Lanzini delighted by Argentina call-up
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini cannot wait to get down to work with the star-studded Argentina squad after being called up by his country for the first time at senior level. The outstanding West Ham United No10 has been included in La Celeste's 20-man selection for a mouth-watering friendly with Brazil in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 June, followed by a first-ever meeting with Singapore four days later. Lanzini, who has scored 15 times in 70 appearances in Claret and Blue, is excited by the prospect of training and playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala and former Hammer Javier Mascherano. "I'm very happy for this," he told West Ham TV. "To get a call from Argentina is a surprise, but now I'll go to Argentina and relax and then I'll concentrate on the games. "Of course I am very excited. It's very good to play with Argentina and with my country. It's amazing and I'm looking forward to playing with amazing players. "I feel ready because the coach [Jorge] Sampaoli called me for the team and I am happy for this."
Should Lanzini impress in the two summer friendly internationals, the 24-year-old will hope to keep his place for Argentina's next round of vital 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The two-times champions and 2014 runners-up are in danger of missing out on automatic qualification for Russia and need to win in Uruguay and home to Venezuela if they are to get their campaign back on track.
So, is he now targeting a place in Argentina's World Cup squad? "Maybe, maybe!" he smiled. Now it's time for me to be quiet and concentrate on these games. It's one chance for me to prove myself and I need to demonstrate myself."
Back at domestic level, Lanzini has become a hero among the Claret and Blue Army, particularly after ending the season in superb form.
The Buenos Aires-born star recently netted the winner in the home victory over Tottenham Hotspur and was again to the fore in Sunday's win at Burnley. "We needed to finish like this," said the man who made more Premier League appearances than any other Hammer this season. "Three points were very important as we were playing against a good Burnley team. The first half was half-and-half as we were asleep in the first minutes, but after that we played good. "Now is time to relax and go to visit my family, my friends and my son. It's good for us to finish like this. I go home now to visit my family. "I need to come back here and the fans for West Ham are amazing. It's very good for me because they always sing my name and this is amazing."
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Midfield duo pen new one-year deals
WHUFC.com
Moses Makasi and Noha Sylvestre have signed new one-year contracts with West Ham
The midfielders have been key men for the U23s this season as they won Premier League 2 promotion
Both are keen to impress the manager this pre-season
Midfield pair Moses Makasi and Noha Sylvestre have signed new one-year-deals with West Ham United. The duo, who have both regularly featured for the Academy of Football's U23s this season, have put pen to paper on contracts which will see them remain in east London until 2018. Makasi, who played 29 times for Terry Westley's team this campaign, also featured on the bench twice for the first team at the end of the 2016/17 season, including at Turf Moor against Burnley on Sunday. Swiss 19-year-old Sylvestre was also heavily involved in the Hammers' Premier League 2 campaign, making 25 appearances in all competitions and helping the outfit win promotion to Division 1 via the Play-Offs. Makasi – now 21 – has been with West Ham since he was nine-years-old, and was naturally delighted to extend his stay at London Stadium. He said: "It's a good feeling. I've obviously had a good season personally, going on pre-season tour with the first team [to Seattle last summer] and I had a couple of games on the bench, so all-in-all, it's been a good season. "I played nearly all the games for the U23s to win the Play-Offs with them, so that was great. "For the first team, there have been a few of us on the bench this season and it shows that hard work counts. If you have a good season, then the manager is always watching. "Next season, hopefully I'll get the chance to come on and make an appearance. It's been really good seeing how the Premier League works and how the manager does he pre-match meetings, how everything is done before the game."
Ahead of next campaign, Makasi has no doubts about what he hopes to achieve. "I think it is my time to go out on loan now," he continued. "I've obviously done the whole U23s season, had a good season, and it would be good to get out on loan, have a good July to December of playing first team football. "Hopefully I'll have smashed it ready to come back and be in the manager's eye line here. "I've been here a long time, nearly 12 years. This is where I want to succeed and make a living at West Ham by breaking into the first team."
Sylvestre, son of former Switzerland international Patrick, has impressed this campaign with his versatility, featuring at full-back though primarily being a central midfielder. "I'm obviously delighted to sign," he said. "I have always wanted to stay at West Ham, and I've been here for four years now. "I'm happy about everything here – the football, the life outside of football, because that's very important. "I am really excited about the future and what's coming up. There's a lot of work to do now and it's not finished at all. "It couldn't have been anymore perfect, this season. It was amazing to get promotion and the season overall, if I look back, has been very positive for me. I had plenty of opportunities to play and show what was about and I took them. "I can always do better, but my mind is really clear for next season, my objectives, and I just have to put that into practice."
Having seen teammates such as Declan Rice go on to make his first team debut this season, Sylvestre believes there is a clear pathway at the Club for those in the Academy. "You can see how quickly football moves sometimes, and one day you're in the U18s and the next you can be in the Premier League on the bench. I'm so happy for Declan Rice for making his debut, he really deserved it. "I want to be at the very top too, and being on the bench for the first team next season is one of my objectives. I'm not looking too far ahead though; I want to have the best pre-season I've ever had. "That's the first aim. If there's an opportunity later to go out on loan, I will because I need to experience adults football and a bit more physicality. "
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Head of Medical - Premier League is quicker than ever before
WHUFC.com
Premier League stars are facing ever more exacting physical exertions every time they take to the pitch.
With outfield players running more than six miles and averaging around 50 sprints in the average 90-minute match, the intensity of top-flight fixtures is placing ever more strenuous demands on their bodies.
At the same time, the scrutiny emanating from growing world of digital and social media is placing more psychological strain on players than ever before.
To that end, Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke and his staff face an ever-evolving challenge to keep players fit in both body and mind, with the aim of making as many as possible available for selection on matchday.
Stijn, it has been a momentous season for the Club, and for the medical and sports science department it has been no different, with moves to a new stadium and training ground…
"I think it's a vast improvement, and it just shows how ambitious the Club is. The training ground has improved a lot. We have five very big pitches for the first team, we have a good gym, we have got a good treatment room, so it's spot on."
What is your philosophy around training and how to prepare the players for matches, particularly as the physical demands of Premier League football have seemingly increased in recent years?
"Training is the biggest thing in a football club. We believe in training as a medical and sports science team. We believe in intense training and hard training is a vaccine against injuries. But we also believe that you need to be able to recover hard and be able to be professional.
"Football players should evolve to the environment where he is a football player almost 18 hours a day. We have gone away from footballers who are only athletes for two or three hours a day. So much more things are getting involved.
"Everything is quicker and more intense and more difficult and faster, so the room you have for improvement is becoming smaller. Details are becoming really, really important.
"In the last six years, the Premier League has become much quicker, the intensity is much higher and the risk for injuries is increasing with a congested calendar. We don't have a winter break, and there are many obstacles.
"But it's a challenge and I think we need to evolve to a different way of approaching day-to-day life and training, on and off the pitch, for all clubs in the Premier League to tackle this problem of injuries.
"It's more complicated but it's more challenging and more interesting, to be honest. Like I said, the Premier League is more intense, so we need bigger athletes, stronger athletes. To train different individuals and different athletes, you need different approaches than five, six, seven years ago.
"That's a challenge to implement those changes in the game."
What about the psychological pressures players now face that did not exist a decade ago – particularly the advent of social media?
"I think we all underestimate the power of social media. Sometimes an angry voice has a much louder voice on Twitter and Instagram and all these things. Not every player is built and has the robustness to deal with these mental things.
"If you have personal problems and you don't get in the team for example, or you have an injury and one thing after another piles up, it could just be too much."
We now go into the off-season. Some players are fit, some are undergoing rehabilitation following injuries or surgeries, while others are off on international duty, so how do you plan for this time of year?
"The players do an off-season programme and I urge the importance of taking a step back from football for a few weeks – not running, nothing – just enjoying yourself.
"And then the off-season programme kicks in for the fit players, and by the time they come back, they are really up and running.
"The balance is what is the right thing to do? You need to think about the total picture – what works, and what gives you the best results. Many of our injuries, depending on where they are in the stage of their rehab, will have holiday and they will work.
"Some players keep working and then have one or two weeks' holiday, other players will now be off for a few weeks and will then start very early in June all the way up to the season.
"We will find a way to deal with it but at the end of the day, we are a football club, and we need fit players and fit athletes, so we're looking forward to next season."
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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: SLAV STAYING, HAMMERS TO BID FOR MICHY, ZABALETA NEARLY A DONE DEAL?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 23 MAY 2017 AT 1:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Hello Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
West Ham are set to bid for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, who looks set to leave Stamford Bridge after just one season. (The Sun)
It has now been confirmed that Batshuayi and Iheanacho are our top two targets for the summer, and I would be pleased with either of them. I would prefer to sign Batshuayi though, because I think he has massive potential and I have wanted him for so long.
Tony Henry has insisted that West Ham need a maximum of three signings this summer. (Evening Standard)
If I am being honest, I think we need a minimum of three and a maximum of six or seven. They must be players that will get straight into our starting eleven too. We need game changers now, not squad players like we opted for last season.
Slaven Bilic is staying on as West Ham manager, and has targeted four new signings after talks with the owners. (Mirror)
I am glad that Slav is staying. I feel that he deserves to keep his job after all that he had to put up with last season. It is now the boards job to back him in the summer so that he can improve the team.
Pablo Zabaleta is set to become West Ham's first signing of the summer. (Evening Standard)
A very good way to kick off our summer business in my opinion. A quality right back with plenty of experience and leadership skills. I am sure he will be a brilliant signing for us.
Chelsea are interested in signing West Ham star Manuel Lanzini. (Express)
This simply will not happen. Manuel has already stated that he is happy at West Ham, and I see no reason for that to change. He is a massive part of our future, and we have to keep him with us for the long term.
West Ham have made a £120,000 bid for Lincoln City defender Sean Raggett. (Mail)
I have no idea who this guy is, but he is a very exciting prospect according to the article. If he is just that, then I will not be disappointed with him signing. However, I do wonder what that means for Recce Oxford and Reece Burke…
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Declan Rice: West Ham youngster called up to Republic of Ireland squad
BBC.co.uk
West Ham youngster Declan Rice has been called up by the Republic of Ireland for their upcoming friendlies and the World Cup qualifier against Austria. Rice, 18, only made his West Ham debut as a late substitute in the Premier League against Burnley on Sunday. In March, Rice was named the Republic's Under-17 player of the year. Rice, who can play in defence or midfield, is the second call-up to the squad in 24 hours after Preston's Alan Browne was drafted in on Monday. The Republic face Mexico in New Jersey on 1 June and take on Uruguay in Dublin three days later before the qualifier at home to Austria on 11 June. Uncapped Corkman Browne previously played for the Republic's Under-21s. The 22-year-old joins his Preston club-mates Aiden McGeady, Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle in Martin O'Neill's squad. Browne joined Preston from Cork City in 2014 and made 35 appearances for the Championship club this season. The Republic are level on points with leaders Serbia after five series of games in their World Cup qualifying group. Wales and Austria are both four points off the pace.
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Burnley 1-2 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 23rd May 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
1. Holiday
So here we are. And there we were.
Stamford Bridge, August 2016 seems like a lifetime ago. On that balmy night under a crimson London sky, we still had the fresh faced innocence of youth. Back then we could destroy Death Stars and rescue princesses. We were Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. At Chelsea we came striding on to the stage, bursting with the confidence of a season spent bloodying the noses of the elite and with the strut that comes from having Dimitri Payet in your ranks. We lost, naturally, but with the ill fortune that seems to have been our constant companion during Slaven Bilic's tenure.
But ultimately we ended somewhat as we started, with injuries everywhere, no fit strikers and a seemingly terminal lack of direction to our play. By now we were limping forlornly to the finish of a dismal season. Now we were Luke Skywalker at the denouement of The Empire Strikes Back.
In that vein, this wasn't a terrible game. It had the important feature of being unimportant, allowing us to watch it in the slightly catatonic, vacation like state that end of season games have when you're a bang average, mid table, vanilla scoop of a team in the giant Ben and Jerry's stand that is the Premier League. But that same lack of tension betrays something in itself. None of us watch our teams for safety. We watch to be entertained and for the pursuit of victory, however vain that might often be. To watch, perchance to dream, if I might misquote the Bard.
However much it might knot the stomach, I think I prefer my football with something riding on it.
2. Giving Up The Gun
I have seen some comments that paint this season as a triumph of sorts for Bilic. Amid the rubble left behind by Payet, he has fashioned a team that finished just two points - or a last minute Darren Randolph error at Sunderland - from 8th place. The stadium move, injuries like Platoon and a disrupted dressing room were among the trials he faced, and in the end he came through it all to lead us to 11th place.
There is no doubt some truth to all of that, but it's also true that the gap between ourselves and Everton (16 points) is enormous, and that's before we even consider the distant top six. We are firmly embedded in that glut of mediocrity that covers the bottom two thirds of the league.
I also find it hard to look past the self inflicted nature of some of our problems. The constant lack of a right back and the ludicrous and damagingly long exclusion of Adrian were both issues Bilic brought upon himself. Likewise, he must have some say in our transfers and therefore deserves a slice of the opprobrium for them, for if he really has no involvement then he should be moved on for a manager with a bit more spine who won't let his bosses suggest he does.
Sadly, as much as I find Bilic to be personally engaging and a seemingly very decent guy, I also can't look past those repeated shellackings at home. Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Man City again, Southampton, Leicester and fucking Watford all scored at least three times at our ground, whilst it would be remiss to ignore that we also somehow managed to go 4-0 down to West Brom without even the hint of a match fixing scandal.
At some point it feels like we need to stop fixating on the rumour that Payet was being disruptive and focus a little more on the fact that the former Croatia centre half and manager couldn't organise his defence to stand in a straight line and stop Salomon Rondon from scoring.
Arguing for Bilic's dismissal is pointless as he isn't going to be fired and also because I'm a blogger and nobody listens to me. But it feels reasonable to point out that Bilic surely won't survive another season of shambolic defending like this again. Sure, David Sullivan is happy to use the Club to promote his straight to DVD story about little known East End gangsters the Krays, but letting in four at West Brom is a bit embarrassing all round.
3. I Stand Corrected
I wonder if I owe Andre Ayew an apology.
Probably not as he's never read a word of anything I've ever written and therefore doesn't give a shit about anything I think. But, if you can just exclude the memory of him having an epileptic fit last week and hitting the post from two yards out, he's actually been playing pretty well of late.
He started this game up front on his own because Bilic lost a game of pre match swingball to Sean Dyche or something, but made a very decent fist of it anyway. He's absolutely not a front man, but as a support striker you can see his merits easily enough. If nothing else he has the happy knack of finding himself in goalscoring positions more often than any of his team mates.
The early pickings were slim as Burnley exploited the gaps in behind our wing backs very effectively, and opened the scoring after a glacial Andre Gray cross went through the legs of all three of our centre halves, two barstools, a giraffe and a snooker table before Sam Vokes tapped it past Adrian for the opening goal.
We were level within minutes however, as Sofiane Feghouli ran on to a lovely Ayew flick to smash home a very well worked equaliser. That chance arose after Burnley midfielder Ashley Westwood fouled Ayew and was rightly booked. It seemed inevitable then, that the home midfielder would see red when shortly after he landed a knee high tackle on James Collins.
Weirdly, referee Bobby Madley decided that knee high tackles are fine so long as you do them on the last day of the season and it's sunny and all the fans are in fancy dress. As such, Westwood got a mild telling off, while Lanzini then got a yellow card for a fairly inconsequential trip a few minutes later.
Premier League refereeing continues to distress me.
As it was, Sean Dyche would later announce that his team should have been "out of sight" at half time, which confused me as his team managed one shot on goal all day, so perhaps he really meant he literally didn't want to see them as they were a bit crap. No matter, as we came out firing after the break and dominated much of the play. This included winning our first corner after an hour which we then executed so brilliantly that after taking it short on the left we somehow managed to engineer a situation where the ball made it's way out to the right for Jose Fonte to cross towards Feghouli. This actually happened.
The winner eventually came when a Fernandes shot was parried straight up into the air by Tom Heaton, only to bounce off the bar to a waiting Ayew while Burnley defenders flung themselves into the net like parachutists exiting a glider. Aye meanwhile, buried it, as he is absolutely, unequivocally deadly from three yards except when he isn't.
Thereafter we had several chances to get a third on the break, but managed to butcher them all like we were drafting policy for the Tory manifesto. Thus we were left to cling to a 2-1 win that propels us to the giddy heights of two places below Bournemouth, with one victory more than 17th placed Watford.
All in all we've generally looked a better team away from home this season, where the uncertain atmosphere and general malaise of the London Stadium has been but a memory. More importantly, on the road we've been able to sit back and seek to hit teams on the counter and we did that very well here in the second half, frequently disrupting play high up the pitch and then leveraging that into opportunities for our wide players to run behind and then spectacularly fail to play the correct final ball.
No one disputes that there will need to be some major personnel changes this summer, but there does seem to be a method to how Bilic plays away from home that is working at least some of the time. We've still been too passive at places like Arsenal and Everton, but it's not hard to see the blueprint. The trick for next year is to find a more effective way to play at home.
4. White Sky
Anyway, I feel like Ayew needs a song and the chorus of this is perfect.
Skip to 1:06 if you can't stand the preppy magnificence of Vampire Weekend but either way I'm sure you'll agree it's perfect and not at all out of our vocal range.
5. The Kids Don't Stand A Chance
On a scale of "1" to "Oh Christ, What Now?", how much did you enjoy this tweet by David Gold?
The thing is, I actually have some sympathy for Gold here. He was responding to a graphic showing West Ham had zero minutes from teenagers in the league this year, albeit this was prior to Declan Rice's four minute cameo today that may well have been Bilic's way of trying to shut up his chairman.
I think what Gold was clumsily trying to say is that most youngsters don't make it at Premier League level. This isn't news to anyone who watches the game, but the problem is that he said it at a time when fans are particularly desperate for help from the youth team because the senior squad looks so sparse.
So, fresh on the back of the u23 team winning promotion to Division 1 of what is effectively the old reserves league, fans were clamouring for some kids to be blooded. Nowhere was there much questioning of the fact that they were in Division 2 for a reason and didn't even win it but needed a play off. Instead, there was the usual lust for "something else". Football fans at heart are romantic and we are suckers for the story of the local kid coming through the ranks while skilfully ignoring the reality that when it goes wrong - Ince, Lampard, Defoe - it does so spectacularly.
But the thing that Gold really didn't appreciate is the value that players acquire in the eyes of fans when they can't see them playing. Diafra Sakho has had a brilliant season from this perspective as he is more highly rated now than ever, simply by virtue of being absent from the fray for much of the year. Likewise, young players like Martinez, Rice and Oxford simply must be better than what we have because there is no evidence to the contrary. One might point to the fact that our Academy hasn't produced a worthwhile first team player since Junior Stanislas, but that will never land with those fans who demand youth as the answer to all, and the elixir for our dying first team.
Gold's angle, I hope, was that young players who are good enough will always force their way into the side through their performance in training or out on loan. As prime examples Martinez didn't do much at Oxford, whilst Oxford didn't do much at Reading, which is a sentence you may have to read a couple of times to make sense of. However, Martinez scored a couple of goals in said play offs, getting lots of fans excited, although many seemed to ignore the fact that Newcastle u23 seem to defend in homage to Kevin Keegan and therefore didn't actually bother doing any.
Look, I'd love for our young players to emerge soon and be brilliant, but I also trust our Academy coaches to properly evaluate them to determine those who are ready. They have the advantage over 99 per cent of West Ham fans because they have at least, you know, seen them play.
I'd also add that calling on them too young can be devastating for young players if it simply highlights their lack of readiness. I'm not entirely sure that Stephen Bywater ever recovered from his traumatic Bradford experience, as an example.
I'd like to think this is what Gold was trying to convey but, yet again, we find that tweets are rarely useful for addressing points with any nuance to them. What's perhaps most disturbing about this whole episode is that Gold somehow thought tackling it in 140 characters was a good idea. Yet again one of our chairmen is now a media story, as happens with depressing regularity, when a simple question to a media officer about whether this was a good idea for a tweet would presumably have elicited a "What? Jesus Christ, no! Give me that phone" response that I feel could preface about 50 per cent of all public pronouncements made by our current Board.
There is no doubt in my mind that our Academy has underperformed for years, but look at Chelsea for a salutary lesson on youth production. They regularly have the best youth set up around, but are yet to graduate anyone properly to the first team due to the fact that none have been good enough to displace the incumbent. One might call that harsh, or simply the nature of professional football, but the point is that if even the best Academy in England can't progress many youngsters to help the first team then perhaps we should readjust our sights accordingly.
However, in some ways that issue at Chelsea should be our biggest selling point. We should be advertising ourselves to young British footballers as a place to come and play because at least there is a pathway to the first team here. "Come and play for us - we're not Chelsea!" - that sort of thing.
Which brings us back to where we started. Instead of that positive message, this ill judged tweet, however Gold meant it, gave the impression of the exact opposite and punctured any good feeling that had built up after the u23 play off win. I like David Gold and think his willingness to interact with fans on social media is both stupid and slightly endearing, but getting dragged into topics like this is just ridiculous. A good rule of thumb, David - if it requires to you to send anything more than three tweets to clarify your position, then it's too nuanced a subject for Twitter. Go write a long ranting post on Facebook like everyone else.
6. Run
I can't be bothered to write anything further about a season ending game at Burnley, especially given that it had all the dramatic tension of a North Korean election, albeit with less accurate shooting. So instead let me give you some H List end of season awards:
Player of the Season
1. Manuel Lanzini
2. Michail Antonio
3. Pedro Obiang
Apologies to: Winston Reid
No apologies to: Darren Randolph, Simone Zaza, Gokhan Tore
In the week that he gets a call up to the full Argentinian squad, Lanzini picks up this prestigious award as well. There's a new series of Game of Thrones on the way too - Christ, what a time to be alive, Manu.
Picking up the mantle of being our only creative player after Payet disappeared, the diminutive midfielder was wonderful for the second half of the season. He scored crucial goals (helloooooo Spurs) and generally showed his team mates how to hold on to the ball for longer than the life span of a Tory policy on social care.
