Wheeler: Ladies must 'be smart' in WPL Plate final with Luton
WHUFC.com
Hannah Wheeler believes West Ham United Ladies will have to show both
adaptability and smarts when the side take on Luton Town Ladies in this
weekend's FA WPL Plate final. The Irons will play their second cup final in
just under two weeks on Sunday when Karen Ray's side travel to Cannock for
the last match in the WPL Plate. In Luton, the Hammers will be playing a
side that sit in the division below – the Women's Premier League South East
– but Wheeler knows anything can happen in a one-off contest. The defender
admits there will be big differences between this final and the one won
against Charlton Athletic Women last Wednesday, as the Hammers have not
played against Luton before. "It's 90 minutes where anything can happen,"
Wheeler told whufc.com: "We just can't go into the game arrogant, or
underestimating them. It will be a different game, because when we played
Charlton we knew what they were about because we've played them three times
this season. "With Luton, we're going in blind. We haven't played them and
all we can really go by is their results. In that aspect, it will be a tough
game. We could have a game plan to go with but then they could change it on
the day, so we are just going to have to adapt and be smart on the day
really."
The contest is a game that Wheeler is relishing participating in, with
another trophy up for grabs this Sunday. The centre-back knows what is at
stake and is aware of the attributes the side need to display in the match.
She continued: "I'm really excited for this game. We need another cup. We
are trying to work hard. We said this past Sunday that if we win it will be
a major positive for the next game we play. "We have got to focus on the
game, work hard and put in the shifts during training so we can take it into
Sunday. We have to show fire, desire and work for the badge and each other.
"We need to have each other's backs and make sure we empty the tank!"
With West Ham Ladies taking on Luton, a side that the club have not played
against this campaign, Wheeler has offered praise for the Ladies analyst Neo
Charalambous, who has worked tirelessly to ensure the team are prepared for
what Luton offer. She added: "Neo's the man behind the scenes really, with
all our analysis and tactics towards games. The entire staff work really
hard and try to get as much information as possible, and give us the best
possible chance going into the game. "Winning the Plate would mean
everything. Everything we have been working so hard towards would just be
complete."
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Zabaleta: The fans will be massive for us
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Pablo Zabaleta is gearing up for the crucial Monday
night football matchup against Stoke City. The Hammers are going into the
contest in good form with four points out of six since the March
international break. "Stoke is going to be another massive game for us,
Monday night in front of the home fans They have been massive for us, I hope
they can be as good as they were against Southampton," said the No5. "We
need to win this game, it's huge. We need to keep playing this way and keep
winning games until the end of the season. "For us we have our own
ambitions. There are six games to go until the end of the season and so we
need to perform well enough to at least get a point in all of those games
and see how we can finish this season."
The reality of the situation is that none of the teams in the bottom half of
the table have the easiest schedule to finish off the season. Some of the
relegation threatened teams either play each other or they end up playing
teams within the top six. Each match could have huge implications on what
happens at the end of the season. However, the experienced defender is
optimistic about the Hammers' chances, yet is not letting complacency get
the best of him, as nothing is confirmed yet. "We need to go game by game
and if we can make it by winning the next game against Stoke that will be a
big step forward toward being safe."
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David Moyes: Since that Burnley game, there has been a real sense of much
greater team spirit at West Ham
EXCLUSIVE COLUMN
DAVID MOYES
ES Sport
Realistically it was a bonus point for us at Chelsea. For any team to get
any kind of a result against last season's champions at Stamford Bridge is a
positive and the fact we managed to take four points off them this season is
a great tribute to the players. I do believe that, since that Burnley game,
there's been a palpable sign of a group coming together. I can feel a much
greater team spirit and that shows on the pitch as well, the way the players
are working for each other, the way they celebrate together. I thought
Declan Rice specifically, has shown much more maturity in his last two
performances. He has come back from winning his first senior international
cap with the Republic of Ireland with a lot of confidence and self-belief.
Behind the defence, Joe Hart was terrific at Stamford Bridge. There were no
high fives after the game from me. I told him "well done" and nothing more
than that because it is what I expect of him. That's his job and he did it
very well.
What has been thoroughly impressive from Joe this season has been his
professionalism. At times it hasn't been easy for him but he has kept his
head up. Some people were putting him down but he remained working hard and
his reward has come. The competition between Joe and Adrian is really tight,
though, and that is what you want - a team where players have to fight to
get in and then play well to stay in. I admit I am not a goalkeeping expert
and because of the specialist nature of their job, the input of the
goalkeeping coach is vital. Chris Woods's experience as a player - he won
over 40 caps for England - and then as a coach has been invaluable. He works
the goalkeepers hard and demands a lot of them. We rely on his knowledge,
not only in training but also when we're picking keepers.
Chicharito came on against Chelsea and scored a fine goal. As a plan, it
worked to perfection and there is no doubt that he and Marko Arnautovic can
play in the same team. They linked well together for the goal but I would
point out they were both in the team when we lost to Swansea. I have to take
that into consideration and my job is to choose the right players for the
right games - on the right days. Chicharito has played in other games and
scored good goals but at the moment Marko would be hard to move aside if we
are playing just one striker. We want competition, though, and Marko needs
to know he has to keep his levels up and his standards high. Andy Carroll
has trained for the past few days and we might try and find a way of having
him involved. Manuel Lanzini has not trained with us yet but I'm hoping that
will change over the weekend and the same goes for James Collins.
We now hope to pick up a vital three points against Stoke on Monday night
and I know our passionate fans, who were magnificent at Stamford Bridge,
will continue to do all they can to cheer us to another positive result.
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Moyes: Finishing the season strong and wanting more from Masuaku
WHUFC.com
David Moyes has called on his West Ham United players to get to 40 points as
quickly as possible ahead of their Premier League fixture with Stoke City at
London Stadium. West Ham go into Sky Sports' Monday Night Football clash
with Paul Lambert's side with 34 points on the board with six top-flight
games left to play.
The Hammers manager also challenged his squad to finish the Premier League
season on an eight-match unbeaten run. The Hammers beat Southampton and drew
at Chelsea in their previous two matches and will look to make it three
without defeat against the Potters. In a wide-ranging press conference,
Moyes also discussed the positives and negatives of playing after all their
rivals this weekend and the form of Marko Arnautovic and Arthur Masuaku,
among other things. Here is what he had to say…
Let's finish the season on an unbeaten run
To get to 40 points is the biggest thing we need to do. I wouldn't say it
would guarantee safety, as there are years when it hasn't, but in the main
40 points normally keeps you up. I'm keeping my target high and I'm hoping
to win ten games. At the moment, we've won eight games in the Premier
League, so if we can win ten, we'd just about get our points tally up there.
The ante could be upped if the teams below us win, but I was also aware of
us taking points against Southampton and Chelsea in our last two games as
well, so that meant we did a lot of our business and got some good points
in. It's not enough, but our performances and the way the players have been
in the last two games have given us a real lift and since we came back from
our trip we've picked up some really good points. If we can keep the form
going, the idea would be to go unbeaten until the end of the season and I
don't see any reason why we shouldn't aim for that and try and get there. If
we do, I would see us getting enough points to stay up as well, so the big
thing is to make sure we get the points. It's a big game against Stoke and a
big game for them as well. It's a similar game to the Southampton game
because of what it means to both clubs but, if we can put in a big
performance, and the crowd give us the same levels they gave us in that
game, then we'll give ourselves every chance of winning the game. If we can
beat Stoke, we give ourselves a chance of finishing the season in a good
position.
I want Marko to keep doing the business
I don't really care if Marko is looking forward to it or not. I am just
concerned that Marko continues doing the business as he's been doing, and it
wouldn't matter if it was Stoke or somebody else. So long as he keeps doing
the business, that's all we can be interested in and if he can do it against
them, great! When he is playing like this, Marko is very good and very good
to work with and I have to say I hope it continues because he has been
really important to the team. Without him, it could be very different, but
that's football and that's why the Club paid £20 million. It was a great
signing by the Club and we saw the potential in what he could do and I've
got to say that Marko himself has stepped up to the plate. When you do that,
you have to keep your standards up because everyone is watching you and the
team are looking for you to have a big impact in every game.
Arthur needs to rediscover his Southampton form
No doubt we missed Arthur Masuaku when he was out during his recent
six-match suspension. When you think back, we lost Pedro Obiang and Arthur
against Wigan in the FA Cup in January. We've not had Pedro and we've only
had Arthur back for a couple of games. I thought he did very well in his
first game back against Southampton, but I was hoping for much more from him
in his last game against Chelsea. Maybe it was a little bit that he had got
back in and the adrenaline had got him through the first game? I'm hoping
for a better performance than he gave me at Chelsea and something more like
what he gave me against Southampton.
The supporters will do us proud again on Monday
The West Ham supporters have sensed we need them and we have sensed their
support and because of that we've done well. I thought the support against
Southampton was fantastic and I thought the way they paid tribute to Ray
Wilkins at Chelsea did the Club proud. I've got no doubts they'll do the
Club proud again on Monday night. In my first evening game, against
Leicester City, it was a Friday and the atmosphere was brilliant. Let's hope
for more of it and if the players produce the form they did in the last
game, I think we'll give them something to shout about as well.
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Evra: Joe Hart has handled the pressure
WHUFC.com
Patrice Evra has backed Joe Hart to build on his man of the match display at
Chelsea over the run-in to the 2017/18 season. Hart made outstanding saves
to deny Willian, Marcos Alonso and Olivier Giroud at Stamford Bridge and
help the Hammers claim a vital point at their cross-London rivals. The final
save from Giroud, tipping his header onto the post with a full-length dive,
came in the dying moments of the game and ensured Chicharito's second half
equaliser would give the visitors a share of the spoils. With Stoke City
visiting London Stadium on Monday, Evra – who featured as a sub at Stamford
Bridge – is sure the England goalkeeper will continue to excel between the
posts. He said: "When I first came I said to Joe 'your time is coming, never
give up' and he was really confident.
"You can see in the game he played against Chelsea – he was man of the
match, and that was well deserved. Even this week at the training ground he
was still the man of the match! "I'm really happy for him. You need to
handle to pressure, you're going to get criticised, it's normal in football
[and he has handled that pressure]. "He's proud of playing for England, but
what he wants to do now is perform well for West Ham, and hopefully
afterwards he will get the chance to go to the World Cup."
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Team news: Lanzini, Carroll and Collins all return to training
WHUFC.com
David Moyes has been handed a triple boost with Andy Carroll, James Collins
and Manuel Lanzini all potentially fit to face Stoke City on Monday evening.
The trio have all returned to training at Rush Green and could feature as
West Ham United go in search of three Premier League points at London
Stadium. Carroll has been out since suffering a hairline fracture to his
foot following the 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur on 4 January. "Andy is
back in training," Moyes confirmed. "We got him back at the start of the
week and we will keep monitoring him. He's trained for a few days, so we'll
see how he is. He's obviously not played for eleven weeks, and I've got that
in my mind as well. "He's champing at the bit, but that's the same for the
other players we've had out like Manuel Lanzini and James Collins who have
only been out for four or five weeks. "If we get Andy back it's a big plus
to us, as we know what he can do and how good he can be and what he can give
us. The quicker we can get him back the better but is he going to be ready?
I'm not sure yet."
Collins is back after a month out with a hamstring problem, while Lanzini
hurt his knee after scoring in Argentina's 2-0 friendly international
victory over Italy in Manchester last month, and both could return to
Premier League action for the first time since the 3-0 home defeat by
Burnley on 10 March. "They've both done some training today (Friday) but
we'll have to see how they'll be. I'm hoping both of them will have a good
chance to be involved for the game on Monday."
The manager was also asked if he could be tempted to hand Chicharito a start
alongside Marko Arnautovic after the Mexican scored West Ham's equaliser in
the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last weekend. "It's great that we have competition,
as it's not something we've had an awful lot of, so it's good to have
competition for places, options and choices. "We've played them in games
together where it's not been so good and games together when they have been
good, so we'll make our decision and decide if this is a game for both of
them or one of them." Moyes will definitely be without the injured Michail
Antonio (hamstring), Pedro Obiang (knee), Sam Byram (ankle) and Winston Reid
(knee) on Monday evening.
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David Moyes wants two more West Ham wins to survive
By Shona Duthie
Last Updated: 13/04/18 3:38pm
SSN
West Ham manager David Moyes is targeting two more wins to ensure his side
secure their Premier League status and wants his players to go the remainder
of the season "unbeaten". The London club currently sit 14th in the table on
34 points and are six points ahead of the drop zone heading into Monday
Night Football's match against Stoke, live on Sky. According to Moyes if
they hit the magic number of 40, six more than where they are now, this will
help them to avoid relegation.
He said: "To get 40 points is the biggest thing but we can't get 40 points
at the moment. I wouldn't say it guarantees it because there are years gone
by where it has not done it. "But I think getting there normally keeps you
up. I am keeping my target high, I am hoping to win 10 games and at the
moment we have won eight games in the Premier League. If we can win 10 we
would just about get the points tally up there. If we can keep the form
going the ideal situation would be to go unbeaten towards the end of the
season, I don't see why we shouldn't aim for that, try and get there. "If we
do I'd say that would give us enough points to stay up as well. The big
thing is to make sure we get the points. "It is a big game against Stoke and
it is a big game for them as well."
West Ham have taken four points out of six in their last two games, a 3-0
win over Southampton and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, which has helped them
climb up the table. Southampton, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield and Swansea,
who sit below Moyes' side, all play before West Ham take to the London
Stadium pitch on Monday and Moyes admitted he will be keeping a keen eye on
their results. "I will be training but I will watch the results. I'll switch
them off when I don't like them," he added. "Not sure yet if I will be able
to try and watch a game but I'll certainly be preparing for the most
important thing which is our game on Monday."
Moyes confirmed striker Andy Carroll, winger Manuel Lanzini and defender
James Collins all returned to training, but would not say if Lanzini and
Collins would be fit to face Stoke. Sky sources understand that Carroll, who
has been out for since January 4 with an ankle injury, could make a surprise
return to the Hammers bench for Stoke's visit.
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A DEDICATION & AN ARTICLE 'A STRONG FINISH TEES YOU UP NICELY'
By Goatygav 14 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Before I go in to the main article I wanted to make a dedication to a fellow
Hammer. I also thought that a little credit was deserved by West Ham United.
In this time of heavy criticism of the club it was good to hear, yesterday
(today as I amend this post), that a sense of community and decency remains.
Sadly I lost a cousin at the age of 35 just over a fortnight ago. He was
West Ham through and through. His sister called the club to order a large
flag for the coffin. To the club's credit they promised that the flag would
arrive on time for the funeral on Thursday and wouldn't take payment for it.
It meant a lot to my cousin – a lovely gesture that was greatly appreciated
by her. We'll all be wearing club colours at the ceremony – even my cousin's
Man Utd supporting husband has agreed to wear a claret top with a bit of
blue in the outfit. I'm hoping the boys can send him off with a good win on
Monday night. You can see Alan, pictured right, his brother John and sister
Debbie, at her wedding, in the photo below: -
Alan at his Sister's Wedding
He was a gentleman and a gentle man – one of the nicest and best people you
could ever wish to meet. He went to his first West Ham game vs Exeter City
at the age of 9 with his borther, John, where he got his photo taken with
Harry Redknapp. RIP Alan Thurston – peaceful journey fella.
Recent form is good. The players look hungry. We've won and drawn the last
two and pulled 6 points clear of the relegation zone.
There's a way to go until we're safe but there's a dangerous historical
pattern that should serve as a warning to West Ham or any of those who take
their foot off the gas too early.
Relief is an extremely commonplace experience for successful teams and
sports professionals. Upon getting over the line, whether that's to win or
to simply survive, the feeling can kick in simultaneously whilst acting as a
release of highly charged emotions. Occasionally players, if sufficiently
wound up, can physically collapse when the final whistle, bell, kick, throw
or step happens.
The start of a football season is often influenced by the end of the
previous one. The stimulus for a good start to a campaign has been the run
in to a preceding one countless times.
Should West Ham make their Premier League status, for 2018-19, safe with
games to spare, which I'm sure many will hope comes to pass, there's a real
danger that the relief and release could contribute to a poor end to this,
eminently forgettable, term. Without any real momentum going in to September
we could quickly find ourselves in a similar position to that of 2017-18.
Ok, It's far too early to start looking beyond the huge game we have at home
to Stoke next Monday night, but should the job get done, and the 3 points be
secured, would the temptation to let go of all those pent up feelings be too
much to avoid? Amidst the relief of being well clear of relegation, with so
few games remaining, is there a danger that momentum will be lost and a bad
run in ensue. Arsenal, Man City and Leicester away before Man United looks
an incredibly tough run. For my money it wouldn't bode well for next season
going in to those games with the feeling that the job had been done. Under
those circumstances it would not be an easy test for David Moyes and his
coaching staff to get the players completely mentally prepared.
