Obiang's rocket and a resolute defence make Wembley point
WHUFC.com
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Ham United
Premier League, Wembley Stadium, Thursday 4 January 2018
Pedro Obiang's wonder strike earned West Ham United a hard-won Premier League point at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening, helping his side rise one place to 15th in the table. Just 48 hours after the home victory over West Bromwich Albion, David Moyes' side gave another committed display at Wembley Stadium to stretch their recent run to one defeat in seven top-flight matches, and see them go above AFC Bournemouth in the standings. Indeed, despite conceding 31 goal attempts to their own three, West Ham's outstanding defending - the Hammers blocked 13 shots and Adrian saved seven more - set the platform for Obiang to fire the visitors into a shock lead that was only cancelled out by an equally impressive strike from Hueng-Min Son seven minutes from full-time. Spurs started on the front foot and almost scored a fourth-minute opener from a left-wing corner when Adrian bumped into Cheikhou Kouyate and lost the ball. Davinson Sanchez took an immediate snapshot, but Declan Rice blocked the route to goal. Tottenham were dominating possession and Adrian had to make a smart save down low to his left to push Harry Kane's 20-yard curler aside just before the half-hour. Eleven minutes before the break Kane really should have done better in front of goal when Serge Aurier was picked out by Jan Vertonghen's raking diagonal ball, allowing the full-back to knock square for his unmarked striker. The Hammers held their breath and Kane's touch let him down and the ball span wide. Then, on the stroke of half-time, Adrian showed sharp reflexes to touch Christian Eriksen's drive over the bar after the shot took a nick off Angelo Ogbonna and flew towards the roof of the net.
West Ham's defending was resolute, even if they struggled to make their mark in Spurs territory and Ogbonna was again in the right place at the right time to block from Son after the break. Well-timed interventions in the Hammers box were becoming a theme, and Pablo Zabaleta was next to deny the hosts when Kane wriggled clear to shoot inside the box. As the game entered its final quarter the Hammers still had not registered an attempt on goal of any description, but that changed in magnificent style with 70 minutes played. Andre Ayew provided the catalyst for the goal with an excellent piece of hold-up play, and when the hosts stood off Obiang more than 25 yards out, the Spaniard took the invitation to shoot, sending a scorcher flying into the top left-hand corner which Hugo Lloris simply could not handle. It took an equally impressive strike to unlock the Hammers defence with just seven minutes left to play as Son lined up a shot from just as far out, finding the power and accuracy to beat Adrian with a fierce shot from even further out. There was still time for Lloris to deny the impressive Ayew with his legs, and West Ham to produce a series of brave blocks as the game went into added-time, but when Mike Dean's whistle went for full-time, David Moyes and his players could be more than happy with their night's work.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies (Llorente 82), Eriksen, Dier (Wanyama 74), Sissoko (Lamela 74), Alli, Son, Kane
Subs not used: Vorm (GK), Trippier, Dembele, Winks
Goal: Son 84
West Ham United: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Rice, Masuaku, Obiang, Noble, Kouyate, Lanzini (Carroll 85), Chicharito (Ayew 65)
Subs not used: Hart (GK), Makasi, Haksabanovic, Quina, Martinez
Goal: Obiang 70
Booked: Carroll, Noble
Referee: Mike Dean
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Moyes: I thought we did a really good job
WHUFC.com
David Moyes admitted to rubbing his eyes in disbelief when Pedro Obiang's wondergoal hit the back of the net in Thursday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. The Scot's West Ham United side were forced to defend resolutely for long periods at the Home of Football, and were rewarded for their courage when Obiang belted their first shot on goal into the top corner from all of 30 yards midway through the second half. Spurs' South Korea star Hueng-Min Son levelled with an equally impressive long-range strike with seven minutes to play, but Moyes was taking the positives out of a hard-earned point, rather than lamenting the suggestion that two had been lost. "I've got to say we scored a brilliant goal but unfortunately they scored a really good goal as well, but it's a good point for us," said the manager. "After what we had to do a couple of days ago [in beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the last minute] and then play again and go again against a team such as Tottenham, I thought we did a really good job." "I have no idea where that strike came from Pedro because I can't say I've seen it, but I've got to say he didn't half strike it sweetly. We didn't have many shots but the one we did have was very good. "I had a look of disbelief on my face and rightly so, because we hadn't been up the pitch that often. "After we scored, Kouyate had a great chance to make it 2-0, too, so we might not have had a lot of shots and if we'd gone 2-0 up it would have been a real surprise, but going 1-0 up was a big enough surprise for me at the time!"
With the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Michail Antonio, James Collins and Jose Fonte unavailable, Moyes gave starts to Chicharito, Declan Rice and recalled Mark Noble to his starting XI. The result was a resolute performance and a point which saw the Hammers rise above AFC Bournemouth to 15th in the standings.
"That's the team which beat Real Madrid 3-1, so we shouldn't be surprised we only had a few shots or be surprised at the way we played, and perhaps you shouldn't be surprised we took a point because we went close against Manchester City and we beat Chelsea and drew with Arsenal. "You've got to say we're doing one part of it right and we'd like to do the other part of it much better, obviously, but I'm the coach and I have to try and find a way of getting results with the players available. We need to change and find a way of winning the next games we have against teams around us in the table. "It's hard work on the touchline when you're playing against Tottenham with their quality of players and the amount of attempts they had on goal, but the players have been drilled to make sure they do the right things and make it hard for Tottenham to score and I thought they did a really good job at it."
Next up for the Hammers is a tricky-looking trip to League One high-fliers Shrewsbury Town in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Sunday afternoon. With many of his senior players either injured or having played 180 minutes of draining Premier League football this week, Moyes says he will have to assess their fitness before picking his squad to take to Shropshire. "We'll get back in on Friday and get the players as ready as we can for Sunday. We're missing quite a few players through injury at this moment in time. "This game was the same for both us and Spurs in that we both had a quick turnaround so I think that was fair, but the hard bit comes now as we're the team who have not had the time to prepare and recover for an FA Cup tie. "We've got to get on with it and we'll go there and try and win and get through to the next round of the FA Cup. That's important, but I've always said the priority is getting Premier League points and getting us away from the wrong end of the table. I thought tonight was a really good point for us."
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Obiang: What was in my mind? Nothing! Just shoot!
WHUFC.com
Pedro Obiang admitted his 30-yard Wembley wonder-strike in Thursday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur was 'really lucky'. The Spaniard belted in his third goal in West Ham United colours to give his team an unlikely lead at the Home of Football, where Spurs unleashed 31 goal attempts to the Hammers' three, collecting Andre Ayew's pass before arrowing an unstoppable shot past Hugo Lloris. Obiang was also part of a superb rear-guard action both before and after his goal, and Tottenham were only able to rescue a point when Hueng-Min Son scored with an equally impressive long-range strike seven minutes from full-time. "I think it was the right time to score but everything happened because we defended really well," said the midfielder. "We kept the game goalless and, in that moment, I saw the possibility to try and I scored, so I was really lucky! "It was our first shot and that's because we had to work hard with our defending. It was a tough game for us because we have played many games and we were a little bit tired, so it was more difficult for us to attack. "What was in my mind? Nothing! Just shoot! I said to myself to try something different, so I did and it went in! I didn't try that many times, even in training, because usually I try to shoot differently, down low to the corners, but I tried something different. "I had a chance in an earlier game and didn't try it, so I thought I'd have a go in this magnificent stadium and it went in! It's special to score at this important stadium, where many top players have played, so I feel very special to have scored here at Wembley."
Obiang said West Ham can take pride in their recent improved run of performances and results under David Moyes. The Hammers have held Arsenal and Tottenham, beaten Chelsea and Stoke City and lost just one of their last seven matches to rise to 15th in the Premier League table. "One point is good for us, even though we could have taken all three, but something has changed for us. "We started the season and lost our first three games and we might have lost games like this, but now we have taken four points from our two games this year and we want to keep going in this way."
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Adrian: We were compact and defended as a team
WHUFC.com
Adrian had praise for the Hammers' resilience as they battled hard for a point at London rivals Tottenham on Thursday. Less than 48 hours after beating West Bromwich Albion at home, West Ham were back in action at Wembley, thwarting a Spurs side who enjoyed the majority of possession and territory but only had Heung-Min Son's thunderbolt to show for it. That owed much to the visitors' sturdy work in defence and the Spanish goalkeeper was full of praise for the job the players in front of him did. "We defended like a team, all together and very compact," he said. "We were hard to beat and we've played good games against the top teams in recent weeks. "Now we have to keep this level against teams who are lower in the table, show that we are ready to compete and take points from them too. "To be fair, when you concede a late goal it feels a little bit like a defeat but it was a hard game. We defended well, we had some good counter attacks and Pedro scored a great goal. "It's a good point away from home and we keep on a positive run."
The pick of the No13's six saves came on the stroke of half time when he adjusted well to push Christian Eriksen's venomous drive over the top after it had taken a large deflection off Angelo Ogbonna. "It was another deflection!" Adrian reflected. "That always makes it hard for a goalkeeper when it takes a touch off a player before it comes to you. "This time, I had the luck to touch the ball and save it behind for the corner."
18-year-old Declan Rice walked off with the Man of the Match award for another composed display in defence and Adrian was once again impressed with the youngster's performance. He added: "I congratulated Declan after the game, because it was a big match in a massive stadium against a good team like Tottenham. "He did very well in defence, he did his job, so I have to congratulate him."
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Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Ham United
By Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport
Son Heung-min and Pedro Obiang scored two stunning long-range strikes as Tottenham drew with West Ham. Obiang's 35-yard drive into the top corner was the first shot for David Moyes' Hammers at Wembley, with Spurs having had 20 by that stage. The hosts dominated the game - both sides' second Premier League match in 48 hours - but were denied by a series of last-ditch blocks and saves. But Son broke West Ham's resistance with a 30-yard strike beyond Adrian. West Ham were without the injured Andy Carroll - who was on the bench - and Marko Arnautovic, so Moyes set his side up not to lose, a target they accomplished and very nearly bettered. By the 70th minute they still had not had a touch in Spurs' penalty area, but then suddenly and entirely against the run of play they found themselves in front thanks to a goal-of-the-season contender. Manuel Lanzini gave the ball to Obiang, who came in from the left channel and unleashed a thunderous effort past the helpless Hugo Lloris to register only his third goal for the club. After Spurs levelled through Son's equally sublime strike, West Ham's defensive resolve was summed up in injury time when Victor Wanyama, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son all had shots blocked in the space of 30 seconds.
Son said after the game that he thought "Obiang's goal was better". "The strike was unbelievable," he added. "We have the best goalkeeper in the world and he can't do anything. It was a great strike."
Frustrating night for Spurs
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed with his side's failure to unlock the Hammers' defence and they now sit three points off fourth-placed Liverpool. They had 31 shots - eight on target, 14 blocked - with their only successful effort bypassing West Ham's resolute back five, which at times felt like a back 10. Erik Lamela fed in-form Son to score a goal not too dissimilar to Obiang's, the South Korean hitting a lovely effort that swerved and faded away from Adrian's grasp. Harry Kane, fit to start after only being a substitute as they beat Swansea 2-0 on Tuesday, had a disappointing night in front of goal. He had seven shots, three on target, although he could have had a penalty when Pablo Zabaleta appeared to pull his arm in the area. This season has seen plenty of defensive performances and one-sided games in the Premier League, and Pochettino's side will need to do better next time they face such a tactic.
Man of the match - Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham)
Angelo Ogbonna (pictured charging down Harry Kane's shot) blocked another two efforts and cleared the ball 10 times. He did his job and never touched the ball in Spurs' half
'Normally it would be 3-1, 4-1, 5-1' - manager reaction
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino: "We only scored once - and the most difficult chance. I'm very pleased with the effort but very unhappy with the result. We deserved to win but football is like this and we have to accept that. "We had to score and be effective in front of goal. To play and run like that after two games in 48 hours deserves credit. "It was an amazing goal from Obiang, their first shot, it's difficult to accept. Normally we would finish 3-1, 4-1, 5-1 but it wasn't like this. "I didn't see any penalty shouts from my position. I am not going to say anything about the referee, I trust in them."
Moyes hails 'great' Hammers performance
West Ham boss David Moyes to BBC Sport: "To come here and get a point after what we did two days ago [a 2-1 win over West Brom] is a great effort. "We have scored a goal and so have they - they can have as many shots as they like. It was a great finish from Obiang, unexpected. He struck it brilliantly well. "We're miles away from how I want us to play but we are doing some things right. We are defending well which gives us a chance against the top teams. I want the players to look up the table. "We need a lot in the transfer window but if I can get one or two I'll be happy."
BBC Radio 5 live analysis
Former Premier League striker Steve Claridge at Wembley: Mauricio Pochettino didn't do enough to turn that game around. He should have put Fernando Llorente on earlier. It was only when West Ham scored that he made the changes and went more attacking. West Ham were magnificent on the night - spirit, organisation and work-rate - everything David Moyes demanded. The stats don't tell the true story - Spurs may have had 31 shots but created four half chances and one really good one. Spurs didn't really look like opening West Ham up. Their performance belies those stats.
Match stats - Kane loses the London derby scoring touch
In four London derbies in all competitions under David Moyes, West Ham have managed just three shots on target. However, they've scored two of them, and have lost just once (W1 D2).
Son Heung-min has been directly involved in 12 goals in his last nine home games for Tottenham in all competition (seven goals, five assists).
Spurs have never lost a Premier League game on a Thursday (P11 W6 D5 L0) - it is the highest number of games played by a team on a specific day without defeat in the Premier League era.
Harry Kane has scored just three goals in his last 10 Premier League London derby matches, failing to find the net on eight occasions in that run.
After a run of 13 defeats in 16 Premier League games against 'big six' opponents (W1 D2), West Ham are unbeaten in their last three against them (W1 D2).
What's next?
Tottenham host AFC Wimbledon on Sunday (15:00 GMT) in the FA Cup third round, with West Ham at Shrewsbury an hour earlier.
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TOTTENHAM 1-1 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 4 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:28PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican
West Ham drew even with Tottenham tonight 1-1 in a Premier League match at Wembley. Goals by Pedro Obiang and Son Hueng-Min were the sum of the action, as both West Ham and Spurs each played their second league match in 48 hours. For the Hammers it was a chance to grow their narrow safe position in the table, albeit without their record signing Marko Arnautović, who apparently picked up an injury since the West Bromwich victory.
The first half was all Spurs except the visiting club decided to play ten men behind the ball, leaving Javier Hernandez with little service and not much help on the rare counter attack. Tottenham had possession for two thirds of the opening half and had plenty of shots, but Adrian played masterfully with the likes of Dele Alli, Harry Kane, and Son all firing on him. West Ham finished the opening half with no shots on goal.
The first half was so uneventful, without injury or substitution, that there was no added time. In fact, Mike Dean ended the half a bit before the 45' mark.
No changes to either side during the break and play resumed with Tottenham still owning the edge on possession. Early in the half, Chicharito did have a free run to goal after Davinson Sanchez errantly gave up possession but he was caught from behind before he could make a clean shot.
After going almost 70 minutes without a single shot on goal, West Ham's fortunes changed rapidly. Pedro Obiang took possession well outside the penalty area and decided to take a distance crack at the goal. His 30 yard strike was outside the reach of Hugo Lloris and in a shocker, West Ham were up 0-1 over Spurs.
For the next 14 minutes the Hammers resumed their play behind the ball. Not to be outdone by Obiang, Son took a distance strike from the center of the pitch and also placed it just beyond Adrian's grasp to give the hosts the equaliser. As Manuel Lanzini had gone down to injury moments prior to the goal, David Moyes brought on Andy Carroll, to replace the Argentine.
Despite some frightening moments, West Ham were able to weather Tottenham's assault over the four minutes of added time, and on a rainy night in London, West Ham walked off with a greatly-needed point.
It seems that Moyes has righted this ship somewhat. The reports of Bilic's fitness demands being soft were obviously not incorrect as West Ham would have lost this match three months ago by multiple goals. Great marks to young Declan Rice, who started in place of the injured Aaron Cresswell tonight. The confidence exuded by this youngster facing the likes of Kane and Allie is very impressive. Growing talent from the ranks of the U-23's is a rare occurrence in today's Premier League. Hopefully the return of Reese Oxford will yield similar results in the coming months.
Speaking of U-23's, what will the starting XI look like against Shrewsbury Town on Sunday night? Given the injuries and the gauntlet of matches over the Christmas season, it is hard to suspect that Moyes will play too many of his usual first teamers. Given West Ham's position in the table, an early exit from the FA Cup might not be the worst fate that could happen; although a Premier League side losing to a League One club would be embarrassing, even coming off the heels of a great result at Wembley tonight.
As the January transfer window continues be sure to check out TheWestHamWay.co.uk for all the latest updates. Ex will keep us all informed on who is coming, who is leaving, and where we are going next.
Spurs: Lloris (C), Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane
Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Wanyama (75'), Dembele, Winks, Lamela (75'), Llorente (82')
West Ham: Adrian, Reid, Zabaleta, Kouyate, Lanzini, Obiang, Noble (c), Chicharito, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Rice
Subs: Hart, Carroll (85'), Ayew (65'), Martinez, Quina, Makasi, Haksabanovic
Referee: Mike Dean
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West Ham miss powerhouse top 30
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have been ranked at the world's 35th most powerful club in the latest annual Soccerex survey.
The study, that ranks football clubs in order of economic power sees the Hammers ranked below clubs such as the MLS' New England Revolution and China's Hebei China Fortune in the 2018 edition of the survey.
The analysis is based on club balance sheets and annual reports, as well as other sources of information such as UEFA, the Financial Times and Forbes. Five variables - namely playing assets, fixed assets, cash flow, the owners' 'potential investment' and net debt- are taken into account when assessing each club's rating.
Premier League leaders Manchester City head the way with a FFI index score of 4.883 - the result of heavy investment from Abu Dhabi. The club possesses one of the most valuable squads in world football, and has invested heavily in fixed assets such as the Etihad Campus, which includes the club's stadium and training ground.
In addition, the club has a multi-billionaire owner who has invested more than €650 million since buying the club. In addition to the owner's investment, the Premier League's recent expansion, fuelled by massive broadcast deals, has also contributed to Manchester City's
financial strength.
In stark contrast, West Ham's FFI score of 0.577 is the result of a squad value of £196m, fixed assets worth £63m, bank funds of £37m and the 'owner potential investment' figure of just £16m (only 58th highest on the list). The club's £90m net debt was also taken into account.
For this latest edition, the financial year analysed was 2015/16. The top 20 most powerful clubs are as follows:
1. Manchester City
2. Arsenal
3. Paris St Germain
4. Guangzhou Evergrande
5. Tottenham
6. Real Madrid
7. Manchester Utd
8. Juventus
9. Chelsea
10. Bayern Munich
11. Zenit St Petersburg
12. RB Leipzig
13. Barcelona
14. LA Galaxy
15. Atletico Madrid
16. Liverpool
17. Borussia Dortmund
18. Olympique Lyonnais
19. Monaco
20. Leicester City
Meanwhile the 19 English clubs listed in the top 100 are rated as follows:
1. Manchester City
2. Arsenal
3. Tottenham
4. Manchester Utd
5. Chelsea
6. Liverpool
7. Leicester City
8. Everton
9. Southampton
10. Stoke City
11. West Ham Utd
12. Newcastle Utd
13. Crystal Palace
14. Swansea City
15. Bournemouth
16. Burnley
17. Sunderland
18. Brighton & Hove Albion
19. Aston Villa
27 per cent of the clubs listed in the top 30 feature in the Premier League or Championship, whilst the US provide the second largest group with 17 per cent of listees.
