West Ham United Ladies continue search for new head coach
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies' managing director says the Club will not rush the appointment of a new head coach.
Jack Sullivan, who took charge of the Ladies' operation last year, believes it is vital that the Club hires the right individual to build on a promising 2017. "I believe it is important that we take our time in appointing the next head coach of West Ham United Ladies," Sullivan told whufc.com. "It is vital we bring in the right individual and we are working closely with our partners in women's football, including the FA, to ensure we make the right choice for our team, both on and off the pitch."
The Ladies parted ways with former head coach Greg de Carnys last month, with Club general manager Karen Ray taking charge of the team in the interim.
Sullivan says the experience that Ray, a former West Ham, Arsenal and England player, brings to the role means he is comfortable in taking time in confirming the right permanent appointment. He added "Karen brings a wealth of experience to a fantastic group of players which has already delivered some improved performances. I am extremely confident they will continue to thrive while the process of making a permanent appointment continues." Ray led the Ladies to a battling draw with Gillingham over the weekend and the interim coach has echoed the managing director's sentiments.
The next 12 months will see the Ladies' status in the newly reformed Women's Super League confirmed and Ray wants the decision on a new head coach to reflect the side's ambitions. "At the moment, we are trying to ensure we make the right selection, not a selection for right now," Ray told whufc.com. "This is a long-term project and we want to ensure we have someone who has long-term aspirations. "Rushing a decision as important as this could be detrimental, so Jack and I are committed to securing the best possible candidate and will not be hasty."
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Hart: FA Cup replay is going to be a different game
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart says West Ham United will need to do their homework ahead of their Emirates FA Cup third-round replay examination by Shrewsbury Town.
The goalkeeper earned the Hammers a second chance to beat his hometown team with a pair of fine first-half saves at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday.
The Shrews will now head to London Stadium on Tuesday 16 January, and Hart knows the home side will need to be at their best to overcome opposition who have tasted defeat just five times in 33 matches this season.
"They've got a lot of energy, are very hard to break down and don't concede," said Hart, when asked to assess his former club's performance in Sunday's goalless draw. "We watched videos and they're very well-drilled and a well-organised team and that showed on Sunday in front of some good home support.
"The replay is going to be a different game, though. It's on a Tuesday night at our stadium and they'll have played on the Saturday, the same as us. Hopefully we will have a few more players fit, as we were missing a lot of players on Sunday. We will see what happens. "It's something for the Shrewsbury boys to look forward to, coming down from here, and we've got to be ready for it. The best homework we can do is watch the original tie and see in all areas how we can improve."
Hart was afforded star status on his return home, signing hundreds of autographs and posing for dozens of selfies for supporters of both teams, some of whom remembered his days as a Shrewsbury played more than a decade ago, as well as many younger fans who idolise him as England's current No1.
While he may have been in demand from the moment he stepped off the team bus to the moment he departed after the final whistle, the 30-year-old took the adulation in his stride. "Of course, I still follow Shrewsbury's fortunes. It's impossible not to keep an eye on them, especially in this day and age, as it's very easy to follow a team. I've still got a lot of friends and family in the town who keep me updated. "It was really special to play there again. It's my home and, when I was a kid growing up and moved to Manchester at the age of 19 everything moved fast, now I'm an older man and stuff like going back is more important and touched me deeply. "I knew most of the people at the ground, as Shrewsbury is one of those towns where you're connected to everyone through one or two people. It was nice, but during the 90 minutes they wanted their team to win and I wanted my team to win!"
Tickets for the Emirates FA Cup third-round replay are on sale now to Season Ticket Holders and Bondholders, priced £10 for Adults and just £1 for Under-16s. Click here to secure your seat and for full details.
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Samuelsen's emotional tribute to lifelong friend
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U23s' third goal against Manchester United prompted a passionate fist pump from Terry Westley and cheers of celebration from the travelling supporters, but for goalscorer Martin Samuelsen the finish meant so much more The Norwegian produced a terrific piece of skill on the left-flank before cutting back inside and powering home a rocket, registering the Hammers' third goal of the match and ensuring all three points went back with West Ham. It was the moment the 20-year-old's performance deserved, with Samuelsen putting on arguably his best showing of the campaign so far against the Red Devils. The winger played down the quality of his own finish, but dedicated the goal to lifelong friends Pedro and Carlos Ballester, with Pedro battling cancer. "My goal was okay," Samuelsen told whufc.com. "In terms of technique, it was nothing special, but it means something special for me and some people close to me. "I want to take the opportunity to dedicate this goal to one of my oldest and closest friends, who lives in Manchester. I went to school with his brother and he's fighting cancer.
"I spoke to him before the game and I told him, his brother and his family that I wanted to score for them. I'm really happy I was able to keep that promise. Pedro and Carlos Ballester, that goal was for you my friends."
Samuelsen's finish came just a few minutes after Toni Martinez had doubled the Hammers' advantage, with the Spanish striker also having a role in the opening goal of the game, netted by substitute Grady Diangana on 51 minutes. In between the first and second goal Manchester United were reduced to ten men, when Luca Ercolani received a red card for a high boot on Diangana. Samuelsen admits the sending off was a pivotal factor in Monday's game, adding: "The red card certainly made a difference. They have some good players in their team and they definitely had threats to score. "Of course, we took the lead, but once they got their man sent off we completely dominated possession. When we didn't have the ball we immediately had three players closing down, so we made it difficult for them."
The dominant victory comes after a month without competitive action for the Hammers, who saw matches against Everton and Tottenham in December postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Prior to that West Ham had been without a win since the end of October, a run that Samuelsen admits was difficult. The winger is delighted that the Irons showed their real ability against Manchester United. He continued: "It's been very frustrating, not getting results, but I think in the last month we haven't deserved to get the wins with the way we've been playing. We've not been ruthless enough both with and without the ball.
"Against United though we were brave from the start. Everyone wanted to get on the ball and we tried to play out from the back, the way we know how to play. When we play the way we can, like tonight, not many teams can challenge us."
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Goalscorer Diangana delighted with quick impact in Manchester
WHUFC.com
It took Grady Diangana just six minutes to break the deadlock in West Ham United U23s' 3-0 away victory at Manchester United on Monday and the winger – who scored with virtually his first touch – was delighted to make such a fast impact. After a goalless first half at the Leigh Sports Village, the Hammers raced out the blocks in the second half – in part due to the influence substitute Diangana, who was introduced at half time, had on the match – and quickly took the lead.
The creative midfielder, who won't score too many simpler goals in his career, was presented with a simple two-yard header to make it 1-0 but showed more of his natural ability 20 minutes later, curling in a lovely cross for Toni Martinez to make it 2-0.
Soon after, Martin Samuelsen added a third with a superb individual effort that capped off a terrific performance and a second victory over Manchester United of the campaign And given Diangana's impressive display over 45 minutes for Terry Westley's men, the youngster now has his sights set on a starting spot later this week. He said: "We'll see if I'm in the team when we play Leicester on Friday but with that performance from the bench tonight hopefully I've made a good case to be. "I love it when there is another game coming quickly; it's good because you get another quick chance to show what you can do. "I was disappointed when I was told I was on the bench tonight, yeah, I was quite upset but it's football; you can't dwell on it and be upset because that's football. You have to deal with it, get on with it."
Get on with it Diangana did, bagging the opener and his third of the season, a tally he wants to improve on as the campaign goes on. "When I'm on the pitch, I'm there to try and contribute to goals and to come off the bench and do that early, of course it's always good for me," he continued. "I wanted to make an impact as quickly as I could and obviously scoring pretty soon after half time was great. "I don't score many headers either! I probably get about one a season so it's nice to score with the head as well! "Toni got the flick on and the goalie tipped it on to the bar and I was just there in the right place at the right time to nod it in. You have to get in the six-yard-box for those sort of scraps that might come your way. "Goals are my main target at the moment so however they come, I'm happy with. "To set up Toni's goal, it was more of a natural move for me, cutting onto my left and crossing for him. I saw three of them hanging at the back post so I thought if I just put it in that area, one will put it in and luckily Toni did and I'm very pleased."
As if the goal was not enough of a turning-point, the hosts' chances of getting anything from the game were significantly reduced moments after when Diangana was again involved in a crucial point in the fixture. Collecting the ball around the halfway mark, the midfielder turned but felt the full force of Man United midfielder Luka Ercolani's right boot before the Red Devil received his marching orders by the referee. "The red card was the right decision in my opinion, too," Diangana recalled of the moment. "He caught me right on the nose, so I don't think he can have too many complaints about that; you can tell by that the challenge was high. It's a bit swollen. "I think after the red, we really controlled it and when we saw the opportunities to get bodies forward, we did exactly that and that's what helped us get the three goals."
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Manning: 3-0 Man Utd win was a deserved reward for U23s
WHUFC.com
Liam Manning believes West Ham United U23s' 3-0 win over Manchester United U23s was a deserved reward for the team's hard work over the festive period.
Second half goals from Grady Diangana, Toni Martinez and Martin Samuelsen secured a dominant victory for the Hammers away at the Red Devils, returning the Irons to winning ways at the start of 2018.
It's been over a month since West Ham U23s have played a competitive game, due to postponements to matches against Everton and Tottenham, but Manning is delighted with how the team have trained during the extended period without a match.
And the Academy coach reckons that the commitment on the training field deserved a win such as the one against Manchester United, hailing both the performance as well as the result. "The last time we actually played was December 5 when we played Luton," Manning told whufc.com. "Everton and Tottenham were both called off. It's a bit bitty because you're preparing for games and then they are cancelled. It becomes slightly disjointed but it also allows us to really push them on the training pitch.
"I'll give the boys credit. They were at it all over Christmas and their work rate during that period was fantastic. They got the rewards of that tonight. "We're really pleased with the performance as much as the result. The first half, at 11 vs 11, we dominated the game. The possession statistics show we had loads of the ball and then in the second half, the red card plays a little part, but we were still on top and I think we started the second half well. "Overall, we are really delighted with the performance, and the result as well."
The U23s lined up with five players in the starting XI that were included in the first team matchday squad over the weekend in the FA Cup, while Diangana had also travelled with David Moyes's side.
Manning was happy with how these players held themselves upon their return to the U23s. He continued: "Sunday was a great experience for those boys, being around the manager and going to Shrewsbury. Then the big challenge tonight was for them to come and deliver, and that is what we expect of them. It was great for them, and then around that we had four schoolboys start tonight," Having gone four games without scoring and five games without a win, Manning sees Monday's result as a massive and timely boost for the side, heading into a match with second place Leicester City on Friday. "This game is a huge confidence boost in terms of performance and certain individuals. All of the players can take huge positives from tonight. We'll go back in and hopefully we can go and get another good result on Friday."
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TOO QUICK TO DIG PLAYERS OUT?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 9 JANUARY 2018 AT 8:54PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
I have been quiet on social media lately and not written anything for the site until today, even though I take great pleasure in seeing an article put up. Why? – I have up until recently really been brought down by the huge negativity I have been reading on twitter and Facebook lately. As a fan base we seem to delight in digging our players out. Mark Noble seems to be turning the tide but was getting slaughtered a while back despite being club captain, West Ham to the core and the result stats indicating that we do much better with him in the side. Joe Hart seems to be another favourite punch bag – I think this is because he is perceived as a "board signing" picked over fan favourite Adrian – the abuse was amazing – I remember Alan Mcknight in goal, now he was bad!
I have not agreed with many of these viewpoints but I am most certainly not above getting drawn in. During Sunday's game I was getting annoyed with Burke, but he was out of position in his first premier league game in ages, was I being fair, probably not and he is surely worth a place in the squad. I have resisted criticising Chicarito previously but was getting ready to hammer him Sunday. Seriously though, every goal he has ever scored in the premier league has been from inside the box. He is a poacher and totally ill equipped for the role he has been in. How many goals would Tony Cottee have got in that set up and the guy is a genuine West Ham legend – rightly so.
My particular concern though is Kouyate. What is going on? Video clips of him not tracking back, looks off the pace and lacking motivation, I have been ready to dig him out. "move him on", "drop him", "lazy" Two years ago the bloke looked awesome, strong full of running goal threat, versatile. What has happened? Maybe he wants out! Maybe he does not work hard enough, I do not know. Maybe though as a physical, up and down player just maybe he has been more affected and taken longer to recover from the general lack of fitness / conditioning coaching under the previous regime. Maybe not, but are we be writing off a player that was hitting such heights not long ago a bit too quickly? Should we give the lad time, get behind him and see if he can get back to the player that was pretty much being lauded by all a couple of seasons ago. We all seem to be so critical, we have several players that we have seen perform well, should we not give them the chance to turn around form and fitness?
Right now this squad is under-performing – it needs supplementing with 3-4 players but should we cut some of the existing squad a little slack – I think we should – even though I have been as guilty as many!
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Kids For A Quid returns for Cup replay
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's FA Cup third round replay will be a Kids For A Quid event, it has been confirmed.
The replay, which is scheduled to take place next Tuesday (16 January) will kick off at 7.45pm - and Bondholders and Season Ticket owners will be able to take advantage of the reduced prices.
Tickets are on sale now to the above groups, priced at £1 for under 16s and £10 for adults. All remaining tickets will go on general sale this Thursday (11 January) priced from £5-10 for under 16s and £10-£20 for adults.
* West Ham United's reward for beating Shrewsbury in their FA Cup 3rd round replay next week will be a trip to either Bournemouth or Wigan.
The Hammers were drawn away in a cup tie for the fifth time this season, following earlier trips to Chetenham, Tottenham and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup and New Meadow in last weekend's goalless draw with Shrewsbury.
Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion
Peterborough Utd v Fleetwood Town or Leicester City
Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City
Notts County v Wolves/Swansea City
Yeovil v Manchester Utd
Carlisle or Sheffield Weds v Stevenage or Reading
Cardiff City or Mansfield Town v Manchester City
MK Dons v Coventry City
Millwall v Rochdale
Southampton v Watford
Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion or Crystal Palace
Bournemouth or Wigan Ath v Shrewsbury Town or West Ham Utd
Hull City v Nottingham Forest
Newport County v Spurs
Norwich or Chelsea v Newcastle Utd
Sheffield Utd v Preston
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'Derisory' midfielder bid rejected
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have seen an opening bid of £5million for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter rejected, according to fresh reports.
The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to West Ham for several weeks, yet despite being valued by his club at the £12-15million mark was the target of a £5million opening offer from the Hammers today, according to a tabloid newspaper.
Unsurprisingly the offer is said to have been instantly rejected by a furious Bournemouth, who were said to be "angered" by West Ham's risible bid - despite the player's willingness to make the move from the south coast to London.
David Moyes' attempts to bolster his midfield are yet to bear any fruit, despite interest in a string players such as Jonjo Shelvey, Francis Coquelin, Joe Allen and Leander Dendoncker, who was linked with a move to West Ham yesterday.
Meanwhile rumours suggesting that Moyes will have to sell before being able to make his move in the transfer market persist.
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No West Ham interest, says Wenger
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Arsene Wenger says he has not spoken to West Ham with regards to a bid for midfielder Francis Coquelin.
The Arsenal manager, talking to the media this lunchtime confirmed that he had not received any indication from West Ham that they are about to make an offer for the 26-year-old Frenchman, as widely suggested earlier this week.
However Wenger did admit that the player could well leave the Emirates during the January transfer window. "It's a possibility but nothing is decided," he said during his pre-match press conference, before adding that "we have had no contact with West Ham".
And in other transfer news, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte refused to rule out a move for West Ham striker Andy Carroll. When asked about Chelsea's purported interest in the big forward, he replied: "The club knows very well which are the position we can improve. "I am very happy to work with my players and the commitment of my players. If there is a possibility to improve the squad the club knows very well."