Stoke City at home is a huge game but the fixtures afterwards are also
important. Pre-season is nowhere near as important to early season form as
the run in to a previous campaign. I'll be over the moon if we come away
with maximum points next Monday night but there will still be a job to do
after that.
Lastly a word on Chelsea. The weekend was great. Joe Hart was class. An
imperious, man of the match winning, performance in my book. We could easily
have come away with a good tonking but, instead, came away feeling like we'd
won. Recent form over Chelsea is extremely good – long may it continue. Our
fans were brilliant. Every player in a West Ham shirt was terrific – a great
team performance. Chicha, once again, proved he is the most deadly striker
we've had at the club in quite some time. If the team can put in the same,
determined and hungry, performances in the last six matches I'll be a very
happy Hammer.
Have a great weekend all.
COYI!
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Moyes delivers update on West Ham trio ahead of Stoke clash
HITC
Will Butcher
West Ham play host to Stoke City on Monday night in the Premier League. West
Ham United manager David Moyes has claimed in his London Evening Standard
column that target man Andy Carroll could feature against Stoke City on
Monday night, but had bad news surrounding two other senior stars. The
Hammers play host to Paul Lambert's Stoke City on Monday night at the London
Stadium, in a match that could prove crucial in the bottom third of the
Premier League come May.
Carroll, 29, has trained this week and could be set to make his first
appearance since January 4, more than three months out with a foot injury as
he struggles to shake off his injury-prone status. However, Moyes confirmed
that both Manuel Lanzini and James Collins are likely to miss out, as their
knee and thigh injuries continue to prevent them from returning to training.
"Andy Carroll has trained for the past few days and we might try and find a
way of having him involved. Manuel Lanzini has not trained with us yet but
I'm hoping that will change over the weekend and the same goes for James
Collins," Moyes said.
West Ham struggled with injuries under Slaven Bilic last season and it seems
as though they will finish the 2017-18 campaign with the physio room fully
stocked, as eight players currently require treatment. Other than the
aforementioned trio, Pedro Obiang, Sam Byram, Michail Antonio, Aaron
Cresswell and Winston Reid all remain on the sidelines with injuries that
could keep them out beyond the end of the season. A win against the Potters
on Monday night would take the Hammers above Brighton and Watford, if the
two sides lose over the course of the weekend. A loss for Stoke would see
them remain in 19th.
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West Ham alerted to Danny Drinkwater's frustration at Chelsea as they weigh
up summer transfer
Telegrpah.co.uk
Matt Law, football news correspondent
13 APRIL 2018 • 11:53AM
West Ham United have been alerted to Danny Drinkwater's frustration at
Chelsea as they draw up their summer transfer plans. As revealed by
Telegraph Sport this week, Drinkwater will consider his future at the end of
what has been a hugely disappointing first season at Stamford Bridge. But,
despite the fact he has started just five Premier League games for Chelsea
since joining for £35million from Leicester City, Drinkwater will not be
short of offers if he decides to leave the Blues.
One of those offers is likely to come from West Ham, who want a central
midfielder and believe Drinkwater would suit them perfectly. A move across
London could also be appealing to the 28-year-old, as it would mean he would
not have to move house for a second time in 12 months. The biggest stumbling
block for West Ham, or any other interested club, could be Chelsea's
valuation of Drinkwater. Despite the fact he has been given so few
first-team chances, Chelsea would look to recoup most, if not all, of what
they paid for Drinkwater so soon into the five-year contract he signed.
There is also the complication and potential delay over Chelsea's managerial
situation, with head coach Antonio Conte expected to leave. Drinkwater is
unlikely to make a firm decision on his future until he is sure who will be
in charge next season and hears what their plans are. He formed one of the
most effective midfield partnerships in recent years with N'Golo Kante at
Leicester City, with the pair driving the Foxes to the Premier League title.
But Drinkwater and Kante have only started together six times in all
competitions for Chelsea this season, which has puzzled many fans. Monaco
are interested in re-signing another of Chelsea's signings from last summer,
Tiemoue Bakayoko, but the Blues are more likely to cash in on Drinkwater
than the 23-year-old.
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STAN COLLYMORE: 'HIGH-PRESS? MOYES IS A HIGH PRIEST OF TEDIUM'
By Dan Coker 13 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Stan Collymore suggests David Moyes' stock has fallen, that he is not the
man to bring high-pressing, high-octane football to West Ham and that the
Scot is struggling to win over fans as the Hammers face a battle to find
consistency in their Premier League performances:
The infrastructure is all in place at West Ham. They have a modern stadium
with good facilities, a fan base which wants to buy into what they do, and a
decent squad as well. If you cherry-picked at least four of their players,
maybe even six or seven, you'd have the nucleus of a side well capable of
looking at the top half of the table rather than the bottom next season.
So the major question for me now is whether or not David Moyes is the man to
lead them again next season.
And, if so, can he, along with co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, turn
the Hammers into the sort of club West Brom and Stoke had become before this
season?
The sort of club which consistently finishes ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th over
four or five seasons. A lot of Moyes' admirers will say that's exactly where
he will be pitching them but I still don't know if I'd keep him on. Fans
want high-pressing, high-octane football these days because they see it from
the top sides every week on Match Of The Day and when that happens it
quickly becomes a trend.
The knock-on effect when styles change is that, all of a sudden, people like
Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew can begin to look like football
dinosaurs.
And at the moment I'm not convinced people see Moyes in a different light.
Is he a really good organisational manager who can put out teams which
create chances and score goals?
Or is he a grind-it-out merchant, a manager who guarantees fans 19 home
games of little entertainment? At times at Everton he suggested he was the
former but since then his stock has fallen. That's something Sullivan and
Gold have to seriously take into consideration. They are rather
conservative, that pair – remember the way they stuck with Allardyce – and
I'm sure they will be thinking, 'We need stability here'.
They realise there is a lot of money to be lost and they like money, they
like being in the Premier League, they like to wear the fur jackets.
Their history suggests that, unless there is a candidate who springs out of
nowhere, who is young, aggressive and passionate, who can get West Ham fans
behind them, and who has a proven track record of signing quality players,
they will stick with what they know. And that will mean a thumbs-up for
Moyes.
The problem for West Ham is that the teams coming up from the Championship
this season will all have a lot of dough, and not just Premier League dough,
either.
Wolves and Cardiff have seriously wealthy backers, as have some of the clubs
aiming for the play-offs, and all will be further competition for the
Hammers.
That level of competition could ultimately be West Ham's downfall. The
arrival of three teams with huge financial clout could push them closer to
the Premier League trapdoor in the next couple of seasons. I'm sure Sullivan
and Gold will take all that into consideration. What I would like to see
from them at the end of this season – this is assuming they stay up, which
I'm certain they will – is a statement of intent, a clear signal of their
hopes for the future. That would provide transparency for supporters,
something that's been missing, and it would be good for the fans to realise
what the club's ambitions are.
They also need to address the stadium and get the crowd closer to the pitch,
even if it means spending a few million quid to get it right.
On the pitch, survival will all boil down to their remaining six fixtures
and, if I were at the training ground, I'd be banging the drum about the
home games. They have four of them – the mantra will be, 'Win the home games
and try to nick points away if you can'. And if West Ham get it right, as
they did against Southampton in their last home match, they'll be safe
sooner rather than later.
Originally published in the Sunday People.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 14
Friday, April 13
Daily WHUFC News - 13th April 2018
Arnautovic: A win on Monday would be a big step
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic is looking forward to a big match this Monday at London Stadium when the Hammers take on his former club, Stoke City, under the lights. As the east Londoners look to build on four points from their last two fixtures, Arnautovic is hoping to build on his tally of nine goals for the season. "We can make the gap between us and the bottom bigger on Monday so we're doing everything we can," he said. "We just need to concentrate and put in the effort, and I'm sure we will win the game."
The No7 will look to sink the Potters again after scoring against them in the 3-0 win earlier this season and he says the squad have been putting the hard yards in to prepare for the Monday night match-up. "We are training hard and we are keeping ourselves fit. I think over the weekend we will go into the details of how to play against them. We know what we have to do though."
Arnautovic is confident the home fans will get behind the team again as they come off a spirited 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend. The Hammers have been in good form at home recently having lost just once in the past five home matches, while Stoke come into the match having lost four of their last five matches and are winless in nine. This makes Monday night's match all the more important. Arnautovic concurs: "A win would be a big step. This game is massive. It's a big game for us, for the Club, and for the fans. We will go all together on Monday and we will try as hard as we can to get the three points."
Adults can purchase two tickets for this match for just £40. Click here to buy now!
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Bobby Moore - Gone but never forgotten
WHUFC.com
The greatest player to ever wear the Claret and Blue would have been 77 today. Bobby Moore OBE, West Ham United's most famous player and England's 1966 World Cup-winning captain, was born on this day in 1941. The central defender made 646 league and cup appearances for the Hammers, scoring 27 goals. Moore was born in Barking on 12 April 1941, making his debut for his local club in a 3-2 win over Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground as a 17-year-old on 8 September 1958. It was the start of a glittering career that is remembered fondly by football fans the world over. As a West Ham player, Moore lifted the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. A year later, he was back at Wembley to complete an unforgettable hat-trick by lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy following England's 4-2 victory over West Germany. Moore would go on to star at the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico before moving to Fulham, for whom he played against the Hammers in the 1975 FA Cup final. Following his retirement, Moore moved first into management and then into the world of broadcasting before his life was cut short by cancer in February 1993. He was just 51. Bobby Moore, gone but never forgotten.
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New role for Nik
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 12th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic may still be waiting for the right job offer, but one of his former backroom staff members has already returned to football in a management role.
Bilic and his backroom staff were fired by West Ham last November having been held responsible for the club's poor start to the 2017/18 campaign that left the Hammers struggling at the foot of the table.
However Nikola Jurcevic - Bilic's assistant manager at West Ham - has landed himself a plum role back home as manager of leading Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb, who have won the Croatian First Football League in 11 of the last 12 seasons. Last month the 51-year-old former midfielder replaced Mario Cvitanovic in the managerial hotseat, the latter being fired last month following two consecutive 4-1 defeats less than a year after being handed the role. And Jurcevic has got off to a flying start with two wins and a draw in his opening three matches, thus ensuring his team are eight points clear of bitter rivals Hajduk Split, with just eight games of the season remaining. The former Hammers assistant opened his account with a 2-0 win over Rudes before being held to a goalless draw at Inter Zapresic. However Zagreb and Jurcevic returned to winning ways last week when securing a comfortable 4-0 win at struggling Istra 1961 - making them odds on to win a 12th title in 13 seasons.
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Masuaku linked with Spurs and other transfer news
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 12th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
French winger Arthur Masuaku is being linked with a move across London, in today's transfers news. The 25-year-old, who recently returned from a six-match ban for spitting at an opponent during the FA Cup defeat at Wigan Athletic is being linked with both Tottenham and Chelsea in today's tabloids as the current campaign draws to a close. Masuaku, who cost West Ham United £6million when moving from Greek side Olympiakos in the summer of 2016 has become something of a crowd favourite at the Olympic Stadium since he was moved from full back to the wing. However it is suggested that the player - who signed a four-year contract upon joining West Ham - is keen to taste Champions League football and will listen to offers this summer as a result.
* In other transfer news, left-sided full back Aaron Creswell is reported to be a transfer target of former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. Big Sam, who signed the 28-year-old defender from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2014 (for £3.75million) is keen to be reunited with his former charge, who has also represented England this season, according to the latest speculation. Everton are reported to be willing to pay up to £25million to sign Liverpudlian Cresswell, who was born just a few hundred yards from Everton's Goodison Park ground.
* Elsewhere today in Europe the Hammers are being linked with Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, who is also being cited as a potential target for Juventus (by tuttomercatoweb.com) who were knocked out of the Champions League last night. Spurs are also said to be monitoring the situation with view to making a summer bid for the 24-year-old, who cost Barca €35million in 2016 and had previously represented Benfica and Valencia.
* Finally Saint Etienne forward Jonathan Bamba has been linked with a string of clubs across Europe in recent weeks, including West Ham. French media (Foot Sur 7) claim this morning that Fenerbahce have now joined a long list of admirers. Bamba, 21, who is out of contract this summer has repeatedly refused to sign a new deal with Les Verts ; fellow Premier League clubs such as Huddersfield and Newcastle are also said to have registered their interest in the player who is currently the club's second-higest goalscorer this season behind Remy Cabella.
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Hart backed for England World Cup role
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 12th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's most recent signing believes that Joe Hart should go to the World Cup with England. The on-loan goalkeeper has only recently won back his place in the West Ham first team squad after he was preferred to Spanish stopper Adrian by David Moyes. However Patrice Evra believes that Hart is still the best English goalkeeper around - and backed his new team mate to be a success in Russia, having regained his spot at West Ham. "I remember when I came [to West Ham] and Joe wasn't playing," said Evra. "Adrian was playing and I would say 'Joe, come on, you need to play - the World Cup is coming soon'. " I said 'your time is coming, never give up' and you can see how he played against Chelsea. He was the Man of the Match, well deserved, and even today at training he was still Man of the Match. "He was really confident and I'm really happy for him. Big players need to handle the pressure, you're going to get criticised."
The former French international has made three appearances for West Ham since joining the club on a free transfer at the beginning of February - two starts (both 4-1 defeats, against Liverpool and Swansea) and a substitute appearance against Chelsea last weekend.
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THE HERNANDEZ DEBATE - SHOULD HE START?
By Blind Hammer 12 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Blind Hammer also looks at the enigmatic pros and cons of starting Hernandez
One of the risks of writing weekly posts is that other bloggers will submit posts of similar ilk. Great minds think alike and all that. With apologies then I submit this piece already written before FC Chandos posted yesterday. At least this can be presented as a debate. here is the piece written on Tuesday.
If West Ham survive the relegation threat which has haunted us, it will be due, in no small measure, to Hernandez's goals. He would concede that he has not set the Premiership alight, yet his equaliser against Chelsea adds to a tally of match winning or point grabbing contributions. His away goal against Palace ensured we rescued a point despite their second half domination. In the reverse fixture Palace conceded a penalty against his threat, enabling Noble to equalise. Another effort garnered a precious point against Bournemouth. His goal against Watford highlights the important of his contribution against teams considered our rivals. In a season with an extraordinarily compressed lower table these contributions have probably ensured our survival. Without his interventions in these critical fixtures we would not only be at least 7 points worse off, but arguably, just as damagingly, adrift as we would have surrendered at least 9 points to immediate relegation rivals.
In only 3 games have Hernandez's goals failed in a losing cause. His brace away against Southampton accompanied another South coast reversal against Brighton. His remaining goal in a losing cause registered in our home defeat to Tottenham.
Hernandez has achieved this despite niggling injuries and illness feeding prolonged absences. When played he often finds himself in a formation ill-suited to his strengths.
There seems objective evidence then that Moyes should be inking Hernandez in as one of the first names on his team sheet.
Yet even now considerable doubt surrounds Hernandez inclusion. He can plummet from hero to zero in the space of 90 minutes. He is the classic goal scoring enigma, offering little beyond goal poaching. When he is good, he is very very good; when bad he can be awful. He disappears in scraps requiring effort, muscularity and athleticism.
Luckily Marco Arnautovic has emerged as a match winner who can offer the requisite athleticism and work rate that Hernandez seems unable to provide. Consequently it is Arnautovic who has grabbed the main headlines. He has been the inspirational force in our most eye catching performances, whether it the winner in our home fixture against Chelsea, our away thumpings of Stoke and Huddersfield, or arguably our game of the decade in the home win, against enormous pre-match pressure against Southampton.
Equally importantly, until the Chelsea equaliser, our most incisive offensive partnerships have relied on Arnautovic combining with Lanzini rather than Hernandez. I can remember only the Watford game as an occasion when Hernandez joined Arnautovic on the score sheet.
Yet Hernandez is not the only player who can flit from hero to zero in a blink. Mario and Fernandez received justifiable praised for their performance against Southampton but were heavily criticised for their anonymous performance against Chelsea. Arguments are already building for their replacement by Hernandez and possibly, if fit, Lanzini.
I have sympathy for both Mario and Fernandez. Lauded for their positive performance against players like Redmond they are panned for not replicating this against players of the calibre of Hazard and William. This seems illogical to me. Stoke will provide a challenge similar to that provided by Southampton. I am not persuaded that we should jettisoned Fernandez. Against Southampton he provided the pace, energy and commitment which we are likely to require. Lambert will ensure that Stoke offer a challenge of hard work, high pressing, and physical combativeness. The game is likely to be a blood and thunder battle. In other words it may be just the sort of game in which Hernandez will struggle.