1. England (Premier League, Championship)
2. USA (MLS)
3. France (Ligue 1)
4. China, Russia, Ukraine
7. Italy (Serie A)
8. Spain (La Liga)
9. Germany (Bundesliga)
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West Ham 2-1 West Brom (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th January 2018
By: HeadHammerShark
"I'd rather see the world the way it used to be, a little bit of freedom all we're left
So catch me if you can, I'm goin' back"
- The Byrds, "Goin' Back"
I'm not into ruining your enjoyment of films, so if you haven't seen Mad Max: Fury Road and want to avoid spoilers then feel free to skip down until you see a shot map and start your West Brom experience there. You won't miss much.
But for those who have seen it, or don't care, then you'll know what I mean when I say that this game had an oddly familiar storyline. Fury Road is built upon a fairly flimsy plot that sees Charlize Theron, playing Imperator Furiosa, escape from a post apocalyptic Australian warlord by the name of Immortan Joe, with a handful of his "wives" in tow. Along the way they pick up Tom Hardy's Max Rockatansky, and battle their way past various pursuing forces to escape to a mythical Green Place where they presumably all plan to change their names to something sensible. The problem is that when they get there, it's just as barren as the rest of the world.
I was feeling a bit Furiosa myself until that last minute winner
Realising that only place around with any water and plants is Immortan Joe's hideout, they do the craziest thing possible... they turn around and go back.
Which not-at-all-crowbarred link brings me to David Moyes and this performance. Because we've made a bit of progress ourselves recently, and depending on how generous you feel, one could make the argument that we are a good penalty taker and a competent referee away from sitting comfortably in mid table. All of which has been achieved without Andy Carroll, and based largely on a more solid looking defence and a surprisingly decent number of goals scored, primarily due to Marko Arnautovic sparking into life.
And yet, with all of that in the bank, Moyes took the seemingly crazy decision here to revert back to the old Bilic style of play. Carroll was chosen up front at the tip of a particularly blunt spear, and we went back to that disastrously hopeless hybrid style of play where we smash lots of ineffective crosses in Carroll's general vicinity, while also trying to pass the pall through him as though he were a different type of player altogether. As it was, we reverted all the way back to last season and pulled out one of those typically awful Bilic wins with a late goal and we're mighty grateful for it, but...still.
This Moyes reign has been built on attempting to move past those familiar flaws and creating something different. What the last three games have told me is that with this particular set of players, and against similarly mediocre opponents to ourselves, we still have some enormous problems that have to be remedied this month.
But for all that, if this was a backwards step it was still a pretty productive one. Last minute winners have that extra frisson of wonderment because you know the opposition cannot come back, and in that sense are beautifully liberating. Your mind doesn't immediately start to process how long you have to cling on, and instead you can just hand yourself over completely to a moment of pure, unadulterated happiness. In such moments we remind ourselves of how even the most moribund game can be rescued by a fleeting moment of joy, and remember precisely why we fell in love with this whole bloody thing in the first place.
Wet Tuesday nights aren't generally great for epiphanies, but in the buffeting winds and constant rain of Storm Eleanor, it sure was nice to steal a win and take a step forward in our relegation struggle, even if we did it by going back.
***
"I'll never forget you, although at times we couldn't shake it
You're my joy, always remember me"
- The Noisettes, "Never Forget You"
I won't lie. When I saw that Carroll was starting this game, my heart sank. So much of his play this season has been uninspired and immobile, that to watch him now is to be reminded of a boxer being taken slowly and unwittingly to the knacker's yard. Truthfully, and this may sound ludicrous considering his goals, I didn't see much in his open play to suggest that analysis is particularly flawed. Sure, that's very "what have the Romans ever done for us?" and there were certainly occasional lovely moments of chest control and laying off, but by and large he looked forlorn and isolated as the game generally seemed to pass him by.
But, for all that, this shot map from Caley Graphics shows we did actually create a decent number of opportunities in the box, even if the low xG is reflective of how many men West Brom tended to get in front of those chances. Our first half attacks mainly relied on Manuel Lanzini arriving late and pouncing on second balls after Carroll had crashed into something in front of him, and the visitors were reliant upon some good saves from Ben Foster as a result. One piece of skill in particular from Lanzini, to pluck a swirling high ball from the sky, belonged to another, better, game.
Despite our pressure, West Brom had their own opportunities and after Rondon went close, James McClean picked up a loose ball and went on a long, mazy dribble that should have led to him taking a pointless long range shot in front of our goal. Instead, it hit Obiang, looped up and caught Adrian flat footed and gave the visitors the lead. They celebrated this by all running to the sideline and standing there drinking water until the referee eventually coaxed them back to the pitch. Thus began another long, boring exhibition of West Brom timewasting.
But football is a strange mistress and her whims cannot always be predicted or rebuffed. After that generally dreadful first half we were rejuvenated slightly by the half time introduction of Mark Noble for Pedro Obiang. I felt the Spaniard was a little bit unlucky insomuch as Cheikhou Kouyate was once again playing as if being remote controlled by an uninterested spaniel sat in the crowd, but he does always offer the mobility that is sadly lacking elsewhere in the team.
But with Noble came control, and finally some structure to our forward play beyond simply giving it to Masuaku and hoping for him to beat five men. And as poorly as I felt Carroll did in terms of linking up play, there can be no doubting the sensational quality of his goals. The first was what we once might have termed a typical Carroll goal, as Cresswell swung in a sumptuous cross and he greeted it like a pissed Geordie pirate swinging from the deck of one ship on to another and smashing opposition sailors into the sea. It was a thing of murderous, visceral beauty and even though he seems to do it less frequently than ever, there is still something irresistible about watching such a goal unfold.
Andy casually waits for a cross
I felt the second was better, if only because it required a more difficult technique. Noble and Lanzini combined to free Arnautivic down the left and his cross eluded everybody except for the exhausted Carroll, who brilliantly turned it back into the goal from the narrowest of angles with his weaker right foot. It was harsh on West Brom, although relegation battles are no place for sentiment, and also vindication for Moyes. For while I thought Carroll's inclusion simply sent us back to halfway house of Bilic's worst days, the man scored twice and won us the game, and that's not to be sniffed at. It's also likely that Moyes eyed up our stupid playing schedule and decided that playing him here against a knackered, slow team like West Brom, was preferable to having him play at Wembley against Spurs.
The worry with these brief resurgences from Carroll is that they have tended to cloud manager's minds and cause them to persist with him for long barren spells that we can ill afford. Equally, it's hard to ascertain whether he has reined in his crazily physical style because his body can no longer take it, or because Moyes has told him to for the sake of his disciplinary record, but there is no doubt that he seems slightly diminished as a physical threat at present.
But until we get a new striker who can offer more than the seemingly one dimensional Carroll and Hernandez, then we will have to go with what we have. And, if nothing else, Carroll doesn't ever give up and keeps working as hard as he can. I wouldn't play him, but I can see the appeal.
***
"Pack it up, pack it in, this is who I should have been
But instead I waste my time"
- Turin Brakes, "Timewaster"
There is a rule in association football which states that goalkeepers may not hold on to the ball for longer than six seconds. This rule does not apply to Ben Foster. Instead, he simply holds on to the ball for as long as he decrees is reasonable because the concept of linear time is beneath him. Even as you sit reading this, Ben Foster is wandering around the 18-yard box at the London Stadium while referee Mike Jones looks lovingly at him, taps his watch and then fails to add any time on.
Far be it for me to agree with Eric Dier, but Foster pulled this exact same shit with the exact same referee last month in a game at Wembley, and he got away with it here too.
So, it's actually possible?
I don't hate West Brom. In fact, they're not too dissimilar a club to us in the sense that they've had to play second fiddle to local rivals, while having to battle with a lack of finance and boardroom competence. To me, there is always a spiritual connection between those of us who have to be permanent whipping boys for the Top Six. But...and I say this without meaning to offend any Baggies fans, I fucking despise this iteration of their team.
It's not even much to do with the players, but simply a legacy of having Tony Pulis as a recent manager. And so it is that they waste time, foul cynically, play boringly and generally do everything that you would imagine the Patron Saint of Anti Football would instruct them to do. It's Alan Pardew's team now, of course, but it will take a while for him to rid them entirely of such DNA.
I asked Mark Segal of Opta about the stats for this game and he confirmed that out of a game time of 97:59 the ball was in play for just 57:34. In fairness to West Brom, this was nowhere near as bad as Newcastle who managed to restrict our recent game to just 50:31 of game time with a world class display of procrastination. In both cases the referee added just four minutes.
But it's a frustrating trait either way, because it is so rarely punished effectively by officials. I wrote after the Newcastle game that the authorities must do something about this and move to a straightforward system of playing for sixty minutes and discounting any time when the ball is dead. There is no doubt that Pulis types would find a way to try and game that particular system, but it would be nice if they at least tried to give paying spectators something close to a full match for our inflated tickets.
All of that being true, I still do sympathise with West Brom having to play us just two days after their last game while we had five days rest. The problem for us will come when we play Spurs on two days rest, and then go to Shrewsbury to play our under eleven team in the hope of getting knocked out and reducing our fixture load. Giving sides such disparate preparation time is manifestly unfair, and it was greatly to the visitors' credit that one would have been hard pressed for most of the game to determine who exactly was supposed to be the rested team. That said, who cares. Thanks for the three points, Pards.
***
"Don't let it bring you down, it's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning, and you will come around"
- Neil Young, "Don't Let It Bring You Down"
Kouyate, Reid and Madley. Not much good stuff happening here
A distinctly depressing part of our season so far has been the precipitous decline of some of our older players. Here Kouyate was once again atrocious, and Winston Reid joined him with yet another inconsistent and worrying display. Both are on long contracts that no other Premier League team would ever offer them, so it's hard to imagine them moving on purely because their financial situation is so strong here. This is the folly of having the 13th biggest wage bill in Europe and spending it on the second oldest squad in the Premier League. Indeed, Reid was even given a contract extension earlier in the season which he immediately celebrated with a soft muscle injury at Southampton. Sometimes we really are like a parody of ourselves.
But their inconsistency leaves Moyes with a headache. Reid will almost certainly play at Spurs because Cresswell is injured, meaning we may revert to a back four which has generally seen us leak like the post iceberg Titanic. Even Angelo Ogbonna's marvellous recovery tackle here to stop Oliver Burke making it 2-1 was only necessary because our defence had been totally split open by a straightforward central ball over the top. I'm not sure Harry Kane will be so profligate.
As for Kouyate, you'd imagine he will play too, because he can't seem to function alongside Obiang, and therefore with Noble a certainty to return it will be the Spaniard who drops out. This is all made more difficult by the fact that Moyes has no depth in central midfield whatsoever, meaning that he only really has an apparently declining Kouyate or a wildly inconsistent Obiang to choose from. I actually think the latter has been miles better when partnered with Noble, but if his passing disappears as it did here then he's not really a great deal of use, especially when we have so few genuinely good attacking options these days.
Geo at Hammers Chat put together this video on our central midfield options, which I think does a decent job of capturing how rubbish Kouyate has been all season. This was really highlighted here when Noble came on, and seemingly revolutionised our play by simply putting his foot on the ball and looking for effective passes. By contrast, Kouyate - never much of a passer on his best day - simply ran around a lot and then made more two yard passes than I think I've ever seen. The guy who destroyed Spurs almost single-handedly at the end of last season is not the one we are seeing now. In an odd way, you'd hope he is injured because if not then we might have to face up to the reality that he is another one who has fallen off that same cliff as Carroll, Zabaleta and Reid. What a squad we've constructed.
One player who isn't in danger of stumbling off any cliffs is Marko Arnautovic who has gone full circle from being a £24m waste of time to terrace hero all in the space of about four weeks. His work rate is impressive and visible, meaning that he was getting ripples of applause in the first half silence simply for running about a bit and pressuring defenders. At times, we can be very easily pleased.
What he continues to do well, and where he is more useful, is popping up in areas of danger and linking cleverly with Lanzini. You sense that those two will have to do most of the attacking work in the absence of Antonio, but given that we've scored ten goals in our last four games there are certainly signs that we are carrying more threat. The indications also seem to be that Hernandez isn't going to be a Moyes player, as he's been reduced to a bit part role whereby he comes on late and hangs around in the box waiting for Carroll to maim someone and give him a knock down. The main thing I've drawn from watching our attacking in these last couple of games is that the single biggest boost we could get in January would be a fit and firing Michail Antonio back in the team.
And on that point - while these points are precious and have inched us closer to safety, and importantly, away from Swansea and West Brom, there can be no doubt that we need help. While I am still not convinced that we have any money, and I can't wait for those accounts, there can be no argument any more that we shouldn't be adding players. Sneaking past a knackered West Brom in the last minute is all good fun, but hardly the signal of a burgeoning renaissance.
So, it's the worst time to buy, and we have the worst recruitment team in the league, but we still need bodies. We are ludicrously exposed to injuries and suspension, and if Lanzini or Arnautovic were to go down for the season we would have next to no creativity available to Moyes. Although there is no chance that Stoke will sell to us, a reported bid for Joe Allen does make a sort of sense given that he would immediately become our best option in the middle. As much as I'd like to see Sakho get a chance that seems to be a dead duck, so he needs to be replaced, and we could really use some mobility in that back line too. And with our January fixtures being against Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Palace, we could really do with those reinforcements arriving as soon as possible.
***
"And yet he tries so hard to please, he's just so keen
For you to listen, but no one's listening"
- Blur, "Charmless Man"
I am so sick of this shit.
Honest to God, I am fed up of the constant barrage that West Ham fans have to face because a section of our support cannot behave in a manner that is consistent with the standards of civilised society.
The latest excuse for the world to pile in has arisen because Jake Livermore was substituted here and then went into the crowd in an altercation with a fan. I saw none of this, because I sit in the upper tier and thus would need a high powered telescope to see anything that far away. Therefore, the first I knew of it was the following morning when I began to read accounts on social media from fans of other clubs. Most of these were insistent that the cause of the ruckus was racial abuse, while others were equally sure that it happened because a fan abused Livermore over the death of his infant son. The only thing that most of these accounts could agree on was that they had no idea what was actually said and were guessing based on their own prejudices. That's what you get for reading social media, I guess.
Having followed it more closely today, both clubs have now issued statements, with West Brom explicitly stating that Livermore reacted to a comment from the crowd about his son, while West Ham's just says that they are looking into it and removed the fan at the time. Having read a couple of accounts from people around the scene, each state that this in fact wasn't what was said and that actually Livermore misheard a comment referring to him as a "y*d". That hasn't really percolated through to the majority of media outlets, who have simply reported the West Brom statement and little else.
As a West Ham fan, I feel I need to point out that if the version of those supporters is true it doesn't really reflect much better on the supporter in question. Calling someone a "y*d" is pretty much always done pejoratively by West Ham fans, and symptomatic to me of a problem that we have with anti-Semitism among a small, but loud enough section of our support. I know that there are those who may dispute that, but when we were 2-0 down at Wembley I heard that godawful hissing bullshit again and we'd be better off to admit we have that element among our fans than try and deny it and allow it to bubble under.
So what we're left with here is another unsavoury incident that drags us all through the mud and fills up our social media timelines with yet more broad brush characterising of West Ham fans as scum. Of course I should ignore that and rise above it, but the problem is that these days, that is how a lot of people consume their news and opinions. I haven't read a hard copy newspaper in a long time because I read everything online. And with that ease of access comes the democracy of opinion - which is to say that everybody has one, and now we have to hear it. So my frustration is that these actions by individuals or small groups just tar all of us with the same loose tag, and continues to diminish the standing of the club.
So let's get this in perspective - this was apparently one person in a crowd of fifty thousand screaming reprehensible things. Whether he used the word "y*d" or "kid" doesn't change that, but it was just one person. No West Ham fan condones that, but a few too many of us get involved in screaming abuse at players of all stripes. I've been thinking a lot about this recently, and in particular this notion that the game of football is all about opinions. And I am forced to ask myself - why?
Because here's the thing about that - the opinion of this guy who yelled at Jake Livermore wasn't really worth hearing was it? The opinions of the fans who threw bananas on to pitches in the Seventies weren't worth hearing either. Richard Keys opinions have never been worth listening to. So I guess what I'm saying is that I really don't understand why anyone would think it's okay to stand five feet from a professional footballer and scream personal abuse at him. I think that makes you a dickhead. And there you go, that's my opinion.
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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Would VAR have ruled out Heung-Min Son's goal at Wembley?
Last Updated: 04/01/18 11:45pm
SSN
Tim Sherwood believed Serge Aurier fouled Manuel Lanzini in the build-up to Tottenham's equalising goal - but would VAR have ruled it out? Heung-Min Son fired home a deserved equaliser for Spurs with one of the goals of the season, but Aurier's scissor tackle in the build-up on Lanzini could have been deemed a foul.
VAR's are used to help the referee determine whether an infringement was made that should result in the goal not being awarded - and if it was in use at Wembley, then the goal could have been ruled out if the officials deemed the tackle in breach of the laws. Sherwood, who was working for Sky Sports as a pundit alongside Joe Cole, thought Aurier's tackle was a foul but remained unsure whether the goal would have been chalked off if the VAR was in use. Sherwood said: "I think it's a foul - he gets the ball but he's endangering the opponent. I said it was a foul and Joe Cole didn't so we've all got different opinions."
VAR is only to be used "to correct clear errors and for missed serious incidents" in those "match-changing" situations. It will be trialled in around 20 games between now and the end of this season, including for both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Chelsea later this month, live on Sky Sports.
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David Moyes' West Ham masterplan against the big teams pays off once again in draw with Tottenham
Last Updated: 05/01/18 12:05am
SSN
David Moyes has brought organisation and discipline to West Ham's defence, taking points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. Here, Peter Smith looks at how he steered his side to another impressive result at Wembley... "There's another side to football when you've not got the best players and we did that side well tonight," a delighted David Moyes told Sky Sports after seeing his West Ham team battle to a 1-1 draw away to Tottenham. Considering Spurs' almost complete dominance over the course of the 90 minutes, it was a result almost as remarkable as the two screamers scored in the match. But Moyes has found a template to frustrate the Premier League's big guns. With only 29 per cent of possession and one shot on target compared to 31 shots faced, West Ham - fielding a back five and two holding midfielders - did just that to Tottenham at Wembley. After suffering a valiant 2-1 comeback loss at Manchester City at the start of December, West Ham have beaten Chelsea 1-0, drawn 0-0 with Arsenal and now held Spurs. To think that reverse at City stretched a run against the 'Big Six' to 13 defeats in 16 fixtures highlights how impressive earning five points from those subsequent London derbies has been.
Moyes' London derby run
In four London derbies in all competitions under David Moyes, West Ham have managed just three shots on target. However, they've scored two of them, and have lost just once (W1 D2). Yet, while these backs-to-the-walls defensive displays are usually only successful after hours of drills on the training ground, West Ham's performance against Spurs is even more notable by the fact their plans were only formulated on Thursday morning. "We had no time [to prepare]," said Moyes, whose side fought back to beat West Brom on Tuesday night at the London Stadium. Perhaps, after holding firm for so long against City and then keeping clean sheets against Chelsea and Arsenal over the past month, the West Ham players know what Moyes wants from them now.
In their two previous contests with Spurs this season, West Ham have gone 3-0 behind in the September Premier League game and then slipped 2-0 down in October's EFL Cup tie before battling back. But there was a dogged resilience to their defence this time around. "They were well organised and willing to put their body on the line," Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood said. Mark Noble agreed. "Sometimes to play against teams like Spurs you need a game plan to level it up a bit," said the Hammers captain. "Me and Ped [Pedro Obiang] were told to sit in front of that back five and not go anywhere. I don't know how Pedro ended up where he was! Great strike!"
