from behind on Monday evening, with Martin Samuelsen's stoppage time penalty settling a dramatic tie at Molineux. Rice played a starring role in the win, with a dominant display at the back combined with two killer through balls which led to both goals. "We went 1-0 down when we shouldn't have and Terry [Westley] just said 'keep going' because we were dominating the game" the defender explained. The Hammers went in at the break 1-0 down after Wolves' Sylvain Deslandes headed in from close range, but a resilient and determined second half display by West Ham was eventually rewarded through goals from Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Samuelsen.
Rice speaking after the Wolves win"It's unbelievable. I said to the boys at the end there, that's the best we've grafted out and tried getting a result. It's one of the best feelings I've had all season. "Terry warned me and Tunji [Akinola] that we'd be coming up against really strong, physical strikers. I've played against them before and I know how to deal with them, it's nothing different. I thought I played well and I was really pleased with my performance."
The win means West Ham are through to the PL2 Play-Off Final where a place in next year's Division 1 is the reward for the winner. After beating Fulham 2-0 on Monday evening, it is Newcastle United who the Hammers will face in next week's final. In two previous trips to St James' Park, the Hammers have failed to come away with all the points, but Rice says the boys are still confident: "It's definitely [unfinished business]. Rice with 1st Team on Friday"The times we've gone up there, we've come away with a point and we've lost but both times, we've dominated the game so we've got to go up there and get promoted."
The Irish U19 international is quickly becoming the focus of plenty of attention following his impressive season with the PL2 side. Rice has trained regularly with the 1st Team in 2017 and manager Slaven Bilic has selected the defender in four of his Premier League match day squads, the latest being Friday's 1-0 win over Tottenham. "Friday night was one of the best experiences that I've ever been a part of" Rice said. "It was buzzing, the fans, everything was rocking. Just being a part of the team for a couple of games – four games now, they've really taken to me, bringing me in with the staff, Nobes has been very good and the lads have been excellent with me to be fair."
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Kouyate - We won it for Slav
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate says victory over Tottenham Hotspur provided a welcome boost for manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham United defeated Spurs 1-0 at London Stadium on Friday evening to secure Premier League status
Senegal midfielder says Hammers are targeting a top-ten finish ahead of Sunday's meeting with Liverpool
Cheikhou Kouyate said the West Ham United squad were delighted for manager Slaven Bilic after beating Tottenham Hotspur on Friday evening. The No8 and his teammates went into the game knowing victory would not only dent Spurs' title chances, ensure the Hammers' Premier League status and send the Claret and Blue Army home happy, but also give manager Bilic a welcome boost. The boss had been asked repeatedly about his future during a challenging campaign, but Kouyate hopes a deserved win over an in-form Tottenham will silence any remaining critics. "Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the game," the Sengal captain began. "We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him."
Kouyate was at his influential best against Tottenham, contributing at both ends of the pitch with three shots, three clearances, three interceptions, a tackle and key pass and 38 touches of the ball. "We knew this game would be very difficult, but we also knew before the game that we needed to win it," he continued. "We know that a derby is not a match you can joke about – it is a match we had to win.
"We also knew that Tottenham had to win maintain their shot at becoming the champion, but we also needed the win because we knew it was a matter of life and death when it came to our survival. "We gave everything and at the end we got the win we deserved after the work we have put in over the last three weeks." "We obviously knew we lost a lot of points before in the other matches and we had to make up for that."
Next up for the Hammers is the visit of another of the Premier League's high-fliers to London Stadium in the shape of third-place Liverpool. Having drawn 2-2 at Anfield before Christmas, and beaten Jurgen Klopp's side three times last season, Kouyate and company know they have the quality to defeat the Reds again on Sunday afternoon. However, the 27-year-old also knows West Ham will need to reach the same levels they reached against Tottenham if they are to sign-off the season with another memorable home win. "The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible," Kouyate confirmed. "We know that finishing as high as ninth or tenth is still possible. "We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."
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Carroll and Fernandes scoop Player Awards
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll wins Goal of the Season prize for his bicycle kick against Crystal Palace at London Stadium
Darren Randolph scoops Save of the Season, with Edimilson Fernandes winning Signing of the Season
Teenagers Declan Rice and Domingos Quina among the first five winners at 2016/17 Player Awards
Andy Carroll, Darren Randolph, Edimilson Fernandes, Declan Rice and Domingos Quina were our first five winners at the West Ham United 2016/17 Player Awards, brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy.
Carroll won the Goal of the Season award, sponsored by FRP Advisory, for his unstoppable bicycle kick to clinch the 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at London Stadium on 14 January 2017.
The No9's acrobatic effort beat off the challenge of efforts from Michail Antonio, Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Winston Reid and Cheikhou Kouyate to win the supporters' vote.
Goalkeeper Randolph secured the Save of the Season award, sponsored by Higgins, for his marvellous fingertip save from Jordan Henderson in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Liverpool on 11 December 2016.
The Republic of Ireland international's miraculous full-length stop was picked by the Claret and Blue Army ahead of his own saves from Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, a free-kick from Burnley's Scott Arfield and Riyad Mahrez's curling effort at Leicester City, as well as Adrian's wonderful saves from Everton's Ross Barkley and Crystal Palace's Connor Wickham, and the Spaniard's double-save in the UEFA Europa League draw with NK Domzale in Slovenia.
Edimilson Fernandes capped an encouraging season in east London following his summer 2016 switch from FC Sion by being voted Signing of the Season, sponsored by S14 VIP Limited.
The Switzerland international has made 30 appearances in Claret and Blue, the highlight of which was unquestionably his EFL Cup fourth-round winner against Chelsea at London Stadium in October.
To complete the first set of awards to be presented at InterContinental London – The O2, Academy Director and Head of Coaching and Player Development selected Rice and Quina as Young Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Ark Build Ltd, and Dylan Tombides Award, sponsored by Rich Energy, winner respectively.
Rice was picked ahead of fellow nominees Quina and Toni Martinez, while the Portugal U17 international won the trophy for the Academy's outstanding player ahead of winger Dan Kemp and goalkeeper Nathan Trott.
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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com
Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues an update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital
Hello everybody,
All the staff were naturally delighted with Friday's Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Cheikhou Kouyate was outstanding in that game and his performance was all the more impressive when you consider he was playing through the pain of a chronic wrist injury which was aggravated at the Africa Cup of Nations back in January. He has shown the true spirit of the Hammers by playing with this condition and given everything to the team and to the Club. Now our Premier League status has been assured, we took the decision for Cheikhou to undergo an operation on his wrist on Tuesday. He will be in a cast for eight weeks and we wish him all the best with his rehabilitation, with a view to him returning in good time for next season.
Michail Antonio has also had surgery and he has started his own rehabilitation period, again working towards next season.
Diafra Sakho has had a setback with his lower back and we took the decision not to take any risks this season, so he too is working towards next season.
Finally, Andy Carroll is continuing with his rehabilitation after suffering a significant adductor strain.
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science
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THE 5 MAIN TALKING POINTS FROM THE MATCH V SPURS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 9 MAY 2017 AT 8:39PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This weeks 5 Talking Points by Steve Claydon @trbeat
Signature Win
Well, it took until week 36, if you ignore the Chelsea cup result, to secure a win that hopefully beds us in at the London Stadium. I have to admit I am not a big believer in the Stadium being a problem. I think players, fans and everyone else have used it as an excuse but the reality is I think the mentality of the Manager and players has been the biggest issue this year. Two up against Watford and we lose 4-2, and it could have been 10-2, and yet we manage to beat arguably the best football playing team in the league 1-0. I think the win is based on three things. Firstly, it's a rival. A big rival. Playing to be Champions. We were never going to lie down and roll over. Secondly, we were not safe, we still needed a point or two to be safe, and this was an opportunity. Third and last, I do think the players like Bilic. I'm not sure he is 100% safe just yet. In my mind, he has six to eight games to prove to us he is the real deal and the problems this year are behind us. Have us in the mid to upper mid of the table, and I'm sold, if we are not, then we should let him go.
But for now, let's saviour that win against a team we hate. It was sweet that it guarantees us safety and pretty much kills them off in the title race.
Effort Was Everywhere.
While watching the game on TV, it's hard to track all the players and see the off the ball work rates. What stood out for me was Calleri's constant running, Ayew's hustle and both wing backs getting up and down the pitch. For all those fans who said Calleri is worth waiting on, I did start to see increased effort, better hold up play and winning long balls with some good flick-ons. His finishing is still poor, but then again Fletcher missed an easy chance at the end which would have been a nice way to end the game. The midfield was dominant not giving Spurs anytime on the ball or play to their strengths, and the defence was outstanding. For a change, it was not the last tackle dance all the time – apart from a series when Adrian spilt the ball and then made a couple of excellent saves – we never looked threatened at the back. The effort over the last three weeks has been outstanding.
Stats Don't Lie
Antonio 9, Lanzini 8, Carrol 7. The next pure striker to score Calleri, with 1. When your two top scorers are midfield players, it's clear that a problem exists. While the last three results have been positive, we have scored a total of 5 goals in the last seven games. With the match against Hull the last time a forward, Carroll, scored. If your take Antonio's and Lanzini's output in addition to the other midfield players, then add in a 15 goal a season front man then there is no reason for us not to be comfortable and pushing for a top 6 or higher place. If an offer for Carroll comes then we bite their hand off, same goes for Sakho. We need to pick up two reliable players who either on their own or between them can do the business for us and take the pressure off the midfield and let them be creative and serve.
Stadium Atmosphere.
Anybody have a bad time Friday night? Anybody? It's a serious question. If we had of lost 1-0, I am sure people would be complaining about the pitch size, location of the stadium and just about everything else. Granted living in the US does not give me the right to have an opinion about all of this, but watching the game on TV, hearing the fans and listening to the commentators say that the place was loud with a great atmosphere reminds me that we the fans have a part to play in our success. What you, the fans that went to the game, did on Friday needs to be replicated on a cold Sunday against Brighton next year. It does not matter which team comes to our new home, it's our home, they are not welcome, and they will leave with a bitter taste. Players have a responsibility to give 100% as do we the fans.
Man of the Match
I'm not going to pick a man of the match, this was a team performance, and everyone deserves credit. Lanzini was brilliant, Adrian has matured the last few weeks and was class again. Reid, Fonte and Collins were dominant. Noble and Kouyate were active and mopped up anything. But it was Sam Byram who quietly went about his job with no fuss and looked the part at right wing back. It's been a horrible position for us all year. The last few weeks though Byram has steadied his play, stopped the stupid mental mistakes and made some great decisions. Pulling Son's shirt was a great decision, he knew exactly what was going to happen when he got lost on that play, and Son was about to sprint down the wing. Byram has two more games to make that position his own and help Bilic in the transfer window by not having to find a top-quality RB/RWB.
See you next week.
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Cheikhou Kouyate assures West Ham backing for Slaven Bilic
By James Dale
Last Updated: 09/05/17 2:32pm
SSN
Cheikhou Kouyate has dedicated West Ham's win over Tottenham to Slaven Bilic, insisting the manager has the players' backing. Bilic's future as Hammers' boss is set to be reviewed at the end of the current campaign, Sky Sports News HQ understands, with the club having struggled to replicate the form that saw them finish seventh last season. West Ham's win over rivals Tottenham last week guaranteed the club's Premier League status, though, and Kouyate maintains Bilic has not lost any support within the players' dressing room. "Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the game," Kouyate told West Ham's official website. "We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him."
Kouyate will miss West Ham's remaining two top-flight fixtures in order to undergo surgery on an injured wrist, with the club having opted to proceed with the operation after their Premier League safety was confirmed. Ahead of his side facing Liverpool this Sunday, though, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, Kouyate insists his team-mates are determined to climb higher than their current 12th-place standing. "The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible," Kouyate added. "We know that finishing as high as ninth or tenth is still possible. "We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."
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West Ham FC transfer news: Carlos Bacca back on Hammers' radar after asking to leave AC Milan
Carlos Bacca in action for AC Milan
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
West Ham target Carlos Bacca has held talks with AC Milan about leaving this summer. The striker has bagged 14 goals this season to go with the 20 he bagged during the previous campaign. The Colombian was a target for West Ham last summer but talks broke down as the transfer window slammed shut. However, according to reports in Italy, Bacca's move to the Hammers could be back on as he has asked to leave. The 30-year-old's agent was reportedly at Milan's headquarters on Monday to speak with the club's owners about moving on. Bacca may well get his wish too with Milan not against letting him go if they can bank around £25million.
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Who is Lukasz Teodorczyk? Everything you need to know about the reported West Ham transfer target
West Ham certainly need a striker this summer, maybe two...
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:18, 9 MAY 2017
Yes, it's another striker... Polish frontman Lukasz Teodorczyk is the latest goalscorer to be linked with striker-hungry West Ham, who will be looking to strengthen in that department this summer. With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho still struggling with injury problems, Jonathan Calleri's future up in the air and Ashley Fletcher not being considered just yet, West Ham are in the market, as they always seem to be. But who is this Anderlect front man who is the latest name being rumoured to make a switch to east London? Here's everything you need to know about him. Having joined Polonia Warsaw in January 2010 Teodorczyk made his youth team debut that season, scoring 15 goals. A switch to Lech Poznan in 2013 yielded an impressive 24 goals in one season and that alone was enough for him to join Dynamo Kiev on a five-year deal. Teodorczyk suffered some injury problems during his time in the Ukraine, restricting him to just 24 appearances over three years, scoring ten goals in that time before he was sent on loan to Anderlecht. That worked wonders for him, scoring 20 goals in 25 appearances before signing a permanent deal with the Belgian side and this season, has racked up 28 times in 47 appearances, 20 of them in league. The Hammers have reportedly cooled their interest in Jermain Defoe after his poor end to the season, while Carlos Bacca's name has resurfaced once again after the circus of the last transfer window.
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KOUYATE POSTS TWITTER MESSAGE TO WEST HAM FANS AFTER SURGERY
9th May, 2017, 11:07 AM
By Will Butcher
Cheikhou Kouyate has revealed his determination to come back stronger for West Ham on Twitter after undergoing surgery on a long-standing wrist problem. The Senegalese midfielder has been suffering with the injury for much of the season but an operation was delayed so Kouyate could help the Hammers avoid relegation. Slaven Bilic's side are now safe from the drop after beating London rivals Tottenham 1-0 on Friday night, which has allowed Kouyate to finally undergo surgery.
Posting on his personal Twitter account with his arm in a sling, Kouyate stated that "the pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow" as he sets his sights on his recovery.
Follow
cheikhou kouyate 8 ✔ @PapiCheikhou
It's nver easy & nver over. It will be a fight renewd each morning.The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tmorrow#Alhamdulilah🙌🏿
10:29 AM - 9 May 2017
44 44 Retweets 234 234 likes
Kouyate, 27, has made 36 league and cup appearances for the east London side this season, scoring four goals and helping his side keep nine clean sheets. The former Anderlecht ace has been forced to play out of position at right-back at times this season, with Alvaro Arbeloa and Sam Byram nursing injuries throughout the campaign too. The Hammers have struggled to replicate the successes of 2015-16 which saw them finish in seventh and qualify for the Europa League. Now in twelfth, Bilic has come under huge pressure as his side have lost double the amount of Premier League games with two matches still to play. Kouyate has a contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2021, and will now look to recover in time to take part in the Hammers' pre-season.
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WHY ARE AWAY FANS PRIORITISED?
By Blind Hammer 9 May 2017 at 10:34
WTID
Blind Hammer appeals for a rethink by the Police on crowd management at the LS.
One of the most contentious issues discussed at the West Ham Disabled Supporters Advisory Board was the current practice of prioritising the departure of away fans after games at the LS. Karen Brady was insistent that the Club had no flexibility in this matter.
This prioritisation of the exiting of away supporters is creating some inconvenience for many supporters but is having a major negative impact on the exiting of disabled supporters from the Park.
West Ham has commendably introduced a shuttle Accessibility Bus service to convey Disabled and Older Supporters with mobility impairments to the Stadium from Stratford. However the service is being severely disrupted after games by the practice of the Police prioritising the departure of the minority of Away supporters. This meant that when I personally tried out the service, my sighted Guide reported that 5 Accessibility Coaches were held back in a queue by Police.
Supporters on the Coach reported to me that routinely they are expected to wait in the coaches for anything from 20-30 minutes before the Police release the block. The problem extends beyond this wait on the coaches. The Accessibility Bus Service is very popular with Disabled Supporters. Those who fail to catch an initial bus have to wait for it to return from Stratford. These supporters are having an extended wait time. The club have offered the use of the Store Café to help supporters wait but there are multiple issues with extending queuing time for many supporters with disabilities.
Disabled Supporters reported that the arrangements worked extremely well at the start of the season but problems emerged only after the Police changed crowd management's flows after the Chelsea game.
Karen Brady reported that the Club had no discretion to change these arrangements as they were controlled by the Police. The Police had told her that they were arrangements similar to those at other Premiership Clubs.
Disabled Supporters pointed out that for as long as they could remember exiting arrangements from Upton Park had prioritised the exiting of home and not away supporters and were puzzled at this complete reversal at the London Stadium.
Other supporters have reported that at many other Premiership Grounds they are expected to wait behind after the final whistle to allow the majority of home supporters to exit the stadium and surrounding areas.
Disabled Supporters as well as I are sure non-Disabled supporters completely understand the need to segregate home and away supporters exiting from the Park. Claret and Hugh have reported that West Ham have unfortunately jumped to the top of the London arrest table for supporters causing trouble.
However as one supporter at the Disabled Advisory Board explained, holding back the Away Supporters for 15 minutes would transform the experience for the majority of West Ham Supporters regularly attending games. Currently a one off inconvenience for the Away supporters is being traded for a Season long experience of inconvenience for loyal West Ham Supporters.
These negative impacts are entirely avoidable if the Police simply reversed their segregation policy and held back the minority of Away Supporters for the benefit of the vast majority of home fans. Supporters at the board urged Karen Brady to re-approach the Police to seek amended arrangements.
We will have to watch this space.
COYI
David Griffith
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West Ham are ready to damage Liverpool's top-four dream just days after ending Tottenham's title hopes, warns Jose Fonte
West Ham beat Tottenham last Friday to ruin their rivals' hopes of glory
Slaven Bilic's side travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday
Liverpool are involved in a tight fight for a Champions League spot
But Jose Fonte says West Ham are in the mood to spoil the party again
By Aditi Prakash, Reuters
PUBLISHED: 10:25, 9 May 2017 | UPDATED: 10:25, 9 May 2017
West Ham left Tottenham's title hopes in tatters with a shock 1-0 win last week and Jose Fonte says they have now set their sights on derailing Liverpool's top-four bid. West Ham did the double over Liverpool last season and drew 2-2 at Anfield in December, and Fonte revealed the team are going all out to continue their run against the Merseyside club. 'We have a massive game against Liverpool and we want to finish in the top 10, so we have got to win those two games. It's another big game on Sunday and we want to replicate what we did against Tottenham,' Fonte told the club's official website.
West Ham are currently 12th in the Premier League table but have the same number of points (42) as both Southampton (10th) and Bournemouth (11th), though Southampton have played two games less. Fonte also said that manager Slaven Bilic's switch to a 3-4-2-1 system suited the team as they recorded four clean sheets in their last five league matches. 'We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets,' Fonte said. 'The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me.'
Liverpool travel to the London Stadium on Sunday on the back of a goalless stalemate at Anfield against Southampton. Manager Jurgen Klopp said: 'It's not perfect, but it keeps us still on track and that's the most important information. 'Everybody wished that we'd do it, us included, but now it's like this, we take this and work hard again and prepare ourselves for West Ham. 'It won't be an easy trip, we know that. We try it again and then we'll see at the end.'
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Westley admits West Ham U23s might have to change loan system should they be promoted
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:19, 9 MAY 2017
West Ham's academy boss Terry Westley says the club might have to consider changing its policy on loaning out the youngsters at Chadwell Heath should the club achieve promotion next week. The Hammers made it through to the play-off final with a nailbiting 2-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux on Monday night, with Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Martin Samuelsen's penalty in the final ten minutes turning around a 1-0 deficit. The U23s will take on Newcastle in the final - potentially this Friday but more likely next Monday at St James' Park - to decide who will be promoted from Division Two up to Division One alongside Swansea City. Josh Cullen, Reece Burke, Recce Oxford, Geroge Dobson, Samuelsen, Toni Martinez, Kyle Knoyle and Josh Pask have all spent time away on loan this season in the Championship, League One or League Two and should the Hammers go up, that might have to change. Westley has sometimes called on the likes of Jonathan Calleri, Ashley Fletcher and Arthur Masuaku this season for big games in PL2. Speaking exclusively to football.london straight after Monday's win, Westley said the competition in the division above means that some of the players might have to stay. He said: "We are a big fish in Division Two. When we go to Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom, we play in their main stadiums. We have had some really good fixtures and we have been allowed to play a young team - we had six under 18s on the pitch at the end of the game. "It's harder to do that in the league above with Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal so with the players we loaned this year, we might have a closer look should we go up. "We don't want to affect our strategy and vision about loaning players out and but it would be a real challenge for the younger ones in the top league. We want to get there and it would test our second group."