Hernandez's accomodation actually still takes second place to greater priorities. Over the season our Leakey and ineffectual defence continues as our most punishing weakness. Any recent improvement should not blind us to our shocking defensive record. The bald stats do not lie. In the goals against table we are easily in the bottom 3. Amongst all the teams below us actually only Stoke have a worse record than us. Stoke will understand then, more than anybody, the paper thin confidence a porous defence can create. They will inevitably target this vulnerability. Only 2 games ago we conceded 7 goals to Swansea and Burnley. Despite the revelation of Declan Rice increasingly mature emergence it would be foolish to assume that these problems are behind us. Stoke will attempt to exploit this fragility. Lambert will also hope that negative volatility of campaign against the Stadium will re-emerge if West Ham fall behind and will help their cause.
All this indicates that this is another game in which the first goal will be critical. Whilst this has been billed as a "must win" it is in reality a must not lose game. Drawing against Stoke would be disappointing but not terminal. Losing might just plummet our season and snatch defeat out of the jaws of safety.
Moyes will know that in recent games Stoke have paid the price of tiring after initial first half efforts. It seems then that Hernandez is best positioned again to make a telling contribution from the bench. His particular skill set may be lethal against tiring Stoke defenders with weakened concentration. Match winning interventions from the bench are under rated. Before the season Mourinho praised the talents of Hernandez, and his goal scoring record. It was precisely his ability to transform games from the bench that he was most complementary of. What we require first and foremost against Stoke is a solid performance. It is from that position of strength that Hernandez's talents may assist us most.
COYI
David Griffith
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic is looking forward to a big match this Monday at London Stadium when the Hammers take on his former club, Stoke City, under the lights. As the east Londoners look to build on four points from their last two fixtures, Arnautovic is hoping to build on his tally of nine goals for the season. "We can make the gap between us and the bottom bigger on Monday so we're doing everything we can," he said. "We just need to concentrate and put in the effort, and I'm sure we will win the game."
The No7 will look to sink the Potters again after scoring against them in the 3-0 win earlier this season and he says the squad have been putting the hard yards in to prepare for the Monday night match-up. "We are training hard and we are keeping ourselves fit. I think over the weekend we will go into the details of how to play against them. We know what we have to do though."
Arnautovic is confident the home fans will get behind the team again as they come off a spirited 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend. The Hammers have been in good form at home recently having lost just once in the past five home matches, while Stoke come into the match having lost four of their last five matches and are winless in nine. This makes Monday night's match all the more important. Arnautovic concurs: "A win would be a big step. This game is massive. It's a big game for us, for the Club, and for the fans. We will go all together on Monday and we will try as hard as we can to get the three points."
Adults can purchase two tickets for this match for just £40. Click here to buy now!
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Bobby Moore - Gone but never forgotten
WHUFC.com
The greatest player to ever wear the Claret and Blue would have been 77 today. Bobby Moore OBE, West Ham United's most famous player and England's 1966 World Cup-winning captain, was born on this day in 1941. The central defender made 646 league and cup appearances for the Hammers, scoring 27 goals. Moore was born in Barking on 12 April 1941, making his debut for his local club in a 3-2 win over Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground as a 17-year-old on 8 September 1958. It was the start of a glittering career that is remembered fondly by football fans the world over. As a West Ham player, Moore lifted the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. A year later, he was back at Wembley to complete an unforgettable hat-trick by lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy following England's 4-2 victory over West Germany. Moore would go on to star at the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico before moving to Fulham, for whom he played against the Hammers in the 1975 FA Cup final. Following his retirement, Moore moved first into management and then into the world of broadcasting before his life was cut short by cancer in February 1993. He was just 51. Bobby Moore, gone but never forgotten.
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New role for Nik
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 12th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic may still be waiting for the right job offer, but one of his former backroom staff members has already returned to football in a management role.
Bilic and his backroom staff were fired by West Ham last November having been held responsible for the club's poor start to the 2017/18 campaign that left the Hammers struggling at the foot of the table.
However Nikola Jurcevic - Bilic's assistant manager at West Ham - has landed himself a plum role back home as manager of leading Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb, who have won the Croatian First Football League in 11 of the last 12 seasons. Last month the 51-year-old former midfielder replaced Mario Cvitanovic in the managerial hotseat, the latter being fired last month following two consecutive 4-1 defeats less than a year after being handed the role. And Jurcevic has got off to a flying start with two wins and a draw in his opening three matches, thus ensuring his team are eight points clear of bitter rivals Hajduk Split, with just eight games of the season remaining. The former Hammers assistant opened his account with a 2-0 win over Rudes before being held to a goalless draw at Inter Zapresic. However Zagreb and Jurcevic returned to winning ways last week when securing a comfortable 4-0 win at struggling Istra 1961 - making them odds on to win a 12th title in 13 seasons.
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Masuaku linked with Spurs and other transfer news
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 12th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
French winger Arthur Masuaku is being linked with a move across London, in today's transfers news. The 25-year-old, who recently returned from a six-match ban for spitting at an opponent during the FA Cup defeat at Wigan Athletic is being linked with both Tottenham and Chelsea in today's tabloids as the current campaign draws to a close. Masuaku, who cost West Ham United £6million when moving from Greek side Olympiakos in the summer of 2016 has become something of a crowd favourite at the Olympic Stadium since he was moved from full back to the wing. However it is suggested that the player - who signed a four-year contract upon joining West Ham - is keen to taste Champions League football and will listen to offers this summer as a result.
* In other transfer news, left-sided full back Aaron Creswell is reported to be a transfer target of former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. Big Sam, who signed the 28-year-old defender from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2014 (for £3.75million) is keen to be reunited with his former charge, who has also represented England this season, according to the latest speculation. Everton are reported to be willing to pay up to £25million to sign Liverpudlian Cresswell, who was born just a few hundred yards from Everton's Goodison Park ground.
* Elsewhere today in Europe the Hammers are being linked with Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, who is also being cited as a potential target for Juventus (by tuttomercatoweb.com) who were knocked out of the Champions League last night. Spurs are also said to be monitoring the situation with view to making a summer bid for the 24-year-old, who cost Barca €35million in 2016 and had previously represented Benfica and Valencia.
* Finally Saint Etienne forward Jonathan Bamba has been linked with a string of clubs across Europe in recent weeks, including West Ham. French media (Foot Sur 7) claim this morning that Fenerbahce have now joined a long list of admirers. Bamba, 21, who is out of contract this summer has repeatedly refused to sign a new deal with Les Verts ; fellow Premier League clubs such as Huddersfield and Newcastle are also said to have registered their interest in the player who is currently the club's second-higest goalscorer this season behind Remy Cabella.
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Hart backed for England World Cup role
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 12th April 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's most recent signing believes that Joe Hart should go to the World Cup with England. The on-loan goalkeeper has only recently won back his place in the West Ham first team squad after he was preferred to Spanish stopper Adrian by David Moyes. However Patrice Evra believes that Hart is still the best English goalkeeper around - and backed his new team mate to be a success in Russia, having regained his spot at West Ham. "I remember when I came [to West Ham] and Joe wasn't playing," said Evra. "Adrian was playing and I would say 'Joe, come on, you need to play - the World Cup is coming soon'. " I said 'your time is coming, never give up' and you can see how he played against Chelsea. He was the Man of the Match, well deserved, and even today at training he was still Man of the Match. "He was really confident and I'm really happy for him. Big players need to handle the pressure, you're going to get criticised."
The former French international has made three appearances for West Ham since joining the club on a free transfer at the beginning of February - two starts (both 4-1 defeats, against Liverpool and Swansea) and a substitute appearance against Chelsea last weekend.
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THE HERNANDEZ DEBATE - SHOULD HE START?
By Blind Hammer 12 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Blind Hammer also looks at the enigmatic pros and cons of starting Hernandez
One of the risks of writing weekly posts is that other bloggers will submit posts of similar ilk. Great minds think alike and all that. With apologies then I submit this piece already written before FC Chandos posted yesterday. At least this can be presented as a debate. here is the piece written on Tuesday.
If West Ham survive the relegation threat which has haunted us, it will be due, in no small measure, to Hernandez's goals. He would concede that he has not set the Premiership alight, yet his equaliser against Chelsea adds to a tally of match winning or point grabbing contributions. His away goal against Palace ensured we rescued a point despite their second half domination. In the reverse fixture Palace conceded a penalty against his threat, enabling Noble to equalise. Another effort garnered a precious point against Bournemouth. His goal against Watford highlights the important of his contribution against teams considered our rivals. In a season with an extraordinarily compressed lower table these contributions have probably ensured our survival. Without his interventions in these critical fixtures we would not only be at least 7 points worse off, but arguably, just as damagingly, adrift as we would have surrendered at least 9 points to immediate relegation rivals.
In only 3 games have Hernandez's goals failed in a losing cause. His brace away against Southampton accompanied another South coast reversal against Brighton. His remaining goal in a losing cause registered in our home defeat to Tottenham.
Hernandez has achieved this despite niggling injuries and illness feeding prolonged absences. When played he often finds himself in a formation ill-suited to his strengths.
There seems objective evidence then that Moyes should be inking Hernandez in as one of the first names on his team sheet.
Yet even now considerable doubt surrounds Hernandez inclusion. He can plummet from hero to zero in the space of 90 minutes. He is the classic goal scoring enigma, offering little beyond goal poaching. When he is good, he is very very good; when bad he can be awful. He disappears in scraps requiring effort, muscularity and athleticism.
Luckily Marco Arnautovic has emerged as a match winner who can offer the requisite athleticism and work rate that Hernandez seems unable to provide. Consequently it is Arnautovic who has grabbed the main headlines. He has been the inspirational force in our most eye catching performances, whether it the winner in our home fixture against Chelsea, our away thumpings of Stoke and Huddersfield, or arguably our game of the decade in the home win, against enormous pre-match pressure against Southampton.
Equally importantly, until the Chelsea equaliser, our most incisive offensive partnerships have relied on Arnautovic combining with Lanzini rather than Hernandez. I can remember only the Watford game as an occasion when Hernandez joined Arnautovic on the score sheet.
Yet Hernandez is not the only player who can flit from hero to zero in a blink. Mario and Fernandez received justifiable praised for their performance against Southampton but were heavily criticised for their anonymous performance against Chelsea. Arguments are already building for their replacement by Hernandez and possibly, if fit, Lanzini.
I have sympathy for both Mario and Fernandez. Lauded for their positive performance against players like Redmond they are panned for not replicating this against players of the calibre of Hazard and William. This seems illogical to me. Stoke will provide a challenge similar to that provided by Southampton. I am not persuaded that we should jettisoned Fernandez. Against Southampton he provided the pace, energy and commitment which we are likely to require. Lambert will ensure that Stoke offer a challenge of hard work, high pressing, and physical combativeness. The game is likely to be a blood and thunder battle. In other words it may be just the sort of game in which Hernandez will struggle.
Hernandez's accomodation actually still takes second place to greater priorities. Over the season our Leakey and ineffectual defence continues as our most punishing weakness. Any recent improvement should not blind us to our shocking defensive record. The bald stats do not lie. In the goals against table we are easily in the bottom 3. Amongst all the teams below us actually only Stoke have a worse record than us. Stoke will understand then, more than anybody, the paper thin confidence a porous defence can create. They will inevitably target this vulnerability. Only 2 games ago we conceded 7 goals to Swansea and Burnley. Despite the revelation of Declan Rice increasingly mature emergence it would be foolish to assume that these problems are behind us. Stoke will attempt to exploit this fragility. Lambert will also hope that negative volatility of campaign against the Stadium will re-emerge if West Ham fall behind and will help their cause.
All this indicates that this is another game in which the first goal will be critical. Whilst this has been billed as a "must win" it is in reality a must not lose game. Drawing against Stoke would be disappointing but not terminal. Losing might just plummet our season and snatch defeat out of the jaws of safety.
Moyes will know that in recent games Stoke have paid the price of tiring after initial first half efforts. It seems then that Hernandez is best positioned again to make a telling contribution from the bench. His particular skill set may be lethal against tiring Stoke defenders with weakened concentration. Match winning interventions from the bench are under rated. Before the season Mourinho praised the talents of Hernandez, and his goal scoring record. It was precisely his ability to transform games from the bench that he was most complementary of. What we require first and foremost against Stoke is a solid performance. It is from that position of strength that Hernandez's talents may assist us most.
COYI
David Griffith
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, April 12
Daily WHUFC News - 12th April 2018
Zabaleta: Declan Rice will be a future West Ham United captain
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta says Declan Rice has the talent and temperament to become a future West Ham United captain. The experienced Argentinian, a two-time Premier League champion and FIFA World Cup runner-up, knows a thing or two about how to identify leaders, and he believes his teenage teammate has the credentials to wear the armband in years to come. The unlikely pair have combined to superb effect on a number of occasions this season, most recently in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Chelsea, where Rice produced an assured performance against the likes of Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard and Spain centre forward Alvaro Morata. "Decs has been fantastic," Zabaleta, who was also hugely impressive at right wing-back at Stamford Bridge. "It's fantastic to see him play at that level and he's only 19. "I can't believe that he is that young yet he is very mature and he is improving game after game. I love when I see young players from the Academy come through and playing that well. "I like to have him next to me because he is young and he has that energy to play and do some of the running. I hope I can help him and teach him how to defend. "Listen this guy has a great future for this Club. He will be a future captain for West Ham, I am sure about this. I am very pleased for him."
Rice, who has totalled 25 first-team appearances this season, previously captained West Ham's U23s to promotion to Premier League 2 Division 1 a year ago.
Zabaleta also had words of praise for his other defensive colleagues after West Ham followed up their 3-0 home win over Southampton with a resilient showing in west London. The Hammers ceded possession and territory to Chelsea, and allowed 23 goal attempts, but their defensive efforts meant six were blocked, eleven missed the target and five were superbly saved by goalkeeper Joe Hart. Rice led the way with five clearances and three interceptions, while Zabaleta, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaaron Cresswell, Arthur Masuaku and substitute Patrice Evra all made vital contributions to blunt the Blues attack in the final third. "I'm very pleased with the performance from the backline, the three at the back and the two wing backs," Zabaleta confirmed. "We worked really hard during the whole game to stop their front three because they have really good players upfront – Hazard, Willian, Morata, then Giroud came on and with Alonso on one side and Moses on the other side they also have pace. "So, given that, I thought we were really good defensively and really solid."
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Westley: Chelsea game was a proud moment for the Academy
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Terry Westley believes West Ham United's Academy of Football can take huge pride in their achievements over the past week. There were no fewer than five Academy graduates in the first-team squad for Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Chelsea, including captain Mark Noble, centre-back Declan Rice and substitute and midfielder Josh Cullen. Young professionals Josh Pask and Grady Diangana were also included in the matchday 18 by manager David Moyes, further endorsing the positive work being done by Westley and his staff at Chadwell Heath.
Add in back-to-back away victories at Manchester City and Everton in Premier League 2, with Nathan Trott keeping two clean sheets and Marcus Browne scoring all five goals, and it has been a few days that Westley can look back on with great satisfaction. "I think it's a proud moment for everybody at the Club," he said. "One of the reasons I came here initially was because West Ham United is known for its home-grown players and since Mark Noble, Jack Collison and James Tomkins, there has been a gap. "Before that, the work being done was outstanding and to get that amount of players through the system was fantastic, but that was a different era and it's very challenging now with other clubs wanting to take your players and the sums of money we're now talking about. "So, to actually have a game where you have three Academy products on the pitch at the end in a Premier League game and the manager trusting them is massive. We have the captain, who has obviously been here a long time and also helps looks after the young ones and is an ambassador, and Declan Rice, who is not yet established in the team but the manager trusts that he can do a job and he put him into high-profile, tense situations against Southampton and Chelsea. "Then, with ten minutes to go, to say to Josh Cullen 'Go on, tidy things up in the middle of the pitch and help us wrap things up' is a great endorsement of everybody here at the Academy. "Maybe it's coming back? That's what is leaving a smile on my face. Maybe we're getting back to something that this Club ought to be and underneath that, to be able to get the type of results we've got in the last two games at Under-23 level against Manchester City and Everton was fantastic. "We shouldn't be able to compete with Manchester City at youth level, because of the vast sums they've got, and we had three Under-18s on the pitch that night. Then, to go to Everton and win 4-0, again with three different Under-18s on the pitch, really gives me some hope for next season and the years to follow."
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Manchester City date confirmed - tickets on sale to Claret Members
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's home fixture against Manchester City will remain on Sunday 29 April with a 2.15pm kick-off following the Citizens' exit from the UEFA Champions League this week.
West Ham welcome Pep Guardiola's side to London Stadium for the first of back-to-back home matches against the Manchester clubs, as they look to avenge the 2-1 defeat at Etihad Stadium earlier this season.
Tickets remain available to Claret Members for this fixture, starting at £50 adults and £25 concessions. Click here to purchase now.
With the Manchester City date now set, the home fixture list for the rest of the 2017/18 season is now confirmed, with tickets now on sale for each of the remaining games.