Indeed, Obiang's moment of magic is in the mix for the goal of the season prize (although he'll have competition from Heung-min Son's equaliser). But while his five tackles, three clearances and three interceptions won't be remembered, that commitment to protecting the backline alongside skipper Noble was crucial at the other end. It is hard to believe this West Ham side had shipped seven goals in their last three outings - and Moyes must wonder why his men weren't able to apply themselves in their own third against Newcastle and Bournemouth as they did here - but five points from the festive fixtures has been a healthy return. West Ham are now up to 15th. That may only be two points above the relegation zone but it's also only three off the top 10. That's how finely balanced the bottom half of the league is this season - and why results against the big guns are all the more valuable.
Next up for West Ham in the Premier League are Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Watford. They are fixtures which will demand a different approach and Moyes will be keen to welcome back injured forwards Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic.
These next five fixtures could shape West Ham's season - but their resilience against the top sides has given them an ideal platform from which to attack the teams around them.
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David Moyes bemused by Andy Carroll-Chelsea transfer link
Last Updated: 05/01/18 6:38am
SSN
David Moyes insists he knows nothing about reports linking West Ham striker Andy Carroll with a move to Chelsea. The 28-year-old rekindled his goalscoring touch with a double against West Brom on Tuesday, and The Sun newspaper claim the West Ham striker is on Chelsea's shortlist of January signings. But, speaking after West Ham's 1-1 draw with Tottenham, Moyes was bemused when quizzed on Carroll's potential switch to Stamford Bridge, saying: "I have no idea about that."
A battling defensive display and Pedro Obiang's thunderbolt moved West Ham within touching distance of another Wembley victory over Spurs, following their Carabao Cup success in October. But Heung-Min Son's equally spectacular drive six minutes from time rescued a point for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Victory would have lifted West Ham up to 11th in Premier League, instead, having been pegged back, Moyes' men climbed only to 15th in the table. Asked if the draw would change his January transfer plans, Moyes added: "No, it doesn't affect my thinking. "I've been here for seven or eight weeks, so the club should have an idea what is required as well. Pedro Obiang scored a stunning goal at Wembley as West Ham took the lead in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in the Premier League.
"The big thing is we try to make sure we get away from the bottom of the table - we don't want to fall back in. "We need some extra players, we're quite well endowed in certain areas - upfront we've got a lot of players to choose from - but we don't have it in other areas."
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Former West Ham winger Zavon Hines leaves Maidstone United to sign for Chesterfield
Posted on 4th January 2018 by admin in Latest News, National League
Zavon Hines is back in the Football League with Chesterfield following a successful spell at Maidstone United. The ex-West Ham forward scored 10 in 25 games for the Stones after signing on a free transfer in the summer, having been at Southend United last season. The 29-year-old, who has also played for the likes of Bournemouth, Bradford City and Burnley, had two weeks left on his short-term deal with the National League club. Maidstone manager Jay Saunders said: "Zav's done a job for us during his time here and at the same time we've given him an opportunity to rebuild his career and enjoy his football again. "I get that he wants to have another crack at the league and I am not going to stand in the way of that, especially with his deal ending so soon and us having Jamar back playing. "We wish him all the best and thank him for his contribution to our season so far." Hines added: "It's all happened very quickly, but I'm happy to be back in the Football League. Hopefully I can repay the faith that the manager has shown in me." Chesterfield are 22nd in League Two, one point above the relegation zone.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, January 5
Thursday, January 4
Daily WHUFC News - 4th January 2018
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
It's a quick return to action for West Ham United as David Moyes' side face
Tottenham Hotspur away.
Read on for all you need to know about this upcoming fixture against Spurs!
Where and when?
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will meet at Wembley Stadium on
Thursday 4 January 2018.
The contest is scheduled to kick-off at 8pm.
How to follow:
Thursday's match will be shown live on Sky Sports on the Main Event and
Premier League channels, with coverage beginning at 7.30pm.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter
account.
You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.
You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and
Snapchat channels.
Radio coverage will also be provided by BBC Radio 5 Live.
Team news:
With the game against Tottenham coming less than 48 hours after his side
played West Brom, David Moyes may be tempted to rotate the players in his
West Ham United side.
Captain Mark Noble made a successful return from injury from the bench
against the Baggies and is therefore likely to be in consideration for the
Spurs contest.
A check on Aaron Cresswell will be needed after the defender picked up a
knock versus West Brom, while Jose Fonte, Sam Byram and Edimilson Fernandes
are still out.
What they say:
"It's going to be a very difficult game, as we know what Spurs are capable
of doing and we know their qualities, so we need to stay strong. We also
have very good players in our own squad, and we are going there off the back
of a big win."
Andre Ayew
Match Officials:
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referees: Simon Long and Daniel Cook
Fourth Official: Roger East
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How to get there:
By Train
Wembley Stadium is services by three train & tube stations:
Wembley Park Station makes use of the Jubilee & Metropolitan Lines.
Wembley Stadium Station is used by Chiltern Railways.
Wembley Central Station is used by Bakerloo, London Overground, London
Midland and Southern lines.
Supporters should be aware that alcohol sales at Wembley Stadium will stop
ten minutes into the first half of the game.
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Rice: Everyone's buzzing to get the win
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice says West Ham United need to use the momentum gained from
Tuesday's last-gasp victory over West Bromwich Albion to help propel them up
the Premier League table. Three points against the Baggies moved the Hammers
out of the relegation zone and within striking distance of 11th placed
Huddersfield Town. Now, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur following on
Thursday, 18-year-old Rice wants the Hammers to continue to look upwards as
they head into 2018. "Everyone was buzzing to get the 2-1 win on Tuesday,"
Rice said. "The place just erupted and I'm just so happy for the fans and so
happy for us. Let's keep moving up the table now. "At half time we knew we
had to come out in the second half and give the fans something to cheer. It
was a massive sigh of relief getting the second goal, but we've got
Tottenham on Thursday now so we have to stay focused. "Spurs are in a good
bit of form as well, but when we went there last time we were 2-0 down and
came back to win 3-2. We'll look back at that game again, get all the
confidence we can and go there for three points. It's hard obviously with
just one day of rest, but we're Premier League footballers so we have to
deal with that."
Rice again showed his versatility on Tuesday, playing a 14 minute cameo at
left-back after Aaron Cresswell picked up an injury and the Academy product
was thrilled to play his part. "I'll play wherever the manager wants me to
play," he added. "I went on a run and with the momentum of the crowd, once I
nicked the ball off Robson-Kanu I thought 'there's no point turning back, I
might as well get on my bike and show a bit of pace!' "We nearly scored from
it, but I was happy with myself when I came on and it's nice to get another
appearance – as a kid I never thought I would have made about 15 appearances
for West Ham [at this age]. Right back, left back, centre back, midfield,
I'm not bothered. I just want to play football."
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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com
West Ham fans have already had plenty of excitement over the festive period,
with Andy Carroll's late winner against West Brom the 14th goal scored
across their last three games. And, based on recent encounters, that
entertainment is likely to continue against Tottenham on Thursday night.
These sides, of course, have played each other twice already this season in
league and cup, with the away team winning five-goal thrillers on both
occasions. Given that the Hammers' last three visits to White Hart Lane
also finished 3-2, 4-1 and 2-2, another cracker looks likely at Wembley.
Particularly considering Spurs have scored 12 goals in their last three
games under the arch, while West Ham have scored at least two in each of
their last four league matches. With goals seemingly guaranteed, it makes
sense to back a bit of late drama as well. After all, West Ham's last seven
trips to Tottenham have seen them score six and concede five during the
final 15 minutes of matches, including a late turnaround in the League Cup
and that wonder goal by Ravel Morrison. And, this time around, it might just
be another midfield playmaker who provides a moment of magic. Manuel Lanzini
has scored three goals in five appearances against Tottenham, most memorably
the winner at the London Stadium towards the end of last season. The
Argentine has impressed under David Moyes so far, having provided five
assists and gone close with a number of attempts. Now back from suspension
and bound to be in the thick of the action, he's good value to find the net
against Spurs once again.
Recommended bets
Over 3.5 goals – 7/5
Goal scored between 75-90 mins – 17/20
Manuel Lanzini to score – 4/1
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Moyes: We must show same determination vs Spurs
WHUFC.com
David Moyes wants his West Ham United side to approach Thursday's contest
with Tottenham Hotspur with the same drive he saw from his team in the win
over West Brom. Two goals from Andy Carroll meant the Hammers claimed all
three points against the Baggies on Tuesday to get 2018 off to a winning
start, and puts the Irons in good stead ahead of a match with Spurs 48 hours
later. The Scotsman was delighted with the fightback his players completed
versus West Brom and is now calling for a similar attitude at Wembley
Stadium on Thursday. "Spurs have got a really good team," Moyes admitted.
"It will be hard work for us but we will go there with the same spirit, same
attitude and same determination we've had in all our games. You never know."
With three games in just six days it remains to be seen how Moyes will
alternate his side, with the manager confirming Reece Oxford – recently
returned from his loan with Borussia Monchengladbach – has sprained his
ankle and may not be available for the Tottenham match. When asked for an
update on his team Moyes said: "I'm hoping Cresswell's injury doesn't keep
him out because we're pretty short in both full-back areas. Until we have
got both Sam Byram and Jose Fonte back we're a bit short defensively. "Reece
Oxford kicked the ground in training and has sprained his ankle. He probably
might not be fit for Thursday, that's my first thought. "The biggest thing
is I don't have many changes and I don't have lots of players. I've got some
forward players I could change around but I don't have many players in other
positions. I'm not carrying any more players."
The Hammers claimed a famous 3-2 comeback victory over Tottenham the last
time the two sides met, in the Carabao Cup match at Wembley in October, and
head into this game on the back of a big win over West Brom. Moyes will be
hoping for another victory to push his Hammers further away from the
relegation zone but knows how tight the Premier League can be. He continued:
"You can see how the Premier League is going to go between now and the end
of the season. Games are going to be won and lost on really small margins.
"I think you can see there's a lot of tension at the bottom of the league
this season, because two defeats and you slide back in. Two wins and you
could be talking about trying to get into mid table."
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Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
THU 04 JAN 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
20:00
Venue: Wembley Stadium
TEAM NEWS
Tottenham striker Harry Kane is expected to return to the starting line-up
in place of Fernando Llorente. Manager Mauricio Pochettino awaits news on
the fitness of Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose, while Toby Alderweireld remains
out until February.
West Ham boss David Moyes has a lengthy injury list to contend with and
could be without left-back Aaron Cresswell. Andre Ayew has been troubled by
a hamstring injury and Michail Antonio is again expected to miss out.
RADIO 5 LIVE COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Alistair Bruce-Ball: "It's a second Premier League game in three days for
both clubs, but at least this time both of them have had the same amount of
rest, or lack of it! "David Moyes admitted after the dramatic late victory
against West Brom on Tuesday that that was the game they really had to win
this week so I imagine they'll come to Wembley with a bit more freedom
particularly having already won there in the League Cup in October. "That
was a remarkable turnaround that night because they were 2-0 down at
half-time having been played off the park. "Tottenham need to win to stay in
touch with the top four and they'll have a chance to strike at their
Champions League rivals at the end of the month when they start a run of
three consecutive games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal."
Twitter: @alibruceball
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino on the win over Swansea: "The
conditions were difficult and for the players, horrible. We tried to play
our football and the effort was fantastic. "We played well and deserved the
victory overall. I'm pleased because the victory and three points was so
important for us. "Now we need to recover quickly and be ready to play
against West Ham (on Thursday night)."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
The Hammers have won only once in 15 Premier League games at Tottenham (D5,
L9).
Spurs have not won both league meetings with West Ham in a season since
2012-13.
Mauricio Pochettino has never lost to David Moyes in a Premier League match
(W1, D3). There have only been three goals in their four meetings.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have lost just once in 29 home league matches.
They have won 19 points out of a possible 21 from their last seven league
games at Wembley.
Tottenham have lost three of their last five London derbies in the league,
as many as they had in their previous 21.
Harry Kane has scored just three goals in his last nine London derbies,
after a run of 17 goals in 16 derby games. However, he has scored seven in
his last six games against West Ham.
West Ham United
West Ham have won 12 points from 10 league games under David Moyes, having
won nine from their first 11 games this season under Slaven Bilic.
The Hammers' last defeat at Wembley was a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the 1980
Charity Shield .
They have never lost a competitive London derby at Wembley, winning all
three - a 2-0 win over Fulham in the 1975 FA Cup final; a 1-0 win against
Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup final; and the 3-2 win over Spurs in the League
Cup this season.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 2-0 Probability of draw: 17%
Probability of home win: 74% Probability of away win: 9%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of
football matches.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NOBLE WON IT !!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:27PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
Ten seconds away from a slow and painful descend into The Championship,
where we could have joined once great Clubs like Leeds, Nottingham Forest
and Sheffield Wednesday in spending years in the lower reaches of English
Football. If we had lost or even drew, morale and belief in the manager
would have ebbed away, and it would have been goodnight Vienna. But for once
it was a case of fortune's siding and not hiding. There was palpable relief
all around The London Stadium, when the much-maligned Andy Carroll, smashed
in a low cross from the right-hand side of the penalty area. Cue mass
celebrations and rightly so!
Before the game Alan Pardew, made much of the fact that Albion had to play
two days in forty-eight hours, while West Ham had a week off. "Tough Alan!
You have not had to put up with crooked referees"! West Brom started the
game well, were well organized and frustrated The Hammers. Salomon Rondon
almost punished West Ham when he spun away from Ogbonna, Reid hesitated, and
the ball landed on the roof of the net. A lucky escape! As the game
approached the half hour mark the deadlock was broken. James Mclean, whose
last goal was against us some 16 months ago, cut in from the left and past
Winston Reid as though he wasn't even there, hit a shot in hope more than
anything, took a wicked deflection off Obiang's heel and it was 1-0 to the
Albion. When The Hammers did threaten, they found goalkeeper Ben Foster more
than equal, as Manuel Lanzini found out just before half time.
It was the same old problem! The midfield! No pace, creativity or movement!
Created virtually nothing for the strikers, and no protection for the
defense. WBA cutting through our defense at will, dragging them all over the
place. Obiang and Kouyate were bloody terrible, if I didn't know better I
would have thought they were part of a corrupt betting syndicate. We have
got to bring in a defensive midfielder as quick as possible no if's or
but's. The last goal showed exactly what we need, the ball was carried
forward with pace, the opposition retreated, space opened, and Albion were
punished. It was clear that something had to be done but I couldn't see
anyone who could come in and change things in the middle of the park.
The savior was someone most unlikely in my eyes and a few others. I'm still
not a fan of Mark Noble it would be deeply hypocritical to say so. I still
don't think he is good enough. I don't do sentimental choices "He is West
Ham "or "One of us. Yes, it was against a poor West Brom side! But Mark
Noble was absolutely immense. He brought a calmness and reassurance to the
team, two qualities you can't buy. The team grew in confidence as soon as he
appeared on the pitch. He set up chances, switched play, cajoled the team
on. Mark James Noble won it! No doubt about that. The equalizer came when
Aaron Cresswell swung over a perfect cross for Andy Carroll to attack. Up
against Johnny Evans, there was only going to be one winner. The giant
Geordie towered above Evans, to power a header into the back of the net.
Then came that goal which resulted in a 2-1 win for The Hammers. In years to
come we may well look back at the goal, and acknowledge that the goal saved
our season, but also made sure that we still have a bright future, which we
do have. Things are far from perfect, but a lot of others are in a far worse
state than we are.
You have Everton who are owned by Mr. Moshini who The Club owe 180M to.
Brighton owe their owner 214M, Swansea have been taken over by American's
who have not got a pot to piss in. Their Chairman Huw Jenkins, who used to
own The Club desperately wants out. "I bet he does! He knows The Swans are
Pompey No 2 in waiting". What about Southampton? Who have sold 160M worth of
talent to Liverpool but have taken out loans to buy players. With Sky and BT
showing each other's games, do you think The Premier League will get the
same amount of dough for the next TV deal? Of course not! Who is going to
pay for the unsustainable wages? The golden age of football is coming to an
end. West Ham? Better days and a bright future lay ahead. Granted it will
take time, so what! As long as we get there!
We are more than a football club, we're a way of life!
Farehamhammer!!!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
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Albion make Livermore statement
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Bromwich Albion have released a statement regarding the incident
involving Jake Livermore that occurred during last night's match at he
Olympic Stadium.
Contrary to reports from other witnesses, the Midlands-based club claim that
the 28-year-midfielder reacted after a spectator made a reference to his
deceased child. "Following his substitution in the second half, Jake was
subjected to general abuse from home supporters which he shrugged off," read
the statement. "However, he acknowledges that he moved to confront one
spectator who chose to make a comment about the death of his infant son.
"The club would like to think that all right-minded football supporters
could understand this reaction which did not result in any physical
exchanges before Jake was led away to our dressing room. "Jake is an
outstanding young individual who has the total support of everyone at the
club and he has made it clear he considers this statement to be an end to an
unhappy incident."
West Ham have since studied video footage of the incident and have reported
their findings to the FA. Albion were very appreciative of the swift
response by the officials of West Ham in dealing with this matter and are
more than happy to leave any further action they deem appropriate in their
hands," added West Brom's statement. "The club has responded to an FA
request to offer our observations of the incident and will not be making any
further comment." Albion, who were beaten 2-1 last night are now firmly
entrenched in the relegation zone and four points adrift of safety as a
result.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA ask for Livermore explanation
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd January 2018
By: Staff Writer
The FA have asked West Bromwich Albion midfielder to explain why he jumped
into the crowd to confront spectators during last night's Premier League
match against West Ham. Livermore, 28, was captured on camera leaping over
advertising boards in order to confront a fan, or fans, that he believed had
made derogatory statements.
However according to supporters situated in that particular area of the
ground, the former Tottenham player misheard or misinterpreted a comment
relating to his previous employers. Livermore, who lost his baby son three
years ago believed that the fan in question was referring to the tragic loss
- and reacted accordingly. However that wasn't the case according to an
East Stand season ticket holder, who told KUMB: "The incident happened right
next to me. "Someone shouted something about drugs and Livermore being 'a
y*d' - he must have though the guy said something about his kid. It never
happened though, and the next thing Livermore was in the crowd."
Livermore escaped an FA ban despite testing positive for cocaine shortly
after the loss of his child in 2014. He also suffered successive bouts of
depression at the time.
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Andy Carroll should, if fit, be in England World Cup squad, says Danny Mills
Last Updated: 03/01/18 1:56pm
SSN
Gareth Southgate must consider taking Andy Carroll to the World Cup if the
West Ham striker can stay injury-free, according to former England
international Danny Mills. Carroll scored both of West Ham's goals as David
Moyes' side came from behind to beat West Brom 2-1 at the London Stadium,
lifting the Hammers out of the relegation zone. The 6ft 3in frontman, who
had not scored since April 1 prior to Tuesday night, won the last of his
nine England caps to date under former Three Lions manager Roy Hodgson in
2012. But Mills believes Carroll's aerial prowess could be an invaluable
option for England at Russia 2018. "I certainly think he would be a Plan B
or a Plan C, whichever way you want to look at it," Mills told Premier
League Daily on Sky Sports News. "I mean aerially he is fantastic. He is
still, without a doubt, one of the best headers of the ball in the Premier
League. "If he's fit he's got to be worth taking to the World Cup. "I think
there is certainly room for him in the 23 - I think it's his fitness [that
is the only issue]. "You need to take players who are on form, or fit, or
offer something different. Certainly, he offers something different and if
you need to nick a goal, if you need a set piece or need to put a ball into
the box aerially, there aren't too many better headers of the ball in Europe
than Andy Carroll."