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Martinez is seven up
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Toni Martinez says he is delighted to have finally made his full first team debut for West Ham. The 20-year-old striker joined West Ham from Valencia in April 2016 in a £2.5million deal and finally made his first appearance for David Moyes' senior side at Shrewsbury on Sunday in the goalless draw.
And having made his bow, Martinez told West Ham's website that he is hungry for more. "I'm really happy to finally make my debut," he said. "Now I'm going to keep working and I'm sure that more chances will arrive. "I never played for the first team before, so it was great to hear the fans singing my name during the warm-up. I've been working hard for 18 months since I arrived here for that 20 minutes on the pitch. "I just tried to do my best. I didn't get any chances [to score] but I'm sure that, in the next game, we'll get chances and win the three points."
Now Martinez is hoping to make another appearance for Moyes' first team in the reply, which takes place at the Olympic Stadium next Tuesday evening - although he maintains that is will be an equally difficult test for West Ham. "I'm not surprised with the level Shrewsbury showed", he mused. "League One is a high level and this team is at the top, and we know how hard it was playing them on their pitch in front of their fans. All we can do is keep working and looking forward to the next one."
Martinez became the seventh Spanish player to represent West Ham in a competitive fixture at New Meadow on Sunday - the six compatriots to precede him were as follows:
Kepa Blanco: (2007) 8 appearances, 1 goal
Diego Tristan: (2008-09) 17 appearances, 3 goals
Manuel Almunia: (2011) 4 appearances, 0 goals
Alvaro Arbeloa: (2016) 4 appearances, 0 goals
Adrian: (2013-) 134 appearances, 0 goals
Pedro Obiang: (2015-) 82 appearances, 3 goals
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New franchise want Chica
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
The manager of new MLS franchise Los Angeles FC has admitted that he would love to pair new signing Carlos Vela up with fellow Mexican Javier Hernandez. Bob Bradley, who was sacked by Premier League strugglers Swansea City last year after just a few months in control of the Welsh club told ESPN that he would be delighted to sign Hernandez - if West Ham would be willing to let him go.
Responding to a question from anchor David Faitelson regarding LAFC's interest in the player - which was first mooted by club owner Will Farrell during Vela's unveiling ceremony - Bradley confirmed that he would be delighted to add Hernandez to his roster. "That one is left with the ownership," said Bradley. "From the standpoint of the manager Chicharito is a big player, a big personality and a great goalscorer. "So if Will Farrell and the rest of the ownership can bring that commitment, I can figure out a way to get him on the field and help him score goals."
Hernandez has struggled to settle in London since returning to the UK following spells in Spain and Germany. He has scored just five goals in the opening half of the 2017/18 campaign and has been unable to secure a first team spot since David Moyes arrived at the club.
Los Angeles FC are the newest team in the MLS pyramid, having only been formed three years ago. Their home matches are staged at the 22,000-capacity Banc of California Stadium.
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Borussia Monchengladbach still keen on West Ham defender Reece Oxford
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/01/18 3:47pm
SSN
West Ham defender Reece Oxford remains a top target for Borussia Monchengladbach with the German club having already made a bid at the start of January.
The 19-year-old made four appearances while on loan with Gladbach this season but returned to the London Stadium after being recalled over the festive season.
Gladbach made a bid in the region of £10m for Oxford on January 2 and the club's sports director reiterated their desire on Tuesday to secure the teenager from London.
Max Eberl told the Gladbach website: "We talked a lot with West Ham during the winter break and were surprised when they activated the clause. "The tone in the discussions before that was a different one. But I understand their reasoning. West Ham are in a relegation battle and wanted to bring back a good player.
"So far they haven't used him so the talks continue. I hope that there will be no utopian offer from another club. Then we will have a chance for Reece to come back to us. "He has developed well with us over the five months. He had to wait for his chance but he impressed us when he got it."
The centre-back signed a new West Ham contract in 2016 that tied him to the club until 2021. Hammers manager David Moyes said at the end of December: "We will take a look at him and see how he is, I hope we can help improve him. I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
It is understood there is also interest in Oxford from another German club RB Leipzig.
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West Ham considering Arsenal duo Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 09/01/18 9:30am
SSN
Arsenal duo Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny are among the players being considered by West Ham as manager David Moyes attempts to strengthen his midfield options this month, according to Sky sources. Moyes revealed in December that he was looking to add to his squad as he attempts to secure the Hammers' Premier League status.
He has identified a new central midfielder as a main priority and Sky sources understands Joe Allen, Steven N'Zonzi, William Carvalho and Jonjo Shelvey are also on his shortlist along with Coquelin and Elneny. Listen to the latest Transfer Talk podcast where Ross Barkley's move to Chelsea and Philippe Coutinho's Liverpool future were among the topics discussed.
The duo have been used sparingly by manager Arsene Wenger in the Premier League this season, with Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey his preferred pairing in midfield.
Wenger insisted Arsenal were yet to receive a formal bid from West Ham for Coquelin at his news conferences ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea. Coquelin, 26, joined Arsenal from French side Stade Lavallois in July 2008 and has made over 150 appearances for the club, despite spending time on loan at Lorient, Freiburg and Charlton. Elneny, 25, moved to the Gunners in January 2016 from Swiss side Basel in a deal worth around £5m and has since featured in 54 matches, scoring twice.
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AWAY DAY PAIN, LANZINI FEARS AND CHICO A LUXURY WE CAN'T AFFORD?
By Tony Hanna 9 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
The rapid fire of fixtures for West Ham has been such that it has been three games since my last article. It seems an eternity! A last gasp winner against West Brom followed by an all hands to the pumps effort at Spurs and a very "toothless" display against Shrewsbury sees us unbeaten in 2018 but that stat is papering over some cracks isn't it? We are churning out some results but we are hardly a well-oiled machine.
By the time we have played Huddersfield this weekend our home and away fixtures played will have quite a lopsided view to it (10 home and 13 away) due to the unavailability of the OS at the start of the season. We have still not caught up with our home game equilibrium and won't until we play what will be the reversed fixture against Southampton in late March. Sandwiching that game we have a sequence of five matches where four of them will be at home. So far our away form has been disappointing with just the solitary victory at Stoke although we have had near misses at Palace, Bournemouth and Burnley where late goals have cost us six points and another late goal at Southampton saw us drop another point. This leads me on to a stat which I came across during the week. We have conceded 25 goals away from home in the Premier League this season. Only eight of those have been first half goals but ten, that is 40% of them, have come in the last fifteen minutes of matches. This is an area that David Moyes will be working on I am sure?
One topic I have been meaning to bring up for a while now is Javier "Chico" Hernandez. Some months ago it was pretty lonely being of the opinion when we signed him that he would not work for us whilst so many pundits were saying he would be the signing of the summer window. I did manage to have a bet with one blogger on here that he would not score fifteen PL goals for us this season and at present it looks like a pint of Stella (which will be reciprocated anyway – he is a lovely fella) is going to be ready and waiting for me on my next visit back to East London? To be honest though, these are the types of bets I don't mind losing. For me, at the highest level Hernadez has only ever been a super sub at best. That's how Fergie used him and he knew a thing or two? He is not the type of player that can be moved out wide and expected to help track back when needed. He is not the type of player that can play a lone role up front and hold the ball up effectively. And in fairness to him that is where and how he has been expected to play most times he has donned a West Ham shirt. Realistically, he needs to be playing for a team that plays someone up with him and preferably dominates possession thus creating more chances in the box than we currently do – seems a bit of a one dimensional luxury we can't afford? When we have played Chico and Andy Carroll in the same side it hasn't worked and in recent times any good chances that have come his way he has bombed. But alarmingly there are even more deficiencies. Put clear at Spurs the other night he had a three yard start on the defenders around 40 yards out but before we could even hold breath in anticipation he was rounded up in next to no time.
When Arnie plays up top under Moyes he has chased lost causes with determination – leading to his goal at Bournemouth and then more recently his closing down set up a great chance for Masuaku against West Brom. When Chico is called upon for the same effort it is just not there with any conviction and any half-hearted closing down normally ends up in shrugs and flailing arms directed at his team mates. I don't like to be negative about our players but this situation is a problem for West Ham. He is the biggest earner at the club on a permanent deal. Am I being harsh? What do you think should happen? I can only see a complete shift away from how we currently set up if we are to get the best out of him and I just don't see Moyes entertaining that scenario? Of course we have been down that path before with "building a team" around Andy Carroll. Not only did that not work out too well but I just don't think Hernandez is good enough to warrant any similar consideration. Personally, I think he is nowhere near as sharp as he used to be but at the price we paid we should still be able to recover our losses should the club or the player himself wish to pull the plug. Your thoughts?
The transfer window has been open for over a week now and things had been very quiet for us until the Coutinho transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona which has triggered a surge of money for Manuel Lanzini to be a targeted as a possible replacement? Over the past two days Lanzini has been backed from 4/1 (20%) to 11/8 ((42%) for a move to a cashed up Liverpool. This is obviously not good news and it will be interesting to see how things pan out on this one.There is still three weeks of the window to go but I am sure David Moyes would like to get any transfers done and sorted sooner rather than later. Here are some updates on other potential transfers.
Alfie Mawson Things have cooled somewhat and it appears more likely that he will either stay at Swansea or a move to Watford is on the cards. Even money (50%) to 5/1 (16%) this deal is looking less likely than last week despite the injury problems of Fonte, Collins and now possibly Winston Reid again.
Jonjo Shelvey Good backing from 5/2 (28%) to 1-2 (66%) for Shelvey to become a Hammer last week but a slight cooling over the past few days to 8/13 (62%). Apparently he is a West Ham fan but if he does become a Moyes signing which Shelvey will we get? Horribly inconsistent with discipline problems or the one that almost single handedly dismantled us not so long ago? Moyes is currently getting the best out of Arnie – perhaps he could with Shelvey?
Daniel Sturridge plagued by injuries the Liverpool striker's problem now is he can't get into the team. He has slipped down the pecking order at both club and for country in a World Cup year. A move to Southampton is a possibility while we are rated a 8/1 (12%) chance of signing him.
Danny Ings another Liverpool striker who has had injury problems but once fit also can't get into the side. Rated a 6/1 (14%) chance to join West Ham. Newcastle seem to be a more realistic proposition for him at this stage if he leaves Merseyside.
Joe Allen It will be interesting to see what transpires at Stoke after Hughes got the sack. The Hammers are 9/2 (18%) for the midfielders services though it may seem more likely a new manager will persuade Allen to stay at the Potters.
Marouane Fellaini lots of speculation about a possible deal on the forums but despite backing last week from 18/1 (5%) to 12/1 (7.6%) if this deal was likely I think the odds would be much shorter than they currently are.
Steven N'Zonzi ditto as above – currently 18/1 (5%).
Andy Carroll is 1-8 (88%) and Joe Hart is 1-6 (85%) to remain Hammers for the foreseeable future and elsewhere Manchester City are 1-4 (80%) to sign Alexis Sanchez during this window.
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Reece Oxford ready to make move permanent – providing Borussia Monchengladbach make offer of £15m
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Wallace, chief football writer
9 JANUARY 2018 • 8:06PM
Reece Oxford, the West Ham defender, may yet get a permanent move to the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach if the club are prepared to increase their offer to around £15 million for the teenager, with RB Leipzig also interested.
Although Oxford's progress on loan this season at Monchengladbach was initially slow, he finally broke into the first team in December before the winter break in Germany, starting their last three games against Freiburg, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen. Monchengladbach have already offered around £8m for the England Under-20 player which has been rejected by West Ham.
The 19-year-old, who made his West Ham debut aged 16, was recalled from Germany by his parent club after the New Year but has not figured under David Moyes having injured an ankle in his first training session back in England. The likelihood is that a decision will be made on his future once the FA Cup third-round replay against Shrewsbury Town has been played next Tuesday.
The loan deal with Monchengladbach could also be resurrected if the clubs are unable to make an agreement on price with Oxford himself eager not to spend the rest of the season as a squad player at West Ham.
Oxford has also attracted interest from RB Leipzig who have a good record of spotting value in young players and are currently fifth in the Bundesliga and in the Europa League knockout stages. The world-record fee for a defender of £75m paid by Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk has underlined the value of an experienced and talented centre-back and previously Moyes has said that he would prefer to keep his best young players, including Oxford.
West Ham would listen to offers for Diafra Sakho and Javier Hernandez in this window, and if they could raise money may look to make a permanent signing. There is an interest in the former Chelsea winger and forward Andre Schurrle, now at Borussia Dortmund, should they be able to make changes to the squad.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 9
Monday, January 8
Daily WHUFC News - 9th January 2018
Bournemouth or Wigan await replay winners in round four
WHUFC.com
The winners of the Hammers' Emirates FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town will travel to AFC Bournemouth or Wigan Athletic in the fourth round. Monday night's draw pitted either the Hammers or the Shrews against the winners of another replay, after the Cherries drew 2-2 at home to League One promotion chasers Wigan. Bournemouth needed a last-gasp leveller from Steve Cook to earn their replay after the Latics had at one stage led 2-0 thanks to Will Grigg and an own goal by Emerson Hyndman. Eddie Howe's men came back, and like the Hammers they will have a second opportunity to make progress. The fourth round ties will be played on the weekend of 26-29 January. Full ticketing and fixture details for the Hammers' third round replay will be confirmed shortly.
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Cullen smiling again thanks to West Ham medical team
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen is smiling again, thanks to West Ham United's quick-thinking medical staff. The midfielder had a front tooth knocked out after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury Town captain Abu Ogogo in Sunday's 0-0 Emirates FA Cup third round draw. The 10,000-strong crowd and a live BBC television audience of millions collectively winced as Cullen's incisor flew through the air before landing on the turf at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
West Ham's first-team doctor Richard Weiler and physiotherapist Fraser Young went to the 21-year-old's aid, with the former locating the rogue tooth and placing it in a cup of milk, and the latter stemming the bleeding inside Cullen's mouth with a piece of gauze. The brave player walked to the touchline, where his blood-stained shorts were replaced, but not before the Academy of Football graduate was told to re-enter the game in his underpants by coach Stuart Pearce – a man accustomed to playing through the pain barrier himself!
A fresh pair of shorts were located and Cullen was allowed to play out the remaining 15 minutes of the game before he was driven to hospital by a member of the Shrewsbury Town groundstaff. There, the tooth was replaced in the youngster's mouth and held in place with a splint. "The Doc found the tooth and put it in a cup of milk as the calcium in there helps to keep the tooth alive and as healthy as possible," Cullen explained. "A member of the Shrewsbury groundstaff took me to hospital straight after the final whistle, so I'd like to thank them, as well as the medical staff at the hospital for being top-class when I got there. "They put the tooth back in and fitted me with a little brace to keep it in place, so I haven't got a gap, even though I saw Nobes tweeted 'Mind the gap' during the game!
"When I went off and after I'd had treatment, I was waiting for the kit man to get me a new pair of No33 shorts from the dressing room and Stuart Pearce was encouraging me to go back on in my pants! He's not the sort of guy you normally say 'No' too, but the fourth official put his arm across and wouldn't let me."
Amazingly, Cullen had the same tooth loosened in an aerial challenge during the Hammers' Premier League Cup final victory over Hull City at the Boleyn Ground in April 2016, but now he is set to have it fixed once and for all.
On Monday, the Republic of Ireland U21 captain met a dental specialist and will undergo root canal treatment next week to repair the damage. In the meantime, and for a period after the surgery, Cullen will wear a gumshield to prevent further injury. "Two of my teeth need root canal treatment, which we will fit in around the games we've got coming up, and once my mouth calms down a bit. "It's being held in place by a splint across the front at the moment and I can't eat anything too hard, so I'm sticking to pasta, soft stuff and chopping my food up small to ensure I keep my energy levels up and I can get back to training at Rush Green. "To be honest, my lip is a bit swollen and that's the sorest part. The teeth are throbbing a bit, but I'm on painkillers so it's not too bad, and I just want to get back to playing football. I'll be fine!"