Stoke City - Monday 16 April, 8pm
Tickets start at £30 adults and £15 concessions (2 for £40 adults also available). On General Sale. Buy now by clicking here.
Manchester City - Sunday 29 April, 2.15pm
Tickets start at £50 adults and £25 concessions. On sale to Claret Members. Buy now by clicking here.
Manchester United - Thursday 10 May, 7.45pm
Tickets start at £50. On sale to Claret Members. Buy now by clicking here.
Everton - Sunday 13 May, 3pm
Tickets start at £30 adults and £15 concessions. On sale to Claret Members. Buy now by clicking here.
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JOAO MARIO WANTS TO PLAY FOR WEST HAM UNITED AT THE RIGHT PRICE SIGN HIM UP!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:59PM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
I like Manuel Lanzini, skilful, scores goals and plays football with a smile on his face, and I hope stays with us for a few seasons. But all things said it would not be an absolute disaster if Lanzini did get sold. Some will scream we will "always be a selling Club". The simple truth is we are ALL selling Clubs. As we saw with Neymar, if a player wants a move he gets it. A lot of the moves are not even initiated by the player but by greedy agents! Like houses every time a player gets sold an agent makes a lot dough. Yes, players are under contract and you can hold them to contract, but at what cost? They play up like spoilt brats and the whole team suffers as a result. Players in most instances, don't care one iota about how their actions cost a Club, there are very few James Collins about! This season Manuel Lanzini's body language has been poor, he has been very inconsistent. His head may well be turned by meeting up with Messi and Co while on international duty with Argentina who knows? Some say he is aggrieved because our tight arsed Chairman have kept him on 35,000 grand a week, despite promising Lanzini a new contract during the last two windows.
Some say that The Board have tried to get him to sign a new contract, but he has rebuffed approaches to sit down for Contract talks. Either way the situation needs to get sorted early in The Summer window. Should Lanzini be off and we get good money for him, and if The Board broke the habit of a life time and gave the manager the proceeds of the sale. It would not be the disaster some people make out it would be. It would give us the chance to complete a major overhaul of our midfield, which make no mistake is badly needed. Our midfield against Chelsea was weak, unbalanced and overrun putting enormous pressure on our defence, offering no protection what so ever. Attacking wise, they are slow in thought and movement, no pace and movement or creativity. People say to me Javier Hernandez's legs have gone or he offers nothing outside the box. Missing the point, I'm afraid. In and around the box Hernandez is not just a goal scorer, he is one of the best in the business! Goals win football matches, but Hernandez or anyone else, does not stand a chance when he is expected to drop deep with his back to goal, in an effort to get the ball. More often than not the ball is just hoofed forward! This has not been the case just for this season but several seasons. God how we miss Yossi Benayoun in his prime!
But it is not all doom and gloom. I know it has been in patches, but I really like Joao Mario he most certainly is on the same wavelength as Arnie. Mario actually plays better when Manuel Lanzini is not playing. He has more end product than Lanzini with his final ball, not as good as Lanzini dribbling wise, but a different sort of playmaker, better decision maker, creates more chances, knows how and when to bring the others into play, also knows when to slow the game down when needed. It is clear the boy likes The Club and wants to be at West Ham. Obviously not anywhere near £39 million but if a deal can be done do it. We need more than just Mario to cure our midfield ills. It is no secret that Fulham's Tom Cairney, was sitting behind David Moyes at Stamford Bridge. I like Ex prefer Norwich's James Maddison, but would be happy with Tom Cairney. Yet you get some screaming "Bang average!" "Not the next level!" Another Snodgrass "Give it a rest man! Cairney, may be a late developer but has been fantastic for Fulham, who play Football the right way.
Tom Cairney scores goals, is a beautiful passer of the ball and can spot a pass early, a good decision maker, an intelligent footballer. I would be happy to see him at West Ham. What I don't want to see The Club do is, start signing players like Fernando Torres or crap from relegated Clubs. What is the point in that? A lot of the negativity about being linked with players like Cairney, is solely because people have become ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with the next level stuff that they have lost their enjoyment in supporting West Ham! I have been there and got the T-Shirt! At times I would get so obsessed with driving The Chairman out of Town, I became absolutely negative about anything West Ham related. Next Level? Yes, I still believe in the Promised land, but realistically it is going to take longer. The midfield surgery must not stop at signing Mario and Cairney, we need a good defensive midfielder. If we keep Mario, the obvious target would be his international team mate. William Carvalho, somehow after Sullivan's 'phantom bid' in the summer that is a no go. With a bit of luck, we will sign Anderlecht's Leander Dendoncker, a very good defensive midfielder. Dendoncker's form has been up and down since he failed to sign for us on the January Deadline Day.
We also welcome Pedro Obiang back next season, who you could also employ as a CDM. We also have Cheikhou Kouyaté, whom I love to see driving forward. The problem with Kouyaté is his positional sense and his ability to pick up his man is poor. If we did bring in three quality midfielders I can see either Kouyaté or Obiang getting sold. We also need to complete the surgery of the midfield, by signing someone with a bit of pace who can play out wide. In a poor season the one bright spot has been, that our famed Academy has unearthed another Jewel in Declan Rice. Rice has done himself and The Club proud. In Nathan Holland we have another outstanding talent who plays out wide, he is a very quick and direct runner. Nathan has all the ability to make the step up to the first team. Yes, there are other areas that need strengthening, but the midfield is any team's engine, ours has been out of sorts for too long, and we have paid a heavy price for it. Sort the midfield out and WE WILL take a step towards the next level!
We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!
COYI!!
FarehamHammer!!!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
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CAN WE GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL UNDER MOYES?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:56PM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
This may not be a popular piece, but I am making the case for keeping David Moyes. This season his results have been mixed, a slow start gradually developed into a steady accumulation of points and we seemed to be heading in the right direction. Things then dropped off alarmingly before the last couple of games. Moyes though has some mitigation, the team he took over was in a bad place, playing poorly, unbalanced, unfit and lacking confidence. Since then while a number of players have been moved on, signings in the January window were to say the least, underwhelming. I think Moyes is going to keep us up, victory against Stoke should see us home. I think Moyes has brought improvement to a number of players, steadied the ship, improved morale and also given a few opportunities to youngsters which we have all been asking for.
So what can David Moyes do in the long term? The next level? Let's face it the board massively over hyped that. Champions league? At the moment Arsenal and Chelsea are not going to make the top four which gives an indication of how difficult that is. For me the next level for West Ham is to be the best of the rest. Now before I get accused of lacking ambition, I would love to see us mix it with the big boys and will never stop dreaming of that happening, but we have to be realistic about where we are and we are more than one level away from that stage. We need a platform to build from, challenging for Europa qualification through the league, making a push in the cups, and stop this regular visit to the relegation battle.
I know this may sound defeatist, but our club has perennially under achieved. In the history of the club we have finished in the top seven of the top tier six times. Achieving that position regularly would represent moving to the next level. So, David Moyes; at Everton he achieved top seven finishes eight times in eleven seasons. Now I know Everton have a better record overall but in the preceding eleven seasons they achieved top seven just once. Moyes star has fallen with failure at Man Utd and Sociedad both short lived appointments, followed by the mistake of taking the Sunderland job – a club in freefall. My point is Moyes knows what is needed. I have seen criticism of targets from clubs like Fulham, well I think we have a big rebuilding ahead and sensible well scouted signings are going to form the corner stone of this, hopefully backed up by a couple of higher profile signings. Many will be sceptical of the board providing decent backing, for me this summer is make or break, if the board fail the unrest will be one thing that does move to the next level. I really hope we are not starting over with another new manager, especially as there does not seem to be a likely candidate out there. Looking above us, Burnley, Newcastle, Leicester, Bournemouth and Watford are not built on huge signings, yet all are in better positions than us, Burnley are pushing for Europe! We need a solid foundation and less speculative signings from abroad. I would be really happy in the medium term to see us regular top seven and challenging for cups.
Another Criticism of Moyes is he is too negative. He will certainly take a pragmatic approach, but I do think he will attempt to balance results with some attractive football once he has a foundation. Moyes draws comparisons with Allardyce, for me although there are some similarities, Moyes lacks the arrogance of Big Sam, I felt Sam never really got a chance with a large section of the West Ham faithful, but he certainly did not help himself. Not only did Sam not endear himself to fans, he did not even try to play the game. Moyes in my view has a little more respect for the fans view. If you are not one of the elite, you have to build a solid hard to beat side and work from there. The game against Burnley saw us undone by a tactical approach from Sean Dyche (a top manager in my view) sit, suck up the pressure, don't concede and slowly take the game to a team with the crowd on their back. They dismantled us and scored three away from home, but it was hardly classic free flowing football in the first half.
Lots of views about that Moyes should have started Chicarito Sunday, maybe, but we had to hang in there and build a platform against Chelsea. If we had gone toe to toe with them they have the players to take us apart.
So, for Me Moyes is showing enough. Ogbonna has improved, Declan Rice is establishing himself, Kouyate looks much better recently after a terrible spell previously, Noble has recovered form, Masuaku looks better, Arnie is a different player to the bloke under Bilic. I really hope Chicarito can find a place under Moyes but playing two up needs the shape of the rest of the side to be right, we lack players to do that so if Chicarito is going to play he needs to consistently show the industry he did on Sunday coming from slightly deeper.
I think we need 6-7 signings this summer and I hope we will go into the new season in the premier league with a squad that has the balance to play 2-3 different formations because at the moment there is only one available.
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THE CASE AGAINST MOYES
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:45PM
TheWesTHaMWay.co.uk
Written by Stewart Draper
Moyes stares at the final handful of games till the season ends and I'm sure he and his staff will give / do everything they can to ensure safety. However, can we really say he has done enough? I'll give him a couple of props first…
1.He has energized a couple of players and gotten the best out of them, such as Arnie. How much of that was him verses the players rolling up their sleeves and coming to a realization… only the dressing room probably knows.
2.He has endured a difficult time with the off field problems involving fans and the board and has done his best to continue as normal and handled things appropriately.
The case against…
•our next manager should be long term, forward thinking and hungry. Moyes has floated from relegation candidate to relegation candidate and even a random failure in Spain trying to find a job. A man truly in free fall from a career prospective.
•His performance as our manager so far has been poor to mediocre at best. Tactical decisions questionable (one up top in home games), how he's handled players like Chicha where there is clearly some old feelings involved from Man U days.
•His transfer Dealings this winter and at previous clubs have been very poor. Hugill purchase instead of a Cairney or Maddison for example… allowing critical members to leave (Forte, Ayew). If those were not his decision… then I still question if he has the balls to deal with our board on transfer decisions.
•Name recognition. Does Moyes help us attract top talent? This summer is a make or break for our board… another shit window and things will continue in the same vein as this season. Moyes only role at a "top" club was Man U and we see how that worked out. Players often base their decisions on manager, style and role within the team.
In conclusion… for me the case for Moyes is NO. There will be better managers available come the end of the season, Benitez is 3 times the manager Moyes. Thanks for the caretaking Moyes, wish you all the best mate but time to aim higher.
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A VIEW FROM ACROSS THE POND – THE CASE FOR DAVID MOYES
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 11:21AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
The Case for David Moyes
View from Across the Pond
By @WestHamAmerican
I remember November 6, when Slaven Bilic was sacked, thinking "this is a great opportunity for the club to go forward." Certainly, a mid-season hire restricts a number of possible candidates who are having good runs with their current clubs, but someone could take a good West Ham roster, throw in some fitness discipline, and fix what Slav couldn't. And then, a day later, it was announced that David Moyes was the man. I wasn't outraged, but I certainly wasn't excited.
The memory of Moyes's futility with a full year at the helm of Sunderland, and their subsequent relegation, didn't instill me with much enthusiasm. Prior to that he had been handed the keys to the greatest kingdom in world sport, as gaffer at Old Trafford, and that didn't end well either. But thinking about his past: no one was going to follow Sir Alex successfully. It was a fool's errand , and I suspect Ferguson knew his first team was getting older and felt it was a good time to exit prior to having to rebuild most of his squad.
After seeing the management and board problems at Sunderland over the past two seasons, it's curious whether anyone could have saved them from relegation. (I suppose Big Sam could walk in late in the season and pull some April/May magic, since that is his special power and he had done just that the year before.)
Which leaves me to wonder: Would West Ham be better off just to let Moyes have a few years to add some stability to this club? I think that might be the best course. Here are a few reasons:
* As a Scot with a long career at Preston North End and coaching in England almost his entire career, he knows West Ham, he knows the league, and he knows the priorities of West Ham Supporters. He made an honest run at the FA cup even though it cost us dearly in injuries and one suspension. While an international manager wouldn't risk his" bottom ten" squad on an FA cup run, Moyes knew a trip to the finals would mean a lot to West Ham's fans.
* Alex Ferguson handpicked him as his successor. Sir Alex felt that it was the best chance for Manchester United to succeed and possibly, if given a second or third season, things might have turned out better.
* Sean Dyche proves that stability might be worth a look. Burnley should not be where they are. The club lacks strong funding, it isn't a great destination that international stars want to bring their families to live, and they don't have a great history of success, and yet, by sticking with a good coach, he has built the team he wants with the wages he can afford. He has structured the club academy the way he wants it, he has his own people handling scouting, his own people tending to the health and medical side of his club. Basically Sean Dyche has maximized his team's output by getting the most out of everyone in the organization. Since the average tenure of a Premier League manager is 18-24 months, most clubs don't get that alignment throughout the entire structure. Moyes had an entire decade at Everton. While not every season was great, at least there was stability and he had time to build a foundation for success, and develop players to his style of play.
* Who else do you bring in? Given our board's notoriety for not going all in on top transfers, I don't know that many proven Champion's League coaches would want to come to West Ham. I do think Rafa Benitez has been an excellent coach the past two seasons. If he were overly frustrated with Newcastle's ownership and wanted to move to London, I think he might be a good candidate, but otherwise, I am not sure that anyone else would prove to have as good a CV as our current coach.
It was a bit surprising that the board only awarded Moyes a six month contract. One would think that would make it challenging to recruit possible January transfer targets. I think once it becomes clear that West Ham will stay up next season, the board ought to go ahead and let Moyes have a two year deal. It seems that the Hammers are only a couple of players away from pushing back into the top ten and possibly challenging for Europe. I think maintaining some consistent leadership might be a better path to success for this club. I say he's earned another year.
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HOW DOES MOYES BEST UTILISE HERNANDEZ?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:39AM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by Jake McMullan @jakemcmullan1
Our Mexican marquee signing scored less than 5 minutes after coming on to the field at Stamford Bridge, the definition of an impact sub. His ability to find the net from almost nothing is a trait I think almost all West Ham fans would like to see more often. The issue now lies with the fact that he is getting extremely limited game time given his stature in the game, and should he continue to struggle for minutes on the pitch, he will inevitably leave in the summer.
I think the problem for Moyes at the moment is that Arnautovic is playing arguably the best football of his life. I don't think a single West Ham fan would want to move the Austrian from his forward position (as any form of winger role is where his reputation for inconsistency has developed), but the current formation only allows for one striker…
Now the obvious and most plausible solution to this would be to play two upfront as this allows for our two top players to play alongside each other, a concept most West Ham fans are calling for. However, off the back of a couple of good results why would Moyes want to change formation? 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' certainly applies here, and Moyes is not the sort of manager who will accommodate individuals over team shape. This would mean Chicharito would have to fit in elsewhere
Hernandez slotted straight into Fernandes' position against Chelsea by the looks of things, playing as more of an attacking midfielder alongside Joao Mario. This evidently worked as he scored an excellent goal but in terms of having that level of creativity that a Lanzini and the likes possess, Hernandez in my opinion comes up short. It would also seem wasteful to play our big name striker in a position unfamiliar to him so this position is not a long term fix.
Playing him anywhere else on the pitch just wouldn't utilise his poacher qualities and so aren't even worth debating on, which would seem to leave the bench as the final option. Hernandez has proved time and time again from his Manchester United days that he can be an extremely effective substitute, and he proved it once more on Sunday against Chelsea. However, West Ham's marquee signing will leave should the bench be where he remains, and I think it is important for the clubs progression that we hold onto strikers of his his calibre.
Moyes therefore has a problem, how does he fit the Mexican into his line up with the likes of Lanzini and Carroll soon to be returning? He has a known bad history with Hernandez from his failed stint in Manchester, and I fear history may be repeating itself.
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HART OVER MIND?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:51PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Lukas Volskis (@lu_thirty_1)
First things first, what a positive result for us on Sunday! Coming into that game, I wasn't feeling too confident at all, even though Chelsea has been misfiring lately. Still, you always have to be mindful going to Stamford Bridge with the quality Chelsea has at its disposal. But, as the game went on, my belief grew and grew and by the end of it, I was waiting for us to score a winner.
Yes, it WAS a penalty!