Behind him was Michail Antonio who started the season brilliantly, when played in his correct position which is Not Right Back. However, he tailed off a little towards the end and got injured before the run in. His fearsome physicality and unorthodox style made him one of our few leading lights this season, and the thought of him playing a full season with a proper striker in front is actually quite exciting. He also made the England squad but didn't get a game as Sam Allardyce opted for Theo Walcott instead and was fired shortly thereafter. Possibly as a result.
Third place goes to Pedro Obiang, who inexplicably started the season behind Havard Nordtveit but was soon making that position his own. As is customary, his season was cut short due to surgery, otherwise he probably would have won this award. He is, by now, the prime candidate to start in our central midfield with Kouyate next year.
7. Unbelievers
Goal of the Season
1. Dimitri Payet vs Middlesbrough (h)
2. Andy Carroll vs Crystal Palace (h)
3. Winston Reid vs Sunderland (h)
Apologies to: Manuel Lanzini vs Crystal Palace (a), Manuel Lanzini vs Leicester (h), Michail Antonio vs Watford (h)
I know, I know. It's not fashionable to speak positively of Payet, but to watch him slalom through the Middlesbrough defence was to watch a master at work. Carroll's spectacular bicycle kick at home to Palace was itself majestic, but it really only required one thing to be done well. By contrast Payet needed to do multiple things, moving at speed and ended up beating four players before slotting past the keeper.
Put another way, I think Payet could have scored Carroll's goal but the reverse isn't true. The mixture of skills required was sublime, and the fact that he later revealed himself to be an utter Sheffield United of a man doesn't erase that.
Elsewhere, I have a particular soft spot for Winston Reid's last minute winner against Sunderland as this was a last gasp throw of the dice where we eschewed giving it to any of our forward players and instead asked our centre half to do a Cruyff turn on the edge of the box and smash it home with his weaker foot. As one does.
8. Young Lion
Best Individual Performance
1. Cheikhou Kouyate vs Spurs (h)
2. Winston Reid vs Spurs (h)
3. Aaron Cresswell vs Crystal Palace (a)
Apologies to: Manuel Lanzini vs Spurs (a), Andy Carroll vs Middlesbrough (a), Michail Antonio vs Liverpool (a)
No apologies to: Darren Randolph vs Sunderland (a), Havard Nordtveit vs Liverpool (h), Gokhan Tore vs Literally Anyone
Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier - meet Cheikhou Kouyate, destroyer of seasons.
I'm just going to pick you up and put you out of the way. Big boys stuff, yeah?
It says much that all of the performances from the Spurs home game could have made their way in here, and none of it really dispels the myth that this is our Cup Final. Kouyate was immense, however, and gave us all a chance to nod and smile knowingly whenever our Spurs brethren start going on about the fearsome Wanyama.
Behind him Winston Reid was sublime, snuffling out Harry Kane - an achievement that would take on even greater merit when Kane would subsequently score eight times in his next three games.
It says an awful lot that the next best I could think of was a game in which the player in question was actually sent off. Cresswell made his return from serious injury at Palace and was superb up until referee Martin Atkinson went the full Hackett and dismissed him for having an offensive taste in music.
Elsewhere Lanzini turned in loads of brilliant games and could have easily filled all three spots himself, but I am nothing if not mercurial.
9. Step
Best Team Performance
1. Spurs (h)
2. Southampton (a)
3. Liverpool (a)
I doubt this can really have been a surprise to anyone. Our only decent home performance of the season against a good team and it came when we most wanted it. Half of the team were injured but we swarmed all over a neutered Spurs and Lanzini's second half winner was the least we all deserved for a season of rare travails.
Elsewhere we were much better away from home, and the come from behind win at Southampton was a doozy, as was the point earned at Anfield which is so rare that we welcomed it like a decent Ed Sheeran song. Or I imagine we would have done if such a thing existed.
10. Ya Hey
And with that, rather half hearted, effort we come to the end of the season. I would like to thank all of you who have persevered with The H List, and I want to say now how much I greatly appreciate every comment, like, share, retweet, link, upvote, subscription to the mailing list or just general nice feedback. It's been a laborious season in many ways, with the games often being shrouded in negativity and many of our faults going unaddressed for long periods, making the blog often feel repetitive.
I am therefore indebted to those of you who have kept reading and kept sharing my work. I can assure you that without that kindness I wouldn't bother carrying on.
In particular I would like to thank Graeme and Gordon at KUMB for carrying the H List on their site and to Phil and Jim from the Stop! Hammertime podcast who have been kind enough to have me on the show a few times this year. Michael Casagrande and Rob Coker were especially generous in helping me out with tickets and Andy Ellis single handedly ended the Lukaku streak by putting me in the Executive Boxes against Everton. I am indebted to you all.
Jacob Steinberg, Terry Land, Emily Pulham and Dan Silver were kind enough to participate in a roundtable with me and have foolishly agreed to do so again. Be prepared for Director of Football questions folks and keep an eye out for that sometime in the next month.
And lastly, I really must mention my wife - Mrs Shark - who never reads this blog ("it's too long - why on earth would anyone bother?" she says not unreasonably, before spending two hours reading Facebook posts), but is unfailingly supportive of me writing it, and puts up with a lot of me swearing at the iMac over our full back adventures.
I can't say for sure if The H List will return in the same format next season as there are a couple of other irons in the fire (not Zaza and Tore, sadly) whereby I might be doing some writing for some other publications next season. It's not my intention to abandon The H List however, but maybe my wife might get her wish and I might abridge it a little, or alter the frequency. We shall see.
That's all in the future, however, and I do plan to put some articles out over the summer. I was considering some retrospective H List's for games of yesteryear. If there are any you think would be decent let me know in the comments, and if I saw the game I'll give it a whirl.
And with that, I'll bid you all adieu for now. For all my whinging I love West Ham as one might love a family member. I know every flaw and every failing, but I also love them unfailingly and with the ferocity of a raging forest fire, and being able to share that with like minded Hammers is a privilege I don't take lightly.
Thanks to you all.
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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Rice named in full Irish squad
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 23rd May 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's uncapped teenage defender Declan Rice has been named in Martin O'Neill's Republic of Ireland squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Mexico, Uruguay and Austria. 18-year-old Rice, who made his first team debut for the Hammers at Burnley on Sunday afternoon will join the squad for the matches which are scheduled to take place between 1-6 June.
The Irish fly to the US for the friendly with Mexico on 1 June before returning to Dublin for another friendly against Uruguay three days later. 48 hours after that they face Austria - also in Dublin - in a World Cup qualifier. The move to introduce Rice to the full Irish squad is thought to ensure he cannot subsequently feature for England, who he is also entitled to represent.
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Feghouli "determined" to make an impact
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 23rd May 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sofiane Feghouli has signed off for the season - by insisting that he intends to make a success of his move to West Ham. The Algerian international featured in 27 of West Ham's 46 matches during the 2016/17 campaign but insisted that he wants to come back better and stronger ahead of the new season "I arrived last summer after signing a three-year contract with West Ham," he wrote in French via his Twitter page. "In a new city and a new challenge. "For various reasons, I did not play as much as I wanted but it does not change my goals for next season: to be as competitive as possible. My coach know that he can count on my professionalism and determination, as always. "When I come back from holiday in preparation for next season I'll be even more determined that when I first arrived."
Feghouli joined West Ham on a free transfer from Valencia last summer. He is contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2019.
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West Ham United owner's son to house homeless hero following Manchester attack
by Danielle Joynson
23/5/2017 | 10:00pm
The son of West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has revealed that he and his father want to rent a property for a homeless man who helped victims in the aftermath of the devastating terror attack in Manchester on Monday night.
Twenty-two people were killed and a further 59 taken to hospital with injuries after a man detonated an explosive at the Manchester Arena at 10.33pm.
The attack, which also resulted in the death of the perpetrator, occurred shortly after American popstar Ariana Grande completed her set in front of a 21,000-strong crowd, the majority of which were young people.
The identities of those that tragically perished are slowly being revealed, with the youngest so far just eight years of age.
Alongside the devastation there have been stories of heroics, one of which has caught the attention of many, including West Ham's owners.
A homeless man known as Steve was filmed by ITV explaining that he helped tend to the victims after witnessing the carnage while trying to sleep close to the venue.
Follow
ITV News ✔ @itvnews
'We had to pull nails out of children's faces': Steve, a homeless man who was sleeping near #Manchester Arena, rushed to help young victims
1:58 PM - 23 May 2017
52,118 52,118 Retweets 75,552 75,552 likes
David Sullivan Jr revealed in a series of tweets that he and his father want to help Steve get his life back on track as a reward for his selfless act.
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DAVE SULLIVAN JNR @DaveSulley
Me and dad want to rent the homeless man in manchester a house for 6 months to help him get on his feet 1/2
6:04 PM - 23 May 2017 · Theydon Bois, East
1,531 1,531 Retweets 2,117 2,117 likes
Follow
DAVE SULLIVAN JNR @DaveSulley
If anyone can help us get in touch much much appreciated. Such a self less act needs rewarding. Please tag anyone who can help us 💪🏼 2/2
6:04 PM - 23 May 2017 · Theydon Bois, East
764 764 Retweets 647 647 likes
After using Twitter and contacts at ITV, the Sullivans were able to track Steve down.
Follow
DAVE SULLIVAN JNR @DaveSulley
WE HAVE FOUND STEVE ! Shows the power for good social media has. Thank you to all those involved, you have helped change a mans life ❤️
8:46 PM - 23 May 2017 · Loughton, East
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West Ham need a 'maximum' of three signings this summer, insists director of player recruitment
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
West Ham need to make a "maximum" of three signings during the summer transfer window, according to the Premier League club's director of player recruitment. Slaven Bilic bolstered his squad extensively last summer, courtesy of nine new arrivals, but poor results on the pitch soon extinguished dreams of a European place. West Ham eventually sealed an 11th place finish on Sunday after beating Hull City on the final day of the season, leading to suggestions another overhaul may be required in order to propel the Hammers up the table.
But Tony Henry is adamant it will be a case of quality rather than quantity as he attempts to lure players to West Ham. "We need two or three, maximum. If we can get the ones that we want, I think we'll be a really good team next year," he told West Ham's official website.
The recruitment chief also expects the proposition of playing at the London Stadium to act as an added incentive for potential targets.
Henry added: "Obviously London is a massive thing for players, but obviously the new stadium, players come and they love it. "I remember when we brought Jose Fonte in in January, he just said the stadium was brilliant. "When he played for Southampton here, he said he thought it was fantastic. It's a massive pull."
Standard Sport understands Pablo Zabaleta is set to become West Ham's first signing of the summer. The Argentina international, who has been released by Manchester City, is due in the capital this week to discuss a two-year deal.
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West Ham move for Nigerian striker Isaac Success denied, but Watford teammate could replace Dimitri Payet
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United have been linked with a move for Watford's Nigerian striker Isaac Success. The Hammers are turning their attentions to the summer transfer window after bringing a difficult season to a close with an impressive 2-1 win at Burnley. Slaven Bilic has already been heavily linked with a host of moves for the likes of Joe Hart, Jordan Pickford, Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Kelechi Inhenacho and Hornets outcast Success. The Hornets signed Success for a club record £12.5million but the 21-year-old has endured a turbulent first season at Vicarage Road, starting only twice and playing barely 500 minutes of football.
Injuries took their toll as he fell out of favour with Walter Mazzarri and speculation had seen him linked with a move to East London, as reported by the likes of All Nigerian Soccer. But the Watford Observer has now claimed speculation is wide of the mark, reporting that sources close to the striker says he has been promised a clean slate under Mazzarri's eventual successor after the Italian was sacked. Hammers fans would be expecting the club to be more ambitious than going for a player who has thus far failed to make the grade at Watford. And Bilic could do a lot worse than turn his attentions to Success' teammate Roberto Pereyra who is battling his way back from a knee injury. The classy Argentine saw his hugely promising debut season in English football cut short through injury following his move from Juventus. Pereyra is on the comeback trail and the uncertainty at the club following Mazzarri's departure could leave the door open for clubs like West Ham to tempt him away.
While Manuel Lanzini has stepped up to the plate since Dimitri Payet forced through a return to former club Marseille in January, Bilic's side have missed the Frenchman's stardust. And Pereyra could bring some sparkle back to West Ham's play as they look to make up the ground they have lost on the top clubs this season when they rebuild the team this summer.
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Manuel Lanzini is shock Chelsea target as champions look to raid West Ham - reports
The West Ham attacking midfielder is wanted by Antonio Conte
Football London
05:30, 23 MAY 2017
WEST HAM
West Ham's Manuel Lanzini is a shock target for champions Chelsea. According to the Express, Michael Emenalo, the Blues' technical director, is a big admirer of the Argentinian playmaker and believes he has the ability to play at a much higher level. Lanzini has been one of West Ham's best players this season, filling in the boots of Dimitri Payet after the Frenchman's acrimonious departure in January. The 24-year-old has scored eight goals, including the winner against Tottenham earlier this month which helped Chelsea establish a crucial seven point lead over Mauricio Pochettino's side. However, Lanzini has insisted that he is happy at the London Stadium, saying:"The season was good for me on a personal level, at the beginning it was not great [as I suffered an injury on international duty in pre-season], but then I could achieve a good level. "For now, I am thinking of the next game then thinking of having good holidays with the family. I am very happy here."
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West Ham make £120,000 bid for Lincoln City's Sean Raggett after impressing for the Imps this season
Sean Raggett was one of Lincoln City's standout performers this season
He helped them to the National League title and the FA Cup quarter-finals
Raggett scored a dramatic late winning header against Burnley at Turf Moor
Sportsmail understands West Ham want to give him a chance in the top flight
By Tom Farmery For The Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 22 May 2017 | UPDATED: 00:26, 23 May 2017
West Ham United have made a £120,000 bid for Lincoln City defender Sean Raggett. Raggett was one of Lincoln's standout performers this season, helping them to the National League title and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Raggett scored a header in the 89th-minute against Burnley at Turf Moor to book Lincoln's place in the last eight where they lost to Arsenal.
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Slaven Bilic holds talks with West Ham's board over his future and the club's summer plans ahead of his hip replacement surgery
Manager Slaven Bilic has held talks with West Ham's board over his future
He is set for hip replacement surgery that will rule him out for up to six weeks
A meeting took place in London on Monday between Bilic and David Sullivan
The 48-year-old Croatian manager has a year left on his contract at West Ham
By Kieran Gill for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 22 May 2017 | UPDATED: 22:44, 22 May 2017
Slaven Bilic will go under the knife for his hip operation on Wednesday after holding talks with West Ham's board over his future and their summer plans. The 48-year-old is set for hip replacement surgery, which will rule him out for up to six weeks as he recovers.
A meeting took place in London on Monday between Bilic and West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan, who also acts as the club's director of football. Sportsmail understands there is no threat of Bilic leaving with the club happy to stand by the Croatian. They are planning for pre-season and looking at transfer targets together. Bilic has a year left on his contract and West Ham are likely to wait until January 2018 to decide whether to hand him a new deal. That could put pressure on Bilic to ensure West Ham start next season well but he has always remained relaxed about his situation. The club came 11th in the Premier League after finishing the season with a 2-1 win at Burnley. They finished seventh the season before, when they qualified for the Europa League. Bilic said: 'The doctors told me four or five weeks to come back on the pitch... I'm not a player.' He said he is still confident he will be able to conduct transfer business.
The circumstances of this campaign have not been ideal for Bilic. He and his squad had to get used to their new surroundings at the London Stadium after leaving Upton Park in the summer. Bilic also lost his best player in Dimitri Payet, who forced through a £25million move back to Marseille in January. The HMRC raids in April were also an unwelcome distraction. It is not unusual for West Ham – or other clubs – to hold end-of-season talks. They are seen as a review of the year gone by.
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GUEST POST: IT'S ALL DOWN TO THE RUNNING OF THE CLUB
By Iain Dale 23 May 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Guest Post by Rugby Irons
There are enough of us on this site with football administration experience and player coaching/ management to truly recognise there really are major problems at the club. I'm very familiar with the Coventry City story. They were a long standing Premier club, who had greedy owners who moved the club to a new stadium without thinking it through long term. This lack of a 'project' has now badly backfired on them as they are in a sorry state. They don't own a ground or training ground, have just got relegated again and have their fans flocking to the rugger or not returning at all. And I tell you this because this has our club written all over it.
I intended to write a review of the season but in truth you have to go back further than that and not just in time. We now have two owners who cannot take the club further. If you view them as using the club as a cash cow that is one angle, the other being they genuinely love the club but in truth do not have the money to take it further. They have also employed a number of people who have disrupted the club and its fan base with particularly poor judgement calls and lack of consultation/consideration with their clients, sorry supporters, which will now be difficult to put right. A number of these senior officials also look to be leaving for seemingly lower clubs so what's the problem in retention?
The owners and Karren Brady have clearly used the club to promote themselves and their interests but by using their families and social media have opened a huge gap between having owners you can respect and those who keep embarrassing the club. What is ironic is the very comments they make with stupid speculating ultimately cost the club in terms of points, success and most importantly for them money, as these same outbursts stop these players from coming to us. I understand that as owners they can do what they want so why let hangers on do their bidding (and so badly) for them. It comes down to professionalism or vanity, and probably both for our club.
However, as owners, they are more than just that. The playing staff is just one area and frankly who knows or understands their thinking on how it works. For us last season it clearly didn't.
This brings me to my other point. Just how does our behind the scenes team work? We have a frankly shocking injury record. Stop and think about this as it's been going on for far too long. If you have a long term work issue that stops the production or productivity then you fix it and sharp about it. So why haven't we? And it's this lack of positive action that concerns me.
Being on the tele and social media is one thing but shouldn't you be on the shop floor sorting out your grass root problems, or put another way, would you sit and do nothing if you were in charge? The fitness of our squad has been an issue ever since 41 year old Billy Bonds, who would still beat the entire first team squad in preseason running exercises, retired. Since then our preseasons have been very poor, our injury list no shorter and the fitness levels shocking. How many seasons have we got off to a good start and maintained it? Not many. So why aren't the owners doing more about it?
If the medical team cannot reduce the injury list then bring in a new team. It should be the same with the conditioning team. I also want to include the statistical review teams and scouts, who don't seem to being providing the right information to support the pregame routine.
And if anything the other huge area for improvement is our psychologist department (if we even have one). If you consider that statistically the best player in the Premiership has his own personal one, then why haven't we been progressive enough to recruit in this direction. If the other departments cannot perform at this level at least if the head shrinks do that will improve the on field levels. The rest are doing it, we must raise the bar on this.
And if it's the training ground then spend some money on improving or moving it. It's the source of our problems and keeps being ignored. So too does the standard of the coaching staff. This has to change more than anything else. It's the starting point for everything. I heard that Julian Dicks doesn't take 'defending but 'crossing exercises!
Whatever is going on the 'intensity' argument will rage on. On face value there isn't any. SB may be a laid back sort of guy, but that shouldn't stop his coaches pushing the squad. The whole kids in the tunnel v Liverpool seems to top off the real attitude of the playing side, it's all haphazard and we'll see how we go. Where is the real structure to what is going on? I wouldn't argue with SB's Managers assistant, as that's more about support for him, but the rest of his team are lacking. Is Chris Woods appropriate for the keepers we have? Possibly. Is Julian Dicks, if he's not helping in defence, then no frankly? We are crap in defence so why was Rio's offer turned down? Without fit strikers to work with it must be difficult but we haven't been anywhere near last season's levels and you have to question why? If I was the owners I would demand answers not let someone bring it up in a Saturday rag as an excuse.
The players will soon be swanning off on their second holiday this year. The first was the disastrous jolly to Dubai, which proved form the results straight after it that's it's a complete waste of time and money. Again a lack of discipline and pandering to the players. So as they do go off again for a well-earned break ( not) isn't this the time to get the backroom teams, give each a proper review , sack the ones who can't improve and let them work across the summer to improve the set up before the players return , before the preseason holiday to wherever.
I have deliberately not commented on the players performances as that's a row for another day but if you take them out of the equation and look at what's left its pretty much a shambles. We have owners who won't progress because they don't have the money or ambition and are happy to stick to tried and failed practises in pandering to family and hanger ons. They have not truly engaged with their client base (you stopped being supporters when you left Upton Park) and if the seating arrangements are not sorted by the chief hanger on, then the cycle starts again and we continue from the wrong place. Regardless of whether we like it or not the Stadium has to be an asset to the clients and club. Keeping her away from it would help unless like the others she can prove she can vastly improve her performance.
If the owners can put the backroom facilities and staff right over the summer, then I would be much happier than having to wait for Jack and her to start spouting over who we aren't getting in. No point in having good players if they aren't kept fit or motivated mentally and physically. When all said and done its just simple working practises. Keep your production up to date and working efficiently. The end product will produce the goods. Then look to improve the process with better and better and repeat. Anything that holds up the process, get rid. Do this and you keep your client base happy and keep coming back. Fail to do this and everything like in the cases of Coventry, Leeds, Forest, Wednesday, the O's you will fail. The first season at the new place is done. Now it's time to be more honest and get it right next season. Personally I won't be looking at which aging ex Worldy we will be bidding for but how the club looks at the picture as I see it above. I want the youths to be given a real chance and to see the club either improves or fails. If this season was a big one, next season will be even harder if we don't prepare properly. You all know the phrase, like many of you am sure you used it in your own training sessions. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Over to you the owners of this magnificent club.