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Ray 'far from satisfied' with goalless Gillingham draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies interim head coach Karen Ray has expressed her frustration with the team's 0-0 draw against Gillingham on Sunday. The Ladies began 2018 with a home game against the side that bested them 1-0 on the opening day of the season, in a match void of quality chances or indeed noteworthy incident.
While a share of the points was a better result than the reverse fixture against the Gills, Ray is still disappointed with large aspects of the team's performance at Rush Green. "It was a very frustrating game, and I am not someone who can hide their emotions," Ray told whufc.com. "I don't think the girls were close to being at their best and that is hard for us all to accept. We all know what we are capable of and if we aren't going to perform well we still need to find a way to win.
"I am far from satisfied with the performance; a lot of players were below their usual level."
Goalscoring opportunities were at a premium for both sides in a tricky contest over the weekend. The Hammers came closest thanks to efforts from Chloe Burr and Andria Georgiou, while Gillingham saw a free-kick drift just wide of the woodwork. While Ray was understandably concerned about the team's quality in attack the General Manager was delighted with how her side held firm to keep a clean-sheet. Ray continued: "We managed to give Gillingham very little goal scoring opportunities, which is a credit to the defensive group. However, we have to produce more quality going forward, particularly in and around the final third. Getting shots on target and being clinical in front of goal is a must, we need to attack with purpose. "Taking a point today and being disappointed shows that as a team our expectations and aspirations are high. I don't want to take anything away from Gillingham as they showed great resilience and frustrated us. They made it difficult for us to break them down, so credit to them."
The 0-0 against Gillingham was West Ham Ladies' first game in a number of weeks, after a festive break, but the Hammers went into the match without a number of first team players. Ray reckons the inclusion of these names could have turned the fixture in West Ham's favour but has called on the side to show more character ahead of the next clash, away to Brislington. "We have players still away as this game was added to our schedule late on, as well as a couple of injuries, and I think with a couple of those players here today it could have been different," Ray added. "But I also believe we need to show character. If we're going to win games in this league, we have to have different sides to us – we have to find a way to win even when we are not playing well and we have to find a way to score when we aren't on fire." "It comes down to mentality; you have to be accountable for what happens when you cross the white line and as staff we need to search for what we could have done differently and rectify it for this weekend."
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Burke and Cullen impress on return to West Ham colours
WHUFC.com
Academy of Football graduates Reece Burke and Josh Cullen produced impressive performances in West Ham United's goalless Emirates FA Cup third-round draw at Shrewsbury Town on their return from loan spells at Bolton Wanderers. The Hammers were below-par at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday, as manager David Moyes admitted after the tie, which will now be settled by a replay at London Stadium on the evening Tuesday 16 January. However, the two youngsters, as well as fellow Academy product Declan Rice, could be absolved of blame for West Ham's struggles in seeing off their League One opponents at the first attempt.
Republic of Ireland U21 captain Cullen was the star of the show, using the ball intelligently and making six tackles playing on the right of a three-man midfield.
A neat, tidy and combative player very much in the mould of his mentor Mark Noble, the 21-year-old returned from his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers and showed Moyes the qualities that saw him win widespread acclaim at Bradford City last season.
Cullen was always willing and available to receive possession, with his 57 touches of the ball only exceeded by the 83 made by fellow countryman Rice, 64 by fellow Bolton loanee Burke and 61 by midfield partner Pedro Obiang. The diminutive midfielder put in seven crosses – one more than all of his teammates combined – and won a team-high five free-kicks for his side.
The Westcliff-on-Sea born player also showed his courage by playing on to complete the full game, despite losing his front tooth after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury captain Abu Ogogo with 15 minutes remaining Cullen's bravery in continuing was praised by his teammates, BBC pundits Gary Lineker and Ian Wright and fans of West Ham and other clubs on social media.
Burke (above) was also impressive, playing in a right wing-back role that same him combine often with his close pal. The defender stuck to his task well, making a team-high seven tackles, along with six clearances and an interception. The 21-year-old even produced one of West Ham's two on-target goal attempts with a first-half header.
Last but by no means least, Rice continued his recent form playing on the left of Moyes' three-man defence, making six interceptions and two tackles to go alongside a team-high 83 touches and six clearances.
The 18-year-old again showed great composure, particularly when his team came under pressure from the Shrews, positioning himself superbly on numerous occasions and never being afraid to carry the ball forward when the opportunity arose. With the replay falling between two important Premier League fixtures with Huddersfield Town and FC Bournemouth, it would come as no surprise if Moyes were to again put faith in these three talented youngsters when Shrewsbury visit London Stadium a week on Tuesday.
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Bilic was right on Foxes flop
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic bore the brunt of heavy criticism during the summer for rejecting the opportunity to sign Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Co-owner David Sullivan was reported to have arranged a deal to buy the 21-year-old from Manchester City during the summer for a fee in the region of £25million. However the move collapsed after Bilic insisted that the player would be a poor fit for West Ham. At the time, Bilic was panned by many supporters for spurning the opportunity to sign the young goalscorer.
However hindsight suggests that the Croat may have been right after all, with the news that Leicester - Iheanacho's current club - are ready to offload him less than six months after striking the same £25million deal with Manchester City. Since joining the Foxes, the Nigerian international has made just two Premier League starts and was introduced as a late substitute during the weekend's FA Cup 3rd round draw with Fleetwood Town.
And new Leicester boss Claude Puel is understood to have indicated that Iheanacho - who has scored just one goal for Leicester since moving from Manchester - can leave on a permanent basis should he be able to find a new club. The biggest obstacle standing in the way of a speedy move however is the player's £115,000 weekly wage, agreed when he signed a five-year contract prior to the start of the current season.
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Former Hammer favourite for Stoke role
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is odds-on to succeed Mark Hughes as manager of Stoke City. The 49-year-old was fired by West Ham in November following a poor start to the current campaign. However he could be set to return to management within the next few days according to the bookies.
Bilic, who has remained in London with his family is currently 4/5 favourite to succeed Hughes, closely followed in the betting by Gary Rowett and former Leicester and Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill. However it is understood that the Croat has also been contacted by Football Australia with view to taking the vacant managerial position with the Socceroos, which was recently vacated by Ange Postecoglou.
Speaking recently to the media, Bilic insisted that he was ready to take up his next role in management following his departure from West Ham. "I know where I stand in the map of world managers," he told the Mail. "I can afford a break but can't switch off my phone for a year like Guardiola or Mourinho. "I was at West Ham only a few weeks ago. On the other hand, I feel so rested. I am ready. You don't always realise your batteries need recharging when you are in the middle of everything. "It's always better to go into a job at the start of the season but football can't be perfect. If the right one comes next week, it's something that comes. I have proved myself here in England; I don't feel like a stranger."
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Watford interested in Swansea's Alfie Mawson
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 08/01/18 1:52pm
SSN
Watford are rivalling West Ham with interest in Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, Sky Sports News understands. The 23-year-old England U21 international is highly sought-after following a string of impressive displays, despite the Swans' struggles at the foot of the Premier League table. Sky Sports News reported last week that West Ham boss David Moyes is targeting a new centre-back during the January transfer window after losing Jose Fonte to injury in October. West Ham want Mawson, who has 18 months left on his current contract, but Swansea do not want to sell him in the January window. Mawson insisted in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports earlier this month that he was concentrating on the ongoing relegation battle and that talk of a transfer was just that - "talk".
He said: "Whatever happens, happens. If offers come in then that is nothing to do with me. All I can do is affect my performances. I'm a Swansea player and I want to do well here. "It is flattering to hear certain things but I have got to do what I can for this club. I'm contracted for another two-and-a-half years after this, whether that is in the Championship or hopefully in the Premier League, I am signed to be here so that's all it is at the moment, it's just talk."
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THE YOUNG HAMMERS - FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL FOR THEIR FIRST TEAM OPPORTUNITY
By HamburgHammer 8 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Hooray, football is finally back in Hamburg! Alright, not the proper league stuff yet, but even at the lower league level of my second club Concordia the winter break is short and needs must. First training session of 2018 took place on Friday and yesterday there was a midseason friendly indoor tournament to help the lads burn away any excess calories of their Christmas and New Year dinners. This tournament is a quite traditional event by now, Cordi organise the whole lot and invite nine other teams from East Hamburg to compete for very little money but a lot of pride at stake. The nice thing is that it's only local derbies, in fact you can't get much more local than this, the longest trip any team had to make for this one was an 8 mile journey.
I have to admit that indoors football is not really my cup of tea, you tend to see a lot of goals, granted, but playing indoors also involves the risk of injuries waiting to happen and all those shots bouncing off the boards in a confined space make it a very acquired taste. I prefer the outdoor version.
But it was a welcome opportunity to watch some live footie again, plenty of games in quick succession, each lasting a mere ten minutes, I could also wish the other known faces from the local fan scene a Happy New Year, have some banter and also not worry too much about the results on the pitch, sorry, the basketball court.
To cut a long story short, Cordi were playing some awful football (still a bit rusty I reckon) but like an experienced horse at the end of the day they only jumped as high as they needed to, made it to the final regardless and won the trophy after a thrilling penalty shootout (What did you expect ? This is Germany!).
I made it back home, just as our Cup tie at Shrewsbury had finished which was convenient as I could put on a Hammers shirt and start watching the recording immediately…
Well, to be fair it wasn't exactly a Cup Classic, was it ? Once again we failed to put our stamp on the game, create a number of goalscoring opportunities or even pass the ball to a teammate with any conviction. And while Shrewsbury are a very talented and organised outfit they are still a League One club. So seeing us stumble and stutter our way to a replay wasn't beautiful. It would have been even more dreadful if it hadn't been for the efforts of our East London kindergarten out there, with some very decent shifts put in by Declan Rice, Reece Burke, Toni Martinez and last but not least, Mr.Josh Cullen.
Not only did he make some very tidy interceptions, playing some nice passes into the bargain, he also literally put his body on the line by way of taking a kick in the North and South. I could sympathise a lot with Cullen in that fateful moment as I lost some teeth in similar fashion when I was around the same age. To then finish the game and still throw yourself into blocks and challenges takes a lot of guts and I can only applaud young Cullen for his bravery and exemplary display of willingness to take one for the team and go right through the pain barrier.
I won't blame our youngsters for failing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and win it, for that to happen our more experienced players would have been required to play a bit more like the footballers of Premier League standard they presumably are. In fact, I'd say our youngsters were by far the best players on the pitch wearing claret and blue, grazing The New Meadow.
It's too small a sample size yet to decide if Cullen and Burke should remain on the fringes of our first team now or if we should send them back to Bolton on loan for the rest of the season (their only options now after playing in the Cup game against Shrewsbury).
I will always advocate the idea of giving our youngsters a shot at first team football. I think guys like Rice, Oxford, Burke, Cullen, Quina and Martinez all have a decent chance to make the step up, some sooner (like Rice and Oxford), others maybe later (the rest).
In any case I think it's well worth it to keep some patience with them as they are unlikely to command high transfer fees anyway should we decide to sell them.
And knowing our rather thrifty approach in the transfer market I'd rather see us showing some trust in our prospects instead of getting out the scattergun, signing some South American punts who might be able to adjust to Premier League football given some time or crash and burn quickly.
Our business in the transfer window will be highly interesting because it might give us some answers (again) in terms of the actual level of our board's ambition.
Will we be happy enough to simply replace the players we ship out ?
Or will we push the boat out just a little bit further and try to nail down a quality signing or two if possible ?
Will the owners really be happy to just stay up ? Or will we give it a genuine shot to finish at least in a more respectable midtable position ? I reckon we should go for the latter as it can only help our transfer business in the summer if we finish as high as possible.
Players surely prefer to join a club that finished 10th instead of one that only just escaped relegation on the last day of the season. I'd love to see one or two quality signings arriving in the next few weeks, but I won't be holding my breath and I will definitely continue going to bed during the transfer window!
Another quick final word on Concordia: The transfer window is open for the lower leagues in Germany as well and it's mindblowing with how much of a turnover my local side will have to cope, full on revolving door style. Six players have already left during the break, with three new faces coming in and more ins and outs to follow. Cordi have also just now filled an urgent vacancy by finally hiring a new vice president/director of football. And after playing a hugely underwhelming first half of the season they have also had to quickly adjust their short term goals and ambitions. Promotion to the next level is already out of the question for this season at least, so it looks like it'll have to be baby steps for the time being, slow and steady progress from now on. So unfortunately it's not all roses, wine and sunshine at Concordia either my dear fellow Hammers…
One thing's for sure. January won't be boring for West Ham either, with plenty of twists and turns lurking with intent, on and off the pitch. Let's hope the rollercoaster will be kind and we don't get stuck, hanging upside down in a looping…COYI!!!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The winners of the Hammers' Emirates FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town will travel to AFC Bournemouth or Wigan Athletic in the fourth round. Monday night's draw pitted either the Hammers or the Shrews against the winners of another replay, after the Cherries drew 2-2 at home to League One promotion chasers Wigan. Bournemouth needed a last-gasp leveller from Steve Cook to earn their replay after the Latics had at one stage led 2-0 thanks to Will Grigg and an own goal by Emerson Hyndman. Eddie Howe's men came back, and like the Hammers they will have a second opportunity to make progress. The fourth round ties will be played on the weekend of 26-29 January. Full ticketing and fixture details for the Hammers' third round replay will be confirmed shortly.
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Cullen smiling again thanks to West Ham medical team
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen is smiling again, thanks to West Ham United's quick-thinking medical staff. The midfielder had a front tooth knocked out after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury Town captain Abu Ogogo in Sunday's 0-0 Emirates FA Cup third round draw. The 10,000-strong crowd and a live BBC television audience of millions collectively winced as Cullen's incisor flew through the air before landing on the turf at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
West Ham's first-team doctor Richard Weiler and physiotherapist Fraser Young went to the 21-year-old's aid, with the former locating the rogue tooth and placing it in a cup of milk, and the latter stemming the bleeding inside Cullen's mouth with a piece of gauze. The brave player walked to the touchline, where his blood-stained shorts were replaced, but not before the Academy of Football graduate was told to re-enter the game in his underpants by coach Stuart Pearce – a man accustomed to playing through the pain barrier himself!
A fresh pair of shorts were located and Cullen was allowed to play out the remaining 15 minutes of the game before he was driven to hospital by a member of the Shrewsbury Town groundstaff. There, the tooth was replaced in the youngster's mouth and held in place with a splint. "The Doc found the tooth and put it in a cup of milk as the calcium in there helps to keep the tooth alive and as healthy as possible," Cullen explained. "A member of the Shrewsbury groundstaff took me to hospital straight after the final whistle, so I'd like to thank them, as well as the medical staff at the hospital for being top-class when I got there. "They put the tooth back in and fitted me with a little brace to keep it in place, so I haven't got a gap, even though I saw Nobes tweeted 'Mind the gap' during the game!
"When I went off and after I'd had treatment, I was waiting for the kit man to get me a new pair of No33 shorts from the dressing room and Stuart Pearce was encouraging me to go back on in my pants! He's not the sort of guy you normally say 'No' too, but the fourth official put his arm across and wouldn't let me."
Amazingly, Cullen had the same tooth loosened in an aerial challenge during the Hammers' Premier League Cup final victory over Hull City at the Boleyn Ground in April 2016, but now he is set to have it fixed once and for all.