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Lionel Messi has a West Ham United shirt in his incredible football shirt showroom
Telegraph.co.uk
Callum Davis
9 MAY 2017 • 9:35AM
Lionel Messi gave his 71 million Instagram followers a unique insight into his spectacular football shirt collection on Tuesday morning - and one strip in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. Among illustrious names like Raul, Yaya Toure and Angel Di Maria, a West Ham United home shirt hangs proudly on Messi's wall. Despite having never played against the Premier League side in his 13 years as a professional, the famous claret and blue strip takes prime position in the Ballon D'Or winner's incredible showroom. The Irons shirt bares the name of Messi's Argentinean compatriot, Manuel Lanzini, who scored the winner in West Ham's 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham on Friday evening. Messi posted the picture of himself in the shirt showroom sitting alongside his eldest son, Thiago.
The 29-year-old Barcelona striker recently revealed his son does not really enhoy football, and the only reason he watches matches in the Nou Camp is to hang out with Luis Suarez's son, Benjamin. "He does not like (football) much, really," said Messi of his son on Uruguayan TV. "He goes because Benja (son of Luis Suarez) and some schoolmates go, but he is not a fan."
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Sam Byram says Jonathan Calleri is very aggressive in training
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
Jonathan Calleri's performance against Tottenham Hotspur impressed West Ham United teammate Sam Byram. West Ham United defender Sam Byram has told the club's official website that Jonathan Calleri is very aggressive in training. Byram, who is 23 years of age and can operate as a right-back or as a a right-winger, has spoken highly of his West Ham teammate. The former Leeds United star was impressed with the performance of Calleri for West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium last week. The 23-year-old striker started the Premier League game last Friday evening and played until the third minute of injury time, helping the Hammers win the London derby 1-0. "Jonny put a good shift in," Byram told West Ham's official website about Calleri. "He's strong, he gives his all and I'm delighted he has done well. "In training, he's a very aggressive player and you need that in your team. I am sure the goals will come and hopefully he can get one next week."
Calleri is a good striker, and the Argentine has played well on certain occasions for West Ham this season. Currently on loan from Deportivo Maldonado, the 23-year-old has scored one goal and created five chances in 14 Premier League appearances for the Hammers so far this season. Slaven Bilic's side are 12th in the Premier League table at the moment with 42 points from 36 matches.
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West Ham eye transfer of Lukasz Teodorczyk from Anderlecht to solve their problems up front
The Poland international joins Daniel Sturridge, Dries Mertens and more on the Hammers' summer strikers hit-list
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 8 MAY 2017
Striker-hungry West Ham are interested in Anderlecht star Lukasz Teodorczyk. The 25-year-old has scored 28 times in 47 appearances for the Brussels side this season, to alert a number of clubs across Europe. Poland international Teodorczyk's haul has included 20 goals in the Belgian league to push his club to the brink of the title, though he failed to score in either leg of Anderlecht's Europa League quarter-final loss to Manchester United. The Hammers have prioritised the signings of a striker and a right-back for the coming transfer window. "I never thought I'd say this, but thank you West Ham" - Chelsea fans take to Twitter to celebrate Spurs defeat
Current frontmen Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho have had their 2016-17 seasons wrecked by injuries, and are likely to be sold this summer if the Hammers receive acceptable offers for them. The east Londoners, impressive in ending Tottenham's title hopes last Friday night, retain an interest in Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi, who will leave Chelsea at the end of the season. Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool, Sunderland's ex-Hammer Jermain Defoe, Napoli forward Dries Mertens and AC Milan hitman Carlos Bacca, who was a West Ham target last summer and again in January, are also on the radar.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
PL2 captain, Declan Rice led his side into the 2016/17 PL2 Play-Off Final following the 2-1 comeback win over Wolves on Monday evening
The win means West Ham will play Newcastle United at St James' Park for a place in PL2 Division One next season
Rice has consistently impressed this season and is now enjoying a run in Slaven Bilic's 1st Team match day squad.
West Ham United's PL2 captain Declan Rice described his side's last minute Play-off Semi Final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers as unbelievable. The Hammers came from behind on Monday evening, with Martin Samuelsen's stoppage time penalty settling a dramatic tie at Molineux. Rice played a starring role in the win, with a dominant display at the back combined with two killer through balls which led to both goals. "We went 1-0 down when we shouldn't have and Terry [Westley] just said 'keep going' because we were dominating the game" the defender explained. The Hammers went in at the break 1-0 down after Wolves' Sylvain Deslandes headed in from close range, but a resilient and determined second half display by West Ham was eventually rewarded through goals from Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Samuelsen.
Rice speaking after the Wolves win"It's unbelievable. I said to the boys at the end there, that's the best we've grafted out and tried getting a result. It's one of the best feelings I've had all season. "Terry warned me and Tunji [Akinola] that we'd be coming up against really strong, physical strikers. I've played against them before and I know how to deal with them, it's nothing different. I thought I played well and I was really pleased with my performance."
The win means West Ham are through to the PL2 Play-Off Final where a place in next year's Division 1 is the reward for the winner. After beating Fulham 2-0 on Monday evening, it is Newcastle United who the Hammers will face in next week's final. In two previous trips to St James' Park, the Hammers have failed to come away with all the points, but Rice says the boys are still confident: "It's definitely [unfinished business]. Rice with 1st Team on Friday"The times we've gone up there, we've come away with a point and we've lost but both times, we've dominated the game so we've got to go up there and get promoted."
The Irish U19 international is quickly becoming the focus of plenty of attention following his impressive season with the PL2 side. Rice has trained regularly with the 1st Team in 2017 and manager Slaven Bilic has selected the defender in four of his Premier League match day squads, the latest being Friday's 1-0 win over Tottenham. "Friday night was one of the best experiences that I've ever been a part of" Rice said. "It was buzzing, the fans, everything was rocking. Just being a part of the team for a couple of games – four games now, they've really taken to me, bringing me in with the staff, Nobes has been very good and the lads have been excellent with me to be fair."
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Kouyate - We won it for Slav
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate says victory over Tottenham Hotspur provided a welcome boost for manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham United defeated Spurs 1-0 at London Stadium on Friday evening to secure Premier League status
Senegal midfielder says Hammers are targeting a top-ten finish ahead of Sunday's meeting with Liverpool
Cheikhou Kouyate said the West Ham United squad were delighted for manager Slaven Bilic after beating Tottenham Hotspur on Friday evening. The No8 and his teammates went into the game knowing victory would not only dent Spurs' title chances, ensure the Hammers' Premier League status and send the Claret and Blue Army home happy, but also give manager Bilic a welcome boost. The boss had been asked repeatedly about his future during a challenging campaign, but Kouyate hopes a deserved win over an in-form Tottenham will silence any remaining critics. "Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the game," the Sengal captain began. "We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him."
Kouyate was at his influential best against Tottenham, contributing at both ends of the pitch with three shots, three clearances, three interceptions, a tackle and key pass and 38 touches of the ball. "We knew this game would be very difficult, but we also knew before the game that we needed to win it," he continued. "We know that a derby is not a match you can joke about – it is a match we had to win.
"We also knew that Tottenham had to win maintain their shot at becoming the champion, but we also needed the win because we knew it was a matter of life and death when it came to our survival. "We gave everything and at the end we got the win we deserved after the work we have put in over the last three weeks." "We obviously knew we lost a lot of points before in the other matches and we had to make up for that."
Next up for the Hammers is the visit of another of the Premier League's high-fliers to London Stadium in the shape of third-place Liverpool. Having drawn 2-2 at Anfield before Christmas, and beaten Jurgen Klopp's side three times last season, Kouyate and company know they have the quality to defeat the Reds again on Sunday afternoon. However, the 27-year-old also knows West Ham will need to reach the same levels they reached against Tottenham if they are to sign-off the season with another memorable home win. "The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible," Kouyate confirmed. "We know that finishing as high as ninth or tenth is still possible. "We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."
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Carroll and Fernandes scoop Player Awards
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll wins Goal of the Season prize for his bicycle kick against Crystal Palace at London Stadium
Darren Randolph scoops Save of the Season, with Edimilson Fernandes winning Signing of the Season
Teenagers Declan Rice and Domingos Quina among the first five winners at 2016/17 Player Awards
Andy Carroll, Darren Randolph, Edimilson Fernandes, Declan Rice and Domingos Quina were our first five winners at the West Ham United 2016/17 Player Awards, brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy.
Carroll won the Goal of the Season award, sponsored by FRP Advisory, for his unstoppable bicycle kick to clinch the 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at London Stadium on 14 January 2017.
The No9's acrobatic effort beat off the challenge of efforts from Michail Antonio, Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Winston Reid and Cheikhou Kouyate to win the supporters' vote.
Goalkeeper Randolph secured the Save of the Season award, sponsored by Higgins, for his marvellous fingertip save from Jordan Henderson in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Liverpool on 11 December 2016.
The Republic of Ireland international's miraculous full-length stop was picked by the Claret and Blue Army ahead of his own saves from Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, a free-kick from Burnley's Scott Arfield and Riyad Mahrez's curling effort at Leicester City, as well as Adrian's wonderful saves from Everton's Ross Barkley and Crystal Palace's Connor Wickham, and the Spaniard's double-save in the UEFA Europa League draw with NK Domzale in Slovenia.
Edimilson Fernandes capped an encouraging season in east London following his summer 2016 switch from FC Sion by being voted Signing of the Season, sponsored by S14 VIP Limited.
The Switzerland international has made 30 appearances in Claret and Blue, the highlight of which was unquestionably his EFL Cup fourth-round winner against Chelsea at London Stadium in October.
To complete the first set of awards to be presented at InterContinental London – The O2, Academy Director and Head of Coaching and Player Development selected Rice and Quina as Young Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Ark Build Ltd, and Dylan Tombides Award, sponsored by Rich Energy, winner respectively.
Rice was picked ahead of fellow nominees Quina and Toni Martinez, while the Portugal U17 international won the trophy for the Academy's outstanding player ahead of winger Dan Kemp and goalkeeper Nathan Trott.
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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com
Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues an update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital
Hello everybody,
All the staff were naturally delighted with Friday's Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Cheikhou Kouyate was outstanding in that game and his performance was all the more impressive when you consider he was playing through the pain of a chronic wrist injury which was aggravated at the Africa Cup of Nations back in January. He has shown the true spirit of the Hammers by playing with this condition and given everything to the team and to the Club. Now our Premier League status has been assured, we took the decision for Cheikhou to undergo an operation on his wrist on Tuesday. He will be in a cast for eight weeks and we wish him all the best with his rehabilitation, with a view to him returning in good time for next season.
Michail Antonio has also had surgery and he has started his own rehabilitation period, again working towards next season.
Diafra Sakho has had a setback with his lower back and we took the decision not to take any risks this season, so he too is working towards next season.
Finally, Andy Carroll is continuing with his rehabilitation after suffering a significant adductor strain.
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science
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THE 5 MAIN TALKING POINTS FROM THE MATCH V SPURS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 9 MAY 2017 AT 8:39PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This weeks 5 Talking Points by Steve Claydon @trbeat
Signature Win
Well, it took until week 36, if you ignore the Chelsea cup result, to secure a win that hopefully beds us in at the London Stadium. I have to admit I am not a big believer in the Stadium being a problem. I think players, fans and everyone else have used it as an excuse but the reality is I think the mentality of the Manager and players has been the biggest issue this year. Two up against Watford and we lose 4-2, and it could have been 10-2, and yet we manage to beat arguably the best football playing team in the league 1-0. I think the win is based on three things. Firstly, it's a rival. A big rival. Playing to be Champions. We were never going to lie down and roll over. Secondly, we were not safe, we still needed a point or two to be safe, and this was an opportunity. Third and last, I do think the players like Bilic. I'm not sure he is 100% safe just yet. In my mind, he has six to eight games to prove to us he is the real deal and the problems this year are behind us. Have us in the mid to upper mid of the table, and I'm sold, if we are not, then we should let him go.
But for now, let's saviour that win against a team we hate. It was sweet that it guarantees us safety and pretty much kills them off in the title race.
Effort Was Everywhere.
While watching the game on TV, it's hard to track all the players and see the off the ball work rates. What stood out for me was Calleri's constant running, Ayew's hustle and both wing backs getting up and down the pitch. For all those fans who said Calleri is worth waiting on, I did start to see increased effort, better hold up play and winning long balls with some good flick-ons. His finishing is still poor, but then again Fletcher missed an easy chance at the end which would have been a nice way to end the game. The midfield was dominant not giving Spurs anytime on the ball or play to their strengths, and the defence was outstanding. For a change, it was not the last tackle dance all the time – apart from a series when Adrian spilt the ball and then made a couple of excellent saves – we never looked threatened at the back. The effort over the last three weeks has been outstanding.
Stats Don't Lie
Antonio 9, Lanzini 8, Carrol 7. The next pure striker to score Calleri, with 1. When your two top scorers are midfield players, it's clear that a problem exists. While the last three results have been positive, we have scored a total of 5 goals in the last seven games. With the match against Hull the last time a forward, Carroll, scored. If your take Antonio's and Lanzini's output in addition to the other midfield players, then add in a 15 goal a season front man then there is no reason for us not to be comfortable and pushing for a top 6 or higher place. If an offer for Carroll comes then we bite their hand off, same goes for Sakho. We need to pick up two reliable players who either on their own or between them can do the business for us and take the pressure off the midfield and let them be creative and serve.
Stadium Atmosphere.
Anybody have a bad time Friday night? Anybody? It's a serious question. If we had of lost 1-0, I am sure people would be complaining about the pitch size, location of the stadium and just about everything else. Granted living in the US does not give me the right to have an opinion about all of this, but watching the game on TV, hearing the fans and listening to the commentators say that the place was loud with a great atmosphere reminds me that we the fans have a part to play in our success. What you, the fans that went to the game, did on Friday needs to be replicated on a cold Sunday against Brighton next year. It does not matter which team comes to our new home, it's our home, they are not welcome, and they will leave with a bitter taste. Players have a responsibility to give 100% as do we the fans.
Man of the Match
I'm not going to pick a man of the match, this was a team performance, and everyone deserves credit. Lanzini was brilliant, Adrian has matured the last few weeks and was class again. Reid, Fonte and Collins were dominant. Noble and Kouyate were active and mopped up anything. But it was Sam Byram who quietly went about his job with no fuss and looked the part at right wing back. It's been a horrible position for us all year. The last few weeks though Byram has steadied his play, stopped the stupid mental mistakes and made some great decisions. Pulling Son's shirt was a great decision, he knew exactly what was going to happen when he got lost on that play, and Son was about to sprint down the wing. Byram has two more games to make that position his own and help Bilic in the transfer window by not having to find a top-quality RB/RWB.
See you next week.
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Cheikhou Kouyate assures West Ham backing for Slaven Bilic
By James Dale
Last Updated: 09/05/17 2:32pm
SSN
Cheikhou Kouyate has dedicated West Ham's win over Tottenham to Slaven Bilic, insisting the manager has the players' backing. Bilic's future as Hammers' boss is set to be reviewed at the end of the current campaign, Sky Sports News HQ understands, with the club having struggled to replicate the form that saw them finish seventh last season. West Ham's win over rivals Tottenham last week guaranteed the club's Premier League status, though, and Kouyate maintains Bilic has not lost any support within the players' dressing room. "Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the game," Kouyate told West Ham's official website. "We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him."
Kouyate will miss West Ham's remaining two top-flight fixtures in order to undergo surgery on an injured wrist, with the club having opted to proceed with the operation after their Premier League safety was confirmed. Ahead of his side facing Liverpool this Sunday, though, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, Kouyate insists his team-mates are determined to climb higher than their current 12th-place standing. "The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible," Kouyate added. "We know that finishing as high as ninth or tenth is still possible. "We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."
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West Ham FC transfer news: Carlos Bacca back on Hammers' radar after asking to leave AC Milan
Carlos Bacca in action for AC Milan
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
West Ham target Carlos Bacca has held talks with AC Milan about leaving this summer. The striker has bagged 14 goals this season to go with the 20 he bagged during the previous campaign. The Colombian was a target for West Ham last summer but talks broke down as the transfer window slammed shut. However, according to reports in Italy, Bacca's move to the Hammers could be back on as he has asked to leave. The 30-year-old's agent was reportedly at Milan's headquarters on Monday to speak with the club's owners about moving on. Bacca may well get his wish too with Milan not against letting him go if they can bank around £25million.
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Who is Lukasz Teodorczyk? Everything you need to know about the reported West Ham transfer target
West Ham certainly need a striker this summer, maybe two...
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:18, 9 MAY 2017
Yes, it's another striker... Polish frontman Lukasz Teodorczyk is the latest goalscorer to be linked with striker-hungry West Ham, who will be looking to strengthen in that department this summer. With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho still struggling with injury problems, Jonathan Calleri's future up in the air and Ashley Fletcher not being considered just yet, West Ham are in the market, as they always seem to be. But who is this Anderlect front man who is the latest name being rumoured to make a switch to east London? Here's everything you need to know about him. Having joined Polonia Warsaw in January 2010 Teodorczyk made his youth team debut that season, scoring 15 goals. A switch to Lech Poznan in 2013 yielded an impressive 24 goals in one season and that alone was enough for him to join Dynamo Kiev on a five-year deal. Teodorczyk suffered some injury problems during his time in the Ukraine, restricting him to just 24 appearances over three years, scoring ten goals in that time before he was sent on loan to Anderlecht. That worked wonders for him, scoring 20 goals in 25 appearances before signing a permanent deal with the Belgian side and this season, has racked up 28 times in 47 appearances, 20 of them in league. The Hammers have reportedly cooled their interest in Jermain Defoe after his poor end to the season, while Carlos Bacca's name has resurfaced once again after the circus of the last transfer window.
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KOUYATE POSTS TWITTER MESSAGE TO WEST HAM FANS AFTER SURGERY
9th May, 2017, 11:07 AM
By Will Butcher
Cheikhou Kouyate has revealed his determination to come back stronger for West Ham on Twitter after undergoing surgery on a long-standing wrist problem. The Senegalese midfielder has been suffering with the injury for much of the season but an operation was delayed so Kouyate could help the Hammers avoid relegation. Slaven Bilic's side are now safe from the drop after beating London rivals Tottenham 1-0 on Friday night, which has allowed Kouyate to finally undergo surgery.
Posting on his personal Twitter account with his arm in a sling, Kouyate stated that "the pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow" as he sets his sights on his recovery.
Follow
cheikhou kouyate 8 ✔ @PapiCheikhou
It's nver easy & nver over. It will be a fight renewd each morning.The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tmorrow#Alhamdulilah🙌🏿
10:29 AM - 9 May 2017
44 44 Retweets 234 234 likes
Kouyate, 27, has made 36 league and cup appearances for the east London side this season, scoring four goals and helping his side keep nine clean sheets. The former Anderlecht ace has been forced to play out of position at right-back at times this season, with Alvaro Arbeloa and Sam Byram nursing injuries throughout the campaign too. The Hammers have struggled to replicate the successes of 2015-16 which saw them finish in seventh and qualify for the Europa League. Now in twelfth, Bilic has come under huge pressure as his side have lost double the amount of Premier League games with two matches still to play. Kouyate has a contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2021, and will now look to recover in time to take part in the Hammers' pre-season.
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WHY ARE AWAY FANS PRIORITISED?
By Blind Hammer 9 May 2017 at 10:34
WTID
Blind Hammer appeals for a rethink by the Police on crowd management at the LS.
One of the most contentious issues discussed at the West Ham Disabled Supporters Advisory Board was the current practice of prioritising the departure of away fans after games at the LS. Karen Brady was insistent that the Club had no flexibility in this matter.
This prioritisation of the exiting of away supporters is creating some inconvenience for many supporters but is having a major negative impact on the exiting of disabled supporters from the Park.
West Ham has commendably introduced a shuttle Accessibility Bus service to convey Disabled and Older Supporters with mobility impairments to the Stadium from Stratford. However the service is being severely disrupted after games by the practice of the Police prioritising the departure of the minority of Away supporters. This meant that when I personally tried out the service, my sighted Guide reported that 5 Accessibility Coaches were held back in a queue by Police.
Supporters on the Coach reported to me that routinely they are expected to wait in the coaches for anything from 20-30 minutes before the Police release the block. The problem extends beyond this wait on the coaches. The Accessibility Bus Service is very popular with Disabled Supporters. Those who fail to catch an initial bus have to wait for it to return from Stratford. These supporters are having an extended wait time. The club have offered the use of the Store Café to help supporters wait but there are multiple issues with extending queuing time for many supporters with disabilities.