NOTE FROM IAIN: These are Rugby's views and do not represent those of WHTID. Free speech can be a terrible thing sometimes… :)
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 24
Tuesday, May 23
Daily WHUFC News - 23rd May 2017
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic believes West Ham United's strong finish to the 2016/17 season will stand them in good stead when the Premier League kicks off again in August. The Hammers completed a run of one defeat in their last seven matches, including three morale-boosting victories over Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur and, on Sunday, at Burnley. Despite being shorn of eight senior players absent through injury or rehabilitation, Bilic sent out a side which played with verve, passion and no little skill, capped by a sublime equaliser from Sofiane Feghouli. Andre Ayew, who set up Feghouli's goal with a neat flick after Sam Vokes had put the Clarets ahead, then won the game when he reacted quickest after Edimilson Fernandes' shot dropped into his path via Tom Heaton's palms and the Burnley crossbar. When asked if the victory would put a smile on his face as he packed his bags for a summer holiday in his native Croatia, the manager said it most definitely would. "It gives you optimism," Bilic confirmed. "I didn't want to talk about the obstacles during the season and players being injured and all that because you want to be positive and talk about the players who are going to play in that game. "We know we had eight major surgeries and we had ten players who were out, each one of them, for a minimum of two-and-a-half months. This is scary. It is literally too much. "Considering that and considering the move to the new stadium, which is definitely long-term the best thing this Club has ever done, it needs time to adjust to it. "Considering all of it, we done well. It's not a season to talk about, to hail it as one of the best seasons because it ain't. Last year was, but there is something between great and bad and we've done it because never lost belief. It's permanent. The confidence was up and down and varied because of the results, but the belief was always there.
"It wasn't enjoyable, put it that way, but individually and as a team I am sure we will benefit from this season a lot. It was a great experience and I expect us to benefit from it, large."
Reflecting on Sunday's impressive and deserved win at Burnley, where his team played some superb football to recover from the shock of Vokes' opening goal, Bilic was positively purring. Feghouli's leveller was a thing of beauty as a quick free-kick was flicked into the Algerian's path by Ayew and the No7 made no mistake with a clinical finish. Then, a dominant second half performance was headlined by Ayew's sixth Premier League goal of the season, which the manager was more a case of judgement than luck. "The second goal may have benefitted from a touch of luck, but the whole action was for me brilliant," he stated, when asked if the winner was 'lucky' by a journalist. "How it finished, OK, it was a bit lucky, but we came with a lot of players there [in the box] and that's why that rebound fell to Ayew, like it did for Lanzini's goal against Spurs. "You have more chances that the ball will drop to your player when you have five in the box. Andre Ayew is great at being in the right place at the right tie. We came there, so alright it had an element of luck but we deserved it."
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Ayew - It's great to finish strongly
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew was delighted to score the Hammers' final winning goal of the 2016/17 season as the visitors won 2-1 at Burnley
Sofiane Feghouli had grabbed an equaliser after Sam Vokes gave the Clarets the lead early on
The victory saw Slaven Bilic's side finish the season in eleventh in the Premier League
West Ham United's 2-1 win over Burnley on the final day at Turf Moor was a great way to end the season, according to match winner Andre Ayew. The Ghanaian forward scored in the 72nd minute to sign off the 2016/17 in style, bagging his sixth of the campaign – a fifth goal away from London Stadium for the Hammers. It came after Sofiane Feghouli had drawn the visitors level following Sam Vokes' opener, and Slaven Bilic's side dominated a second half they could have scored further goals in. The victory meant the Claret and Blues finished eleventh in the Premier League table, though had results in the past swung one way rather than the other, Ayew highlighted it could have been even better. "We are happy with today's three points and to finish on a good note," the striker said. "The whole season has been difficult so we're happy to end like this. "Overall, the season has been difficult, but we're just a point away from eighth spot at the end of the day. "We were quite disappointed because there were games where we definitely could have had more points. "You take away from it that you need to win your points and take your chances and learn from this season now. We'll learn, and prepare for the next one."
Ayew scored when Edimilson Fernandes' long-range effort was saved well by Tom Heaton, though the keeper's stop cannoned off the crossbar before falling perfectly for the Hammers' record signing to nod in. And it was a case of strikers' instinct, said the forward who celebrated in front of the packed away end. "My goal for sure was right place, right time. I had a similar opportunity at Stoke and missed it, so I'm happy to score today and hopefully now it's the end of the season that will set us up for next season. "We are going to have holidays now and prepare for next season. "I think this year we have been unlucky with injuries and we didn't start the season well. We had the Europa League also, and we didn't manage to qualify, but after the start we had, we got to a point where we managed to turn things around, so it's been a good end."
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Fonte – I'll be better
WHUFC.com
Jose Fonte wants to come back next season and show the Hammers fans his best true qualities
The defender helped the side to a 2-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday
Fonte is keen for a full summer of rest having had little chance to in previous years due to international commitments
Centre-back Jose Fonte has vowed to come back after a well-earned rest this summer and show West Ham United supporters his best form in Claret and Blue. The defender, speaking after his side ended the 2016/17 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Burnley, has not had a full summer's rest for three years due to international commitments, but is keen to come back fresh next term. Fonte played the full 90 minutes at the heart of defence at Turf Moor, as goals from Sofiane Feghouli and Andre Ayew saw the visitors overturn Sam Vokes' opener.
And the Portugal international, who lifted the UEFA European Championship trophy in France last year, believes he is yet to show the Hammers fans his true qualities. He said: "Firstly, Burnley are a very difficult team to beat at home, so we're very pleased. We came in with a bright attitude and we go three big points. "But next season, the whole team wants to come back fresh, because I can be better and I want to be better for this Club. That's what I'm going to do. "After the internationals are done, I will speak to the gaffer to get a good rest, because I haven't had one in the last three years, for a good reason! "I want to get my rest, come back fresh, and have a great season next year."
Portugal, fresh off the back of their maiden European triumph, will compete in this summer's Confederations Cup in Russia, a tournament Fonte is keen to do well in. "Of course nothing over the summer can live up to winning the Euros, it was a great achievement," he continued. "But we still have the Confederations Cup in the summer, and we want to win that, but the main one is the World Cup next year. If we can challenge for that, it could be even greater than the Euros. "It's step-by-step, but first we have to win the Confederations."
Fonte arrived in east London during the January transfer window, switching the south coast and Southampton for the capital. And despite a turbulent season for the Club, the defender has absolutely no regrets about joining Slaven Bilic's outfit, in part down to the manager himself. "I think Slaven deserves a lot of credit [for how he has handled this season], because he's a great coach, a great manager, a great person. "Obviously I want him to be here, there's no doubt, and I can only say thank you to him for bringing me here to this great Club. "No doubt that it has been a challenging season since I came in. It hasn't been a perfect situation but all the focus now is on having four weeks' rest and coming back for a new beginning. "I want to come back and start over again and be loved."
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Stat's A Fact - Andre Ayew
WHUFC.com
West Ham United signed off the 2016/17 season in style after a 2-1 comeback win against Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday. The hosts went in front through Wales international Sam Vokes before Sofiane Feghouli netted his third of the campaign to see the scores in level at the break. Feghouli's equaliser was beautifully worked: he, Fernandes and Ayew combining on the edge of the box before the Algerian coolly slotted past Tom Heaton. It was however a familiar face who was on hand to put the Hammers in front and seal the three points.
Andre Ayew the quickest to react to Edimilson Fernandes' rebounded shot by heading in from close range. The Ghanaian, who is quickly establishing a reputation for being in the right place at the right time, has been in impressive form since returning from African Cup of Nations duty in January.
Sunday's goal was his sixth of a campaign which suffered a staggered and injury-plagued start. Since netting his maiden goal at Swansea on Boxing Day, the Ghanaian has scored his six from twelve starts and is the Hammers' joint-leading scorer in 2017.
Ayew is a modern-day 'fox in the box' and his goal return for Swansea was what attracted West Ham. It took a little time, but the signs in 2017 are very positive for West Ham fans. Ayew's six goals have all been scored inside the 18-yard box with four, including Sunday's winner, put home from inside six yards. Right place, right time - it is no coincidence. West Ham had a total of 14 shots on the Burnley goal on Sunday – five more than the hosts, with three falling to Ayew. Fernandes and Feghouli also had three each. Ayew was provider for Sofiane Feghouli's leveller too - his third assist of the season, on an afternoon where his 85 per cent pass success rate was better than any of Sean Dyche's players.
Defensively, James Collins dealt well with the lively Burnley forwards, Andre Gray and Sam Vokes, by winning the most aerial duels (seven). Collins' six clearances was bettered only by Burnley's Matt Lowton as West Ham sought to squeeze out any loose space in the attacking third. For Burnley, Sam Vokes' goal was their only attempt on target while they also had over 100 fewer touches than the Hammers. The Hammers' record-signing admitted that he was now "feeling good" about his game and will hope to take his good form into a summer international tour of the United States with Ghana before returning to pre-season with West Ham in July.
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AC wonder strike shortlisted for top award
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll's unforgettable scissor kick against Crystal Palace is one of two West Ham United goals shortlisted for the Premier League's official Carling Goal of the Season. The No9's memorable strike in the 3-0 victory over the Eagles in January is one of ten fantastic finishes nominated for the prestigious award. Carroll took to the east London air to cap an important win over Sam Allardyce's side, slamming Michail Antonio's left-wing cross into the top right-hand corner with his left foot. The bicycle kick won the Hammers' own Goal of the Season award with ease, and now it will battle nine other wonder goals for the right to be called the Premier League's top finish of 2016/17. A second West Ham goal is also in the running, with Dimitri Payet's individual run and low shot against Middlesbrough back October also shortlisted. Voting is open to the public now and will close at 11.59pm BST on Wednesday 24 May. Click here to vote for Carroll's scissor kick now. The winner will be decided by a combination of the public votes and those of a panel made up of former managers and players.
The full Carling Goal of the Season shortlist is:
August - Cristhian Stuani (Sunderland v MIDDLESBROUGH)
September - Jordan Henderson (Chelsea v LIVERPOOL)
October - Dimitri Payet (WEST HAM UNITED v Middlesbrough)
November - Pedro (CHELSEA v Tottenham Hotspur)
December - Henrikh Mkhitaryan (MAN UTD v Sunderland)
January - Andy Carroll (WEST HAM UNITED v Crystal Palace)
February - Eden Hazard (CHELSEA v Arsenal)
March - Andros Townsend (West Brom v CRYSTAL PALACE)
April - Pedro (Everton v CHELSEA)
May - Emre Can (Watford v LIVERPOOL)
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'Two or three signings will take us up a level' - Director of Player Recruitment Tony Henry
WHUFC.com
In the first of a series of interviews offering an insight into the work of key personalities at the club, Director of Player Recruitment Tony Henry lifts the lid on the process of scouting and recruiting new players. A former Manchester City and Stoke City midfielder, Henry has developed a track record for unearthing top talent at affordable prices. With the summer transfer window set to open soon, Henry explained how West Ham United will go about adding quality players to their squad ahead of the 2017/18 Premier League campaign.
Tony, can we start by talking about how you and your team of scouts identify potential targets?
"We started when the window closed in January. You're always on the lookout for players. I have a group of scouts who go around the world looking for players. I go around England with a lad, Rory Campbell, who's my assistant. I call Alan Harper, who's based in the North West. "Basically, we look at players all the time. We do reports, we then go back to the manager and I sit down with the manager every week and we put plans in place all the time for every window."
Presumably it can be a long and drawn out process, as you will do due diligence when considering investing millions of pounds in a new asset?
"Every day is different. A lot of people think that you just go out and sign a player. First, you've got to make sure the players that you're going for are going to fit into the team, which doesn't always work out, but it's a long process. "We make sure we have six or seven, eight, nine reports on players. We then sit down with the manager, with the staff, and we go through them, and we'll have a group of let's say strikers, and we look at the one we think would be the best in that position. "But then it depends on the deal. You contact the club, and if they want a ridiculous price, then that one's out the window. We do our homework, and what you also have to do if you can, is find out about the character of a player – his attitude, what he's like off the field. "You do as much background work as you can, speaking to people you may know at that club, but even them, he might come in and may have changed in the last 12 months. It is difficult but hopefully this year we will get the players that we want."
Slaven Bilic has talked about 'quality over quantity' being the Club's approach to recruitment this summer…
"We need two or three, maximum. If we can get the ones that we want, I think we'll be a really good team next year."
Can you talk to us about the scope of the Club's scouting network?
"We try and cover as much as we can. I'd like to think that we don't miss out on a lot. "Manuel Lanzini, for example – I saw him when he was 18, playing in River Plate, when I was at Everton. "All of a sudden, he went to the United Arab Emirates, and you forget about him. But then his name came up, and obviously I'd seen him three times and he was a top player. I couldn't understand why he went to the Emirates. But we got him on loan, he signed a new deal, and he's brilliant. He's now very highly rated and we're so happy to have him here. "We try and cover as much as we can. We're not going to cover every country obviously. But we know the sort of players we want here now. We know what Slaven wants, we know what's good for the team and what will make us better, and I just think this season, we've got a really good chance of getting a couple in who will be great for us."
How big a draw is London and London Stadium to potential new signings?
"Obviously London is a massive thing for players, but obviously the new stadium, players come and they love it. "I remember when we brought Jose Fonte in in January, he just said the stadium was brilliant. When he played for Southampton here, he said he thought it was fantastic. It's a massive pull."
*To watch the full interview with Director of Player Recruitment Tony Henry, including his views on hot prospects Domingos Quina and Toni Martinez, click on the West Ham TV player above.
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Snodgrass relishing Auld Enemy visit
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass is targeting a win over the Auld Enemy after being named in Scotland's squad for their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier with England.
The Tartan Army welcome the Three Lions to Hampden Park in Glasgow on 10 June knowing defeat would end their hopes of topping European qualifying Group F.
Snodgrass has a huge incentive to defeat England on home turf, having missed a gilt-edged chance with Gareth Southgate's side leading 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Wembley in November. England went on to win 3-0.
"This game is a massive one," said the West Ham United No11. "I don't think you'll get a bigger game in a Scotland jersey. It's one we've all been looking forward to.
"Wembley is gone now, along with that horrible taste in the mouth. If we had taken our chances we'd probably have won.
"I still think back to my chance. If it had gone in it might have been a different story. To now have England in our own backyard with a packed house will be huge."
For Snodgrass, the rivalry with England has been intensified by being surrounded by images of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy at both Rush Green and London Stadium.
The midfielder has also shared a dressing room with England internationals Andy Carroll and Aaron Cresswell, as well as proud Englishmen Mark Noble and Michail Antonio, since joining the Club in January.
"There are lots of lads who have a tradition with West Ham and England," Snodgrass observed. "There are pictures of them all around the stadium. You can feel that connection with England."
Capped 23 times, the Glaswegian has plied his trade south of the border since joining Leeds United from Livingston in 2008.
Scotland's most-recent hat-trick hero – he netted three in a World Cup qualifying win in Malta last September – may have spent most of his adult life in England, but representing his country gives him a feeling of pride which will never leave him.
"Playing for Scotland was a dream come true for me from the very start," added the 29-year-old, who was recently voted Scottish Football Writers' Association International Player of the Year for 2016.
"You're living the dream each time you pull on that jersey. It's a special feeling and a proud moment.
"To be named International Player of the Year is special for me. It's great that I can be there to pick it up."
Fourth-place Scotland go into their clash with England on seven points, while unbeaten England lead Group F on 13 points. Slovakia and Slovenia sit between the two on nine and eight points respectively, all from five qualifying matches played.
The 10 June fixture with kick-off at 5pm and be screened live in the UK by both ITV and Sky Sports.
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SEASON ENDS AND AMBITIONS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 22 MAY 2017 AT 9:15PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Steven McCarthy @stevenMcCarthy9
Well if ever 2 games showed just how far off we are from the top teams in the Premier League, these were the two! The injuries over the week and season have been horrendous and really showed a lack of depth to the squad. We were absolutely awesome against Spurs, constant pressing on the players in possession, hard tackles flying in from the off and great communication between the defenders…
Contrast that with the woeful display we just saw against Liverpool, in which we looked bright for about 10 minutes and then decided that this would be a nice time for the season to end. We struggled to perform even the simplest parts of the game, keeping the ball, passing to the man and simple defensive positioning. Today was one of the worst performances of the season for me, in a year that has seen numerous ones to choose from! And I think the worst thing for me was seeing just how little effort we put in after that Spurs performance.
I think that losing the likes of Kouyate and Noble (who I have been a harsh critic of!) showed just how much we lacked any physical presence, passion and drive in the midfield. Seeing that total lack of drive and passion has got to be one of the worst things for a football fan, I don't mind losing by a few goals to a team like Liverpool if we show commitment and hard work, because then we can simply hold up our hands and say "We tried, but the better team won and we were simply outclassed today!".
But when we looked like we are getting ready to put the Rubber rings, flip flops and shades on for a nice lounge by the pool then it pretty much ruins my weekend and leaves me with a really bitter taste!
From the positivity of last weeks win, I think the Burnley game looks like a real challenge, particularly given Burnley's form at Turf Moor.
Are there any positives to be taken from the game?
I think I would be reaching if I said yes for anything on the pitch…can we count it as a positive that it will only be one more game till we get the sizeable wages of Tore and Arbeloa off the bill?
But with football in mind, it was excellent to see Ogbonna named on the bench!
However I wouldn't even risk him for next week against a tough tackling and physical side like Burnley. I hope that after surgery we just let him get recover over the Summer and get him ready for a good pre-season, because given this seasons luck, and The West Ham Way, he'd injure himself in a different and undoubtedly worse way!
The exciting news of the week, and after another great Radio show, Ex confirmed that we would be interested in Iheanacho.
A player who I mentioned in a previous piece as a dream loan signing, but from my understanding a bigger name is in City's sites and this is a great example of how quickly things change in football!
If the 20 million asking price for Iheanacho (Who I shall now refer to as Kelechi, because I find myself constantly confused by the surnames spelling!) is correct, then I would hope the owners go all out to sign him. I would much rather us spend big money and large wages on than an ageing Defoe.
Now although I still think Defoe would be a great signing, the gossip that he and his agent are looking for a 6 million signing on fee would really put me off!
Yes Defoe is a proven goal scorer, but Kelechi is being compared to Rashford who is being touted as having a 40 million price tag. Kelechi player with a similar record is being said to have a price tag at half that, my only worry being that I am sure he would attract a lot of interest from bigger clubs around Europe, so I think we would really be pulling something special out the bag if we could sign him.
A player who seems to be popping up on my Twitter feed and being linked to us is Success of Watford, Kelechi's international stike partner for some time now in the Nigeria set up.
He has found it hard to adjust to the Premier League, without scoring a single league goal. Normally that wouldn't be much of a concern for me, however a 12.5 million price being bandied about and a record of 1 in 5 throughout his career, I do not think he is someone good enough for us if we want to push on.
I recently saw a poll asking if I would take Kelechi or Batschuyai, the ideal would be both. And to be honest, I don't see why we cannot have both!
I know the 80 million transfer fund being talked of is probably a bit ambitious, However we have a few players across the squad who I feel are easily replaceable at the moment and could fund this. One in particular is Carroll, I still maintain that on his day, he is unplayable, but I think that these days are way too far and few between!
And I have never bought into this idea that he is the only player on the planet who can have the impact he does, he is a great hold up man, he is athletic and strong in his defensive duties, but players like Llorente,Wout Weghorst from AZ Alkmaar and Kalifa Coulibaly from the endless production line of the Belgium League (who I am a big fan of!) offer very similar styles and attributes. So I would happily fund the purchase of two young and hungry strikers by selling Carroll.
A real addition to the side in my view would be the signing of Zabaleta, despite my views on Defoe!
I think Zabaleta is not only a Defender of great quality and all the attributes of a real leader, but he is someone that would not only lift the entire squad, but who I think Lanzini would really want to play with and learn from. Lanzini is a player of immense quality and with his end goal surely looking to be a place in the Argentine squad, I don't think there is a better player on the market we could realistically sign to motivate him and possibly get the very best overall performer out of Lanzini.
I would love to hear other fans ideas on who they would sell or sign in the summer.
For me Snodgrass and Fonte have both been signed too recently to attract real interest, particularly given the low quality performances from them both. But I would sell Fonte in a flash, Snodgrass I think has far more to show, but we should look to sell for a decent sum.
But who do you think we could realistically sell and replace easily in the Summer?
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THE ACADEMY OF FOOTBALL-IT'S NOT DYING; IT JUST TAKES LONGER TO BREAK THROUGH THESE DAYS!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 22 MAY 2017 AT 9:00PM
TheWestHamWayc.o.uk
Written by Jason Inge @jasoninge
Another week, another controversial topic at West Ham! The latest coming from David Gold's opinion on the youth development at Premier League clubs. When I first saw his initial tweet, I thought to myself, Christ here comes World War 3 from West Ham fans and it didn't disappoint. I do agree the tweet was completely irresponsible and potentially could put players off signing with the academy. In Mr. Gold's defence though he gets hounded on a daily basis for his thoughts on anything related to our club, so he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
However when you actually look at the bigger picture of what he is actually saying, he's in fact saying that the days of 18/19 year old, becoming first team regulars are gone, but they will get their chance at 20/21 if they have developed and shown they are good enough. He's not wrong in that regard.
So why has this changed? Well with the Premier League now a global business, it attracts a lot more foreign players than it used to 20 years ago. At West Ham, we have seen an influx of foreign exports come in, some of have been exceptional, and some have diabolical. However with our squad now having so much competition for places, it isn't exactly surprising to see how difficult it is for the youngsters to now break through and become first team players during their teenage years.
We have 3 extremely talented centre backs in Reece Burke, Reece Oxford and Declan Rice, but in that position we also have 4 international players that are ultimately seen as better options right now than them. Likewise, a lot say Josh Cullen should have been given a chance this year, yet we've got 6 central midfielders in front of him, so he wouldn't of kicked a ball. Therefore the best course of action is to loan them out for a season or two to a lower league club and let them develop, so when it comes to 20 they are ready.
A lot of people say well if they are good enough, they are old enough. That's all well and good to say, but imagine if the owners turned around and said ok, we'll sell Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Kouyate for a profit so these kids play regularly. There would be an absolute outrage and rightly so. Hell even if they sold James Collins, who is arguably the 4th choice centre back, people would be distraught.
People also point to how we've fallen behind the likes of Spurs, Manchester United and Everton. Is that entirely true?
Spurs as a club, like us, have two methods of developing the young players.
They give their talented youngsters debuts during their teenage years, then loan them out for a season or 2, until they are ready to feature regularly at 20/21. For example Harry Kane and Harry Winks. They buy from the lower leagues and because they have essentially skipped the loan period by playing at that club, they are ready earlier. For example Dele Ali. Furthermore, they also had the luxury of the Europa league to give these youngsters the opportunity. We unfortunately, screwed up 2 fantastic chances in that competition, which would have been the perfect platform for the youngsters to play.