On Monday, the Republic of Ireland U21 captain met a dental specialist and will undergo root canal treatment next week to repair the damage. In the meantime, and for a period after the surgery, Cullen will wear a gumshield to prevent further injury. "Two of my teeth need root canal treatment, which we will fit in around the games we've got coming up, and once my mouth calms down a bit. "It's being held in place by a splint across the front at the moment and I can't eat anything too hard, so I'm sticking to pasta, soft stuff and chopping my food up small to ensure I keep my energy levels up and I can get back to training at Rush Green. "To be honest, my lip is a bit swollen and that's the sorest part. The teeth are throbbing a bit, but I'm on painkillers so it's not too bad, and I just want to get back to playing football. I'll be fine!"
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Ray 'far from satisfied' with goalless Gillingham draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies interim head coach Karen Ray has expressed her frustration with the team's 0-0 draw against Gillingham on Sunday. The Ladies began 2018 with a home game against the side that bested them 1-0 on the opening day of the season, in a match void of quality chances or indeed noteworthy incident.
While a share of the points was a better result than the reverse fixture against the Gills, Ray is still disappointed with large aspects of the team's performance at Rush Green. "It was a very frustrating game, and I am not someone who can hide their emotions," Ray told whufc.com. "I don't think the girls were close to being at their best and that is hard for us all to accept. We all know what we are capable of and if we aren't going to perform well we still need to find a way to win.
"I am far from satisfied with the performance; a lot of players were below their usual level."
Goalscoring opportunities were at a premium for both sides in a tricky contest over the weekend. The Hammers came closest thanks to efforts from Chloe Burr and Andria Georgiou, while Gillingham saw a free-kick drift just wide of the woodwork. While Ray was understandably concerned about the team's quality in attack the General Manager was delighted with how her side held firm to keep a clean-sheet. Ray continued: "We managed to give Gillingham very little goal scoring opportunities, which is a credit to the defensive group. However, we have to produce more quality going forward, particularly in and around the final third. Getting shots on target and being clinical in front of goal is a must, we need to attack with purpose. "Taking a point today and being disappointed shows that as a team our expectations and aspirations are high. I don't want to take anything away from Gillingham as they showed great resilience and frustrated us. They made it difficult for us to break them down, so credit to them."
The 0-0 against Gillingham was West Ham Ladies' first game in a number of weeks, after a festive break, but the Hammers went into the match without a number of first team players. Ray reckons the inclusion of these names could have turned the fixture in West Ham's favour but has called on the side to show more character ahead of the next clash, away to Brislington. "We have players still away as this game was added to our schedule late on, as well as a couple of injuries, and I think with a couple of those players here today it could have been different," Ray added. "But I also believe we need to show character. If we're going to win games in this league, we have to have different sides to us – we have to find a way to win even when we are not playing well and we have to find a way to score when we aren't on fire." "It comes down to mentality; you have to be accountable for what happens when you cross the white line and as staff we need to search for what we could have done differently and rectify it for this weekend."
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Burke and Cullen impress on return to West Ham colours
WHUFC.com
Academy of Football graduates Reece Burke and Josh Cullen produced impressive performances in West Ham United's goalless Emirates FA Cup third-round draw at Shrewsbury Town on their return from loan spells at Bolton Wanderers. The Hammers were below-par at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Sunday, as manager David Moyes admitted after the tie, which will now be settled by a replay at London Stadium on the evening Tuesday 16 January. However, the two youngsters, as well as fellow Academy product Declan Rice, could be absolved of blame for West Ham's struggles in seeing off their League One opponents at the first attempt.
Republic of Ireland U21 captain Cullen was the star of the show, using the ball intelligently and making six tackles playing on the right of a three-man midfield.
A neat, tidy and combative player very much in the mould of his mentor Mark Noble, the 21-year-old returned from his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers and showed Moyes the qualities that saw him win widespread acclaim at Bradford City last season.
Cullen was always willing and available to receive possession, with his 57 touches of the ball only exceeded by the 83 made by fellow countryman Rice, 64 by fellow Bolton loanee Burke and 61 by midfield partner Pedro Obiang. The diminutive midfielder put in seven crosses – one more than all of his teammates combined – and won a team-high five free-kicks for his side.
The Westcliff-on-Sea born player also showed his courage by playing on to complete the full game, despite losing his front tooth after receiving a high boot to the face from Shrewsbury captain Abu Ogogo with 15 minutes remaining Cullen's bravery in continuing was praised by his teammates, BBC pundits Gary Lineker and Ian Wright and fans of West Ham and other clubs on social media.
Burke (above) was also impressive, playing in a right wing-back role that same him combine often with his close pal. The defender stuck to his task well, making a team-high seven tackles, along with six clearances and an interception. The 21-year-old even produced one of West Ham's two on-target goal attempts with a first-half header.
Last but by no means least, Rice continued his recent form playing on the left of Moyes' three-man defence, making six interceptions and two tackles to go alongside a team-high 83 touches and six clearances.
The 18-year-old again showed great composure, particularly when his team came under pressure from the Shrews, positioning himself superbly on numerous occasions and never being afraid to carry the ball forward when the opportunity arose. With the replay falling between two important Premier League fixtures with Huddersfield Town and FC Bournemouth, it would come as no surprise if Moyes were to again put faith in these three talented youngsters when Shrewsbury visit London Stadium a week on Tuesday.
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Bilic was right on Foxes flop
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic bore the brunt of heavy criticism during the summer for rejecting the opportunity to sign Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Co-owner David Sullivan was reported to have arranged a deal to buy the 21-year-old from Manchester City during the summer for a fee in the region of £25million. However the move collapsed after Bilic insisted that the player would be a poor fit for West Ham. At the time, Bilic was panned by many supporters for spurning the opportunity to sign the young goalscorer.
However hindsight suggests that the Croat may have been right after all, with the news that Leicester - Iheanacho's current club - are ready to offload him less than six months after striking the same £25million deal with Manchester City. Since joining the Foxes, the Nigerian international has made just two Premier League starts and was introduced as a late substitute during the weekend's FA Cup 3rd round draw with Fleetwood Town.
And new Leicester boss Claude Puel is understood to have indicated that Iheanacho - who has scored just one goal for Leicester since moving from Manchester - can leave on a permanent basis should he be able to find a new club. The biggest obstacle standing in the way of a speedy move however is the player's £115,000 weekly wage, agreed when he signed a five-year contract prior to the start of the current season.
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Former Hammer favourite for Stoke role
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is odds-on to succeed Mark Hughes as manager of Stoke City. The 49-year-old was fired by West Ham in November following a poor start to the current campaign. However he could be set to return to management within the next few days according to the bookies.
Bilic, who has remained in London with his family is currently 4/5 favourite to succeed Hughes, closely followed in the betting by Gary Rowett and former Leicester and Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill. However it is understood that the Croat has also been contacted by Football Australia with view to taking the vacant managerial position with the Socceroos, which was recently vacated by Ange Postecoglou.
Speaking recently to the media, Bilic insisted that he was ready to take up his next role in management following his departure from West Ham. "I know where I stand in the map of world managers," he told the Mail. "I can afford a break but can't switch off my phone for a year like Guardiola or Mourinho. "I was at West Ham only a few weeks ago. On the other hand, I feel so rested. I am ready. You don't always realise your batteries need recharging when you are in the middle of everything. "It's always better to go into a job at the start of the season but football can't be perfect. If the right one comes next week, it's something that comes. I have proved myself here in England; I don't feel like a stranger."
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Watford interested in Swansea's Alfie Mawson
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 08/01/18 1:52pm
SSN
Watford are rivalling West Ham with interest in Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, Sky Sports News understands. The 23-year-old England U21 international is highly sought-after following a string of impressive displays, despite the Swans' struggles at the foot of the Premier League table. Sky Sports News reported last week that West Ham boss David Moyes is targeting a new centre-back during the January transfer window after losing Jose Fonte to injury in October. West Ham want Mawson, who has 18 months left on his current contract, but Swansea do not want to sell him in the January window. Mawson insisted in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports earlier this month that he was concentrating on the ongoing relegation battle and that talk of a transfer was just that - "talk".
He said: "Whatever happens, happens. If offers come in then that is nothing to do with me. All I can do is affect my performances. I'm a Swansea player and I want to do well here. "It is flattering to hear certain things but I have got to do what I can for this club. I'm contracted for another two-and-a-half years after this, whether that is in the Championship or hopefully in the Premier League, I am signed to be here so that's all it is at the moment, it's just talk."
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THE YOUNG HAMMERS - FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL FOR THEIR FIRST TEAM OPPORTUNITY
By HamburgHammer 8 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Hooray, football is finally back in Hamburg! Alright, not the proper league stuff yet, but even at the lower league level of my second club Concordia the winter break is short and needs must. First training session of 2018 took place on Friday and yesterday there was a midseason friendly indoor tournament to help the lads burn away any excess calories of their Christmas and New Year dinners. This tournament is a quite traditional event by now, Cordi organise the whole lot and invite nine other teams from East Hamburg to compete for very little money but a lot of pride at stake. The nice thing is that it's only local derbies, in fact you can't get much more local than this, the longest trip any team had to make for this one was an 8 mile journey.
I have to admit that indoors football is not really my cup of tea, you tend to see a lot of goals, granted, but playing indoors also involves the risk of injuries waiting to happen and all those shots bouncing off the boards in a confined space make it a very acquired taste. I prefer the outdoor version.
But it was a welcome opportunity to watch some live footie again, plenty of games in quick succession, each lasting a mere ten minutes, I could also wish the other known faces from the local fan scene a Happy New Year, have some banter and also not worry too much about the results on the pitch, sorry, the basketball court.
To cut a long story short, Cordi were playing some awful football (still a bit rusty I reckon) but like an experienced horse at the end of the day they only jumped as high as they needed to, made it to the final regardless and won the trophy after a thrilling penalty shootout (What did you expect ? This is Germany!).
I made it back home, just as our Cup tie at Shrewsbury had finished which was convenient as I could put on a Hammers shirt and start watching the recording immediately…
Well, to be fair it wasn't exactly a Cup Classic, was it ? Once again we failed to put our stamp on the game, create a number of goalscoring opportunities or even pass the ball to a teammate with any conviction. And while Shrewsbury are a very talented and organised outfit they are still a League One club. So seeing us stumble and stutter our way to a replay wasn't beautiful. It would have been even more dreadful if it hadn't been for the efforts of our East London kindergarten out there, with some very decent shifts put in by Declan Rice, Reece Burke, Toni Martinez and last but not least, Mr.Josh Cullen.
Not only did he make some very tidy interceptions, playing some nice passes into the bargain, he also literally put his body on the line by way of taking a kick in the North and South. I could sympathise a lot with Cullen in that fateful moment as I lost some teeth in similar fashion when I was around the same age. To then finish the game and still throw yourself into blocks and challenges takes a lot of guts and I can only applaud young Cullen for his bravery and exemplary display of willingness to take one for the team and go right through the pain barrier.
I won't blame our youngsters for failing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and win it, for that to happen our more experienced players would have been required to play a bit more like the footballers of Premier League standard they presumably are. In fact, I'd say our youngsters were by far the best players on the pitch wearing claret and blue, grazing The New Meadow.
It's too small a sample size yet to decide if Cullen and Burke should remain on the fringes of our first team now or if we should send them back to Bolton on loan for the rest of the season (their only options now after playing in the Cup game against Shrewsbury).
I will always advocate the idea of giving our youngsters a shot at first team football. I think guys like Rice, Oxford, Burke, Cullen, Quina and Martinez all have a decent chance to make the step up, some sooner (like Rice and Oxford), others maybe later (the rest).
In any case I think it's well worth it to keep some patience with them as they are unlikely to command high transfer fees anyway should we decide to sell them.
And knowing our rather thrifty approach in the transfer market I'd rather see us showing some trust in our prospects instead of getting out the scattergun, signing some South American punts who might be able to adjust to Premier League football given some time or crash and burn quickly.
Our business in the transfer window will be highly interesting because it might give us some answers (again) in terms of the actual level of our board's ambition.
Will we be happy enough to simply replace the players we ship out ?
Or will we push the boat out just a little bit further and try to nail down a quality signing or two if possible ?
Will the owners really be happy to just stay up ? Or will we give it a genuine shot to finish at least in a more respectable midtable position ? I reckon we should go for the latter as it can only help our transfer business in the summer if we finish as high as possible.
Players surely prefer to join a club that finished 10th instead of one that only just escaped relegation on the last day of the season. I'd love to see one or two quality signings arriving in the next few weeks, but I won't be holding my breath and I will definitely continue going to bed during the transfer window!
Another quick final word on Concordia: The transfer window is open for the lower leagues in Germany as well and it's mindblowing with how much of a turnover my local side will have to cope, full on revolving door style. Six players have already left during the break, with three new faces coming in and more ins and outs to follow. Cordi have also just now filled an urgent vacancy by finally hiring a new vice president/director of football. And after playing a hugely underwhelming first half of the season they have also had to quickly adjust their short term goals and ambitions. Promotion to the next level is already out of the question for this season at least, so it looks like it'll have to be baby steps for the time being, slow and steady progress from now on. So unfortunately it's not all roses, wine and sunshine at Concordia either my dear fellow Hammers…
One thing's for sure. January won't be boring for West Ham either, with plenty of twists and turns lurking with intent, on and off the pitch. Let's hope the rollercoaster will be kind and we don't get stuck, hanging upside down in a looping…COYI!!!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, January 7
Daily WHUFC News - 8th January 2018
Hammers held at Shrewsbury in FA Cup
WHUFC.com
Shrewsbury Town 0 – 0 West Ham United
Emirates FA Cup third round
West Ham United and Shrewsbury Town battled out a 0-0 draw at Montgomery Waters Meadow as neither side were able to settle Sunday's Emirates FA Cup third round tie at the first attempt. Shrewsbury, flying high in League One, gave a good account of themselves as the Hammers were unable to get going and show the two-division gulf between the sides. Home goalkeeper Dean Henderson was untroubled throughout while former Shrews keeper Joe Hart had to make the game's two outstanding saves – down low to his left in quick succession from Mat Sadler and Alex Rodman – before the break. The result is the teams will have to replay at London Stadium to decide who will progress to the competiton's last-32.
David Moyes was without several senior members of his squad through injury, but was still with the likes of Hart, Winston Reid, Andre Ayew and Chicharito as he selected as strong a side he had available to him. One of his younger players, Josh Cullen, came straight into the starting XI following his return from a loan at Bolton and his delivery almost led to a goal on nine minute, but Cheikhou Kouyate couldn't get enough on the header. Shrewsbury settled well and Jon Nolan fired a 25-yard free-kick into the Hammers wall nine minutes later. With 26 minutes on the clock Shaun Whalley whipped a free-kick in from the left and Norwich loanee Ben Godfrey touched towards goal, but Hart got down to save at his feet. Hart was back at the club where it all began for him, and he was called into action twice in quick succession ten minutes before the break.
First, he had to dive low to his left with a strong hand to deny Sadler after the Shrews defender, who had earlier sustained a cut to his head, burst through and shot for goal. Then, second later, he had to repeat the trick to keep out a low drive from Rodman. The League One Shrews had enjoyed the better of the opening period, showing that they weren't overawed by the occasion and West Ham were unable to impose themselves on the contest. The start of the second period followed a similar pattern, although Shrewsbury were not able to make the same headway against the Hammers defence. It was a similar story at the other end as the Shrews backline showed why only Manchester City and Wigan Athletic have conceded fewer goals in the top four divisions this term. Ten minutes from time Pedro Obiang dragged a left-footed shot wide of the far post from 20 yards, while at the other end Nolan leant back and fired over when picked out in a good position by a low cross from the left. Neither side could find that moment of quality in front of goal and they will have to do it all again at London Stadium.