Disabled Supporters reported that the arrangements worked extremely well at the start of the season but problems emerged only after the Police changed crowd management's flows after the Chelsea game.
Karen Brady reported that the Club had no discretion to change these arrangements as they were controlled by the Police. The Police had told her that they were arrangements similar to those at other Premiership Clubs.
Disabled Supporters pointed out that for as long as they could remember exiting arrangements from Upton Park had prioritised the exiting of home and not away supporters and were puzzled at this complete reversal at the London Stadium.
Other supporters have reported that at many other Premiership Grounds they are expected to wait behind after the final whistle to allow the majority of home supporters to exit the stadium and surrounding areas.
Disabled Supporters as well as I are sure non-Disabled supporters completely understand the need to segregate home and away supporters exiting from the Park. Claret and Hugh have reported that West Ham have unfortunately jumped to the top of the London arrest table for supporters causing trouble.
However as one supporter at the Disabled Advisory Board explained, holding back the Away Supporters for 15 minutes would transform the experience for the majority of West Ham Supporters regularly attending games. Currently a one off inconvenience for the Away supporters is being traded for a Season long experience of inconvenience for loyal West Ham Supporters.
These negative impacts are entirely avoidable if the Police simply reversed their segregation policy and held back the minority of Away Supporters for the benefit of the vast majority of home fans. Supporters at the board urged Karen Brady to re-approach the Police to seek amended arrangements.
We will have to watch this space.
COYI
David Griffith
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West Ham are ready to damage Liverpool's top-four dream just days after ending Tottenham's title hopes, warns Jose Fonte
West Ham beat Tottenham last Friday to ruin their rivals' hopes of glory
Slaven Bilic's side travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday
Liverpool are involved in a tight fight for a Champions League spot
But Jose Fonte says West Ham are in the mood to spoil the party again
By Aditi Prakash, Reuters
PUBLISHED: 10:25, 9 May 2017 | UPDATED: 10:25, 9 May 2017
West Ham left Tottenham's title hopes in tatters with a shock 1-0 win last week and Jose Fonte says they have now set their sights on derailing Liverpool's top-four bid. West Ham did the double over Liverpool last season and drew 2-2 at Anfield in December, and Fonte revealed the team are going all out to continue their run against the Merseyside club. 'We have a massive game against Liverpool and we want to finish in the top 10, so we have got to win those two games. It's another big game on Sunday and we want to replicate what we did against Tottenham,' Fonte told the club's official website.
West Ham are currently 12th in the Premier League table but have the same number of points (42) as both Southampton (10th) and Bournemouth (11th), though Southampton have played two games less. Fonte also said that manager Slaven Bilic's switch to a 3-4-2-1 system suited the team as they recorded four clean sheets in their last five league matches. 'We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets,' Fonte said. 'The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me.'
Liverpool travel to the London Stadium on Sunday on the back of a goalless stalemate at Anfield against Southampton. Manager Jurgen Klopp said: 'It's not perfect, but it keeps us still on track and that's the most important information. 'Everybody wished that we'd do it, us included, but now it's like this, we take this and work hard again and prepare ourselves for West Ham. 'It won't be an easy trip, we know that. We try it again and then we'll see at the end.'
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Westley admits West Ham U23s might have to change loan system should they be promoted
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:19, 9 MAY 2017
West Ham's academy boss Terry Westley says the club might have to consider changing its policy on loaning out the youngsters at Chadwell Heath should the club achieve promotion next week. The Hammers made it through to the play-off final with a nailbiting 2-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux on Monday night, with Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Martin Samuelsen's penalty in the final ten minutes turning around a 1-0 deficit. The U23s will take on Newcastle in the final - potentially this Friday but more likely next Monday at St James' Park - to decide who will be promoted from Division Two up to Division One alongside Swansea City. Josh Cullen, Reece Burke, Recce Oxford, Geroge Dobson, Samuelsen, Toni Martinez, Kyle Knoyle and Josh Pask have all spent time away on loan this season in the Championship, League One or League Two and should the Hammers go up, that might have to change. Westley has sometimes called on the likes of Jonathan Calleri, Ashley Fletcher and Arthur Masuaku this season for big games in PL2. Speaking exclusively to football.london straight after Monday's win, Westley said the competition in the division above means that some of the players might have to stay. He said: "We are a big fish in Division Two. When we go to Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom, we play in their main stadiums. We have had some really good fixtures and we have been allowed to play a young team - we had six under 18s on the pitch at the end of the game. "It's harder to do that in the league above with Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal so with the players we loaned this year, we might have a closer look should we go up. "We don't want to affect our strategy and vision about loaning players out and but it would be a real challenge for the younger ones in the top league. We want to get there and it would test our second group."
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Lionel Messi has a West Ham United shirt in his incredible football shirt showroom
Telegraph.co.uk
Callum Davis
9 MAY 2017 • 9:35AM
Lionel Messi gave his 71 million Instagram followers a unique insight into his spectacular football shirt collection on Tuesday morning - and one strip in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. Among illustrious names like Raul, Yaya Toure and Angel Di Maria, a West Ham United home shirt hangs proudly on Messi's wall. Despite having never played against the Premier League side in his 13 years as a professional, the famous claret and blue strip takes prime position in the Ballon D'Or winner's incredible showroom. The Irons shirt bares the name of Messi's Argentinean compatriot, Manuel Lanzini, who scored the winner in West Ham's 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham on Friday evening. Messi posted the picture of himself in the shirt showroom sitting alongside his eldest son, Thiago.
The 29-year-old Barcelona striker recently revealed his son does not really enhoy football, and the only reason he watches matches in the Nou Camp is to hang out with Luis Suarez's son, Benjamin. "He does not like (football) much, really," said Messi of his son on Uruguayan TV. "He goes because Benja (son of Luis Suarez) and some schoolmates go, but he is not a fan."
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Sam Byram says Jonathan Calleri is very aggressive in training
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
Jonathan Calleri's performance against Tottenham Hotspur impressed West Ham United teammate Sam Byram. West Ham United defender Sam Byram has told the club's official website that Jonathan Calleri is very aggressive in training. Byram, who is 23 years of age and can operate as a right-back or as a a right-winger, has spoken highly of his West Ham teammate. The former Leeds United star was impressed with the performance of Calleri for West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium last week. The 23-year-old striker started the Premier League game last Friday evening and played until the third minute of injury time, helping the Hammers win the London derby 1-0. "Jonny put a good shift in," Byram told West Ham's official website about Calleri. "He's strong, he gives his all and I'm delighted he has done well. "In training, he's a very aggressive player and you need that in your team. I am sure the goals will come and hopefully he can get one next week."
Calleri is a good striker, and the Argentine has played well on certain occasions for West Ham this season. Currently on loan from Deportivo Maldonado, the 23-year-old has scored one goal and created five chances in 14 Premier League appearances for the Hammers so far this season. Slaven Bilic's side are 12th in the Premier League table at the moment with 42 points from 36 matches.
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West Ham eye transfer of Lukasz Teodorczyk from Anderlecht to solve their problems up front
The Poland international joins Daniel Sturridge, Dries Mertens and more on the Hammers' summer strikers hit-list
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 8 MAY 2017
Striker-hungry West Ham are interested in Anderlecht star Lukasz Teodorczyk. The 25-year-old has scored 28 times in 47 appearances for the Brussels side this season, to alert a number of clubs across Europe. Poland international Teodorczyk's haul has included 20 goals in the Belgian league to push his club to the brink of the title, though he failed to score in either leg of Anderlecht's Europa League quarter-final loss to Manchester United. The Hammers have prioritised the signings of a striker and a right-back for the coming transfer window. "I never thought I'd say this, but thank you West Ham" - Chelsea fans take to Twitter to celebrate Spurs defeat
Current frontmen Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho have had their 2016-17 seasons wrecked by injuries, and are likely to be sold this summer if the Hammers receive acceptable offers for them. The east Londoners, impressive in ending Tottenham's title hopes last Friday night, retain an interest in Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi, who will leave Chelsea at the end of the season. Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool, Sunderland's ex-Hammer Jermain Defoe, Napoli forward Dries Mertens and AC Milan hitman Carlos Bacca, who was a West Ham target last summer and again in January, are also on the radar.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, May 9
Daily WHUFC News - 9th May 2017
Put yourself in pole position for a Season Ticket
WHUFC.com
By joining the Season Ticket Waiting List you will be putting yourself in the best position to secure a Season Ticket when they become available.
Given the extraordinary demand for Season Tickets and the large number of supporters on the Waiting List, whilst we acknowledge that joining now may not guarantee you an opportunity for a 2017/18 Season Ticket, it will give you a strong chance of success for the following year and also put you in pole position in the event that any other tickets are released before then.
Our 52,000 founding Season Ticket Holders will have until Wednesday 31 May to renew their seat for the 2017/18 season, followed by a relocation period which ends Thursday 15 June.
Following this phase, any seats not renewed will be made available to supporters on the Season Ticket Waiting List in order of the date you joined the Waiting List, so the sooner you join, the better your priority.
You can also look forward to additional benefits such as priority on tickets and exclusive competitions.
It costs just £10 to join which is redeemable against your future Season Ticket purchase.
Join the Waiting List today to give yourself the best opportunity to start the Season Ticket tradition. Click here to join or call the Ticket Office on 0333 030 1966.
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Dobson eager for PL2 inclusion
WHUFC.com
George Dobson has returned from his loan spell and is in contention to start West Ham United PL2 on Monday night
The Hammers take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off semi final
Speaking to whufc.com, Dobson also reflected on his loan spell at Walsall
George Dobson has declared himself available for West Ham United PL2 selection ahead of their play-off clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. Dobson played 21 times and scored once for Walsall as they finished their Sky Bet League One campaign in 14th place.
After the climax to the League One season last weekend, Dobson has now returned to east London and reflected on his first loan spell with fondness. "It's been a long but good season," said Dobson. "I've learned a lot from the loan, got quite a lot of appearances in the end. I felt like I learned a lot and I've developed as a player. "The second half of the season I've been involved a lot more. I've been working hard just to try and impress the management there to stay involved and get more involved. That hard work definitely paid off towards the end of the season. "The manager said he would love to have me back and he said I had done really well. I also said a lot of good things which is obviously good. I definitely feel like I've improved over the course of the season which is the most important thing."
Dobson has been training with the Hammers as they prepare for their Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off clash with Wolves. The Hammers qualified for the play-offs after beating West Bromwich Albion 4-0 two weeks ago, and Dobson is keen to be involved as the U23s strive for promotion. The 19-year-old missed out on last season's Premier League Cup victory after injury ruled him out of the final's second leg and says it has made him even hungrier to achieve success this time around. "I saw that they got into the play-offs after the 4-0 win at West Brom. It's a massive game for the club because the possibility of moving into the top division is a great incentive for all the boys," added Dobson. "I'm available for selection so we'll see what happens. "I played most of last season and literally missed the second leg of the final because of injury. It would be nice to be involved in winning something this year where I actually get to play.
"That makes you want to be involved more. I'm really enjoying training and seeing what happens over the next couple of weeks. Seating for the 7pm kick-off is all unreserved and tickets will require collection on the day at Molineux from the Ticket Office located between the Stan Cullis and Billy Wright Stands. Supporters should take their booking reference and ID for collection.
For Season Ticket Holders booking in advance and up until Monday 8 May at 11am these will be free.
For all non-Season Ticket Holders, seats are priced at £4 for Adults and £1 for O65s U17s when booked in advance.
Season Ticket Holders will also be charged if purchasing at Molineux on the day.
Keep up to date with West Ham United PL2's play-off clash with Wolves at whufc.com and on our social channels from 7pm on Monday.
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Loanee round up
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen and Bradford City will soon travel to Wembley for a place in the Championship for next season
The Bantams held Fleetwood Town to a goalless draw on Sunday having beaten them 1-0 in the opening leg at Valley Parade
Cullen played the full extent of both legs and will be key to Bradford's success in the capital on 20 May
Josh Cullen – a season-long star on loan at Bradford City this season – helped the Bantams reach the League One play-off final on Sunday night with a goalless draw at Fleetwood Town. Stuart McCall's men travelled to Lancashire knowing a draw would be enough for them to reach Wembley having beaten Uwe Rosler's team 1-0 at Valley Parade in the first leg. Cullen was awarded Man of the Match in that clash, and he again impressed on Sunday, having a couple of opportunities to himself extend the Yorkshiremen's lead. The stalemate at Highbury was enough, however, and Bradford will now prepare to face Millwall – who beat Scunthorpe United 3-2 away from home to go through – for a place in the Championship next season. That all-important clash will take place in just under two weeks' time, on Saturday 20 May at Wembley Stadium.
Also in play-off action on Sunday was goalkeeper Sam Howes, on loan at National League South side Hampton and Richmond Borough. The Beavers faced Ebbsfleet for a place in the final, but knew the task on their hands was a big one having lost the opening leg 2-1 at home to United. And It wasn't to be for Borough, who again went down 2-1 to eventually crash out of the semis 4-2 on aggregate. Ebbsfleet will face Chelmsford City for a place in the National League division for the 2017/18 campaign.
Finally, Enner Valencia was a second half substitute for Everton as they were beaten 1-0 by Swansea City at the weekend. The Ecuadorian played the final 25 minutes for the Toffees, who were by then already one down thanks to Fernando Llorente's first half strike which turned out to be the vital winner for Paul Clement's side. Swansea overtook Hull City, who were beaten by Sunderland, with the win to climb out of the relegation zone.
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says he felt the omens were good ahead of Friday's 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur – despite the visitors going into the game on the back of a nine-game winning streak.
Few pundits gave the Hammers a chance against Mauricio Pochettino's title-chasing Spurs, but they proved them wrong with a terrific performance which yielded maximum points thanks to Manuel Lanzini's second half goal.
Bilic recalled the victory against the north Londoners at home last year, as well as the performance in defeat earlier this season, and said those games helped formulate his gameplan to defeat Tottenham for the first time since early February.
He explained: "We played against a team who have been the best [in the Premier League] especially over the last couple of months – they had won nine out of nine.
"They were still up for it because they wanted to put the pressure on Chelsea, but we had a couple of good patterns. Not only the performances in the last four games where we had kept three clean sheets and created enough chances to score goals in every one of those, but also because of our last couple of games against Spurs.
"We beat them 1-0 at Upton Park, and although we lost 3-2 at White Hart Lane earlier this season we were really good. We had the pattern, we had the gameplan which was working against them and we did the same again on Friday.
"We planned it, but it was the guys who executed it brilliantly. We deserved it – we showed character, we showed determination, we showed team spirit, everything. Most of all, we showed the quality to beat a big team."
One player who displayed that quality was Lanzini, whose ninth goal of the campaign, secured the derby spoils.
Bilic was thrilled with his contribution, saying: "Lanzini is a young player, but a magnificent player. He works hard, he covers a lot of ground on the pitch and he is very good in the box.
"He's scored some amazing and important goals for us, he creates goals, the players love him because he is not one of those who wants to be spared the defensive part of the game.
"He works hard and he's brilliant to have."
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Fonte's top ten target
WHUFC.com
Jose Fonte says West Ham United want to end the season strongly after beating Tottenham Hotspur
Hammers welcome Liverpool to London Stadium on Sunday, seeking to go six games unbeaten
Portugal star says Claret and Blue Army played their part in Friday's London Stadium success
Jose Fonte says West Ham United want to take the confidence drawn from beating Tottenham Hotspur into Sunday's Premier League meeting with Liverpool. Fresh from beating second-place Spurs, the Hammers welcome the third-place Reds to London Stadium seeking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches and continue their strong finish to the season. With two games to play – West Ham go to Burnley on the final day – Fonte and his teammates are targeting a top-ten finish, but know they will need to take at least four points from those matches if they are to hit that target. "We are pleased, but we still have two games to go and two wins to get," said the Portugal defender, who has now kept eleven clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances this season. "We have a massive game against Liverpool and we want to finish in the top ten, so we have got to win those two games. It's another big game on Sunday and we want to replicate what we did against Tottenham. "We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets. "The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me!"
Slaven Bilic's new preferred 3-4-2-1 system has produced four clean sheets in the last five matches, with the Premier League's top two centre forwards, Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Tottenham's Harry Kane, being held to a combined two shots on target. On Friday, Kane had just two first-half shots, both of which were saved by Adrian – an illustration of the resilience the Hammers showed in ending Tottenham's nine-match winning streak. "It was a great night," Fonte confirmed. "When we play like this as a team and work hard, it's very difficult to beat us. So, well done to us and well done to the fans, who created an unbelievable atmosphere. They helped us to win the game and this win is for them. "We knew we would be hard to beat. Our confidence is high and we knew if we performed how we had been performing, it would be very difficult to score against us. So, we went into the game knowing we would get chances if we stayed compact and kept the lines closed, then broke quickly, and that's what happened. "Credit to the manager who made the system work, and credit to us."
Having helped the Hammers to climb clear of the relegation dogfight, Fonte's next target is to help his new Club take the next step next season by challenging for European football. "I came here to be successful and help the Club to be successful," said the UEFA Euro 2016 winner. "I didn't have the perfect start, but one thing I don't do is give up. I trust the process and I trust my work during the week, and I give my heart and soul for this Club now and for my teammates. "I'm pleased for these last few results and I'm pleased the fans have supported us. If the fans want to, they can make it hell for the opponents and that's what they did on Friday. They were loud, they were intense and we felt it – goosebumps. "Well done to the fans, because they were massive and this win is for them."
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Manning praises skipper as U23s reach final
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Premier League 2 were 2-1 winners at Wolves on Monday in their play-off semi-final
The victory will see them face Newcastle for a spot in Division 1 next season
Assistant manager Liam Manning praised captain Declan Rice as he led the team to victory in the midlands
West Ham United Premier League 2 assistant boss Liam Manning praised skipper Declan Rice for an outstanding display as he led the U23s to a play-off semi-final victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Hammers scored twice late on through Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Martin Samuelsen at Molineux to seal their place in the final. They will face Newcastle United – for a fourth time this season and a third at St. James' Park – for a spot in Premier League 2 Division 1 next campaign and Manning stated the performance was the result of a season's worth of hard work. He said: "It's the icing on the cake for a really tough season to get that result. It's good to get rewards like that at the end of the season. "It was an extremely difficult game. Wolves are well organised, they're effective in what they do, they're physical, so we're delighted with the way the boys applied themselves. We kept moving it really well, and the boys do that every single day. "I thought Declan Rice was outstanding at the back. The front two were a handful for them but he dealt with them comfortably and every week, we've said for the whole season, he's been outstanding. He's getting close to needing another challenge now. "We have another trip up to the north east, and we have unfinished business up there to be fair. We went up there in the league and ground out a point and lost in the cup."
Wolves scored in the first half through Sylvain Deslandes when the full-back rose the highest from a corner to head home, and it looked as though, for 55 minutes, it would be the hosts who would be progressing to the final. But with ten minutes left on the clock, substitutes Joe Powell and Hector-Ingram combined perfectly to level the scores, goalscorer Hector-Ingram finding the back of the net with his first touch. And soon after, the forward was bundled over in the penalty area, giving Samuelsen the opportunity to finish from the spot, something he did with aplomb. "It's important for the players to know they must be focused whether they're starting or whether they're on the bench," continued Manning. "As you saw with our first goal, two subs combined for that, and they showed what they could do. It was a quality goal; a great delivery and great header. "We were one down for a long time so we're really proud of them believing they could still get something from the game. The group are like that; they're a close-knit group. The team is very young and we had four U18s starting tonight. "[Raphael] Spiegel kept us in it at 1-0 down as well; he made two or three consecutive saves in a short space of time and kept us in the game. He did very well. "Hopefully now we can go to Newcastle and it would be great to get the result and ultimately get promotion."
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ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! TIME TO SHOVE GOLD AND SULLIVAN OUT THE DOOR! THEN WHAT?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 8 MAY 2017 AT 9:29PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by FarehamHammer
Well few will disagree, I have been amongst Messrs Gold and Sullivan's harshest critics, if not the harshest of them all, from the off. I had been well briefed about them, before they even set foot on The Boleyn Ground. A couple of friends of mine, Birmingham City fans, had warned me how they rolled. They would overplay The Club's debt, as an excuse for not investing in the transfer market. Always reminding Brum fans how they had 'saved' them. During season ticket renewal time, they used their many contacts in the media to spin fantasy land stories, linking Brum to this star or that. Phantom 'bids were the order of the day. 'Bids they knew perfectly well, would not be accepted. Either offering the club selling the player peanuts, or offering the player personal terms, that they knew would not be accepted .Then they would say "they tried". They also had a tenancy to undermine the manager at every turn .The transfer strategy was to sign a lot of distinctly average players, with Sullivan always signing cheap imports from South America, via their trusted agent at the time. Barry Silkman. Believing that one of them, would turn out to be the next Messi. Of course this never happened !So it's no surprise, that Birmingham City suffered three relegation's during Gold and Sullivan's tenure at St Andrew's.