Manchester United, like Spurs have had Europa League football and frankly stumbled across Marcus Rashford due to a horrific amount of injuries in the striker position and to his credit he took his chance in Europe, then in the Premier League. He has however spent most of this season bench warming for a 36-year-old Swedish striker called Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so once again goes to demonstrate my point of foreign talent over youngsters.
Everton, this season have to be applauded for Thomas Davies becoming a regular in their team. He has ousted Gareth Barry and James McCarthy and has looked at top quality prospect. However, it doesn't take a rocket science to work out that clearly Everton don't have the squad depth in that role, so it was easier for him to breakthrough. As I said earlier Josh Cullen, at 21 has 6 other midfielders in front of him, so no easy task to get in the match day squad let alone the team.
So what do I believe needs to happen with our talented youngsters next season? Well personally, I think that Oxford, Rice, Samuelson and Martinez need to go out on loan. We need to make sure they play week in, week out, which is where we did fail quite badly this season. I also think that the club would be doing the right thing and sadly selling James Collins, so that Reece Burke who I believe will be at the heart of our defence for years to come, the chance to play regularly. I also would sell Havard Nordtveit, who bar a couple of performances has majorly struggled, allowing Josh Cullen a chance to impress.
In conclusion, we have to accept that times have unfortunately changed. We have plenty of quality young players in our academy. That's evident with winning the league cup last season and the playoffs this season. We just have to be patient; the players' time will come. I just hope that one day the Premier League and Football Association enforce a rule that makes clubs have to have a certain numbers of youth players in their match day squads, ending the abundance of average foreign players that fill up our beloved clubs.
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West Ham 2016/17 Premier League season review
Last Updated: 21/05/17 8:15pm
SSN
West Ham's first season at the London Stadium was an up-and-down one. Read our review of the club's 2016/17 Premier League season with expert analysis.
Finishing position: 11th (-4)
Total points: 45 (-17)
Europa League: Play-off round
FA Cup: Third round
EFL Cup: Fifth round
Top scorer: Michail Antonio (9)
Season review
Life after the Boleyn Ground began with a win over Bournemouth but it was a tricky first season at the London Stadium for West Ham. Slaven Bilic's side went out of the Europa League at the play-off stage and were in the relegation zone by October.
The loss of star player Dimitri Payet in the winter transfer window was acrimonious, while the new signings were nowhere near as successful. Even so, six wins from nine games either side of Christmas ensured even a late run of defeats didn't plunge the Irons into danger.
For the highlight of the season, supporters had to wait until May and a 1-0 win over rivals Tottenham thanks to Manuel Lanzini's goal. It was a night on which the new stadium came to life and means they go into the summer with hope of a better season next time around.
EXPERT ANALYSIS - CHARLIE NICHOLAS
Managerial review
I'm a big fan of Slaven Bilic and I was saying last year that he'd be on my list for potential successors for Arsene Wenger, but that is no longer the case. Despite clearly being a very clever manager he's struggled to understand what his team is about this season. He hasn't been helped by the owners, who have their own interests, but this team has no identity. To just turn up for one game against Tottenham and celebrate it was just embarrassing for them.
Player of the season: Michail Antonio
For most clubs you'd be debating three or four players but it's only been Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini who have caught my attention. Lanzini is the one who can change games but Antonio deserved his new contract and England call-up with his early-season form.
2017/18 prospects
What they need is a lot of new players. I think they'd be mad to get rid of Bilic but they need a new central midfielder as Mark Noble is declining, while they need some proper full-backs. They also need to get past the issue with the new stadium and if they can then you'd be looking at a good cup run and finishing mid-table.
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Slaven Bilic believes several factors hindered West Ham this season
Last Updated: 21/05/17 7:59pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic insisted he thought West Ham's season would have panned out better, but believes several factors hindered their progress after his side's 2-1 final day win at Burnley. Victory in Lancashire elevated the Hammers to an 11th-placed finish and earned them some welcome, additional prize money. Nonetheless, after an up-and-down-season, there is speculation that the Hammers boss' position could be under threat in the close season. Bilic admitted that he is aware that many expected better from his side this campaign, but believes a new stadium and a long injury list haven't helped matters. "It is always nice to win on the last day," Bilic told Sky Sports. "I am pleased for the players. "We thought that we were going to do better [this season]. I didn't want to talk about that in the season, I wanted to stay positive. "We had so many obstacles, so many injuries. We had eight surgeries, which is not normal. "Although the move to the new stadium is the best thing that has ever happened to the club in the long term, like any club, it is going to take time to settle. "It has been difficult. If you are talking about England, it happened with Arsenal, it happened with Man City, Southampton when they moved to their new stadiums. You need time. "It is very hard to get that Upton Park feeling, but it is going to get better and better. "The game against Liverpool last week, there was a bit of complacency, because we thought we had done the job against Spurs. I am expecting to better next season, of course. "It has been a tough season with ups and downs, but we have finished it now, and I want to praise the guys. "We finished 11th, we wanted to finish higher, but we are just one point away from eighth. In this league, it is not a very, very bad season."
Despite an outlay of over £70m on players this campaign, Bilic was also adamant that some first-team additions are needed in the summer transfer window. "I think next season every club is going to be busy [in transfer market]," Bilic added. "Even Barcelona want to improve.
"Today we showed that we have a good squad of players. Some players maybe will go [in the summer] and we will replace them. "Today, we were without eight players and still looked good. If you are talking about the squad I am happy with the squad, but we need a few players to improve our first XI. We have our targets."
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Adrian West Ham contract extended
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 22/05/17 8:52am
SSN
Adrian will remain with West Ham for the next two years after the Premier League club activated a clause in his contract. The 30-year-old Spanish goalkeeper, who has made over 100 appearances for the Hammers since joining the club from Real Betis in 2013, has kept three clean sheets in the last five league games and six in 19. "Adrian is out of contract but we have an option, and we activated that option," said Bilic. "He is our player and we are happy with him." The Hammers boss also revealed the club are also looking to add to their squad during the close season but claimed media speculation about potential targets was wide of the mark. "Most players are linked with West Ham in the papers. To be fair, the big majority of those rumours, there is no truth in them," he added. "But we have our targets and we are going to try to do them."
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West Ham to make loan bid for Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi - sources
ESPN
Antonio Conte admits he's worried that Chelsea's Premier League celebrations could affect their chances of winning the FA Cup final.
West Ham are lining up a loan move for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi this summer as they look to bolster their attacking options, sources close to the Hammers have told ESPN FC. West Ham have held a long-term interest in Batshuayi and tried to sign the Belgium international prior to his move to Chelsea from Marseille last summer. The 23-year-old has struggled for regular first-team football at Chelsea, making just one start in the Premier League this season with another 19 appearances off the bench. Sources have told ESPN FC that Chelsea are reluctant to sell Batshuayi, but could be open to the idea of loaning him out if he finds himself down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. A number of clubs are monitoring his situation, but West Ham are hoping to steal a march on their rivals by setting up a loan deal for the striker. West Ham have made striking reinforcements one of their main priorities this summer as they have struggled for goals this season. Batshuayi has impressed in recent weeks, scoring the goal which secured Chelsea the Premier League title against West Bromwich Albion, while he netted in his start against Watford and followed that up with a double in Sunday's final game of the season against Sunderland. But he may struggle to be a regular starter for Chelsea next season with the club linked with summer moves for Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata.
Peter O'Rourke is ESPN FC's transfer news correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @SportsPeteO.
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Kemp's laughter, Ayew's irons and Fernandes' astonishing tackle - 5 moments you might have missed from Burnley vs West Ham
Here are five moments you might have missed from West Ham's 2-1 win over Burnley
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
13:08, 22 MAY 2017
Dan Kemp having a laugh in the warm up
He may only be about five feet tall but U23 winger Dan Kemp was drafted into the first team squad for the final game of the season. While the Hammers playing were warming up for the game, someone cracked a joke which was obviously hilarious as Kemp was almost rolling on the floor laughing. It was good to see the youngster really settling in with his much more experienced counterparts.
Ayew throws up the irons in celebration
You may have seen it, you may have not as you were too busy jumping around, but Andre Ayew threw up the irons in his celebration after netting the winner. After a difficult debut season in E20 which was hampered by injury, Ayew has started to show glimpses of what we can expect from the£20.1m man and Sunday was his best shift for a while, topped off with a goal.
Fernandes' beastly tackle
Just after the start of the second period, the game was a bit scrappy as neither Burnley nor West Ham could dominate the ball. The Hammers eventually won it back thanks to an absolute monster of a tackle by Edimilson Fernandes on the rampaging Robbie Brady, with the Swiss star going to ground and hooking the ball so cleanly away from Brady that he got up with the ball under his spell. Wonderful stuff.
Ashley Westwood nearly snapping James Collins' knee
Westwood shouldn't have been on the pitch midway through the first half. He had already been booked for tugging back Sofiane Feghouli's shirt and just a few minutes later, launched into a ridiculous, studs up, knee high challenge on James Collins that left the Welshman writhing in agony. He didn't get booked, he could have easily got a straight red from Bobby Madley, but somehow stayed on the pitch.
A pointless pitch invasion
Well if you were there then you would have seen it but if you weren't here's the deal. Burnley, who ended the season in 16th, were due to do a lap of honour at the end of the game. Fair enough, it's the final match of the season. But a pitch invasion? For finishing 16th? Come on. They ran straight over to the Hammers fans to goad them (why, I don't know) and the wouldn't get back to their seats, meaning Sean Dyche and the Burnley players refused to re-emerge until they did. Utterly pointless.
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West Ham's first season in Stratford marked by mediocrity and frustration
ESPN
The 2016-17 season was always going to be difficult for West Ham. The move from Upton Park to Stratford was expected to be painful and so it proved. A poor summer in the transfer market made things more difficult, however, and the club struggled to rise over mediocrity for most of the campaign.
Surviving without any real relegation threat might prove to be the season's real success.
Rating out of 10: 5
Highlight
The 1-0 win against Tottenham was not only a good night in terms of beating a local rival, it was also the evening the team showed a desire and tenacity that had eluded them for most of the season. The reward was an atmosphere that rivalled that of the post North/South Bank Boleyn -- and there were few who ever thought that was likely to happen this season.
Running it close was the 2-1 fourth-round EFL win against Chelsea, when it seemed -- for just a brief period in October -- the Hammers might be able to turn the early season tedium into something positive. It wasn't to be.
The move to the London Stadium was an important step for West Ham. In reality, the season's highlight was all around. Many supporters complained and, early on, there was much to complain about. Some stayed away and will never come back. Too many who had nothing to do with the club, said West Ham had sold its soul. The fact is the London Stadium has secured West Ham's future and has raised the profile -- not to mention the attendance -- of the club several notches. It will take time, but the Hammers have taken a giant step into the future.
Low Point
There's always a tendency from those outside a club to assume the heavy defeats are the hardest to bear. Thrashings at the hands of Arsenal (5-1), Liverpool (4-0) and Manchester City (4-0) -- all at the London Stadium -- were certainly painful. However, the Premier League is a competition that isn't set on a level playing field and sometimes, when the opposition is demonstrably superior and playing at their best, the only thing to complain about is the manner of the defeat.
West Ham have looked clueless, out-classed and jaded at times this season certainly, but what fans do expect is for the team to perform against opposition their equal. The 4-2 defeat at home by Watford in early September, after leading 2-0 just before half time, was undoubtedly a low. Even at the time, it suggested there was a problem beyond settling into a new home.
Star Man
Michail Antonio was named the Hammer of the Year and would undoubtedly be classed one of the few players to show anywhere near his real form this season. Argentine Manuel Lanzini would run Antonio close though. Lanzini stepped up after the departure of Dimitri Payet and has been head and shoulders over most of his teammates, particularly since Antonio suffered his season-ending injury.
Flop
A Flop of the Season award at the London Stadium would surely consist of a queue of players jostling each other and shouting "Me! Me!"
Andre Ayew, Edimilson Fernandes, Havard Nordtveit, Gokhan Tore, Alvaro Arbeloa, Robert Snodgrass, Jonathan Calleri and Jose Fonte have all disappointed at various times. Some, like Fonte, have stuck to the task and have shown fleetingly why they were purchased; others, like Snodgrass, hold out hope for the future. Some though -- World Cup Winner Arbeloa stand up here -- just leave supporters dumbfounded; scratching their heads at exactly how football works sometimes.
Nevertheless, despite all the poor signings -- and even for West Ham this has been a bumper crop -- the biggest flop has been Payet. A man who could have ruled in Stratford and joined the legions of the greats, Payet had his head turned in the summer at Euro 2016 and, though his body arrived back in England, his head and heart never did. A tragic outcome that has benefitted neither club, nor one suspects, player.
Transfer Talk
The frustrating thing about talking about transfers in the summer of 2017 is that the club's needs are exactly the same as those in the summer of 2016. Last year, despite bold talk and brave attempts, the club was reduced to scuffling around and buying players for much more than they were worth.
To make any headway next season, the club desperately need two strikers. With some firepower up front, there might be less pressure on the defence and midfield.
A right-back and a creative midfielder are also needed, and the money for those could be found by ditching many of last season's failures.
Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is ESPN FC's West Ham blogger.
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West Ham end of season review: London Stadium move has been a disaster... only relegation could have made it worse for Slaven Bilic
West Ham finished 11th after a disappointing campaign under Slaven Bilic
Dimitri Payet left and the club failed to get past Europa League qualifiers
Hammers have struggled to play consistently well at the London Stadium
By Sam Cunningham for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:29, 22 May 2017 | UPDATED: 12:29, 22 May 2017
West Ham endured a difficult campaign in their first season at the London Stadium following their move from Upton Park. After flirting with a relegation battle Slaven Bilic's side pulled away but failed to build on a seventh place finish last year.
So, how did it go?
Only relegation could've made it worse. The move to the new stadium was a disaster with fans fighting amongst themselves and clashing with rivals, they were knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers, star man Dimitri Payet forced his way out in January and for a while they appeared to be on their way down.
Player of the season
Michail Antonio. He started the season at left-back and ended it up front. An England call-up by Gareth Southgate arrived along the way until injury ruled him out. The performances earned him a deserved pay rise.
Best moment
There weren't many. A close one between beating rivals Chelsea in the EFL Cup 2-1, the first major result at the London Stadium (although it was marred by fans clashing), and ending Tottenham's title chances with a 1-0 win there on a Friday night in early May.
Lowest moment
Supporters were desperately looking forward to a Europa League campaign, only to see their side lose to Romanians Astra Giurgiu at home in the second leg of their final qualifier.
How did the manager get on?
Slaven Bilic has found himself under mounting pressure as the season has progressed. His signings were not great but other factors out of his control have not helped either. He has handled himself graciously at all times, though.
What can they improve in the summer?
They really need to get their recruitment right. Poor signings can have a destabilising effect for one season; after two or three it can become catastrophic.
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Feghouli's future and transfer targets - just what are Slaven Bilic and the West Ham board discussing today?
The Hammers hierachy and the boss will meet later today
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:38, 22 MAY 2017
Slaven Bilic will sit down with David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady later today (Monday) to pick through what was a very disappointing 2016/2017 Premier League campaign. The board are fully behind the boss, who has 13 months still to run on his current contract, but won't be offered a new one today. That's up for discussion for a later date and obviously depends how the start of next season pans out. But what exactly could the board ad the boss be discussing when they sit down for the cordial discussion later on? Here's a few things they will be having a chat about.
West Ham did finish a pedestrian 11th place in the table but there were some horrendous results in their eat times. Bilic says it often enough than when their backs were to the wall, they pulled through and they did to be fair, but it was what got the team there in the first place which is the concern. The London Stadium thumpings by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool no doubt will come up, plus defeats to Watford, Leicester, West Bromwich Albion among others. The run of five defeats in a row in 2017, picking up just three points in their first seven games, the win over Burnley was West Ham's first in three months on the road. Results were not good this season, even with th circumstances and with the squad the club had, they weren't good enough.
The wretched injury record
It was absolutely horrendous and it wasn't like players were picking up knocks -they were serious injuries. Ten different players were out for at least two-and-a-half months or more this season. The injury list from pre-Burnley was horrible reading - Andy Carroll, Arthur Masuaku, Diafra Sakho, Havard Nordtveit, Jonathan Calleri, Michail Antonio, Pedro Obiang, Winston Reid, all missing through injury. Carroll has missed huge chunks of the season, Diafra Sakho has played twice, Andre Ayew missed four months, Antonio has missed a combined three months, Arthur Masuaku has missed four months, as has Sam Byram. Whether it's the methods at Rush Green causing these injuries, the board will want answers.
Changing his backroom staff
The board has hinted in the past at this, with Bilic staying loyal to his team of Nikola Jurcevic, Edin Terzic, Miljenko Rak, Chris Woods and Julian Dicks as his coaches. The board are still keen on this but are not going to force it upon the boss.
Sofiane Feghouli's future
It's one of the major questions as the Hammers could well cash in on the Algerian this summer. He was signed on a free transfer last year ad the club could now gt some money back on their investment. Feghouli put in a good shift at Burnley but for the majority of the season has been a big disappointment after arriving from Valencia. There is interest from around Europe in his services and the club will want to know if he is figuring in Bilic's plans for next season.
Transfer targets
Slaven Bilic will outline the players he wants this summer at the meeting and the board will then decide if it's a list they agree with. The names of Michy Batshuayi, Yaya Toure, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kevin Malcuit and others will be mentioned. The futures of players such as Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho, Jonathan Calleri and Gokhan Tore will also be discussed. Bilic has maintained throughout the past few weeks that he is fine with quantity of his squad, it's th quality that eeds improving so don't expect the transfers to be a long discussion.
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Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright has sympathy with Burnley in West Ham defeat
Tyrone Marshall / @TyMarshall_LT
FORMER Clarets striker Ian Wright had sympathy for Matt Lowton's attempted clearance during West Ham's winner on the final day at Turf Moor. The Burnley right-back position himself on the line to try and head clear after Tom Heaton's save from Edmilson Fernandes had sent the ball spiralling into the air. But as he jumped to clear the ball bounced off the crossbar instead and back to Andre Ayew, who could head into an empty net to secure victory for the Hammers. Wright, analysing the game on Sunday night's Match of the Day, was impressed with Ayew's reactions to be in the right place to apply the finish. "Lowton is the unfortunate guy. He (Fernandes) has a good shot here, Lowton think he's going to head it and off the line and it hits the bar," he said. "Ayew has done well, he's reacted very well to it, he's in the right place for it. I like that."
Wright's co-pundit Alan Shearer said both sides and both Sean Dyche and Slaven Bilic could reflect on a positive season now the campaign had come to an end. West Ham's victory took them to 11th in the table, while Burnley's defeat left them 16th, but they still finished six points clear of the bottom three. Asked if both sides should be happy with their respective seasons, Shearer said: "I think so. There's been a lot talk on Bilic's job but when they finish in 11th I don't think they can do any better than this season.
"I think both managers have done as well as they can."
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West Ham United's 'deal of the century' on stadium just got worse for taxpayers
22 May 2017
West Ham United has become embroiled in further controversy after it emerged the club will pay just a fraction of the £2.3 million annual business rates bill on its London Stadium home.
Owners E20 Stadium, a joint venture between publicly funded London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council, have revealed the Hammers will pay additional rates on just the retail and office space in the 66,000-capacity stadium.
In a response to a Freedom of Information request seen by the Press Association, E20 confirmed it will pick up the bill for the rest of the entire stadium, dealing yet another blow to the taxpayer after West Ham secured the lease last year for just £2.5 million a year in rent.
The revelation comes days after mobile phone giant Vodafone pulled out of a £20 million naming rights deal to sponsor West Ham's London Stadium.
It also follows just weeks after officials from HM Revenue and Customs dramatically raided the Premier League club's offices at the stadium as part of a wider investigation into allegations of tax evasion in football.
E20 declined to reveal how much West Ham would contribute in business rates, saying this was still under discussion, despite West Ham having relocated last year.
It is likely to be far less than the £1.3 million it would have forked out in rates each year for its former home at The Boleyn Ground, according to business rent and rates specialist CVS.
Dubbed by critics as the "deal of the century", West Ham's lease agreement has come under heavy fire while it has also been revealed the taxpayer will foot the bill for the costs of policing, stewarding, heating, maintenance of the pitch and even corner flags and nets.
Its deal to share the rates bill is also likely to fuel anger among rival clubs, many of whom are paying millions of pound in property rates each year.
The TaxPayers' Alliance said the "deal of the century now looks even worse for taxpayers". James Price, campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "When other football stadiums are paying millions in business rates, it is ridiculous to expect taxpayers to pick up this tab for West Ham every single year, especially when considering the deal they got for the stadium in the first place.
"The whole relationship between West Ham and taxpayers needs to completely change."
The annual rates bill for the London Stadium was £2.1 million in 2016/17 and surged to £2.3 million after the tax shake-up on April 1, according to CVS. A spokesman for E20 said: "West Ham United does not own the stadium and only has full use of it on a certain number of days each year, for which they pay £2.5 million annually. "In addition, they pay the business rates for the office space and other areas they occupy exclusively. They do so via a contribution to the overall rates bill."
Rivals clubs are also facing steep hikes in their rates bills, with new Premier League Champions Chelsea paying £2 million this year in business rates for Stamford Bridge, while Arsenal will pay £3.3 million for rates on the Emirates Stadium.
The £700 million London Stadium has been dogged by negative headlines about its expense for almost a decade. Last year, London mayor Sadiq Khan ordered a review into the spiralling costs of converting it from an athletics arena into a multi-purpose venue with football at its heart.
A spokesman for West Ham United said: "West Ham United only use the stadium facilities on matchday so, as tenants, we pay for the share of rates on those matchdays. "We also, as tenants with our own specific areas, are liable for rates on the club offices, shop and warehouse. We will be separately assessed on this by the Valuation Office and this will be backdated to when we first moved in."