It's funny how a few decent performances change the mood and fortune around the club ey? To me, it's even more interesting how fans' perception of players changes every week. In my opinion we are too quick to get upset and WAY too quick to get excited.
Arnautovic is a prime example of this. Slated and slated until the villain became the hero. Albeit, we had every right to be harsh on him but, in my opinion, those seven games shouldn't have had him written off as a failure. One thing to remember, Arnautovic was a good player going through a bad patch.
Joe Hart is the opposite and a good performance shouldn't have him labelled as a good player.
When he first signed, I was pretty damn excited. Yes, he had his troubles at Manchester City and then in Italy but in my opinion, he spent those two seasons playing with the lowest confidence imaginable. If someone's always telling you you're bad at something, you'll start to believe it. However, I was still confident he could put that in the past and go back to being a very good goalkeeper, one that I was accustomed to seeing before Pep rolled into town.
However, as the season went on, it was clear to see that Hart's best days were behind him. Yes, our defence was worse than stepping on a plug in the morning but even the simplest situations seemed impossible for Hart to deal with. He looked lost. And he definitely had me fooled when we first signed him.
Let's appreciate that his performances got so bad that we were crying out for Adrian to return in goal. And, if you go back a few months before Hart got there, Adrian wasn't exactly setting the world on fire. We were in a serious goalkeeper crisis with neither of the two good enough to play at this level.
Credit where credit's due, the City game was impressive for Adrian (just like Hart's at Chelsea) but then everything slowly started trickling back down to what it was before; a pile of misery.
Anyone for some déjà vu?
Now, don't get me wrong, if Hart is our goalkeeper for the rest of the season, I will support him and the team until the end. I also appreciate the passion he has for our club and it was nice to hear him put West Ham before England in his recent interview.
However, I do not think Hart is a good goalkeeper anymore and the truth is, he's the best out of a bad bunch. Sadly, that's the predicament that we have been dealing with all year. To be honest, you could probably say the same for a lot of things at West Ham, especially some of our players. But, the one thing we have and always will do is support this team through thick and thin, except for those who chose to forfeit their season tickets after we went 1-0 down in a home game that we could have easily recovered. But, don't get me started on that. That's a whole 'nother story that I don't have enough words to write about.
The point I'm making here is that we shouldn't let a good performance by a poor player trick us into believing something that isn't there. I've read a lot of things on social media about how great Hart has become all of a sudden. That simply is not true. And he certainly shouldn't be England's first choice in Russia.
For our sake and sanity, let's hope we see more Chelsea-esque performances during the last 6 games and address our keeper situation in the summer, just like we should address everything else.
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THE MOYES-IAH? WHY DAVID MOYES IS NOT ALL THAT BAD
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:39PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @clubmoore
When David Moyes was unveiled as Slaven Bilić's replacement in November 2017, many West Ham were pessimistic about their team's chances of staying in the Premier League. Moyes had relegated Sunderland the season before, and the supporters expressed feelings of discontent and annoyance that the board had decided to appoint a manager who had not been successful.
Moyes said that he had "a point to prove" when he was appointed the new Hammers boss, and he has since reiterated the importance of not judging a book by its cover. Under his leadership, West Ham have lost only twice at home and went on a streak that saw them lose once in ten games.
So, what has been key to the change in performances since Moyes arrived in East London? What has he done to ensure that the players fight for Premier League survival? And why did West Ham suit him better than his other jobs?
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON
Moyes spent eleven years at Everton, but he is more famous for his disastrous eight months at Manchester United
Moyes got his chance to be a Premier League manager in March 2002, when he left Preston North End to replace Walter Smith at Everton. At the time, he was a young, ambitious manager who had guided Preston to the Division One playoff final in the 2000/01 season. In his first full season in charge, Everton finished seventh.
The Glaswegian continued to improve the Toffees, guiding them to Champions League qualification in the 2004/05 season. Everton soon became acquainted to playing in Europe, qualifying to play in the Europa League for four consecutive years.
In May 2013, Moyes was confirmed as the replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He aimed to maintain United's track record of winning silverware, but this job would result in the downfall of his reputation. United suffered their worst ever start to a season, and lost back-to-back home games in December 2013 for the first time since the 2000/01 season. Following a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City and a 2-0 defeat to Everton, Moyes was sacked in April 2014.
Moyes's failures at Manchester United can be justified, and the blame does not totally rely on him. Firstly, the club's owners made a poor decision in appointing him based on his track record at Everton, who he won no trophies with during his eleven-year reign; United needed a manager who had won major trophies and league titles at world-class clubs. Secondly, he was appointed on the club's traditions of being run by British managers, and this may have influenced the decision to appoint him.
Moyes then moved to Spain managed Real Sociedad for one year before becoming Sunderland manager in the summer of 2016. Sunderland were relegated under Moyes, but he has since admitted that he did not enjoy the job and that he did not have enough talent to work with.
West Ham United are a better platform for Moyes than Sunderland and Manchester United. Moyes has better players to work with and the team suits his own personal needs in terms of their league positions and level of expectations.
HOW DID IT ALL CHANGE?
Moyes has stated that he is not fooling around with West Ham
There are two key reasons as to why West Ham improved under Moyes's guidance as well as areas for improvement:
Authority Moyes has made it clear that he is the boss and that he has no time for unpunctuality or laziness. When he came to the club, he made it clear that players who did not work hard would not play. This is different to his predecessor, Slaven Bilić – Bilić appeared to be too light-hearted with his players in training, whereas Moyes makes the players engage in physical drills and makes it clear that he is their manager, not their friend.
Raising personal expectations In his early days as West Ham United manager, Moyes told underperforming players to play better. For example, Marko Arnautović – who had joined West Ham from Stoke City for a club record fee of £27,000,000 – had not played well for the Hammers under Bilić's management. Since Moyes handed him a play-well-or-be-dropped ultimatum, the Austrian winger has scored nine goals and has become a key member of the attack.
Other players have benefited from Moyes's words. Angelo Ogbonna has performed better under Moyes and received praise for his performance against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Ogbonna and Arnautović's on-pitch improvements in form demonstrate how a change in manager can lead to a change in player and team form.
What needs to change if Moyes stays on?
Give more youth players a chance to impress. Players such as Josh Cullen, Sead Hakšabanović and Nathan Holland have been regarded as players who have potential to achieve. Hakšabanović is one of the many stand-out youth academy prospects; he represents Montenegro at international level and was tipped for greatness during his time in Sweden. Surely he and many others are worth a chance?
Start Chicharito! This is plain common sense and a necessity – start Chicharito in the starting line-up. He is the type of quality West Ham have needed in terms of strikers due to his eye for goal, yet he was benched despite a period of good form and scoring goals. Why would you pay a player £140,000 a week to come on a make an impact if need be? It does not make sense.
Add to the squad's depth. The key to having a successful team to have strength in depth; West Ham lack this due to a lack of signings in January and injuries. Adding to the squad over the summer is vital, and with a new director of football soon to arrive at the London Stadium and a change in transfer policy supposedly being implemented, new faces may come to West Ham United.
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A CASE FOR THE DEFENCE
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:34AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by David Hardie @baldyh77
As the summer approaches, thoughts naturally turn to which players and positions the club will strengthen in. Regardless of the budget available and boy do we hope it's substantial, the focus needs to be on the defence.
I'm sure you're all familiar with the quote mentioning 'lies, damn lies and statistics' so what better way to make my point than by adopting my glasses and dressing gown (Fantasy Football reference for you youngsters!).
Last season we conceded 64 goals in 38 league games, and in 11 we conceded 3 or more. That's just under a third of our games we gave ourselves a mountain to climb to gain any points. With 7 games to go this season and with Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City & Man Utd still to play, it's a safe bet that we'll surpass last season's dubious tally. Well, as safe a bet as Carroll being unable to stay fit for 10 consecutive games or Ex being unveiled as David Sullivan at the next West Ham Way event by Wardy in a Scooby Doo-esq way!
This season we've conceded 57 goals in 31 games and in 13 games conceded 3 or more – for those not great at maths – that's gone up! Compare that with the likes of Burnley who have conceded 27 goals all season. Now, I'm no genius (I wouldn't have made the life style choice of going to watch West Ham if I was!) but it seems to me this is where our problems lie. We have no other problems obviously!
Whilst playing 3 at the back has helped paper over the cracks at times, I think it's time we concentrated on getting some quality defenders and a top quality defensive midfielder. Full-backs have been a concern for awhile, with Creswell not reaching previous performance levels, Arthur being more interested in attacking and doing drag backs than defending, and Zabaleta performing well but not a long term solution. I'm encouraged that Ex has strongly linked us with Fredericks from Fulham who is a good right back and a good start. I think another left back is needed to allow Arthur to concentrate on being a wide left player. Whilst many may look to Fulham again to solve our full-back issues in the shape of Sessegnon, his best performances have been as a left midfielder/winger, and he has struggled when up against a pacey winger like Traore at Middlesbrough (another player I like).
With Fonte being sold to China, Collins likely to be let go and Reid constantly injured, this leaves us short in a key area. Burke does not seem like the answer, the jury is out on Oxford, and Rice (who has been excellent) cannot be expected to play 38 games at such a young age. This leaves us with just Ogbonna, who I think deserves the runner up spot in the Hammer of the Year. So a couple of quality centre backs are needed, ideally with some pace to allow us to squeeze the opposition like successful teams at the top of the league – Liverpool (only 35 conceded despite the perception of a poor defence), Tottscum and City.
The other key signing, as Bilic tried to identify last summer, is a quality holding midfielder. Obiang has not been able to grasp his opportunity with his inconsistent displays, and we've lacked this player since we had an on song Song. Whether this player be the infamous Carvalho or whoever, it is vital our defence have a screen to protect them and stop us conceding so many goals.
With a solid base in place, I believe this will allow our flair players like Arnie, Lanzini and Antonio the freedom to go win games rather than trying to salvage them.
COYI!
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WE MUST BRING HERNANDEZ BACK IN TO THE FOLD!
By S J Chandos 11 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Thankfully, we achieved the draw at Chelsea that has greatly strengthen our survival prospects. I have to say that I really enjoyed the game. Hart had his best display in a West Ham jersey (some would say it's about time!), Ogbonna and Rice were absolute class, Arnautovic was our best player yet again and Hernandez made a vital intervention from the bench. The goal conceded was soft, in all honesty, but we fought back to equalise and both Arnautovic (for providing the assist) and Hernandez (for delivering a great strike) deserve credit. Indeed. the strike provided a timely reminder (if one was needed) of Hernandez's proficiency in front of goal. He is that rare commodity, a penalty box predator, with the ability to convert an half chance. In that sense, Hernandez really is worth his weight in gold and needs to be retained in the squad for next season (assuming that we remain in the PL).
There have been rumours circulating that Hernandez has been unhappy at the club, with the suggestion that the player wanted a move in the January window. If so, David Moyes must ensure that there is a rapprochement and that Hernandez feels a valued part of the squad and is prepared to remain for the 2018-19 season. As stated, goal poachers like Hernandez are a rare and valuable commodity and we cannot afford to lose him. He should figure in Moyes first team plans for the remainder of the season, whether starting or joining the action from the bench. Personally, I feel that he could play a really important role in our survival and have an even bigger impact next season.
A victory over Stoke City is crucial. If Chelsea beat Southampton, and we take the three points, then we are virtually safe. After that I reckon one more victory, or even a couple of draws, should clinch the retention of our PL status. And that is to be warmly welcomed, but the board should not be lulled in any false sense of security. The malcontent of the fans has been suppressed for the good of the club, but it remains a very important factor and will re-emerge unless a new direction is taken. In my opinion, the board must authorise substantial expenditure on strengthening the squad this summer – no excuses! By my estimation, we probably need seven quality signings this summer, including: a goal keeper, full-back, centre-half, x2 midfielders and x2 strikers.
In addition, I would expect that Hart, Collins, Obiang, Snodgrass, Carroll and Hugill will all depart the club. I very much doubt that Hart will be signed permanently, Collins should join the coaching staff, Obiang will probably return to Italian football, Snodgrass will likely sign for Villa, Carroll' s injury record necessitates his departure (hopefully back to Newcastle Utd for c.£10m – if we are very lucky) and arguably Hugill should never have been signed in the first place. That might sound harsh, but the board must be both realistic and decisive in the action taken. We have flirted with relegation (to one degree or another) over the last two seasons and it needs to stop. We need an urgent injection of quality, and improved strength in depth, to ensure that we can get back to challenging in the top ten of the PL. If we continue to struggle then it is only a matter of time before relegation claims us and (as the board well knows) that would be a disaster for the club.
The quality of the summer signings will be absolutely crucial. We need players that will take the club forward to greater things. In addition, I have great hopes that Byram, Burke, Holland, and Cullen can make a positive impact at first team level next season. We also need to see whether the likes of Oxford, Samuelson, Quina and Martinez can finally live up to their big reputations? While bubbling under at U-23 level are prospects like Trott, Johnson and Lewis, who could all come in to the reckoning in the next couple of seasons.
In short, this summer is likely to be a period of change and upheaval in first team affairs. But it is absolutely necessary and will hopefully pay dividends in the long run. Of course, the key question is who will be managing the club next season? If Moyes successfully steers the club away from relegation then it is very likely that he will be offered a new two year contract. And if that is the case, can we really deny that he deserves it? If Moyes can get back to being the manager that he was at Everton, then he could be a good, safe pair of hands. However, the question must still be asked, of the board,whether a more ambitious appointment might not be the order of the day?
We live in interesting times. If we do survive this season (as seems probable), then the board must show ambition and take strong and concerted action this coming summer. Nothing less is expected, nothing else will do!
SJ. Chandos.
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JANSSON REPORTEDLY KEEN ON PREMIER LEAGUE SWITCH AMID WEST HAM LINKS
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
According to reports from Sweden, Leeds United defender Pontus Jansson wants to play his football in the Premier League next season, amid links with West Ham.
The powerful central defender is a key part of the Leeds team but it seems he has his eyes firmly set on a move to the English top flight, if reports from his homeland are to be believed.
It's been reported recently by the Guardian's Ed Aarons that Jansson is a target for West Ham in the summer, with David Moyes' side lacking depth in central defence.
Jose Fonte's departure in January has left a void to fill for the Hammers in the summer, with their defensive weaknesses having been well documented throughout the course of the campaign.
Jansson has often been linked with a move to the Premier League and with West Ham apparently keen, it seems his future at Elland Road is somewhat uncertain ahead of the summer.
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West Ham to offer starlet Marcus Browne new deal amid interest from Napoli and RB Leipzig
Marcus Browne scored four goals against Everton in front of numerous scouts
RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Sevilla all keeping tabs on youngster
West Ham believe Browne is ready to step up at senior level next season
By Laurie Whitwell for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:14, 10 April 2018 | UPDATED: 23:15, 10 April 2018
West Ham United are ready to offer Marcus Browne a new contract as the young forward continues to impress for the Under-23s side. Browne scored four goals against Everton on Monday night in front of watching scouts from RB Leipzig, Leverkusen, Napoli and Sevilla. It is understood Leipzig, who have taken Ademola Lookman on loan and previously signed Oliver Burke, are especially keen to secure more British talent. But West Ham insiders believe the 20-year-old, rated at £5million, can make the step up to senior level and want to see him progress next season. Though he signed a three-and-a-half year contract in January 2017 fresh talks on an improved deal are expected. West Ham's youth policy is in good health at this moment with Declan Rice, the 19-year-old defender, rising to prominence under David Moyes, who also gave minutes to academy graduate Josh Cullen against Chelsea on Sunday. Fellow young players Grady Diangana and Josh Pask were included on the bench. There have been calls for Browne, who can play anywhere along the frontline including No 10, to see first-team action too.
He scored a superb free-kick from 25 yards to give West Ham a 1-0 win over Manchester City last Thursday and has Rio Ferdinand as a mentor through his agency.
Browne's only senior appearance to date counts as 15 minutes against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League in August 2016 but the foreign clubs monitoring his progress could offer more continental action.
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INTER TO RIVAL WEST HAM FOR MARCO MENEGHETTI
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
readWestHam
West Ham are reportedly facing competition in their pursuit of Pordenone goalkeeper Marco Meneghetti. The Hammers have been linked with a move for the youngster, who is currently plying his trade in the third tier of Italian football. However, according to reports in Italy, Inter Milan have joined West Ham in the race to sign him this summer. Inter are understood to be keen admirers of the 17-year-old goalkeeper, who has impressed many with some good displays for Pordenone. The signing would, of course, be with the view of Meneghetti being integrated into Inter or West Ham's respective youth academies. However, it seems a summer tug of war over his signature could ensue as speculation continues to surround his future. West Ham may need to address their goalkeeping situation at senior level, as well. Joe Hart's loan deal expires at the end of the season and Adrian has been heavily linked with a return to Spain in recent times.