Shrewsbury Town: Henderson, Bolton, Sadler, Nsiala, Beckles, Whalley (Gnahoua 87), Nolan, Godfrey, Ogogo, Rodman (Lowe 76), C. Morris (Payne 82)
Subs: MacGillivrary, Dodds, John-Lewis, B.Morris
West Ham United: Hart, Burke, Rice, Reid (Quina 86), Ogbonna, Masuaku, Cullen, Obiang, Kouyate, Ayew, Chicharito (Martinez 71)
Subs: Adrian, Neufville, Makasi, Haksabanovic, Samuelsen
Referee: Paul Tierney
Attendance: 9,535
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Hammers held by Gillingham Ladies
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies began 2018 with a well-earned point after a goalless draw with Gillingham Ladies. A difficult match for Karen Ray's side was mainly fought in midfield as both teams looked to take the advantage. The best effort of the first half fell to the away team as a free-kick just went wide. Chloe Burr tested Gillingham's shot-stopper on a number of occasions while Andria Georgiou's own free-kick also came close to opening the scoring. But the game ended without a goal despite a push from West Ham in the final few moments. The first half of a close contest at Rush Green was lacking in quality chances, with both sides battling in midfield for long periods of the opening 45 minutes. The away side got the first of the game as Gillingham earned a corner in the tenth minute, while Burr saw an effort fly over the bar after Amy Cooper played an excellent ball across the field. The winger also attempted a speculative volley from the edge of the area and Amber Stobbs continued to put pressure on the Gillingham defence from a false nine position. But the best effort of the first half was for Gillingham. Jack Wheeler's side saw a free-kick from 25 yards skim the far post. The second period started with a similar effort for the Irons as Georgiou had a decent free-kick that went wide of the woodwork. The midfielder also forced as save from the Gilingham goalkeeper while Burr also saw a shot from 10 yards tipped away for a corner. The introduction of Molly Peters up front brought some speed to the Hammers front line, with West Ham enjoying the best chances and the Gills defending sternly. But, despite some terrific pressure from the home side in the closing exchanges, the game ended goalless, leaving both sides with a share of the points.
West Ham United XI: Staunton; Mackie, Wheeler, Austin, Auguste; Chong (Wealthall 89'), Georgiou, Cooper ©; Burr (Perters 64'), Stobbs, R Kmita
Subs not used: Mabey, M Kmita
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Moyes: We're fortunate it's a replay
WHUFC.com
David Moyes offered no excuses for his team's display as they were held by League One Shrewsbury Town in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Sunday. The Hammers were unable to break down a side two divisions below them and they were reliant on two fine first half saves from Joe Hart to keep them in the hunt.
The teams will now have to replay at London Stadium for the right to progress to round four and Moyes says the Hammers will need to be much better if they are to gain the result they want. "We're fortunate that we've taken the tie to a replay," the boss admitted. "Shrewsbury were better than us today so I'm pleased to still be in the FA Cup. "We had hardly any attempts at all, maybe one or two, but very few. In the first half, Joe Hart made a couple of very good saves, and I don't think anyone should be surprised by Shrewsbury because they are doing very well in their league. "They have a bit of momentum so it was always going to be a tough game and not many Premier League teams are winning their games that easily. They are difficult to win. "The biggest disappointment for me was that we didn't show enough steel, because when you come to these places you have to show that you can battle and compete physically. I don't think we did that at all.
"It's a mentality thing too, wherever you're playing you have to recognise and respect whatever you're up against it's going to be tough, whether that's Tottenham or Shrewsbury. "In the first half especially we didn't compete at all."
Moyes also had a late injury concern over Winston Reid, who hobbled off with five minutes remaining, and his best player on the day, Josh Cullen, also took a nasty blow to the mouth. He added: "Josh was probably our best player today. Considering he's only just come back and we're getting to know him, he did well. "He had two teeth knocked out and he's gone straight to A&E to see if they can save them. Reidy just felt his groin kicking one at the end and we certainly don't need to add to it [the injury list]."
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Hart: We got out of jail a bit
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart admitted West Ham United were lucky to be in the hat for the Emirates FA Cup fourth round after being held to a goalless draw at his former club Shrewsbury Town. The goalkeeper was arguably the Hammers' best player at Montgomery Waters Meadow, marking his return home with a clean sheet and a number of smart pieces of work between the sticks – despite being blinded by a low sun before being handed a baseball cap by a generous member of the Claret and Blue Army. Hart, who started for the first time since the Premier League defeat at Everton in late November, said West Ham will need to be much-improved if they are to see off the impressive Shrews at London Stadium in the replay, which will be played a week on Tuesday. "We were terrible today and there is a feeling in the dressing room that we got out of jail a bit," said Hart. "Shrewsbury were really good, they've been in a good run of form and it's a tough place to come. "We didn't play well. We've had three games in a week, which is a lot of football for some of the lads, but there were some big opportunities for the likes of myself to get some game-time. We didn't necessarily take them, but we're still in the cup and we'll see what happens in the replay. "We can't blame fatigue, but there was some terrible football played and we lost a lot of battles. It was a really tough cup tie and I think nil-nil is almost a fair result."
Hart was handed the captain's armband by manager David Moyes on his return to the club he represented 58 times as a teenager, before being handed a baseball cap by a quick-thinking West Ham fan. "It was a nice touch to captain the side. This is my home town and it's where I'm from. I went to school here, I've got lots of friends and family here and this club is the one who gave me my opportunity in football. "It was very, very special and a nice moment to play here again, but during the game naturally I wanted to win. It's over now, so to see a lot of familiar faces was very nice. "I'm very grateful to the fans. We have a cap in the kit van, but Aaron Cresswell's hair was so bad that he took it after the last game! He was rocking the Umbro cap so we didn't have one available, but someone in the West Ham end very kindly lent me their hat, because I was blinded by the sun. I'd have taken any sort of hat or sunglasses as I couldn't see a thing. "They could see I was massively impeded so they got my attention and someone threw me their hat, so I'm grateful for that."
Hart will almost certainly start the replay, with Adrian currently holding the No1 position in the Premier League, and the England international is hoping to stake another claim to regain his position at the top of the goalkeeping pecking order when the Shrews visit east London on 16 January. "I face a battle to re-establish myself. We've had some good results recently and I've not been playing, so I've got to use days like this to try and stake my claim. "The replay is going to be another tough game and hopefully we'll have a few more bodies back as we had a lot of injuries and people who couldn't make the trip, so hopefully we'll have a stronger squad and advance to the next round."
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Shrewsbury Town 0-0 West Ham United
By Caroline Chapman
BBC Sport
Goalkeeper Joe Hart described West Ham's performance as "terrible" as League One Shrewsbury Town held them to a goalless draw to force an FA Cup third-round replay. The hosts, who are second in League One, dominated for large parts of the game but were unable to find the winner, while West Ham could only register two shots on target. When Shrewsbury-born Hart was asked after the game if his side had got out of jail, he replied: "100%. We were terrible today and Shrewsbury were really good."
Ben Godfrey almost poked home from Shaun Whalley's free-kick in the first half, before Mat Sadler saw his chance saved by Hart. The Hammers, who made four changes from Thursday's Premier League draw with Tottenham, looked lethargic in their third match in six days and only threatened through half-chances from Andre Ayew. "It's a tough place to come. We didn't play well. We had three games in a week and there were opportunities for the lads, including myself," added Hart."I can't blame fatigue. There was some terrible football played today and we lost a lot of battles."
The result means the Shrews will now travel to London Stadium later this month for the replay, with the hope of reaching the fourth round of the competition for only the second time in 14 seasons. West Ham, meanwhile, will be hoping to avoid being knocked out in the third round for the sixth time in eight years.
Hart was recalled to the first team and made captain for his return to his boyhood town and the club where he started his career. He got a warm reception as he walked out on to the pitch at Montgomery Waters Meadow and said after the game: "This is where I grew up, my home town. It gave me my opportunity in football. It's very special."
The England international made strong saves to deny Godfrey and Sadler from close range, while West Ham's defence was able to scupper a late attack from captain Abu Ogogo in stoppage time. Shrewsbury, two points off leaders Wigan in the third tier, boast an enviable defensive record with only four goals conceded at home this season. But, in truth, West Ham offered little to trouble their back line. The visitors had only four touches in the opposition's penalty area and their only chances came from Ayew - his low, tame effort in the first half coming before a flicked header after the break.
It was a memorable, if painful, domestic debut for 21-year-old West Ham midfielder Josh Cullen, who lost his front tooth after receiving a high boot to the face from Ogogo. Cullen's tooth was retrieved from the pitch by the Hammers physio and the Republic of Ireland U21 international was able to continue playing - but only after being made to change his shorts on the side of the pitch as they were covered in blood. Shrewsbury defender Sadler also needed extensive treatment after a clash of heads with Ayew. The 32-year-old needed two trips off the field to deal with the bleeding and ended up with a bandage around his head for the second half.
'Mixed feelings' for Shrewsbury - what they said
Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst: "The players are a little bit deflated almost. "To their credit, they did extremely well but if we'd had just that little bit of quality and we may have got through. So it's mixed feelings really. "But we have a replay to look forward to. We know it will be tough. They will be at home, more comfortable in their own stadium."
West Ham manager David Moyes: "I don't think we showed any quality and the biggest disappointment is I didn't think we showed enough steel. "When you come to places like this you have to show yourself physically, that you can battle and compete. I didn't think we did that at all and that was the worst thing about it."Obviously if you compare Wembley and Thursday night, it's a big change. But it's a mentality thing. You've got to go and show that wherever you are, you've got to respect whatever players you're against and recognise it's going to be tough."
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Disappointed we didn't win!
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 7th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Shrewsbury defender Mat Sadler believes his team can still knock West Ham out of the FA Cup following today's goalless draw at New Meadow.
The League One side were the more likely of the two teams to score this afternoon but had to settle for a second bite of the cherry having been held to a draw by a West Ham side featuring several youngsters.
And Sadler - who required lengthy treatment during the second half - firmly believes that his team can upset the apple cart when the two teams meet again in the replay, the date for which will be confirmed soon.
"It's a game we're disappointed we didn't win in the end," he told the BBC. "We've had a couple of good chances and limited them to very few.
"We've now got the opportunity to go to the Olympic Stadium and go again - and I see no reason why we can't win there. I see no reason to think it won't be a similar game when we go there, so we'll look forward to that."
West Ham managed just four shots at goal during the game compared to Shrewsbury's nine, three of which were on traget (compared to West Ham's two). The hosts enjoyed 56 per cent of possession, with West Ham some way behind with 44 per cent.
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Cullen off to hospital
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 7th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Josh Cullen has been taken to hospital after losing a tooth during this afternoon's goalless draw at Shrewsbury. The Southend-born midfielder parted company with one of his molars midway through the second half after having it kicked out following a challenge by Town's Abu Ogogo. As you can see from the footage above Cullen's departing tooth was clearly visible on TV cameras, but was soon collected by the medical team as he received treatment on the field. The closest hospital to the ground is the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, some three miles away. West Ham will face a replay against the League One side next week as a result of today's stalemate.
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Spurs 1 - 1 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th January 2018
By: HeadHammerShark
"And your God is only a catapult, waiting for the right time to let you go
Into the unknown, just to watch you hold your breath
Yeah, and you surrender your fortress"
- The War on Drugs, "Arms Like Boulders"
Dreams aren't supposed to look like this. Stalwart defending, cheering brief moments of possession, holding midfielders channeling Bobby Charlton, and all the while clinging grimly to a point as though it were a life float chucked overboard into a tumultuous, stormy sea. But there you go – welcome to the new normal in the Premier League, where those who have orchestrated two decades of inequity are finally seeing the fruits of their labour being beamed into billions of homes all round the world. Here you go Asia and America, it's the best league in the world! Except we made these two teams play 48 hours ago so please don't ask for entertainment – that wouldn't be fair.
Niche reference alert. More ahead too.
Of course, there was plenty of entertainment on display last night if you dream in claret and blue and didn't mind getting behind the sofa for large swathes of the action. Missing Cresswell, Antonio and crucially, Arnautovic, we were reduced to an extended exercise of attack versus defence anchored around a supreme performance from our back three, with only a brief pause for respite as Pedro Obiang scored the best goal that Wembley will see this season.
Perhaps in an alternate reality we would have lost this game by bucketloads. Maybe Harry Kane would have converted one of those myriad half chances into a goal with some typical opportunistic brilliance and, forced to chase the game, we would have been picked apart at will by a counterattacking Spurs team. But, even allowing for Andre Ayew, alternate dimensions don't exist and thus we only have to concern ourselves with this one, and here we defended resolutely and with no little courage to grind out another draw. Another point. Another inch on a road to safety that none of us can believe we are actually travelling once again.
In the end, games such as this will fade from the memory and become little more than footnotes in yet another lost season of turgid struggle. But right here and now, in the middle of a relegation battle that sees nine teams within five points of each other, this point looks like a precious jewel. Add to that the satisfaction of slamming the brakes on another Spurs season, and leaving Wembley undefeated for a second time this season, it's hard to argue that this wasn't a pretty good night all round.
***
"All this talk of getting old
It's getting me down"
- The Verve, "The Drugs Don't Work"
Now that the dust has settled on a Christmas league programme that required us to play four games in thirteen days, it is possible to look back and assess how well we have fared over a crucial, but heavily demanding period of the season. All things considered, a return of a win, a loss and two draws is reasonable, even if the swings in fortune during that run were fairly sizeable. While we may bemoan Andre Ayew going full Diana Ross and Bobby Madley's self importance, we are also indebted to Asmir Begovic's sudden bouts of vertigo and Andy Carroll suddenly discovering he had a functioning right foot. It could have been better, it could have been worse. 123 years of history summed up in that one sentence.
How many shots have we had Zaba?
Given the compressed nature of the schedule, one might have expected David Moyes to ring the changes in order to keep his team fresh, but the reality is that he simply doesn't have the personnel available to do that effectively. The bench for this match featured £35m of strikers who don't fit our style of play, four kids without a league appearance between them, a travelling acrobat, a badger, a life size cut out of Keita Balde, and of course Joe Hart, taking up a massive part of our weekly wage budget because he is the best keeper David Sullivan has ever worked with.
So, Moyes rotated where he could - in central defence and up front - and then said a couple of Hail Mary's for the rest. Below is a table from today's Telegraph which gives an interesting breakdown of the number of changes made by each team over Christmas, and how many injuries they each suffered. We lead the latter category, naturally, and if we do it for a 50th consecutive year in 2019 we get to keep Jack Wilshere as a prize.
Each team has their own approach, but our low rotation policy in theory should have ensured some consistency of performance. In reality, things didn't pan out that way and it is instructive to see that Newcastle did so well having rotated heavily. Their ability to mix and match with lots of average players of roughly the same ability served them in good stead, whereas Moyes has neither the depth in numbers or talent to do that. At the top end of our squad – Lanzini, Arnautovic – we have much better players than our rivals, but most of the team are not at that level, and furthermore, ours is the second oldest squad in the division.
Evidently, that lack of mobility and athleticism really shows up when we play lots of games in quick succession like this. Given all of that, a five point return will suffice for now, primarily as it gives us some breathing space over West Brom and Swansea, and helped draw struggling teams like Southampton and Stoke back into the scrap. That said, this period was mainly about surviving intact to take on our vital January fixtures.
Many of you may disagree, but the rightful casualty of all of this will probably will be our FA Cup run. The brutal reality is that none of the players who played in these two matches should appear on Sunday, because the risk of injury is so much greater when players are fatigued. Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned shallow squad depth we don't have the quality of reserves to call upon to realistically challenge an upwardly mobile lower league side like Shrewsbury. That's an embarrassing admission for any Premier League team to make, but as we discovered at Nottingham Forest a few years ago, the gap between Premier League Under 23 teams and good lower league sides is pretty big.