West Ham's upturn in form has seen them win three of their last six matches,
and Mills is confident the 16th-placed Hammers will still be playing Premier
League football next season. "I don't think West Ham have any issues about
survival now," Mills said. "I think the bottom of the table is so congested.
With a win and a draw you can almost leap up six places - that's how tight
it is. I think West Ham have enough quality to get themselves out of it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham identify fan following Jake Livermore incident
Last Updated: 03/01/18 5:35pm
SSN
West Ham have identified the supporter who was confronted by West Brom
midfielder Jake Livermore during Tuesday's Premier League match. The England
international was involved in an angry confrontation with a West Ham fan
after being substituted in the 64th minute of the 2-1 defeat and was then
escorted down the tunnel. The fan is alleged to have shouted to Livermore,
and an investigation is under way to establish whether he directed abuse
about Livermore's baby son, who died in 2014.
West Ham, who ejected the fan, have said they are looking into the
allegations and will work with West Brom if any further action is required.
West Brom have since sent their observations of the incident to the Football
Association. Livermore was also targeted with taunts about his use of
cocaine during the match last night at the London Stadium. The player tested
positive for the drug in the months after his son's death. The Metropolitan
Police have said they are continuing their own enquiries, despite receiving
no formal complaint, and are speaking to both clubs. In a statement, West
Brom said: "West Bromwich Albion would like to clarify an incident involving
our player Jake Livermore in last night's Premier League game at West Ham.
"Following his substitution in the second half, Jake was subjected to
general abuse from home supporters which he shrugged off. However, he
acknowledges that he moved to confront one spectator who chose to make a
comment about the death of his infant son. "The club would like to think
that all right-minded football supporters could understand this reaction
which did not result in any physical exchanges before Jake was led away to
our dressing room. "Jake is an outstanding young individual who has the
total support of everyone at the club and he has made it clear he considers
this statement to be an end to an unhappy incident. "Albion were very
appreciative of the swift response by the officials of West Ham in dealing
with this matter and are more than happy to leave any further action they
deem appropriate in their hands. "The club has responded to an FA request to
offer our observations of the incident and will not be making any further
comment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United preview: Harry Kane to return to
starting XI
Last Updated: 03/01/18 7:49pm
SSN
Harry Kane is set to return to the starting line-up when Tottenham take on
London rivals West Ham in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Thursday. Kane
started on the bench in the 2-0 win over Swansea on Tuesday following
illness but still proved influential in his 22 minutes on the pitch, teeing
up Dele Alli for a late goal that sealed victory in south Wales. "I think it
was a good training session for him to prepare for the next game," Spurs
boss Mauricio Pochettino said of the striker after the victory. "We hope he
will be well in the next 24 hours and he can be ready to play against West
Ham."
Andy Carroll scored twice on his first start since November in a 2-1 win
over West Brom that lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone. And
despite the swift turnaround, he insists he is ready to spearhead the
Hammers' attack once again at Wembley. "It's been very frustrating, I've
been sitting on the bench and it's been tough," he said. "I don't want to be
an impact player coming off the bench. "When I was called upon for this game
I felt like I needed to show what I was about and try to push my way back
into the team from the start. For the lads who've been playing every game,
every two days, it's been tough for them, but I'm feeling good."
While Kane is expected to start from the off, Danny Rose is likely to be
missing again as Tottenham play their second game in 48 hours. Rose will be
assessed after damaging the knee which forced him to miss the start of the
season. Victor Wanyama could make his first start since August following a
knee problem.
West Ham have a host of injury worries for the trip to Wembley, with
defender Aaron Cresswell their latest concern. Cresswell had to go off
against West Brom with a back problem on Tuesday, while Michail Antonio
remains a doubt with a groin injury, Andre Ayew has been struggling with a
tight hamstring and Reece Oxford sprained an ankle in training. Diafra
Sakho, James Collins, Jose Fonte and Sam Byram are also among the absentees.
Opta stats
Tottenham won the reverse fixture 3-2 at the London Stadium, but haven't won
both league meetings with West Ham in a season since the 2012-13 campaign.
West Ham have only won one of their last 15 away league visits to Tottenham
(D5 L9), winning 3-0 in October 2013 under Sam Allardyce. However, the
Hammers beat Spurs 3-2 at Wembley in the EFL Cup this season, overturning a
0-2 half-time deficit to do so.
The last seven meetings between these sides in all competitions with Spurs
as the home side have produced 29 goals, at an average of 4.1 per game.
Spurs have lost three of their last five Premier League London derbies, as
many as they had lost in their previous 21 in the competition.
West Ham have played three competitive London derbies at Wembley Stadium,
winning them all - beating Fulham 2-0 in the 1975 FA Cup final, Arsenal 1-0
in the 1980 FA Cup final, and Spurs 3-2 in the EFL Cup this season.
Spurs have lost just once in their last 29 home Premier League games (W23 D5
L1), with that defeat coming in their first PL home match at Wembley versus
Chelsea in August. Indeed, they've won six and lost none of the nine since
that game.
West Ham have won four points from their last two Premier League away games,
more than they won in the previous nine combined (3).
After a run that saw him score 17 goals in 16 Premier League London derbies,
Harry Kane has scored just three in his last nine, failing to score on seven
occasions. However, the England hitman has scored seven in his last six
against West Ham in the league, including three braces in that time.
Merson's prediction
I know they both have games to play before this but I don't care if West Ham
win 27-0 on Tuesday, they are not beating Tottenham. Spurs are a really good
team and when they get all their players out they score goals and make lots
of chances. The only worry at the moment for me is Hugo Lloris, who is
making some mistakes. It's not like him and I think he is a good goalkeeper
but he has made some sloppy mistakes. I don't know if he is getting bored
because he is a top goalkeeper. But with Tottenham getting players back like
Davinson Sanchez and then Toby Alderweireld they won't concede too many
goals.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marko Arnautovic vows to silence the 'haters' and prove he was worth £27m
West Ham paid Stoke for the forward
Matt Law, football news correspondent
3 JANUARY 2018 • 10:30PM
Marko Arnautovic is determined to prove his "haters" wrong and stay out of
trouble after showing why West Ham United made him their £27 million record
signing.
Following a slow start to his West Ham career, which included a red card in
just his second appearance for the club, Arnautovic has come to life under
David Moyes. He had scored five goals in six games before the visit of West
Bromwich Albion to the London Stadium and set up Andy Carroll's late winner
against Alan Pardew's men on Tuesday night. The victory lifted West Ham out
of the Premier League relegation zone ahead of Thursday night's trip to
London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. "I am 28 and still not where I want to be,"
said Arnautovic. "I am trying hard to get there and I won't stop. I want to
show people – especially the haters – what I am capable of and bring this
club up with everything I have got."
Arnautovic believes he was unfairly singled out for criticism at times
during the start of the season, thanks in large part to the fee West Ham
paid to Stoke City for him. "I had a slow start at West Ham, that's right,"
said Auranutovic. "I came here and expectations were high because the fans
were not quite happy with it. But as football players we have to deal with
the pressure. "We played Manchester United away first game and they're
playing for the title. Then I got a red card. Then I came back and we were
playing against Tottenham. It was hard. Then we played Swansea and I was ill
"I was hot happy with myself, either. Everyone thinks that footballers go on
the pitch and they have so much money that they think about themselves. But
I am not like that. Money is not everything. "Of course, you try to achieve
some things to provide for you and your family, and your club can pay you
whatever they pay you. But, for me, it's important to be healthy, stay on
the pitch and give everything to make performances. This is priority number
one for me. "I hear people saying 'he came for £27m and he's done nothing
for us'. Well, people come to me and tell me, or I read some things but I am
not the type of guy who goes to check every column on Facebook or Instagram.
"Of course, if you score or assist and win the game you are the best player
in the world, but if you lose you are the worst player on the planet. The
fans pay to come to the stadium to see your performance and I want to show
the club that they didn't pay so much for me for nothing."
While Arnautovic wants to please the West Ham fans, he clearly has little
time for the opinions of pundits, former players and journalists. "People
who say I am up and down don't know anything about football," he said.
"People expect me to score and assist every time I play. But sometimes I
score and I go home and think I didn't play very well. But because I scored
they say 'wow he was amazing!' but I wasn't. "These people don't know what
tactics the coach has given you, what you have to do in the game, tracking
your runner, tracking defenders, going inside and trying to help the team.
"Sometimes you win 2-0 and don't score or make an assist, but you know you
played well because you did everything for the team. But the newspapers,
media and television only see when you score and say you're the best. "They
judge me on scoring and making assists, but it can't be in every game. Of
course, I want to score and help the team with my assists and everything but
sometimes it doesn't work. But I am still working hard for the team. "If you
have done this after 90 minutes, you can be proud. When I score and miss
five chances and lose 20 balls, then I can't be happy with my performance."
Arnautovic arrived in England in 2013 with a bad boy reputation, having
grown up around gang culture in Vienna and experienced problems at former
clubs Inter Milan and Werder Bremen. But he insists his wild days are behind
him and wants to stay away from controversy. "I would change many things
from when I was young, but I am also grateful and happy that I am here. I am
not finished," said Arnautovic. "Things outside football have stopped me and
I didn't concentrate or focus back then. "It was not easy for me. My parents
made it easy for me, but I always chose to be the other way. I wasn't a
gangster or anything, but out on the estate playing football in the streets,
not on the grass but on the asphalt. "When I was with my friends of course
there were fights. But I was always telling them – 'think about this. Don't
rob someone and go to jail when you are young, for nothing'. "I told them
'if you rob someone you might have money but you'll need to do it again
every three days. Whereas if you work you will have steady money every
month'. "I always wanted to be the centre of the group the man in the group,
deciding everything. I was this kind of guy in our group with my best
friend. We looked everyone in the eye. "Most of the time we played football,
let's not exaggerate. We played in the cage. We played on the streets, on
the grass. "If I had continued to be that person I was then I wouldn't be
here now. I was scared a career in football would never happen if I carried
on. I knew I had to go away and see some different things and calm down.
"The life of a footballer is not long, so I knew that I had to give
everything. Now, I train and go home and be with my family. "I now have two
daughters and one day they will read everything about their dad. I want them
only to read good things about me. No scandals or anything. "I want my kids
to be proud of their dad. They deserve a good life because they are my
everything. I've seen everything in my life and if I can't teach them,
nobody can teach them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
It's a quick return to action for West Ham United as David Moyes' side face
Tottenham Hotspur away.
Read on for all you need to know about this upcoming fixture against Spurs!
Where and when?
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will meet at Wembley Stadium on
Thursday 4 January 2018.
The contest is scheduled to kick-off at 8pm.
How to follow:
Thursday's match will be shown live on Sky Sports on the Main Event and
Premier League channels, with coverage beginning at 7.30pm.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter
account.
You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.
You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and
Snapchat channels.
Radio coverage will also be provided by BBC Radio 5 Live.
Team news:
With the game against Tottenham coming less than 48 hours after his side
played West Brom, David Moyes may be tempted to rotate the players in his
West Ham United side.
Captain Mark Noble made a successful return from injury from the bench
against the Baggies and is therefore likely to be in consideration for the
Spurs contest.
A check on Aaron Cresswell will be needed after the defender picked up a
knock versus West Brom, while Jose Fonte, Sam Byram and Edimilson Fernandes
are still out.
What they say:
"It's going to be a very difficult game, as we know what Spurs are capable
of doing and we know their qualities, so we need to stay strong. We also
have very good players in our own squad, and we are going there off the back
of a big win."
Andre Ayew
Match Officials:
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referees: Simon Long and Daniel Cook
Fourth Official: Roger East
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How to get there:
By Train
Wembley Stadium is services by three train & tube stations:
Wembley Park Station makes use of the Jubilee & Metropolitan Lines.
Wembley Stadium Station is used by Chiltern Railways.
Wembley Central Station is used by Bakerloo, London Overground, London
Midland and Southern lines.
Supporters should be aware that alcohol sales at Wembley Stadium will stop
ten minutes into the first half of the game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rice: Everyone's buzzing to get the win
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice says West Ham United need to use the momentum gained from
Tuesday's last-gasp victory over West Bromwich Albion to help propel them up
the Premier League table. Three points against the Baggies moved the Hammers
out of the relegation zone and within striking distance of 11th placed
Huddersfield Town. Now, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur following on
Thursday, 18-year-old Rice wants the Hammers to continue to look upwards as
they head into 2018. "Everyone was buzzing to get the 2-1 win on Tuesday,"
Rice said. "The place just erupted and I'm just so happy for the fans and so
happy for us. Let's keep moving up the table now. "At half time we knew we
had to come out in the second half and give the fans something to cheer. It
was a massive sigh of relief getting the second goal, but we've got
Tottenham on Thursday now so we have to stay focused. "Spurs are in a good
bit of form as well, but when we went there last time we were 2-0 down and
came back to win 3-2. We'll look back at that game again, get all the
confidence we can and go there for three points. It's hard obviously with
just one day of rest, but we're Premier League footballers so we have to
deal with that."
Rice again showed his versatility on Tuesday, playing a 14 minute cameo at
left-back after Aaron Cresswell picked up an injury and the Academy product
was thrilled to play his part. "I'll play wherever the manager wants me to
play," he added. "I went on a run and with the momentum of the crowd, once I
nicked the ball off Robson-Kanu I thought 'there's no point turning back, I
might as well get on my bike and show a bit of pace!' "We nearly scored from
it, but I was happy with myself when I came on and it's nice to get another
appearance – as a kid I never thought I would have made about 15 appearances
for West Ham [at this age]. Right back, left back, centre back, midfield,
I'm not bothered. I just want to play football."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com
West Ham fans have already had plenty of excitement over the festive period,
with Andy Carroll's late winner against West Brom the 14th goal scored
across their last three games. And, based on recent encounters, that
entertainment is likely to continue against Tottenham on Thursday night.
These sides, of course, have played each other twice already this season in
league and cup, with the away team winning five-goal thrillers on both
occasions. Given that the Hammers' last three visits to White Hart Lane
also finished 3-2, 4-1 and 2-2, another cracker looks likely at Wembley.
Particularly considering Spurs have scored 12 goals in their last three
games under the arch, while West Ham have scored at least two in each of
their last four league matches. With goals seemingly guaranteed, it makes
sense to back a bit of late drama as well. After all, West Ham's last seven
trips to Tottenham have seen them score six and concede five during the
final 15 minutes of matches, including a late turnaround in the League Cup
and that wonder goal by Ravel Morrison. And, this time around, it might just
be another midfield playmaker who provides a moment of magic. Manuel Lanzini
has scored three goals in five appearances against Tottenham, most memorably
the winner at the London Stadium towards the end of last season. The
Argentine has impressed under David Moyes so far, having provided five
assists and gone close with a number of attempts. Now back from suspension
and bound to be in the thick of the action, he's good value to find the net
against Spurs once again.
Recommended bets
Over 3.5 goals – 7/5
Goal scored between 75-90 mins – 17/20
Manuel Lanzini to score – 4/1
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: We must show same determination vs Spurs
WHUFC.com
David Moyes wants his West Ham United side to approach Thursday's contest
with Tottenham Hotspur with the same drive he saw from his team in the win
over West Brom. Two goals from Andy Carroll meant the Hammers claimed all
three points against the Baggies on Tuesday to get 2018 off to a winning
start, and puts the Irons in good stead ahead of a match with Spurs 48 hours
later. The Scotsman was delighted with the fightback his players completed
versus West Brom and is now calling for a similar attitude at Wembley
Stadium on Thursday. "Spurs have got a really good team," Moyes admitted.
"It will be hard work for us but we will go there with the same spirit, same
attitude and same determination we've had in all our games. You never know."
With three games in just six days it remains to be seen how Moyes will
alternate his side, with the manager confirming Reece Oxford – recently
returned from his loan with Borussia Monchengladbach – has sprained his
ankle and may not be available for the Tottenham match. When asked for an
update on his team Moyes said: "I'm hoping Cresswell's injury doesn't keep
him out because we're pretty short in both full-back areas. Until we have
got both Sam Byram and Jose Fonte back we're a bit short defensively. "Reece
Oxford kicked the ground in training and has sprained his ankle. He probably
might not be fit for Thursday, that's my first thought. "The biggest thing
is I don't have many changes and I don't have lots of players. I've got some
forward players I could change around but I don't have many players in other
positions. I'm not carrying any more players."
The Hammers claimed a famous 3-2 comeback victory over Tottenham the last
time the two sides met, in the Carabao Cup match at Wembley in October, and
head into this game on the back of a big win over West Brom. Moyes will be
hoping for another victory to push his Hammers further away from the
relegation zone but knows how tight the Premier League can be. He continued:
"You can see how the Premier League is going to go between now and the end
of the season. Games are going to be won and lost on really small margins.
"I think you can see there's a lot of tension at the bottom of the league
this season, because two defeats and you slide back in. Two wins and you
could be talking about trying to get into mid table."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
THU 04 JAN 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
20:00
Venue: Wembley Stadium
TEAM NEWS
Tottenham striker Harry Kane is expected to return to the starting line-up
in place of Fernando Llorente. Manager Mauricio Pochettino awaits news on
the fitness of Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose, while Toby Alderweireld remains
out until February.
West Ham boss David Moyes has a lengthy injury list to contend with and
could be without left-back Aaron Cresswell. Andre Ayew has been troubled by
a hamstring injury and Michail Antonio is again expected to miss out.
RADIO 5 LIVE COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Alistair Bruce-Ball: "It's a second Premier League game in three days for
both clubs, but at least this time both of them have had the same amount of
rest, or lack of it! "David Moyes admitted after the dramatic late victory
against West Brom on Tuesday that that was the game they really had to win
this week so I imagine they'll come to Wembley with a bit more freedom
particularly having already won there in the League Cup in October. "That
was a remarkable turnaround that night because they were 2-0 down at
half-time having been played off the park. "Tottenham need to win to stay in
touch with the top four and they'll have a chance to strike at their
Champions League rivals at the end of the month when they start a run of
three consecutive games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal."
Twitter: @alibruceball
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino on the win over Swansea: "The
conditions were difficult and for the players, horrible. We tried to play
our football and the effort was fantastic. "We played well and deserved the
victory overall. I'm pleased because the victory and three points was so
important for us. "Now we need to recover quickly and be ready to play
against West Ham (on Thursday night)."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
The Hammers have won only once in 15 Premier League games at Tottenham (D5,
L9).
Spurs have not won both league meetings with West Ham in a season since
2012-13.
Mauricio Pochettino has never lost to David Moyes in a Premier League match
(W1, D3). There have only been three goals in their four meetings.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have lost just once in 29 home league matches.
They have won 19 points out of a possible 21 from their last seven league
games at Wembley.
Tottenham have lost three of their last five London derbies in the league,
as many as they had in their previous 21.
Harry Kane has scored just three goals in his last nine London derbies,
after a run of 17 goals in 16 derby games. However, he has scored seven in
his last six games against West Ham.
West Ham United
West Ham have won 12 points from 10 league games under David Moyes, having
won nine from their first 11 games this season under Slaven Bilic.
The Hammers' last defeat at Wembley was a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the 1980
Charity Shield .
