'That was for the fans' says Noble after Leicester win
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Saturday was for the
supporters, according to skipper Mark Noble after his side secured their
Premier League safety with a terrific three points. The captain, who scored
a magnificent second half volley to double the Hammers' advantage after Joao
Mario had given them the lead, praised the travelling fans who were in fine
voice all afternoon. Southampton's draw at Everton later that day meant
David Moyes' men were safe from any relegation fears with two games to
spare, and the win in the sunshine capped a perfect afternoon for the Club
on Saturday. And Noble – who made his 433rd appearance in Claret and Blue
against Claude Puel's team – said the win was for the supporters. "The away
fans were fantastic," he explained. "That was for the fans, the staff and
everyone who has stuck by us the whole season. "It's been tough and I
certainly don't want another [season] like this, but that was for them
today. "No matter where we go, how many seats we get, they always fill them,
they're always there, no matter what; summer or winter. "For all the money
they've spent, for all the miles they've driven, Saturday was for them."
West Ham have been up against the odds at times this season, but the
30-year-old, who has experienced it all over the years in east London,
claimed the squad never stopped believing throughout the campaign. "In all
honestly, the position we were in after the Burnley defeat, everyone thought
we were doomed," he continued. "But we went away, trained hard, and we got a
lot of stick for going away. "But it worked; the players socialised
together, and that's partly my job. But as I said, everyone has played their
part this season and you need your whole squad over a season. "With all the
problems we've had this year, I'm really proud of the bunch of players we
have got, and we've always stuck by it, kept training hard, and we deserved
what we got today. "When we have got criticism this year, I've taken it and
I'd rather it's on me than the rest of the team; I know how to handle it.
You have got to just lace your boots up and go again and we've had to do
that consistently this year."
Noble's volley, his fourth goal of the season, was of course a strike which
will live long in the memory, but the No16 claimed the importance and
context of the goal felt just as sweet as the strike itself. "That goal was
so important and we have kept another clean sheet – it's tough at 1-0, so in
that context for me to score is great. "But when the ball floated to me, I
just thought I'd have a go and you never know. You don't really feel them
leave your boot, when you catch it that sweetly. "Everyone I wanted to do,
the ball did and those moments; you score them in training but not much in
games. To score that and win the game, it was fantastic."
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Carroll aiming to end season on a scoring note
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll is hoping to repay the support of the Claret and Blue Army by
signing off the season with a couple of goals in West Ham United's final two
Premier League matches. The centre forward has hit the net just three times
in 17 appearances during a stop-start campaign interrupted by groin and
ankle injuries, but each of those three goals was vital to the Hammers'
successful bid to beat the drop. And having scored twice in the home win
over West Bromwich Albion and a last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw with
Stoke City, the No9 wants to hit the net again when West Ham host Manchester
United and Everton – rewarding the supporters who sang his name throughout
Saturday's vital 2-0 victory at Leicester City. "Saturday was brilliant," he
confirmed. "For me personally, coming on after they were singing my name
while I was warming up on the touchline was really good. I didn't really
expect it, to be honest, but our fans chose to get behind me and it was nice
to hear. "It was a good game for us. The lads stuck together and we deserved
it, really. I thought we played well and it was a good day all round. The
fans were brilliant, we were brilliant and the other results went our way,
too."
Carroll could have netted his fourth of the season at the King Power
Stadium, only for his touch to let him down at the vital moment inside the
Foxes penalty area.
"I could have had a goal, but I decided I'd take it out wide instead and
hold a couple of their players off by the corner flag in front of our fans,
just to show off my strength! Being serious, I should have probably taken a
better touch and scored. "It would be nice to have some more minutes on the
pitch. Getting 15 or 20 minutes the other day was good, so it would be nice
to get out there again in the last two games and get a goal or two. "After
that, I'll take Billi and the kids away for a nice chilled holiday and keep
myself ticking over before coming back in for pre-season training."
While Carroll was unable to find the net, his captain and friend Mark Noble
was, with arguably the best goal of his long and illustrious Claret and Blue
career – an unstoppable 25-yard volley that flew into the bottom corner of
the Leicester net to put West Ham 2-0 up midway through the second half. "We
laughed after the game as we reckon it was probably his first goal from
outside the box, but he told us it wasn't and that he used to do it all the
time!" Carroll smiled. "He never normally shoots from there as he usually
controls it and lobs it back into the box, so he must have had a rush of
blood. "To be fair to him, it was a hell of a strike, the best goal of his
career and it was his birthday on Monday, so he's had a good week so far.
He's 31 now, so he's getting on a bit!"
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Academy begin international tour season with draw in Bermuda
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Academy of Football travelled to Bermuda over the Bank
Holiday Weekend ahead of their participation in the International Football
Festival Tournament. The first in a number of international tournaments for
the Academy this summer, Academy Director Terry Westley took an U17 side to
the competition which will be followed by trips to Switzerland and Hong
Kong. Upon arrival on the Atlantic Ocean island, the young Hammers were met
by former West Ham great and Bermuda international Clyde Best, who managed
his nation after his playing career ended. The youngsters then began their
campaign in the tournament by taking on the country's U20 side, a game, full
of talking points, which eventually ended in a 1-1 stalemate. In a very
tight first half, West Ham created the better opportunities, with Brazilian
midfielder Bernardo Rosa the driving force and Jay Mingi standing strong in
defence.
The visitors dominated large periods of the half but were unable to get the
significant breakthrough goal and went in at half-time goalless. After the
restart, stopper Joesph Anang made two impressive saves before the Hammers
went 1-0 down to what can only be described as a dubious goal, with the ball
clearly leaving the pitch and West Ham players having stopped for the
expected throw-in. The national team continued however, as did the referee,
and went on to score the opening goal. A well-worked corner, with Rosa
beating his man to set up Manny Longelo, got the Hammers a much deserved
equaliser soon after, though. Later, Rosa again created a wonderful
opportunity to win the match in the dying seconds but was unable to convert
the chance. And so the Hammers opened their tournament with a well-earned
draw. They will now enjoy a rest day before heading into their second match
with all to play for. Westley was pleased with his team's performance, and
said: "We are a young team and to play against the national team and to come
away with a draw you would be satisfied. "This is a great experience for our
young players and that's really why we have come. "Their goal was so far out
of play it was ridiculous, so that leaves a sour taste because the boys
worked so hard. "For ten minutes that upset them. But for young players,
they learnt that things don't always go your way and eventually got back
into the game."
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STOKE CITY-BUY OR AVOID?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 8 MAY 2018 AT 9:37PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @Bobstonian
As of Game week 37, Stoke have been mathematically relegated from the
Premier League. Below is a list of popular players that the club, in my
opinion, should sign (or not sign). I have purposely excluded Shawcross and
all players over 31 years old. Glenn Johnson, Charlie Adams, and Stephen
Ireland are out of contract in the summer.