So, if I was Moyes, I would be apologising to those fans travelling on Sunday, forcing the club to subsidise their travel or tickets or buying them a fucking burger or something to prove they aren't all soul sucking vampires, and then acceding to the wishes of those who have been demanding game time for the untried likes of Martinez, Quina, Haksabanovic and Makasi. I understand those who make the argument that for a club like us, the only thing we have is the chance of a cup victory, and indeed I agree with it. But there is an underlying reality to our situation which also has to be considered, which is that we have a far higher chance of being relegated – about 25% on present bookmaker odds – than we do of winning the cup.
Take it, I'm going to win the FA Cup!
Therefore, when people say that they would happily accept relegation if we were to win a trophy, they are operating in a fantasy world. That would be like me saying I would happily accept my house being repossessed if I took my mortgage money and sunk it into lottery tickets and won. What this ignores is the far more likely option that I lose the house and don't win the lottery. None of which is to say that I want us to lose on Sunday, but if we win we will only face this dilemma again in the next round when our match would take place just before a five day spell when we face a home game with Palace and a trip to Brighton. Picking up Premier League points from those games is more important to the club than a fourth round cup game. I know plenty will disagree, but maybe check in with a Wigan fan before you make up your mind fully. In summary, I think Moyes' priority this weekend is to preserve a team to get some points at Huddersfield, and our righteous anger about that should be directed at the idiots who assembled this ageing squad and thought it could survive a season as unrelentingly demanding as this one, which has been compressed to give England a longer preparation period for the World Cup.
***
"I sing the song because I love the man
I know that some of you don't understand"
- Neil Young, "The Needle and the Damage Done"
On which note, it seems only fitting to actually look at what happened here in more detail, because whatever the situation, this is a fine result and one that few teams will match this season. Unlike Slaven Bilic, who regularly troubled Spurs by pressing them in their own high intensity style, and frequently found them wanting in the middle of the park, Moyes instead chose to retreat into a defensive shell and invite them on.
Where the likes of Stoke and Southampton were torn apart on their recent trips to Wembley, we were instead beautifully compact and hard to break down. We dropped so deep we were almost subterranean, forcing Spurs to play in front of us, and shorn of the ability to hit us on the counter attack and with no space for Christian Eriksen, the hosts looked thoroughly uninspired. The cost of this approach was that we almost entirely gave up on attacking, and we were noticeably abysmal when in possession, with Javier Hernandez the poster boy for receiving the ball and then doing nothing other than trying to win free kicks with it. The Mexican was so bad here I thought I was at a seance and Mike Newell had turned up to haunt me.
On the other hand, our back three were masterful, with Angelo Ogbonna outstanding again, and Declan Rice turning in the kind of mature, composed performances that we assumed we were getting when we spent £8m on Jose Fonte this time last year. I have been agnostic on the youngster up until now, but he has turned my head firmly with this display. It is incredibly rare to see teenagers looking this assured at this level. Alongside him Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku did just enough to keep things on an even keel, even if the former was heavily indebted to some excellent cover work by Cheikhou Kouyate to manage the dynamite Heung Min Son. Winston Reid did not get injured.
Everything about this picture is brilliant
Reading between the lines after the game, it seems that Moyes wanted the team to be more offensive but with no way of getting up the pitch this kind of performance was perhaps inevitable. The value of an Antonio or Sakho type player was never more evident than this game, as every clearance was returned back with interest, and Spurs must have been sorely tempted to play rush goalie, so unthreatening were we. After an hour Moyes gave up on Hernandez proving the broken clock theory correct and stuck on Andre Ayew, who did more jogging on than the Mexican managed all day. After just six minutes on the pitch, the Ghanaian pushed Spurs back with some good running, and the ball was eventually recycled back to Pedro Obiang some thirty yards from goal. Perhaps thinking that it was a bit embarrassing that we hadn't had a shot all day, the Spaniard advanced without any pressure on the ball from Spurs - to be fair, why would you - and smacked a thunderous, brilliant, joyful, rising drive into the top corner and had West Ham fans of a certain age yelling about traction engines. A moment to remind us to dream.
Kouyate really should have doubled the lead not long after, when Obiang picked him out unmarked at the back post but the Senegal captain stooped for the header with all the enthusiasm of Anne Boleyn kneeling for the executioners axe and put it wide. It was to prove costly, as Spurs would snatch a point with just five minutes remaining when Son, their best player by a distance, smashed home a stunning long range effort of his own. I can't help but like Son and frequently have to try and forget that at the same time we were signing Andy Carroll for £15m he was joining Bayer Leverkusen for €10m. Sigh.
Even allowing for bias it's hard not to say that Spurs deserved something from this game, but to have got as close as we did made it a tough pill to swallow, even if we'd have all taken a point - Allardyce style - before the game. There was even a doubt about the validity of the Spurs goal as Aurier looked to have fouled Lanzini in the build up, but Moyes was unconvinced after the game so I won't die on that particular hill. The Caley Graphics shot map above tells some, but not all, of the story as that Spurs xG was more a product of having loads of half chances rather than a few very good ones. This was death by a thousand blocked shots. By contrast, we actually created the two best chances of the game for Kouyate and later for Ayew. It might seem counter intuitive, but if you were to ask Pochettino if he wanted to replay this game and swap chances with us, he might actually take it as you'd imagine Kane and Alli would do better with those chances than we did.
Helpfully, Mike Dean also didn't award penalties to Spurs for a couple of shouts in the second half. Both involved Dele Alli and therefore immediately demand greater scrutiny given his propensity for falling over like he's in an episode of Miranda. The first was a challenge with Reid that I don't think could ever have been given, and the second involved Adrian clattering him when he'd headed over after an offside Kane had flicked on. That was a better shout, but I'm not yet ready to live in a world where players are going to be punished for punching Dele Alli in the head. After the game Tim Sherwood said he thought both were penalties, thus confirming that Dean was correct not to award them.
***
"And all the politicians making crazy sounds
And everybody putting everybody else down"
- The Velvet Underground, "Heroin"
Long after the game had finished, pundits were still debating the recent trend of lower rung Premier League teams "parking the bus" when faced with the Top Six. Leaving aside for a moment that the greatest exponent of this is at Old Trafford, the best summary I've found was this article by Jonathan Wilson in the Guardian. Wilson correctly identifies that teams like us have been willing to cede possession at historic rates, with the sole aim of keeping games tight and then striking on the break. Part of this stems from watching Leicester do it brilliantly for an entire season, and win the league, although it must be said that we have none of their pace. Watching Hernandez try and outpace Sanchez after intercepting a misplaced pass on the halfway line here was like watching the tortoise and the hare if the tortoise gave up halfway through and started sulking. Oh, for some of these players who can play game after game at such high intensity and mysteriously never get injured.
Hernandez races away from the Spurs defence
Amid the indignation contained in that article from the likes of Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville is a failure from them to properly address exactly why this has happened. When money is so integral to the game, and shared so unevenly around the sport, it is hardly surprising that it has an effect far beyond the company accounts. Because the English game does not properly fund lower league football, it means that the cost of dropping out of the Premier League is disproportionately severe and thus even ludicrously well funded but appallingly run teams like West Ham will turn in embarrassingly defensive shows like this in order to preserve that status.
Doubling the problems for relegation threatened teams is the fact that those at the top have revenue streams they cannot access. Champions League teams take home prize money, or more accurately UEFA subsidies, each year that push them ever further from the rest of the pack, and subsequently have commercial opportunities that the rest can only dream of. With that inequality has come a growing acceptance from everyone else that trying to live with these teams is a bit of a waste of time, and we are now at a stage where the cup competitions can't compete with the primacy of the league, as I've outlined above, and teams like us dream of finishing sixth.
Suddenly, the likes of Carragher and Neville are upset by this, because they want their armchair fans to be entertained. It is telling however, that neither of them ever left the sweet embrace of such privilege during their playing careers, preferring to remain where they had every advantage and never had to pick and choose which competitions to attack, or had to contend with their team mates being tapped up like Virgil Van Dijk.
Yet, including Spurs in this is a little unfair, as they have made their way into that elite tier by actually buying and developing players. Spending £100m on Romelu Lukaku isn't a difficult thing to do. Growing Harry Kane or spotting Dele Alli actually is. That said, they have commercial revenue streams that the likes of Burnley will never have, and still joined their new peers in demanding a greater share of the league television money last month. It didn't take long for them to get their snout firmly into the trough.
Every year that passes without any attempt to address these discrepancies is a further dagger into the heart of the league as a competitive entity. The likes of Carragher and Neville can't complain about negative small teams unless they also support some or all the possible solutions. So let's hear them advocating for greater revenue sharing, or salary caps, or luxury taxes, or squad size restrictions, or limits on loans, or a draft of young players left off those restricted squads, or liquidating Chelsea or any other suggestion that would make the game fairer, and by extension more entertaining.
Sadly, that will never happen and such egalitarian notions will remain the sole preserve of the dreamers on the second page of the Match of the Day league table. It just feels a bit of a pisstake to hoover up all of the money in the game, steal all the best players from small clubs, swipe up the best managers and then call us names while they're doing it. To Huddersfield, Swansea, Bournemouth and, sadly, unbelievably, West Ham, I say...carry on.
Once more for luck? Oh, go on then
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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David Moyes accuses West Ham of lacking fight in Shrewsbury FA Cup tie
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 07/01/18 6:54pm
SSN
Furious West Ham boss David Moyes accused his players of lacking fight after they escaped from Shrewsbury with an FA Cup replay on Sunday. The Hammers needed Joe Hart to keep them in the competition after his saves from Mat Sadler and Shaun Whalley secured a goalless third-round draw in Shropshire. The Sky Bet League One hosts were the better side throughout even though Moyes made just four changes from Thursday's 1-1 draw at Tottenham in the Premier League.
And the Scot was upset with the Hammers' commitment at New Meadow. "I don't think we showed any quality and the biggest disappointment is I didn't think we showed enough steel," he said. "When you come to places like this, you have to show yourself physically, that you can battle and compete. "I didn't think we did that at all and that was the worst thing about it. Sometimes it's not easy. The conditions - the sun - didn't make it easy for the players to see things around them but that didn't stop the fact that we didn't compete on a lot of occasions. "Obviously if you compare Wembley and Thursday night, it's a big change. But it's a mentality thing. "You've got to go and show that wherever you are, you've got to respect whatever players you're against and recognise it's going to be tough. For the first half especially, we didn't compete at all."
The Hammers were fortunate to hang on after Jon Nolan shot over with four minutes left on the clock while the Hammers created nothing. The hosts were in charge for long spells and Moyes reserved praise for Hart, who started his career at boyhood club Shrewsbury and was recalled to the Hammers team after being on the bench for the last four games "Joe's been great. A couple of times people have asked me the question but he's been very good," he added. "He's been number one everywhere he's been but he's got somebody here in Adrian who's playing well. Joe will play a lot in the Premier League between now and the end of the season."
Shrewsbury are second in League One and boss Paul Hurst felt the Hammers were there for the taking. "I've seen us do better but we haven't come up against individuals as good as today," he said. "It sounds silly but we've had tougher games and that's why I thought the game was there to be won. "Wigan, Blackburn - we've got them to come in the next league fixture - and different types of games. "I don't mean that as being disrespectful to West Ham but I really felt the game was there to be won. "It's easier said than done, you score every chance when you're on the touchline, but nerves play a part. "We wanted to make it uncomfortable. The danger is you have all the hype and build-up but then fall flat on your face. That didn't happen."
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West Ham's Declan Rice recalls 'deflating' Chelsea release
Last Updated: 07/01/18 3:44pm
SSN
West Ham defender Declan Rice admits he was left devastated when he was released by Chelsea as a 14-year-old. Rice, 18, has broken into West Ham's first team this season under David Moyes - four years after his time at Chelsea was brought to an abrupt end. He says he has recovered from the initial shock and suggested his former Chelsea academy team-mates might even envy his current success at the London Stadium. "I was released by Chelsea at 14 years old," he said. "I remember it, a Tuesday night. On the Wednesday I was training with Fulham, five minutes from my house, and then on the Thursday I was training with West Ham. "After one session at both clubs they both wanted me. There was interest from other clubs as well but I made the switch to West Ham. "I had to change house, change school, so it was a massive decision - and it's paid off "When Chelsea let me go it was really deflating. For me, as a youngster, it's all I ever knew - living 10 minutes from the training ground, going to loads of the games. "It's one of those where you've just got to pick yourself up and go again. "I think some of the boys at Chelsea might be thinking 'wow! Look at Dec doing well for West Ham'."
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Bury were more trouble than West Ham says Shrewsbury boss after FA Cup stalemate leaves David Moyes fuming
League One's bottom side are tougher claims Paul Hurst — and Hammers chief admits "I don't think we showed any quality"
The Mirror
ByJames Nursey
18:31, 7 JAN 2018
Paul Hurst reckons third-tier whipping boys Bury gave Shrewsbury a harder game than Premier League West Ham . Hurst's promotion-chasing League One side remain in the FA Cup after a goalless draw at home to the Hammers, whose midfielder Josh Cullen had two teeth knocked out — and the impressive Shrews were by far the better team. They have only lost three times this term in the league, including a 1-0 at bottom club Bury, who are currently five points adrift and 11 away from safety. Hurst said: "It sounds silly, but we've had tougher games. Bury, Wigan, Blackburn were harder and different types of games "I don't mean that being disrespectful to West Ham, but I really felt the game was there to be won. "It's easier said than done. You score every chance when you're on the touchline, but nerves play a part. "We can't be too disappointed, I'm sure the chairman will be happy. He spoke about a replay a little while ago and has got his wish. My fear was that we wouldn't overly test them out."
West Ham keeper Joe Hart was forced into three good first-half saves as Shrewsbury, his hometown team and first pro club, piled on the pressure. Relieved boss David Moyes admitted: "Shrewsbury were better than us, so I'm pleased to be still in the Cup. I don't think we showed any quality. And the biggest disappointment is I don't think we showed enough steel. "When you come to places like this you have to show yourself physically, that you can battle and compete. "I didn't think we did that at all and that for me was the worst thing about it. We didn't compete on a lot of occasions. "I don't think we had any attempts at all - maybe one or two, but very few. "But Shrewsbury are doing really well in their league and they have a bit of momentum. So it was always going to be a tough game."
Youngster Cullen has been taken to hospital after being caught in the face by a high boot. The Scot added: "Young Josh had had two teeth knocked out. We've sent him to A&E to see if they can save them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Shrewsbury Town 0 – 0 West Ham United
Emirates FA Cup third round
West Ham United and Shrewsbury Town battled out a 0-0 draw at Montgomery Waters Meadow as neither side were able to settle Sunday's Emirates FA Cup third round tie at the first attempt. Shrewsbury, flying high in League One, gave a good account of themselves as the Hammers were unable to get going and show the two-division gulf between the sides. Home goalkeeper Dean Henderson was untroubled throughout while former Shrews keeper Joe Hart had to make the game's two outstanding saves – down low to his left in quick succession from Mat Sadler and Alex Rodman – before the break. The result is the teams will have to replay at London Stadium to decide who will progress to the competiton's last-32.
David Moyes was without several senior members of his squad through injury, but was still with the likes of Hart, Winston Reid, Andre Ayew and Chicharito as he selected as strong a side he had available to him. One of his younger players, Josh Cullen, came straight into the starting XI following his return from a loan at Bolton and his delivery almost led to a goal on nine minute, but Cheikhou Kouyate couldn't get enough on the header. Shrewsbury settled well and Jon Nolan fired a 25-yard free-kick into the Hammers wall nine minutes later. With 26 minutes on the clock Shaun Whalley whipped a free-kick in from the left and Norwich loanee Ben Godfrey touched towards goal, but Hart got down to save at his feet. Hart was back at the club where it all began for him, and he was called into action twice in quick succession ten minutes before the break.