The one relegation, came off the back of a season when Brum had finished ninth. The previous season Mikael Forssell had scored a lot of goals for Brum, he got injured during the relegation season. Gold and Sullivan never signed another striker, and down went Birmingham City. Another thing that used to anger Birmingham City Fans ,was they would have a tendency to flog star players, during the last days of a transfer window, not replace them, and say they "Ran out of time "to bring in someone else. People …this on the face of it is, exactly how they have operated at West Ham. As soon as they arrived they lived up to my expectations spectacularly. Over and over we got told they would not have bought the club if they were not fans, we got told how The Club had lent money against the following two years season tickets. We were a financial Armageddon was another line on an almost daily basis, we were left in no doubt they were West Ham's 'Messiah's'
I remember their first two transfer windows very well. We had David Gold telling us they were prepared to spend £100 000 per week on a top striker, with Ruud Van Nistlerooy being heavily linked with The Club .The reality was Mido signed on £1000 per week. The first summer transfer window was an eye opener. Seventy two hours before the expiry of season ticket renewals, came this gem on The Club's website: "The club is expected to sign six exciting players in 72hrs "The reality was Freddie Piquionne and Pablo Barrera. So a pretty damning start by any stretch of the imagination of their legacy at Brum. The truth will always set you free they say. Ignoring my mate's opinion of them, there are three ABSOLUTE FACTS about Gold and Sullivan's tenure at St Andrews. They most certainly left The Club better off, than when they arrived at Birmingham City. When they arrived at St Andrews, The Club was heavily in debt, and in the third tier of English football. With a Ground that was falling apart .Well they changed all that. They rebuilt St Andrews, had reached The Premier League, and were in the black by the time they left. Leaving aside the pure the theatrics of it all, one would have to say their time at St Andrews was a success.
This season in particular, many have told them to sell up .As frustrations have built regarding the transfer window failure. But sell up to who? Whatever one's opinion of Gold and Sullivan, they DO know how to run a Football Club. They know how and where to identify players, Sullivan in particular, is heavily involved in transfers at The Club, his experience shone through in the deals of both Tore and Zaza. He saved he club millions, by taking them out on loan first rather than buy them outright. What is the alternative to Gold and Sullivan? Owners like the owners of Blackpool Orient, Charlton and Leeds to name a few? People are not lining up to buy football clubs, post the financial credit crunch of 2008. And the Chinese buying our football Clubs? What would happen if the Chinese economy collapsed? Do you think they will stick around? Like hell they would! People think if a Billionaire buys a Football Club, they automatically splash the cash in the transfer market. Not now. You only had to look at the hysteria, created by the Everton takeover, to realise that. Ronald Koeman, would be able to spend a HUNDRED MILLION in the transfer window screamed the tabloids. Everton sold Stones for 50 million…and loaned Enner Valencia from us, says it all really!
Another mate of mine, who is a huge Aston Villa fan, hated Doug Ellis, The Villa owner before Randy Lerner. "DEADLY DOUG OUT! "Was his battle cry. When Lerner bought The Club I kept hearing " 'Uncle' Randy is going to spend MILLIONS in the transfer window!" To be fair to Lerner, he did spend millions in the transfer window. In the last couple of years before he sold Villa, Lerner hardly spent a penny. As Villa slid down to The Championship, my mate startled me one night when he said: "I wish Deadly Doug had The Villa! "WHAT??" I replied. He then said that the big problem with Randy Lerner was, that although he tried, he was out of his depth in the transfer market for starters. "What do you mean? "I asked. "Well he paid £31 million to your lot for Reo Coker, Collins and Harewood for starters" he replied. He had a point. Sunderland are in exactly the same boat now, Ellie Short, their owner wants out but can't get rid of The Club. Can any of you imagine that scenario at West Ham? No chance!
Many think I HATE The Board and WANT them to fail. Rubbish! If The Board fail, West Ham fail, so that is a no go. I have my fair share of clashes with them on twitter and the rest !I had one run in with @DaveSulleyjnr,on twitter after we failed to bring in a striker on transfer deadline day. Dave, who was 14 at the time replied: "Support your Club! You moron!" Of course it kicked off, with fans saying that he had no respect for the fans. Me? I had a huge grin, poured myself a Jack Daniels and thought:"Fair play he stuck up for his old man" I have had sporadic contact with Dave since, and I will vouch for him. Nice guy and bright, and an independent personality. My dialogue with Dave left me an impression of Sullivan in particular. Like most human beings they have their faults, deep down they are not bad people running The Club. What we don't need is the constant lies and spin. No need to leak stuff like we are 'closing in ' on Messi and Neymar! It just causes a negative vibes between them and the supporters! We understand that David Sullivan, the majority shareholder, although a billionaire, only has £500m in liquid assets. So cannot go paying 40m plus wages at a time, for three or four players at a time.
When you look back at the squad we had when they took over. You can see that they HAVE made progress! Back then we had the likes of Spector, Kovac and Boa Morte in midfield, we were paying Kieron Dyer NINETY three grand per week! Dyer made Sakho and Carroll look like ever presents, such was his sick note record. Back then we only dreamt of players like! Payet! Lanzini! Kouyate! Song! Carroll, Fonte! Ayew to name a few players, that they have brought to The Club .Even some of last summer's recruits are coming to life, and doing well. Fernandes and Arthur Mausaku, spring to mind. Mausaku is proving to be a revelation, just hope he does not suffer second season syndrome. Sam Byram is another signing who is coming along nicely. The future is most definitely Claret and Blue. Like it or leave it, Gold and Sullivan own The Club that will not change. No realistic takeover bid on the horizon, so it's got to be ….Gold and Sullivan in.
PLEASE Mr Chairman cut the spin and downright lies!
We are more than a football club, we are a way of life!
Farehamhammer!!!
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Fonte: that one's for the fans!
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham defender Jose Fonte has dedicated Friday's night's win over Tottenham to the Hammers supporters. And Fonte, who starred in the 1-0 win that effectively ended Tottenham's title hopes also revealed that he was finally feeling at home in Slaven Bilic's new system, which allows the Portuguese to play along two fellow central defenders. "It was a great night," the 33-year-old told whufc.com. "When we play like this as a team and work hard, it's very difficult to beat us. "Well done to us and well done to the fans, who created an unbelievable atmosphere. They helped us to win the game and this win is for them. "I'm pleased for these last few results and I'm pleased the fans have supported us. If the fans want to, they can make it hell for the opponents and that's what they did on Friday. They were loud, they were intense and we felt it – goosebumps. Well done to the fans, because they were massive and this win is for them.
"We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets. The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me! "When we play like this as a team and work hard, it's very difficult to beat us."
Meanwhile fellow defender Aaron Cresswell - who only played on Friday night as a result of Arthur Masuaku's injury - insisted it was good to give the fans some reward for their unwavering support in what has proved to be a difficult season. "The fans put bums on seats every week," he added. they're there in their numbers so it's nice to give something back and it's nights like this that I'm sure they enjoy. When the game finished I was with Nobes and Ginge and you're looking at the crowd, seeing how happy they are and singing and dancing after the game. "That's what you live for as footballers."
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West Ham 1-0 Spurs (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
1. Tonight The Streets Are Ours
What a night. Stick that up your fucking cheese lounge, Mr Levy. We might have had to wait an eternity for something worth watching this season, but when it finally came it was thrilling and uplifting. This was joy.
For what is being a football fan about if not joy? The relationship between ourselves and Spurs is at once both complex and simple, but tonight there was nuance everywhere. Their fans are determined that this a fixture about which they are ambivalent. They have always had bigger fish to fry and grander ambitions than merely beating us - "the Pikeys", I type incredulously - apparently. Of course, that particular sobriquet always tells you everything about the person saying it and nothing of the person it is being said about, but let's brush past that.
No, the problem is that this fixture has recently had the inconvenient feature for those indifferent Spurs fans of being a bit important. Last year, we were both flying and Spurs were cowed at Upton Park, just as we were insipid at the Lane. But tonight was Spurs biggest game of the season, if you use the not unreasonable logic that losing would end their electric title charge.
But still their fans insist it was our Cup Final. And maybe it was - our season ended months ago in a blaze of nothingness after all, and actual cup runs aren't really our thing. I guess the piece I can't quite understand is the way in which Spurs fans are so insistent (correctly, I might add) that defining yourselves by comparison to a superior local rival is the mark of a tinpot club, just one week after celebrating finishing above Arsenal like it was the fall of Baghdad. Had there been a giant statue of Arsene Wenger you can bet your life it would have been sawed down and decapitated on Seven Sisters Road last week.
In the end, I don't really care how Spurs fans feel about this game, but I will say that the general air of indifference is a bit unconvincing. Indeed, it just strikes me as the footballing equivalent of the teenage boy who has been dumped by his girlfriend and is now insisting he never liked her anyway whilst refusing to leave his room. It might be true, but it looks to the outside world like you are simply trying to inure yourself to the pain.
And that point brings me back once again to joy. The sad truth is that joy travels hand in hand with despair. For Spurs fans this defeat will be the canvas upon which they will one day paint their own joy. That's what football does to us. But this was our night. I have carried the pain of our November 3-2 loss for nearly half a year and tonight it was washed away. Joy.
2. Nothing Like A Friend
The brilliant Alan Fisher wrote this piece about that 3-2 game in his Tottenham On My Mind blog, and even he succumbs a little at the end to the weird notion of indifference. I love Alan's writing - he has soul, if you'll excuse me going all Roddy Doyle for a moment - but to me this smacks of the cockerel doth protesting too much.
We all went to schools with a mix of West Ham and Spurs fans, there are families everywhere around Essex and North East London split claret and blue and lilywhite, and there was a garrison of riot police officers at this game for a very good reason. Simply saying that they don't care about beating West Ham isn't really enough - they actually have to mean it, surely? All those last minute goals certainly seemed to spark celebrations that suggested they cared at least a little.
But in the curious London footballing ecosystem, it can't be ignored that we're not going to be as important to Spurs as Arsenal. This makes obvious sense, even if there were times over the last twenty years when you wondered why they didn't make a bit more out of their dust ups with us - they could actually beat us, after all.
As such, I'm fine with the notion that it means more to us than them. Our natural geographic rivals are Orient, whilst our historic and vicious feud with Millwall dates back to a dockers strike in 1926 that nobody knows anything about but feels obliged to still be upset about. Like Chelsea in the West, the fact our nearest neighbours have declined leaves us without a natural enemy and thus Spurs fit the bill.
So, was this our Cup Final? I don't know, and in all honesty I don't give a shit. We're not a homogeneous group of drones and each of you will make up your own mind. All that matters is that we won. Deservedly. And it was wonderful.
3. Tonight
Enough of the cod psychology. "What of the game", I hear you ask?
As usual, @11tegen11 reveals much. For all the increasingly demented commentary on this thread from Spurs fans, I don't see how anyone could have viewed this as anything other than a richly deserved home win. Except, perhaps for the visiting Spurs fans at the game who dragged in their chaise lounges and sun loungers so they could relax and keep half an eye on the game while they played canasta behind the goal, because they don't care about this fixture.
We started like the office of a Tottenham sheet metal working firm - on fire. Bilic has faced Pochettino four times now, and on three occasions seems to have bested him tactically. It's a small sample size, and the Spurs man is clearly destined for greatness, but it's an interesting point to note. It feels to me like Bilic has spotted a weakness in the North London ranks. When they play well they squeeze you into submission like a python, albeit one with cringeworthy preplanned goal celebrations, but seem surprisingly clueless when faced with the same tactic.
Much is made of the fitness of Spurs and their double training sessions - mainly by them, it has to be said - but here they looked leggy. Our extra day of recovery probably deserves a mention. There has also been a strain of commentary in the media suggesting that they bottled it here, but I think that's wide of the mark; I thought they were just outplayed.
Calleri and Ayew led from the front and harried the usually impeccable Vertonghen and Alderweireld into costly errors. By the end Toby even had a hair out of place. When the Argentine was eventually replaced it was to a standing ovation from a crowd who recognised that most universal of footballing truths - when it isn't going your way, work a bit harder. The poor fucker looked more tired than a fireman on the Seven Sisters Road dealing with all those spontaneous fires in the area.
Behind them Cheikhou Kouyate was a giant amongst men and the lung busting standard bearer for Bilic's high intensity death march. Before the game most Hammers were delighted to see Dembele on the bench, but concerned about the physicality of the Spurs central pairing of Dier and Wanyama. In the end, it wasn't even a fair fight as the Senegal captain hoisted both of them on to his shoulders and wore them like a gilet. By the end, both had been withdrawn - Wanyama to the bench and Dier to the back line. It might have been the single best individual performance I have seen at that stadium, and highlights the madness of playing him at right back ever more starkly.
Elsewhere, there were heroes aplenty. The back three give the distinct impression that they all enjoy having another person around to cover for mistakes and throw themselves desperately in front of shots. Jose Fonte against Dele Alli looked like something you'd only ever see in a Wes Craven film, but in the end the Portuguese stuck the quicksilver Spurs kid in his bum bag and didn't let him out all night. No doubt there will be better days ahead for him, but here he just spent the evening on Snapchat to Gareth Bale asking about decent club nights in Madrid.
Ahead of him Harry Kane looked hopeless, but then he always does when I see him in the flesh and he still has five goals in six games against us. Football makes fools of us all. Here he came up against Winston Reid in dominant form. Having the Kiwi skipper and Adrian back in the fold has rejuvenated us, and we kept a third successive clean sheet that the above xG shows was never really under threat. The most nervous moment came when Kane poked one goalwards from a penalty box scramble and Adrian diverted it over the bar with his foot. He might the most unorthodox keeper around but he stood up here when we needed him. Unlike Kyle Walker, who spent most of the night throwing himself to the ground in search of fouls.
4. Standing At The Sky's Edge
With half time approaching, the game shifted. Suddenly the visitors were moving forward. No real menace to their play, but an undeniable purpose. Christian Eriksen is a silken dream of a footballer and when he got on the ball my stomach began to clench as though I'd eaten a suspicious looking lasagne. But there was nothing much to get stirred up about and instead there was a sense of menace rather than evidence of danger. At one point, some of the visiting Spurs fans lowered their books and had a quick look before returning to their reading, because they don't care about this fixture.
By half time the concourse chat was mostly fearful, although tinged with a pleasant hint of surprise that we were making a game of it. It should be pointed out that most of my fellow Hammers seemed to have allayed their pre match concerns of a tonking by getting mind warpingly drunk. I could see the logic, unlike one bloke I encountered who apparently couldn't see anything at all.
The presupposed threat from the Spurs full backs hadn't really materialised. Ben Davies had his hands full trying to stop Byram, who had wisely decided that given his defensive deficiencies he was going to do as little of it as possible and spent the entire evening bombing forward instead. On the other side Walker seemed distracted. When he wasn't falling over he was on Right Move looking for properties in Manchester, and he was another to be later withdrawn from the fray. Cresswell, his opposite number, started tentatively but grew into the game and eventually helped set up the goal. He seems to typify our lost season, but here there was a little more swash to his buckle once again. If nothing else, the sparkling form of Arthur Masuaku seems to have jolted him into life. It's almost as if having competition for places is a good thing.
Going into this game you would have said that Nordtveit and Fernandes were unfortunate to lose their places, and there is truth in this, particularly for the former. However, on nights like this, when the stakes are high and the margin of error is low, Bilic needed men he could trust. Up stepped Mark Noble, once more unto the breach and all that, as Bilic might say.
The skipper clattered Eric Dier early and got a yellow, which didn't stop him covering more ground on the pitch than anyone else. He had been preceded by Walker leaving a foot in on Byram, and the tone was one of disjointed action amid lots of speed and physicality, with no sense that anyone had much idea what they were doing. A bit like a Fast and Furious film. Our main chance was a Kouyate strike where he got his feet mixed up and ended up smacking it so far wide it nearly hit Walker. Thankfully it didn't or he'd have just fallen over again.
But after the break, we were rejuvenated - score one more for Bilic - and swarmed them once more. The goal, when it came, was much like the game itself; bitty and disjointed, with Spurs tentative and West Ham purposeful. I'm glad it was Lanzini who scored as he is the player who seems most joyful at his lot in life. He is the only Hammer who could threaten a joint West Ham/Spurs XI and nobody gives a shit about that because those aren't actually a real thing. As his strike hit the net, a roar erupted to lift the roof off - and given the shitty design of this stadium we probably shouldn't dismiss that as a possibility - and a season of futility and frustration evaporated up into London's toxic airspace. Forget Bournemouth - this was the night that the London Stadium became our home, even if Barney Ronay conjectures that it might be the worst designed football stadium in the world. To my great-grandchildren who might be reading this fifty years from now, I say - "Sorry kids, the drawings looked a lot better than the real thing. Also, apologies about the inheritance tax thing. I forgot about that".
The last thirty minutes were torture in reality, but comfortable upon reflection. Spurs huffed a bit but all the best chances fell to us on the break. Calleri and Fletcher both ought to have scored but were denied by fine keeping from Lloris. Our goalkeeper, by contrast, was doing this:
And so we scratched through to full time, a thoroughly merited three points, and a brief sojourn into the top half. By the point we entered added on time, the Spurs section was almost empty. I couldn't actually believe that given their record of recent late goals against us, but in truth their team hadn't given them much by way of hope. Or maybe they really don't care about this fixture.
Whatever. We deserved this. Savour it.
5. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Was A Train Coming The Other Way)
Where exactly does this leave Slaven Bilic? Watch the game again and you'll see a well drilled back line, and a clever tactical system that allowed his wing backs to range far up the pitch. Spurs fans complained that we parked the bus, but that's the bitterness talking. The four full backs all had average touch positions in pretty much the same place, with the difference being that our three man backline allowed us to cover ours when they went forward.
By contrast, there were acres in behind Walker, in particular. Twice Lanzini drifted into the inside left position, once scuffing his shot across the goal and the other time being taken out by Lloris. From behind it looked a clear red, but in fairness I was sat in the stratosphere. There are people in Westfield who were closer to it than me. Either way, it was a sign of the rewards we would enjoy all evening on that side of the pitch.
But the nagging feeling that enveloped me as I watched this was one of slight incredulity. Where the hell was this all season? Watford scored four times past us. Watford! If they score four in training they release a fucking DVD.
So we can mutter all we want about Bilic seeming to have an edge on Pochettino but the twenty nine point difference between us puts the lie to that one. The gap between the two teams is as wide as a canyon, even if we bridged that gap tonight with a Herculean effort and an Argentinian jewel.
Context is important too, however, and Spurs were missing only Danny Rose, while our injured list included Pedro Obiang, Michail Antonio, Diafra Sakho, Andy Caroll, Arthur Masuaku and Angelo Ogbonna. But in some ways, I find that just annoys me even more - if Bilic could manage this with half his first team missing then what the hell has been going on all year?
I suspect that survival and the first truly great night at the new stadium will save him. I've said before that I can't see how we can progress with this level of chaos off the pitch, but Bilic deserves credit for keeping the team with him through a traumatic stadium move, the Payet bullshit, the annual injury crisis and the general maelstrom that surrounds West Ham.
As with everything that involves our board, the major benefit perhaps is simply that not firing him means they don't have to choose a replacement, and the less decisions they make about footballing matters, the better.
6. No Way Home
Still missing Upton Park? Me too, but it's undeniable that tomorrow the London Stadium will feel a different place than it did this morning. Now we have an "end" we can point to where someone scored a meaningful goal! Now we have a template for a victory over good teams! Now we have a spot in the crowd where the team celebrated and injured a fan!
The atmosphere tonight was fully present and correct. I thought the Spurs fans were mostly silent, but my cousin sat next to them said this wasn't the case, at least in the first half. Perhaps this was due to a particularly exciting turn of events in the group wide Scrabble competition they were all participating in as they ignored the game because they don't care about this fixture.
Either way, it speaks to the volume around me that I couldn't hear them. This was how it should be all the time, lively and fun and tense and loud. Thankfully, also, there was no anti-Semitic bullshit, no racism and no "mong" stuff at Kane. After all, "Tottenham Hotspur, it's happening again" is fine - to be encouraged, frankly - but "DVD, DVD" at a Korean winger is not. I'm glad we passed the test. It shouldn't need to be said, but it does.
There are still problems, of course, and I still wake up each day in the hope of reading a back page headline (or a tweet from the Club's official spokesman if he doesn't have a biology GCSE that morning) telling us that the track is coming up and the radioactive waste isn't actually radioactive because Brian was holding the machine the wrong way up again for fucks sake Brian, and we're getting a new, Spurs style stadium to call home.
But wishful thinking never got anyone anywhere - except for that time Simon Pegg said "Yeah, I'll write a Star Trek film" and Paramount said yes, and then Simon Pegg had to actually write a Star Trek film and apparently did it whilst on magic mushrooms - and so we have to accept we're stuck with the place.