Stoke – BUY:
Shaqiri
Pace, touch & quality from set pieces. He should be available for a
reasonable price due to a release clause in his contract. He seems to be
highly coveted by several teams, with Everton currently the favorites to
sign him. Taking the injury record of Antonio in to account, spending on the
right wing may make sense.
Butland
If he can make it to Russia, his value will increase. National team
goalkeepers are always marketable assets in the league. I expect that our
club will not be willing to pay up for his services. In my opinion, he is
the most desirable keeper from all relegation candidates, and Arsenal seem
very interested in Butland as a replacement for Cech.
Allen
Allen was rumored as a club target before his team was destined for
relegation. He can improve our distribution in the midfield. He is 28, and
started his senior career back in 2007. I fear his work rate may decrease.
However, I see him as a player who can compensate for this inevitable
decline in foot speed with his positioning and skill.
Martins Indi
The club will need to recruit more center backs this summer. We have played
a full-back out of position in our back three for most of the season.
Winston Reid will be 30 in the summer, and is nursing a knee injury. If next
year's manager desires three in the back, a starting-caliber center-half is
needed to play with Ogbonna and Rice. Martins Indi is my pick from the Stoke
squad, but he has been hampered by a groin injury this season. He did
feature in 30+ league games last season, collecting 11 clean sheets.
Stoke – AVOID:
Wimmer
Stoke clearly payed Spurs too much for Wimmer over the summer. I doubt Stoke
will be willing to take a loss on their original investment. He is young,
and showed promise under Pochettino, but his price tag will be very
off-putting for most clubs.
Berahino
Berahino is another player that the Potters overpaid for. He has not played
meaningful minutes in the last two seasons. He is a versatile attacker who
can play on both sides, but I believe Stoke will demand too high of a
transfer fee.
Sobhi
The Egyptian international is 21, and could be available for a reasonable
price due to his lack of playing time. He does prefer to play on the left
side, and would have to compete with the likes of Lanzini, Masuaku and
Arnautovic. Stoke will want to give him minutes in the Championship. The
club should prioritize spending on a different position.
Choupo-Moting
8 years older than Sobhi, and also plays on the left. He had a promising
start to the season, and then experienced a drop in form. There is no need
to prioritize spending on this player.
Diouf
Diouf boasted a respectable goal record in the Bundesliga. He scored 11
goals in his inaugural Premier League season. Since then, he has scored 12
goals in 87 games. He has shown versatility at different positions, but only
has 9 career league assists to his name.
Stoke have some players on the wings and up the middle that are worth a look
in the transfer season. I can't see us outspending other clubs for Shaqiri
or Butland. I believe we will pursue Allen in the summer, and hope we also
inquire about Martins Indi.
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LET'S NOT PICK THE LOW LYING FRUIT
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 8 MAY 2018 AT 9:23PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by: Alan Leason
Thanks for all the responses to my last article, I haven't gone mad I just
don't think Lanzini has been consistently good enough for us to resist
offers of 40-50m. The last stand out game I remember him having was 2 1/2
seasons ago at Liverpool.
Anyhow im currently watching the Swansea v Southampton game and thinking
about all the players we need for next season. I think we should be really
careful about trying to pick off players from relegated sides.
Why would we want Mawson, Ki, Jordan Ayew, Cedric, Redmond or Tadic? None
of them are carrying their teams and to agree with Kev from Sex, Drugs and
Carlton Cole, I wouldn't take Shaqiri either. I also don't think we need to
take the opinion if we need x amount of players at £25m each.
If we were looking for a Kouyate style player I'm sure we would be quoted
£25m minimum but look at the player we have? Lazy, doesn't work for his
place or the team but it's ok because he's Chiek and we post videos on the
official site of him laughing all the time.
We signed Cresswell for £5m and nobody outside of Ipswich knew him, fair
enough he'd be more expensive now but I like the principal of taking players
from the championship who could step up, basically the opposite of Hughill.
My one exception to the not signing relegated players would be a keeper.
Fabianski, Forster and even Foster would all be good signings for us, none
have been at fault for their respective clubs form.
I'd love for us to have gone for Shelvey but thanks to our mouthy chairman
he wouldn't even entertain us now, on the same note watch Snodgrass be
promoted with Villa sign for them and tear up the league!!
Remember all the fuss about Bilic having the option to sign Renato Sanchez,
Grzegorz Krychowiak etc? They are doing so well now aren't they?
Before we all get carried away thinking William Carvalho is the answer,
Stoke's record signing was from Porto and is a guy called Giannelli Imbulla,
he's currently on loan to Toulouse because he couldn't cut it in this
league. Carvalho is a European championship winner I hear you say…so is
Cedric who is battling to keep Southampton in the league. COYI
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West Ham leading Shaq race
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are the front runners to sign Stoke City's Swiss international
Xherdan Shaqiri. The Potters became the first team to be relegated from the
Premier League this season when they went down 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace
last weekend. And that has naturally seen a string of Stoke's better players
linked to various destinations in the past few days - including Shaqiri, who
formed a formidable partnership with Marko Arnautovic at the Bet365 Stadium.
According to the latest odds, the Hammers are 2-1 favourites to sign the
26-year-old winger, who was on the bench when Bayern Munich faced fellow
German outfit Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League Final. A number
of Stoke City's first-team players are expected to leave the club following
the team's relegation from the Premier League," said BetStars Director of
Trading Ian Marmion. "Swiss superstar Shaqiri has been the Potters' shining
light this season but the attacker looks set to call time on his three-year
stint with Stoke this summer. "The Hammers are poised to benefit from
Stoke's demotion to the Championship and have been installed as the 2/1
favourites to reunite the Swiss playmaker with his former teammate Marco
Arnautovic in attack at the London Stadium next season.
"Newcastle United are valued at 3/1 to become the winger's next destination
but a move abroad could also be on the cards for Shaqiri, with AC Milan and
Bayer Leverkusen both priced at 4/1 and 5/1 respectively. "Meanwhile
Arsenal and Everton are valued at 6/1 to swipe Stoke's star man."
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Arnautovic sale led to relegation, say Stoke fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
Stoke City supporters have cited the sale of Marko Arnautovic to West Ham as
one of the core reasons for their relegation from the Premier League. The
Potters became the first team to be relegated from the top flight this
season following their 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday,
since when disappointed City fans have been discussing the reasons for their
swift and unexpected demise. And one of the chief reasons cited is the sale
of star man Arnautovic to West Ham last summer. The Austrian, a Slaven Bilic
appointment who cost the Hammers an intiial £20million has scored 10 goals
for United this season - almost a quarter of the team's 45 league goals
scored in the 2017/18 campaign.
Oatcake Forum member wazbagsbro is convinced parting company with Arnautovic
and not providing a suitable replacement was key in Stoke's fall from grace.