First, he had to dive low to his left with a strong hand to deny Sadler after the Shrews defender, who had earlier sustained a cut to his head, burst through and shot for goal. Then, second later, he had to repeat the trick to keep out a low drive from Rodman. The League One Shrews had enjoyed the better of the opening period, showing that they weren't overawed by the occasion and West Ham were unable to impose themselves on the contest. The start of the second period followed a similar pattern, although Shrewsbury were not able to make the same headway against the Hammers defence. It was a similar story at the other end as the Shrews backline showed why only Manchester City and Wigan Athletic have conceded fewer goals in the top four divisions this term. Ten minutes from time Pedro Obiang dragged a left-footed shot wide of the far post from 20 yards, while at the other end Nolan leant back and fired over when picked out in a good position by a low cross from the left. Neither side could find that moment of quality in front of goal and they will have to do it all again at London Stadium.
Shrewsbury Town: Henderson, Bolton, Sadler, Nsiala, Beckles, Whalley (Gnahoua 87), Nolan, Godfrey, Ogogo, Rodman (Lowe 76), C. Morris (Payne 82)
Subs: MacGillivrary, Dodds, John-Lewis, B.Morris
West Ham United: Hart, Burke, Rice, Reid (Quina 86), Ogbonna, Masuaku, Cullen, Obiang, Kouyate, Ayew, Chicharito (Martinez 71)
Subs: Adrian, Neufville, Makasi, Haksabanovic, Samuelsen
Referee: Paul Tierney
Attendance: 9,535
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Hammers held by Gillingham Ladies
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies began 2018 with a well-earned point after a goalless draw with Gillingham Ladies. A difficult match for Karen Ray's side was mainly fought in midfield as both teams looked to take the advantage. The best effort of the first half fell to the away team as a free-kick just went wide. Chloe Burr tested Gillingham's shot-stopper on a number of occasions while Andria Georgiou's own free-kick also came close to opening the scoring. But the game ended without a goal despite a push from West Ham in the final few moments. The first half of a close contest at Rush Green was lacking in quality chances, with both sides battling in midfield for long periods of the opening 45 minutes. The away side got the first of the game as Gillingham earned a corner in the tenth minute, while Burr saw an effort fly over the bar after Amy Cooper played an excellent ball across the field. The winger also attempted a speculative volley from the edge of the area and Amber Stobbs continued to put pressure on the Gillingham defence from a false nine position. But the best effort of the first half was for Gillingham. Jack Wheeler's side saw a free-kick from 25 yards skim the far post. The second period started with a similar effort for the Irons as Georgiou had a decent free-kick that went wide of the woodwork. The midfielder also forced as save from the Gilingham goalkeeper while Burr also saw a shot from 10 yards tipped away for a corner. The introduction of Molly Peters up front brought some speed to the Hammers front line, with West Ham enjoying the best chances and the Gills defending sternly. But, despite some terrific pressure from the home side in the closing exchanges, the game ended goalless, leaving both sides with a share of the points.
West Ham United XI: Staunton; Mackie, Wheeler, Austin, Auguste; Chong (Wealthall 89'), Georgiou, Cooper ©; Burr (Perters 64'), Stobbs, R Kmita
Subs not used: Mabey, M Kmita
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Moyes: We're fortunate it's a replay
WHUFC.com
David Moyes offered no excuses for his team's display as they were held by League One Shrewsbury Town in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Sunday. The Hammers were unable to break down a side two divisions below them and they were reliant on two fine first half saves from Joe Hart to keep them in the hunt.
The teams will now have to replay at London Stadium for the right to progress to round four and Moyes says the Hammers will need to be much better if they are to gain the result they want. "We're fortunate that we've taken the tie to a replay," the boss admitted. "Shrewsbury were better than us today so I'm pleased to still be in the FA Cup. "We had hardly any attempts at all, maybe one or two, but very few. In the first half, Joe Hart made a couple of very good saves, and I don't think anyone should be surprised by Shrewsbury because they are doing very well in their league. "They have a bit of momentum so it was always going to be a tough game and not many Premier League teams are winning their games that easily. They are difficult to win. "The biggest disappointment for me was that we didn't show enough steel, because when you come to these places you have to show that you can battle and compete physically. I don't think we did that at all.
"It's a mentality thing too, wherever you're playing you have to recognise and respect whatever you're up against it's going to be tough, whether that's Tottenham or Shrewsbury. "In the first half especially we didn't compete at all."
Moyes also had a late injury concern over Winston Reid, who hobbled off with five minutes remaining, and his best player on the day, Josh Cullen, also took a nasty blow to the mouth. He added: "Josh was probably our best player today. Considering he's only just come back and we're getting to know him, he did well. "He had two teeth knocked out and he's gone straight to A&E to see if they can save them. Reidy just felt his groin kicking one at the end and we certainly don't need to add to it [the injury list]."
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Hart: We got out of jail a bit
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart admitted West Ham United were lucky to be in the hat for the Emirates FA Cup fourth round after being held to a goalless draw at his former club Shrewsbury Town. The goalkeeper was arguably the Hammers' best player at Montgomery Waters Meadow, marking his return home with a clean sheet and a number of smart pieces of work between the sticks – despite being blinded by a low sun before being handed a baseball cap by a generous member of the Claret and Blue Army. Hart, who started for the first time since the Premier League defeat at Everton in late November, said West Ham will need to be much-improved if they are to see off the impressive Shrews at London Stadium in the replay, which will be played a week on Tuesday. "We were terrible today and there is a feeling in the dressing room that we got out of jail a bit," said Hart. "Shrewsbury were really good, they've been in a good run of form and it's a tough place to come. "We didn't play well. We've had three games in a week, which is a lot of football for some of the lads, but there were some big opportunities for the likes of myself to get some game-time. We didn't necessarily take them, but we're still in the cup and we'll see what happens in the replay. "We can't blame fatigue, but there was some terrible football played and we lost a lot of battles. It was a really tough cup tie and I think nil-nil is almost a fair result."
Hart was handed the captain's armband by manager David Moyes on his return to the club he represented 58 times as a teenager, before being handed a baseball cap by a quick-thinking West Ham fan. "It was a nice touch to captain the side. This is my home town and it's where I'm from. I went to school here, I've got lots of friends and family here and this club is the one who gave me my opportunity in football. "It was very, very special and a nice moment to play here again, but during the game naturally I wanted to win. It's over now, so to see a lot of familiar faces was very nice. "I'm very grateful to the fans. We have a cap in the kit van, but Aaron Cresswell's hair was so bad that he took it after the last game! He was rocking the Umbro cap so we didn't have one available, but someone in the West Ham end very kindly lent me their hat, because I was blinded by the sun. I'd have taken any sort of hat or sunglasses as I couldn't see a thing. "They could see I was massively impeded so they got my attention and someone threw me their hat, so I'm grateful for that."
Hart will almost certainly start the replay, with Adrian currently holding the No1 position in the Premier League, and the England international is hoping to stake another claim to regain his position at the top of the goalkeeping pecking order when the Shrews visit east London on 16 January. "I face a battle to re-establish myself. We've had some good results recently and I've not been playing, so I've got to use days like this to try and stake my claim. "The replay is going to be another tough game and hopefully we'll have a few more bodies back as we had a lot of injuries and people who couldn't make the trip, so hopefully we'll have a stronger squad and advance to the next round."
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Shrewsbury Town 0-0 West Ham United
By Caroline Chapman
BBC Sport
Goalkeeper Joe Hart described West Ham's performance as "terrible" as League One Shrewsbury Town held them to a goalless draw to force an FA Cup third-round replay. The hosts, who are second in League One, dominated for large parts of the game but were unable to find the winner, while West Ham could only register two shots on target. When Shrewsbury-born Hart was asked after the game if his side had got out of jail, he replied: "100%. We were terrible today and Shrewsbury were really good."
Ben Godfrey almost poked home from Shaun Whalley's free-kick in the first half, before Mat Sadler saw his chance saved by Hart. The Hammers, who made four changes from Thursday's Premier League draw with Tottenham, looked lethargic in their third match in six days and only threatened through half-chances from Andre Ayew. "It's a tough place to come. We didn't play well. We had three games in a week and there were opportunities for the lads, including myself," added Hart."I can't blame fatigue. There was some terrible football played today and we lost a lot of battles."
The result means the Shrews will now travel to London Stadium later this month for the replay, with the hope of reaching the fourth round of the competition for only the second time in 14 seasons. West Ham, meanwhile, will be hoping to avoid being knocked out in the third round for the sixth time in eight years.
Hart was recalled to the first team and made captain for his return to his boyhood town and the club where he started his career. He got a warm reception as he walked out on to the pitch at Montgomery Waters Meadow and said after the game: "This is where I grew up, my home town. It gave me my opportunity in football. It's very special."
The England international made strong saves to deny Godfrey and Sadler from close range, while West Ham's defence was able to scupper a late attack from captain Abu Ogogo in stoppage time. Shrewsbury, two points off leaders Wigan in the third tier, boast an enviable defensive record with only four goals conceded at home this season. But, in truth, West Ham offered little to trouble their back line. The visitors had only four touches in the opposition's penalty area and their only chances came from Ayew - his low, tame effort in the first half coming before a flicked header after the break.
It was a memorable, if painful, domestic debut for 21-year-old West Ham midfielder Josh Cullen, who lost his front tooth after receiving a high boot to the face from Ogogo. Cullen's tooth was retrieved from the pitch by the Hammers physio and the Republic of Ireland U21 international was able to continue playing - but only after being made to change his shorts on the side of the pitch as they were covered in blood. Shrewsbury defender Sadler also needed extensive treatment after a clash of heads with Ayew. The 32-year-old needed two trips off the field to deal with the bleeding and ended up with a bandage around his head for the second half.
'Mixed feelings' for Shrewsbury - what they said
Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst: "The players are a little bit deflated almost. "To their credit, they did extremely well but if we'd had just that little bit of quality and we may have got through. So it's mixed feelings really. "But we have a replay to look forward to. We know it will be tough. They will be at home, more comfortable in their own stadium."
West Ham manager David Moyes: "I don't think we showed any quality and the biggest disappointment is I didn't think we showed enough steel. "When you come to places like this you have to show yourself physically, that you can battle and compete. I didn't think we did that at all and that was the worst thing about it."Obviously if you compare Wembley and Thursday night, it's a big change. But it's a mentality thing. You've got to go and show that wherever you are, you've got to respect whatever players you're against and recognise it's going to be tough."
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Disappointed we didn't win!
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 7th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Shrewsbury defender Mat Sadler believes his team can still knock West Ham out of the FA Cup following today's goalless draw at New Meadow.
The League One side were the more likely of the two teams to score this afternoon but had to settle for a second bite of the cherry having been held to a draw by a West Ham side featuring several youngsters.
And Sadler - who required lengthy treatment during the second half - firmly believes that his team can upset the apple cart when the two teams meet again in the replay, the date for which will be confirmed soon.
"It's a game we're disappointed we didn't win in the end," he told the BBC. "We've had a couple of good chances and limited them to very few.
"We've now got the opportunity to go to the Olympic Stadium and go again - and I see no reason why we can't win there. I see no reason to think it won't be a similar game when we go there, so we'll look forward to that."
West Ham managed just four shots at goal during the game compared to Shrewsbury's nine, three of which were on traget (compared to West Ham's two). The hosts enjoyed 56 per cent of possession, with West Ham some way behind with 44 per cent.
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Cullen off to hospital
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 7th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
Josh Cullen has been taken to hospital after losing a tooth during this afternoon's goalless draw at Shrewsbury. The Southend-born midfielder parted company with one of his molars midway through the second half after having it kicked out following a challenge by Town's Abu Ogogo. As you can see from the footage above Cullen's departing tooth was clearly visible on TV cameras, but was soon collected by the medical team as he received treatment on the field. The closest hospital to the ground is the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, some three miles away. West Ham will face a replay against the League One side next week as a result of today's stalemate.
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Spurs 1 - 1 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th January 2018
By: HeadHammerShark
"And your God is only a catapult, waiting for the right time to let you go
Into the unknown, just to watch you hold your breath
Yeah, and you surrender your fortress"
- The War on Drugs, "Arms Like Boulders"
Dreams aren't supposed to look like this. Stalwart defending, cheering brief moments of possession, holding midfielders channeling Bobby Charlton, and all the while clinging grimly to a point as though it were a life float chucked overboard into a tumultuous, stormy sea. But there you go – welcome to the new normal in the Premier League, where those who have orchestrated two decades of inequity are finally seeing the fruits of their labour being beamed into billions of homes all round the world. Here you go Asia and America, it's the best league in the world! Except we made these two teams play 48 hours ago so please don't ask for entertainment – that wouldn't be fair.
Niche reference alert. More ahead too.
Of course, there was plenty of entertainment on display last night if you dream in claret and blue and didn't mind getting behind the sofa for large swathes of the action. Missing Cresswell, Antonio and crucially, Arnautovic, we were reduced to an extended exercise of attack versus defence anchored around a supreme performance from our back three, with only a brief pause for respite as Pedro Obiang scored the best goal that Wembley will see this season.
Perhaps in an alternate reality we would have lost this game by bucketloads. Maybe Harry Kane would have converted one of those myriad half chances into a goal with some typical opportunistic brilliance and, forced to chase the game, we would have been picked apart at will by a counterattacking Spurs team. But, even allowing for Andre Ayew, alternate dimensions don't exist and thus we only have to concern ourselves with this one, and here we defended resolutely and with no little courage to grind out another draw. Another point. Another inch on a road to safety that none of us can believe we are actually travelling once again.
In the end, games such as this will fade from the memory and become little more than footnotes in yet another lost season of turgid struggle. But right here and now, in the middle of a relegation battle that sees nine teams within five points of each other, this point looks like a precious jewel. Add to that the satisfaction of slamming the brakes on another Spurs season, and leaving Wembley undefeated for a second time this season, it's hard to argue that this wasn't a pretty good night all round.
***
"All this talk of getting old
It's getting me down"
- The Verve, "The Drugs Don't Work"
Now that the dust has settled on a Christmas league programme that required us to play four games in thirteen days, it is possible to look back and assess how well we have fared over a crucial, but heavily demanding period of the season. All things considered, a return of a win, a loss and two draws is reasonable, even if the swings in fortune during that run were fairly sizeable. While we may bemoan Andre Ayew going full Diana Ross and Bobby Madley's self importance, we are also indebted to Asmir Begovic's sudden bouts of vertigo and Andy Carroll suddenly discovering he had a functioning right foot. It could have been better, it could have been worse. 123 years of history summed up in that one sentence.
How many shots have we had Zaba?
Given the compressed nature of the schedule, one might have expected David Moyes to ring the changes in order to keep his team fresh, but the reality is that he simply doesn't have the personnel available to do that effectively. The bench for this match featured £35m of strikers who don't fit our style of play, four kids without a league appearance between them, a travelling acrobat, a badger, a life size cut out of Keita Balde, and of course Joe Hart, taking up a massive part of our weekly wage budget because he is the best keeper David Sullivan has ever worked with.
So, Moyes rotated where he could - in central defence and up front - and then said a couple of Hail Mary's for the rest. Below is a table from today's Telegraph which gives an interesting breakdown of the number of changes made by each team over Christmas, and how many injuries they each suffered. We lead the latter category, naturally, and if we do it for a 50th consecutive year in 2019 we get to keep Jack Wilshere as a prize.