I maintain that memories will be the difference. Make the team comfortable and in turn they'll reciprocate. Jacob Steinberg highlighted lots of the issues in this thoughtful piece for The Guardian, and the reality is that the view isn't getting any better and the gaps in the seating aren't disappearing, but after this I think it will feel an awful lot better for the Liverpool game.
7. Just Like The Rain
What a player is Manuel Lanzini. He and Eriksen were the two outstanding technical footballers on display tonight. His importance to us was highlighted on the many occasions he picked up the ball deep, slipped the Spurs press and cajoled his team mates forward. It was a bravura performance that also featured a proper defensive focus as he tracked back to contend with the rapier like Spurs counterattacks that failed to rouse any of their fans from their evening snoozes because they don't care about this fixture.
The way that Lanzini has stepped up to replace Payet has been fantastic, and all the more so for his young age. In quieter times I might ponder whether we really made enough of having them both in the same team together, but either way he is emerging as one of the best young midfielders around.
There was some paper talk recently suggesting that Antonio was looking to leave, being not unreasonably pissed off that he was on less money than Robert Snodgrass. As am I, to be honest.
His agent quickly denied this, leading me to conclude that his agent planted the story and that Antonio will therefore soon get a raise. In that spirit it would be hard to argue with the same outcome for Lanzini. Along with Reid, Antonio and Obiang he has been the core of this team and needs to built around. The summer challenge will be to find a player to complement him, without driving him into the shell that he perhaps inhabited when Payet was in town and still talking to everyone.
For what it's worth, he's the front runner for the never-coveted-by-anyone H List Player of the Year award.
8. I'm Looking For Someone To Find Me
Adrian could fit that description too if he could find this level of consistency all season. I mention his unorthodoxy above, but it's still notable that he has not yet conceded a goal since returning, despite facing the twin buzzsaws of Lukaku and Kane. It's impossible to prove a negative, unless you're a barrister for Sheffield United apparently, but it's hard to imagine Randolph would have made both those saves from Kane and Son tonight.
Adrian remains a walking cardiac arrest inducer, but on nights like tonight it was reassuring to look at our goal and see him wandering around yelling stuff manically whilst maintaining an unmoving side parting.
There is an undeniable solidity about our back three now, and Adrian deserves credit for that too. Whilst chatting with Allen McKnight in a box before the Everton game (*) he suggested that changing a goalkeeper is often done in conjunction with the defence. Sometimes they'll prefer to play in front of one keeper over another, and as such a manager will resist change. It's a theory I hadn't really considered, and does suggest that perhaps Bilic had some private reasons for sticking with Randolph that we're not privy to.
And if you're thinking of suggesting that this is an area that McKnight would know a thing or two about, it's worth me saying that he made the joke himself.
(*) Literally the worst bit of name dropping you will ever read.
9. For Your Lover, Give Some Time
Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, we can now start to plan for next season. Achieving safety might seem like a prosaic event after the highs of last year, but it should allow our off the field scouting and analytics teams to swing into action. Or at the very least, log into YouTube.
One would hope that the scouting department have multiple lists of potential players dependent upon our likely schedule next year, contractual situations, any European football, injuries, AFCON and, yes, which division we'll be in.
One does indeed hope for all of that, but one also is prepared to accept that we might simply be waiting for Jack Sullivan to break up for the holidays before we can really start scouting in earnest.
Matches like tonight might give us cause to consider the situation of players like Collins, for instance, but at some point we have to make an effort to get younger. If nothing else, buying some more players on the right side of 30 at least gives us an opportunity to get something back when we sell them. Consider that Feghouli and Nordtveit would probably bring back about £15m if sold over the summer (source: Transfermarkt), and then consider that the same website already suggests that Snodgrass and Fonte have lost value - or likely were overpriced to begin with.
Consider also the customary, but still awful, injury list. I said this only last week, but we need to consider player fitness as being equally as important to anything else. The amount of times we have lost Carroll and Sakho this year shows the sheer folly of not attempting to supplement our striking options last summer. I refuse to count Zaza here, because any man who can insert an interpretative dance routine into a penalty isn't a serious striking option.
With no news of a Director of Football on the horizon, we shall have to assume that David Sullivan hasn't become self aware yet and will continue to treat the Club as his plaything. This usually means six or seven new signings, one awful tabloid exclusive interview and someone from South America. It doesn't fill me with hope, and I am really terrified about where we might get that striker from. But what I took from tonight, heroic and life affirming as it was, is that we too often are forced to rely on our players raising their games to compete. It would be a hell of a lot easier if their levels were just up that high to begin with.
10. Lady Solitude
Karren Brady has a column writing for The Sun. This strikes me as pretty tone deaf given the papers history with football, but there you go. This morning she wrote something about how more women should be like Theresa May, which just conjured up visions of me asking my three daughters how their day at school was, and all of them replying "strong and stable".
She also wrote this about Spurs.
I usually find the stuff that Brady writes about Spurs to be unnecessary. As an example, she previously criticised Harry Kane for writing "we've had a baby" in an Instagram post like every other human on the planet would, as Brady thought this wasn't giving enough credit to his partner.
But in this case, I don't see the issue. She's saying what everyone is thinking - that Spurs are going to have to cough up soon, or lose some players. Walker already seems to be gone, and if Real decide they want Alli then that will happen too.
Brady is taking the opportunity to highlight that, to a rival who bid for a ground they didn't want and insisted the athletics track be retained. As part of that process, men ended up in court for hacking her phone. Let's face it, if Jose Mourinho says something similar before their game next week he'll be heralded as playing mind games, and being a master tactician.
So if Brady has a pop at them in print, and it's this sort of thing that's actually credible and makes sense then I don't really have an issue with that. And neither will Spurs fans. After all, they don't care about West Ham.
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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One magic moment in time changes everything
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Paul Walker
It wasn't just any old goal, was it? That gem from our very own little pearl, Manuel Lanzini. It has changed the course of our immediate history and maybe seasons to come.
I don't feel that is over-sensationalising the effect of Manu's winner against Spurs, such was the gathering cloud hanging over every aspect of our progress as a club and the great master plan of our owners.
Relegation was not part of that plan, the loss of so much money and status a nightmare of biblical proportions. Far too many folk were dismissing the prospect of the drop, more fool them.
The form hit by Swansea, Hull (before that home defeat by Sunderland) and Burnley, the big Sam factor…all set against a West Ham side defending like clowns ,losing players to injury by the shed-load and failing to show any sign of a collective spirit and purpose.
I don't doubt for a minute that David Sullivan, David Gold and Lady Karren were terrified of the prospect and its implications. Even the current position is bad enough to contend with. But it took the arrival of the despised , patronising, laughable entitlement of the second biggest club in north London to galvanise our great little club. The management, the team, the vast sways of fans were united as one.
Sadly I missed it. Entrenched in deepest Cheshire with a bottle of wine and family illness to occupy me. But I witnessed on TV something not seen this season at the OS. A collective, defiant spirit. Proper defending, team ethos, a refusal to give an inch to a deluded club who have never understood that talking big about winning titles, claiming top spot whatever, before they face us is just asking for trouble.
The noise was deafening, the unity so obvious. And the best bit? Seeing our fans as one. No longer old hands and tourists, newbies and first-time season ticket holders. It is what our owners have prayed for.
The whole place was rocking, and I have even seen pictures of thousands of fans celebrating outside on the soulless (not any more!) concourse, with its concrete and boulders, its queues and over-priced food.
There was 50,000 plus--there were some Spurs fans there, I believe--howling their defiance. Sullivan was spot on in his programme notes, stating: "Let's take the opportunity in front of the TV cameras and a captive audience of millions around the globe to show the passion that makes our fans famous worldwide, and to illustrate the effect your support can have on the team throughout the game".
Frankly Spurs' supposed wonderkids couldn't cope with it and Dele Alli was back to his petulant, stamping schoolboy best. And as for his England mate Eric Dier, he was out there I assume? Well, they both ran into an inspired Mark Noble, whose legs haven't gone. Jamie Redknapp on Sky reckoned he'd need a weekend in the ice bath to recover, having run 7.8 miles for the cause, further than any one else on the pitch, further than any of Poccho's supposed super-fit wonder kids.
I do hope that calms down the anti-Noble brigade a bit. Slav said he was brilliant, and as long as Bilic remains manager, Noble will continue to play a major part in this club, that's obvious.
That one match, Manu's one goal, changed the perception of the club overnight. And it has taken a battering so far have we regressed this season. Jacob Steinberg in a excellent, calm, thoughtful piece in the Guardian last week got it very right.
He explained the season of mishaps, fan unrest, transfer shambles, Payet's treason etc,etc without taking sides or blaming anyone. You sense he's a West Ham fan, he certainly writes with that level of concern.
Sullivan and co will know just how far we have fallen back from the supposed giant step to a higher level that just has not happened on the pitch. Off it, well that's different...
Alan Pardew, in one of his increasingly regular TV spots these days, talked of our owners doing an excellent job. And he's right. Forget all the personal stuff, all the emotion, just look at a management that has doubled the fan base, raked in vast amounts on the commercial and corporate side to put us--financially at least--amongst Europe's top 20. That has been a success.
Trouble is, everything from UEFA regulations to financial controls, works against a newcomer breaking into the elite.
Last summer was our best chance of selling the dream. Seventh place, within touching distance of CL qualification and with a bright, vibrant manager and a team capable of beating their supposed betters on a regular basis. But we all know it went wrong. Even with all that going for us, the big names wouldn't come. We were not in the CL, simple as that.
Without going through the transfer failings again, in hindsight a few have been better than we first thought. It takes time for some people to adjust to new surroundings, and how were we to know that Simone Zaza was going to have a mentality and personality as brittle as crystal, or that Gokhan Tore was going to be that poor.
That still bothers me. When Slav arrived I was telling anyone who would listen that the one player he should bring from Besiktas was Tore. I had seen him at international level as well as club level in Europe and knew he was a tough, hard working, clever wide player. But he too lacked mental toughness, got injured and we are still paying his loan wages…one decision Sullivan certainly got right.
So it was down to Lanzini, our shining light this season, to bury that winner. It's still going to be hard to sell our club (no pun intended) to top players, who have no doubt heard all Dimitri Payet's moaning about what he discovered in the east end. Just think how tough our progress would have been from the Championship.
And of course, Bilic has survived yet another crisis, yet another 'he's got two/three/four games to save his job.' Tedious those stories, and always discounted.
Now I have not bothered my old friends in the industry much about West Ham. The saying goes that those retired should stay retired. But I have rung a couple of good mates, not to ask for sources of course but to find out what sort of briefings take place. And I have been assured that our place leaks like a sieve. Enough said really.
And surely all bets are off now regarding Slav's future. I felt he returned to international mode a few weeks ago, the sort of approach you have with a small country.
Croatia had a handful of very good players and then the outstanding Luka Modric. The rest just have to work their socks off. Bit like Wales. Gareth Bale is world class, then there's Aaron Ramsey, while the rest are journeymen.
An international manager at that level knows he has about 15/16 players to work with, and he picks the best system. We have had that problem for weeks, due to injuries and form loss. Slav had to get his most trusted people in the side, take a bow James Collins, and then make the most of what is left.
And it has thrown up five unbeaten games, three successive clean sheets and it has acquired nine priceless points. It has also produced unlikely heroes. We'd all seen the YouTube clips of Jonathan Calleri, so there's talent there. But it is clear now he lacks pace. Slav suggested months ago that he lacked the ability to adapt his game.
But what we have seen recently is a young man who probably never played with his back to goal for Boca Juniors but has had to learn to do that job. Against excellent Spurs defenders he held up play with the ball to feet, not in the air, turned defenders and made a real nuisance of himself running and closing down. He deserved his standing ovation and I would like to see him kept on, one certainly for the future.
But now we discover that the rogue Kia Joorabchin is behind the shell-club in south America we signed him from and he wants the lad to move to Italy. Hell, I thought we had seen the last of him and his dubious ability to affect team selection (the core really to the Carlos Tevez scandal). Why are we still dealing with him?
But we still have Manu. Great performance against Spurs and for a few weeks now, and it would be nice to see him tear Liverpool apart on Sunday.
As it is, his goal has given Sullivan and co a lifeline. The opportunity to spend more wisely, pay the big wages needed and to give Slav a balanced squad. Surely he deserves that now after all the months of pressure, much of it unnecessary.
Garth Crooks reckons we are lucky to have avoided relegation. But he's become little more than a fat, smug, annoying Spud these days. We cannot be lucky after Friday's result, just fortunate that the anguish didn't drag on any further.
At last there seems to be unity, whatever Pedro Obiang thinks. Sometimes his interviews this season have been a little odd, did he mean lack of unity between players, between manager and board, fans and owners, between manager and players. Who knows?
But in one marvellous night under the lights, it seemed like the Boleyn again. The word raucous was heard on TV to describe the atmosphere. Not a word I have heard since that last home game against Manchester United., the first anniversary being today(May 10).
That team, including subs was Randolph, Antonio, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Lanzini, Obiang, Payet, Valencia, Carroll, Sakho, Tomkins. Eight of those players were unavailable to Slav against Spurs…that sort of disruption to plans and progress says it all really.
Slav, surely now, deserves to start next season. In fact the board have constantly said that's what they want too. Well now, after the end of season review, they have the grounds to let that happen.
But lets be clear. Any repeat of this campaign, certainly until Christmas , will see a new manager at West Ham. Slav must know that himself.
But that's all for the future. Lets continue to bask in the glory of Friday, the demise of a club who believe they are so much better than they are. Their only triumph this season is to finish above Arsenal for the first time in two decades, but they will always be bigger than your lot, won't they?
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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Hammers second favourites in 'keeper race
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have emerged as second favourites to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The 23-year-old stopper was relegated to the Championship along with his side the weekend before last and is set to move on this summer. And whilst Everton have been cited by several sources as favourites to land the youngster - with rumours of a £17million fee having been agreed circulating - West Ham have today emerged as a surprise alternative.
Gambling firm Betstars this afternoon installed Slaven Bilic's side as second favourites (at 11/2) to sign Pickford, who received his first international call-up last October. They currently lead Stoke (6/1) - who are expected to lose Jack Butland this summer - and Manchester United (7/1).
Speaking about the potential loss of Pickford at the weekend, Sunderland boss David Moyes admitted that he faced a struggle to hold on to one of his top players. "You can see what he does for us with the saves he makes," he said. "He's been outstanding from day one."
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Noble leading by example
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Leading by example keeps Hammers captain Mark Noble working hard and he remains confident things will get better for him and the Irons. Nobes has struggled to find consistency since the Hammers move to the London Stadium, and the maiden season may not have panned out as fans had hoped, but quiet determination is the name of the game for the skipper. "I've always tried to lead by example, as in play at 100 per cent and give everything," he said in an interview for Blowing Bubbles Monthly. But ranting and raving isn't his way, even when the team is not performing as he would like and returning the results the fans crave. "When you play with the boys there are some characters that you couldn't have a go at during half time because they'd go into a shell. Everyone's got feelings and sometimes, especially me, you can't help showing them."
Just turning-up is never an option for the long-serving local boy from Canning Town. For many years West Ham fans scratched their heads as Noble was overlooked for full international honours, despite the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Tom Cleverley getting call-ups - yet Noble did have the chance to play international football with the Republic of Ireland as his grandparents are Irish and the team has come calling. "I love Irish people and half my family are Irish but for me personally I always dreamed of playing for England."
Also in the latest edition George Parris says players must forget about the newspaper headlines over the HMRC raids. "What I hope is that the players keep their focus on what they are doing on the pitch and haven't spent too much time worrying about what's happened off it," he wrote in his exclusive column for Blowing Bubbles Monthly.
The Hammers hero also speculates about the outcome of the Hammer of the Year - will it be Antonio or Lanzini, or is there someone else who should take the honour? The popular monthly magazine also looks back at the great escape of 10 years ago after relegation was a safe bet in March and the Hammers propped-up the table ten points away from safety. Fans will always adore Carlos Tevez for his goal that secured victory against the champions and ensured Premiership safety, but Mark Noble got better and better as the going got tougher for the Hammers and he was the unsung hero of the piece If you hear that distinctive piece of film theme tune blasting from the speakers and picture Tevez on the bike heading for the fence, remember it was Noble riding pillion.
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West Ham win leaves Fabregas smiling
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed that West Ham weren't the only team in London celebrating the Hammers' win against Tottenham on Friday evening. West Ham's 1-0 win in their final London derby of the season secured West Ham's Premier League status whilst almost certainly ending Tottenham's title hopes. And that, naturally, was sweet music to the ears of Fabregas and his Chelsea team mates - who now need to win just two of their final four matches to guarantee the Premier League title. "We cannot deny that a smile came onto our face," he told Sky Sports, when asked how he reacted to the result. "The more points that they drop, the better for us and the closer to the title we are with less games. "Now today it's all about us, we have to do our job. Today is that game that winning would mean a lot to the team and the club, so hopefully we can do that."
The win took West Ham to 42 points for the season, guaranteeing them at least a 16th-place finish - although the defeat of Spurs leaves them 12th in the table, level on points with Southampton and Bournemouth and just one behind reigning champions Leicester City.
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Valencia's European adventure over?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Enner Valencia is being linked with a return to his former club, once his loan spell with Everton ends. The Ecuador international has spent the entire season on loan at Goodison Park, but could be set to return to North America this summer after Pachua - from whom he joined West Ham in a £12million deal three seasons ago - signalled their interest in re-signing the 27-year-old striker. Valencia has made 21 appearances for the Toffees since moving to Goodison Park ahead of last summer's transfer deadline, aiding his cause with three goals. And it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could remain on Merseyside, with manager Ronald Koeman a particular admirer.
According to Mexican source @TransferLigaMX, Valencia has already held exploratory talks with Pachua having given tacit approval to a second spell in Mexico. He remains contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2019, having signed a five-year contract upon joining in 2014 - and it is the Hammers who will determine his future, either way.
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West Ham unlikely to offer Slaven Bilic new contract this summer despite interest from Fenerbahce
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Slaven Bilic's future at West Ham looks assured despite news that Fenerbahce are keen to appoint the Croatian as their next manager.
There was no appetite among the West Ham hierarchy to make a change even before Friday's 1‑0 win over Tottenham — with the emphasis now shifting to whether Bilic should be offered a new deal. It is unlikely, though, the board will rush into any decision regarding their manager, beyond next season. Bilic has a year remaining on his contract and is well liked by those in authority at the club but co-owner David Sullivan will want to see how West Ham start next season, before deciding on a new contract. Last season, when Bilic guided West Ham to seventh in the Premier League, Sullivan said he wanted to see if the 48‑year-old Croatian was a "one-season wonder" so it seems distinctly unlikely now, given West Ham's troubled season, that he would hurry into drawing up a new, improved contract.
However, the board will have noted the news from Turkey where Fenerbahce are reported to be keen on Bilic succeeding Dick Advocaat as their manager, who is set to be appointed the head coach of the Dutch national side. Bilic became a popular figure in Turkish football after managing Besiktas for two seasons, before moving to West Ham. West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate will miss the final two games of the season — at home to Liverpool and away to Burnley. Kouyate has been nursing a wrist injury all season and will undergo surgery this week with West Ham's place in the Premier League next term now assured.
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Slaven Bilic names the West Ham star who all the players love
HITC
Antony Martin
West Ham United have managed to salvage their season over this past month or so. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic wrote his regular column for the club's official website, and lavished praise upon Friday's match-winner Manuel Lanzini, sharing how the Argentine is loved by his fellow players. The 24-year-old spent the 2015/16 campaign on loan with West Ham, before making his move to East London a permanent one in the summer of 2016, for a fee believed to be in the region of £9 million. He has showcased his incredible talent on a regular basis, and has elevated his performance levels even further still since Dimitri Payet's acrimonious exit from the club, assuming the mantle of the Hammers' talisman with the minimum of fuss. The mercurial midfielder has scored eight goals in 33 Premier League appearances for the club thus far, and he will be looking to continue his development next season. Bilic highlighted Lanzini's importance to the team, when writing his regular column for WHUFC.com, sharing how hard the little Argentine works for his teammates:
"Lanzini is a young player, but a magnificent player. He works hard, he covers a lot of ground on the pitch and he is very good in the box. He's scored some amazing and important goals for us, he creates goals, the players love him because he is not one of those who wants to be spared the defensive part of the game. He works hard and he's brilliant to have."
Everything seems to be looking up at West Ham all of a sudden, and with some smart player recruitment in the summer, their fans will be hoping that their side can produce the kind of form that saw them finish in seventh position in the table last term.
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Sunderland want £25m for goalkeeper Jordan Pickford
HITC
John Verrall
Sunderland stopper Jordan Pickford has been targeted by the likes of Everton, West Ham United and Liverpool. According to a report in the Telegraph, Sunderland are planning to take advantage of the volume of interest in Jordan Pickford by forcing a bidding war for the goalkeeper. David Moyes has recently suggested that Sunderland will do everything they possibly can to keep hold of Pickford. However, there is believed to be a realisation from within the Stadium of Light that the 23-year-old will move on in the summer. Everton, West Ham United, Liverpool and Manchester City are all credited with an interest in Pickford. And Sunderland are believed to be searching to receive around £25 million for the stopper. Pickford has arguably been Sunderland's best performer this season, as the Black Cats have slipped to relegation. And Everton and West Ham both see Pickford as their first choice stopper next term. At the moment it is believed that Everton are leading the race to sign the England youth international.