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Tottenham set to battle London rivals West Ham over transfer of Barcelona's Andre Gomes
The Mirror
ByMike Walters
Sports Writer
05:00, 11 APR 2018
Tottenham and West Ham are both interested in a summer swoop for Barcelona's Andre Gomes. The Hammers targeted the Portuguese midfielder last summer after growing frustrated in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho. Mauricio Pochettino is keen too, however, with 24-year-old Gomes open to a switch to the Premier League.
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Sickener for West Ham fans after club announces bigger profits than Tottenham in latest accounts
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United fans would normally celebrate anything about their club that bettered bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. There is no love lost between West Ham and Tottenham on and off the pitch but they are rivals heading in very different directions these days. Mauricio Pochettino has turned Spurs into one of the most exciting teams in Europe against the backdrop of a fitting new ground being built to showcase their attractive football. Meanwhile Hammers fans are disillusioned and revolting against the club's owners after growing fed up of broken promises over their own ill-fated move to the former Olympic Stadium, transfer spending and ambition. The owners pledged to splash the cash at the new ground to enable the East Londoners to compete with the Premier League elite but that has failed to materialise and the club have instead spent much of their first two seasons at the new 60,000 seater ground fighting relegation.
With Tottenham set to qualify for the Champions League once again there's not much in a West Ham fan's armoury when it comes to the tribal rivalry between the clubs. And Hammers fans will find it galling to learn that their club actually recorded MORE profit than Spurs in the latest financial accounts despite the huge disparity between the sides on the pitch in terms of league performance, squad quality and Tottenham's regular involvement in the Champions League with the extra revenue that brings. West Ham announced a record £43million profit from their first season at the London Stadium last month - as reported by the likes of the Evening Standard. That was £2million more than Spurs who announced a profit of £41million under the shrewd leadership of Daniel Levy, as reported by the Daily Mail. Yet the clubs are 10 places and 33 points apart in the Premier League table, a fact that will not go down well with the club's fans.
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West Ham must try for their own Salah and move for Juan Cuadrado
HITC
Dan Coombs
West Ham should weigh up a move for Juan Cuadrado this summer. West Ham appear to have made one successful raid on Serie A this year by bringing in Inter Milan ace Joao Mario on loan. Getting him permanently is still an uncertainty, and one alternative they should consider is Juan Cuadrado. Cuadrado has been in and out of the Juventus line-up all season, but when he has played, he has been productive. In 22 games he has scored six goals and provided six assists. Calciomercato report he faces an uncertain future in Turin and he is 'wanted across Europe'. So competition would be tough for the Hammers, but he is a player they should be looking at. He has experience in the Premier League with Chelsea, and while this did not work out, West Ham only need to look at Mohamed Salah to see that counts for little. Like Salah, Cuadrado was signed by Jose Mourinho and never given a proper chance. He was sent out on loan to Italy and then left permanently, and he has got his career back on track. Approaching 30, Cuadrado does not have quite the same high ceiling as Salah, but that also helps make him more affordable for West Ham. If the board show faith in him, the Colombian could become a key player for the club, but they might have to make their approach before the World Cup.
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3 Chelsea talents who should follow Declan Rice to West Ham
HITC
Dan Coombs
Declan Rice admits he is glad Chelsea released him, he's now starring for West Ham. West Ham youngster Declan Rice played a starring role at the weekend as the club claimed a draw away to Chelsea. Rice was a former Chelsea trainee and released at just 14. He admits now this has turned out to be a blessing for him.
Chelsea's are bidding to win a fifth successive FA Youth Cup, but despite this their talented kids have struggled to make the first team. Here are three more Chelsea talents who could benefit from a move to West Ham, where they may see their first team chances fast-tracked...
Tammy Abraham
Striker Tammy Abraham has found it tough on loan at Swansea City this season but it would be a mistake to write him off. The youngster has already represented England and scored more than 20 goals in the Championship last season. A permanent switch to West Ham could give Abraham the stability he needs to become one of England's top strikers, if he continues to find his path blocked at Chelsea.
Matt Miazga
Centre-back Matt Miazga recently earned a first team cap for USA, but he is well down the pecking order at Chelsea. He is out on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, who sit seventh in the Eredivisie. If the past record of former Chelsea loanees at Vitesse is anything to go by, the Blues won't be ready to propel him into the first team yet.
Mario Pasalic
Midfield star Mario Pasalic signed for Chelsea in 2014, but he is yet to make an appearance at the club. He has enjoyed loan spells at Monaco and AC Milan, and he is currently at Russian side Spartak Moscow, where he has scored five times this season. West Ham should give him a shot to succeed in the Premier League by making an offer this summer.
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West Ham should ditch David Moyes and go for 'new Guardiola' Leonardo Jardim this summer
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United are yet to make a decision on the future of David Moyes with work still to do in their bid to secure Premier League survival. Apathy and anger greeted West Ham's decision to replace sacked Slaven Bilic with Moyes back in November. But the Scot has impressed many of his doubters with his bullish attitude and hunger to prove a point in East London. The Hammers were in the relegation zone on just nine points when Moyes took over and now sit 14th on 34 points and in all likelihood just one more win from securing their Premier League safety. Many fans feel Moyes - who was only appointed on a six-month contract - will have earned a longer-term deal if he keeps the East Londoners up. But others feel the club needs to reinvent itself from the ground up and find its own niche in the modern game after the move to the London Stadium failed to elevate them to the next level.
Many feel much of that has to do with a distinct lack of spending from co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold. But having pledged to completely revamp their recruitment process and structure, West Ham will want the right person in place to spend the money and rediscover the club's identity as an attractive attacking team that promotes youth. And there is no better man to help them achieve that than highly rated Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim. The former Sporting and Olympiacos boss is only 43 and has been steadily building his reputation in the game as the new Pep Guardiola. A student of the game and philosophy, the Portuguese manager has been in coaching since the age of 27 having not played professionally. Jardim has proved with his success at Monaco and the way he has promoted youth at the principality club that he has the attributes to reinvent West Ham. But Sullivan and Gold would have to show true ambition to lure him to East London as he would undoubtedly want complete control to shape the West Ham of the future. Whether the owners have the necessary ambition and money to give the fans the style of football they want and their identity and pride back, remains to be seen.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta says Declan Rice has the talent and temperament to become a future West Ham United captain. The experienced Argentinian, a two-time Premier League champion and FIFA World Cup runner-up, knows a thing or two about how to identify leaders, and he believes his teenage teammate has the credentials to wear the armband in years to come. The unlikely pair have combined to superb effect on a number of occasions this season, most recently in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Chelsea, where Rice produced an assured performance against the likes of Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard and Spain centre forward Alvaro Morata. "Decs has been fantastic," Zabaleta, who was also hugely impressive at right wing-back at Stamford Bridge. "It's fantastic to see him play at that level and he's only 19. "I can't believe that he is that young yet he is very mature and he is improving game after game. I love when I see young players from the Academy come through and playing that well. "I like to have him next to me because he is young and he has that energy to play and do some of the running. I hope I can help him and teach him how to defend. "Listen this guy has a great future for this Club. He will be a future captain for West Ham, I am sure about this. I am very pleased for him."
Rice, who has totalled 25 first-team appearances this season, previously captained West Ham's U23s to promotion to Premier League 2 Division 1 a year ago.
Zabaleta also had words of praise for his other defensive colleagues after West Ham followed up their 3-0 home win over Southampton with a resilient showing in west London. The Hammers ceded possession and territory to Chelsea, and allowed 23 goal attempts, but their defensive efforts meant six were blocked, eleven missed the target and five were superbly saved by goalkeeper Joe Hart. Rice led the way with five clearances and three interceptions, while Zabaleta, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaaron Cresswell, Arthur Masuaku and substitute Patrice Evra all made vital contributions to blunt the Blues attack in the final third. "I'm very pleased with the performance from the backline, the three at the back and the two wing backs," Zabaleta confirmed. "We worked really hard during the whole game to stop their front three because they have really good players upfront – Hazard, Willian, Morata, then Giroud came on and with Alonso on one side and Moses on the other side they also have pace. "So, given that, I thought we were really good defensively and really solid."
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Westley: Chelsea game was a proud moment for the Academy
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Terry Westley believes West Ham United's Academy of Football can take huge pride in their achievements over the past week. There were no fewer than five Academy graduates in the first-team squad for Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Chelsea, including captain Mark Noble, centre-back Declan Rice and substitute and midfielder Josh Cullen. Young professionals Josh Pask and Grady Diangana were also included in the matchday 18 by manager David Moyes, further endorsing the positive work being done by Westley and his staff at Chadwell Heath.
Add in back-to-back away victories at Manchester City and Everton in Premier League 2, with Nathan Trott keeping two clean sheets and Marcus Browne scoring all five goals, and it has been a few days that Westley can look back on with great satisfaction. "I think it's a proud moment for everybody at the Club," he said. "One of the reasons I came here initially was because West Ham United is known for its home-grown players and since Mark Noble, Jack Collison and James Tomkins, there has been a gap. "Before that, the work being done was outstanding and to get that amount of players through the system was fantastic, but that was a different era and it's very challenging now with other clubs wanting to take your players and the sums of money we're now talking about. "So, to actually have a game where you have three Academy products on the pitch at the end in a Premier League game and the manager trusting them is massive. We have the captain, who has obviously been here a long time and also helps looks after the young ones and is an ambassador, and Declan Rice, who is not yet established in the team but the manager trusts that he can do a job and he put him into high-profile, tense situations against Southampton and Chelsea. "Then, with ten minutes to go, to say to Josh Cullen 'Go on, tidy things up in the middle of the pitch and help us wrap things up' is a great endorsement of everybody here at the Academy. "Maybe it's coming back? That's what is leaving a smile on my face. Maybe we're getting back to something that this Club ought to be and underneath that, to be able to get the type of results we've got in the last two games at Under-23 level against Manchester City and Everton was fantastic. "We shouldn't be able to compete with Manchester City at youth level, because of the vast sums they've got, and we had three Under-18s on the pitch that night. Then, to go to Everton and win 4-0, again with three different Under-18s on the pitch, really gives me some hope for next season and the years to follow."
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Manchester City date confirmed - tickets on sale to Claret Members
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's home fixture against Manchester City will remain on Sunday 29 April with a 2.15pm kick-off following the Citizens' exit from the UEFA Champions League this week.
West Ham welcome Pep Guardiola's side to London Stadium for the first of back-to-back home matches against the Manchester clubs, as they look to avenge the 2-1 defeat at Etihad Stadium earlier this season.
Tickets remain available to Claret Members for this fixture, starting at £50 adults and £25 concessions. Click here to purchase now.
With the Manchester City date now set, the home fixture list for the rest of the 2017/18 season is now confirmed, with tickets now on sale for each of the remaining games.
Stoke City - Monday 16 April, 8pm
Tickets start at £30 adults and £15 concessions (2 for £40 adults also available). On General Sale. Buy now by clicking here.
Manchester City - Sunday 29 April, 2.15pm
Tickets start at £50 adults and £25 concessions. On sale to Claret Members. Buy now by clicking here.
Manchester United - Thursday 10 May, 7.45pm
Tickets start at £50. On sale to Claret Members. Buy now by clicking here.
Everton - Sunday 13 May, 3pm
Tickets start at £30 adults and £15 concessions. On sale to Claret Members. Buy now by clicking here.
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JOAO MARIO WANTS TO PLAY FOR WEST HAM UNITED AT THE RIGHT PRICE SIGN HIM UP!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:59PM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
I like Manuel Lanzini, skilful, scores goals and plays football with a smile on his face, and I hope stays with us for a few seasons. But all things said it would not be an absolute disaster if Lanzini did get sold. Some will scream we will "always be a selling Club". The simple truth is we are ALL selling Clubs. As we saw with Neymar, if a player wants a move he gets it. A lot of the moves are not even initiated by the player but by greedy agents! Like houses every time a player gets sold an agent makes a lot dough. Yes, players are under contract and you can hold them to contract, but at what cost? They play up like spoilt brats and the whole team suffers as a result. Players in most instances, don't care one iota about how their actions cost a Club, there are very few James Collins about! This season Manuel Lanzini's body language has been poor, he has been very inconsistent. His head may well be turned by meeting up with Messi and Co while on international duty with Argentina who knows? Some say he is aggrieved because our tight arsed Chairman have kept him on 35,000 grand a week, despite promising Lanzini a new contract during the last two windows.
Some say that The Board have tried to get him to sign a new contract, but he has rebuffed approaches to sit down for Contract talks. Either way the situation needs to get sorted early in The Summer window. Should Lanzini be off and we get good money for him, and if The Board broke the habit of a life time and gave the manager the proceeds of the sale. It would not be the disaster some people make out it would be. It would give us the chance to complete a major overhaul of our midfield, which make no mistake is badly needed. Our midfield against Chelsea was weak, unbalanced and overrun putting enormous pressure on our defence, offering no protection what so ever. Attacking wise, they are slow in thought and movement, no pace and movement or creativity. People say to me Javier Hernandez's legs have gone or he offers nothing outside the box. Missing the point, I'm afraid. In and around the box Hernandez is not just a goal scorer, he is one of the best in the business! Goals win football matches, but Hernandez or anyone else, does not stand a chance when he is expected to drop deep with his back to goal, in an effort to get the ball. More often than not the ball is just hoofed forward! This has not been the case just for this season but several seasons. God how we miss Yossi Benayoun in his prime!
But it is not all doom and gloom. I know it has been in patches, but I really like Joao Mario he most certainly is on the same wavelength as Arnie. Mario actually plays better when Manuel Lanzini is not playing. He has more end product than Lanzini with his final ball, not as good as Lanzini dribbling wise, but a different sort of playmaker, better decision maker, creates more chances, knows how and when to bring the others into play, also knows when to slow the game down when needed. It is clear the boy likes The Club and wants to be at West Ham. Obviously not anywhere near £39 million but if a deal can be done do it. We need more than just Mario to cure our midfield ills. It is no secret that Fulham's Tom Cairney, was sitting behind David Moyes at Stamford Bridge. I like Ex prefer Norwich's James Maddison, but would be happy with Tom Cairney. Yet you get some screaming "Bang average!" "Not the next level!" Another Snodgrass "Give it a rest man! Cairney, may be a late developer but has been fantastic for Fulham, who play Football the right way.
Tom Cairney scores goals, is a beautiful passer of the ball and can spot a pass early, a good decision maker, an intelligent footballer. I would be happy to see him at West Ham. What I don't want to see The Club do is, start signing players like Fernando Torres or crap from relegated Clubs. What is the point in that? A lot of the negativity about being linked with players like Cairney, is solely because people have become ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with the next level stuff that they have lost their enjoyment in supporting West Ham! I have been there and got the T-Shirt! At times I would get so obsessed with driving The Chairman out of Town, I became absolutely negative about anything West Ham related. Next Level? Yes, I still believe in the Promised land, but realistically it is going to take longer. The midfield surgery must not stop at signing Mario and Cairney, we need a good defensive midfielder. If we keep Mario, the obvious target would be his international team mate. William Carvalho, somehow after Sullivan's 'phantom bid' in the summer that is a no go. With a bit of luck, we will sign Anderlecht's Leander Dendoncker, a very good defensive midfielder. Dendoncker's form has been up and down since he failed to sign for us on the January Deadline Day.
We also welcome Pedro Obiang back next season, who you could also employ as a CDM. We also have Cheikhou Kouyaté, whom I love to see driving forward. The problem with Kouyaté is his positional sense and his ability to pick up his man is poor. If we did bring in three quality midfielders I can see either Kouyaté or Obiang getting sold. We also need to complete the surgery of the midfield, by signing someone with a bit of pace who can play out wide. In a poor season the one bright spot has been, that our famed Academy has unearthed another Jewel in Declan Rice. Rice has done himself and The Club proud. In Nathan Holland we have another outstanding talent who plays out wide, he is a very quick and direct runner. Nathan has all the ability to make the step up to the first team. Yes, there are other areas that need strengthening, but the midfield is any team's engine, ours has been out of sorts for too long, and we have paid a heavy price for it. Sort the midfield out and WE WILL take a step towards the next level!
We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!
COYI!!
FarehamHammer!!!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
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CAN WE GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL UNDER MOYES?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:56PM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk
This may not be a popular piece, but I am making the case for keeping David Moyes. This season his results have been mixed, a slow start gradually developed into a steady accumulation of points and we seemed to be heading in the right direction. Things then dropped off alarmingly before the last couple of games. Moyes though has some mitigation, the team he took over was in a bad place, playing poorly, unbalanced, unfit and lacking confidence. Since then while a number of players have been moved on, signings in the January window were to say the least, underwhelming. I think Moyes is going to keep us up, victory against Stoke should see us home. I think Moyes has brought improvement to a number of players, steadied the ship, improved morale and also given a few opportunities to youngsters which we have all been asking for.