Each team has their own approach, but our low rotation policy in theory should have ensured some consistency of performance. In reality, things didn't pan out that way and it is instructive to see that Newcastle did so well having rotated heavily. Their ability to mix and match with lots of average players of roughly the same ability served them in good stead, whereas Moyes has neither the depth in numbers or talent to do that. At the top end of our squad – Lanzini, Arnautovic – we have much better players than our rivals, but most of the team are not at that level, and furthermore, ours is the second oldest squad in the division.
Evidently, that lack of mobility and athleticism really shows up when we play lots of games in quick succession like this. Given all of that, a five point return will suffice for now, primarily as it gives us some breathing space over West Brom and Swansea, and helped draw struggling teams like Southampton and Stoke back into the scrap. That said, this period was mainly about surviving intact to take on our vital January fixtures.
Many of you may disagree, but the rightful casualty of all of this will probably will be our FA Cup run. The brutal reality is that none of the players who played in these two matches should appear on Sunday, because the risk of injury is so much greater when players are fatigued. Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned shallow squad depth we don't have the quality of reserves to call upon to realistically challenge an upwardly mobile lower league side like Shrewsbury. That's an embarrassing admission for any Premier League team to make, but as we discovered at Nottingham Forest a few years ago, the gap between Premier League Under 23 teams and good lower league sides is pretty big.
So, if I was Moyes, I would be apologising to those fans travelling on Sunday, forcing the club to subsidise their travel or tickets or buying them a fucking burger or something to prove they aren't all soul sucking vampires, and then acceding to the wishes of those who have been demanding game time for the untried likes of Martinez, Quina, Haksabanovic and Makasi. I understand those who make the argument that for a club like us, the only thing we have is the chance of a cup victory, and indeed I agree with it. But there is an underlying reality to our situation which also has to be considered, which is that we have a far higher chance of being relegated – about 25% on present bookmaker odds – than we do of winning the cup.
Take it, I'm going to win the FA Cup!
Therefore, when people say that they would happily accept relegation if we were to win a trophy, they are operating in a fantasy world. That would be like me saying I would happily accept my house being repossessed if I took my mortgage money and sunk it into lottery tickets and won. What this ignores is the far more likely option that I lose the house and don't win the lottery. None of which is to say that I want us to lose on Sunday, but if we win we will only face this dilemma again in the next round when our match would take place just before a five day spell when we face a home game with Palace and a trip to Brighton. Picking up Premier League points from those games is more important to the club than a fourth round cup game. I know plenty will disagree, but maybe check in with a Wigan fan before you make up your mind fully. In summary, I think Moyes' priority this weekend is to preserve a team to get some points at Huddersfield, and our righteous anger about that should be directed at the idiots who assembled this ageing squad and thought it could survive a season as unrelentingly demanding as this one, which has been compressed to give England a longer preparation period for the World Cup.
***
"I sing the song because I love the man
I know that some of you don't understand"
- Neil Young, "The Needle and the Damage Done"
On which note, it seems only fitting to actually look at what happened here in more detail, because whatever the situation, this is a fine result and one that few teams will match this season. Unlike Slaven Bilic, who regularly troubled Spurs by pressing them in their own high intensity style, and frequently found them wanting in the middle of the park, Moyes instead chose to retreat into a defensive shell and invite them on.
Where the likes of Stoke and Southampton were torn apart on their recent trips to Wembley, we were instead beautifully compact and hard to break down. We dropped so deep we were almost subterranean, forcing Spurs to play in front of us, and shorn of the ability to hit us on the counter attack and with no space for Christian Eriksen, the hosts looked thoroughly uninspired. The cost of this approach was that we almost entirely gave up on attacking, and we were noticeably abysmal when in possession, with Javier Hernandez the poster boy for receiving the ball and then doing nothing other than trying to win free kicks with it. The Mexican was so bad here I thought I was at a seance and Mike Newell had turned up to haunt me.
On the other hand, our back three were masterful, with Angelo Ogbonna outstanding again, and Declan Rice turning in the kind of mature, composed performances that we assumed we were getting when we spent £8m on Jose Fonte this time last year. I have been agnostic on the youngster up until now, but he has turned my head firmly with this display. It is incredibly rare to see teenagers looking this assured at this level. Alongside him Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku did just enough to keep things on an even keel, even if the former was heavily indebted to some excellent cover work by Cheikhou Kouyate to manage the dynamite Heung Min Son. Winston Reid did not get injured.
Everything about this picture is brilliant
Reading between the lines after the game, it seems that Moyes wanted the team to be more offensive but with no way of getting up the pitch this kind of performance was perhaps inevitable. The value of an Antonio or Sakho type player was never more evident than this game, as every clearance was returned back with interest, and Spurs must have been sorely tempted to play rush goalie, so unthreatening were we. After an hour Moyes gave up on Hernandez proving the broken clock theory correct and stuck on Andre Ayew, who did more jogging on than the Mexican managed all day. After just six minutes on the pitch, the Ghanaian pushed Spurs back with some good running, and the ball was eventually recycled back to Pedro Obiang some thirty yards from goal. Perhaps thinking that it was a bit embarrassing that we hadn't had a shot all day, the Spaniard advanced without any pressure on the ball from Spurs - to be fair, why would you - and smacked a thunderous, brilliant, joyful, rising drive into the top corner and had West Ham fans of a certain age yelling about traction engines. A moment to remind us to dream.
Kouyate really should have doubled the lead not long after, when Obiang picked him out unmarked at the back post but the Senegal captain stooped for the header with all the enthusiasm of Anne Boleyn kneeling for the executioners axe and put it wide. It was to prove costly, as Spurs would snatch a point with just five minutes remaining when Son, their best player by a distance, smashed home a stunning long range effort of his own. I can't help but like Son and frequently have to try and forget that at the same time we were signing Andy Carroll for £15m he was joining Bayer Leverkusen for €10m. Sigh.
Even allowing for bias it's hard not to say that Spurs deserved something from this game, but to have got as close as we did made it a tough pill to swallow, even if we'd have all taken a point - Allardyce style - before the game. There was even a doubt about the validity of the Spurs goal as Aurier looked to have fouled Lanzini in the build up, but Moyes was unconvinced after the game so I won't die on that particular hill. The Caley Graphics shot map above tells some, but not all, of the story as that Spurs xG was more a product of having loads of half chances rather than a few very good ones. This was death by a thousand blocked shots. By contrast, we actually created the two best chances of the game for Kouyate and later for Ayew. It might seem counter intuitive, but if you were to ask Pochettino if he wanted to replay this game and swap chances with us, he might actually take it as you'd imagine Kane and Alli would do better with those chances than we did.
Helpfully, Mike Dean also didn't award penalties to Spurs for a couple of shouts in the second half. Both involved Dele Alli and therefore immediately demand greater scrutiny given his propensity for falling over like he's in an episode of Miranda. The first was a challenge with Reid that I don't think could ever have been given, and the second involved Adrian clattering him when he'd headed over after an offside Kane had flicked on. That was a better shout, but I'm not yet ready to live in a world where players are going to be punished for punching Dele Alli in the head. After the game Tim Sherwood said he thought both were penalties, thus confirming that Dean was correct not to award them.
***
"And all the politicians making crazy sounds
And everybody putting everybody else down"
- The Velvet Underground, "Heroin"
Long after the game had finished, pundits were still debating the recent trend of lower rung Premier League teams "parking the bus" when faced with the Top Six. Leaving aside for a moment that the greatest exponent of this is at Old Trafford, the best summary I've found was this article by Jonathan Wilson in the Guardian. Wilson correctly identifies that teams like us have been willing to cede possession at historic rates, with the sole aim of keeping games tight and then striking on the break. Part of this stems from watching Leicester do it brilliantly for an entire season, and win the league, although it must be said that we have none of their pace. Watching Hernandez try and outpace Sanchez after intercepting a misplaced pass on the halfway line here was like watching the tortoise and the hare if the tortoise gave up halfway through and started sulking. Oh, for some of these players who can play game after game at such high intensity and mysteriously never get injured.
Hernandez races away from the Spurs defence
Amid the indignation contained in that article from the likes of Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville is a failure from them to properly address exactly why this has happened. When money is so integral to the game, and shared so unevenly around the sport, it is hardly surprising that it has an effect far beyond the company accounts. Because the English game does not properly fund lower league football, it means that the cost of dropping out of the Premier League is disproportionately severe and thus even ludicrously well funded but appallingly run teams like West Ham will turn in embarrassingly defensive shows like this in order to preserve that status.
Doubling the problems for relegation threatened teams is the fact that those at the top have revenue streams they cannot access. Champions League teams take home prize money, or more accurately UEFA subsidies, each year that push them ever further from the rest of the pack, and subsequently have commercial opportunities that the rest can only dream of. With that inequality has come a growing acceptance from everyone else that trying to live with these teams is a bit of a waste of time, and we are now at a stage where the cup competitions can't compete with the primacy of the league, as I've outlined above, and teams like us dream of finishing sixth.
Suddenly, the likes of Carragher and Neville are upset by this, because they want their armchair fans to be entertained. It is telling however, that neither of them ever left the sweet embrace of such privilege during their playing careers, preferring to remain where they had every advantage and never had to pick and choose which competitions to attack, or had to contend with their team mates being tapped up like Virgil Van Dijk.
Yet, including Spurs in this is a little unfair, as they have made their way into that elite tier by actually buying and developing players. Spending £100m on Romelu Lukaku isn't a difficult thing to do. Growing Harry Kane or spotting Dele Alli actually is. That said, they have commercial revenue streams that the likes of Burnley will never have, and still joined their new peers in demanding a greater share of the league television money last month. It didn't take long for them to get their snout firmly into the trough.
Every year that passes without any attempt to address these discrepancies is a further dagger into the heart of the league as a competitive entity. The likes of Carragher and Neville can't complain about negative small teams unless they also support some or all the possible solutions. So let's hear them advocating for greater revenue sharing, or salary caps, or luxury taxes, or squad size restrictions, or limits on loans, or a draft of young players left off those restricted squads, or liquidating Chelsea or any other suggestion that would make the game fairer, and by extension more entertaining.
Sadly, that will never happen and such egalitarian notions will remain the sole preserve of the dreamers on the second page of the Match of the Day league table. It just feels a bit of a pisstake to hoover up all of the money in the game, steal all the best players from small clubs, swipe up the best managers and then call us names while they're doing it. To Huddersfield, Swansea, Bournemouth and, sadly, unbelievably, West Ham, I say...carry on.
Once more for luck? Oh, go on then
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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David Moyes accuses West Ham of lacking fight in Shrewsbury FA Cup tie
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 07/01/18 6:54pm
SSN
Furious West Ham boss David Moyes accused his players of lacking fight after they escaped from Shrewsbury with an FA Cup replay on Sunday. The Hammers needed Joe Hart to keep them in the competition after his saves from Mat Sadler and Shaun Whalley secured a goalless third-round draw in Shropshire. The Sky Bet League One hosts were the better side throughout even though Moyes made just four changes from Thursday's 1-1 draw at Tottenham in the Premier League.
And the Scot was upset with the Hammers' commitment at New Meadow. "I don't think we showed any quality and the biggest disappointment is I didn't think we showed enough steel," he said. "When you come to places like this, you have to show yourself physically, that you can battle and compete. "I didn't think we did that at all and that was the worst thing about it. Sometimes it's not easy. The conditions - the sun - didn't make it easy for the players to see things around them but that didn't stop the fact that we didn't compete on a lot of occasions. "Obviously if you compare Wembley and Thursday night, it's a big change. But it's a mentality thing. "You've got to go and show that wherever you are, you've got to respect whatever players you're against and recognise it's going to be tough. For the first half especially, we didn't compete at all."
The Hammers were fortunate to hang on after Jon Nolan shot over with four minutes left on the clock while the Hammers created nothing. The hosts were in charge for long spells and Moyes reserved praise for Hart, who started his career at boyhood club Shrewsbury and was recalled to the Hammers team after being on the bench for the last four games "Joe's been great. A couple of times people have asked me the question but he's been very good," he added. "He's been number one everywhere he's been but he's got somebody here in Adrian who's playing well. Joe will play a lot in the Premier League between now and the end of the season."
Shrewsbury are second in League One and boss Paul Hurst felt the Hammers were there for the taking. "I've seen us do better but we haven't come up against individuals as good as today," he said. "It sounds silly but we've had tougher games and that's why I thought the game was there to be won. "Wigan, Blackburn - we've got them to come in the next league fixture - and different types of games. "I don't mean that as being disrespectful to West Ham but I really felt the game was there to be won. "It's easier said than done, you score every chance when you're on the touchline, but nerves play a part. "We wanted to make it uncomfortable. The danger is you have all the hype and build-up but then fall flat on your face. That didn't happen."
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West Ham's Declan Rice recalls 'deflating' Chelsea release
Last Updated: 07/01/18 3:44pm
SSN
West Ham defender Declan Rice admits he was left devastated when he was released by Chelsea as a 14-year-old. Rice, 18, has broken into West Ham's first team this season under David Moyes - four years after his time at Chelsea was brought to an abrupt end. He says he has recovered from the initial shock and suggested his former Chelsea academy team-mates might even envy his current success at the London Stadium. "I was released by Chelsea at 14 years old," he said. "I remember it, a Tuesday night. On the Wednesday I was training with Fulham, five minutes from my house, and then on the Thursday I was training with West Ham. "After one session at both clubs they both wanted me. There was interest from other clubs as well but I made the switch to West Ham. "I had to change house, change school, so it was a massive decision - and it's paid off "When Chelsea let me go it was really deflating. For me, as a youngster, it's all I ever knew - living 10 minutes from the training ground, going to loads of the games. "It's one of those where you've just got to pick yourself up and go again. "I think some of the boys at Chelsea might be thinking 'wow! Look at Dec doing well for West Ham'."
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Bury were more trouble than West Ham says Shrewsbury boss after FA Cup stalemate leaves David Moyes fuming
League One's bottom side are tougher claims Paul Hurst — and Hammers chief admits "I don't think we showed any quality"
The Mirror
ByJames Nursey
18:31, 7 JAN 2018
Paul Hurst reckons third-tier whipping boys Bury gave Shrewsbury a harder game than Premier League West Ham . Hurst's promotion-chasing League One side remain in the FA Cup after a goalless draw at home to the Hammers, whose midfielder Josh Cullen had two teeth knocked out — and the impressive Shrews were by far the better team. They have only lost three times this term in the league, including a 1-0 at bottom club Bury, who are currently five points adrift and 11 away from safety. Hurst said: "It sounds silly, but we've had tougher games. Bury, Wigan, Blackburn were harder and different types of games "I don't mean that being disrespectful to West Ham, but I really felt the game was there to be won. "It's easier said than done. You score every chance when you're on the touchline, but nerves play a part. "We can't be too disappointed, I'm sure the chairman will be happy. He spoke about a replay a little while ago and has got his wish. My fear was that we wouldn't overly test them out."
West Ham keeper Joe Hart was forced into three good first-half saves as Shrewsbury, his hometown team and first pro club, piled on the pressure. Relieved boss David Moyes admitted: "Shrewsbury were better than us, so I'm pleased to be still in the Cup. I don't think we showed any quality. And the biggest disappointment is I don't think we showed enough steel. "When you come to places like this you have to show yourself physically, that you can battle and compete. "I didn't think we did that at all and that for me was the worst thing about it. We didn't compete on a lot of occasions. "I don't think we had any attempts at all - maybe one or two, but very few. "But Shrewsbury are doing really well in their league and they have a bit of momentum. So it was always going to be a tough game."
Youngster Cullen has been taken to hospital after being caught in the face by a high boot. The Scot added: "Young Josh had had two teeth knocked out. We've sent him to A&E to see if they can save them."
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