"It cost us relegation and we gave him away." he said. "If Arnie was a
Swansea player they would've demanded £50million, he is one of the best
players outside top six. West Ham won't let him go so cheap. We should've
broke the bank to keep that kind of quality."
Thoughts echoed by theonlooker, who added: "Clubs like ours lose players
like Arnautovic every season. The successful clubs replace them and move on.
Our scouting and recruitment department, in my humble opinion, is
complacent, lazy and frankly, not fit for purpose."
Some Stoke fans felt the decision to sell Arnautovic was a reasonable call
at the time given the size of the fee involved - but once again, blamed poor
recruitment for their descent into the Championship. " Losing Arnie isn't
the reason we're in this mess," wrote boskampsflaps. "It didn't help but we
had the money and the time to find a replacement and we bought Wimmer
instead. You're always going to lose players eventually, it's who you get in
after that's the deal breaker and we well and truly mucked it up."
A salient lesson for the rest of the Premier League, perhaps.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 9
Tuesday, May 8
Daily WHUFC News - 8th May 2018
Academy manager Westley lauds Coaching Association success
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Terry Westley reflects on the successful first season of
the innovative Official Coaching Association...
We launched the Official Coaching Association at the beginning of the
season, and having now hosted all four sessions during the 2017/18, it's a
great time to reflect on the success of the scheme. We began the final
evening with a Q&A courtesy of captain and Academy graduate Mark Noble,
which was a fitting way to close, given his experience throughout his time
at the Club of various coaching methods ranging across different managers
and members of staff. All four sessions have been brilliant from our point
of view and to really help the local coaching fraternity in the area has
been a pleasure and a massive positive. Next season, of course our aim is to
improve once again and take it forward. The advice and the knowledge the
local coaches have been receiving at the Association this season is
adaptable at any level, but it's so important because as a coach, you are
always learning. Former international footballers have been in to talk –
Paul Konchesky and Matthew Upson; ex-West Ham players who are now current
Academy members of staff – Steve Potts and Jack Collison; and we also had in
Dan Ashworth, the FA's Technical Director. We've been privileged to have
them come in to learn from.
It's an extremely important scheme for me that is close to my heart, given
where I started my career; at grassroots level. I have come from there, when
John Duncan gave me an opportunity at Ipswich Town, and the club moving
forwards under John Lyall and Sir Bobby Robson. David Pleat at Luton Town
and Alan Curbishley at Charlton Athletic; they gave me opportunities. I
feel privileged myself to still be in the game 38 years later. I'll always,
therefore, return back to that and where I came from, and that culture of
grassroots football will always be with me.
To see, over the four sessions this season, male and female coaches coming
in and wanting to improve the players at their clubs has been magnificent.
Whether it's behaviour patterns off the pitch or sessions and exercises on
it, many have told me they have taken many, many ideas away with them to try
themselves, and that will help us all; both at the top and lower reaches of
the game. As I have said, next season is now about improving and moving it
forwards, and we'll begin by offering six sessions over the course of the
campaign, with the plan being to kick-off in August.
The speakers will once again be important. The ins we have in the game allow
us to pick the phone up to the likes of England manager Gareth Southgate and
his staff – I can see that communication with the FA improving. We've had
Dan Ashworth in; the likes of Aidy Boothroyd, who now manages the U21
national side, would be great to speak for us. We will definitely look to
have one coach from an overseas club come in, somebody who coaches at a
young age to see how academy football abroad differs. We can all learn
something there.
In terms of our own staff too, we know how busy they are, but the manager
and his coaching staff will hopefully give up some of their time to enhance
this Association. We're all looking forward to what the future holds for
the Association.
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Loan watch: Snodgrass Play-Off bound and Oxford returns
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass and Aston Villa are bound for the EFL Championship
Play-Offs after losing 1-0 at Millwall on the final day of the regular
season. The West Ham United loanee, who featured for the final 15 minutes as
a substitute at The Den, will face Middlesbrough in the two-legged
semi-finals, with a Wembley showdown with either Fulham or Derby County
awaiting the winner. Snodgrass, who finished the campaign with 13 assists
and eight goals in 39 Championship appearances, could line up alongside
Henri Lansbury, who was part of the West Ham squad which won promotion via
the Play-Offs six years ago. And the Scot will need no introduction to
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph, who was his teammate at London
Stadium for the second half of last season.
Elsewhere, Reece Burke's Bolton Wanderers pulled off a miraculous escape
from relegation by scoring twice in the final three minutes of normal time
to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 at the Macron Stadium. Victory for the
Trotters, for whom Burke was an unused substitute, saw them leapfrog Burton
Albion and Barnsley and secure safety. The 21-year-old defender finished the
campaign with 25 Championship appearances under his belt. His solitary goal
came in a 2-2 draw with Reading in November.
There was no such joy for Martin Samuelsen, who was also an unused
substitute as Burton's two-year stay in the Championship came to an end with
a 2-1 defeat at Preston North End. The 21-year-old Norway winger made nine
Championship appearances, seven of them starts, for Nigel Clough's Brewers.
In Germany, Reece Oxford returned from injury to help Borussia
Monchengladbach to a 3-1 Bundesliga win over Freiburg. The 19-year-old was
back in action after missing the Foals' last six matches, playing for the
final 21 minutes after replacing midfielder Tobias Strobl. Monchengladbach
travel to relegation-threatened Hamburg in their final fixture on Saturday
knowing victory could yet be enough to secure sixth-place and spot in next
season's UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
Finally, despite scoring his first goal for the club in their previous
match, Toni Martinez was an unused substitute for Real Valladolid in the
Spanish club's vital 1-0 win at Numancia. Valladolid sit eighth in the table
with four games to play, four points behind Zaragoza in fourth and two
adrift of Cadiz in the final promotion play-off position. Martinez will hope
for more playing time when Valladolid host mid-table Albacete on Saturday
afternoon.
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Rice targets winning streak to finish Hammers' season
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice says West Ham United are aiming to close out the season on a
winning note. The Hammers secured their Premier League safety with a 2-0
victory at Leicester City on Saturday and now conclude the 2017/18 campaign
with home fixtures with Manchester United and Everton. Defender Rice, who
made an impressive 30th first-team appearance at the King Power Stadium,
believes the squad will have taken great confidence from their performance
against the Foxes, where the defence secured a first clean sheet in five
matches and the win was confirmed by Mark Noble's outstanding 25-yard
volley. Now, with their top-flight status confirmed, the impressive teenager
says the players can express themselves at London Stadium. "I would say
that's one of the best performances we've put up this season," said the
No41. "We knew before the game that it was crucial that we got three points.
"A point maybe would have been enough, but three points were the aim and
I've never seen us so focused in the dressing room before the game and so
ready to go out there and put in a performance. "We're focusing now on Man
United and we want to go out and win that and we want to win the Everton
game as well and try to finish as high as possible in the table."