So what can David Moyes do in the long term? The next level? Let's face it the board massively over hyped that. Champions league? At the moment Arsenal and Chelsea are not going to make the top four which gives an indication of how difficult that is. For me the next level for West Ham is to be the best of the rest. Now before I get accused of lacking ambition, I would love to see us mix it with the big boys and will never stop dreaming of that happening, but we have to be realistic about where we are and we are more than one level away from that stage. We need a platform to build from, challenging for Europa qualification through the league, making a push in the cups, and stop this regular visit to the relegation battle.
I know this may sound defeatist, but our club has perennially under achieved. In the history of the club we have finished in the top seven of the top tier six times. Achieving that position regularly would represent moving to the next level. So, David Moyes; at Everton he achieved top seven finishes eight times in eleven seasons. Now I know Everton have a better record overall but in the preceding eleven seasons they achieved top seven just once. Moyes star has fallen with failure at Man Utd and Sociedad both short lived appointments, followed by the mistake of taking the Sunderland job – a club in freefall. My point is Moyes knows what is needed. I have seen criticism of targets from clubs like Fulham, well I think we have a big rebuilding ahead and sensible well scouted signings are going to form the corner stone of this, hopefully backed up by a couple of higher profile signings. Many will be sceptical of the board providing decent backing, for me this summer is make or break, if the board fail the unrest will be one thing that does move to the next level. I really hope we are not starting over with another new manager, especially as there does not seem to be a likely candidate out there. Looking above us, Burnley, Newcastle, Leicester, Bournemouth and Watford are not built on huge signings, yet all are in better positions than us, Burnley are pushing for Europe! We need a solid foundation and less speculative signings from abroad. I would be really happy in the medium term to see us regular top seven and challenging for cups.
Another Criticism of Moyes is he is too negative. He will certainly take a pragmatic approach, but I do think he will attempt to balance results with some attractive football once he has a foundation. Moyes draws comparisons with Allardyce, for me although there are some similarities, Moyes lacks the arrogance of Big Sam, I felt Sam never really got a chance with a large section of the West Ham faithful, but he certainly did not help himself. Not only did Sam not endear himself to fans, he did not even try to play the game. Moyes in my view has a little more respect for the fans view. If you are not one of the elite, you have to build a solid hard to beat side and work from there. The game against Burnley saw us undone by a tactical approach from Sean Dyche (a top manager in my view) sit, suck up the pressure, don't concede and slowly take the game to a team with the crowd on their back. They dismantled us and scored three away from home, but it was hardly classic free flowing football in the first half.
Lots of views about that Moyes should have started Chicarito Sunday, maybe, but we had to hang in there and build a platform against Chelsea. If we had gone toe to toe with them they have the players to take us apart.
So, for Me Moyes is showing enough. Ogbonna has improved, Declan Rice is establishing himself, Kouyate looks much better recently after a terrible spell previously, Noble has recovered form, Masuaku looks better, Arnie is a different player to the bloke under Bilic. I really hope Chicarito can find a place under Moyes but playing two up needs the shape of the rest of the side to be right, we lack players to do that so if Chicarito is going to play he needs to consistently show the industry he did on Sunday coming from slightly deeper.
I think we need 6-7 signings this summer and I hope we will go into the new season in the premier league with a squad that has the balance to play 2-3 different formations because at the moment there is only one available.
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THE CASE AGAINST MOYES
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:45PM
TheWesTHaMWay.co.uk
Written by Stewart Draper
Moyes stares at the final handful of games till the season ends and I'm sure he and his staff will give / do everything they can to ensure safety. However, can we really say he has done enough? I'll give him a couple of props first…
1.He has energized a couple of players and gotten the best out of them, such as Arnie. How much of that was him verses the players rolling up their sleeves and coming to a realization… only the dressing room probably knows.
2.He has endured a difficult time with the off field problems involving fans and the board and has done his best to continue as normal and handled things appropriately.
The case against…
•our next manager should be long term, forward thinking and hungry. Moyes has floated from relegation candidate to relegation candidate and even a random failure in Spain trying to find a job. A man truly in free fall from a career prospective.
•His performance as our manager so far has been poor to mediocre at best. Tactical decisions questionable (one up top in home games), how he's handled players like Chicha where there is clearly some old feelings involved from Man U days.
•His transfer Dealings this winter and at previous clubs have been very poor. Hugill purchase instead of a Cairney or Maddison for example… allowing critical members to leave (Forte, Ayew). If those were not his decision… then I still question if he has the balls to deal with our board on transfer decisions.
•Name recognition. Does Moyes help us attract top talent? This summer is a make or break for our board… another shit window and things will continue in the same vein as this season. Moyes only role at a "top" club was Man U and we see how that worked out. Players often base their decisions on manager, style and role within the team.
In conclusion… for me the case for Moyes is NO. There will be better managers available come the end of the season, Benitez is 3 times the manager Moyes. Thanks for the caretaking Moyes, wish you all the best mate but time to aim higher.
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A VIEW FROM ACROSS THE POND – THE CASE FOR DAVID MOYES
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 11:21AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
The Case for David Moyes
View from Across the Pond
By @WestHamAmerican
I remember November 6, when Slaven Bilic was sacked, thinking "this is a great opportunity for the club to go forward." Certainly, a mid-season hire restricts a number of possible candidates who are having good runs with their current clubs, but someone could take a good West Ham roster, throw in some fitness discipline, and fix what Slav couldn't. And then, a day later, it was announced that David Moyes was the man. I wasn't outraged, but I certainly wasn't excited.
The memory of Moyes's futility with a full year at the helm of Sunderland, and their subsequent relegation, didn't instill me with much enthusiasm. Prior to that he had been handed the keys to the greatest kingdom in world sport, as gaffer at Old Trafford, and that didn't end well either. But thinking about his past: no one was going to follow Sir Alex successfully. It was a fool's errand , and I suspect Ferguson knew his first team was getting older and felt it was a good time to exit prior to having to rebuild most of his squad.
After seeing the management and board problems at Sunderland over the past two seasons, it's curious whether anyone could have saved them from relegation. (I suppose Big Sam could walk in late in the season and pull some April/May magic, since that is his special power and he had done just that the year before.)
Which leaves me to wonder: Would West Ham be better off just to let Moyes have a few years to add some stability to this club? I think that might be the best course. Here are a few reasons:
* As a Scot with a long career at Preston North End and coaching in England almost his entire career, he knows West Ham, he knows the league, and he knows the priorities of West Ham Supporters. He made an honest run at the FA cup even though it cost us dearly in injuries and one suspension. While an international manager wouldn't risk his" bottom ten" squad on an FA cup run, Moyes knew a trip to the finals would mean a lot to West Ham's fans.
* Alex Ferguson handpicked him as his successor. Sir Alex felt that it was the best chance for Manchester United to succeed and possibly, if given a second or third season, things might have turned out better.
* Sean Dyche proves that stability might be worth a look. Burnley should not be where they are. The club lacks strong funding, it isn't a great destination that international stars want to bring their families to live, and they don't have a great history of success, and yet, by sticking with a good coach, he has built the team he wants with the wages he can afford. He has structured the club academy the way he wants it, he has his own people handling scouting, his own people tending to the health and medical side of his club. Basically Sean Dyche has maximized his team's output by getting the most out of everyone in the organization. Since the average tenure of a Premier League manager is 18-24 months, most clubs don't get that alignment throughout the entire structure. Moyes had an entire decade at Everton. While not every season was great, at least there was stability and he had time to build a foundation for success, and develop players to his style of play.
* Who else do you bring in? Given our board's notoriety for not going all in on top transfers, I don't know that many proven Champion's League coaches would want to come to West Ham. I do think Rafa Benitez has been an excellent coach the past two seasons. If he were overly frustrated with Newcastle's ownership and wanted to move to London, I think he might be a good candidate, but otherwise, I am not sure that anyone else would prove to have as good a CV as our current coach.
It was a bit surprising that the board only awarded Moyes a six month contract. One would think that would make it challenging to recruit possible January transfer targets. I think once it becomes clear that West Ham will stay up next season, the board ought to go ahead and let Moyes have a two year deal. It seems that the Hammers are only a couple of players away from pushing back into the top ten and possibly challenging for Europe. I think maintaining some consistent leadership might be a better path to success for this club. I say he's earned another year.
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HOW DOES MOYES BEST UTILISE HERNANDEZ?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:39AM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by Jake McMullan @jakemcmullan1
Our Mexican marquee signing scored less than 5 minutes after coming on to the field at Stamford Bridge, the definition of an impact sub. His ability to find the net from almost nothing is a trait I think almost all West Ham fans would like to see more often. The issue now lies with the fact that he is getting extremely limited game time given his stature in the game, and should he continue to struggle for minutes on the pitch, he will inevitably leave in the summer.
I think the problem for Moyes at the moment is that Arnautovic is playing arguably the best football of his life. I don't think a single West Ham fan would want to move the Austrian from his forward position (as any form of winger role is where his reputation for inconsistency has developed), but the current formation only allows for one striker…
Now the obvious and most plausible solution to this would be to play two upfront as this allows for our two top players to play alongside each other, a concept most West Ham fans are calling for. However, off the back of a couple of good results why would Moyes want to change formation? 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' certainly applies here, and Moyes is not the sort of manager who will accommodate individuals over team shape. This would mean Chicharito would have to fit in elsewhere
Hernandez slotted straight into Fernandes' position against Chelsea by the looks of things, playing as more of an attacking midfielder alongside Joao Mario. This evidently worked as he scored an excellent goal but in terms of having that level of creativity that a Lanzini and the likes possess, Hernandez in my opinion comes up short. It would also seem wasteful to play our big name striker in a position unfamiliar to him so this position is not a long term fix.
Playing him anywhere else on the pitch just wouldn't utilise his poacher qualities and so aren't even worth debating on, which would seem to leave the bench as the final option. Hernandez has proved time and time again from his Manchester United days that he can be an extremely effective substitute, and he proved it once more on Sunday against Chelsea. However, West Ham's marquee signing will leave should the bench be where he remains, and I think it is important for the clubs progression that we hold onto strikers of his his calibre.
Moyes therefore has a problem, how does he fit the Mexican into his line up with the likes of Lanzini and Carroll soon to be returning? He has a known bad history with Hernandez from his failed stint in Manchester, and I fear history may be repeating itself.
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HART OVER MIND?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:51PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Lukas Volskis (@lu_thirty_1)
First things first, what a positive result for us on Sunday! Coming into that game, I wasn't feeling too confident at all, even though Chelsea has been misfiring lately. Still, you always have to be mindful going to Stamford Bridge with the quality Chelsea has at its disposal. But, as the game went on, my belief grew and grew and by the end of it, I was waiting for us to score a winner.
Yes, it WAS a penalty!
It's funny how a few decent performances change the mood and fortune around the club ey? To me, it's even more interesting how fans' perception of players changes every week. In my opinion we are too quick to get upset and WAY too quick to get excited.
Arnautovic is a prime example of this. Slated and slated until the villain became the hero. Albeit, we had every right to be harsh on him but, in my opinion, those seven games shouldn't have had him written off as a failure. One thing to remember, Arnautovic was a good player going through a bad patch.
Joe Hart is the opposite and a good performance shouldn't have him labelled as a good player.
When he first signed, I was pretty damn excited. Yes, he had his troubles at Manchester City and then in Italy but in my opinion, he spent those two seasons playing with the lowest confidence imaginable. If someone's always telling you you're bad at something, you'll start to believe it. However, I was still confident he could put that in the past and go back to being a very good goalkeeper, one that I was accustomed to seeing before Pep rolled into town.
However, as the season went on, it was clear to see that Hart's best days were behind him. Yes, our defence was worse than stepping on a plug in the morning but even the simplest situations seemed impossible for Hart to deal with. He looked lost. And he definitely had me fooled when we first signed him.
Let's appreciate that his performances got so bad that we were crying out for Adrian to return in goal. And, if you go back a few months before Hart got there, Adrian wasn't exactly setting the world on fire. We were in a serious goalkeeper crisis with neither of the two good enough to play at this level.
Credit where credit's due, the City game was impressive for Adrian (just like Hart's at Chelsea) but then everything slowly started trickling back down to what it was before; a pile of misery.
Anyone for some déjà vu?
Now, don't get me wrong, if Hart is our goalkeeper for the rest of the season, I will support him and the team until the end. I also appreciate the passion he has for our club and it was nice to hear him put West Ham before England in his recent interview.
However, I do not think Hart is a good goalkeeper anymore and the truth is, he's the best out of a bad bunch. Sadly, that's the predicament that we have been dealing with all year. To be honest, you could probably say the same for a lot of things at West Ham, especially some of our players. But, the one thing we have and always will do is support this team through thick and thin, except for those who chose to forfeit their season tickets after we went 1-0 down in a home game that we could have easily recovered. But, don't get me started on that. That's a whole 'nother story that I don't have enough words to write about.
The point I'm making here is that we shouldn't let a good performance by a poor player trick us into believing something that isn't there. I've read a lot of things on social media about how great Hart has become all of a sudden. That simply is not true. And he certainly shouldn't be England's first choice in Russia.
For our sake and sanity, let's hope we see more Chelsea-esque performances during the last 6 games and address our keeper situation in the summer, just like we should address everything else.
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THE MOYES-IAH? WHY DAVID MOYES IS NOT ALL THAT BAD
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:39PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @clubmoore
When David Moyes was unveiled as Slaven Bilić's replacement in November 2017, many West Ham were pessimistic about their team's chances of staying in the Premier League. Moyes had relegated Sunderland the season before, and the supporters expressed feelings of discontent and annoyance that the board had decided to appoint a manager who had not been successful.
Moyes said that he had "a point to prove" when he was appointed the new Hammers boss, and he has since reiterated the importance of not judging a book by its cover. Under his leadership, West Ham have lost only twice at home and went on a streak that saw them lose once in ten games.
So, what has been key to the change in performances since Moyes arrived in East London? What has he done to ensure that the players fight for Premier League survival? And why did West Ham suit him better than his other jobs?
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON
Moyes spent eleven years at Everton, but he is more famous for his disastrous eight months at Manchester United
Moyes got his chance to be a Premier League manager in March 2002, when he left Preston North End to replace Walter Smith at Everton. At the time, he was a young, ambitious manager who had guided Preston to the Division One playoff final in the 2000/01 season. In his first full season in charge, Everton finished seventh.
The Glaswegian continued to improve the Toffees, guiding them to Champions League qualification in the 2004/05 season. Everton soon became acquainted to playing in Europe, qualifying to play in the Europa League for four consecutive years.
In May 2013, Moyes was confirmed as the replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He aimed to maintain United's track record of winning silverware, but this job would result in the downfall of his reputation. United suffered their worst ever start to a season, and lost back-to-back home games in December 2013 for the first time since the 2000/01 season. Following a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City and a 2-0 defeat to Everton, Moyes was sacked in April 2014.
Moyes's failures at Manchester United can be justified, and the blame does not totally rely on him. Firstly, the club's owners made a poor decision in appointing him based on his track record at Everton, who he won no trophies with during his eleven-year reign; United needed a manager who had won major trophies and league titles at world-class clubs. Secondly, he was appointed on the club's traditions of being run by British managers, and this may have influenced the decision to appoint him.
Moyes then moved to Spain managed Real Sociedad for one year before becoming Sunderland manager in the summer of 2016. Sunderland were relegated under Moyes, but he has since admitted that he did not enjoy the job and that he did not have enough talent to work with.
West Ham United are a better platform for Moyes than Sunderland and Manchester United. Moyes has better players to work with and the team suits his own personal needs in terms of their league positions and level of expectations.
HOW DID IT ALL CHANGE?
Moyes has stated that he is not fooling around with West Ham
There are two key reasons as to why West Ham improved under Moyes's guidance as well as areas for improvement:
Authority Moyes has made it clear that he is the boss and that he has no time for unpunctuality or laziness. When he came to the club, he made it clear that players who did not work hard would not play. This is different to his predecessor, Slaven Bilić – Bilić appeared to be too light-hearted with his players in training, whereas Moyes makes the players engage in physical drills and makes it clear that he is their manager, not their friend.
Raising personal expectations In his early days as West Ham United manager, Moyes told underperforming players to play better. For example, Marko Arnautović – who had joined West Ham from Stoke City for a club record fee of £27,000,000 – had not played well for the Hammers under Bilić's management. Since Moyes handed him a play-well-or-be-dropped ultimatum, the Austrian winger has scored nine goals and has become a key member of the attack.
Other players have benefited from Moyes's words. Angelo Ogbonna has performed better under Moyes and received praise for his performance against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Ogbonna and Arnautović's on-pitch improvements in form demonstrate how a change in manager can lead to a change in player and team form.
What needs to change if Moyes stays on?