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WEST HAM DUO NAMED IN PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Football Insider
8th May, 2017, 10:49 AM
By Russell Edge
West Ham pair Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini have been named in the Telegraph's Premier League team of the week. The news comes after the duo put in excellent performances to earn the Hammers a surprise 1-0 win over title-hopefuls Tottenham. The win also mathematically secured the club's top flight safety for another season and leaves them 12th after the weekend's fixtures.
Chief football correspondent for the Telegraph Jason Burt was the man who made the decision to place the two alongside the likes of David Silva and Aaron Ramsey who also enjoyed a profitable weekend with their clubs. Writing on the Telegraph website, Burt claimed that Lanzini: "Showed that he might – just might – be able to fill the void left by Dimitri Payet."
Lanzini has enjoyed a profitable season in front of goal for the Hammers, scoring eight league goals in 33 appearances, including another match winning strike in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace back in October. As for Reid, Burt credited his ability to take on in-form striker Harry Kane, writing on the Telegraph website: "West Ham bravely went man-for-man on Harry Kane with Reid taking on the role and physically dominating the Spurs striker as few other defender have done."
The West Ham mainstay has established himself as a key member of Slaven Bilic's starting XI and plays a pivotal role in the heart of the defence. The 28-year-old has made 29 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals. West Ham host Liverpool in their penultimate match this season, before travelling to Burnley on the final day.
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West Ham News: Euro giants plot shock move for Slaven Bilic
By Eren Sarigul - May 8, 20170
TurkishFootball.com
Turkish Super League giants Fenerbahce are plotting a surprise move for West Ham boss Slaven Bilic. According to the Express, the Istanbul based club want to replace Dick Advocaat with the Croatian tactician. Per the source, Fenerbahce will step up efforts to lure Bilic back to Turkey. Bilic previously worked in Turkey as manager of Fenerbahce's rival club Besiktas. The Yellow Canaries hierarchy are planning major revisions this summer following a disappointing season. Fenerbahce sit in third place in the Turkish league, eight points behind leaders Besiktas. Meanwhile, Bilic's position at West Ham is under threat following a rocky 12 months. However, Bilic's side defeated their biter rivals Tottenham by a 1-0 score line on Friday night. The Hammers next home game is against Liverpool on Sunday. West Ham currently find themselves in 12th spot with 42 points after 36 games. The London-based club have won just two of their last ten games in the Premier League.
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From frustrated winger to creative genius - the evolution of Manuel Lanzini at West Ham
The midfielder has blossomed since the departure of a certain stroppy Frenchman
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
07:00, 8 MAY 2017
Manuel Lanzini has come full circle in the five months. The Argentine midfielder has become a creative genius since the departure of Dimitri Payet back to Marseille in January. Slaven Bilic might disagree - and he has said as such - but Lanzini has stepped up enormously to fill the void after Payet left in such acrimonious circumstances. When the Frenchman was in town, Lanzini played second fiddle. He couldn't play in his favoured position because Payet was there and at the time rightly thanks to his stunning form. We saw Lanzini shafted out to the left or right wing, desperately craving the chance to get inside into that number ten role and play off the front man but he wasn't allowed to. But now? The 24-year-old is like a little puppy arriving at his new home for the first time. He's a bundle of energy, running about everywhere and bumping into things, getting into all sorts of mischief but then redeeming himself by scoring goals, like a naughty dog that ate that bit of meat off your kitchen floor that you dropped.
Seeing "The Jewel" left out on the wings was not pleasant. Lanzini couldn't have any influence at all on what was going on and when he did get the ball, he tried too hard and would inevitably lose it. The away game at West Bromwich Albion earlier this season was a real low point when the Hammers were whacked 4-2. It's now impossible to imagine just how worse off the Hammers would have been this season without Lanzini. Just his energy enough brings goals as he is involved in so many things that are good about the team. Since Payet's last game, Lanzini has scored five goals and got two assists, bagging two man of the match performances in the process but that doesn't tell the whole story. Lanzini wants the ball a lot more now and his teammates know it, so they give him the ball. He is always the option to get the Hammers moving forward and while defensively he is suspect, that doesn't really matter. We are expecting another summer of upheaval in E20 after this season is done in a fortnight's time but one of the main moves could well be tying the Argentinian magician down to a long-term contract.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
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Dobson eager for PL2 inclusion
WHUFC.com
George Dobson has returned from his loan spell and is in contention to start West Ham United PL2 on Monday night
The Hammers take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off semi final
Speaking to whufc.com, Dobson also reflected on his loan spell at Walsall
George Dobson has declared himself available for West Ham United PL2 selection ahead of their play-off clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. Dobson played 21 times and scored once for Walsall as they finished their Sky Bet League One campaign in 14th place.
After the climax to the League One season last weekend, Dobson has now returned to east London and reflected on his first loan spell with fondness. "It's been a long but good season," said Dobson. "I've learned a lot from the loan, got quite a lot of appearances in the end. I felt like I learned a lot and I've developed as a player. "The second half of the season I've been involved a lot more. I've been working hard just to try and impress the management there to stay involved and get more involved. That hard work definitely paid off towards the end of the season. "The manager said he would love to have me back and he said I had done really well. I also said a lot of good things which is obviously good. I definitely feel like I've improved over the course of the season which is the most important thing."
Dobson has been training with the Hammers as they prepare for their Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off clash with Wolves. The Hammers qualified for the play-offs after beating West Bromwich Albion 4-0 two weeks ago, and Dobson is keen to be involved as the U23s strive for promotion. The 19-year-old missed out on last season's Premier League Cup victory after injury ruled him out of the final's second leg and says it has made him even hungrier to achieve success this time around. "I saw that they got into the play-offs after the 4-0 win at West Brom. It's a massive game for the club because the possibility of moving into the top division is a great incentive for all the boys," added Dobson. "I'm available for selection so we'll see what happens. "I played most of last season and literally missed the second leg of the final because of injury. It would be nice to be involved in winning something this year where I actually get to play.
"That makes you want to be involved more. I'm really enjoying training and seeing what happens over the next couple of weeks. Seating for the 7pm kick-off is all unreserved and tickets will require collection on the day at Molineux from the Ticket Office located between the Stan Cullis and Billy Wright Stands. Supporters should take their booking reference and ID for collection.
For Season Ticket Holders booking in advance and up until Monday 8 May at 11am these will be free.
For all non-Season Ticket Holders, seats are priced at £4 for Adults and £1 for O65s U17s when booked in advance.
Season Ticket Holders will also be charged if purchasing at Molineux on the day.
Keep up to date with West Ham United PL2's play-off clash with Wolves at whufc.com and on our social channels from 7pm on Monday.
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Loanee round up
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen and Bradford City will soon travel to Wembley for a place in the Championship for next season
The Bantams held Fleetwood Town to a goalless draw on Sunday having beaten them 1-0 in the opening leg at Valley Parade
Cullen played the full extent of both legs and will be key to Bradford's success in the capital on 20 May
Josh Cullen – a season-long star on loan at Bradford City this season – helped the Bantams reach the League One play-off final on Sunday night with a goalless draw at Fleetwood Town. Stuart McCall's men travelled to Lancashire knowing a draw would be enough for them to reach Wembley having beaten Uwe Rosler's team 1-0 at Valley Parade in the first leg. Cullen was awarded Man of the Match in that clash, and he again impressed on Sunday, having a couple of opportunities to himself extend the Yorkshiremen's lead. The stalemate at Highbury was enough, however, and Bradford will now prepare to face Millwall – who beat Scunthorpe United 3-2 away from home to go through – for a place in the Championship next season. That all-important clash will take place in just under two weeks' time, on Saturday 20 May at Wembley Stadium.
Also in play-off action on Sunday was goalkeeper Sam Howes, on loan at National League South side Hampton and Richmond Borough. The Beavers faced Ebbsfleet for a place in the final, but knew the task on their hands was a big one having lost the opening leg 2-1 at home to United. And It wasn't to be for Borough, who again went down 2-1 to eventually crash out of the semis 4-2 on aggregate. Ebbsfleet will face Chelmsford City for a place in the National League division for the 2017/18 campaign.
Finally, Enner Valencia was a second half substitute for Everton as they were beaten 1-0 by Swansea City at the weekend. The Ecuadorian played the final 25 minutes for the Toffees, who were by then already one down thanks to Fernando Llorente's first half strike which turned out to be the vital winner for Paul Clement's side. Swansea overtook Hull City, who were beaten by Sunderland, with the win to climb out of the relegation zone.
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says he felt the omens were good ahead of Friday's 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur – despite the visitors going into the game on the back of a nine-game winning streak.
Few pundits gave the Hammers a chance against Mauricio Pochettino's title-chasing Spurs, but they proved them wrong with a terrific performance which yielded maximum points thanks to Manuel Lanzini's second half goal.
Bilic recalled the victory against the north Londoners at home last year, as well as the performance in defeat earlier this season, and said those games helped formulate his gameplan to defeat Tottenham for the first time since early February.
He explained: "We played against a team who have been the best [in the Premier League] especially over the last couple of months – they had won nine out of nine.
"They were still up for it because they wanted to put the pressure on Chelsea, but we had a couple of good patterns. Not only the performances in the last four games where we had kept three clean sheets and created enough chances to score goals in every one of those, but also because of our last couple of games against Spurs.
"We beat them 1-0 at Upton Park, and although we lost 3-2 at White Hart Lane earlier this season we were really good. We had the pattern, we had the gameplan which was working against them and we did the same again on Friday.
"We planned it, but it was the guys who executed it brilliantly. We deserved it – we showed character, we showed determination, we showed team spirit, everything. Most of all, we showed the quality to beat a big team."
One player who displayed that quality was Lanzini, whose ninth goal of the campaign, secured the derby spoils.
Bilic was thrilled with his contribution, saying: "Lanzini is a young player, but a magnificent player. He works hard, he covers a lot of ground on the pitch and he is very good in the box.
"He's scored some amazing and important goals for us, he creates goals, the players love him because he is not one of those who wants to be spared the defensive part of the game.
"He works hard and he's brilliant to have."
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Fonte's top ten target
WHUFC.com
Jose Fonte says West Ham United want to end the season strongly after beating Tottenham Hotspur
Hammers welcome Liverpool to London Stadium on Sunday, seeking to go six games unbeaten
Portugal star says Claret and Blue Army played their part in Friday's London Stadium success
Jose Fonte says West Ham United want to take the confidence drawn from beating Tottenham Hotspur into Sunday's Premier League meeting with Liverpool. Fresh from beating second-place Spurs, the Hammers welcome the third-place Reds to London Stadium seeking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches and continue their strong finish to the season. With two games to play – West Ham go to Burnley on the final day – Fonte and his teammates are targeting a top-ten finish, but know they will need to take at least four points from those matches if they are to hit that target. "We are pleased, but we still have two games to go and two wins to get," said the Portugal defender, who has now kept eleven clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances this season. "We have a massive game against Liverpool and we want to finish in the top ten, so we have got to win those two games. It's another big game on Sunday and we want to replicate what we did against Tottenham. "We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets. "The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me!"
Slaven Bilic's new preferred 3-4-2-1 system has produced four clean sheets in the last five matches, with the Premier League's top two centre forwards, Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Tottenham's Harry Kane, being held to a combined two shots on target. On Friday, Kane had just two first-half shots, both of which were saved by Adrian – an illustration of the resilience the Hammers showed in ending Tottenham's nine-match winning streak. "It was a great night," Fonte confirmed. "When we play like this as a team and work hard, it's very difficult to beat us. So, well done to us and well done to the fans, who created an unbelievable atmosphere. They helped us to win the game and this win is for them. "We knew we would be hard to beat. Our confidence is high and we knew if we performed how we had been performing, it would be very difficult to score against us. So, we went into the game knowing we would get chances if we stayed compact and kept the lines closed, then broke quickly, and that's what happened. "Credit to the manager who made the system work, and credit to us."
Having helped the Hammers to climb clear of the relegation dogfight, Fonte's next target is to help his new Club take the next step next season by challenging for European football. "I came here to be successful and help the Club to be successful," said the UEFA Euro 2016 winner. "I didn't have the perfect start, but one thing I don't do is give up. I trust the process and I trust my work during the week, and I give my heart and soul for this Club now and for my teammates. "I'm pleased for these last few results and I'm pleased the fans have supported us. If the fans want to, they can make it hell for the opponents and that's what they did on Friday. They were loud, they were intense and we felt it – goosebumps. "Well done to the fans, because they were massive and this win is for them."
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Manning praises skipper as U23s reach final
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Premier League 2 were 2-1 winners at Wolves on Monday in their play-off semi-final
The victory will see them face Newcastle for a spot in Division 1 next season
Assistant manager Liam Manning praised captain Declan Rice as he led the team to victory in the midlands
West Ham United Premier League 2 assistant boss Liam Manning praised skipper Declan Rice for an outstanding display as he led the U23s to a play-off semi-final victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Hammers scored twice late on through Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Martin Samuelsen at Molineux to seal their place in the final. They will face Newcastle United – for a fourth time this season and a third at St. James' Park – for a spot in Premier League 2 Division 1 next campaign and Manning stated the performance was the result of a season's worth of hard work. He said: "It's the icing on the cake for a really tough season to get that result. It's good to get rewards like that at the end of the season. "It was an extremely difficult game. Wolves are well organised, they're effective in what they do, they're physical, so we're delighted with the way the boys applied themselves. We kept moving it really well, and the boys do that every single day. "I thought Declan Rice was outstanding at the back. The front two were a handful for them but he dealt with them comfortably and every week, we've said for the whole season, he's been outstanding. He's getting close to needing another challenge now. "We have another trip up to the north east, and we have unfinished business up there to be fair. We went up there in the league and ground out a point and lost in the cup."
Wolves scored in the first half through Sylvain Deslandes when the full-back rose the highest from a corner to head home, and it looked as though, for 55 minutes, it would be the hosts who would be progressing to the final. But with ten minutes left on the clock, substitutes Joe Powell and Hector-Ingram combined perfectly to level the scores, goalscorer Hector-Ingram finding the back of the net with his first touch. And soon after, the forward was bundled over in the penalty area, giving Samuelsen the opportunity to finish from the spot, something he did with aplomb. "It's important for the players to know they must be focused whether they're starting or whether they're on the bench," continued Manning. "As you saw with our first goal, two subs combined for that, and they showed what they could do. It was a quality goal; a great delivery and great header. "We were one down for a long time so we're really proud of them believing they could still get something from the game. The group are like that; they're a close-knit group. The team is very young and we had four U18s starting tonight. "[Raphael] Spiegel kept us in it at 1-0 down as well; he made two or three consecutive saves in a short space of time and kept us in the game. He did very well. "Hopefully now we can go to Newcastle and it would be great to get the result and ultimately get promotion."
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ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! TIME TO SHOVE GOLD AND SULLIVAN OUT THE DOOR! THEN WHAT?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 8 MAY 2017 AT 9:29PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by FarehamHammer
Well few will disagree, I have been amongst Messrs Gold and Sullivan's harshest critics, if not the harshest of them all, from the off. I had been well briefed about them, before they even set foot on The Boleyn Ground. A couple of friends of mine, Birmingham City fans, had warned me how they rolled. They would overplay The Club's debt, as an excuse for not investing in the transfer market. Always reminding Brum fans how they had 'saved' them. During season ticket renewal time, they used their many contacts in the media to spin fantasy land stories, linking Brum to this star or that. Phantom 'bids were the order of the day. 'Bids they knew perfectly well, would not be accepted. Either offering the club selling the player peanuts, or offering the player personal terms, that they knew would not be accepted .Then they would say "they tried". They also had a tenancy to undermine the manager at every turn .The transfer strategy was to sign a lot of distinctly average players, with Sullivan always signing cheap imports from South America, via their trusted agent at the time. Barry Silkman. Believing that one of them, would turn out to be the next Messi. Of course this never happened !So it's no surprise, that Birmingham City suffered three relegation's during Gold and Sullivan's tenure at St Andrew's.
The one relegation, came off the back of a season when Brum had finished ninth. The previous season Mikael Forssell had scored a lot of goals for Brum, he got injured during the relegation season. Gold and Sullivan never signed another striker, and down went Birmingham City. Another thing that used to anger Birmingham City Fans ,was they would have a tendency to flog star players, during the last days of a transfer window, not replace them, and say they "Ran out of time "to bring in someone else. People …this on the face of it is, exactly how they have operated at West Ham. As soon as they arrived they lived up to my expectations spectacularly. Over and over we got told they would not have bought the club if they were not fans, we got told how The Club had lent money against the following two years season tickets. We were a financial Armageddon was another line on an almost daily basis, we were left in no doubt they were West Ham's 'Messiah's'
I remember their first two transfer windows very well. We had David Gold telling us they were prepared to spend £100 000 per week on a top striker, with Ruud Van Nistlerooy being heavily linked with The Club .The reality was Mido signed on £1000 per week. The first summer transfer window was an eye opener. Seventy two hours before the expiry of season ticket renewals, came this gem on The Club's website: "The club is expected to sign six exciting players in 72hrs "The reality was Freddie Piquionne and Pablo Barrera. So a pretty damning start by any stretch of the imagination of their legacy at Brum. The truth will always set you free they say. Ignoring my mate's opinion of them, there are three ABSOLUTE FACTS about Gold and Sullivan's tenure at St Andrews. They most certainly left The Club better off, than when they arrived at Birmingham City. When they arrived at St Andrews, The Club was heavily in debt, and in the third tier of English football. With a Ground that was falling apart .Well they changed all that. They rebuilt St Andrews, had reached The Premier League, and were in the black by the time they left. Leaving aside the pure the theatrics of it all, one would have to say their time at St Andrews was a success.
This season in particular, many have told them to sell up .As frustrations have built regarding the transfer window failure. But sell up to who? Whatever one's opinion of Gold and Sullivan, they DO know how to run a Football Club. They know how and where to identify players, Sullivan in particular, is heavily involved in transfers at The Club, his experience shone through in the deals of both Tore and Zaza. He saved he club millions, by taking them out on loan first rather than buy them outright. What is the alternative to Gold and Sullivan? Owners like the owners of Blackpool Orient, Charlton and Leeds to name a few? People are not lining up to buy football clubs, post the financial credit crunch of 2008. And the Chinese buying our football Clubs? What would happen if the Chinese economy collapsed? Do you think they will stick around? Like hell they would! People think if a Billionaire buys a Football Club, they automatically splash the cash in the transfer market. Not now. You only had to look at the hysteria, created by the Everton takeover, to realise that. Ronald Koeman, would be able to spend a HUNDRED MILLION in the transfer window screamed the tabloids. Everton sold Stones for 50 million…and loaned Enner Valencia from us, says it all really!
Another mate of mine, who is a huge Aston Villa fan, hated Doug Ellis, The Villa owner before Randy Lerner. "DEADLY DOUG OUT! "Was his battle cry. When Lerner bought The Club I kept hearing " 'Uncle' Randy is going to spend MILLIONS in the transfer window!" To be fair to Lerner, he did spend millions in the transfer window. In the last couple of years before he sold Villa, Lerner hardly spent a penny. As Villa slid down to The Championship, my mate startled me one night when he said: "I wish Deadly Doug had The Villa! "WHAT??" I replied. He then said that the big problem with Randy Lerner was, that although he tried, he was out of his depth in the transfer market for starters. "What do you mean? "I asked. "Well he paid £31 million to your lot for Reo Coker, Collins and Harewood for starters" he replied. He had a point. Sunderland are in exactly the same boat now, Ellie Short, their owner wants out but can't get rid of The Club. Can any of you imagine that scenario at West Ham? No chance!
Many think I HATE The Board and WANT them to fail. Rubbish! If The Board fail, West Ham fail, so that is a no go. I have my fair share of clashes with them on twitter and the rest !I had one run in with @DaveSulleyjnr,on twitter after we failed to bring in a striker on transfer deadline day. Dave, who was 14 at the time replied: "Support your Club! You moron!" Of course it kicked off, with fans saying that he had no respect for the fans. Me? I had a huge grin, poured myself a Jack Daniels and thought:"Fair play he stuck up for his old man" I have had sporadic contact with Dave since, and I will vouch for him. Nice guy and bright, and an independent personality. My dialogue with Dave left me an impression of Sullivan in particular. Like most human beings they have their faults, deep down they are not bad people running The Club. What we don't need is the constant lies and spin. No need to leak stuff like we are 'closing in ' on Messi and Neymar! It just causes a negative vibes between them and the supporters! We understand that David Sullivan, the majority shareholder, although a billionaire, only has £500m in liquid assets. So cannot go paying 40m plus wages at a time, for three or four players at a time.