After Joao Mario had put West Ham in front, Rice had a grandstand view of
Noble's clincher, which saw his fellow Academy of Football graduate belt a
unstoppable volley into the bottom corner of the Leicester net. "Nobes
scored one in training a few weeks back which a worldy with his left, but
I've never seen a ball hit so sweetly like that," the 18-year-old smiled.
"Even to take it on… I was right in front of it and it just swerved into the
bottom corner. "What a goal by Nobes! He was outstanding all day, as well.
He's a proper captain and led by example."
As always, Rice was cheered on by his family, who have travelled the length
and breadth of the country with the Claret and Blue Army during the
youngster's first full season in the Premier League. At the final whistle,
the defender joined the supporters and his teammates to celebrate staying
up, and the centre-back said survival was the least the fans deserved for
their loyalty this and every season. "When you've got fans like that, who
travel home and away and pay lots of money, when we put on a performance
like that, it means they can go home happy. "My brother was in there and he
and they didn't stop singing, so a massive 'Thank you' to the fans, because
they've been excellent for us all season and we really do appreciate that."
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Moyes: I want West Ham to win games regularly
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says West Ham United's target must be to find a greater level of
consistency in their play next season. After guiding the Hammers to Premier
League safety with a 2-0 win at Leicester City on Saturday, the manager
spoke to the media about how to ensure the Club is not dragged into another
relegation battle in 2018/19. With all three promoted teams potentially
staying up and three seemingly established Premier League clubs facing the
drop, the 2017/18 season has been among the most competitive in recent
history. Indeed, so close has been the competition that West Ham could yet
secure a top-ten finish, despite the fact they have spent virtually the
entire season in the bottom half. To do so, they will have to win three
straight league games for the first time this campaign – a level of
consistency Moyes craves. "I always felt that the team was good enough to be
looking up the league, rather than down, but there were some games we'd
really have like to have done a lot better in, but we didn't," he reflected.
"With the runs teams like West Brom and Crystal Palace have been on, the
bottom half of the league has been pretty exciting this season and I don't
think there is any guarantee that any one team is necessarily that much
better than another. "I must say, I think the three promoted teams who came
up really put the cat among the pigeons when they found their form. "I think
it's hard to judge how I've done this season. I actually would like to be a
manager who wins games regularly. I don't want to be a manager who is
battling around relegation. I want to have winning teams. "I had eleven
years of, in the main, winning teams, and that's what I want to do. I want
to be challenging the top teams and have a team that, most weeks, I have an
idea of what their level of performance will likely be, because that means
I'm feeling a lot better every week, rather than wondering if we are up or
down. "Some of our performances here have been excellent and some I've
wondered 'Where did that come from?'. "Consistency is getting yourself at a
level of play and building it, and everybody would like consistency."
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HIGGINBOTHAM DROOLS OVER WEST HAM DUO
Date: 7th May 2018 at 1:56pm
Written by: Laura OLeary
Forever WestHam
Danny Higginbotham heaped praise on West Ham duo Marko Arnautovic and Manuel
Lanzini and claimed that it was vital the club kept both players. The Sky
Sports pundit gushed about the two attack-minded players as he thought they
had been key to David Moyes' side securing their Premier League status for
another season. "Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic have struck up a
brilliant understanding at West Ham, they have been key to the Hammers
beating the drop," said Higginbotham in his column for The Sun. "David Moyes
was originally forced to play Arnautovic up front due to injury problems but
the Austrian and Argentine Lanzini have become a serious attacking threat.
"It is vital the club keep hold of both players if they are to avoid another
relegation battle next season. "While Stoke got £24million for Arnautovic,
they might have beaten the drop if he'd stayed."
The Hammers confirmed that they would be in the Premier League next season
after beating Leicester 2-0 on Saturday, which was enough to be mathematical
safe as Southampton ended up drawing with Everton.
Higginbotham's glowing praise of Lanzini and Arnautovic for their
performances this season is more than warranted. Arnautovic has managed to
score 10 goals in 33 appearances this season, and his goals have been more
than helpful in firing the Hammers away from the relegation zone. Whereas
Lanzini has used his creative genius in the 27 games that he has featured
in, to contribute nine assists to the cause. Both players have been a touch
above the majority of their teammates with their displays this season and
there would be uproar if either left the London Stadium in the summer. This
would especially be the case with Arnautovic who only arrived from Stoke
City ahead of the start of this season. The 29-year-old took a little bit
time to get going at the Hammers and it would be a shame if he left anytime
soon. While the idea is horrible to think about, either of the players
leaving would be highly unlikely. The only way that scenario changes is if
Moyes leaves and a new manager doesn't rate either player, which would be
bizarre, or if a top-six side make too good an offer to turn down.
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West Ham in need of summer changes to avoid another torrid season, admits
Mark Noble
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
West Ham captain Mark Noble says there needs to be change on and off the
pitch over the summer in order to avoid another chaotic season at London
Stadium.
After struggling to settle in their new Stratford home last term, there was
hope the second season would be an easier ride. However, with a sacking, a
relegation battle and resentment from the fans pouring onto the pitch
against Burnley, things have far from gone to plan. The penultimate weekend
of the Premier League season saw the Hammers' safety secured, however,
things still look far from bright. There is dispute over what players
deserve to stay put, how much money will be available and who will be in
charge come the summer. There is, then, still plenty to be resolved. But
Noble knows that something has to change to see the club climb the table
once more next season. "There needs to be a lot of change," he said. "I
would not say no to that, on and off the pitch. A lot of stuff needs to
change. I am really hoping, and I am convinced it will during the summer.
"If fans are coming to games and are not happy and we go 1-0 down then we
feel that. There is no point lying. "We need to win games and we have not
won enough this season. That is why we are where we are. It's been really
tough, I certainly don't want another one like this."
With safety secured, David Moyes' side can now go out and look to end the
season on a high with home games against two of the Scotsman's former clubs
in Manchester United and Everton this week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Terry Westley reflects on the successful first season of
the innovative Official Coaching Association...
We launched the Official Coaching Association at the beginning of the
season, and having now hosted all four sessions during the 2017/18, it's a
great time to reflect on the success of the scheme. We began the final
evening with a Q&A courtesy of captain and Academy graduate Mark Noble,
which was a fitting way to close, given his experience throughout his time
at the Club of various coaching methods ranging across different managers
and members of staff. All four sessions have been brilliant from our point
of view and to really help the local coaching fraternity in the area has
been a pleasure and a massive positive. Next season, of course our aim is to
improve once again and take it forward. The advice and the knowledge the
local coaches have been receiving at the Association this season is
adaptable at any level, but it's so important because as a coach, you are
always learning. Former international footballers have been in to talk –
Paul Konchesky and Matthew Upson; ex-West Ham players who are now current
Academy members of staff – Steve Potts and Jack Collison; and we also had in
Dan Ashworth, the FA's Technical Director. We've been privileged to have
them come in to learn from.