Give more youth players a chance to impress. Players such as Josh Cullen, Sead Hakšabanović and Nathan Holland have been regarded as players who have potential to achieve. Hakšabanović is one of the many stand-out youth academy prospects; he represents Montenegro at international level and was tipped for greatness during his time in Sweden. Surely he and many others are worth a chance?
Start Chicharito! This is plain common sense and a necessity – start Chicharito in the starting line-up. He is the type of quality West Ham have needed in terms of strikers due to his eye for goal, yet he was benched despite a period of good form and scoring goals. Why would you pay a player £140,000 a week to come on a make an impact if need be? It does not make sense.
Add to the squad's depth. The key to having a successful team to have strength in depth; West Ham lack this due to a lack of signings in January and injuries. Adding to the squad over the summer is vital, and with a new director of football soon to arrive at the London Stadium and a change in transfer policy supposedly being implemented, new faces may come to West Ham United.
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A CASE FOR THE DEFENCE
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 11 APRIL 2018 AT 9:34AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by David Hardie @baldyh77
As the summer approaches, thoughts naturally turn to which players and positions the club will strengthen in. Regardless of the budget available and boy do we hope it's substantial, the focus needs to be on the defence.
I'm sure you're all familiar with the quote mentioning 'lies, damn lies and statistics' so what better way to make my point than by adopting my glasses and dressing gown (Fantasy Football reference for you youngsters!).
Last season we conceded 64 goals in 38 league games, and in 11 we conceded 3 or more. That's just under a third of our games we gave ourselves a mountain to climb to gain any points. With 7 games to go this season and with Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City & Man Utd still to play, it's a safe bet that we'll surpass last season's dubious tally. Well, as safe a bet as Carroll being unable to stay fit for 10 consecutive games or Ex being unveiled as David Sullivan at the next West Ham Way event by Wardy in a Scooby Doo-esq way!
This season we've conceded 57 goals in 31 games and in 13 games conceded 3 or more – for those not great at maths – that's gone up! Compare that with the likes of Burnley who have conceded 27 goals all season. Now, I'm no genius (I wouldn't have made the life style choice of going to watch West Ham if I was!) but it seems to me this is where our problems lie. We have no other problems obviously!
Whilst playing 3 at the back has helped paper over the cracks at times, I think it's time we concentrated on getting some quality defenders and a top quality defensive midfielder. Full-backs have been a concern for awhile, with Creswell not reaching previous performance levels, Arthur being more interested in attacking and doing drag backs than defending, and Zabaleta performing well but not a long term solution. I'm encouraged that Ex has strongly linked us with Fredericks from Fulham who is a good right back and a good start. I think another left back is needed to allow Arthur to concentrate on being a wide left player. Whilst many may look to Fulham again to solve our full-back issues in the shape of Sessegnon, his best performances have been as a left midfielder/winger, and he has struggled when up against a pacey winger like Traore at Middlesbrough (another player I like).
With Fonte being sold to China, Collins likely to be let go and Reid constantly injured, this leaves us short in a key area. Burke does not seem like the answer, the jury is out on Oxford, and Rice (who has been excellent) cannot be expected to play 38 games at such a young age. This leaves us with just Ogbonna, who I think deserves the runner up spot in the Hammer of the Year. So a couple of quality centre backs are needed, ideally with some pace to allow us to squeeze the opposition like successful teams at the top of the league – Liverpool (only 35 conceded despite the perception of a poor defence), Tottscum and City.
The other key signing, as Bilic tried to identify last summer, is a quality holding midfielder. Obiang has not been able to grasp his opportunity with his inconsistent displays, and we've lacked this player since we had an on song Song. Whether this player be the infamous Carvalho or whoever, it is vital our defence have a screen to protect them and stop us conceding so many goals.
With a solid base in place, I believe this will allow our flair players like Arnie, Lanzini and Antonio the freedom to go win games rather than trying to salvage them.
COYI!
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WE MUST BRING HERNANDEZ BACK IN TO THE FOLD!
By S J Chandos 11 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Thankfully, we achieved the draw at Chelsea that has greatly strengthen our survival prospects. I have to say that I really enjoyed the game. Hart had his best display in a West Ham jersey (some would say it's about time!), Ogbonna and Rice were absolute class, Arnautovic was our best player yet again and Hernandez made a vital intervention from the bench. The goal conceded was soft, in all honesty, but we fought back to equalise and both Arnautovic (for providing the assist) and Hernandez (for delivering a great strike) deserve credit. Indeed. the strike provided a timely reminder (if one was needed) of Hernandez's proficiency in front of goal. He is that rare commodity, a penalty box predator, with the ability to convert an half chance. In that sense, Hernandez really is worth his weight in gold and needs to be retained in the squad for next season (assuming that we remain in the PL).
There have been rumours circulating that Hernandez has been unhappy at the club, with the suggestion that the player wanted a move in the January window. If so, David Moyes must ensure that there is a rapprochement and that Hernandez feels a valued part of the squad and is prepared to remain for the 2018-19 season. As stated, goal poachers like Hernandez are a rare and valuable commodity and we cannot afford to lose him. He should figure in Moyes first team plans for the remainder of the season, whether starting or joining the action from the bench. Personally, I feel that he could play a really important role in our survival and have an even bigger impact next season.
A victory over Stoke City is crucial. If Chelsea beat Southampton, and we take the three points, then we are virtually safe. After that I reckon one more victory, or even a couple of draws, should clinch the retention of our PL status. And that is to be warmly welcomed, but the board should not be lulled in any false sense of security. The malcontent of the fans has been suppressed for the good of the club, but it remains a very important factor and will re-emerge unless a new direction is taken. In my opinion, the board must authorise substantial expenditure on strengthening the squad this summer – no excuses! By my estimation, we probably need seven quality signings this summer, including: a goal keeper, full-back, centre-half, x2 midfielders and x2 strikers.
In addition, I would expect that Hart, Collins, Obiang, Snodgrass, Carroll and Hugill will all depart the club. I very much doubt that Hart will be signed permanently, Collins should join the coaching staff, Obiang will probably return to Italian football, Snodgrass will likely sign for Villa, Carroll' s injury record necessitates his departure (hopefully back to Newcastle Utd for c.£10m – if we are very lucky) and arguably Hugill should never have been signed in the first place. That might sound harsh, but the board must be both realistic and decisive in the action taken. We have flirted with relegation (to one degree or another) over the last two seasons and it needs to stop. We need an urgent injection of quality, and improved strength in depth, to ensure that we can get back to challenging in the top ten of the PL. If we continue to struggle then it is only a matter of time before relegation claims us and (as the board well knows) that would be a disaster for the club.
The quality of the summer signings will be absolutely crucial. We need players that will take the club forward to greater things. In addition, I have great hopes that Byram, Burke, Holland, and Cullen can make a positive impact at first team level next season. We also need to see whether the likes of Oxford, Samuelson, Quina and Martinez can finally live up to their big reputations? While bubbling under at U-23 level are prospects like Trott, Johnson and Lewis, who could all come in to the reckoning in the next couple of seasons.
In short, this summer is likely to be a period of change and upheaval in first team affairs. But it is absolutely necessary and will hopefully pay dividends in the long run. Of course, the key question is who will be managing the club next season? If Moyes successfully steers the club away from relegation then it is very likely that he will be offered a new two year contract. And if that is the case, can we really deny that he deserves it? If Moyes can get back to being the manager that he was at Everton, then he could be a good, safe pair of hands. However, the question must still be asked, of the board,whether a more ambitious appointment might not be the order of the day?
We live in interesting times. If we do survive this season (as seems probable), then the board must show ambition and take strong and concerted action this coming summer. Nothing less is expected, nothing else will do!
SJ. Chandos.
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JANSSON REPORTEDLY KEEN ON PREMIER LEAGUE SWITCH AMID WEST HAM LINKS
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
According to reports from Sweden, Leeds United defender Pontus Jansson wants to play his football in the Premier League next season, amid links with West Ham.
The powerful central defender is a key part of the Leeds team but it seems he has his eyes firmly set on a move to the English top flight, if reports from his homeland are to be believed.
It's been reported recently by the Guardian's Ed Aarons that Jansson is a target for West Ham in the summer, with David Moyes' side lacking depth in central defence.
Jose Fonte's departure in January has left a void to fill for the Hammers in the summer, with their defensive weaknesses having been well documented throughout the course of the campaign.
Jansson has often been linked with a move to the Premier League and with West Ham apparently keen, it seems his future at Elland Road is somewhat uncertain ahead of the summer.
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West Ham to offer starlet Marcus Browne new deal amid interest from Napoli and RB Leipzig
Marcus Browne scored four goals against Everton in front of numerous scouts
RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Sevilla all keeping tabs on youngster
West Ham believe Browne is ready to step up at senior level next season
By Laurie Whitwell for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:14, 10 April 2018 | UPDATED: 23:15, 10 April 2018
West Ham United are ready to offer Marcus Browne a new contract as the young forward continues to impress for the Under-23s side. Browne scored four goals against Everton on Monday night in front of watching scouts from RB Leipzig, Leverkusen, Napoli and Sevilla. It is understood Leipzig, who have taken Ademola Lookman on loan and previously signed Oliver Burke, are especially keen to secure more British talent. But West Ham insiders believe the 20-year-old, rated at £5million, can make the step up to senior level and want to see him progress next season. Though he signed a three-and-a-half year contract in January 2017 fresh talks on an improved deal are expected. West Ham's youth policy is in good health at this moment with Declan Rice, the 19-year-old defender, rising to prominence under David Moyes, who also gave minutes to academy graduate Josh Cullen against Chelsea on Sunday. Fellow young players Grady Diangana and Josh Pask were included on the bench. There have been calls for Browne, who can play anywhere along the frontline including No 10, to see first-team action too.
He scored a superb free-kick from 25 yards to give West Ham a 1-0 win over Manchester City last Thursday and has Rio Ferdinand as a mentor through his agency.
Browne's only senior appearance to date counts as 15 minutes against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League in August 2016 but the foreign clubs monitoring his progress could offer more continental action.
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INTER TO RIVAL WEST HAM FOR MARCO MENEGHETTI
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
readWestHam
West Ham are reportedly facing competition in their pursuit of Pordenone goalkeeper Marco Meneghetti. The Hammers have been linked with a move for the youngster, who is currently plying his trade in the third tier of Italian football. However, according to reports in Italy, Inter Milan have joined West Ham in the race to sign him this summer. Inter are understood to be keen admirers of the 17-year-old goalkeeper, who has impressed many with some good displays for Pordenone. The signing would, of course, be with the view of Meneghetti being integrated into Inter or West Ham's respective youth academies. However, it seems a summer tug of war over his signature could ensue as speculation continues to surround his future. West Ham may need to address their goalkeeping situation at senior level, as well. Joe Hart's loan deal expires at the end of the season and Adrian has been heavily linked with a return to Spain in recent times.
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Tottenham set to battle London rivals West Ham over transfer of Barcelona's Andre Gomes
The Mirror
ByMike Walters
Sports Writer
05:00, 11 APR 2018
Tottenham and West Ham are both interested in a summer swoop for Barcelona's Andre Gomes. The Hammers targeted the Portuguese midfielder last summer after growing frustrated in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho. Mauricio Pochettino is keen too, however, with 24-year-old Gomes open to a switch to the Premier League.
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Sickener for West Ham fans after club announces bigger profits than Tottenham in latest accounts
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United fans would normally celebrate anything about their club that bettered bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. There is no love lost between West Ham and Tottenham on and off the pitch but they are rivals heading in very different directions these days. Mauricio Pochettino has turned Spurs into one of the most exciting teams in Europe against the backdrop of a fitting new ground being built to showcase their attractive football. Meanwhile Hammers fans are disillusioned and revolting against the club's owners after growing fed up of broken promises over their own ill-fated move to the former Olympic Stadium, transfer spending and ambition. The owners pledged to splash the cash at the new ground to enable the East Londoners to compete with the Premier League elite but that has failed to materialise and the club have instead spent much of their first two seasons at the new 60,000 seater ground fighting relegation.
With Tottenham set to qualify for the Champions League once again there's not much in a West Ham fan's armoury when it comes to the tribal rivalry between the clubs. And Hammers fans will find it galling to learn that their club actually recorded MORE profit than Spurs in the latest financial accounts despite the huge disparity between the sides on the pitch in terms of league performance, squad quality and Tottenham's regular involvement in the Champions League with the extra revenue that brings. West Ham announced a record £43million profit from their first season at the London Stadium last month - as reported by the likes of the Evening Standard. That was £2million more than Spurs who announced a profit of £41million under the shrewd leadership of Daniel Levy, as reported by the Daily Mail. Yet the clubs are 10 places and 33 points apart in the Premier League table, a fact that will not go down well with the club's fans.
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West Ham must try for their own Salah and move for Juan Cuadrado
HITC
Dan Coombs
West Ham should weigh up a move for Juan Cuadrado this summer. West Ham appear to have made one successful raid on Serie A this year by bringing in Inter Milan ace Joao Mario on loan. Getting him permanently is still an uncertainty, and one alternative they should consider is Juan Cuadrado. Cuadrado has been in and out of the Juventus line-up all season, but when he has played, he has been productive. In 22 games he has scored six goals and provided six assists. Calciomercato report he faces an uncertain future in Turin and he is 'wanted across Europe'. So competition would be tough for the Hammers, but he is a player they should be looking at. He has experience in the Premier League with Chelsea, and while this did not work out, West Ham only need to look at Mohamed Salah to see that counts for little. Like Salah, Cuadrado was signed by Jose Mourinho and never given a proper chance. He was sent out on loan to Italy and then left permanently, and he has got his career back on track. Approaching 30, Cuadrado does not have quite the same high ceiling as Salah, but that also helps make him more affordable for West Ham. If the board show faith in him, the Colombian could become a key player for the club, but they might have to make their approach before the World Cup.
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3 Chelsea talents who should follow Declan Rice to West Ham
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Dan Coombs
Declan Rice admits he is glad Chelsea released him, he's now starring for West Ham. West Ham youngster Declan Rice played a starring role at the weekend as the club claimed a draw away to Chelsea. Rice was a former Chelsea trainee and released at just 14. He admits now this has turned out to be a blessing for him.
Chelsea's are bidding to win a fifth successive FA Youth Cup, but despite this their talented kids have struggled to make the first team. Here are three more Chelsea talents who could benefit from a move to West Ham, where they may see their first team chances fast-tracked...
Tammy Abraham
Striker Tammy Abraham has found it tough on loan at Swansea City this season but it would be a mistake to write him off. The youngster has already represented England and scored more than 20 goals in the Championship last season. A permanent switch to West Ham could give Abraham the stability he needs to become one of England's top strikers, if he continues to find his path blocked at Chelsea.
Matt Miazga
Centre-back Matt Miazga recently earned a first team cap for USA, but he is well down the pecking order at Chelsea. He is out on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, who sit seventh in the Eredivisie. If the past record of former Chelsea loanees at Vitesse is anything to go by, the Blues won't be ready to propel him into the first team yet.
Mario Pasalic
Midfield star Mario Pasalic signed for Chelsea in 2014, but he is yet to make an appearance at the club. He has enjoyed loan spells at Monaco and AC Milan, and he is currently at Russian side Spartak Moscow, where he has scored five times this season. West Ham should give him a shot to succeed in the Premier League by making an offer this summer.
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West Ham should ditch David Moyes and go for 'new Guardiola' Leonardo Jardim this summer
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Damien Lucas
West Ham United are yet to make a decision on the future of David Moyes with work still to do in their bid to secure Premier League survival. Apathy and anger greeted West Ham's decision to replace sacked Slaven Bilic with Moyes back in November. But the Scot has impressed many of his doubters with his bullish attitude and hunger to prove a point in East London. The Hammers were in the relegation zone on just nine points when Moyes took over and now sit 14th on 34 points and in all likelihood just one more win from securing their Premier League safety. Many fans feel Moyes - who was only appointed on a six-month contract - will have earned a longer-term deal if he keeps the East Londoners up. But others feel the club needs to reinvent itself from the ground up and find its own niche in the modern game after the move to the London Stadium failed to elevate them to the next level.
Many feel much of that has to do with a distinct lack of spending from co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold. But having pledged to completely revamp their recruitment process and structure, West Ham will want the right person in place to spend the money and rediscover the club's identity as an attractive attacking team that promotes youth. And there is no better man to help them achieve that than highly rated Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim. The former Sporting and Olympiacos boss is only 43 and has been steadily building his reputation in the game as the new Pep Guardiola. A student of the game and philosophy, the Portuguese manager has been in coaching since the age of 27 having not played professionally. Jardim has proved with his success at Monaco and the way he has promoted youth at the principality club that he has the attributes to reinvent West Ham. But Sullivan and Gold would have to show true ambition to lure him to East London as he would undoubtedly want complete control to shape the West Ham of the future. Whether the owners have the necessary ambition and money to give the fans the style of football they want and their identity and pride back, remains to be seen.
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