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West Ham fans react to Robert Snodgrass's performance against Burnley
HITC
Vincent Ralph
West Ham United overcame Burnley in their final league game of the campaign. West Ham United included a number of young prospects in their match day squad for Sunday's clash with Burnley, but it was the same old faces that kicked off proceedings, with the Hammers ultimately running out 2-1 winners. Goals from Sofiane Feghouli and Andre Ayew ensured that Sam Vokes' opener proved to be a mere consolation, meaning Slaven Bilic's side finished in 11th place despite an up-and-down campaign. One player who struggled to make any significant impact on the day was January signing Robert Snodgrass and he was replaced by young forward Ashley Fletcher with six minutes of normal-time remaining. The Scotland international has struggled to replicate the form that earned him a move from Hull City at the turn of the year, managing only two assists in 15 appearances for West Ham to date. Snodgrass has a contract at the club until 2020 and he will be hoping to turn things round in time for next season, when he will need to prove his worth in what could be a new-look Hammers side. Still, it was disappointing that some of West Ham's next generation were only given chances late on while Snodgrass toiled for much of the encounter. After the match we took to Twitter to see what West Ham fans thought of the 29-year-old's latest performance and you can read a selection of what we found below:
COYI @jacxf0ster
@WestHamUtd I would rather start quina than snodgrass
2:38 PM - 21 May 2017
Benjamin Haas @BHaasTSD
Feghouli with his best performance of the year and Snodgrass shows his worthlessness again. #COYI #WHUFC #BURWHU
4:30 PM - 21 May 2017
COYI ⚒⚒⚒ @SilkyLanzini
Please please please take Snodgrass off Billic
4:37 PM - 21 May 2017
Darren Wood @dazzaaw
Only 6 subs we don't need to name any never makes any changes Snodgrass has been toilet but still on pitch #COYI #whufc
4:41 PM - 21 May 2017
ak @AsadWHU
POTENTIAL OUTGOING TRANSFER: Roberto Snodgrass
why did we sign him? what a waste of space, time and money. needs binning
11:35 PM - 21 May 2017
MR ⚒ @WHU_MR2013
Feghouli was great today. Shame he's too inconsistent but I'd definitely keep hold of him for next season & sell Snodgrass whos garbage
5:12 PM - 21 May 2017
Glen H ⚒ @Glen_WHU64
Couldn't we put Snodgrass on e bay .... either bids or buy it now ..... someone must take him ..... please .. ⚒
4:23 PM - 21 May 2017
1 1 Retweet 7 7 likes
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Sources close to Watford's Isaac Success deny West Ham reports
Ron Walker, Senior sports writer / ronnabe
Reports linking Isaac Success with a summer move to West Ham are wide of the mark. The promising young forward has endured a turbulent first season at Watford, starting only twice and playing barely 500 minutes of football, as injuries took their toll on his Premier League campaign, as did falling out of favour with head coach Walter Mazzarri. The Observer has learned Mazzarri was unimpressed with what he perceived a poor attitude from the 21-year-old which limited his first-team involvement, but Success will face a clean slate under the Hornets' next head coach. After playing a bit-part role at Vicarage Road speculation over his future is little surprise, however sources close to the player have indicated there is no truth to recent articles suggesting there have been discussions over his future with the Hammers. Success has made 19 appearances for Watford, scoring once.
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Bilic meets board to dissect season and Fernandes is the future - Burnley vs West Ham talking points
The season is now over but there was plenty talk about from West Ham's 2-1 win over Burnley
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:02, 22 MAY 2017UPDATED10:12, 22 MAY 2017
Slaven Bilic will meet with David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady to dissect the season today (Monday) before the Croat has his hip operation later this week. The board are 100 per cent behind the boss, they want him to stay, but he won't be offered a new contract just yet. They will tell him they are disappointed with an 11th place finish but after the troubles of the season, it's more acceptable that it could have been. No doubt transfer targets will be discussed - Bilic told us yesterday he has them already in mind - and it'll be up to him to go and get them. Once the boss is off his sick bed following his procedure, it's down to business.
Sort out your final ball, Sam
Irrespective of whether Sam Byram absolutely bossed the final few weeks of the season, a new right back will arrive at the London Stadium this summer. But, he could give Slaven Bilic - at least - something to think about if he could only just improve his final ball and decision making in attacking areas. Byram gets forward at will and does it well but when he gets into offensive positions, he either gives the ball away, puts in a poor cross or makes the wrong decision. He needs to learn from what Aaron Cresswell and especially Arthur Masuaku have done on the left hand side, their end product is much better. Had Byram been a better crosser of the ball, maybe the need for a new right back would might not have been such a pressing issue.
Is there a more wonderfully frustrating player to watch than Andre Ayew?
This column called him quit after the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool for not doing enough as the Hammers' record signing, four tap ins (prior to Burnley) wasn't a good enough return on £20.1m investment and some under par displays to go with it. Yesterday looked like more of the same as Ayew - leading the line by himself - made no impact whatsoever. Then he went and scored a tap in. That made it six goals for the season in what has been disrupted by injury and also, being out of favour and playing the role of substitute until the final two months of the season. In retrospect, that's actually a good return for the Ghanaian.
Edimilson Fernandes is the future, trust us
The young Swiss midfielder was the best Hammer on the pitch at Turf Moor on Sunday as he showed glimpses of unreal class and quality in that central midfield spot. Potentially freed from having the distractions of another defensive midfielder on the park, the 21-year-old completely bossed proceedings as Jeff Hendricks was a complete non-factor for the hosts, shut out by Fernandes. His passing was on the mark and crisp, finding their targets and building attacks. His tackling was superb, his strength is underrated and he is deceptively quick too. Fernandes signing was a bit of a strange one back in the summer but yesterday showed he was exactly what Slaven Bilic was looking for.
Hold your horses on Sofiane Feghouli
Arguably one of the favourites to be booted out of E20 this summer after a pedestrian debut season in the Premier League, Feghouli was a real spark on the final day. Whether he has been told he is playing for his future or wanted to end with a flourish, Feghouli put in one his better performances this season. He was electric from the get go, with pace, beating his man and supplying deliveries.
He took his goal fabulously well and showed glimpses of what we had wanted to see from him all season lonmg. Don't rule him out departing just yet.
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Ex Cambridge United loanee and Everton player linked with West Ham United move
BYAARON MASON
09:38, 22 MAY 2017
West Ham are reported to be ready to make a £1million offer for former Cambridge United loanee Ryan Ledson. Ledson joined United on loan from Everton in November 2015 and went on to play every game he was available for – he missed two matches while on duty for England under-19s – last season. After an impressive campaign with United he returned to the Toffees, only for Oxford, who had been promoted to Sky Bet League One, to sign the midfielder on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee last summer. But if the reports at WestHamWorld.co.uk are correct, Ledson could be set for a move to the Hammers. The website claims the Premier League club would pay £750,000 up front with a further £250,000 to follow depending on future appearances as well as a five per cent sell-on fee, while also sending Ledson back to Oxford on a season-long loan deal next term.
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Slaven Bilic hasn't enjoyed West Ham's first season at the London Stadium... but he expects them to improve
West Ham struggled at home in their first year at their new ground
But Hammers have recovered to finish 11th in the Premier League this season
Slaven Bilic admits it was not a great season, but says the side will benefit from it
By Andy Hampson, Press Association
PUBLISHED: 09:44, 22 May 2017 | UPDATED: 09:44, 22 May 2017
Slaven Bilic admits West Ham's season was not enjoyable - but expects them to benefit hugely from the experience. The Hammers fell back from their impressive seventh-placed finish of 2015-16 to end their latest Premier League campaign in 11th after a 2-1 final-day win at Burnley. It was not a straightforward season with the club's move from Upton Park to the London Stadium proving problematic and other factors, including dressing-room unrest and injuries, also hampering the side. There was never any real danger of relegation, however, and manager Bilic views the year as one of transition that can be built upon. He said: 'It is not a season to talk about and hail as one of the best seasons, it is nowhere near the season of last year, but there is something between great and bad and we have done it.
'We never lost belief, it was permanent. The confidence was up and down - it varies because of results - but belief was there. 'It wasn't enjoyable but, individually and as a team, I am sure we will benefit from this season a lot. It was a great experience. 'We had a couple of black holes in the season but we had eight major surgeries and we had 10 players who were out for a minimum of two-and-a-half months. This is scary, it is too much. 'Considering that and considering the move to the new stadium - that is definitely, long-term, the best thing the club has ever done but it needs time to adjust - we have done well. 'We were never in real trouble but five times we were one game away from being in real trouble. Every time we really needed it we showed the character and showed the quality.'
A second-half winner from Andre Ayew ensured the Hammers ended on a positive note by coming from behind to win at Turf Moor. Sam Vokes put Burnley into a 23rd-minute lead but that was quickly cancelled out by the impressive Sofiane Feghouli. The hosts spurned a number of chances to reclaim the lead and West Ham capitalised when Ayew pounced on a rebound after an Edimilson Fernandes shot was turned onto the bar by Tom Heaton. It was a response Bilic had demanded after a 4-0 hammering by Liverpool last week had ended a five-game unbeaten run and spoiled a solid run-in. Bilic said: 'I wanted to avoid the factor of complacency, but it was there (against Liverpool). It wasn't the same step, the same players like it was the week before against Spurs. 'But, at home, in 2017 it was only Man City twice, in the cup and league, and Liverpool that we were really not on the same level with. I am happy the way we finished the season.'
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Slaven Bilic to meet West Ham board today to discuss his future and these summer transfer targets
Teegraph.co.uk
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
22 MAY 2017 • 9:15AM
Slaven Bilic will today meet the West Ham United board to discuss his future and the club's summer transfer targets. The board want Bilic to stay – and he wants to remain as manager – although despite having just 13 months left on his contract he will not be offered a new deal. However no change is expected to be made and Bilic will stay.
West Ham fully intend to go into next season with Bilic in place and will decide around January whether he extend his contract depending on how the team performs. There is a general sense of disappointment at finishing 11th in the Premier League, after last season's impressive seventh place finish, although there is an acceptance that Bilic has had to work under trying circumstances and coped reasonably well. These have included the move from Upton Park to the London Stadium – formerly the Olympic Stadium – a spate of key injuries and the Dimitri Payet saga which saw West Ham's best player force a £25million move back to Marseille in the January window.
Today's talks are not unusual. West Ham have an annual review of their manager's performance at the end of every season but Bilic has been under pressure although club sources insist the "100 per cent" want him to stay. The 48-year-old Croat is also booked in for a hip replacement operation later this week so the meeting has to take place before then.
West Ham's board do want answers as to why there have been so many significant injuries this season – 10 in all – which have also contributed to the disappointing results. They would like Bilic to make some changes to his backroom staff but they will not insist upon this and accept it is the manager's prerogative to work with whom he wants.
The talks will therefore centre on transfer targets with West Ham discussing a move for Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho – who is also wanted by Borussia Dortmund and a number of other clubs – and who may be available for transfer this summer. The 20-year-old has not featured greatly under Pep Guardiola.
West Ham have already agreed, in principle, a two-year deal to sign Pablo Zabaleta from City after the 32-year-old's contract expired although they are waiting for the right-back to fully make up his mind whether he wants to join them.
Another potential target from City is Yaya Toure who is also soon out-of-contract although there is an expectation that the 34-year-old midfielder may be offered a 12-month extension by Guardiola which would represent a remarkable turnaround given he was frozen out because of his lack of fitness at the start of the season.
West Ham are believed to have no interest in bringing Jermain Defoe back to the club. They attempted to sign the 34-year-old in January for £6million but that as rebuffed by Sunderland and although the striker has a release clause, allowing him to leave for free once his current club were relegated, West Ham are not going to enter the bidding for him. An ambitious target for West Ham could be Daniel Sturridge if Liverpool decide to make him available.
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Double Rangers miss, but West Ham developments give Warburton transfer hope
HITC
Dan Coombs
Nottingham Forest boss should be buoyed by comments from David Gold. West Ham co-owner David Gold is under fire after stating on Twitter he did not expect any youth team players to push for the club's first team. The Hammers are blessed with talented young players, and have a rich history of progressing the likes of Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand into their first team. His comments could well be of interest to Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton, who wanted to work with two West Ham youngsters last season.
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
I think we all have to except that it is extremely unlikely that a teenager will break into a PL team full of seasoned international. dg https://twitter.com/billrobinsonwhu/status/865828528083935232 …
11:41 AM - 20 May 2017
249 249 Retweets 275 275 likes
Mark Warburton tried unsuccessfully to sign two West Ham players for Glasgow Rangers, targeting Domingos Quina and Reece Oxford. The Sun reported Rangers tried to sign talented winger Quina on loan, with the Daily Record detailing an approach on loan for defender Reece Oxford. Quina remained at West Ham while Oxford signed on loan for Reading instead, where he has largely been a bit part player.
David Gold's comments will be hugely discouraging to West Ham's youngsters, and he went onto suggest that loans are likely.
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
Teenagers gain experience by going out on loan to the 1st 2nd division and the championship. https://twitter.com/simonbarnes20/status/865962883351445505 …
5:32 PM - 20 May 2017
18 18 Retweets 77 77 likes
It will be hard to imagine that Warburton would not elect to explore the possibility of bringing either player to the City Ground, with his interest in them previously. Both Quina and Oxford will likely be available, with Gold's comments effectively putting them in the shop window for the coming season.
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Ayew brothers Jordan and Andre score in the same minute as each other for Swansea City and West Ham United
Published on: 22 May 2017
ghanasoccer.com
Two brothers, scoring in the Premier League for different teams, in the same minute? Ayew serious? That is what happened this afternoon, with both Jordan and Andre scoring for Swansea City and West Ham United respectively. And in a bizarre twist both notched up a goal in the 72nd minute of their matches. Jordan Ayew was the first to strike, turning in a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick to give Swansea parity against West Brom at the Liberty. And in the same minute at Turf Moor older brother Andre, a former Swan, don't forget, gave West Ham the lead at Burnley. From all of three yards, the 27-year-old turned the ball home after a drilled shot had hit Tom Heaton's bar. The official times of the goals were: J Ayew - 71:12, and A Ayew - 71:08. Swansea went on to win their game 2-1 thanks to Fernando Llorente's winner, with West Ham also winning by the same scoreline. The result means Paul Clement's side finished 15th in the Premier League standings
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HOW IN SIR TREVOR'S NAME DID WE FINISH IN 11TH PLACE ?
By HamburgHammer 22 May 2017 at 08:00
WTID
The weekend started stormy for me on Friday evening, literally. Final day of the Hamburg Oberliga season, a final meaningless home game against already relegated opposition. Even the 50 or so spectators who had made their way to the ground more by force of habit rather than uncontrollable enthusiasm for the game didn't look like they wanted to be there. Neither did the two teams. Due to the very obscure local noise control regulations the game had to be played on the adjoining grass pitch rather than the artificial one usually used on the premises as it was a Friday evening game.
The game was played under a constant supply of drizzling rain. It was as exciting as a wet weekend in Wigan and then middle of the second half with the score at 1:1 the heavens opened for a furious crescendo. Freezing cold water hitting us from all sides, accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning, directly above the pitch. The referee had no other option than to abandon the game (and thus most likely end the season) and to tell the truth not a single soul was unhappy with that. The Concordia lads will now have to do some reshuffling over the summer, replacing some departing players, in order to then strive for promotion again next season.
The Concordia vice president once again told me over a beer he was very much looking forward to joining me on one of my West Ham trips next season with a few more guys from the Cordi hierarchy, so I may be asking you for some help with regard to providing a few tickets for that cause sometime next season.
As for our West Ham game I was in the bizarre situation of not being able to watch via one of my usual streams and I wasn't confident enough about using some of the other suggestions as I didn't want to put my laptop at risk of being attacked by spy- or ransomware. So I "watched" the game via the stats screen of the betting site I use which is a bit like watching one of those dodgy first video games that came out on one of those old Atari gaming consoles, but coupled with the WHTID thread it did the trick.
By all accounts we delivered a solid performance with the bare bones outfit we sent out onto that pitch, we were even one man short on the bench – with one of those substitutes being a rather short man too in the shape of my favourite youth player, young Dan Kemp. I was chuffed to bits for the lad even though he didn't get to play, but we got a good win at Burnley which not only pushed us up the table into a very respectable 11th place but the result alone should send Hammers far and wide into the summer in a much happier mood compared to the mindset we might have had to endure after yet another defeat or draw in that final game.
Apparently we now have an additional £19 million to spend in the summer, either on transfers or to pay off some more debt. I don't want to go over the season just ended in meticulous detail, and at the hazard of sounding like a broken record I need to reiterate that I consider it a minor miracle how we ended up in 11th place after this shambles of a season.
Now be honest: If I had told you at the start of the season that our best player in recent years, Payet, would leave the club in acrimonious circumstances after going on strike in January, that there would be fighting with rival fans, also among Hammers fans, coupled with trouble concerning the stewarding and fan segregation at the London Stadium, that we would have ELEVEN players out through injury for at least two months each over the course of the season, that our Number One striker Andy Carroll once again would be unavailable for more than half games of the season, that we would ship goals left, right and center to suffer an unhealthy number of maulings against several sides in the league, throw in a tax raid at London Stadium hyped up for the media to create maximum effect and finish it off with the lack of effort, pressing and even running shows by our team in most games this season – and if I then still offered you 11th place in the table, you wouldn't just have snatched my arm off, but probably a bit of the shoulder and a leg as well.
We all have differing opinions on who is to blame to what degree for the various issues affecting our club this season. I will make no secret of the fact that I doff my cap to Slaven Bilic for the dignity and courage he displayed in what must have been a season from hell for any manager. I maintain that the best managers in the world would have struggled in the same situation, maybe even crumbled and collapsed under the pressure encountered by Slav. But he rarely moaned or pointed fingers at others. He did his best and carried on managing the team. Although I get the impression that maybe he treats his players too well at times, is too much of a mate rather than the manager and chief in command.
Maybe he needs to put his foot down on them more at times, demanding more effort and fight. But maybe that just isn't his way. He still offers a lot more good than bad traits as a manager as far as I'm concerned.
Let's not forget, all of the above while suffering from a bad hip, the pain caused by which I dare not even imagine. Bilic deserves a clean slate now (don't we all?) and apparently he is headed for the notorious end of season review talks in Sullivan's office today. For me there can only be one outcome here: Keep Bilic and support him with the money to bring in 3 or 4 quality signings. That's all we need really. Eliminate the negative factors mentioned above, add quality players where we need them (RB and strikers mainly) and we should be well equipped for a top 8 finish next season.
I would actually consider keeping players like Feghouli, Nordtveit and Fletcher as they have rarely been given a run in the side and I reckon there is enough quality in them to be very decent squad players for us.
One of the biggest elephants in the room though is the high number of injuries buggering us constantly over the years. We have moved training grounds, so that's one cause eliminated.
Is it just bad luck or rotten karma ? I don't really believe that. The most likely reason for me is a combination of inadequate training/warmup routines and a dodgy medical setup. That's easy for me to say, with no professional background in physiotherepy or medical science, but this constant flow of long-term injuries has been following our club for years now, so the medical team surely warrants some serious looking at during the summer, same as Slaven's backroom staff.
But it all starts and ends with the owners. They are the ones who ultimately have to decide what kind of club we want to be and how we can achieve that vision, if they have one for West Ham that is. Talk alone will not do anymore. Social media snippets won't do. Aloof bragging in newspapers about capacity at London Stadium, number of punters on the notorious Waiting List, sizes of digital screens or increasing net worth of West Ham won't do. In the style of a famous quote by Bill Clinton:
"It's the football, stupid!"
The Premier League is a money business like never before in its history. If you want to tango with the big boys, you need to spend big and on top of that you need to spend wisely too. If you are very lucky sometimes you can get away with spending reasonably little money as long as you are still spending it eftremly smartly. But that surely is a pretty rare event and a makeshift approach that will not get you up the table long term.
Now the summer is upon us then. A long summer with very little football to be found. Of course there is always the silly season, but I sincerely hope West Ham will have learned their lesson and will only come out with stuff once players have actually signed on the dotted line, holding that shirt up while grinning like a Cheshire Cat (why are cats in other counties not capable of the same facial expression I wonder).
So I reckon I won't be writing my column quite as regularly as normal throughout the summer, unless there is West Ham related stuff to discuss of course. I am still surprised that people actually read my articles and sometimes even seem to enjoy them, so hopefully I can continue in the same vein, with renewed hope and enthusiasm next season.
As a final bit of fun, I've been talking in previous comments about a German TV host and comedian being the spitting image (in my view) of our skipper, Canning Town's own Mark Noble. The guy is called Jan Boehmermann and I have to admit the likeness somewhat varies, depending on what the guy is wearing, from what angle you watch him, how he's moving etc.
But I still think he looks like one of Mark's brothers, separated at birth and shipped off to Germany…LOL
Judge for yourselves!
Wishing you all a lovely summer and I hope to see you all again next season!
Or online of course if you occasionally still feel you want to talk about West Ham on a warm summer's day. COYI!!!
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Rice Decision Shows How Premier League Need to Change Payments
verywestham.com
West Ham travelled to Burnley for what was on paper a dead rubber from the outset. Perhaps the only issue of note was the possibility for each club of finishing as high as 11th or as low as 16th. That equates with a whopping £9 million up to play for - not so boring for the respective club's management all of a sudden!
However, although the prize money system keeps clubs focused until the very last kick of the season, today's game demonstrated how it may be impeding the development of young players. It had been widely rumoured that Declan Rice, Captain of the U23 side that recently won the PL2 trophy, would be rewarded with a first Premier League start but the lad had to settle for a 90th minute entrance as Angelo Ogbonna was preferred in the starting XI.
Rice looks the real deal, but it seems a terrible pity that the pressure to finish as high as possible in the league rankings can discourage managers to take a punt with young but inexperienced talent.