They have never lost a competitive London derby at Wembley, winning all
three - a 2-0 win over Fulham in the 1975 FA Cup final; a 1-0 win against
Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup final; and the 3-2 win over Spurs in the League
Cup this season.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 2-0 Probability of draw: 17%
Probability of home win: 74% Probability of away win: 9%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of
football matches.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NOBLE WON IT !!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:27PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
Ten seconds away from a slow and painful descend into The Championship,
where we could have joined once great Clubs like Leeds, Nottingham Forest
and Sheffield Wednesday in spending years in the lower reaches of English
Football. If we had lost or even drew, morale and belief in the manager
would have ebbed away, and it would have been goodnight Vienna. But for once
it was a case of fortune's siding and not hiding. There was palpable relief
all around The London Stadium, when the much-maligned Andy Carroll, smashed
in a low cross from the right-hand side of the penalty area. Cue mass
celebrations and rightly so!
Before the game Alan Pardew, made much of the fact that Albion had to play
two days in forty-eight hours, while West Ham had a week off. "Tough Alan!
You have not had to put up with crooked referees"! West Brom started the
game well, were well organized and frustrated The Hammers. Salomon Rondon
almost punished West Ham when he spun away from Ogbonna, Reid hesitated, and
the ball landed on the roof of the net. A lucky escape! As the game
approached the half hour mark the deadlock was broken. James Mclean, whose
last goal was against us some 16 months ago, cut in from the left and past
Winston Reid as though he wasn't even there, hit a shot in hope more than
anything, took a wicked deflection off Obiang's heel and it was 1-0 to the
Albion. When The Hammers did threaten, they found goalkeeper Ben Foster more
than equal, as Manuel Lanzini found out just before half time.
It was the same old problem! The midfield! No pace, creativity or movement!
Created virtually nothing for the strikers, and no protection for the
defense. WBA cutting through our defense at will, dragging them all over the
place. Obiang and Kouyate were bloody terrible, if I didn't know better I
would have thought they were part of a corrupt betting syndicate. We have
got to bring in a defensive midfielder as quick as possible no if's or
but's. The last goal showed exactly what we need, the ball was carried
forward with pace, the opposition retreated, space opened, and Albion were
punished. It was clear that something had to be done but I couldn't see
anyone who could come in and change things in the middle of the park.
The savior was someone most unlikely in my eyes and a few others. I'm still
not a fan of Mark Noble it would be deeply hypocritical to say so. I still
don't think he is good enough. I don't do sentimental choices "He is West
Ham "or "One of us. Yes, it was against a poor West Brom side! But Mark
Noble was absolutely immense. He brought a calmness and reassurance to the
team, two qualities you can't buy. The team grew in confidence as soon as he
appeared on the pitch. He set up chances, switched play, cajoled the team
on. Mark James Noble won it! No doubt about that. The equalizer came when
Aaron Cresswell swung over a perfect cross for Andy Carroll to attack. Up
against Johnny Evans, there was only going to be one winner. The giant
Geordie towered above Evans, to power a header into the back of the net.
Then came that goal which resulted in a 2-1 win for The Hammers. In years to
come we may well look back at the goal, and acknowledge that the goal saved
our season, but also made sure that we still have a bright future, which we
do have. Things are far from perfect, but a lot of others are in a far worse
state than we are.
You have Everton who are owned by Mr. Moshini who The Club owe 180M to.
Brighton owe their owner 214M, Swansea have been taken over by American's
who have not got a pot to piss in. Their Chairman Huw Jenkins, who used to
own The Club desperately wants out. "I bet he does! He knows The Swans are
Pompey No 2 in waiting". What about Southampton? Who have sold 160M worth of
talent to Liverpool but have taken out loans to buy players. With Sky and BT
showing each other's games, do you think The Premier League will get the
same amount of dough for the next TV deal? Of course not! Who is going to
pay for the unsustainable wages? The golden age of football is coming to an
end. West Ham? Better days and a bright future lay ahead. Granted it will
take time, so what! As long as we get there!
We are more than a football club, we're a way of life!
Farehamhammer!!!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Albion make Livermore statement
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Bromwich Albion have released a statement regarding the incident
involving Jake Livermore that occurred during last night's match at he
Olympic Stadium.
Contrary to reports from other witnesses, the Midlands-based club claim that
the 28-year-midfielder reacted after a spectator made a reference to his
deceased child. "Following his substitution in the second half, Jake was
subjected to general abuse from home supporters which he shrugged off," read
the statement. "However, he acknowledges that he moved to confront one
spectator who chose to make a comment about the death of his infant son.
"The club would like to think that all right-minded football supporters
could understand this reaction which did not result in any physical
exchanges before Jake was led away to our dressing room. "Jake is an
outstanding young individual who has the total support of everyone at the
club and he has made it clear he considers this statement to be an end to an
unhappy incident."
West Ham have since studied video footage of the incident and have reported
their findings to the FA. Albion were very appreciative of the swift
response by the officials of West Ham in dealing with this matter and are
more than happy to leave any further action they deem appropriate in their
hands," added West Brom's statement. "The club has responded to an FA
request to offer our observations of the incident and will not be making any
further comment." Albion, who were beaten 2-1 last night are now firmly
entrenched in the relegation zone and four points adrift of safety as a
result.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA ask for Livermore explanation
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd January 2018
By: Staff Writer
The FA have asked West Bromwich Albion midfielder to explain why he jumped
into the crowd to confront spectators during last night's Premier League
match against West Ham. Livermore, 28, was captured on camera leaping over
advertising boards in order to confront a fan, or fans, that he believed had
made derogatory statements.
However according to supporters situated in that particular area of the
ground, the former Tottenham player misheard or misinterpreted a comment
relating to his previous employers. Livermore, who lost his baby son three
years ago believed that the fan in question was referring to the tragic loss
- and reacted accordingly. However that wasn't the case according to an
East Stand season ticket holder, who told KUMB: "The incident happened right
next to me. "Someone shouted something about drugs and Livermore being 'a
y*d' - he must have though the guy said something about his kid. It never
happened though, and the next thing Livermore was in the crowd."
Livermore escaped an FA ban despite testing positive for cocaine shortly
after the loss of his child in 2014. He also suffered successive bouts of
depression at the time.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll should, if fit, be in England World Cup squad, says Danny Mills
Last Updated: 03/01/18 1:56pm
SSN
Gareth Southgate must consider taking Andy Carroll to the World Cup if the
West Ham striker can stay injury-free, according to former England
international Danny Mills. Carroll scored both of West Ham's goals as David
Moyes' side came from behind to beat West Brom 2-1 at the London Stadium,
lifting the Hammers out of the relegation zone. The 6ft 3in frontman, who
had not scored since April 1 prior to Tuesday night, won the last of his
nine England caps to date under former Three Lions manager Roy Hodgson in
2012. But Mills believes Carroll's aerial prowess could be an invaluable
option for England at Russia 2018. "I certainly think he would be a Plan B
or a Plan C, whichever way you want to look at it," Mills told Premier
League Daily on Sky Sports News. "I mean aerially he is fantastic. He is
still, without a doubt, one of the best headers of the ball in the Premier
League. "If he's fit he's got to be worth taking to the World Cup. "I think
there is certainly room for him in the 23 - I think it's his fitness [that
is the only issue]. "You need to take players who are on form, or fit, or
offer something different. Certainly, he offers something different and if
you need to nick a goal, if you need a set piece or need to put a ball into
the box aerially, there aren't too many better headers of the ball in Europe
than Andy Carroll."
West Ham's upturn in form has seen them win three of their last six matches,
and Mills is confident the 16th-placed Hammers will still be playing Premier
League football next season. "I don't think West Ham have any issues about
survival now," Mills said. "I think the bottom of the table is so congested.
With a win and a draw you can almost leap up six places - that's how tight
it is. I think West Ham have enough quality to get themselves out of it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham identify fan following Jake Livermore incident
Last Updated: 03/01/18 5:35pm
SSN
West Ham have identified the supporter who was confronted by West Brom
midfielder Jake Livermore during Tuesday's Premier League match. The England
international was involved in an angry confrontation with a West Ham fan
after being substituted in the 64th minute of the 2-1 defeat and was then
escorted down the tunnel. The fan is alleged to have shouted to Livermore,
and an investigation is under way to establish whether he directed abuse
about Livermore's baby son, who died in 2014.
West Ham, who ejected the fan, have said they are looking into the
allegations and will work with West Brom if any further action is required.
West Brom have since sent their observations of the incident to the Football
Association. Livermore was also targeted with taunts about his use of
cocaine during the match last night at the London Stadium. The player tested
positive for the drug in the months after his son's death. The Metropolitan
Police have said they are continuing their own enquiries, despite receiving
no formal complaint, and are speaking to both clubs. In a statement, West
Brom said: "West Bromwich Albion would like to clarify an incident involving
our player Jake Livermore in last night's Premier League game at West Ham.
"Following his substitution in the second half, Jake was subjected to
general abuse from home supporters which he shrugged off. However, he
acknowledges that he moved to confront one spectator who chose to make a
comment about the death of his infant son. "The club would like to think
that all right-minded football supporters could understand this reaction
which did not result in any physical exchanges before Jake was led away to
our dressing room. "Jake is an outstanding young individual who has the
total support of everyone at the club and he has made it clear he considers
this statement to be an end to an unhappy incident. "Albion were very
appreciative of the swift response by the officials of West Ham in dealing
with this matter and are more than happy to leave any further action they
deem appropriate in their hands. "The club has responded to an FA request to
offer our observations of the incident and will not be making any further
comment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United preview: Harry Kane to return to
starting XI
Last Updated: 03/01/18 7:49pm
SSN
Harry Kane is set to return to the starting line-up when Tottenham take on
London rivals West Ham in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Thursday. Kane
started on the bench in the 2-0 win over Swansea on Tuesday following
illness but still proved influential in his 22 minutes on the pitch, teeing
up Dele Alli for a late goal that sealed victory in south Wales. "I think it
was a good training session for him to prepare for the next game," Spurs
boss Mauricio Pochettino said of the striker after the victory. "We hope he
will be well in the next 24 hours and he can be ready to play against West
Ham."
Andy Carroll scored twice on his first start since November in a 2-1 win
over West Brom that lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone. And
despite the swift turnaround, he insists he is ready to spearhead the
Hammers' attack once again at Wembley. "It's been very frustrating, I've
been sitting on the bench and it's been tough," he said. "I don't want to be
an impact player coming off the bench. "When I was called upon for this game
I felt like I needed to show what I was about and try to push my way back
into the team from the start. For the lads who've been playing every game,
every two days, it's been tough for them, but I'm feeling good."
While Kane is expected to start from the off, Danny Rose is likely to be
missing again as Tottenham play their second game in 48 hours. Rose will be
assessed after damaging the knee which forced him to miss the start of the
season. Victor Wanyama could make his first start since August following a
knee problem.
West Ham have a host of injury worries for the trip to Wembley, with
defender Aaron Cresswell their latest concern. Cresswell had to go off
against West Brom with a back problem on Tuesday, while Michail Antonio
remains a doubt with a groin injury, Andre Ayew has been struggling with a
tight hamstring and Reece Oxford sprained an ankle in training. Diafra
Sakho, James Collins, Jose Fonte and Sam Byram are also among the absentees.
Opta stats
Tottenham won the reverse fixture 3-2 at the London Stadium, but haven't won
both league meetings with West Ham in a season since the 2012-13 campaign.
West Ham have only won one of their last 15 away league visits to Tottenham
(D5 L9), winning 3-0 in October 2013 under Sam Allardyce. However, the
Hammers beat Spurs 3-2 at Wembley in the EFL Cup this season, overturning a
0-2 half-time deficit to do so.
The last seven meetings between these sides in all competitions with Spurs
as the home side have produced 29 goals, at an average of 4.1 per game.
Spurs have lost three of their last five Premier League London derbies, as
many as they had lost in their previous 21 in the competition.
West Ham have played three competitive London derbies at Wembley Stadium,
winning them all - beating Fulham 2-0 in the 1975 FA Cup final, Arsenal 1-0
in the 1980 FA Cup final, and Spurs 3-2 in the EFL Cup this season.
Spurs have lost just once in their last 29 home Premier League games (W23 D5
L1), with that defeat coming in their first PL home match at Wembley versus
Chelsea in August. Indeed, they've won six and lost none of the nine since
that game.
West Ham have won four points from their last two Premier League away games,
more than they won in the previous nine combined (3).
After a run that saw him score 17 goals in 16 Premier League London derbies,
Harry Kane has scored just three in his last nine, failing to score on seven
occasions. However, the England hitman has scored seven in his last six
against West Ham in the league, including three braces in that time.
Merson's prediction
I know they both have games to play before this but I don't care if West Ham
win 27-0 on Tuesday, they are not beating Tottenham. Spurs are a really good
team and when they get all their players out they score goals and make lots
of chances. The only worry at the moment for me is Hugo Lloris, who is
making some mistakes. It's not like him and I think he is a good goalkeeper
but he has made some sloppy mistakes. I don't know if he is getting bored
because he is a top goalkeeper. But with Tottenham getting players back like
Davinson Sanchez and then Toby Alderweireld they won't concede too many
goals.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marko Arnautovic vows to silence the 'haters' and prove he was worth £27m
West Ham paid Stoke for the forward
Matt Law, football news correspondent
3 JANUARY 2018 • 10:30PM
Marko Arnautovic is determined to prove his "haters" wrong and stay out of
trouble after showing why West Ham United made him their £27 million record
signing.
Following a slow start to his West Ham career, which included a red card in
just his second appearance for the club, Arnautovic has come to life under
David Moyes. He had scored five goals in six games before the visit of West
Bromwich Albion to the London Stadium and set up Andy Carroll's late winner
against Alan Pardew's men on Tuesday night. The victory lifted West Ham out
of the Premier League relegation zone ahead of Thursday night's trip to
London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. "I am 28 and still not where I want to be,"
said Arnautovic. "I am trying hard to get there and I won't stop. I want to
show people – especially the haters – what I am capable of and bring this
club up with everything I have got."
Arnautovic believes he was unfairly singled out for criticism at times
during the start of the season, thanks in large part to the fee West Ham
paid to Stoke City for him. "I had a slow start at West Ham, that's right,"
said Auranutovic. "I came here and expectations were high because the fans
were not quite happy with it. But as football players we have to deal with
the pressure. "We played Manchester United away first game and they're
playing for the title. Then I got a red card. Then I came back and we were
playing against Tottenham. It was hard. Then we played Swansea and I was ill
"I was hot happy with myself, either. Everyone thinks that footballers go on
the pitch and they have so much money that they think about themselves. But
I am not like that. Money is not everything. "Of course, you try to achieve
some things to provide for you and your family, and your club can pay you
whatever they pay you. But, for me, it's important to be healthy, stay on
the pitch and give everything to make performances. This is priority number
one for me. "I hear people saying 'he came for £27m and he's done nothing
for us'. Well, people come to me and tell me, or I read some things but I am
not the type of guy who goes to check every column on Facebook or Instagram.
"Of course, if you score or assist and win the game you are the best player
in the world, but if you lose you are the worst player on the planet. The
fans pay to come to the stadium to see your performance and I want to show
the club that they didn't pay so much for me for nothing."
While Arnautovic wants to please the West Ham fans, he clearly has little
time for the opinions of pundits, former players and journalists. "People
who say I am up and down don't know anything about football," he said.
"People expect me to score and assist every time I play. But sometimes I
score and I go home and think I didn't play very well. But because I scored
they say 'wow he was amazing!' but I wasn't. "These people don't know what
tactics the coach has given you, what you have to do in the game, tracking
your runner, tracking defenders, going inside and trying to help the team.
"Sometimes you win 2-0 and don't score or make an assist, but you know you
played well because you did everything for the team. But the newspapers,
media and television only see when you score and say you're the best. "They
judge me on scoring and making assists, but it can't be in every game. Of
course, I want to score and help the team with my assists and everything but
sometimes it doesn't work. But I am still working hard for the team. "If you
have done this after 90 minutes, you can be proud. When I score and miss
five chances and lose 20 balls, then I can't be happy with my performance."
Arnautovic arrived in England in 2013 with a bad boy reputation, having
grown up around gang culture in Vienna and experienced problems at former
clubs Inter Milan and Werder Bremen. But he insists his wild days are behind
him and wants to stay away from controversy. "I would change many things
from when I was young, but I am also grateful and happy that I am here. I am
not finished," said Arnautovic. "Things outside football have stopped me and
I didn't concentrate or focus back then. "It was not easy for me. My parents
made it easy for me, but I always chose to be the other way. I wasn't a
gangster or anything, but out on the estate playing football in the streets,
not on the grass but on the asphalt. "When I was with my friends of course
there were fights. But I was always telling them – 'think about this. Don't
rob someone and go to jail when you are young, for nothing'. "I told them
'if you rob someone you might have money but you'll need to do it again
every three days. Whereas if you work you will have steady money every
month'. "I always wanted to be the centre of the group the man in the group,
deciding everything. I was this kind of guy in our group with my best
friend. We looked everyone in the eye. "Most of the time we played football,
let's not exaggerate. We played in the cage. We played on the streets, on
the grass. "If I had continued to be that person I was then I wouldn't be
here now. I was scared a career in football would never happen if I carried
on. I knew I had to go away and see some different things and calm down.
"The life of a footballer is not long, so I knew that I had to give
everything. Now, I train and go home and be with my family. "I now have two
daughters and one day they will read everything about their dad. I want them
only to read good things about me. No scandals or anything. "I want my kids
to be proud of their dad. They deserve a good life because they are my
everything. I've seen everything in my life and if I can't teach them,
nobody can teach them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 3
Daily WHUFC News - 3rd January 2018
Carroll double sees off Baggies
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll's first two goals of the season saw West Ham United come from
behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in dramatic fashion. A 30th minute
deflected strike by James McClean gave West Brom and former Hammers manager
Alan Pardew the lead at half-time, but Carroll's well-placed header levelled
the match around the hour mark. Both sides had opportunities to add to their
respective goal tallies. Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic came close for
the Irons while Salomon Rondson wasn't far off a chipped effort. But the
scoreline remained 1-1 until the dying moments of the game when Carroll
swept home his second from a narrow angle. The first real chance of the game
fell to the away side as Rondon got between the West Ham defenders and
attempted a lob, which just sailed over Adrian's crossbar. An excellent
opportunity fell to Lanzini midway through the first period when a contested
aerial ball fell kindly for the Argentinian. The No10's half-volleyed effort
was well-struck, but straight at Ben Foster, who palmed away. Carroll, back
in the starting XI, saw a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area
narrowly go over while McClean tested Adrian with a swerving strike. The
Baggies took the lead on half an hour as McClean got the better of Adrian,
as his effort from around 20 yards took a massive deflection off of Angelo
Ogbonna and found the net. Lanzini came very close to levelling the match
seven minutes before half-time when he brought down a Cheikhou Kouyate cross
with a sensational touch, but his curling shot was expertly saved by Foster,
as the Baggies entered half-time 1-0 up.
Captain Mark Noble was brought on at half-time as David Moyes look to
introduce some urgency to his side's performance, and there was almost a
leveller a minute into the second period. Marko Arnautovic found Carroll in
the box but the No9's shot was over the woodwork. On 59 minutes Carroll had
his goa!. The striker rose perfectly between the West Brom centre-backs to
head home a pinpoint Aaron Cresswell cross, giving the 28-year-old his first
finish since April.