It's an extremely important scheme for me that is close to my heart, given
where I started my career; at grassroots level. I have come from there, when
John Duncan gave me an opportunity at Ipswich Town, and the club moving
forwards under John Lyall and Sir Bobby Robson. David Pleat at Luton Town
and Alan Curbishley at Charlton Athletic; they gave me opportunities. I
feel privileged myself to still be in the game 38 years later. I'll always,
therefore, return back to that and where I came from, and that culture of
grassroots football will always be with me.
To see, over the four sessions this season, male and female coaches coming
in and wanting to improve the players at their clubs has been magnificent.
Whether it's behaviour patterns off the pitch or sessions and exercises on
it, many have told me they have taken many, many ideas away with them to try
themselves, and that will help us all; both at the top and lower reaches of
the game. As I have said, next season is now about improving and moving it
forwards, and we'll begin by offering six sessions over the course of the
campaign, with the plan being to kick-off in August.
The speakers will once again be important. The ins we have in the game allow
us to pick the phone up to the likes of England manager Gareth Southgate and
his staff – I can see that communication with the FA improving. We've had
Dan Ashworth in; the likes of Aidy Boothroyd, who now manages the U21
national side, would be great to speak for us. We will definitely look to
have one coach from an overseas club come in, somebody who coaches at a
young age to see how academy football abroad differs. We can all learn
something there.
In terms of our own staff too, we know how busy they are, but the manager
and his coaching staff will hopefully give up some of their time to enhance
this Association. We're all looking forward to what the future holds for
the Association.
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Loan watch: Snodgrass Play-Off bound and Oxford returns
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass and Aston Villa are bound for the EFL Championship
Play-Offs after losing 1-0 at Millwall on the final day of the regular
season. The West Ham United loanee, who featured for the final 15 minutes as
a substitute at The Den, will face Middlesbrough in the two-legged
semi-finals, with a Wembley showdown with either Fulham or Derby County
awaiting the winner. Snodgrass, who finished the campaign with 13 assists
and eight goals in 39 Championship appearances, could line up alongside
Henri Lansbury, who was part of the West Ham squad which won promotion via
the Play-Offs six years ago. And the Scot will need no introduction to
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph, who was his teammate at London
Stadium for the second half of last season.
Elsewhere, Reece Burke's Bolton Wanderers pulled off a miraculous escape
from relegation by scoring twice in the final three minutes of normal time
to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 at the Macron Stadium. Victory for the
Trotters, for whom Burke was an unused substitute, saw them leapfrog Burton
Albion and Barnsley and secure safety. The 21-year-old defender finished the
campaign with 25 Championship appearances under his belt. His solitary goal
came in a 2-2 draw with Reading in November.
There was no such joy for Martin Samuelsen, who was also an unused
substitute as Burton's two-year stay in the Championship came to an end with
a 2-1 defeat at Preston North End. The 21-year-old Norway winger made nine
Championship appearances, seven of them starts, for Nigel Clough's Brewers.
In Germany, Reece Oxford returned from injury to help Borussia
Monchengladbach to a 3-1 Bundesliga win over Freiburg. The 19-year-old was
back in action after missing the Foals' last six matches, playing for the
final 21 minutes after replacing midfielder Tobias Strobl. Monchengladbach
travel to relegation-threatened Hamburg in their final fixture on Saturday
knowing victory could yet be enough to secure sixth-place and spot in next
season's UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
Finally, despite scoring his first goal for the club in their previous
match, Toni Martinez was an unused substitute for Real Valladolid in the
Spanish club's vital 1-0 win at Numancia. Valladolid sit eighth in the table
with four games to play, four points behind Zaragoza in fourth and two
adrift of Cadiz in the final promotion play-off position. Martinez will hope
for more playing time when Valladolid host mid-table Albacete on Saturday
afternoon.
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Rice targets winning streak to finish Hammers' season
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice says West Ham United are aiming to close out the season on a
winning note. The Hammers secured their Premier League safety with a 2-0
victory at Leicester City on Saturday and now conclude the 2017/18 campaign
with home fixtures with Manchester United and Everton. Defender Rice, who
made an impressive 30th first-team appearance at the King Power Stadium,
believes the squad will have taken great confidence from their performance
against the Foxes, where the defence secured a first clean sheet in five
matches and the win was confirmed by Mark Noble's outstanding 25-yard
volley. Now, with their top-flight status confirmed, the impressive teenager
says the players can express themselves at London Stadium. "I would say
that's one of the best performances we've put up this season," said the
No41. "We knew before the game that it was crucial that we got three points.
"A point maybe would have been enough, but three points were the aim and
I've never seen us so focused in the dressing room before the game and so
ready to go out there and put in a performance. "We're focusing now on Man
United and we want to go out and win that and we want to win the Everton
game as well and try to finish as high as possible in the table."
After Joao Mario had put West Ham in front, Rice had a grandstand view of
Noble's clincher, which saw his fellow Academy of Football graduate belt a
unstoppable volley into the bottom corner of the Leicester net. "Nobes
scored one in training a few weeks back which a worldy with his left, but
I've never seen a ball hit so sweetly like that," the 18-year-old smiled.
"Even to take it on… I was right in front of it and it just swerved into the
bottom corner. "What a goal by Nobes! He was outstanding all day, as well.
He's a proper captain and led by example."
As always, Rice was cheered on by his family, who have travelled the length
and breadth of the country with the Claret and Blue Army during the
youngster's first full season in the Premier League. At the final whistle,
the defender joined the supporters and his teammates to celebrate staying
up, and the centre-back said survival was the least the fans deserved for
their loyalty this and every season. "When you've got fans like that, who
travel home and away and pay lots of money, when we put on a performance
like that, it means they can go home happy. "My brother was in there and he
and they didn't stop singing, so a massive 'Thank you' to the fans, because
they've been excellent for us all season and we really do appreciate that."
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Moyes: I want West Ham to win games regularly
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says West Ham United's target must be to find a greater level of
consistency in their play next season. After guiding the Hammers to Premier
League safety with a 2-0 win at Leicester City on Saturday, the manager
spoke to the media about how to ensure the Club is not dragged into another
relegation battle in 2018/19. With all three promoted teams potentially
staying up and three seemingly established Premier League clubs facing the
drop, the 2017/18 season has been among the most competitive in recent
history. Indeed, so close has been the competition that West Ham could yet
secure a top-ten finish, despite the fact they have spent virtually the
entire season in the bottom half. To do so, they will have to win three
straight league games for the first time this campaign – a level of
consistency Moyes craves. "I always felt that the team was good enough to be
looking up the league, rather than down, but there were some games we'd
really have like to have done a lot better in, but we didn't," he reflected.