Let's hope the lad gets his chance next season but with Reid, Ogbonna, Fonte and Collins in the mix and with the two Reece's looking to push on, it'll be hard for the Irishman to break into the team. The preoccupation with end of season placings further detracts from the opportunities available to blood new talent.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic believes West Ham United's strong finish to the 2016/17 season will stand them in good stead when the Premier League kicks off again in August. The Hammers completed a run of one defeat in their last seven matches, including three morale-boosting victories over Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur and, on Sunday, at Burnley. Despite being shorn of eight senior players absent through injury or rehabilitation, Bilic sent out a side which played with verve, passion and no little skill, capped by a sublime equaliser from Sofiane Feghouli. Andre Ayew, who set up Feghouli's goal with a neat flick after Sam Vokes had put the Clarets ahead, then won the game when he reacted quickest after Edimilson Fernandes' shot dropped into his path via Tom Heaton's palms and the Burnley crossbar. When asked if the victory would put a smile on his face as he packed his bags for a summer holiday in his native Croatia, the manager said it most definitely would. "It gives you optimism," Bilic confirmed. "I didn't want to talk about the obstacles during the season and players being injured and all that because you want to be positive and talk about the players who are going to play in that game. "We know we had eight major surgeries and we had ten players who were out, each one of them, for a minimum of two-and-a-half months. This is scary. It is literally too much. "Considering that and considering the move to the new stadium, which is definitely long-term the best thing this Club has ever done, it needs time to adjust to it. "Considering all of it, we done well. It's not a season to talk about, to hail it as one of the best seasons because it ain't. Last year was, but there is something between great and bad and we've done it because never lost belief. It's permanent. The confidence was up and down and varied because of the results, but the belief was always there.
"It wasn't enjoyable, put it that way, but individually and as a team I am sure we will benefit from this season a lot. It was a great experience and I expect us to benefit from it, large."
Reflecting on Sunday's impressive and deserved win at Burnley, where his team played some superb football to recover from the shock of Vokes' opening goal, Bilic was positively purring. Feghouli's leveller was a thing of beauty as a quick free-kick was flicked into the Algerian's path by Ayew and the No7 made no mistake with a clinical finish. Then, a dominant second half performance was headlined by Ayew's sixth Premier League goal of the season, which the manager was more a case of judgement than luck. "The second goal may have benefitted from a touch of luck, but the whole action was for me brilliant," he stated, when asked if the winner was 'lucky' by a journalist. "How it finished, OK, it was a bit lucky, but we came with a lot of players there [in the box] and that's why that rebound fell to Ayew, like it did for Lanzini's goal against Spurs. "You have more chances that the ball will drop to your player when you have five in the box. Andre Ayew is great at being in the right place at the right tie. We came there, so alright it had an element of luck but we deserved it."
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Ayew - It's great to finish strongly
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew was delighted to score the Hammers' final winning goal of the 2016/17 season as the visitors won 2-1 at Burnley
Sofiane Feghouli had grabbed an equaliser after Sam Vokes gave the Clarets the lead early on
The victory saw Slaven Bilic's side finish the season in eleventh in the Premier League
West Ham United's 2-1 win over Burnley on the final day at Turf Moor was a great way to end the season, according to match winner Andre Ayew. The Ghanaian forward scored in the 72nd minute to sign off the 2016/17 in style, bagging his sixth of the campaign – a fifth goal away from London Stadium for the Hammers. It came after Sofiane Feghouli had drawn the visitors level following Sam Vokes' opener, and Slaven Bilic's side dominated a second half they could have scored further goals in. The victory meant the Claret and Blues finished eleventh in the Premier League table, though had results in the past swung one way rather than the other, Ayew highlighted it could have been even better. "We are happy with today's three points and to finish on a good note," the striker said. "The whole season has been difficult so we're happy to end like this. "Overall, the season has been difficult, but we're just a point away from eighth spot at the end of the day. "We were quite disappointed because there were games where we definitely could have had more points. "You take away from it that you need to win your points and take your chances and learn from this season now. We'll learn, and prepare for the next one."
Ayew scored when Edimilson Fernandes' long-range effort was saved well by Tom Heaton, though the keeper's stop cannoned off the crossbar before falling perfectly for the Hammers' record signing to nod in. And it was a case of strikers' instinct, said the forward who celebrated in front of the packed away end. "My goal for sure was right place, right time. I had a similar opportunity at Stoke and missed it, so I'm happy to score today and hopefully now it's the end of the season that will set us up for next season. "We are going to have holidays now and prepare for next season. "I think this year we have been unlucky with injuries and we didn't start the season well. We had the Europa League also, and we didn't manage to qualify, but after the start we had, we got to a point where we managed to turn things around, so it's been a good end."
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Fonte – I'll be better
WHUFC.com
Jose Fonte wants to come back next season and show the Hammers fans his best true qualities
The defender helped the side to a 2-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday
Fonte is keen for a full summer of rest having had little chance to in previous years due to international commitments
Centre-back Jose Fonte has vowed to come back after a well-earned rest this summer and show West Ham United supporters his best form in Claret and Blue. The defender, speaking after his side ended the 2016/17 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Burnley, has not had a full summer's rest for three years due to international commitments, but is keen to come back fresh next term. Fonte played the full 90 minutes at the heart of defence at Turf Moor, as goals from Sofiane Feghouli and Andre Ayew saw the visitors overturn Sam Vokes' opener.
And the Portugal international, who lifted the UEFA European Championship trophy in France last year, believes he is yet to show the Hammers fans his true qualities. He said: "Firstly, Burnley are a very difficult team to beat at home, so we're very pleased. We came in with a bright attitude and we go three big points. "But next season, the whole team wants to come back fresh, because I can be better and I want to be better for this Club. That's what I'm going to do. "After the internationals are done, I will speak to the gaffer to get a good rest, because I haven't had one in the last three years, for a good reason! "I want to get my rest, come back fresh, and have a great season next year."
Portugal, fresh off the back of their maiden European triumph, will compete in this summer's Confederations Cup in Russia, a tournament Fonte is keen to do well in. "Of course nothing over the summer can live up to winning the Euros, it was a great achievement," he continued. "But we still have the Confederations Cup in the summer, and we want to win that, but the main one is the World Cup next year. If we can challenge for that, it could be even greater than the Euros. "It's step-by-step, but first we have to win the Confederations."
Fonte arrived in east London during the January transfer window, switching the south coast and Southampton for the capital. And despite a turbulent season for the Club, the defender has absolutely no regrets about joining Slaven Bilic's outfit, in part down to the manager himself. "I think Slaven deserves a lot of credit [for how he has handled this season], because he's a great coach, a great manager, a great person. "Obviously I want him to be here, there's no doubt, and I can only say thank you to him for bringing me here to this great Club. "No doubt that it has been a challenging season since I came in. It hasn't been a perfect situation but all the focus now is on having four weeks' rest and coming back for a new beginning. "I want to come back and start over again and be loved."
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Stat's A Fact - Andre Ayew
WHUFC.com
West Ham United signed off the 2016/17 season in style after a 2-1 comeback win against Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday. The hosts went in front through Wales international Sam Vokes before Sofiane Feghouli netted his third of the campaign to see the scores in level at the break. Feghouli's equaliser was beautifully worked: he, Fernandes and Ayew combining on the edge of the box before the Algerian coolly slotted past Tom Heaton. It was however a familiar face who was on hand to put the Hammers in front and seal the three points.
Andre Ayew the quickest to react to Edimilson Fernandes' rebounded shot by heading in from close range. The Ghanaian, who is quickly establishing a reputation for being in the right place at the right time, has been in impressive form since returning from African Cup of Nations duty in January.
Sunday's goal was his sixth of a campaign which suffered a staggered and injury-plagued start. Since netting his maiden goal at Swansea on Boxing Day, the Ghanaian has scored his six from twelve starts and is the Hammers' joint-leading scorer in 2017.
Ayew is a modern-day 'fox in the box' and his goal return for Swansea was what attracted West Ham. It took a little time, but the signs in 2017 are very positive for West Ham fans. Ayew's six goals have all been scored inside the 18-yard box with four, including Sunday's winner, put home from inside six yards. Right place, right time - it is no coincidence. West Ham had a total of 14 shots on the Burnley goal on Sunday – five more than the hosts, with three falling to Ayew. Fernandes and Feghouli also had three each. Ayew was provider for Sofiane Feghouli's leveller too - his third assist of the season, on an afternoon where his 85 per cent pass success rate was better than any of Sean Dyche's players.
Defensively, James Collins dealt well with the lively Burnley forwards, Andre Gray and Sam Vokes, by winning the most aerial duels (seven). Collins' six clearances was bettered only by Burnley's Matt Lowton as West Ham sought to squeeze out any loose space in the attacking third. For Burnley, Sam Vokes' goal was their only attempt on target while they also had over 100 fewer touches than the Hammers. The Hammers' record-signing admitted that he was now "feeling good" about his game and will hope to take his good form into a summer international tour of the United States with Ghana before returning to pre-season with West Ham in July.
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AC wonder strike shortlisted for top award
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll's unforgettable scissor kick against Crystal Palace is one of two West Ham United goals shortlisted for the Premier League's official Carling Goal of the Season. The No9's memorable strike in the 3-0 victory over the Eagles in January is one of ten fantastic finishes nominated for the prestigious award. Carroll took to the east London air to cap an important win over Sam Allardyce's side, slamming Michail Antonio's left-wing cross into the top right-hand corner with his left foot. The bicycle kick won the Hammers' own Goal of the Season award with ease, and now it will battle nine other wonder goals for the right to be called the Premier League's top finish of 2016/17. A second West Ham goal is also in the running, with Dimitri Payet's individual run and low shot against Middlesbrough back October also shortlisted. Voting is open to the public now and will close at 11.59pm BST on Wednesday 24 May. Click here to vote for Carroll's scissor kick now. The winner will be decided by a combination of the public votes and those of a panel made up of former managers and players.
The full Carling Goal of the Season shortlist is:
August - Cristhian Stuani (Sunderland v MIDDLESBROUGH)
September - Jordan Henderson (Chelsea v LIVERPOOL)
October - Dimitri Payet (WEST HAM UNITED v Middlesbrough)
November - Pedro (CHELSEA v Tottenham Hotspur)
December - Henrikh Mkhitaryan (MAN UTD v Sunderland)
January - Andy Carroll (WEST HAM UNITED v Crystal Palace)
February - Eden Hazard (CHELSEA v Arsenal)
March - Andros Townsend (West Brom v CRYSTAL PALACE)
April - Pedro (Everton v CHELSEA)
May - Emre Can (Watford v LIVERPOOL)
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'Two or three signings will take us up a level' - Director of Player Recruitment Tony Henry
WHUFC.com
In the first of a series of interviews offering an insight into the work of key personalities at the club, Director of Player Recruitment Tony Henry lifts the lid on the process of scouting and recruiting new players. A former Manchester City and Stoke City midfielder, Henry has developed a track record for unearthing top talent at affordable prices. With the summer transfer window set to open soon, Henry explained how West Ham United will go about adding quality players to their squad ahead of the 2017/18 Premier League campaign.
Tony, can we start by talking about how you and your team of scouts identify potential targets?
"We started when the window closed in January. You're always on the lookout for players. I have a group of scouts who go around the world looking for players. I go around England with a lad, Rory Campbell, who's my assistant. I call Alan Harper, who's based in the North West. "Basically, we look at players all the time. We do reports, we then go back to the manager and I sit down with the manager every week and we put plans in place all the time for every window."
Presumably it can be a long and drawn out process, as you will do due diligence when considering investing millions of pounds in a new asset?
"Every day is different. A lot of people think that you just go out and sign a player. First, you've got to make sure the players that you're going for are going to fit into the team, which doesn't always work out, but it's a long process. "We make sure we have six or seven, eight, nine reports on players. We then sit down with the manager, with the staff, and we go through them, and we'll have a group of let's say strikers, and we look at the one we think would be the best in that position. "But then it depends on the deal. You contact the club, and if they want a ridiculous price, then that one's out the window. We do our homework, and what you also have to do if you can, is find out about the character of a player – his attitude, what he's like off the field. "You do as much background work as you can, speaking to people you may know at that club, but even them, he might come in and may have changed in the last 12 months. It is difficult but hopefully this year we will get the players that we want."
Slaven Bilic has talked about 'quality over quantity' being the Club's approach to recruitment this summer…
"We need two or three, maximum. If we can get the ones that we want, I think we'll be a really good team next year."
Can you talk to us about the scope of the Club's scouting network?
"We try and cover as much as we can. I'd like to think that we don't miss out on a lot. "Manuel Lanzini, for example – I saw him when he was 18, playing in River Plate, when I was at Everton. "All of a sudden, he went to the United Arab Emirates, and you forget about him. But then his name came up, and obviously I'd seen him three times and he was a top player. I couldn't understand why he went to the Emirates. But we got him on loan, he signed a new deal, and he's brilliant. He's now very highly rated and we're so happy to have him here. "We try and cover as much as we can. We're not going to cover every country obviously. But we know the sort of players we want here now. We know what Slaven wants, we know what's good for the team and what will make us better, and I just think this season, we've got a really good chance of getting a couple in who will be great for us."
How big a draw is London and London Stadium to potential new signings?
"Obviously London is a massive thing for players, but obviously the new stadium, players come and they love it. "I remember when we brought Jose Fonte in in January, he just said the stadium was brilliant. When he played for Southampton here, he said he thought it was fantastic. It's a massive pull."
*To watch the full interview with Director of Player Recruitment Tony Henry, including his views on hot prospects Domingos Quina and Toni Martinez, click on the West Ham TV player above.
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Snodgrass relishing Auld Enemy visit
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass is targeting a win over the Auld Enemy after being named in Scotland's squad for their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier with England.
The Tartan Army welcome the Three Lions to Hampden Park in Glasgow on 10 June knowing defeat would end their hopes of topping European qualifying Group F.
Snodgrass has a huge incentive to defeat England on home turf, having missed a gilt-edged chance with Gareth Southgate's side leading 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Wembley in November. England went on to win 3-0.
"This game is a massive one," said the West Ham United No11. "I don't think you'll get a bigger game in a Scotland jersey. It's one we've all been looking forward to.
"Wembley is gone now, along with that horrible taste in the mouth. If we had taken our chances we'd probably have won.
"I still think back to my chance. If it had gone in it might have been a different story. To now have England in our own backyard with a packed house will be huge."
For Snodgrass, the rivalry with England has been intensified by being surrounded by images of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy at both Rush Green and London Stadium.
The midfielder has also shared a dressing room with England internationals Andy Carroll and Aaron Cresswell, as well as proud Englishmen Mark Noble and Michail Antonio, since joining the Club in January.
"There are lots of lads who have a tradition with West Ham and England," Snodgrass observed. "There are pictures of them all around the stadium. You can feel that connection with England."
Capped 23 times, the Glaswegian has plied his trade south of the border since joining Leeds United from Livingston in 2008.
Scotland's most-recent hat-trick hero – he netted three in a World Cup qualifying win in Malta last September – may have spent most of his adult life in England, but representing his country gives him a feeling of pride which will never leave him.
"Playing for Scotland was a dream come true for me from the very start," added the 29-year-old, who was recently voted Scottish Football Writers' Association International Player of the Year for 2016.
"You're living the dream each time you pull on that jersey. It's a special feeling and a proud moment.
"To be named International Player of the Year is special for me. It's great that I can be there to pick it up."
Fourth-place Scotland go into their clash with England on seven points, while unbeaten England lead Group F on 13 points. Slovakia and Slovenia sit between the two on nine and eight points respectively, all from five qualifying matches played.
The 10 June fixture with kick-off at 5pm and be screened live in the UK by both ITV and Sky Sports.
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SEASON ENDS AND AMBITIONS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 22 MAY 2017 AT 9:15PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Steven McCarthy @stevenMcCarthy9
Well if ever 2 games showed just how far off we are from the top teams in the Premier League, these were the two! The injuries over the week and season have been horrendous and really showed a lack of depth to the squad. We were absolutely awesome against Spurs, constant pressing on the players in possession, hard tackles flying in from the off and great communication between the defenders…
Contrast that with the woeful display we just saw against Liverpool, in which we looked bright for about 10 minutes and then decided that this would be a nice time for the season to end. We struggled to perform even the simplest parts of the game, keeping the ball, passing to the man and simple defensive positioning. Today was one of the worst performances of the season for me, in a year that has seen numerous ones to choose from! And I think the worst thing for me was seeing just how little effort we put in after that Spurs performance.
I think that losing the likes of Kouyate and Noble (who I have been a harsh critic of!) showed just how much we lacked any physical presence, passion and drive in the midfield. Seeing that total lack of drive and passion has got to be one of the worst things for a football fan, I don't mind losing by a few goals to a team like Liverpool if we show commitment and hard work, because then we can simply hold up our hands and say "We tried, but the better team won and we were simply outclassed today!".
But when we looked like we are getting ready to put the Rubber rings, flip flops and shades on for a nice lounge by the pool then it pretty much ruins my weekend and leaves me with a really bitter taste!
From the positivity of last weeks win, I think the Burnley game looks like a real challenge, particularly given Burnley's form at Turf Moor.
Are there any positives to be taken from the game?
I think I would be reaching if I said yes for anything on the pitch…can we count it as a positive that it will only be one more game till we get the sizeable wages of Tore and Arbeloa off the bill?
But with football in mind, it was excellent to see Ogbonna named on the bench!
However I wouldn't even risk him for next week against a tough tackling and physical side like Burnley. I hope that after surgery we just let him get recover over the Summer and get him ready for a good pre-season, because given this seasons luck, and The West Ham Way, he'd injure himself in a different and undoubtedly worse way!
The exciting news of the week, and after another great Radio show, Ex confirmed that we would be interested in Iheanacho.
A player who I mentioned in a previous piece as a dream loan signing, but from my understanding a bigger name is in City's sites and this is a great example of how quickly things change in football!
If the 20 million asking price for Iheanacho (Who I shall now refer to as Kelechi, because I find myself constantly confused by the surnames spelling!) is correct, then I would hope the owners go all out to sign him. I would much rather us spend big money and large wages on than an ageing Defoe.
Now although I still think Defoe would be a great signing, the gossip that he and his agent are looking for a 6 million signing on fee would really put me off!
Yes Defoe is a proven goal scorer, but Kelechi is being compared to Rashford who is being touted as having a 40 million price tag. Kelechi player with a similar record is being said to have a price tag at half that, my only worry being that I am sure he would attract a lot of interest from bigger clubs around Europe, so I think we would really be pulling something special out the bag if we could sign him.
A player who seems to be popping up on my Twitter feed and being linked to us is Success of Watford, Kelechi's international stike partner for some time now in the Nigeria set up.
He has found it hard to adjust to the Premier League, without scoring a single league goal. Normally that wouldn't be much of a concern for me, however a 12.5 million price being bandied about and a record of 1 in 5 throughout his career, I do not think he is someone good enough for us if we want to push on.
I recently saw a poll asking if I would take Kelechi or Batschuyai, the ideal would be both. And to be honest, I don't see why we cannot have both!
I know the 80 million transfer fund being talked of is probably a bit ambitious, However we have a few players across the squad who I feel are easily replaceable at the moment and could fund this. One in particular is Carroll, I still maintain that on his day, he is unplayable, but I think that these days are way too far and few between!
And I have never bought into this idea that he is the only player on the planet who can have the impact he does, he is a great hold up man, he is athletic and strong in his defensive duties, but players like Llorente,Wout Weghorst from AZ Alkmaar and Kalifa Coulibaly from the endless production line of the Belgium League (who I am a big fan of!) offer very similar styles and attributes. So I would happily fund the purchase of two young and hungry strikers by selling Carroll.
A real addition to the side in my view would be the signing of Zabaleta, despite my views on Defoe!
I think Zabaleta is not only a Defender of great quality and all the attributes of a real leader, but he is someone that would not only lift the entire squad, but who I think Lanzini would really want to play with and learn from. Lanzini is a player of immense quality and with his end goal surely looking to be a place in the Argentine squad, I don't think there is a better player on the market we could realistically sign to motivate him and possibly get the very best overall performer out of Lanzini.
I would love to hear other fans ideas on who they would sell or sign in the summer.
For me Snodgrass and Fonte have both been signed too recently to attract real interest, particularly given the low quality performances from them both. But I would sell Fonte in a flash, Snodgrass I think has far more to show, but we should look to sell for a decent sum.
But who do you think we could realistically sell and replace easily in the Summer?
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THE ACADEMY OF FOOTBALL-IT'S NOT DYING; IT JUST TAKES LONGER TO BREAK THROUGH THESE DAYS!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 22 MAY 2017 AT 9:00PM
TheWestHamWayc.o.uk
Written by Jason Inge @jasoninge
Another week, another controversial topic at West Ham! The latest coming from David Gold's opinion on the youth development at Premier League clubs. When I first saw his initial tweet, I thought to myself, Christ here comes World War 3 from West Ham fans and it didn't disappoint. I do agree the tweet was completely irresponsible and potentially could put players off signing with the academy. In Mr. Gold's defence though he gets hounded on a daily basis for his thoughts on anything related to our club, so he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
However when you actually look at the bigger picture of what he is actually saying, he's in fact saying that the days of 18/19 year old, becoming first team regulars are gone, but they will get their chance at 20/21 if they have developed and shown they are good enough. He's not wrong in that regard.
So why has this changed? Well with the Premier League now a global business, it attracts a lot more foreign players than it used to 20 years ago. At West Ham, we have seen an influx of foreign exports come in, some of have been exceptional, and some have diabolical. However with our squad now having so much competition for places, it isn't exactly surprising to see how difficult it is for the youngsters to now break through and become first team players during their teenage years.
We have 3 extremely talented centre backs in Reece Burke, Reece Oxford and Declan Rice, but in that position we also have 4 international players that are ultimately seen as better options right now than them. Likewise, a lot say Josh Cullen should have been given a chance this year, yet we've got 6 central midfielders in front of him, so he wouldn't of kicked a ball. Therefore the best course of action is to loan them out for a season or two to a lower league club and let them develop, so when it comes to 20 they are ready.
A lot of people say well if they are good enough, they are old enough. That's all well and good to say, but imagine if the owners turned around and said ok, we'll sell Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Kouyate for a profit so these kids play regularly. There would be an absolute outrage and rightly so. Hell even if they sold James Collins, who is arguably the 4th choice centre back, people would be distraught.
People also point to how we've fallen behind the likes of Spurs, Manchester United and Everton. Is that entirely true?
Spurs as a club, like us, have two methods of developing the young players.