Less than ten minutes later Arnautovic came close to yet another goal, with
the Austrian linking well with Lanzini and getting into a promising
position. His subtle dink was kept out by Foster's feet. There were hearts
in mouths at London Stadium as it looked like West Brom substitute Oliver
Burke was going to race through into a one-on-one situation, but some
excellent running by Ogbonna saw the Italian make a vital block, keeping the
score level. And, with the final moments ticking away and the chances of a
victory seemingly gone, Lanzini made a final burst forward and played the
ball to Arnautovic. The No7's ball found Carroll, who calmly converted his
second and the winning effort.
West Ham United: Adrian; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Rice 76'),
Masuaku (Chicharito 73'); Obiang (Noble 46'), Kouyate; Lanzini, Arnautovic,
Carroll
Subs not used: Hart, Quina, Haksabanovic, Ayew
Goals: Carroll 59' 90+4'
West Brom: Foster; Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs; Livermore (Robson-Kanu
64'), Yacob (Barry 83'), Krychowiak, McClean; Rodriguez (Burke 71'), Rondon
Subs not used: Myhill, McAuley, Brunt, Field
Goals: McClean 30'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: We kept at it and got the reward
WHUFC.com
David Moyes claimed West Ham United got their reward for keeping at it in a
2-1 victory against West Bromwich Albion at London Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Hammers had Andy Carroll to thank after the big forward – restored to
the starting XI for the clash – grabbed his second of the game four minutes
into injury time to give the hosts all three points. And after frustrating
results against Newcastle United and Bournemouth in recent games in the
Premier League, the boss believed it was just for his side to finally pick
up maximum points. He said: "It was a vital three points for us. The win is
so important and it could have gone either way on the night. "We've been
unlucky against Newcastle and then we felt we should have won the game
against Bournemouth, so we've won the game tonight and that was maybe just
for us. "We have kept at it tonight and we've got a better reward for it.
For long periods, we needed to do more – especially at the back – but in the
end we got that reward."
It looked as though it was not going to be the east Londoners' night in
their first fixture of 2018 when the Baggies took the lead through James
McClean's deflected strike. And having gone into the break 1-0 down before
Carroll lifted the roof off London Stadium, Moyes admitted his side were not
good enough in the first period. "First half, I didn't think we played
well," he explained. "I think the system we played didn't work at all where
before it has been good for us. "We got 15 yards further up the pitch in the
second half but we weren't at the races in the first half. "Mark [Noble]
came on and gave us a bit more experience in the second half. We were a bit
worried because he's only just come back from a hamstring injury and you can
see the amount of injuries teams are picking up. "But we stepped it up and
although we still needed to do more at the back, it was great to get the
win."
Having been selected to play from the start for the first time since the
back end of November against Leicester City, the Big Man repaid the
manager's faith with his first two goals of the season and Moyes was
delighted with the 28-year-old. "I think the first goal, there are not many
centre-halves who could deal with Andy's leap and jump and the ball in was
terrific. You have to give Andy great credit for the finish on the second
one. "The reason he's not been playing has been because the boys who have
been playing there have been doing well. "Michy Antonio has been, Marko
[Arnautovic] has been scoring goals and it's been the other end we've had to
do better. "Tonight we have got the result and we have got to move on and
look ahead to our next games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll: The fans deserved it and the lads did too
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll said his two-goal show against West Bromwich Albion was the
reward for West Ham United fans and players alike. The centre forward was
the hero as the Hammers roared back from a goal down to snatch a 2-1 victory
with virtually the last kick of the game. And Carroll said his ability to
keep going for the whole 90 minutes, plus added time, on his first Premier
League start since 24 November, was the result of putting in the hard yards
at Rush Green. "It was good. It was nice to get a start and get some goals
and the three points," the No9 told West Ham TV. "It was a fantastic night
and I think the fans deserved it and the lads did too. "It's tough when
you're only training and not getting the match-time that you want. You've
got to keep training and keep match-fit. "It's tough just training and
coming on for ten or 15 minutes, it's really tough, but you've got to keep
working hard and doing the extras in training to keep yourself fit for
nights like this when you're called upon."
Carroll was also full of praise for his teammates, including Mark Noble, who
came off the bench to produce a fine second-half performance, and Aaron
Cresswell, whose left-wing cross provided the assist for his thumping headed
equaliser. "It's massive to come from behind and win. We've got a great
group of lads in the dressing room and they love coming in every day and
enjoying it. That's the group that we've got. "The game changed after
half-time. Nobes came on and he kept the ball for us and distributed it
well. He had a good game. "It was an all right ball in from Cress, but I
made it look better! I told him just to put it in and I'd get it. He's put a
great ball in and I've managed to get above the defender and any touch on it
and would go in the back of the net. It was a great ball."
The Hammers will enjoy a recovery session at Rush Green on Wednesday before
resting up ahead of Thursday night's trip to Wembley Stadium to face
Tottenham Hotspur. A second victory in the space of 48 hours will see West
Ham rise to eleventh in the table, and Carroll says a similarly hard-working
display at the Home of Football can turn that hope into reality. "We've been
working hard. It's been tough for the lads who've been playing every game,
but we just dug in. "We went 1-0 down and it was difficult to take off the
deflection, so we knew we had to come out in the second half and prove to
ourselves that we were better than that. We grinded and got the ball in the
box and had a couple of chances and thankfully we took them. "All the lads
want to go into the game against Spurs on the back of a win. We've got a bit
of recovery time now. The games come thick and fast so we'll recover and go
again."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I've always said Carroll is better with his right foot! - Noble
WHUFC.com
Captain Mark Noble has joked that he's always known Andy Carroll is a better
finisher with his right foot, after the striker scored the winning goal with
his supposedly weaker side against West Brom. The Baggies – managed by
former Hammers boss Alan Pardew – had taken the lead in the first match of
2018 at London Stadium after James McClean's deflected strike found the back
of the net, but two second half efforts from Carroll gave the Irons the
victory. The first was a trademark Carroll header, with the forward rising
between the West Brom defenders to nod home his first goal of the season on
the hour mark, while his second came in the last minute of the game, as the
28-year-old swept home from a narrow angle with his right boot. And Noble
believes the stoppage time winner proves his belief that Carroll is, in
fact, better with his right foot than his left. "I've always said his
[Carroll's] right foot is better than his left foot!" A beaming Noble
laughed after the match. "I think he's proved it there with that finish!"
The skipper continued: "I truly believed that if we got a goal then it would
be tough for West Brom to hold out. West Brom haven't won in a long time,
although to be honest, when Marko Arnautovic flashed our last counter-attack
across the goal I thought the game was over." Carroll joined Noble for the
post-match interview and admitted he was relieved to find the net, after a
late run into the box saw him in the right place to win the match. Carroll
admitted: "It was tight at the end but if I didn't get in the box I would
have got some stick so I had to keep up with play! "It's been a while. I
haven't started the last couple of games so it's good to get on the pitch
again and get the goals. I'm relieved." The striker added: "It was a tough
game. We are disappointed with the goal we gave away and then obviously we
had to keep battling on, to keep pushing them, which we did. "We came out
second half and got the goals. It's nice to get the points at home. The fans
deserve that and we gave them a good game."
Noble was full of praise for his teammate and friend, hailing Carroll's work
ethic and determination up front for the Irons. The midfielder said: "I sit
next to him every day in the changing room and I know that scoring goals
means a lot to him, as it does to every striker. He's dug in and deserved
that today."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
By Michael Emons
BBC Sport
West Ham boss David Moyes said he had sympathy for West Brom counterpart
Alan Pardew over the scheduling of matches after the Hammers came from
behind to snatch a dramatic victory over the Baggies. Playing for the second
time in three days, Albion went ahead through James McClean's deflected
strike, but Andy Carroll scored twice, including a 94th-minute winner, to
take West Ham out of the Premier League relegation zone. The Baggies had
asked the Premier League to postpone Tuesday's match, which came only two
days after they played Arsenal. West Ham had been inactive since 26
December. "If I was Alan Pardew I would be completely disappointed with the
way the Premier League has set it up for them," said Moyes. "You would not
have thought they were the team that played two days ago."
West Brom have not won any of their eight games since Pardew was appointed
at the end of November, and he felt his team were physically and mentally
tired at London Stadium. "We had players hanging at the end. They had more
energy than us and it showed," said Pardew, who had a three-year spell in
charge of the Hammers between 2003 and 2006. "Our effort with only a two-day
turnaround was amazing. I thought we were tired in mind, which is what you
would expect."
Baggies midfielder Jake Livermore was involved in a heated exchange with
some home fans when he was substituted in the second half - and West Ham
said they would look into the incident. Defeat stretches West Brom's
winless run to 21 games in all competitions - their last victory a 3-1
defeat of League Two Accrington in the second round of the Carabao Cup on 22
August. Prior to that, the Baggies had started the season with back-to-back
league victories - and they looked on course for a rare success here when
McClean's effort deflected off Angelo Ogbonna and looped over Adrian to put
West Brom ahead.
Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster helped his side maintain their lead as he
saved well from Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic, but he could not do
anything about Carroll's powerful headed equaliser, the striker converting
Aaron Cresswell's fine left-wing cross. The visitors had chances of their
own to retake the lead as substitute Oliver Burke twice wasted
opportunities. And, with the clock ticking down, Burke gave the ball away
with a poor cross, from which West Ham countered. Lanzini played it to
Arnautovic and his low cross found Carroll, who converted from a tight angle
to give the Hammers the three points and take them above Stoke and
Southampton into 16th.
Man of the match - Andy Carroll (West Ham)
Andy Carroll has played nine times for England, with his last international
appearance coming in 2012
West Brom are now winless in 20 Premier League games. Only three clubs have
had a longer winless run in the competition (Derby 32, Sunderland 26 and
Norwich 21).
Carroll now has eight goals in his past eight Premier League starts in the
month of January.
Only Joey Barton (five) has assisted more Premier League goals for Carroll
than Cresswell (four).
McClean has scored three goals against West Ham in the Premier League (seven
appearances). He has not scored more than one against any other side in the
competition.
McClean's opener for West Brom was his first Premier League goal in 472 days
- that goal also came against the Hammers.
Arnautovic has now been directly involved in six goals in his past six
league games (five goals, one assist). He had been involved in none in his
previous 11 before this run.
'We got the reward for keeping at it' - what they said
West Ham manager David Moyes said: "It was so important as it could have
gone either way. The first half was not good, but the second half was much
more like it. We got the reward for keeping at it. "Our hopes are not to be
in the relegation positions, but we are in there. I am told it is the first
time the club has come from behind since we moved to the stadium." On
Carroll, Moyes added: "I don't think any centre-half would be able to deal
with his jump and header. "The second goal was good play on the break and
the ball was played across goal and Andy scores from a tight angle. If he
hadn't scored, I would have said he still played well."
Tired minds cost Baggies a point - Pardew
West Brom boss Alan Pardew said: "It was heartbreaking for the players. It
is such a disappointment to concede a goal like that. "We were better in the
first half, but we conceded too much possession in the second half and the
[two-day] turnaround has done for us. "We were unfortunate to lose Matty
Phillips in the warm-up [with a hamstring injury]. I tried to freshen things
up, but it was difficult and they had more energy than us."
What's next?
This was the first of three games in six days for West Ham. The Hammers play
at Wembley against Tottenham in the Premier League on Thursday, 4 January
(20:00 GMT) before another away match, at League One side Shrewsbury Town,
in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. That tie will be broadcast live on BBC
One with the programme starting at 13:40 GMT and kick-off at 14:00 GMT.
After two games in three days for West Brom, Pardew's side do not play again
until Saturday, with an away tie at League Two Exeter City in the third
round of the FA Cup (15:00 GMT).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jake Livermore: West Ham to investigate West Brom midfielder's altercation
with fans
BBC.co.uk
West Ham will look into the events that led to West Brom midfielder Jake
Livermore's confrontation with home fans at London Stadium on Tuesday.
Livermore was substituted in the second-half of his side's 2-1 defeat. The
England international then got involved in a heated exchange with some West
Ham supporters and needed escorting down the tunnel. West Brom manager Alan
Pardew said he did not know what prompted Livermore to react as he did.
"Obviously you don't want to see a player in the crowd," said the Baggies
boss. "There's no way he's going in the crowd - because I know him, he's a
great lad - unless he was provoked severely. That's all I know. "I haven't
had a chance to talk to Jake. I'll speak to Jake and we'll go from there."
West Ham manager David Moyes said he did not see the incident, but added: "I
didn't know about it, but I've been told something happened."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham have three bids rejected as they look to bolster squad
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
West Ham have already had three bids turned down as they attempt to bolster
manager David Moyes' squad during the January transfer window. The Hammers
have had mixed results since Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic on 7 November. They
beat Chelsea and drew with Arsenal, but have lost four times, including at
home to fellow strugglers Newcastle. One player set to leave this month is
striker Diafra Sakho. The 28-year-old was close to joining French club
Rennes in the summer and, while he is still highly regarded by some at West
Ham, it has been decided he will be allowed to leave if the club receive an
acceptable offer. The Hammers have dropped into the Premier League
relegation zone before Tuesday's game against second-bottom West Brom at the
London Stadium. Moyes has identified the areas he wishes to strengthen but,
as yet, the club have been unable to do deals in what has been described as
a "difficult market". Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, Newcastle midfielder
Jonjo Shelvey and Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter are the latest players
to be linked, with Moyes known to be keen to bring in more players with
Premier League experience.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 2-1 WEST BROM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 2 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican
West Ham won today in their first Premier League match of 2018 to West
Bromwich, as the Baggies were unable to take advantage of continuing lapses
in defending on a rainy night in the London Stadium. But West Ham did have
to come back from an early deficit and needed some stoppage time theatrics
to bring a much needed win to the London Stadium supporters who braved the
cold weather.
Early on in the opening half, West Ham really created some opportunities.
The home club had the edge in possession and shots during the first half;
however, it was some poor defending by West Ham's central defenders that
really put their side in early trouble.
In the 30th minute James McClean took the ball the length of the pitch and
then struck his deflected shot looping over Adrian's reach, to give the
Baggies the early lead.
Both Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautouvic had chances, and Andy Carroll was
largely ineffective in the opening half. Adrian did have some well-played
saves, but the half ended 0-1.
During the break David Moyes brought on Mark Noble to replace Pedro Obiang
in midfield, perhaps hoping the captain could better organize a very
disjointed-looking side.
In the second half, finally West Ham were able to muster a goal. Aaron
Cresswell, after some misses, finally had a great cross to Andy Carroll who
headed it home. To everyone's relief, including Carroll, West Ham was now
even.
Over the next 30 minutes both teams had their chances. For West Brom, Ben
Foster played very well, probably denying Lanzini on two sure goals, just by
playing tough and showing smart positioning after Lanzini found open shots.
By the late minutes of the match, it just seemed that the fans and the
players were going to will the home club to all three points. And finally
late in stoppage time Arnautovic led a counter and crossed to Hernandez.
Arnie's cross was off target and went behind Chicharito but charging down
the right channel of the penalty box was Andy Carroll, whose short strike
went past Ben Foster and gave West Ham the 2-1 victory.
After five months of openly wondering whether Andy Carroll's role on this
club had passed, the tall Geordie certainly earned his wage today. History
has shown either injury or a red card tends to keep Carroll from stringing
together a good run of matches. Hopefully, he can continue to contribute as
West Ham have a brutal start to the first week of the new year.
The other enigma is Javier Hernandez. Whether his relationship with Moyes
is sour, or he's still recovering from his international injury, Chicharito
is too good a player to spend as much time on the bench as he has. Possibly
this quick turnaround against Spurs in two days will open up more playing
time for Hernandez and Ayew and allow those players to show their worth to
the team.
Hopefully West Ham can find better defensive structure before they face
Harry Kane in Wembley. It seems obvious that this relegation battle isn't
going to end anytime soon. West Ham is a club in need of any points it can
collect. But the late game winner today certainly was a great way to begin
a new year.
West Ham: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid (c), Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Kouyate,
Obiang, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Carroll.
Subs: Hart, Noble (45'), Rice (76'), Haksabanovic, Quina, Ayew, Hernandez
(73')
West Brom: Foster, Gibbs, Yacob, Evans (c), Rondon, Phillips, McClean,
Rodriguez, Krychowiak, Dawson, Hegazi.
Subs: Myhill, Brunt, McAuley, Livermore, Robson-Kanu (64'), Field, Burke
(71') Barry (83')
Referee: Mike Jones
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are out of the bottom three thanks to a last-gasp winner from Andy
Carroll at the Olympic Stadium tonight. The big striker scored his first
goal of the season to cancel out James McClean's first half opener - before
doubling his tally for the season in the last of four added-on minutes at
the end of the regulation 90. On a nervous night in east London, West Ham
triumphed - eventually - despite producing a performance lacking in any
flair or real cohesion. However it was to prove enough to see off an Albion
side that only 24 hours previously had sought to have the match postponed
due to a congested fixture schedule. West Ham had the clearest chance of the
opening exchanges when Manuel Lanzini brought out the best in Ben Foster
with a snap shot from 13 yards. Yet it was the visitors who opened the
scoring on the half-hour mark - against the run of play - when James
McClean's speculative shot from distance looped up and over an unprepared
Adrian, having taken a major deflection via Pedro Obiang who was attempting
to make a last-ditch tackle. With no further goals in the opening half,
David Moyes introduced club captain Mark Noble to reinforce a below-par
central midfield. It paid immediate dividends for the Hammers, who were far
more competitive in the middle third after the break.
However West Ham's key man was to be Andy Carroll, rewarded with a starting
spot tonight which he fully justified. Having narrowly failed to convert
Marko Arnautovic's superb cross minutes earlier, he rose highest to nod home
Aaron Cresswell's delivery in order to draw United level a minute ahead of
the hour.
It appeared briefly as if the major talking points of the game thereafter
would be Jake Livermore's 'disagreement' with a section of home fans behind
the dugouts and Billy MckInlay's subsequent touchline bust-up with Alan
Pardew. But Carroll was to ensure that those incidents were to be denied
potential column inches when he struck in the final of four added-on minutes
to win West Ham three huge points in their battle to avoid relegation.
Arnautovic and Lanzini, architects of the best open play West Ham produced
throughout the game combined on the left, before the latter's low cross
evaded all inside the box except Carroll, who finished from an acute angle
to the delight of those hardy souls who had remained until the bitter end.
West Ham Utd: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Rice 76), Masuaku
(Hernandez 73), Obiang (Noble 46), Kouyate, Lanzini, Arnautovic, Carroll.
Subs not used: Hart, Quina, Haksabanovic, Ayew.
Goals: Carroll (59, 90+4).
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs, Livermore
(Robson-Kanu 64), Yacob (Barry 83), Krychowiak, McClean, Rodriguez (Burke
71), Rondon.
Subs not used: Myhill, McAuley, Brunt, Field.
Goals: McClean (30).
Referee: Mike Jones.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-1 West Brom: Andy Carroll double inspires Hammers
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 03/01/18 7:32am
SSN
Andy Carroll struck a stoppage-time winner as West Ham came from behind for
the first time this season to beat relegation rivals West Brom 2-1 at the
London Stadium. Carroll brought a nine-month goal drought to an end in
emphatic fashion, cancelling out James McClean's deflected opener (30) on 59
minutes before firing the winner deep into time added on. It was a bitter
pill for Alan Pardew to swallow on his return his former employers as the
Baggies' winless run in the Premier League stretches to an unenviable 20
games. The result lifts the Hammers up to 16th in the table, five points
clear of West Brom in 19th, who remain firmly in the relegation mire.
Player ratings
Home Team: Adrian (6), Zabaleta (6), Ogbonna (5), Reid (5), Cresswell (6),
Obiang (5), Kouyate (6), Masuaku (5), Lanzini (7), Arnautovic (7), Carroll
(8).