"With the runs teams like West Brom and Crystal Palace have been on, the
bottom half of the league has been pretty exciting this season and I don't
think there is any guarantee that any one team is necessarily that much
better than another. "I must say, I think the three promoted teams who came
up really put the cat among the pigeons when they found their form. "I think
it's hard to judge how I've done this season. I actually would like to be a
manager who wins games regularly. I don't want to be a manager who is
battling around relegation. I want to have winning teams. "I had eleven
years of, in the main, winning teams, and that's what I want to do. I want
to be challenging the top teams and have a team that, most weeks, I have an
idea of what their level of performance will likely be, because that means
I'm feeling a lot better every week, rather than wondering if we are up or
down. "Some of our performances here have been excellent and some I've
wondered 'Where did that come from?'. "Consistency is getting yourself at a
level of play and building it, and everybody would like consistency."
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HIGGINBOTHAM DROOLS OVER WEST HAM DUO
Date: 7th May 2018 at 1:56pm
Written by: Laura OLeary
Forever WestHam
Danny Higginbotham heaped praise on West Ham duo Marko Arnautovic and Manuel
Lanzini and claimed that it was vital the club kept both players. The Sky
Sports pundit gushed about the two attack-minded players as he thought they
had been key to David Moyes' side securing their Premier League status for
another season. "Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic have struck up a
brilliant understanding at West Ham, they have been key to the Hammers
beating the drop," said Higginbotham in his column for The Sun. "David Moyes
was originally forced to play Arnautovic up front due to injury problems but
the Austrian and Argentine Lanzini have become a serious attacking threat.
"It is vital the club keep hold of both players if they are to avoid another
relegation battle next season. "While Stoke got £24million for Arnautovic,
they might have beaten the drop if he'd stayed."
The Hammers confirmed that they would be in the Premier League next season
after beating Leicester 2-0 on Saturday, which was enough to be mathematical
safe as Southampton ended up drawing with Everton.
Higginbotham's glowing praise of Lanzini and Arnautovic for their
performances this season is more than warranted. Arnautovic has managed to
score 10 goals in 33 appearances this season, and his goals have been more
than helpful in firing the Hammers away from the relegation zone. Whereas
Lanzini has used his creative genius in the 27 games that he has featured
in, to contribute nine assists to the cause. Both players have been a touch
above the majority of their teammates with their displays this season and
there would be uproar if either left the London Stadium in the summer. This
would especially be the case with Arnautovic who only arrived from Stoke
City ahead of the start of this season. The 29-year-old took a little bit
time to get going at the Hammers and it would be a shame if he left anytime
soon. While the idea is horrible to think about, either of the players
leaving would be highly unlikely. The only way that scenario changes is if
Moyes leaves and a new manager doesn't rate either player, which would be
bizarre, or if a top-six side make too good an offer to turn down.
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West Ham in need of summer changes to avoid another torrid season, admits
Mark Noble
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
West Ham captain Mark Noble says there needs to be change on and off the
pitch over the summer in order to avoid another chaotic season at London
Stadium.
After struggling to settle in their new Stratford home last term, there was
hope the second season would be an easier ride. However, with a sacking, a
relegation battle and resentment from the fans pouring onto the pitch
against Burnley, things have far from gone to plan. The penultimate weekend
of the Premier League season saw the Hammers' safety secured, however,
things still look far from bright. There is dispute over what players
deserve to stay put, how much money will be available and who will be in
charge come the summer. There is, then, still plenty to be resolved. But
Noble knows that something has to change to see the club climb the table
once more next season. "There needs to be a lot of change," he said. "I
would not say no to that, on and off the pitch. A lot of stuff needs to
change. I am really hoping, and I am convinced it will during the summer.
"If fans are coming to games and are not happy and we go 1-0 down then we
feel that. There is no point lying. "We need to win games and we have not
won enough this season. That is why we are where we are. It's been really
tough, I certainly don't want another one like this."
With safety secured, David Moyes' side can now go out and look to end the
season on a high with home games against two of the Scotsman's former clubs
in Manchester United and Everton this week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, May 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th May 2018
Hammers secure Premier League safety - thank you to the Claret and Blue Army
WHUFC.com
West Ham United would like to thank the Claret and Blue Army for their inspirational support after the Hammers secured their Premier League safety. An impressive 2-0 victory at Leicester City at Saturday means West Ham's top-flight status is now assured and everyone can look forward to home games against Manchester United and Everton as the team seek a positive finish to what has, at times, been a challenging 2017/18 campaign. Along with the 3,000 fans who gave the team magnificent backing at the King Power Stadium, the Club would like to place on record its thanks to each and every Season Ticket Holder and member of the West Ham family for your loyalty, commitment and dedication.
Captain and lifelong Hammer Mark Noble scored the best goal of his West Ham career in Saturday's victory with an unstoppable 25-yard volley – a goal he celebrated wildly with his fellow fans. "That's what we all love West Ham, because of days like this!" he smiled. "The heartache and the emotion we put them through, and I put myself through, make days like this fantastic. Let's all enjoy this result and the rest of the season, then get ready to go again in August. "On Saturday, for me, it wasn't so much the volley as the occasion. To score the goal which made us safe is something many young boys dream of."
Manager David Moyes echoed his skipper's comments before taking aim at ending the season with victories over two of his former clubs. "I'm pleased with our win at Leicester and that we have stayed up because the supporters had a really good day. Of course, they want to see their team winning, but the performance was also good and they sensed it and knew we'd played really well. "We knew we had to win one game and I'd like to win the next two games and finish as high up the league as we can. They're two hard games but if we get the backing we got at Leicester with everybody inside London Stadium, they'll make it difficult for the opponents to come and get a result."
West Ham United Season Ticket renewals are open for the 2018/19 season now. As a reward for the outstanding commitment from our most loyal fans, Season Ticket Holders in Bands 1-4 – including Accessibility Seats – and 1966 Seats have had their prices frozen for the second consecutive year. A Season Ticket remains by far the cheapest way to enjoy watching the Hammers in action, with Adults saving over £400 per season compared to purchasing match-by-match, while Under-16s can save more than £600 over the course of the campaign. Season Ticket Holders also enjoy exclusive benefits, including having the first opportunity to buy tickets for away matches, discounts instore and online and on coach travel, and invitations to exclusive events.
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Joao Mario: The support for us was amazing and it means everything
WHUFC.com
Joao Mario praised West Ham United's 'big personality' after the Hammers bounced back from a difficult fortnight to secure a big 2-0 Premier League victory at Leicester City. The Hammers travelled to the King Power Stadium knowing a win was vital to their chances of securing top-flight safety, and they rose to the challenge with a dominant performance that fully warranted the three points. "It was a huge game for us, an important game, and we knew before that only three points would be good enough for us, so the team produced an amazing performance and I'm very happy because it was a massive win," said the No18, who scored West Ham's all-important first goal. "We played very well, with big personality. It's never easy when you play away against a tough team, so I have to congratulate the team because we played a really good game."