When you look back at the squad we had when they took over. You can see that they HAVE made progress! Back then we had the likes of Spector, Kovac and Boa Morte in midfield, we were paying Kieron Dyer NINETY three grand per week! Dyer made Sakho and Carroll look like ever presents, such was his sick note record. Back then we only dreamt of players like! Payet! Lanzini! Kouyate! Song! Carroll, Fonte! Ayew to name a few players, that they have brought to The Club .Even some of last summer's recruits are coming to life, and doing well. Fernandes and Arthur Mausaku, spring to mind. Mausaku is proving to be a revelation, just hope he does not suffer second season syndrome. Sam Byram is another signing who is coming along nicely. The future is most definitely Claret and Blue. Like it or leave it, Gold and Sullivan own The Club that will not change. No realistic takeover bid on the horizon, so it's got to be ….Gold and Sullivan in.
PLEASE Mr Chairman cut the spin and downright lies!
We are more than a football club, we are a way of life!
Farehamhammer!!!
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Fonte: that one's for the fans!
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham defender Jose Fonte has dedicated Friday's night's win over Tottenham to the Hammers supporters. And Fonte, who starred in the 1-0 win that effectively ended Tottenham's title hopes also revealed that he was finally feeling at home in Slaven Bilic's new system, which allows the Portuguese to play along two fellow central defenders. "It was a great night," the 33-year-old told whufc.com. "When we play like this as a team and work hard, it's very difficult to beat us. "Well done to us and well done to the fans, who created an unbelievable atmosphere. They helped us to win the game and this win is for them. "I'm pleased for these last few results and I'm pleased the fans have supported us. If the fans want to, they can make it hell for the opponents and that's what they did on Friday. They were loud, they were intense and we felt it – goosebumps. Well done to the fans, because they were massive and this win is for them.
"We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets. The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me! "When we play like this as a team and work hard, it's very difficult to beat us."
Meanwhile fellow defender Aaron Cresswell - who only played on Friday night as a result of Arthur Masuaku's injury - insisted it was good to give the fans some reward for their unwavering support in what has proved to be a difficult season. "The fans put bums on seats every week," he added. they're there in their numbers so it's nice to give something back and it's nights like this that I'm sure they enjoy. When the game finished I was with Nobes and Ginge and you're looking at the crowd, seeing how happy they are and singing and dancing after the game. "That's what you live for as footballers."
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West Ham 1-0 Spurs (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
1. Tonight The Streets Are Ours
What a night. Stick that up your fucking cheese lounge, Mr Levy. We might have had to wait an eternity for something worth watching this season, but when it finally came it was thrilling and uplifting. This was joy.
For what is being a football fan about if not joy? The relationship between ourselves and Spurs is at once both complex and simple, but tonight there was nuance everywhere. Their fans are determined that this a fixture about which they are ambivalent. They have always had bigger fish to fry and grander ambitions than merely beating us - "the Pikeys", I type incredulously - apparently. Of course, that particular sobriquet always tells you everything about the person saying it and nothing of the person it is being said about, but let's brush past that.
No, the problem is that this fixture has recently had the inconvenient feature for those indifferent Spurs fans of being a bit important. Last year, we were both flying and Spurs were cowed at Upton Park, just as we were insipid at the Lane. But tonight was Spurs biggest game of the season, if you use the not unreasonable logic that losing would end their electric title charge.
But still their fans insist it was our Cup Final. And maybe it was - our season ended months ago in a blaze of nothingness after all, and actual cup runs aren't really our thing. I guess the piece I can't quite understand is the way in which Spurs fans are so insistent (correctly, I might add) that defining yourselves by comparison to a superior local rival is the mark of a tinpot club, just one week after celebrating finishing above Arsenal like it was the fall of Baghdad. Had there been a giant statue of Arsene Wenger you can bet your life it would have been sawed down and decapitated on Seven Sisters Road last week.
In the end, I don't really care how Spurs fans feel about this game, but I will say that the general air of indifference is a bit unconvincing. Indeed, it just strikes me as the footballing equivalent of the teenage boy who has been dumped by his girlfriend and is now insisting he never liked her anyway whilst refusing to leave his room. It might be true, but it looks to the outside world like you are simply trying to inure yourself to the pain.
And that point brings me back once again to joy. The sad truth is that joy travels hand in hand with despair. For Spurs fans this defeat will be the canvas upon which they will one day paint their own joy. That's what football does to us. But this was our night. I have carried the pain of our November 3-2 loss for nearly half a year and tonight it was washed away. Joy.
2. Nothing Like A Friend
The brilliant Alan Fisher wrote this piece about that 3-2 game in his Tottenham On My Mind blog, and even he succumbs a little at the end to the weird notion of indifference. I love Alan's writing - he has soul, if you'll excuse me going all Roddy Doyle for a moment - but to me this smacks of the cockerel doth protesting too much.
We all went to schools with a mix of West Ham and Spurs fans, there are families everywhere around Essex and North East London split claret and blue and lilywhite, and there was a garrison of riot police officers at this game for a very good reason. Simply saying that they don't care about beating West Ham isn't really enough - they actually have to mean it, surely? All those last minute goals certainly seemed to spark celebrations that suggested they cared at least a little.
But in the curious London footballing ecosystem, it can't be ignored that we're not going to be as important to Spurs as Arsenal. This makes obvious sense, even if there were times over the last twenty years when you wondered why they didn't make a bit more out of their dust ups with us - they could actually beat us, after all.
As such, I'm fine with the notion that it means more to us than them. Our natural geographic rivals are Orient, whilst our historic and vicious feud with Millwall dates back to a dockers strike in 1926 that nobody knows anything about but feels obliged to still be upset about. Like Chelsea in the West, the fact our nearest neighbours have declined leaves us without a natural enemy and thus Spurs fit the bill.
So, was this our Cup Final? I don't know, and in all honesty I don't give a shit. We're not a homogeneous group of drones and each of you will make up your own mind. All that matters is that we won. Deservedly. And it was wonderful.
3. Tonight
Enough of the cod psychology. "What of the game", I hear you ask?
As usual, @11tegen11 reveals much. For all the increasingly demented commentary on this thread from Spurs fans, I don't see how anyone could have viewed this as anything other than a richly deserved home win. Except, perhaps for the visiting Spurs fans at the game who dragged in their chaise lounges and sun loungers so they could relax and keep half an eye on the game while they played canasta behind the goal, because they don't care about this fixture.
We started like the office of a Tottenham sheet metal working firm - on fire. Bilic has faced Pochettino four times now, and on three occasions seems to have bested him tactically. It's a small sample size, and the Spurs man is clearly destined for greatness, but it's an interesting point to note. It feels to me like Bilic has spotted a weakness in the North London ranks. When they play well they squeeze you into submission like a python, albeit one with cringeworthy preplanned goal celebrations, but seem surprisingly clueless when faced with the same tactic.
Much is made of the fitness of Spurs and their double training sessions - mainly by them, it has to be said - but here they looked leggy. Our extra day of recovery probably deserves a mention. There has also been a strain of commentary in the media suggesting that they bottled it here, but I think that's wide of the mark; I thought they were just outplayed.
Calleri and Ayew led from the front and harried the usually impeccable Vertonghen and Alderweireld into costly errors. By the end Toby even had a hair out of place. When the Argentine was eventually replaced it was to a standing ovation from a crowd who recognised that most universal of footballing truths - when it isn't going your way, work a bit harder. The poor fucker looked more tired than a fireman on the Seven Sisters Road dealing with all those spontaneous fires in the area.
Behind them Cheikhou Kouyate was a giant amongst men and the lung busting standard bearer for Bilic's high intensity death march. Before the game most Hammers were delighted to see Dembele on the bench, but concerned about the physicality of the Spurs central pairing of Dier and Wanyama. In the end, it wasn't even a fair fight as the Senegal captain hoisted both of them on to his shoulders and wore them like a gilet. By the end, both had been withdrawn - Wanyama to the bench and Dier to the back line. It might have been the single best individual performance I have seen at that stadium, and highlights the madness of playing him at right back ever more starkly.
Elsewhere, there were heroes aplenty. The back three give the distinct impression that they all enjoy having another person around to cover for mistakes and throw themselves desperately in front of shots. Jose Fonte against Dele Alli looked like something you'd only ever see in a Wes Craven film, but in the end the Portuguese stuck the quicksilver Spurs kid in his bum bag and didn't let him out all night. No doubt there will be better days ahead for him, but here he just spent the evening on Snapchat to Gareth Bale asking about decent club nights in Madrid.
Ahead of him Harry Kane looked hopeless, but then he always does when I see him in the flesh and he still has five goals in six games against us. Football makes fools of us all. Here he came up against Winston Reid in dominant form. Having the Kiwi skipper and Adrian back in the fold has rejuvenated us, and we kept a third successive clean sheet that the above xG shows was never really under threat. The most nervous moment came when Kane poked one goalwards from a penalty box scramble and Adrian diverted it over the bar with his foot. He might the most unorthodox keeper around but he stood up here when we needed him. Unlike Kyle Walker, who spent most of the night throwing himself to the ground in search of fouls.
4. Standing At The Sky's Edge
With half time approaching, the game shifted. Suddenly the visitors were moving forward. No real menace to their play, but an undeniable purpose. Christian Eriksen is a silken dream of a footballer and when he got on the ball my stomach began to clench as though I'd eaten a suspicious looking lasagne. But there was nothing much to get stirred up about and instead there was a sense of menace rather than evidence of danger. At one point, some of the visiting Spurs fans lowered their books and had a quick look before returning to their reading, because they don't care about this fixture.
By half time the concourse chat was mostly fearful, although tinged with a pleasant hint of surprise that we were making a game of it. It should be pointed out that most of my fellow Hammers seemed to have allayed their pre match concerns of a tonking by getting mind warpingly drunk. I could see the logic, unlike one bloke I encountered who apparently couldn't see anything at all.
The presupposed threat from the Spurs full backs hadn't really materialised. Ben Davies had his hands full trying to stop Byram, who had wisely decided that given his defensive deficiencies he was going to do as little of it as possible and spent the entire evening bombing forward instead. On the other side Walker seemed distracted. When he wasn't falling over he was on Right Move looking for properties in Manchester, and he was another to be later withdrawn from the fray. Cresswell, his opposite number, started tentatively but grew into the game and eventually helped set up the goal. He seems to typify our lost season, but here there was a little more swash to his buckle once again. If nothing else, the sparkling form of Arthur Masuaku seems to have jolted him into life. It's almost as if having competition for places is a good thing.
Going into this game you would have said that Nordtveit and Fernandes were unfortunate to lose their places, and there is truth in this, particularly for the former. However, on nights like this, when the stakes are high and the margin of error is low, Bilic needed men he could trust. Up stepped Mark Noble, once more unto the breach and all that, as Bilic might say.
The skipper clattered Eric Dier early and got a yellow, which didn't stop him covering more ground on the pitch than anyone else. He had been preceded by Walker leaving a foot in on Byram, and the tone was one of disjointed action amid lots of speed and physicality, with no sense that anyone had much idea what they were doing. A bit like a Fast and Furious film. Our main chance was a Kouyate strike where he got his feet mixed up and ended up smacking it so far wide it nearly hit Walker. Thankfully it didn't or he'd have just fallen over again.
But after the break, we were rejuvenated - score one more for Bilic - and swarmed them once more. The goal, when it came, was much like the game itself; bitty and disjointed, with Spurs tentative and West Ham purposeful. I'm glad it was Lanzini who scored as he is the player who seems most joyful at his lot in life. He is the only Hammer who could threaten a joint West Ham/Spurs XI and nobody gives a shit about that because those aren't actually a real thing. As his strike hit the net, a roar erupted to lift the roof off - and given the shitty design of this stadium we probably shouldn't dismiss that as a possibility - and a season of futility and frustration evaporated up into London's toxic airspace. Forget Bournemouth - this was the night that the London Stadium became our home, even if Barney Ronay conjectures that it might be the worst designed football stadium in the world. To my great-grandchildren who might be reading this fifty years from now, I say - "Sorry kids, the drawings looked a lot better than the real thing. Also, apologies about the inheritance tax thing. I forgot about that".
The last thirty minutes were torture in reality, but comfortable upon reflection. Spurs huffed a bit but all the best chances fell to us on the break. Calleri and Fletcher both ought to have scored but were denied by fine keeping from Lloris. Our goalkeeper, by contrast, was doing this:
And so we scratched through to full time, a thoroughly merited three points, and a brief sojourn into the top half. By the point we entered added on time, the Spurs section was almost empty. I couldn't actually believe that given their record of recent late goals against us, but in truth their team hadn't given them much by way of hope. Or maybe they really don't care about this fixture.
Whatever. We deserved this. Savour it.
5. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Was A Train Coming The Other Way)
Where exactly does this leave Slaven Bilic? Watch the game again and you'll see a well drilled back line, and a clever tactical system that allowed his wing backs to range far up the pitch. Spurs fans complained that we parked the bus, but that's the bitterness talking. The four full backs all had average touch positions in pretty much the same place, with the difference being that our three man backline allowed us to cover ours when they went forward.
By contrast, there were acres in behind Walker, in particular. Twice Lanzini drifted into the inside left position, once scuffing his shot across the goal and the other time being taken out by Lloris. From behind it looked a clear red, but in fairness I was sat in the stratosphere. There are people in Westfield who were closer to it than me. Either way, it was a sign of the rewards we would enjoy all evening on that side of the pitch.
But the nagging feeling that enveloped me as I watched this was one of slight incredulity. Where the hell was this all season? Watford scored four times past us. Watford! If they score four in training they release a fucking DVD.
So we can mutter all we want about Bilic seeming to have an edge on Pochettino but the twenty nine point difference between us puts the lie to that one. The gap between the two teams is as wide as a canyon, even if we bridged that gap tonight with a Herculean effort and an Argentinian jewel.
Context is important too, however, and Spurs were missing only Danny Rose, while our injured list included Pedro Obiang, Michail Antonio, Diafra Sakho, Andy Caroll, Arthur Masuaku and Angelo Ogbonna. But in some ways, I find that just annoys me even more - if Bilic could manage this with half his first team missing then what the hell has been going on all year?
I suspect that survival and the first truly great night at the new stadium will save him. I've said before that I can't see how we can progress with this level of chaos off the pitch, but Bilic deserves credit for keeping the team with him through a traumatic stadium move, the Payet bullshit, the annual injury crisis and the general maelstrom that surrounds West Ham.
As with everything that involves our board, the major benefit perhaps is simply that not firing him means they don't have to choose a replacement, and the less decisions they make about footballing matters, the better.
6. No Way Home
Still missing Upton Park? Me too, but it's undeniable that tomorrow the London Stadium will feel a different place than it did this morning. Now we have an "end" we can point to where someone scored a meaningful goal! Now we have a template for a victory over good teams! Now we have a spot in the crowd where the team celebrated and injured a fan!
The atmosphere tonight was fully present and correct. I thought the Spurs fans were mostly silent, but my cousin sat next to them said this wasn't the case, at least in the first half. Perhaps this was due to a particularly exciting turn of events in the group wide Scrabble competition they were all participating in as they ignored the game because they don't care about this fixture.
Either way, it speaks to the volume around me that I couldn't hear them. This was how it should be all the time, lively and fun and tense and loud. Thankfully, also, there was no anti-Semitic bullshit, no racism and no "mong" stuff at Kane. After all, "Tottenham Hotspur, it's happening again" is fine - to be encouraged, frankly - but "DVD, DVD" at a Korean winger is not. I'm glad we passed the test. It shouldn't need to be said, but it does.
There are still problems, of course, and I still wake up each day in the hope of reading a back page headline (or a tweet from the Club's official spokesman if he doesn't have a biology GCSE that morning) telling us that the track is coming up and the radioactive waste isn't actually radioactive because Brian was holding the machine the wrong way up again for fucks sake Brian, and we're getting a new, Spurs style stadium to call home.
But wishful thinking never got anyone anywhere - except for that time Simon Pegg said "Yeah, I'll write a Star Trek film" and Paramount said yes, and then Simon Pegg had to actually write a Star Trek film and apparently did it whilst on magic mushrooms - and so we have to accept we're stuck with the place.
I maintain that memories will be the difference. Make the team comfortable and in turn they'll reciprocate. Jacob Steinberg highlighted lots of the issues in this thoughtful piece for The Guardian, and the reality is that the view isn't getting any better and the gaps in the seating aren't disappearing, but after this I think it will feel an awful lot better for the Liverpool game.
7. Just Like The Rain
What a player is Manuel Lanzini. He and Eriksen were the two outstanding technical footballers on display tonight. His importance to us was highlighted on the many occasions he picked up the ball deep, slipped the Spurs press and cajoled his team mates forward. It was a bravura performance that also featured a proper defensive focus as he tracked back to contend with the rapier like Spurs counterattacks that failed to rouse any of their fans from their evening snoozes because they don't care about this fixture.
The way that Lanzini has stepped up to replace Payet has been fantastic, and all the more so for his young age. In quieter times I might ponder whether we really made enough of having them both in the same team together, but either way he is emerging as one of the best young midfielders around.
There was some paper talk recently suggesting that Antonio was looking to leave, being not unreasonably pissed off that he was on less money than Robert Snodgrass. As am I, to be honest.
His agent quickly denied this, leading me to conclude that his agent planted the story and that Antonio will therefore soon get a raise. In that spirit it would be hard to argue with the same outcome for Lanzini. Along with Reid, Antonio and Obiang he has been the core of this team and needs to built around. The summer challenge will be to find a player to complement him, without driving him into the shell that he perhaps inhabited when Payet was in town and still talking to everyone.
For what it's worth, he's the front runner for the never-coveted-by-anyone H List Player of the Year award.
8. I'm Looking For Someone To Find Me
Adrian could fit that description too if he could find this level of consistency all season. I mention his unorthodoxy above, but it's still notable that he has not yet conceded a goal since returning, despite facing the twin buzzsaws of Lukaku and Kane. It's impossible to prove a negative, unless you're a barrister for Sheffield United apparently, but it's hard to imagine Randolph would have made both those saves from Kane and Son tonight.
Adrian remains a walking cardiac arrest inducer, but on nights like tonight it was reassuring to look at our goal and see him wandering around yelling stuff manically whilst maintaining an unmoving side parting.
There is an undeniable solidity about our back three now, and Adrian deserves credit for that too. Whilst chatting with Allen McKnight in a box before the Everton game (*) he suggested that changing a goalkeeper is often done in conjunction with the defence. Sometimes they'll prefer to play in front of one keeper over another, and as such a manager will resist change. It's a theory I hadn't really considered, and does suggest that perhaps Bilic had some private reasons for sticking with Randolph that we're not privy to.
And if you're thinking of suggesting that this is an area that McKnight would know a thing or two about, it's worth me saying that he made the joke himself.
(*) Literally the worst bit of name dropping you will ever read.
9. For Your Lover, Give Some Time
Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, we can now start to plan for next season. Achieving safety might seem like a prosaic event after the highs of last year, but it should allow our off the field scouting and analytics teams to swing into action. Or at the very least, log into YouTube.
One would hope that the scouting department have multiple lists of potential players dependent upon our likely schedule next year, contractual situations, any European football, injuries, AFCON and, yes, which division we'll be in.
One does indeed hope for all of that, but one also is prepared to accept that we might simply be waiting for Jack Sullivan to break up for the holidays before we can really start scouting in earnest.
Matches like tonight might give us cause to consider the situation of players like Collins, for instance, but at some point we have to make an effort to get younger. If nothing else, buying some more players on the right side of 30 at least gives us an opportunity to get something back when we sell them. Consider that Feghouli and Nordtveit would probably bring back about £15m if sold over the summer (source: Transfermarkt), and then consider that the same website already suggests that Snodgrass and Fonte have lost value - or likely were overpriced to begin with.
Consider also the customary, but still awful, injury list. I said this only last week, but we need to consider player fitness as being equally as important to anything else. The amount of times we have lost Carroll and Sakho this year shows the sheer folly of not attempting to supplement our striking options last summer. I refuse to count Zaza here, because any man who can insert an interpretative dance routine into a penalty isn't a serious striking option.
With no news of a Director of Football on the horizon, we shall have to assume that David Sullivan hasn't become self aware yet and will continue to treat the Club as his plaything. This usually means six or seven new signings, one awful tabloid exclusive interview and someone from South America. It doesn't fill me with hope, and I am really terrified about where we might get that striker from. But what I took from tonight, heroic and life affirming as it was, is that we too often are forced to rely on our players raising their games to compete. It would be a hell of a lot easier if their levels were just up that high to begin with.
10. Lady Solitude
Karren Brady has a column writing for The Sun. This strikes me as pretty tone deaf given the papers history with football, but there you go. This morning she wrote something about how more women should be like Theresa May, which just conjured up visions of me asking my three daughters how their day at school was, and all of them replying "strong and stable".