Subs: Rice (6), Noble (7), Chicharito (6).
Away Team: Foster (8), Dawson (6), Evans (6), Hegazi (6), Gibbs (6),
Livermore (6) Yacob (5), Krychowiak (5), McClean (7), Rodriguez (5), Rondon
(6).
Subs: Barry (5), Burke (5), Robson-Kanu (5).
Man of the Match: Andy Carroll.
With West Ham without a win in three, and West Brom winless in 19, there was
an understandable degree of caution from both sides for the opening quarter
of this bottom-of-the-table clash. Salomon Rondon's chipped effort nestled
on the roof of the net on 14 minutes and that drew a response from the
Hammers as Manuel Lanzini's rasping drive forced Ben Foster into action
seven minutes later. The Baggies had a helping hand against Arsenal as a
contentious penalty saw them snatch a point, and fortune was on their side
once more as McClean's strike, after some pitiful defending from Winston
Reid, deflected off Pedro Obiang and over the hapless Adrian.
West Brom pushed for a second but going behind galvanised the disjointed
Hammers as Lanzini's low 39th-minute effort drew another fine stop from
Foster, who bravely thwarted Kouyate from converting Carroll's knock-down
four minutes later. Adrian stopped a Jonny Evans toe-poke on the line before
the break from which West Ham returned revitalised, Carroll turning Marko
Arnautovic's whipped cross over within a minute of the restart. But Carroll
was not to be denied as he hauled the Hammers level with a towering header
from Aaron Cresswell's cross shortly before the hour - his first goal since
April 1. And, after Jake Livermore was involved in an altercation with West
Ham supporters following his 64th-minute substitution, Carroll capped his
return to form by firing Arnautovic's cross home from a narrow angle at the
death.
Opta stats
West Brom are now winless in 20 Premier League games - only three clubs have
ever had a longer winless run in the competition (Derby 32, Sunderland 26
and Norwich 21).
Andy Carroll now has eight goals in his last eight Premier League starts in
the month of January.
Only Joey Barton (5) has assisted more Premier League goals for Andy Carroll
than Aaron Cresswell (4).
James McClean has scored three goals against West Ham in the Premier League
(7 apps), he hasn't scored more than one against any other side in the
competition.
McClean's opener for West Brom was his first Premier League goal in 472 days
- that goal also came against the Hammers.
Marko Arnautovic has now been directly involved in six goals in his last six
league games (5 goals, 1 assist) - he had been involved in none in his
previous 11 before this run.
The managers
David Moyes: "You can see how important a win that was. They were top goals
from Andy. I don't know if there are many centre halves that could have
dealt with his leap for the first goal, and I must say the ball in is
terrific. You have to give him great credit for the finish for the second."
David Moyes said Andy Carroll's opener couldn't be defended against and
praised the forward's impact in West Ham's win over West Brom.
Alan Pardew: "That's a tough one to take, the two-day turnaround cost us in
the end. We just ran out of legs, we couldn't keep going. To concede in that
manner is heart-breaking for the players. It was difficult for us, they had
more energy than us and it showed."
Man of the Match - Andy Carroll
West Ham look to have escaped with a point after an abject display in front
of their own supporters but, having already equalised, Carroll provided the
perfect finishing touch. The Hammers frontman buried a trademark header to
end the longest goal drought of his career and, like London buses, his
second soon followed as he fired home from a tight angle to snatch the
victory.
The pundit
Matt Murray: "Wow, what a game. I thought with so much riding on it down the
bottom that West Brom away from home might play on the counter-attack and
make it an edgy affair, but right from the start both teams were going for
it. West Ham, through Andy Carroll, were calm and clinical at the end then
they deserved it."
What's next?
Tottenham vs West Ham
January 4, 2018, 7:30pm
West Ham make the trip to Wembley on Thursday to take on London rivals
Tottenham - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before travelling to
Shrewsbury in the FA Cup on Sunday. In between those games, West Brom head
to Devon for their FA Cup third-round clash with Exeter City.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes salutes Andy Carroll after striker rekindles goalscoring touch
Last Updated: 03/01/18 12:17am
SSN
David Moyes questioned whether any Premier League defenders could deal with
Andy Carroll's aerial threat after he fired West Ham to victory over West
Brom.
Carroll ended nine months without a goal in emphatic fashion with a
second-half double at the London Stadium, the second of which came deep into
stoppage time. His first, West Ham's equaliser, was a trademark towering
header which left Jonny Evans and Kieran Gibbs grounded, and Moyes was
jubilant after his striker's return to form. "They were top goals," he told
Sky Sports. "I don't know if there are many centre-halves that could have
dealt with his leap for the first goal, and I must say the ball in is
terrific. "And you have to give him great credit for the finish for the
second goal."
The Hammers moved five points clear of West Brom with the dramatic 2-1
victory, a result which stretched the Baggies' winless run in the Premier
League to 20 games. It ended a run of four games without a win in all
competitions for Moyes' men, and, despite conceding West Ham were not at
their best, the Scot demanded his side to push on. "You can see how
important it was, it would have been the same had West Brom scored, Alan
[Pardew] would have felt the same," he added. "It was vital three points for
us. "We've come close, we were unlucky against Newcastle a few weeks ago and
obviously felt we should have won the game at Bournemouth and we didn't, so
to do it today was maybe just. "We didn't play well, maybe the system we
played, which has been good for us, didn't work at all tonight. "But we made
the changes, got 15 yards further up the field and were the better team in
the second half, but we weren't at the races in the first half. For long
periods we didn't do well at the back, but in the end we got our rewards.
"We want to be out of the bottom three. Psychologically you don't want to be
in it at all, I was disappointed when we did slip back into it, but tonight
we got a result and we've got to try and move on."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jake Livermore escorted down tunnel after West Ham fan altercation
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 03/01/18 7:31am
SSN
Jake Livermore had an altercation with a set of supporters after he was
substituted in West Brom's defeat to West Ham. Jake Livermore was involved
in a bust-up with West Ham fans during West Brom's 2-1 defeat at the London
Stadium on Tuesday.
The England international, who had been substituted in the 64th-minute, had
to be escorted down the tunnel following the incident. Baggies boss Alan
Pardew admitted he saw Livermore in among the crowd but did not know what
had happened to prompt his actions. "The only thing I know is I see Jake in
the crowd, which disturbed me," he said. "Obviously you don't want to see a
player in the crowd. "There's no way he's going in the crowd - because I
know him, he's a great lad - unless he was provoked severely. That's all I
know. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Jake. I'll speak to Jake and we'll
go from there."
West Ham manager David Moyes claimed he did not see the incident, but added:
"I didn't know about it, but I've been told something happened."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham youngster Reece Burke sparks January transfer chase as six
Championship clubs battle to sign him
Sunderland are understood to have registered an interest, along with
Nottingham Forest, Barnsley and Sheffield United
The Mirror
Reece Burke is returning to West Ham as Bolton face competition from a host
of Championship clubs to keep hold of the young defender. Burke, 21, has
impressed on loan at the Macron Stadium so far this season scoring one in 15
outings for Phil Parkinson's side. But his temporary deal came to an end
this week and he has gone back to the London Stadium, where he could yet win
over new Hammers boss David Moyes. Bolton are keen to bring back the
highly-rated youngster until the end of the season. However, a host of rival
Championship clubs are in the market to sign the 6ft 3in star. Sunderland
are understood to have registered an interest, along with Nottingham Forest,
Barnsley and Sheffield United. Promotion-chasing Derby County are also keen
on Burke, who burst on the scene under former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce in
2014 before making handful of appearances under Slaven Bilic.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes reveals bad news about West Ham United's Reece Oxford
HITC
Shane Callaghan
West Ham United's Reece Oxford is already injured, confirmed David Moyes.
David Moyes has revealed to West Ham United fan website Knees Up Mother
Brown that he doesn't expect linked-away Reece Oxford to play any part when
the Irons visit Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow night. The 19-year-old defender
only returned to West Ham on Sunday after his season-long loan at Borussia
Monchengladbach was cut short late last month. It remains to be seen what
kind of role Moyes envisages for the teenager who, according to Sky Sports,
was the subject of a £10 million bid by the German side yesterday. Moyes was
without centre-halves Jose Fonte and James Collins for Tuesday's dramatic
2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion and the Scottish boss has revealed that
Oxford has joined the walking wounded, though it's not yet clear how serious
his sprained ankle is. He said on KUMB: "Reece Oxford kicked the ground in
training. He kicked the ground and it's given him a sprained ankle so he
probably might not be fit for Thursday."
Moyes stopped short on offering a prognosis but if it's a lengthy one then
it might well see him stay in East London beyond the transfer window,
despite reported interest. Oxford might've made Moyes's matchday squad for
the trip across London to Wembley tomorrow, depending on Collins's issue,
but Declan Rice's presence means that the Hammers aren't totally short on
alternatives to Angelo Ogbonna or Winston Reid.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll's first two goals of the season saw West Ham United come from
behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in dramatic fashion. A 30th minute
deflected strike by James McClean gave West Brom and former Hammers manager
Alan Pardew the lead at half-time, but Carroll's well-placed header levelled
the match around the hour mark. Both sides had opportunities to add to their
respective goal tallies. Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic came close for
the Irons while Salomon Rondson wasn't far off a chipped effort. But the
scoreline remained 1-1 until the dying moments of the game when Carroll
swept home his second from a narrow angle. The first real chance of the game
fell to the away side as Rondon got between the West Ham defenders and
attempted a lob, which just sailed over Adrian's crossbar. An excellent
opportunity fell to Lanzini midway through the first period when a contested
aerial ball fell kindly for the Argentinian. The No10's half-volleyed effort
was well-struck, but straight at Ben Foster, who palmed away. Carroll, back
in the starting XI, saw a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area
narrowly go over while McClean tested Adrian with a swerving strike. The
Baggies took the lead on half an hour as McClean got the better of Adrian,
as his effort from around 20 yards took a massive deflection off of Angelo
Ogbonna and found the net. Lanzini came very close to levelling the match
seven minutes before half-time when he brought down a Cheikhou Kouyate cross
with a sensational touch, but his curling shot was expertly saved by Foster,
as the Baggies entered half-time 1-0 up.
Captain Mark Noble was brought on at half-time as David Moyes look to
introduce some urgency to his side's performance, and there was almost a
leveller a minute into the second period. Marko Arnautovic found Carroll in
the box but the No9's shot was over the woodwork. On 59 minutes Carroll had
his goa!. The striker rose perfectly between the West Brom centre-backs to
head home a pinpoint Aaron Cresswell cross, giving the 28-year-old his first
finish since April.
Less than ten minutes later Arnautovic came close to yet another goal, with
the Austrian linking well with Lanzini and getting into a promising
position. His subtle dink was kept out by Foster's feet. There were hearts
in mouths at London Stadium as it looked like West Brom substitute Oliver
Burke was going to race through into a one-on-one situation, but some
excellent running by Ogbonna saw the Italian make a vital block, keeping the
score level. And, with the final moments ticking away and the chances of a
victory seemingly gone, Lanzini made a final burst forward and played the
ball to Arnautovic. The No7's ball found Carroll, who calmly converted his
second and the winning effort.
West Ham United: Adrian; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Rice 76'),
Masuaku (Chicharito 73'); Obiang (Noble 46'), Kouyate; Lanzini, Arnautovic,
Carroll
Subs not used: Hart, Quina, Haksabanovic, Ayew
Goals: Carroll 59' 90+4'
West Brom: Foster; Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs; Livermore (Robson-Kanu
64'), Yacob (Barry 83'), Krychowiak, McClean; Rodriguez (Burke 71'), Rondon
Subs not used: Myhill, McAuley, Brunt, Field
Goals: McClean 30'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: We kept at it and got the reward
WHUFC.com
David Moyes claimed West Ham United got their reward for keeping at it in a
2-1 victory against West Bromwich Albion at London Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Hammers had Andy Carroll to thank after the big forward – restored to
the starting XI for the clash – grabbed his second of the game four minutes
into injury time to give the hosts all three points. And after frustrating
results against Newcastle United and Bournemouth in recent games in the
Premier League, the boss believed it was just for his side to finally pick
up maximum points. He said: "It was a vital three points for us. The win is
so important and it could have gone either way on the night. "We've been
unlucky against Newcastle and then we felt we should have won the game
against Bournemouth, so we've won the game tonight and that was maybe just
for us. "We have kept at it tonight and we've got a better reward for it.
For long periods, we needed to do more – especially at the back – but in the
end we got that reward."
It looked as though it was not going to be the east Londoners' night in
their first fixture of 2018 when the Baggies took the lead through James
McClean's deflected strike. And having gone into the break 1-0 down before
Carroll lifted the roof off London Stadium, Moyes admitted his side were not
good enough in the first period. "First half, I didn't think we played
well," he explained. "I think the system we played didn't work at all where
before it has been good for us. "We got 15 yards further up the pitch in the
second half but we weren't at the races in the first half. "Mark [Noble]
came on and gave us a bit more experience in the second half. We were a bit
worried because he's only just come back from a hamstring injury and you can
see the amount of injuries teams are picking up. "But we stepped it up and
although we still needed to do more at the back, it was great to get the
win."
Having been selected to play from the start for the first time since the
back end of November against Leicester City, the Big Man repaid the
manager's faith with his first two goals of the season and Moyes was
delighted with the 28-year-old. "I think the first goal, there are not many
centre-halves who could deal with Andy's leap and jump and the ball in was
terrific. You have to give Andy great credit for the finish on the second
one. "The reason he's not been playing has been because the boys who have
been playing there have been doing well. "Michy Antonio has been, Marko
[Arnautovic] has been scoring goals and it's been the other end we've had to
do better. "Tonight we have got the result and we have got to move on and
look ahead to our next games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll: The fans deserved it and the lads did too
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll said his two-goal show against West Bromwich Albion was the
reward for West Ham United fans and players alike. The centre forward was
the hero as the Hammers roared back from a goal down to snatch a 2-1 victory
with virtually the last kick of the game. And Carroll said his ability to
keep going for the whole 90 minutes, plus added time, on his first Premier
League start since 24 November, was the result of putting in the hard yards
at Rush Green. "It was good. It was nice to get a start and get some goals
and the three points," the No9 told West Ham TV. "It was a fantastic night
and I think the fans deserved it and the lads did too. "It's tough when
you're only training and not getting the match-time that you want. You've
got to keep training and keep match-fit. "It's tough just training and
coming on for ten or 15 minutes, it's really tough, but you've got to keep
working hard and doing the extras in training to keep yourself fit for
nights like this when you're called upon."
Carroll was also full of praise for his teammates, including Mark Noble, who
came off the bench to produce a fine second-half performance, and Aaron
Cresswell, whose left-wing cross provided the assist for his thumping headed
equaliser. "It's massive to come from behind and win. We've got a great
group of lads in the dressing room and they love coming in every day and
enjoying it. That's the group that we've got. "The game changed after
half-time. Nobes came on and he kept the ball for us and distributed it
well. He had a good game. "It was an all right ball in from Cress, but I
made it look better! I told him just to put it in and I'd get it. He's put a
great ball in and I've managed to get above the defender and any touch on it
and would go in the back of the net. It was a great ball."
The Hammers will enjoy a recovery session at Rush Green on Wednesday before
resting up ahead of Thursday night's trip to Wembley Stadium to face
Tottenham Hotspur. A second victory in the space of 48 hours will see West
Ham rise to eleventh in the table, and Carroll says a similarly hard-working
display at the Home of Football can turn that hope into reality. "We've been
working hard. It's been tough for the lads who've been playing every game,
but we just dug in. "We went 1-0 down and it was difficult to take off the
deflection, so we knew we had to come out in the second half and prove to
ourselves that we were better than that. We grinded and got the ball in the
box and had a couple of chances and thankfully we took them. "All the lads
want to go into the game against Spurs on the back of a win. We've got a bit
of recovery time now. The games come thick and fast so we'll recover and go
again."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I've always said Carroll is better with his right foot! - Noble
WHUFC.com
Captain Mark Noble has joked that he's always known Andy Carroll is a better
finisher with his right foot, after the striker scored the winning goal with
his supposedly weaker side against West Brom. The Baggies – managed by
former Hammers boss Alan Pardew – had taken the lead in the first match of
2018 at London Stadium after James McClean's deflected strike found the back
of the net, but two second half efforts from Carroll gave the Irons the
victory. The first was a trademark Carroll header, with the forward rising
between the West Brom defenders to nod home his first goal of the season on
the hour mark, while his second came in the last minute of the game, as the
28-year-old swept home from a narrow angle with his right boot. And Noble
believes the stoppage time winner proves his belief that Carroll is, in
fact, better with his right foot than his left. "I've always said his
[Carroll's] right foot is better than his left foot!" A beaming Noble
laughed after the match. "I think he's proved it there with that finish!"
The skipper continued: "I truly believed that if we got a goal then it would
be tough for West Brom to hold out. West Brom haven't won in a long time,
although to be honest, when Marko Arnautovic flashed our last counter-attack
across the goal I thought the game was over." Carroll joined Noble for the
post-match interview and admitted he was relieved to find the net, after a
late run into the box saw him in the right place to win the match. Carroll
admitted: "It was tight at the end but if I didn't get in the box I would
have got some stick so I had to keep up with play! "It's been a while. I
haven't started the last couple of games so it's good to get on the pitch
again and get the goals. I'm relieved." The striker added: "It was a tough
game. We are disappointed with the goal we gave away and then obviously we
had to keep battling on, to keep pushing them, which we did. "We came out
second half and got the goals. It's nice to get the points at home. The fans
deserve that and we gave them a good game."
Noble was full of praise for his teammate and friend, hailing Carroll's work
ethic and determination up front for the Irons. The midfielder said: "I sit
next to him every day in the changing room and I know that scoring goals
means a lot to him, as it does to every striker. He's dug in and deserved
that today."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
By Michael Emons
BBC Sport
West Ham boss David Moyes said he had sympathy for West Brom counterpart
Alan Pardew over the scheduling of matches after the Hammers came from
behind to snatch a dramatic victory over the Baggies. Playing for the second
time in three days, Albion went ahead through James McClean's deflected
strike, but Andy Carroll scored twice, including a 94th-minute winner, to
take West Ham out of the Premier League relegation zone. The Baggies had
asked the Premier League to postpone Tuesday's match, which came only two
days after they played Arsenal. West Ham had been inactive since 26
December. "If I was Alan Pardew I would be completely disappointed with the
way the Premier League has set it up for them," said Moyes. "You would not
have thought they were the team that played two days ago."
West Brom have not won any of their eight games since Pardew was appointed
at the end of November, and he felt his team were physically and mentally
tired at London Stadium. "We had players hanging at the end. They had more
energy than us and it showed," said Pardew, who had a three-year spell in
charge of the Hammers between 2003 and 2006. "Our effort with only a two-day
turnaround was amazing. I thought we were tired in mind, which is what you
would expect."
Baggies midfielder Jake Livermore was involved in a heated exchange with
some home fans when he was substituted in the second half - and West Ham
said they would look into the incident. Defeat stretches West Brom's
winless run to 21 games in all competitions - their last victory a 3-1
defeat of League Two Accrington in the second round of the Carabao Cup on 22
August. Prior to that, the Baggies had started the season with back-to-back
league victories - and they looked on course for a rare success here when
McClean's effort deflected off Angelo Ogbonna and looped over Adrian to put
West Brom ahead.
Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster helped his side maintain their lead as he
saved well from Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic, but he could not do
anything about Carroll's powerful headed equaliser, the striker converting
Aaron Cresswell's fine left-wing cross. The visitors had chances of their
own to retake the lead as substitute Oliver Burke twice wasted
opportunities. And, with the clock ticking down, Burke gave the ball away
with a poor cross, from which West Ham countered. Lanzini played it to
Arnautovic and his low cross found Carroll, who converted from a tight angle
to give the Hammers the three points and take them above Stoke and
Southampton into 16th.
Man of the match - Andy Carroll (West Ham)
Andy Carroll has played nine times for England, with his last international
appearance coming in 2012
West Brom are now winless in 20 Premier League games. Only three clubs have
had a longer winless run in the competition (Derby 32, Sunderland 26 and
Norwich 21).
Carroll now has eight goals in his past eight Premier League starts in the
month of January.
Only Joey Barton (five) has assisted more Premier League goals for Carroll
than Cresswell (four).
McClean has scored three goals against West Ham in the Premier League (seven
appearances). He has not scored more than one against any other side in the
competition.
McClean's opener for West Brom was his first Premier League goal in 472 days
- that goal also came against the Hammers.
Arnautovic has now been directly involved in six goals in his past six
league games (five goals, one assist). He had been involved in none in his
previous 11 before this run.
'We got the reward for keeping at it' - what they said
West Ham manager David Moyes said: "It was so important as it could have
gone either way. The first half was not good, but the second half was much
more like it. We got the reward for keeping at it. "Our hopes are not to be
in the relegation positions, but we are in there. I am told it is the first
time the club has come from behind since we moved to the stadium." On
Carroll, Moyes added: "I don't think any centre-half would be able to deal
with his jump and header. "The second goal was good play on the break and
the ball was played across goal and Andy scores from a tight angle. If he
hadn't scored, I would have said he still played well."
Tired minds cost Baggies a point - Pardew
West Brom boss Alan Pardew said: "It was heartbreaking for the players. It
is such a disappointment to concede a goal like that. "We were better in the
first half, but we conceded too much possession in the second half and the
[two-day] turnaround has done for us. "We were unfortunate to lose Matty
Phillips in the warm-up [with a hamstring injury]. I tried to freshen things
up, but it was difficult and they had more energy than us."
What's next?
This was the first of three games in six days for West Ham. The Hammers play
at Wembley against Tottenham in the Premier League on Thursday, 4 January
(20:00 GMT) before another away match, at League One side Shrewsbury Town,
in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. That tie will be broadcast live on BBC
One with the programme starting at 13:40 GMT and kick-off at 14:00 GMT.
After two games in three days for West Brom, Pardew's side do not play again
until Saturday, with an away tie at League Two Exeter City in the third
round of the FA Cup (15:00 GMT).
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Jake Livermore: West Ham to investigate West Brom midfielder's altercation
with fans
BBC.co.uk
West Ham will look into the events that led to West Brom midfielder Jake
Livermore's confrontation with home fans at London Stadium on Tuesday.
Livermore was substituted in the second-half of his side's 2-1 defeat. The
England international then got involved in a heated exchange with some West
Ham supporters and needed escorting down the tunnel. West Brom manager Alan
Pardew said he did not know what prompted Livermore to react as he did.
"Obviously you don't want to see a player in the crowd," said the Baggies
boss. "There's no way he's going in the crowd - because I know him, he's a
great lad - unless he was provoked severely. That's all I know. "I haven't
had a chance to talk to Jake. I'll speak to Jake and we'll go from there."
West Ham manager David Moyes said he did not see the incident, but added: "I
didn't know about it, but I've been told something happened."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham have three bids rejected as they look to bolster squad
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
West Ham have already had three bids turned down as they attempt to bolster
manager David Moyes' squad during the January transfer window. The Hammers
have had mixed results since Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic on 7 November. They
beat Chelsea and drew with Arsenal, but have lost four times, including at
home to fellow strugglers Newcastle. One player set to leave this month is
striker Diafra Sakho. The 28-year-old was close to joining French club
Rennes in the summer and, while he is still highly regarded by some at West
Ham, it has been decided he will be allowed to leave if the club receive an
acceptable offer. The Hammers have dropped into the Premier League
relegation zone before Tuesday's game against second-bottom West Brom at the
London Stadium. Moyes has identified the areas he wishes to strengthen but,
as yet, the club have been unable to do deals in what has been described as
a "difficult market". Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, Newcastle midfielder
Jonjo Shelvey and Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter are the latest players
to be linked, with Moyes known to be keen to bring in more players with
Premier League experience.
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WEST HAM 2-1 WEST BROM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 2 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican
West Ham won today in their first Premier League match of 2018 to West
Bromwich, as the Baggies were unable to take advantage of continuing lapses
in defending on a rainy night in the London Stadium. But West Ham did have
to come back from an early deficit and needed some stoppage time theatrics
to bring a much needed win to the London Stadium supporters who braved the
cold weather.
Early on in the opening half, West Ham really created some opportunities.
The home club had the edge in possession and shots during the first half;
however, it was some poor defending by West Ham's central defenders that
really put their side in early trouble.
In the 30th minute James McClean took the ball the length of the pitch and
then struck his deflected shot looping over Adrian's reach, to give the
Baggies the early lead.
Both Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautouvic had chances, and Andy Carroll was
largely ineffective in the opening half. Adrian did have some well-played
saves, but the half ended 0-1.
During the break David Moyes brought on Mark Noble to replace Pedro Obiang
in midfield, perhaps hoping the captain could better organize a very
disjointed-looking side.
In the second half, finally West Ham were able to muster a goal. Aaron
Cresswell, after some misses, finally had a great cross to Andy Carroll who
headed it home. To everyone's relief, including Carroll, West Ham was now
even.
Over the next 30 minutes both teams had their chances. For West Brom, Ben
Foster played very well, probably denying Lanzini on two sure goals, just by
playing tough and showing smart positioning after Lanzini found open shots.
By the late minutes of the match, it just seemed that the fans and the
players were going to will the home club to all three points. And finally
late in stoppage time Arnautovic led a counter and crossed to Hernandez.
Arnie's cross was off target and went behind Chicharito but charging down
the right channel of the penalty box was Andy Carroll, whose short strike
went past Ben Foster and gave West Ham the 2-1 victory.
After five months of openly wondering whether Andy Carroll's role on this
club had passed, the tall Geordie certainly earned his wage today. History
has shown either injury or a red card tends to keep Carroll from stringing
together a good run of matches. Hopefully, he can continue to contribute as
West Ham have a brutal start to the first week of the new year.
The other enigma is Javier Hernandez. Whether his relationship with Moyes
is sour, or he's still recovering from his international injury, Chicharito
is too good a player to spend as much time on the bench as he has. Possibly
this quick turnaround against Spurs in two days will open up more playing
time for Hernandez and Ayew and allow those players to show their worth to
the team.
Hopefully West Ham can find better defensive structure before they face
Harry Kane in Wembley. It seems obvious that this relegation battle isn't
going to end anytime soon. West Ham is a club in need of any points it can
collect. But the late game winner today certainly was a great way to begin
a new year.
West Ham: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid (c), Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Kouyate,
Obiang, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Carroll.
Subs: Hart, Noble (45'), Rice (76'), Haksabanovic, Quina, Ayew, Hernandez
(73')
West Brom: Foster, Gibbs, Yacob, Evans (c), Rondon, Phillips, McClean,
Rodriguez, Krychowiak, Dawson, Hegazi.
Subs: Myhill, Brunt, McAuley, Livermore, Robson-Kanu (64'), Field, Burke
(71') Barry (83')
Referee: Mike Jones
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West Ham Utd 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are out of the bottom three thanks to a last-gasp winner from Andy
Carroll at the Olympic Stadium tonight. The big striker scored his first
goal of the season to cancel out James McClean's first half opener - before
doubling his tally for the season in the last of four added-on minutes at
the end of the regulation 90. On a nervous night in east London, West Ham
triumphed - eventually - despite producing a performance lacking in any
flair or real cohesion. However it was to prove enough to see off an Albion
side that only 24 hours previously had sought to have the match postponed
due to a congested fixture schedule. West Ham had the clearest chance of the
opening exchanges when Manuel Lanzini brought out the best in Ben Foster
with a snap shot from 13 yards. Yet it was the visitors who opened the
scoring on the half-hour mark - against the run of play - when James
McClean's speculative shot from distance looped up and over an unprepared
Adrian, having taken a major deflection via Pedro Obiang who was attempting
to make a last-ditch tackle. With no further goals in the opening half,
David Moyes introduced club captain Mark Noble to reinforce a below-par
central midfield. It paid immediate dividends for the Hammers, who were far
more competitive in the middle third after the break.
However West Ham's key man was to be Andy Carroll, rewarded with a starting
spot tonight which he fully justified. Having narrowly failed to convert
Marko Arnautovic's superb cross minutes earlier, he rose highest to nod home
Aaron Cresswell's delivery in order to draw United level a minute ahead of
the hour.
It appeared briefly as if the major talking points of the game thereafter
would be Jake Livermore's 'disagreement' with a section of home fans behind
the dugouts and Billy MckInlay's subsequent touchline bust-up with Alan
Pardew. But Carroll was to ensure that those incidents were to be denied
potential column inches when he struck in the final of four added-on minutes
to win West Ham three huge points in their battle to avoid relegation.
Arnautovic and Lanzini, architects of the best open play West Ham produced
throughout the game combined on the left, before the latter's low cross
evaded all inside the box except Carroll, who finished from an acute angle
to the delight of those hardy souls who had remained until the bitter end.
West Ham Utd: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Rice 76), Masuaku
(Hernandez 73), Obiang (Noble 46), Kouyate, Lanzini, Arnautovic, Carroll.
Subs not used: Hart, Quina, Haksabanovic, Ayew.
Goals: Carroll (59, 90+4).
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs, Livermore
(Robson-Kanu 64), Yacob (Barry 83), Krychowiak, McClean, Rodriguez (Burke
71), Rondon.
Subs not used: Myhill, McAuley, Brunt, Field.
Goals: McClean (30).
Referee: Mike Jones.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-1 West Brom: Andy Carroll double inspires Hammers
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 03/01/18 7:32am
SSN
Andy Carroll struck a stoppage-time winner as West Ham came from behind for
the first time this season to beat relegation rivals West Brom 2-1 at the
London Stadium. Carroll brought a nine-month goal drought to an end in
emphatic fashion, cancelling out James McClean's deflected opener (30) on 59
minutes before firing the winner deep into time added on. It was a bitter
pill for Alan Pardew to swallow on his return his former employers as the
Baggies' winless run in the Premier League stretches to an unenviable 20
games. The result lifts the Hammers up to 16th in the table, five points
clear of West Brom in 19th, who remain firmly in the relegation mire.
Player ratings
Home Team: Adrian (6), Zabaleta (6), Ogbonna (5), Reid (5), Cresswell (6),
Obiang (5), Kouyate (6), Masuaku (5), Lanzini (7), Arnautovic (7), Carroll
(8).
Subs: Rice (6), Noble (7), Chicharito (6).
Away Team: Foster (8), Dawson (6), Evans (6), Hegazi (6), Gibbs (6),
Livermore (6) Yacob (5), Krychowiak (5), McClean (7), Rodriguez (5), Rondon
(6).
Subs: Barry (5), Burke (5), Robson-Kanu (5).
Man of the Match: Andy Carroll.
With West Ham without a win in three, and West Brom winless in 19, there was
an understandable degree of caution from both sides for the opening quarter
of this bottom-of-the-table clash. Salomon Rondon's chipped effort nestled
on the roof of the net on 14 minutes and that drew a response from the
Hammers as Manuel Lanzini's rasping drive forced Ben Foster into action
seven minutes later. The Baggies had a helping hand against Arsenal as a
contentious penalty saw them snatch a point, and fortune was on their side
once more as McClean's strike, after some pitiful defending from Winston
Reid, deflected off Pedro Obiang and over the hapless Adrian.
West Brom pushed for a second but going behind galvanised the disjointed
Hammers as Lanzini's low 39th-minute effort drew another fine stop from
Foster, who bravely thwarted Kouyate from converting Carroll's knock-down
four minutes later. Adrian stopped a Jonny Evans toe-poke on the line before
the break from which West Ham returned revitalised, Carroll turning Marko
Arnautovic's whipped cross over within a minute of the restart. But Carroll
was not to be denied as he hauled the Hammers level with a towering header
from Aaron Cresswell's cross shortly before the hour - his first goal since
April 1. And, after Jake Livermore was involved in an altercation with West
Ham supporters following his 64th-minute substitution, Carroll capped his
return to form by firing Arnautovic's cross home from a narrow angle at the
death.
Opta stats
West Brom are now winless in 20 Premier League games - only three clubs have
ever had a longer winless run in the competition (Derby 32, Sunderland 26
and Norwich 21).
Andy Carroll now has eight goals in his last eight Premier League starts in
the month of January.
Only Joey Barton (5) has assisted more Premier League goals for Andy Carroll
than Aaron Cresswell (4).
James McClean has scored three goals against West Ham in the Premier League
(7 apps), he hasn't scored more than one against any other side in the
competition.
McClean's opener for West Brom was his first Premier League goal in 472 days
- that goal also came against the Hammers.
Marko Arnautovic has now been directly involved in six goals in his last six
league games (5 goals, 1 assist) - he had been involved in none in his
previous 11 before this run.
The managers
David Moyes: "You can see how important a win that was. They were top goals
from Andy. I don't know if there are many centre halves that could have
dealt with his leap for the first goal, and I must say the ball in is
terrific. You have to give him great credit for the finish for the second."
David Moyes said Andy Carroll's opener couldn't be defended against and
praised the forward's impact in West Ham's win over West Brom.
Alan Pardew: "That's a tough one to take, the two-day turnaround cost us in
the end. We just ran out of legs, we couldn't keep going. To concede in that
manner is heart-breaking for the players. It was difficult for us, they had
more energy than us and it showed."
Man of the Match - Andy Carroll
West Ham look to have escaped with a point after an abject display in front
of their own supporters but, having already equalised, Carroll provided the
perfect finishing touch. The Hammers frontman buried a trademark header to
end the longest goal drought of his career and, like London buses, his
second soon followed as he fired home from a tight angle to snatch the
victory.
The pundit
Matt Murray: "Wow, what a game. I thought with so much riding on it down the
bottom that West Brom away from home might play on the counter-attack and
make it an edgy affair, but right from the start both teams were going for
it. West Ham, through Andy Carroll, were calm and clinical at the end then
they deserved it."
What's next?
Tottenham vs West Ham
January 4, 2018, 7:30pm
West Ham make the trip to Wembley on Thursday to take on London rivals
Tottenham - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before travelling to
Shrewsbury in the FA Cup on Sunday. In between those games, West Brom head
to Devon for their FA Cup third-round clash with Exeter City.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes salutes Andy Carroll after striker rekindles goalscoring touch
Last Updated: 03/01/18 12:17am
SSN
David Moyes questioned whether any Premier League defenders could deal with
Andy Carroll's aerial threat after he fired West Ham to victory over West
Brom.
Carroll ended nine months without a goal in emphatic fashion with a
second-half double at the London Stadium, the second of which came deep into
stoppage time. His first, West Ham's equaliser, was a trademark towering
header which left Jonny Evans and Kieran Gibbs grounded, and Moyes was
jubilant after his striker's return to form. "They were top goals," he told
Sky Sports. "I don't know if there are many centre-halves that could have
dealt with his leap for the first goal, and I must say the ball in is
terrific. "And you have to give him great credit for the finish for the
second goal."
The Hammers moved five points clear of West Brom with the dramatic 2-1
victory, a result which stretched the Baggies' winless run in the Premier
League to 20 games. It ended a run of four games without a win in all
competitions for Moyes' men, and, despite conceding West Ham were not at
their best, the Scot demanded his side to push on. "You can see how
important it was, it would have been the same had West Brom scored, Alan
[Pardew] would have felt the same," he added. "It was vital three points for
us. "We've come close, we were unlucky against Newcastle a few weeks ago and
obviously felt we should have won the game at Bournemouth and we didn't, so
to do it today was maybe just. "We didn't play well, maybe the system we
played, which has been good for us, didn't work at all tonight. "But we made
the changes, got 15 yards further up the field and were the better team in
the second half, but we weren't at the races in the first half. For long
periods we didn't do well at the back, but in the end we got our rewards.
"We want to be out of the bottom three. Psychologically you don't want to be
in it at all, I was disappointed when we did slip back into it, but tonight
we got a result and we've got to try and move on."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jake Livermore escorted down tunnel after West Ham fan altercation
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 03/01/18 7:31am
SSN
Jake Livermore had an altercation with a set of supporters after he was
substituted in West Brom's defeat to West Ham. Jake Livermore was involved
in a bust-up with West Ham fans during West Brom's 2-1 defeat at the London
Stadium on Tuesday.
The England international, who had been substituted in the 64th-minute, had
to be escorted down the tunnel following the incident. Baggies boss Alan
Pardew admitted he saw Livermore in among the crowd but did not know what
had happened to prompt his actions. "The only thing I know is I see Jake in
the crowd, which disturbed me," he said. "Obviously you don't want to see a
player in the crowd. "There's no way he's going in the crowd - because I
know him, he's a great lad - unless he was provoked severely. That's all I
know. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Jake. I'll speak to Jake and we'll
go from there."
West Ham manager David Moyes claimed he did not see the incident, but added:
"I didn't know about it, but I've been told something happened."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham youngster Reece Burke sparks January transfer chase as six
Championship clubs battle to sign him
Sunderland are understood to have registered an interest, along with
Nottingham Forest, Barnsley and Sheffield United
The Mirror
Reece Burke is returning to West Ham as Bolton face competition from a host
of Championship clubs to keep hold of the young defender. Burke, 21, has
impressed on loan at the Macron Stadium so far this season scoring one in 15
outings for Phil Parkinson's side. But his temporary deal came to an end
this week and he has gone back to the London Stadium, where he could yet win
over new Hammers boss David Moyes. Bolton are keen to bring back the
highly-rated youngster until the end of the season. However, a host of rival
Championship clubs are in the market to sign the 6ft 3in star. Sunderland
are understood to have registered an interest, along with Nottingham Forest,
Barnsley and Sheffield United. Promotion-chasing Derby County are also keen
on Burke, who burst on the scene under former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce in
2014 before making handful of appearances under Slaven Bilic.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes reveals bad news about West Ham United's Reece Oxford
HITC
Shane Callaghan
West Ham United's Reece Oxford is already injured, confirmed David Moyes.
David Moyes has revealed to West Ham United fan website Knees Up Mother
Brown that he doesn't expect linked-away Reece Oxford to play any part when
the Irons visit Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow night. The 19-year-old defender
only returned to West Ham on Sunday after his season-long loan at Borussia
Monchengladbach was cut short late last month. It remains to be seen what
kind of role Moyes envisages for the teenager who, according to Sky Sports,
was the subject of a £10 million bid by the German side yesterday. Moyes was
without centre-halves Jose Fonte and James Collins for Tuesday's dramatic
2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion and the Scottish boss has revealed that
Oxford has joined the walking wounded, though it's not yet clear how serious
his sprained ankle is. He said on KUMB: "Reece Oxford kicked the ground in
training. He kicked the ground and it's given him a sprained ankle so he
probably might not be fit for Thursday."
Moyes stopped short on offering a prognosis but if it's a lengthy one then
it might well see him stay in East London beyond the transfer window,
despite reported interest. Oxford might've made Moyes's matchday squad for
the trip across London to Wembley tomorrow, depending on Collins's issue,
but Declan Rice's presence means that the Hammers aren't totally short on
alternatives to Angelo Ogbonna or Winston Reid.
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