It was Portugal star Mario who broke the deadlock just past the half-hour mark, converting Marko Arnautovic's cross to ease the tension in the Claret and Blue ranks. And the game was decided in West Ham's favour midway through the second half, when Mark Noble arrowed an unstoppable volley into the bottom corner. "We practised this week. When Marko is playing up front and we're playing behind him, we need to support him and we talked about that and it happened. It's good when you practice something and it happens during the game. "Mark shoots really well from outside the box and I'm really happy for him because it's an important moment not just for West Ham, but for him, so I'm happy for him. "We also talked about our defending. We pressed well, we defended well and high up. It was important to us, the team have been talking about the problems and on Saturday it was resolved and it made all the difference."
The 25-year-old joined his jubilant teammates at the final whistle, celebrating with them in front of 3,000 loyal, vociferous traveling fans in the East Midlands sunshine. Their support was not lost on the man who joined West Ham on loan from Inter Milan in January and has now scored two vital goals in the Londoners' quest to steer clear of the bottom three. "It was amazing. Their support for us was amazing and it means everything, so we have to say 'Thank you' to them because the atmosphere they created was fantastic."
Having secured a third away win of the season, West Ham close the season with home games against Manchester United and Everton, and Joao Mario is hoping to give the supporters more reason to cheer before the campaign comes to an end. "We have two important matches and I hope the supporters come to watch these games. We want to win them. It's a big game on Thursday and again on Sunday and I hope everybody is there to back the team up."
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Mark Noble: The man for the big occasion - again
WHUFC.com
Numerous times over the past decade, when West Ham United have needed him most, Mark Noble has stepped up. That was the case again on Saturday as the skipper produced one of his best performances of the season to inspire the Hammers to a 2-0 victory at Leicester City. In a match West Ham won to ultimately secure their Premier League safety, Noble not only scored a goal with his only shot on target, but was instrumental all over the pitch. Let's start with the captain's goal, which was a thing of real beauty and very probably the best of the 51 he has scored in a Claret and Blue shirt.ark Noble's heat map at Leicester City
West Ham were leading 1-0 midway through the second half at the King Power Stadium when Joao Mario delivered a curling free-kick from near the right touchline. Leicester substitute Aleksandar Dragovic cleared with a looping header and Noble shaped his body to send a skimming right-foot volley into the bottom left-hand corner of Ben Hamer's net. Noble's fourth of the season was also his first goal from outside the penalty area since another important away win, 3-1 at Southampton in February 2017.
Aside from his goal, the No16 covered more ground than any other West Ham player – and 670m more than any other player on either side – with 11.58km. To put Noble's work-rate in context, only three other players – Joao Mario, Cheikhou Kouyate and Leicester's Adrien Silva – covered more than 10km. The captain was also influential in possession, making the joint-highest number of passes, 43, with Joao Mario, with both players completing 34 of them for a 79.1 per cent pass-completion rate. Unusually, on the defensive side, Noble did not make a single tackle – Manuel Lanzini made four – but he did regain possession a team-high seven times, make three interceptions, a clearance and block a Leicester shot. Having also scored the opening goal in each West Ham's previous two away victories at Stoke City and Huddersfield Town, the 30-year-old has proven yet again that he will stand up and be counted when the pressure is on.
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Moyes: I'm pleased because the supporters had a really good day
WHUFC.com
David Moyes praised his West Ham United team for producing the goods when they needed it most and securing Premier League safety. The Hammers manager sent his team out at Leicester City knowing victory was vital to their chances to staying up, and that is exactly what they achieved with a professional performance and a 2-0 victory at the King Power Stadium. A smiling Moyes was not only proud of his players, but also delighted for the Claret and Blue Army, whose support undoubtedly played its part in Saturday's success. "I thought the boys dealt with the pressure which came with the game and needing to pick up the points," he began. "There was a real focus about them. "We've been hurting a bit since the Manchester City game, because we felt we didn't play well even though it was against the champions. We felt we're a lot better than that and on Saturday we bossed the game for periods and probably should have scored more goals. "We were as good as we've been with the ball at times. We passed it, we controlled it, we had good thought with our shape and what we wanted to do with the ball. I thought Declan Rice also had his best game as a young player up against the likes of Jamie Vardy, as that's not an easy job. He did very well. "We wanted to leave Leicester with the ball as there is an anxiousness about them in their stadium. We got it back off them and then we broke quickly with Manu and Marko and Arthur. We did a lot of good things. "The only thing which disappointed me was that we had opportunities to score more goals. If we'd done that a little bit better, we'd have won more comfortably. "I'm going to enjoy it and why not? The job when I came in was to make sure we weren't relegated."
The highlight of a memorable afternoon was Mark Noble's unstoppable second-half volley, which followed Joao Mario's well-taken opener from Marko Arnautovic's cross. "Nobes's goal was a worldy, wasn't it! I'm pleased for Nobes because the Club means a lot to him, so I'm glad he got the goal. "Joao has helped us in lots of ways, he's done two or three jobs and is a good footballer. He's now come up with a couple of goals for us [against Southampton and Leicester] in this period. We brought him in to help us play a bit better and get a couple of goals, so I'm pleased with that. "I'm also pleased because the supporters had a really good day as well. Of course, they want to see their team winning, but the performance was also good and they sensed it and knew we'd played really well."
Having secured their top-flight future, Moyes is now targeting a strong end to the season, with the manager aiming to collect six more points from matches against Manchester United and Everton at London Stadium. "We knew we had to win one game and I'd like to win the next two games and finish as high up the league as we can. Then we might be thinking 'What were we worried about?'. "They're two hard games but if we get the backing we got at Leicester with everybody inside London Stadium, they'll make it difficult for the opponents to come and get a result."
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WHICH PLAYERS SHOULD WE TARGET NEXT SEASON AND WHO SHOULD LEAVE
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 MAY 2018 AT 9:44PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by: Mads Hartov @hartov_mads
The rumors are everywhere, and players from across the globe are being linked with every premiership club like there is no tomorrow . That includes our beloved claret and blue. Except, we are primarily being linked with relegation players and championship players. That's not for me I understand that we are not Chelsea or Man Utd and i am not delirious, but i really do feel that if we are to avoid the same type of season as we are in now, we have to be a little more ambitious. So here are my choices, that could be realistic for the summer.
Managers
Moyes
I am all for Moyes out, and i was close to tears when he was announced, but hopefully he will be gone by june 1st. (hopefully straight after a win at Leicester)
Benitez
For me he would be an amazing asset for the club. If he gets what he wants, he can do us some magic. When he won the CL with Liverpool, he had a terrible team imo, but he got them playing together and they beat the best AC Milan team in the 00's. But hey lets not dwell more on him, he is still at Newcastle, and we dont know what Ashley has to offer.