They give their talented youngsters debuts during their teenage years, then loan them out for a season or 2, until they are ready to feature regularly at 20/21. For example Harry Kane and Harry Winks. They buy from the lower leagues and because they have essentially skipped the loan period by playing at that club, they are ready earlier. For example Dele Ali. Furthermore, they also had the luxury of the Europa league to give these youngsters the opportunity. We unfortunately, screwed up 2 fantastic chances in that competition, which would have been the perfect platform for the youngsters to play.
Manchester United, like Spurs have had Europa League football and frankly stumbled across Marcus Rashford due to a horrific amount of injuries in the striker position and to his credit he took his chance in Europe, then in the Premier League. He has however spent most of this season bench warming for a 36-year-old Swedish striker called Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so once again goes to demonstrate my point of foreign talent over youngsters.
Everton, this season have to be applauded for Thomas Davies becoming a regular in their team. He has ousted Gareth Barry and James McCarthy and has looked at top quality prospect. However, it doesn't take a rocket science to work out that clearly Everton don't have the squad depth in that role, so it was easier for him to breakthrough. As I said earlier Josh Cullen, at 21 has 6 other midfielders in front of him, so no easy task to get in the match day squad let alone the team.
So what do I believe needs to happen with our talented youngsters next season? Well personally, I think that Oxford, Rice, Samuelson and Martinez need to go out on loan. We need to make sure they play week in, week out, which is where we did fail quite badly this season. I also think that the club would be doing the right thing and sadly selling James Collins, so that Reece Burke who I believe will be at the heart of our defence for years to come, the chance to play regularly. I also would sell Havard Nordtveit, who bar a couple of performances has majorly struggled, allowing Josh Cullen a chance to impress.
In conclusion, we have to accept that times have unfortunately changed. We have plenty of quality young players in our academy. That's evident with winning the league cup last season and the playoffs this season. We just have to be patient; the players' time will come. I just hope that one day the Premier League and Football Association enforce a rule that makes clubs have to have a certain numbers of youth players in their match day squads, ending the abundance of average foreign players that fill up our beloved clubs.
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West Ham 2016/17 Premier League season review
Last Updated: 21/05/17 8:15pm
SSN
West Ham's first season at the London Stadium was an up-and-down one. Read our review of the club's 2016/17 Premier League season with expert analysis.
Finishing position: 11th (-4)
Total points: 45 (-17)
Europa League: Play-off round
FA Cup: Third round
EFL Cup: Fifth round
Top scorer: Michail Antonio (9)
Season review
Life after the Boleyn Ground began with a win over Bournemouth but it was a tricky first season at the London Stadium for West Ham. Slaven Bilic's side went out of the Europa League at the play-off stage and were in the relegation zone by October.
The loss of star player Dimitri Payet in the winter transfer window was acrimonious, while the new signings were nowhere near as successful. Even so, six wins from nine games either side of Christmas ensured even a late run of defeats didn't plunge the Irons into danger.
For the highlight of the season, supporters had to wait until May and a 1-0 win over rivals Tottenham thanks to Manuel Lanzini's goal. It was a night on which the new stadium came to life and means they go into the summer with hope of a better season next time around.
EXPERT ANALYSIS - CHARLIE NICHOLAS
Managerial review
I'm a big fan of Slaven Bilic and I was saying last year that he'd be on my list for potential successors for Arsene Wenger, but that is no longer the case. Despite clearly being a very clever manager he's struggled to understand what his team is about this season. He hasn't been helped by the owners, who have their own interests, but this team has no identity. To just turn up for one game against Tottenham and celebrate it was just embarrassing for them.
Player of the season: Michail Antonio
For most clubs you'd be debating three or four players but it's only been Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini who have caught my attention. Lanzini is the one who can change games but Antonio deserved his new contract and England call-up with his early-season form.
2017/18 prospects
What they need is a lot of new players. I think they'd be mad to get rid of Bilic but they need a new central midfielder as Mark Noble is declining, while they need some proper full-backs. They also need to get past the issue with the new stadium and if they can then you'd be looking at a good cup run and finishing mid-table.
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Slaven Bilic believes several factors hindered West Ham this season
Last Updated: 21/05/17 7:59pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic insisted he thought West Ham's season would have panned out better, but believes several factors hindered their progress after his side's 2-1 final day win at Burnley. Victory in Lancashire elevated the Hammers to an 11th-placed finish and earned them some welcome, additional prize money. Nonetheless, after an up-and-down-season, there is speculation that the Hammers boss' position could be under threat in the close season. Bilic admitted that he is aware that many expected better from his side this campaign, but believes a new stadium and a long injury list haven't helped matters. "It is always nice to win on the last day," Bilic told Sky Sports. "I am pleased for the players. "We thought that we were going to do better [this season]. I didn't want to talk about that in the season, I wanted to stay positive. "We had so many obstacles, so many injuries. We had eight surgeries, which is not normal. "Although the move to the new stadium is the best thing that has ever happened to the club in the long term, like any club, it is going to take time to settle. "It has been difficult. If you are talking about England, it happened with Arsenal, it happened with Man City, Southampton when they moved to their new stadiums. You need time. "It is very hard to get that Upton Park feeling, but it is going to get better and better. "The game against Liverpool last week, there was a bit of complacency, because we thought we had done the job against Spurs. I am expecting to better next season, of course. "It has been a tough season with ups and downs, but we have finished it now, and I want to praise the guys. "We finished 11th, we wanted to finish higher, but we are just one point away from eighth. In this league, it is not a very, very bad season."
Despite an outlay of over £70m on players this campaign, Bilic was also adamant that some first-team additions are needed in the summer transfer window. "I think next season every club is going to be busy [in transfer market]," Bilic added. "Even Barcelona want to improve.
"Today we showed that we have a good squad of players. Some players maybe will go [in the summer] and we will replace them. "Today, we were without eight players and still looked good. If you are talking about the squad I am happy with the squad, but we need a few players to improve our first XI. We have our targets."
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Adrian West Ham contract extended
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 22/05/17 8:52am
SSN
Adrian will remain with West Ham for the next two years after the Premier League club activated a clause in his contract. The 30-year-old Spanish goalkeeper, who has made over 100 appearances for the Hammers since joining the club from Real Betis in 2013, has kept three clean sheets in the last five league games and six in 19. "Adrian is out of contract but we have an option, and we activated that option," said Bilic. "He is our player and we are happy with him." The Hammers boss also revealed the club are also looking to add to their squad during the close season but claimed media speculation about potential targets was wide of the mark. "Most players are linked with West Ham in the papers. To be fair, the big majority of those rumours, there is no truth in them," he added. "But we have our targets and we are going to try to do them."
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West Ham to make loan bid for Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi - sources
ESPN
Antonio Conte admits he's worried that Chelsea's Premier League celebrations could affect their chances of winning the FA Cup final.
West Ham are lining up a loan move for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi this summer as they look to bolster their attacking options, sources close to the Hammers have told ESPN FC. West Ham have held a long-term interest in Batshuayi and tried to sign the Belgium international prior to his move to Chelsea from Marseille last summer. The 23-year-old has struggled for regular first-team football at Chelsea, making just one start in the Premier League this season with another 19 appearances off the bench. Sources have told ESPN FC that Chelsea are reluctant to sell Batshuayi, but could be open to the idea of loaning him out if he finds himself down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. A number of clubs are monitoring his situation, but West Ham are hoping to steal a march on their rivals by setting up a loan deal for the striker. West Ham have made striking reinforcements one of their main priorities this summer as they have struggled for goals this season. Batshuayi has impressed in recent weeks, scoring the goal which secured Chelsea the Premier League title against West Bromwich Albion, while he netted in his start against Watford and followed that up with a double in Sunday's final game of the season against Sunderland. But he may struggle to be a regular starter for Chelsea next season with the club linked with summer moves for Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata.
Peter O'Rourke is ESPN FC's transfer news correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @SportsPeteO.
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Kemp's laughter, Ayew's irons and Fernandes' astonishing tackle - 5 moments you might have missed from Burnley vs West Ham
Here are five moments you might have missed from West Ham's 2-1 win over Burnley
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
13:08, 22 MAY 2017
Dan Kemp having a laugh in the warm up
He may only be about five feet tall but U23 winger Dan Kemp was drafted into the first team squad for the final game of the season. While the Hammers playing were warming up for the game, someone cracked a joke which was obviously hilarious as Kemp was almost rolling on the floor laughing. It was good to see the youngster really settling in with his much more experienced counterparts.
Ayew throws up the irons in celebration
You may have seen it, you may have not as you were too busy jumping around, but Andre Ayew threw up the irons in his celebration after netting the winner. After a difficult debut season in E20 which was hampered by injury, Ayew has started to show glimpses of what we can expect from the£20.1m man and Sunday was his best shift for a while, topped off with a goal.
Fernandes' beastly tackle
Just after the start of the second period, the game was a bit scrappy as neither Burnley nor West Ham could dominate the ball. The Hammers eventually won it back thanks to an absolute monster of a tackle by Edimilson Fernandes on the rampaging Robbie Brady, with the Swiss star going to ground and hooking the ball so cleanly away from Brady that he got up with the ball under his spell. Wonderful stuff.
Ashley Westwood nearly snapping James Collins' knee
Westwood shouldn't have been on the pitch midway through the first half. He had already been booked for tugging back Sofiane Feghouli's shirt and just a few minutes later, launched into a ridiculous, studs up, knee high challenge on James Collins that left the Welshman writhing in agony. He didn't get booked, he could have easily got a straight red from Bobby Madley, but somehow stayed on the pitch.
A pointless pitch invasion
Well if you were there then you would have seen it but if you weren't here's the deal. Burnley, who ended the season in 16th, were due to do a lap of honour at the end of the game. Fair enough, it's the final match of the season. But a pitch invasion? For finishing 16th? Come on. They ran straight over to the Hammers fans to goad them (why, I don't know) and the wouldn't get back to their seats, meaning Sean Dyche and the Burnley players refused to re-emerge until they did. Utterly pointless.
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West Ham's first season in Stratford marked by mediocrity and frustration
ESPN
The 2016-17 season was always going to be difficult for West Ham. The move from Upton Park to Stratford was expected to be painful and so it proved. A poor summer in the transfer market made things more difficult, however, and the club struggled to rise over mediocrity for most of the campaign.
Surviving without any real relegation threat might prove to be the season's real success.
Rating out of 10: 5
Highlight
The 1-0 win against Tottenham was not only a good night in terms of beating a local rival, it was also the evening the team showed a desire and tenacity that had eluded them for most of the season. The reward was an atmosphere that rivalled that of the post North/South Bank Boleyn -- and there were few who ever thought that was likely to happen this season.
Running it close was the 2-1 fourth-round EFL win against Chelsea, when it seemed -- for just a brief period in October -- the Hammers might be able to turn the early season tedium into something positive. It wasn't to be.
The move to the London Stadium was an important step for West Ham. In reality, the season's highlight was all around. Many supporters complained and, early on, there was much to complain about. Some stayed away and will never come back. Too many who had nothing to do with the club, said West Ham had sold its soul. The fact is the London Stadium has secured West Ham's future and has raised the profile -- not to mention the attendance -- of the club several notches. It will take time, but the Hammers have taken a giant step into the future.
Low Point
There's always a tendency from those outside a club to assume the heavy defeats are the hardest to bear. Thrashings at the hands of Arsenal (5-1), Liverpool (4-0) and Manchester City (4-0) -- all at the London Stadium -- were certainly painful. However, the Premier League is a competition that isn't set on a level playing field and sometimes, when the opposition is demonstrably superior and playing at their best, the only thing to complain about is the manner of the defeat.
West Ham have looked clueless, out-classed and jaded at times this season certainly, but what fans do expect is for the team to perform against opposition their equal. The 4-2 defeat at home by Watford in early September, after leading 2-0 just before half time, was undoubtedly a low. Even at the time, it suggested there was a problem beyond settling into a new home.
Star Man
Michail Antonio was named the Hammer of the Year and would undoubtedly be classed one of the few players to show anywhere near his real form this season. Argentine Manuel Lanzini would run Antonio close though. Lanzini stepped up after the departure of Dimitri Payet and has been head and shoulders over most of his teammates, particularly since Antonio suffered his season-ending injury.
Flop
A Flop of the Season award at the London Stadium would surely consist of a queue of players jostling each other and shouting "Me! Me!"
Andre Ayew, Edimilson Fernandes, Havard Nordtveit, Gokhan Tore, Alvaro Arbeloa, Robert Snodgrass, Jonathan Calleri and Jose Fonte have all disappointed at various times. Some, like Fonte, have stuck to the task and have shown fleetingly why they were purchased; others, like Snodgrass, hold out hope for the future. Some though -- World Cup Winner Arbeloa stand up here -- just leave supporters dumbfounded; scratching their heads at exactly how football works sometimes.
Nevertheless, despite all the poor signings -- and even for West Ham this has been a bumper crop -- the biggest flop has been Payet. A man who could have ruled in Stratford and joined the legions of the greats, Payet had his head turned in the summer at Euro 2016 and, though his body arrived back in England, his head and heart never did. A tragic outcome that has benefitted neither club, nor one suspects, player.
Transfer Talk
The frustrating thing about talking about transfers in the summer of 2017 is that the club's needs are exactly the same as those in the summer of 2016. Last year, despite bold talk and brave attempts, the club was reduced to scuffling around and buying players for much more than they were worth.
To make any headway next season, the club desperately need two strikers. With some firepower up front, there might be less pressure on the defence and midfield.
A right-back and a creative midfielder are also needed, and the money for those could be found by ditching many of last season's failures.
Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is ESPN FC's West Ham blogger.
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West Ham end of season review: London Stadium move has been a disaster... only relegation could have made it worse for Slaven Bilic
West Ham finished 11th after a disappointing campaign under Slaven Bilic
Dimitri Payet left and the club failed to get past Europa League qualifiers
Hammers have struggled to play consistently well at the London Stadium
By Sam Cunningham for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:29, 22 May 2017 | UPDATED: 12:29, 22 May 2017
West Ham endured a difficult campaign in their first season at the London Stadium following their move from Upton Park. After flirting with a relegation battle Slaven Bilic's side pulled away but failed to build on a seventh place finish last year.
So, how did it go?
Only relegation could've made it worse. The move to the new stadium was a disaster with fans fighting amongst themselves and clashing with rivals, they were knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers, star man Dimitri Payet forced his way out in January and for a while they appeared to be on their way down.
Player of the season
Michail Antonio. He started the season at left-back and ended it up front. An England call-up by Gareth Southgate arrived along the way until injury ruled him out. The performances earned him a deserved pay rise.
Best moment
There weren't many. A close one between beating rivals Chelsea in the EFL Cup 2-1, the first major result at the London Stadium (although it was marred by fans clashing), and ending Tottenham's title chances with a 1-0 win there on a Friday night in early May.
Lowest moment
Supporters were desperately looking forward to a Europa League campaign, only to see their side lose to Romanians Astra Giurgiu at home in the second leg of their final qualifier.
How did the manager get on?
Slaven Bilic has found himself under mounting pressure as the season has progressed. His signings were not great but other factors out of his control have not helped either. He has handled himself graciously at all times, though.
What can they improve in the summer?
They really need to get their recruitment right. Poor signings can have a destabilising effect for one season; after two or three it can become catastrophic.
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Feghouli's future and transfer targets - just what are Slaven Bilic and the West Ham board discussing today?
The Hammers hierachy and the boss will meet later today
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:38, 22 MAY 2017
Slaven Bilic will sit down with David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady later today (Monday) to pick through what was a very disappointing 2016/2017 Premier League campaign. The board are fully behind the boss, who has 13 months still to run on his current contract, but won't be offered a new one today. That's up for discussion for a later date and obviously depends how the start of next season pans out. But what exactly could the board ad the boss be discussing when they sit down for the cordial discussion later on? Here's a few things they will be having a chat about.
West Ham did finish a pedestrian 11th place in the table but there were some horrendous results in their eat times. Bilic says it often enough than when their backs were to the wall, they pulled through and they did to be fair, but it was what got the team there in the first place which is the concern. The London Stadium thumpings by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool no doubt will come up, plus defeats to Watford, Leicester, West Bromwich Albion among others. The run of five defeats in a row in 2017, picking up just three points in their first seven games, the win over Burnley was West Ham's first in three months on the road. Results were not good this season, even with th circumstances and with the squad the club had, they weren't good enough.
The wretched injury record
It was absolutely horrendous and it wasn't like players were picking up knocks -they were serious injuries. Ten different players were out for at least two-and-a-half months or more this season. The injury list from pre-Burnley was horrible reading - Andy Carroll, Arthur Masuaku, Diafra Sakho, Havard Nordtveit, Jonathan Calleri, Michail Antonio, Pedro Obiang, Winston Reid, all missing through injury. Carroll has missed huge chunks of the season, Diafra Sakho has played twice, Andre Ayew missed four months, Antonio has missed a combined three months, Arthur Masuaku has missed four months, as has Sam Byram. Whether it's the methods at Rush Green causing these injuries, the board will want answers.
Changing his backroom staff
The board has hinted in the past at this, with Bilic staying loyal to his team of Nikola Jurcevic, Edin Terzic, Miljenko Rak, Chris Woods and Julian Dicks as his coaches. The board are still keen on this but are not going to force it upon the boss.
Sofiane Feghouli's future
It's one of the major questions as the Hammers could well cash in on the Algerian this summer. He was signed on a free transfer last year ad the club could now gt some money back on their investment. Feghouli put in a good shift at Burnley but for the majority of the season has been a big disappointment after arriving from Valencia. There is interest from around Europe in his services and the club will want to know if he is figuring in Bilic's plans for next season.
Transfer targets
Slaven Bilic will outline the players he wants this summer at the meeting and the board will then decide if it's a list they agree with. The names of Michy Batshuayi, Yaya Toure, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kevin Malcuit and others will be mentioned. The futures of players such as Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho, Jonathan Calleri and Gokhan Tore will also be discussed. Bilic has maintained throughout the past few weeks that he is fine with quantity of his squad, it's th quality that eeds improving so don't expect the transfers to be a long discussion.
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Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright has sympathy with Burnley in West Ham defeat
Tyrone Marshall / @TyMarshall_LT
FORMER Clarets striker Ian Wright had sympathy for Matt Lowton's attempted clearance during West Ham's winner on the final day at Turf Moor. The Burnley right-back position himself on the line to try and head clear after Tom Heaton's save from Edmilson Fernandes had sent the ball spiralling into the air. But as he jumped to clear the ball bounced off the crossbar instead and back to Andre Ayew, who could head into an empty net to secure victory for the Hammers. Wright, analysing the game on Sunday night's Match of the Day, was impressed with Ayew's reactions to be in the right place to apply the finish. "Lowton is the unfortunate guy. He (Fernandes) has a good shot here, Lowton think he's going to head it and off the line and it hits the bar," he said. "Ayew has done well, he's reacted very well to it, he's in the right place for it. I like that."
Wright's co-pundit Alan Shearer said both sides and both Sean Dyche and Slaven Bilic could reflect on a positive season now the campaign had come to an end. West Ham's victory took them to 11th in the table, while Burnley's defeat left them 16th, but they still finished six points clear of the bottom three. Asked if both sides should be happy with their respective seasons, Shearer said: "I think so. There's been a lot talk on Bilic's job but when they finish in 11th I don't think they can do any better than this season.
"I think both managers have done as well as they can."
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West Ham United's 'deal of the century' on stadium just got worse for taxpayers
22 May 2017
West Ham United has become embroiled in further controversy after it emerged the club will pay just a fraction of the £2.3 million annual business rates bill on its London Stadium home.
Owners E20 Stadium, a joint venture between publicly funded London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council, have revealed the Hammers will pay additional rates on just the retail and office space in the 66,000-capacity stadium.
In a response to a Freedom of Information request seen by the Press Association, E20 confirmed it will pick up the bill for the rest of the entire stadium, dealing yet another blow to the taxpayer after West Ham secured the lease last year for just £2.5 million a year in rent.
The revelation comes days after mobile phone giant Vodafone pulled out of a £20 million naming rights deal to sponsor West Ham's London Stadium.
It also follows just weeks after officials from HM Revenue and Customs dramatically raided the Premier League club's offices at the stadium as part of a wider investigation into allegations of tax evasion in football.
E20 declined to reveal how much West Ham would contribute in business rates, saying this was still under discussion, despite West Ham having relocated last year.
It is likely to be far less than the £1.3 million it would have forked out in rates each year for its former home at The Boleyn Ground, according to business rent and rates specialist CVS.
Dubbed by critics as the "deal of the century", West Ham's lease agreement has come under heavy fire while it has also been revealed the taxpayer will foot the bill for the costs of policing, stewarding, heating, maintenance of the pitch and even corner flags and nets.
Its deal to share the rates bill is also likely to fuel anger among rival clubs, many of whom are paying millions of pound in property rates each year.
The TaxPayers' Alliance said the "deal of the century now looks even worse for taxpayers". James Price, campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "When other football stadiums are paying millions in business rates, it is ridiculous to expect taxpayers to pick up this tab for West Ham every single year, especially when considering the deal they got for the stadium in the first place.
"The whole relationship between West Ham and taxpayers needs to completely change."
The annual rates bill for the London Stadium was £2.1 million in 2016/17 and surged to £2.3 million after the tax shake-up on April 1, according to CVS. A spokesman for E20 said: "West Ham United does not own the stadium and only has full use of it on a certain number of days each year, for which they pay £2.5 million annually. "In addition, they pay the business rates for the office space and other areas they occupy exclusively. They do so via a contribution to the overall rates bill."
Rivals clubs are also facing steep hikes in their rates bills, with new Premier League Champions Chelsea paying £2 million this year in business rates for Stamford Bridge, while Arsenal will pay £3.3 million for rates on the Emirates Stadium.
The £700 million London Stadium has been dogged by negative headlines about its expense for almost a decade. Last year, London mayor Sadiq Khan ordered a review into the spiralling costs of converting it from an athletics arena into a multi-purpose venue with football at its heart.
A spokesman for West Ham United said: "West Ham United only use the stadium facilities on matchday so, as tenants, we pay for the share of rates on those matchdays. "We also, as tenants with our own specific areas, are liable for rates on the club offices, shop and warehouse. We will be separately assessed on this by the Valuation Office and this will be backdated to when we first moved in."