She also wrote this about Spurs.
I usually find the stuff that Brady writes about Spurs to be unnecessary. As an example, she previously criticised Harry Kane for writing "we've had a baby" in an Instagram post like every other human on the planet would, as Brady thought this wasn't giving enough credit to his partner.
But in this case, I don't see the issue. She's saying what everyone is thinking - that Spurs are going to have to cough up soon, or lose some players. Walker already seems to be gone, and if Real decide they want Alli then that will happen too.
Brady is taking the opportunity to highlight that, to a rival who bid for a ground they didn't want and insisted the athletics track be retained. As part of that process, men ended up in court for hacking her phone. Let's face it, if Jose Mourinho says something similar before their game next week he'll be heralded as playing mind games, and being a master tactician.
So if Brady has a pop at them in print, and it's this sort of thing that's actually credible and makes sense then I don't really have an issue with that. And neither will Spurs fans. After all, they don't care about West Ham.
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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One magic moment in time changes everything
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Paul Walker
It wasn't just any old goal, was it? That gem from our very own little pearl, Manuel Lanzini. It has changed the course of our immediate history and maybe seasons to come.
I don't feel that is over-sensationalising the effect of Manu's winner against Spurs, such was the gathering cloud hanging over every aspect of our progress as a club and the great master plan of our owners.
Relegation was not part of that plan, the loss of so much money and status a nightmare of biblical proportions. Far too many folk were dismissing the prospect of the drop, more fool them.
The form hit by Swansea, Hull (before that home defeat by Sunderland) and Burnley, the big Sam factor…all set against a West Ham side defending like clowns ,losing players to injury by the shed-load and failing to show any sign of a collective spirit and purpose.
I don't doubt for a minute that David Sullivan, David Gold and Lady Karren were terrified of the prospect and its implications. Even the current position is bad enough to contend with. But it took the arrival of the despised , patronising, laughable entitlement of the second biggest club in north London to galvanise our great little club. The management, the team, the vast sways of fans were united as one.
Sadly I missed it. Entrenched in deepest Cheshire with a bottle of wine and family illness to occupy me. But I witnessed on TV something not seen this season at the OS. A collective, defiant spirit. Proper defending, team ethos, a refusal to give an inch to a deluded club who have never understood that talking big about winning titles, claiming top spot whatever, before they face us is just asking for trouble.
The noise was deafening, the unity so obvious. And the best bit? Seeing our fans as one. No longer old hands and tourists, newbies and first-time season ticket holders. It is what our owners have prayed for.
The whole place was rocking, and I have even seen pictures of thousands of fans celebrating outside on the soulless (not any more!) concourse, with its concrete and boulders, its queues and over-priced food.
There was 50,000 plus--there were some Spurs fans there, I believe--howling their defiance. Sullivan was spot on in his programme notes, stating: "Let's take the opportunity in front of the TV cameras and a captive audience of millions around the globe to show the passion that makes our fans famous worldwide, and to illustrate the effect your support can have on the team throughout the game".
Frankly Spurs' supposed wonderkids couldn't cope with it and Dele Alli was back to his petulant, stamping schoolboy best. And as for his England mate Eric Dier, he was out there I assume? Well, they both ran into an inspired Mark Noble, whose legs haven't gone. Jamie Redknapp on Sky reckoned he'd need a weekend in the ice bath to recover, having run 7.8 miles for the cause, further than any one else on the pitch, further than any of Poccho's supposed super-fit wonder kids.
I do hope that calms down the anti-Noble brigade a bit. Slav said he was brilliant, and as long as Bilic remains manager, Noble will continue to play a major part in this club, that's obvious.
That one match, Manu's one goal, changed the perception of the club overnight. And it has taken a battering so far have we regressed this season. Jacob Steinberg in a excellent, calm, thoughtful piece in the Guardian last week got it very right.
He explained the season of mishaps, fan unrest, transfer shambles, Payet's treason etc,etc without taking sides or blaming anyone. You sense he's a West Ham fan, he certainly writes with that level of concern.
Sullivan and co will know just how far we have fallen back from the supposed giant step to a higher level that just has not happened on the pitch. Off it, well that's different...
Alan Pardew, in one of his increasingly regular TV spots these days, talked of our owners doing an excellent job. And he's right. Forget all the personal stuff, all the emotion, just look at a management that has doubled the fan base, raked in vast amounts on the commercial and corporate side to put us--financially at least--amongst Europe's top 20. That has been a success.
Trouble is, everything from UEFA regulations to financial controls, works against a newcomer breaking into the elite.
Last summer was our best chance of selling the dream. Seventh place, within touching distance of CL qualification and with a bright, vibrant manager and a team capable of beating their supposed betters on a regular basis. But we all know it went wrong. Even with all that going for us, the big names wouldn't come. We were not in the CL, simple as that.
Without going through the transfer failings again, in hindsight a few have been better than we first thought. It takes time for some people to adjust to new surroundings, and how were we to know that Simone Zaza was going to have a mentality and personality as brittle as crystal, or that Gokhan Tore was going to be that poor.
That still bothers me. When Slav arrived I was telling anyone who would listen that the one player he should bring from Besiktas was Tore. I had seen him at international level as well as club level in Europe and knew he was a tough, hard working, clever wide player. But he too lacked mental toughness, got injured and we are still paying his loan wages…one decision Sullivan certainly got right.
So it was down to Lanzini, our shining light this season, to bury that winner. It's still going to be hard to sell our club (no pun intended) to top players, who have no doubt heard all Dimitri Payet's moaning about what he discovered in the east end. Just think how tough our progress would have been from the Championship.
And of course, Bilic has survived yet another crisis, yet another 'he's got two/three/four games to save his job.' Tedious those stories, and always discounted.
Now I have not bothered my old friends in the industry much about West Ham. The saying goes that those retired should stay retired. But I have rung a couple of good mates, not to ask for sources of course but to find out what sort of briefings take place. And I have been assured that our place leaks like a sieve. Enough said really.
And surely all bets are off now regarding Slav's future. I felt he returned to international mode a few weeks ago, the sort of approach you have with a small country.
Croatia had a handful of very good players and then the outstanding Luka Modric. The rest just have to work their socks off. Bit like Wales. Gareth Bale is world class, then there's Aaron Ramsey, while the rest are journeymen.
An international manager at that level knows he has about 15/16 players to work with, and he picks the best system. We have had that problem for weeks, due to injuries and form loss. Slav had to get his most trusted people in the side, take a bow James Collins, and then make the most of what is left.
And it has thrown up five unbeaten games, three successive clean sheets and it has acquired nine priceless points. It has also produced unlikely heroes. We'd all seen the YouTube clips of Jonathan Calleri, so there's talent there. But it is clear now he lacks pace. Slav suggested months ago that he lacked the ability to adapt his game.
But what we have seen recently is a young man who probably never played with his back to goal for Boca Juniors but has had to learn to do that job. Against excellent Spurs defenders he held up play with the ball to feet, not in the air, turned defenders and made a real nuisance of himself running and closing down. He deserved his standing ovation and I would like to see him kept on, one certainly for the future.
But now we discover that the rogue Kia Joorabchin is behind the shell-club in south America we signed him from and he wants the lad to move to Italy. Hell, I thought we had seen the last of him and his dubious ability to affect team selection (the core really to the Carlos Tevez scandal). Why are we still dealing with him?
But we still have Manu. Great performance against Spurs and for a few weeks now, and it would be nice to see him tear Liverpool apart on Sunday.
As it is, his goal has given Sullivan and co a lifeline. The opportunity to spend more wisely, pay the big wages needed and to give Slav a balanced squad. Surely he deserves that now after all the months of pressure, much of it unnecessary.
Garth Crooks reckons we are lucky to have avoided relegation. But he's become little more than a fat, smug, annoying Spud these days. We cannot be lucky after Friday's result, just fortunate that the anguish didn't drag on any further.
At last there seems to be unity, whatever Pedro Obiang thinks. Sometimes his interviews this season have been a little odd, did he mean lack of unity between players, between manager and board, fans and owners, between manager and players. Who knows?
But in one marvellous night under the lights, it seemed like the Boleyn again. The word raucous was heard on TV to describe the atmosphere. Not a word I have heard since that last home game against Manchester United., the first anniversary being today(May 10).
That team, including subs was Randolph, Antonio, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Lanzini, Obiang, Payet, Valencia, Carroll, Sakho, Tomkins. Eight of those players were unavailable to Slav against Spurs…that sort of disruption to plans and progress says it all really.
Slav, surely now, deserves to start next season. In fact the board have constantly said that's what they want too. Well now, after the end of season review, they have the grounds to let that happen.
But lets be clear. Any repeat of this campaign, certainly until Christmas , will see a new manager at West Ham. Slav must know that himself.
But that's all for the future. Lets continue to bask in the glory of Friday, the demise of a club who believe they are so much better than they are. Their only triumph this season is to finish above Arsenal for the first time in two decades, but they will always be bigger than your lot, won't they?
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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Hammers second favourites in 'keeper race
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have emerged as second favourites to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The 23-year-old stopper was relegated to the Championship along with his side the weekend before last and is set to move on this summer. And whilst Everton have been cited by several sources as favourites to land the youngster - with rumours of a £17million fee having been agreed circulating - West Ham have today emerged as a surprise alternative.
Gambling firm Betstars this afternoon installed Slaven Bilic's side as second favourites (at 11/2) to sign Pickford, who received his first international call-up last October. They currently lead Stoke (6/1) - who are expected to lose Jack Butland this summer - and Manchester United (7/1).
Speaking about the potential loss of Pickford at the weekend, Sunderland boss David Moyes admitted that he faced a struggle to hold on to one of his top players. "You can see what he does for us with the saves he makes," he said. "He's been outstanding from day one."
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Noble leading by example
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Leading by example keeps Hammers captain Mark Noble working hard and he remains confident things will get better for him and the Irons. Nobes has struggled to find consistency since the Hammers move to the London Stadium, and the maiden season may not have panned out as fans had hoped, but quiet determination is the name of the game for the skipper. "I've always tried to lead by example, as in play at 100 per cent and give everything," he said in an interview for Blowing Bubbles Monthly. But ranting and raving isn't his way, even when the team is not performing as he would like and returning the results the fans crave. "When you play with the boys there are some characters that you couldn't have a go at during half time because they'd go into a shell. Everyone's got feelings and sometimes, especially me, you can't help showing them."
Just turning-up is never an option for the long-serving local boy from Canning Town. For many years West Ham fans scratched their heads as Noble was overlooked for full international honours, despite the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Tom Cleverley getting call-ups - yet Noble did have the chance to play international football with the Republic of Ireland as his grandparents are Irish and the team has come calling. "I love Irish people and half my family are Irish but for me personally I always dreamed of playing for England."
Also in the latest edition George Parris says players must forget about the newspaper headlines over the HMRC raids. "What I hope is that the players keep their focus on what they are doing on the pitch and haven't spent too much time worrying about what's happened off it," he wrote in his exclusive column for Blowing Bubbles Monthly.
The Hammers hero also speculates about the outcome of the Hammer of the Year - will it be Antonio or Lanzini, or is there someone else who should take the honour? The popular monthly magazine also looks back at the great escape of 10 years ago after relegation was a safe bet in March and the Hammers propped-up the table ten points away from safety. Fans will always adore Carlos Tevez for his goal that secured victory against the champions and ensured Premiership safety, but Mark Noble got better and better as the going got tougher for the Hammers and he was the unsung hero of the piece If you hear that distinctive piece of film theme tune blasting from the speakers and picture Tevez on the bike heading for the fence, remember it was Noble riding pillion.
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West Ham win leaves Fabregas smiling
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed that West Ham weren't the only team in London celebrating the Hammers' win against Tottenham on Friday evening. West Ham's 1-0 win in their final London derby of the season secured West Ham's Premier League status whilst almost certainly ending Tottenham's title hopes. And that, naturally, was sweet music to the ears of Fabregas and his Chelsea team mates - who now need to win just two of their final four matches to guarantee the Premier League title. "We cannot deny that a smile came onto our face," he told Sky Sports, when asked how he reacted to the result. "The more points that they drop, the better for us and the closer to the title we are with less games. "Now today it's all about us, we have to do our job. Today is that game that winning would mean a lot to the team and the club, so hopefully we can do that."
The win took West Ham to 42 points for the season, guaranteeing them at least a 16th-place finish - although the defeat of Spurs leaves them 12th in the table, level on points with Southampton and Bournemouth and just one behind reigning champions Leicester City.
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Valencia's European adventure over?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Enner Valencia is being linked with a return to his former club, once his loan spell with Everton ends. The Ecuador international has spent the entire season on loan at Goodison Park, but could be set to return to North America this summer after Pachua - from whom he joined West Ham in a £12million deal three seasons ago - signalled their interest in re-signing the 27-year-old striker. Valencia has made 21 appearances for the Toffees since moving to Goodison Park ahead of last summer's transfer deadline, aiding his cause with three goals. And it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could remain on Merseyside, with manager Ronald Koeman a particular admirer.
According to Mexican source @TransferLigaMX, Valencia has already held exploratory talks with Pachua having given tacit approval to a second spell in Mexico. He remains contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2019, having signed a five-year contract upon joining in 2014 - and it is the Hammers who will determine his future, either way.
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West Ham unlikely to offer Slaven Bilic new contract this summer despite interest from Fenerbahce
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Slaven Bilic's future at West Ham looks assured despite news that Fenerbahce are keen to appoint the Croatian as their next manager.
There was no appetite among the West Ham hierarchy to make a change even before Friday's 1‑0 win over Tottenham — with the emphasis now shifting to whether Bilic should be offered a new deal. It is unlikely, though, the board will rush into any decision regarding their manager, beyond next season. Bilic has a year remaining on his contract and is well liked by those in authority at the club but co-owner David Sullivan will want to see how West Ham start next season, before deciding on a new contract. Last season, when Bilic guided West Ham to seventh in the Premier League, Sullivan said he wanted to see if the 48‑year-old Croatian was a "one-season wonder" so it seems distinctly unlikely now, given West Ham's troubled season, that he would hurry into drawing up a new, improved contract.
However, the board will have noted the news from Turkey where Fenerbahce are reported to be keen on Bilic succeeding Dick Advocaat as their manager, who is set to be appointed the head coach of the Dutch national side. Bilic became a popular figure in Turkish football after managing Besiktas for two seasons, before moving to West Ham. West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate will miss the final two games of the season — at home to Liverpool and away to Burnley. Kouyate has been nursing a wrist injury all season and will undergo surgery this week with West Ham's place in the Premier League next term now assured.
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Slaven Bilic names the West Ham star who all the players love
HITC
Antony Martin
West Ham United have managed to salvage their season over this past month or so. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic wrote his regular column for the club's official website, and lavished praise upon Friday's match-winner Manuel Lanzini, sharing how the Argentine is loved by his fellow players. The 24-year-old spent the 2015/16 campaign on loan with West Ham, before making his move to East London a permanent one in the summer of 2016, for a fee believed to be in the region of £9 million. He has showcased his incredible talent on a regular basis, and has elevated his performance levels even further still since Dimitri Payet's acrimonious exit from the club, assuming the mantle of the Hammers' talisman with the minimum of fuss. The mercurial midfielder has scored eight goals in 33 Premier League appearances for the club thus far, and he will be looking to continue his development next season. Bilic highlighted Lanzini's importance to the team, when writing his regular column for WHUFC.com, sharing how hard the little Argentine works for his teammates:
"Lanzini is a young player, but a magnificent player. He works hard, he covers a lot of ground on the pitch and he is very good in the box. He's scored some amazing and important goals for us, he creates goals, the players love him because he is not one of those who wants to be spared the defensive part of the game. He works hard and he's brilliant to have."
Everything seems to be looking up at West Ham all of a sudden, and with some smart player recruitment in the summer, their fans will be hoping that their side can produce the kind of form that saw them finish in seventh position in the table last term.
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Sunderland want £25m for goalkeeper Jordan Pickford
HITC
John Verrall
Sunderland stopper Jordan Pickford has been targeted by the likes of Everton, West Ham United and Liverpool. According to a report in the Telegraph, Sunderland are planning to take advantage of the volume of interest in Jordan Pickford by forcing a bidding war for the goalkeeper. David Moyes has recently suggested that Sunderland will do everything they possibly can to keep hold of Pickford. However, there is believed to be a realisation from within the Stadium of Light that the 23-year-old will move on in the summer. Everton, West Ham United, Liverpool and Manchester City are all credited with an interest in Pickford. And Sunderland are believed to be searching to receive around £25 million for the stopper. Pickford has arguably been Sunderland's best performer this season, as the Black Cats have slipped to relegation. And Everton and West Ham both see Pickford as their first choice stopper next term. At the moment it is believed that Everton are leading the race to sign the England youth international.
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WEST HAM DUO NAMED IN PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Football Insider
8th May, 2017, 10:49 AM
By Russell Edge
West Ham pair Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini have been named in the Telegraph's Premier League team of the week. The news comes after the duo put in excellent performances to earn the Hammers a surprise 1-0 win over title-hopefuls Tottenham. The win also mathematically secured the club's top flight safety for another season and leaves them 12th after the weekend's fixtures.
Chief football correspondent for the Telegraph Jason Burt was the man who made the decision to place the two alongside the likes of David Silva and Aaron Ramsey who also enjoyed a profitable weekend with their clubs. Writing on the Telegraph website, Burt claimed that Lanzini: "Showed that he might – just might – be able to fill the void left by Dimitri Payet."
Lanzini has enjoyed a profitable season in front of goal for the Hammers, scoring eight league goals in 33 appearances, including another match winning strike in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace back in October. As for Reid, Burt credited his ability to take on in-form striker Harry Kane, writing on the Telegraph website: "West Ham bravely went man-for-man on Harry Kane with Reid taking on the role and physically dominating the Spurs striker as few other defender have done."
The West Ham mainstay has established himself as a key member of Slaven Bilic's starting XI and plays a pivotal role in the heart of the defence. The 28-year-old has made 29 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals. West Ham host Liverpool in their penultimate match this season, before travelling to Burnley on the final day.
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West Ham News: Euro giants plot shock move for Slaven Bilic
By Eren Sarigul - May 8, 20170
TurkishFootball.com
Turkish Super League giants Fenerbahce are plotting a surprise move for West Ham boss Slaven Bilic. According to the Express, the Istanbul based club want to replace Dick Advocaat with the Croatian tactician. Per the source, Fenerbahce will step up efforts to lure Bilic back to Turkey. Bilic previously worked in Turkey as manager of Fenerbahce's rival club Besiktas. The Yellow Canaries hierarchy are planning major revisions this summer following a disappointing season. Fenerbahce sit in third place in the Turkish league, eight points behind leaders Besiktas. Meanwhile, Bilic's position at West Ham is under threat following a rocky 12 months. However, Bilic's side defeated their biter rivals Tottenham by a 1-0 score line on Friday night. The Hammers next home game is against Liverpool on Sunday. West Ham currently find themselves in 12th spot with 42 points after 36 games. The London-based club have won just two of their last ten games in the Premier League.
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From frustrated winger to creative genius - the evolution of Manuel Lanzini at West Ham
The midfielder has blossomed since the departure of a certain stroppy Frenchman
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
07:00, 8 MAY 2017
Manuel Lanzini has come full circle in the five months. The Argentine midfielder has become a creative genius since the departure of Dimitri Payet back to Marseille in January. Slaven Bilic might disagree - and he has said as such - but Lanzini has stepped up enormously to fill the void after Payet left in such acrimonious circumstances. When the Frenchman was in town, Lanzini played second fiddle. He couldn't play in his favoured position because Payet was there and at the time rightly thanks to his stunning form. We saw Lanzini shafted out to the left or right wing, desperately craving the chance to get inside into that number ten role and play off the front man but he wasn't allowed to. But now? The 24-year-old is like a little puppy arriving at his new home for the first time. He's a bundle of energy, running about everywhere and bumping into things, getting into all sorts of mischief but then redeeming himself by scoring goals, like a naughty dog that ate that bit of meat off your kitchen floor that you dropped.
Seeing "The Jewel" left out on the wings was not pleasant. Lanzini couldn't have any influence at all on what was going on and when he did get the ball, he tried too hard and would inevitably lose it. The away game at West Bromwich Albion earlier this season was a real low point when the Hammers were whacked 4-2. It's now impossible to imagine just how worse off the Hammers would have been this season without Lanzini. Just his energy enough brings goals as he is involved in so many things that are good about the team. Since Payet's last game, Lanzini has scored five goals and got two assists, bagging two man of the match performances in the process but that doesn't tell the whole story. Lanzini wants the ball a lot more now and his teammates know it, so they give him the ball. He is always the option to get the Hammers moving forward and while defensively he is suspect, that doesn't really matter. We are expecting another summer of upheaval in E20 after this season is done in a fortnight's time but one of the main moves could well be tying the Argentinian magician down to a long-term contract.
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