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West Ham fans react to Robert Snodgrass's performance against Burnley
HITC
Vincent Ralph
West Ham United overcame Burnley in their final league game of the campaign. West Ham United included a number of young prospects in their match day squad for Sunday's clash with Burnley, but it was the same old faces that kicked off proceedings, with the Hammers ultimately running out 2-1 winners. Goals from Sofiane Feghouli and Andre Ayew ensured that Sam Vokes' opener proved to be a mere consolation, meaning Slaven Bilic's side finished in 11th place despite an up-and-down campaign. One player who struggled to make any significant impact on the day was January signing Robert Snodgrass and he was replaced by young forward Ashley Fletcher with six minutes of normal-time remaining. The Scotland international has struggled to replicate the form that earned him a move from Hull City at the turn of the year, managing only two assists in 15 appearances for West Ham to date. Snodgrass has a contract at the club until 2020 and he will be hoping to turn things round in time for next season, when he will need to prove his worth in what could be a new-look Hammers side. Still, it was disappointing that some of West Ham's next generation were only given chances late on while Snodgrass toiled for much of the encounter. After the match we took to Twitter to see what West Ham fans thought of the 29-year-old's latest performance and you can read a selection of what we found below:
COYI @jacxf0ster
@WestHamUtd I would rather start quina than snodgrass
2:38 PM - 21 May 2017
Benjamin Haas @BHaasTSD
Feghouli with his best performance of the year and Snodgrass shows his worthlessness again. #COYI #WHUFC #BURWHU
4:30 PM - 21 May 2017
COYI ⚒⚒⚒ @SilkyLanzini
Please please please take Snodgrass off Billic
4:37 PM - 21 May 2017
Darren Wood @dazzaaw
Only 6 subs we don't need to name any never makes any changes Snodgrass has been toilet but still on pitch #COYI #whufc
4:41 PM - 21 May 2017
ak @AsadWHU
POTENTIAL OUTGOING TRANSFER: Roberto Snodgrass
why did we sign him? what a waste of space, time and money. needs binning
11:35 PM - 21 May 2017
MR ⚒ @WHU_MR2013
Feghouli was great today. Shame he's too inconsistent but I'd definitely keep hold of him for next season & sell Snodgrass whos garbage
5:12 PM - 21 May 2017
Glen H ⚒ @Glen_WHU64
Couldn't we put Snodgrass on e bay .... either bids or buy it now ..... someone must take him ..... please .. ⚒
4:23 PM - 21 May 2017
1 1 Retweet 7 7 likes
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Sources close to Watford's Isaac Success deny West Ham reports
Ron Walker, Senior sports writer / ronnabe
Reports linking Isaac Success with a summer move to West Ham are wide of the mark. The promising young forward has endured a turbulent first season at Watford, starting only twice and playing barely 500 minutes of football, as injuries took their toll on his Premier League campaign, as did falling out of favour with head coach Walter Mazzarri. The Observer has learned Mazzarri was unimpressed with what he perceived a poor attitude from the 21-year-old which limited his first-team involvement, but Success will face a clean slate under the Hornets' next head coach. After playing a bit-part role at Vicarage Road speculation over his future is little surprise, however sources close to the player have indicated there is no truth to recent articles suggesting there have been discussions over his future with the Hammers. Success has made 19 appearances for Watford, scoring once.
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Bilic meets board to dissect season and Fernandes is the future - Burnley vs West Ham talking points
The season is now over but there was plenty talk about from West Ham's 2-1 win over Burnley
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:02, 22 MAY 2017UPDATED10:12, 22 MAY 2017
Slaven Bilic will meet with David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady to dissect the season today (Monday) before the Croat has his hip operation later this week. The board are 100 per cent behind the boss, they want him to stay, but he won't be offered a new contract just yet. They will tell him they are disappointed with an 11th place finish but after the troubles of the season, it's more acceptable that it could have been. No doubt transfer targets will be discussed - Bilic told us yesterday he has them already in mind - and it'll be up to him to go and get them. Once the boss is off his sick bed following his procedure, it's down to business.
Sort out your final ball, Sam
Irrespective of whether Sam Byram absolutely bossed the final few weeks of the season, a new right back will arrive at the London Stadium this summer. But, he could give Slaven Bilic - at least - something to think about if he could only just improve his final ball and decision making in attacking areas. Byram gets forward at will and does it well but when he gets into offensive positions, he either gives the ball away, puts in a poor cross or makes the wrong decision. He needs to learn from what Aaron Cresswell and especially Arthur Masuaku have done on the left hand side, their end product is much better. Had Byram been a better crosser of the ball, maybe the need for a new right back would might not have been such a pressing issue.
Is there a more wonderfully frustrating player to watch than Andre Ayew?
This column called him quit after the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool for not doing enough as the Hammers' record signing, four tap ins (prior to Burnley) wasn't a good enough return on £20.1m investment and some under par displays to go with it. Yesterday looked like more of the same as Ayew - leading the line by himself - made no impact whatsoever. Then he went and scored a tap in. That made it six goals for the season in what has been disrupted by injury and also, being out of favour and playing the role of substitute until the final two months of the season. In retrospect, that's actually a good return for the Ghanaian.
Edimilson Fernandes is the future, trust us
The young Swiss midfielder was the best Hammer on the pitch at Turf Moor on Sunday as he showed glimpses of unreal class and quality in that central midfield spot. Potentially freed from having the distractions of another defensive midfielder on the park, the 21-year-old completely bossed proceedings as Jeff Hendricks was a complete non-factor for the hosts, shut out by Fernandes. His passing was on the mark and crisp, finding their targets and building attacks. His tackling was superb, his strength is underrated and he is deceptively quick too. Fernandes signing was a bit of a strange one back in the summer but yesterday showed he was exactly what Slaven Bilic was looking for.
Hold your horses on Sofiane Feghouli
Arguably one of the favourites to be booted out of E20 this summer after a pedestrian debut season in the Premier League, Feghouli was a real spark on the final day. Whether he has been told he is playing for his future or wanted to end with a flourish, Feghouli put in one his better performances this season. He was electric from the get go, with pace, beating his man and supplying deliveries.
He took his goal fabulously well and showed glimpses of what we had wanted to see from him all season lonmg. Don't rule him out departing just yet.
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Ex Cambridge United loanee and Everton player linked with West Ham United move
BYAARON MASON
09:38, 22 MAY 2017
West Ham are reported to be ready to make a £1million offer for former Cambridge United loanee Ryan Ledson. Ledson joined United on loan from Everton in November 2015 and went on to play every game he was available for – he missed two matches while on duty for England under-19s – last season. After an impressive campaign with United he returned to the Toffees, only for Oxford, who had been promoted to Sky Bet League One, to sign the midfielder on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee last summer. But if the reports at WestHamWorld.co.uk are correct, Ledson could be set for a move to the Hammers. The website claims the Premier League club would pay £750,000 up front with a further £250,000 to follow depending on future appearances as well as a five per cent sell-on fee, while also sending Ledson back to Oxford on a season-long loan deal next term.
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Slaven Bilic hasn't enjoyed West Ham's first season at the London Stadium... but he expects them to improve
West Ham struggled at home in their first year at their new ground
But Hammers have recovered to finish 11th in the Premier League this season
Slaven Bilic admits it was not a great season, but says the side will benefit from it
By Andy Hampson, Press Association
PUBLISHED: 09:44, 22 May 2017 | UPDATED: 09:44, 22 May 2017
Slaven Bilic admits West Ham's season was not enjoyable - but expects them to benefit hugely from the experience. The Hammers fell back from their impressive seventh-placed finish of 2015-16 to end their latest Premier League campaign in 11th after a 2-1 final-day win at Burnley. It was not a straightforward season with the club's move from Upton Park to the London Stadium proving problematic and other factors, including dressing-room unrest and injuries, also hampering the side. There was never any real danger of relegation, however, and manager Bilic views the year as one of transition that can be built upon. He said: 'It is not a season to talk about and hail as one of the best seasons, it is nowhere near the season of last year, but there is something between great and bad and we have done it.
'We never lost belief, it was permanent. The confidence was up and down - it varies because of results - but belief was there. 'It wasn't enjoyable but, individually and as a team, I am sure we will benefit from this season a lot. It was a great experience. 'We had a couple of black holes in the season but we had eight major surgeries and we had 10 players who were out for a minimum of two-and-a-half months. This is scary, it is too much. 'Considering that and considering the move to the new stadium - that is definitely, long-term, the best thing the club has ever done but it needs time to adjust - we have done well. 'We were never in real trouble but five times we were one game away from being in real trouble. Every time we really needed it we showed the character and showed the quality.'
A second-half winner from Andre Ayew ensured the Hammers ended on a positive note by coming from behind to win at Turf Moor. Sam Vokes put Burnley into a 23rd-minute lead but that was quickly cancelled out by the impressive Sofiane Feghouli. The hosts spurned a number of chances to reclaim the lead and West Ham capitalised when Ayew pounced on a rebound after an Edimilson Fernandes shot was turned onto the bar by Tom Heaton. It was a response Bilic had demanded after a 4-0 hammering by Liverpool last week had ended a five-game unbeaten run and spoiled a solid run-in. Bilic said: 'I wanted to avoid the factor of complacency, but it was there (against Liverpool). It wasn't the same step, the same players like it was the week before against Spurs. 'But, at home, in 2017 it was only Man City twice, in the cup and league, and Liverpool that we were really not on the same level with. I am happy the way we finished the season.'
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Slaven Bilic to meet West Ham board today to discuss his future and these summer transfer targets
Teegraph.co.uk
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
22 MAY 2017 • 9:15AM
Slaven Bilic will today meet the West Ham United board to discuss his future and the club's summer transfer targets. The board want Bilic to stay – and he wants to remain as manager – although despite having just 13 months left on his contract he will not be offered a new deal. However no change is expected to be made and Bilic will stay.
West Ham fully intend to go into next season with Bilic in place and will decide around January whether he extend his contract depending on how the team performs. There is a general sense of disappointment at finishing 11th in the Premier League, after last season's impressive seventh place finish, although there is an acceptance that Bilic has had to work under trying circumstances and coped reasonably well. These have included the move from Upton Park to the London Stadium – formerly the Olympic Stadium – a spate of key injuries and the Dimitri Payet saga which saw West Ham's best player force a £25million move back to Marseille in the January window.
Today's talks are not unusual. West Ham have an annual review of their manager's performance at the end of every season but Bilic has been under pressure although club sources insist the "100 per cent" want him to stay. The 48-year-old Croat is also booked in for a hip replacement operation later this week so the meeting has to take place before then.
West Ham's board do want answers as to why there have been so many significant injuries this season – 10 in all – which have also contributed to the disappointing results. They would like Bilic to make some changes to his backroom staff but they will not insist upon this and accept it is the manager's prerogative to work with whom he wants.
The talks will therefore centre on transfer targets with West Ham discussing a move for Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho – who is also wanted by Borussia Dortmund and a number of other clubs – and who may be available for transfer this summer. The 20-year-old has not featured greatly under Pep Guardiola.
West Ham have already agreed, in principle, a two-year deal to sign Pablo Zabaleta from City after the 32-year-old's contract expired although they are waiting for the right-back to fully make up his mind whether he wants to join them.
Another potential target from City is Yaya Toure who is also soon out-of-contract although there is an expectation that the 34-year-old midfielder may be offered a 12-month extension by Guardiola which would represent a remarkable turnaround given he was frozen out because of his lack of fitness at the start of the season.
West Ham are believed to have no interest in bringing Jermain Defoe back to the club. They attempted to sign the 34-year-old in January for £6million but that as rebuffed by Sunderland and although the striker has a release clause, allowing him to leave for free once his current club were relegated, West Ham are not going to enter the bidding for him. An ambitious target for West Ham could be Daniel Sturridge if Liverpool decide to make him available.
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Double Rangers miss, but West Ham developments give Warburton transfer hope
HITC
Dan Coombs
Nottingham Forest boss should be buoyed by comments from David Gold. West Ham co-owner David Gold is under fire after stating on Twitter he did not expect any youth team players to push for the club's first team. The Hammers are blessed with talented young players, and have a rich history of progressing the likes of Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand into their first team. His comments could well be of interest to Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton, who wanted to work with two West Ham youngsters last season.
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
I think we all have to except that it is extremely unlikely that a teenager will break into a PL team full of seasoned international. dg https://twitter.com/billrobinsonwhu/status/865828528083935232 …
11:41 AM - 20 May 2017
249 249 Retweets 275 275 likes
Mark Warburton tried unsuccessfully to sign two West Ham players for Glasgow Rangers, targeting Domingos Quina and Reece Oxford. The Sun reported Rangers tried to sign talented winger Quina on loan, with the Daily Record detailing an approach on loan for defender Reece Oxford. Quina remained at West Ham while Oxford signed on loan for Reading instead, where he has largely been a bit part player.
David Gold's comments will be hugely discouraging to West Ham's youngsters, and he went onto suggest that loans are likely.
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
Teenagers gain experience by going out on loan to the 1st 2nd division and the championship. https://twitter.com/simonbarnes20/status/865962883351445505 …
5:32 PM - 20 May 2017
18 18 Retweets 77 77 likes
It will be hard to imagine that Warburton would not elect to explore the possibility of bringing either player to the City Ground, with his interest in them previously. Both Quina and Oxford will likely be available, with Gold's comments effectively putting them in the shop window for the coming season.
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Ayew brothers Jordan and Andre score in the same minute as each other for Swansea City and West Ham United
Published on: 22 May 2017
ghanasoccer.com
Two brothers, scoring in the Premier League for different teams, in the same minute? Ayew serious? That is what happened this afternoon, with both Jordan and Andre scoring for Swansea City and West Ham United respectively. And in a bizarre twist both notched up a goal in the 72nd minute of their matches. Jordan Ayew was the first to strike, turning in a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick to give Swansea parity against West Brom at the Liberty. And in the same minute at Turf Moor older brother Andre, a former Swan, don't forget, gave West Ham the lead at Burnley. From all of three yards, the 27-year-old turned the ball home after a drilled shot had hit Tom Heaton's bar. The official times of the goals were: J Ayew - 71:12, and A Ayew - 71:08. Swansea went on to win their game 2-1 thanks to Fernando Llorente's winner, with West Ham also winning by the same scoreline. The result means Paul Clement's side finished 15th in the Premier League standings
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HOW IN SIR TREVOR'S NAME DID WE FINISH IN 11TH PLACE ?
By HamburgHammer 22 May 2017 at 08:00
WTID
The weekend started stormy for me on Friday evening, literally. Final day of the Hamburg Oberliga season, a final meaningless home game against already relegated opposition. Even the 50 or so spectators who had made their way to the ground more by force of habit rather than uncontrollable enthusiasm for the game didn't look like they wanted to be there. Neither did the two teams. Due to the very obscure local noise control regulations the game had to be played on the adjoining grass pitch rather than the artificial one usually used on the premises as it was a Friday evening game.
The game was played under a constant supply of drizzling rain. It was as exciting as a wet weekend in Wigan and then middle of the second half with the score at 1:1 the heavens opened for a furious crescendo. Freezing cold water hitting us from all sides, accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning, directly above the pitch. The referee had no other option than to abandon the game (and thus most likely end the season) and to tell the truth not a single soul was unhappy with that. The Concordia lads will now have to do some reshuffling over the summer, replacing some departing players, in order to then strive for promotion again next season.
The Concordia vice president once again told me over a beer he was very much looking forward to joining me on one of my West Ham trips next season with a few more guys from the Cordi hierarchy, so I may be asking you for some help with regard to providing a few tickets for that cause sometime next season.
As for our West Ham game I was in the bizarre situation of not being able to watch via one of my usual streams and I wasn't confident enough about using some of the other suggestions as I didn't want to put my laptop at risk of being attacked by spy- or ransomware. So I "watched" the game via the stats screen of the betting site I use which is a bit like watching one of those dodgy first video games that came out on one of those old Atari gaming consoles, but coupled with the WHTID thread it did the trick.
By all accounts we delivered a solid performance with the bare bones outfit we sent out onto that pitch, we were even one man short on the bench – with one of those substitutes being a rather short man too in the shape of my favourite youth player, young Dan Kemp. I was chuffed to bits for the lad even though he didn't get to play, but we got a good win at Burnley which not only pushed us up the table into a very respectable 11th place but the result alone should send Hammers far and wide into the summer in a much happier mood compared to the mindset we might have had to endure after yet another defeat or draw in that final game.
Apparently we now have an additional £19 million to spend in the summer, either on transfers or to pay off some more debt. I don't want to go over the season just ended in meticulous detail, and at the hazard of sounding like a broken record I need to reiterate that I consider it a minor miracle how we ended up in 11th place after this shambles of a season.
Now be honest: If I had told you at the start of the season that our best player in recent years, Payet, would leave the club in acrimonious circumstances after going on strike in January, that there would be fighting with rival fans, also among Hammers fans, coupled with trouble concerning the stewarding and fan segregation at the London Stadium, that we would have ELEVEN players out through injury for at least two months each over the course of the season, that our Number One striker Andy Carroll once again would be unavailable for more than half games of the season, that we would ship goals left, right and center to suffer an unhealthy number of maulings against several sides in the league, throw in a tax raid at London Stadium hyped up for the media to create maximum effect and finish it off with the lack of effort, pressing and even running shows by our team in most games this season – and if I then still offered you 11th place in the table, you wouldn't just have snatched my arm off, but probably a bit of the shoulder and a leg as well.
We all have differing opinions on who is to blame to what degree for the various issues affecting our club this season. I will make no secret of the fact that I doff my cap to Slaven Bilic for the dignity and courage he displayed in what must have been a season from hell for any manager. I maintain that the best managers in the world would have struggled in the same situation, maybe even crumbled and collapsed under the pressure encountered by Slav. But he rarely moaned or pointed fingers at others. He did his best and carried on managing the team. Although I get the impression that maybe he treats his players too well at times, is too much of a mate rather than the manager and chief in command.
Maybe he needs to put his foot down on them more at times, demanding more effort and fight. But maybe that just isn't his way. He still offers a lot more good than bad traits as a manager as far as I'm concerned.
Let's not forget, all of the above while suffering from a bad hip, the pain caused by which I dare not even imagine. Bilic deserves a clean slate now (don't we all?) and apparently he is headed for the notorious end of season review talks in Sullivan's office today. For me there can only be one outcome here: Keep Bilic and support him with the money to bring in 3 or 4 quality signings. That's all we need really. Eliminate the negative factors mentioned above, add quality players where we need them (RB and strikers mainly) and we should be well equipped for a top 8 finish next season.
I would actually consider keeping players like Feghouli, Nordtveit and Fletcher as they have rarely been given a run in the side and I reckon there is enough quality in them to be very decent squad players for us.
One of the biggest elephants in the room though is the high number of injuries buggering us constantly over the years. We have moved training grounds, so that's one cause eliminated.
Is it just bad luck or rotten karma ? I don't really believe that. The most likely reason for me is a combination of inadequate training/warmup routines and a dodgy medical setup. That's easy for me to say, with no professional background in physiotherepy or medical science, but this constant flow of long-term injuries has been following our club for years now, so the medical team surely warrants some serious looking at during the summer, same as Slaven's backroom staff.
But it all starts and ends with the owners. They are the ones who ultimately have to decide what kind of club we want to be and how we can achieve that vision, if they have one for West Ham that is. Talk alone will not do anymore. Social media snippets won't do. Aloof bragging in newspapers about capacity at London Stadium, number of punters on the notorious Waiting List, sizes of digital screens or increasing net worth of West Ham won't do. In the style of a famous quote by Bill Clinton:
"It's the football, stupid!"
The Premier League is a money business like never before in its history. If you want to tango with the big boys, you need to spend big and on top of that you need to spend wisely too. If you are very lucky sometimes you can get away with spending reasonably little money as long as you are still spending it eftremly smartly. But that surely is a pretty rare event and a makeshift approach that will not get you up the table long term.
Now the summer is upon us then. A long summer with very little football to be found. Of course there is always the silly season, but I sincerely hope West Ham will have learned their lesson and will only come out with stuff once players have actually signed on the dotted line, holding that shirt up while grinning like a Cheshire Cat (why are cats in other counties not capable of the same facial expression I wonder).
So I reckon I won't be writing my column quite as regularly as normal throughout the summer, unless there is West Ham related stuff to discuss of course. I am still surprised that people actually read my articles and sometimes even seem to enjoy them, so hopefully I can continue in the same vein, with renewed hope and enthusiasm next season.
As a final bit of fun, I've been talking in previous comments about a German TV host and comedian being the spitting image (in my view) of our skipper, Canning Town's own Mark Noble. The guy is called Jan Boehmermann and I have to admit the likeness somewhat varies, depending on what the guy is wearing, from what angle you watch him, how he's moving etc.
But I still think he looks like one of Mark's brothers, separated at birth and shipped off to Germany…LOL
Judge for yourselves!
Wishing you all a lovely summer and I hope to see you all again next season!
Or online of course if you occasionally still feel you want to talk about West Ham on a warm summer's day. COYI!!!
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Rice Decision Shows How Premier League Need to Change Payments
verywestham.com
West Ham travelled to Burnley for what was on paper a dead rubber from the outset. Perhaps the only issue of note was the possibility for each club of finishing as high as 11th or as low as 16th. That equates with a whopping £9 million up to play for - not so boring for the respective club's management all of a sudden!
However, although the prize money system keeps clubs focused until the very last kick of the season, today's game demonstrated how it may be impeding the development of young players. It had been widely rumoured that Declan Rice, Captain of the U23 side that recently won the PL2 trophy, would be rewarded with a first Premier League start but the lad had to settle for a 90th minute entrance as Angelo Ogbonna was preferred in the starting XI.
Rice looks the real deal, but it seems a terrible pity that the pressure to finish as high as possible in the league rankings can discourage managers to take a punt with young but inexperienced talent.
Let's hope the lad gets his chance next season but with Reid, Ogbonna, Fonte and Collins in the mix and with the two Reece's looking to push on, it'll be hard for the Irishman to break into the team. The preoccupation with end of season placings further detracts from the opportunities available to blood new talent.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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