Villas-Boas
This one popped up on my timeline a couple of days ago, and i was immediately intrigued. I personally rate this guy very high, and i think he has done a decent job everywhere he has been. The only problem i can see with him, is getting along with the board. He is very charismatic, and he plays great football. Also Players tend to like him at the clubs he has been at. He has also been very good at utilising South American players skills, which is very interesting for me because of a couple of players. Of course Lanzini, but also a lad that i will get to later with the transfers.
Others
Silva, Wagner & Howe don't really rub me the right way. Why, i honestly can't tell you, there is just something about them i don't see happening at West Ham.
Players in
William Carvalho
This one was close earlier, and i was fuming that it didn't happen. He is exactly what we need, and he is a great footballer. I believe that he can do magic in the centre for us. Send the Sporting owners some flowers, apologise and get this done.
Rui Patricio
So while ordering the flowers and writing the apology for the Sporting owners, send som chocolate too with a bid for Rui Patricio. He has had a good career so far, and being 30, he still has a lot of years in him. To be honest, i do not know a lot about him, and i have only seen him in the Euros, the WC qualifiers, and playing for Sporting in Europe. But i really like what i have seen, and i would to se him in that horrible yellow shirt:)
Timo Horn
Young german goalkeeper. Thats three words every football fan loves to hear. Had he been from another country, he would be their number 1 or 2. But he is competing with Neuer, Leno, Fährmann, Ter Stegen, Baumann, Trapp, well the list goes on. He has 1 year left of his contract, he has just been relegated with Cologne, so there might be an opportunity to get him on the cheap. He basically have the same stats this season as Butland (one we have been linked with many times) some stats better and some worse, and imo Cologne has a terrible defence compared to Stoke.
Lautaro Martinez
20 year old Argentine, who plays for Racing Club in Argentina. I am really amazed that i have not seen one single rumour about him moving to any european clubs. Why am i amazed and why should we go get him? At 19 years he had 26 appearances for Racing and 9 goals, that is an ok stat. This season at 20, he has had 24 appearances and 17 goals, thats a great stat. I have been trying to keep me saliva inside my mouth the last 6 months because of him, but it is hard. He is incredibly fast, he is strong, and he does some great things with the ball. I have never ever watched the argentine league before this season, but he got me in.
WOW what a player. If we only sign one player, he is the one!
J. Mario
I think he has done a fair job, and i think if we would have had a more inspired manager, he would have done a lot more.
Keep him!
Players out
Carroll
Can he do magic in the air, Yes! Can he help out in defence, Yes! Do i want to keep him, absolutely not! What a plonker! Having a row with the manager (whether you like Moyes or not) at this point of the season, and in the situation we are in, that is just beyond stupidity for me. He has just show us that he rates himself over everybody else. I don't do violence, but i hope Noble gave him a good slapping after that! Jesus! I want him far away from our club, very far.
Evra
We shouldn't have brought him here in the first place.
Hugill
I feel so sorry for this bloke. A move to a premiership club, and just being the laughing stock, because the owners just needed to do a transfer to keep us fans happy. I hope he i send to a club where the manager rates him and the board wants him. But hey, if he got a big sign on fee, good on him.
Reid
Being a dane and going to the SuperLiga every weekend, i remember when he played for FC Midtjylland. He was very good and to good for that league, but i did not think he was good enough for the premiership, and especially not for West Ham. But honestly he won me over in our Championship season. Unfortunately i am back at my initial thoughts. I don't rate him highly anymore. I like him but the injuries and his standard is not up to par anymore. Hate to say it, but West Ham comes first.
Kouyate
When we brought him in. I was excited and i remember telling one of my friends "look out for the new Yaya" Boy did i get that thrown in my face on a regular basis. I have always liked him, but i just hate it when players look like they would rather be at home eating Doritos, than be on the pitch. Sorry Kouyate, but i can't defend you anymore. This is just my opinion, and i hope you have yours too.
COYI from Denmark!
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MOYESIAH'S DOUBLED EDGED SWORD
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 MAY 2018 AT 9:24PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Lukas (@lu_thirty_1)
So, here we are, another very disappointing season comes to an end. A season where we were expecting bigger things, with the whole 'the stadium is crap' thing behind us and four solid signings. Well, sort of.
I watched the Leicester game today and I really could not get excited. Don't get me wrong, I'm obviously happy that we avoided a year of playing against the mighty Barnsley but is this really what our reality is? Praying for safety and hoping other teams slip up?
For the record, I didn't ever think we would get relegated, even during the massive crappy stretches when our fanbase was in meltdown. Think we had one of those during every month of the season. Oh yeah, congrats to the Moyesiah for 'doing his job' and keeping us up.
But hey, here we are. Premier League status secured.
So, now what?
Well, let's start by saying that this is very bittersweet. It's like, would we rather have won and secured our status ourselves and be stuck with Moyes OR lose, survive by the skin of our teeth and hopefully get someone new next season?
Personally, I would have preferred the latter if it meant the board actually woke up and realised that this man is not the right person to take us forward. Game after game this year, the tactics have been abysmal and way too negative, especially when we played teams outside the top six. In my opinion, we should be beating everyone in that category week in week out, no problem.
But, in the end, every time Moyes' back was against the wall, we somehow pulled off a result and made him look good. How looks can be deceiving ey?
We all know that the board isn't going to do anything outlandish by their standards and actually spend money to get a decent manager and good players. But, the overall picture of this season should be setting off alarms left, right and centre for them. Don't even get me started with the whole Hernandez thing. In Chica, we have a striker we have been crying out for and he's spent every game picking splinters out of his backside form sitting on the bench the whole year.
Anyway, that's a whole 'nother topic.
I seriously hope I am wrong, but I think Moyes is here to stay and this is a worrying thing. All the signs are there, especially with the sudden abandonment of the Director of Football project and Sir David Moyes the saviour in line to handle our transfer activity. Surely a few decent wins can't overshadow the fact that he is a poor manager?
I'm actually struggling to get excited for next year because as things stand, it will be another season of the same rubbish, watching 17 defenders make up our starting 11 on a Tuesday night against Wolves, Fulham or even Millw***. Yeah, I know. God forbid.
We need some serious enforcements, from the manager to the players. The owners have to see this, especially when we've all seen through their 'take West Ham to the next level' nonsene and would do anything for them to sell up.
That's another thing to pray for by the way. Big time.
They say insanity if doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, right? Well, if that's so then we are screwed because that's exactly what we've done for the last two seasons. But for our sanity, let's cross our fingers and hope something changes and fast.
COMEEEE ONNN YOOUUUU IRROONSSS!
PS – I'm not even going to watch Match of the Day tonight but it's cool, I've seen Nobledinho's goal already!
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LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 MAY 2018 AT 9:13PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by: @measomaj
So we are safe and I'm sure we all breathed a collective sigh of relief and punched the air when Tom Davies equalised for Everton. Watching the toffees and how dreadful they are made me think about our situation and how the manager is key to the rebuilding of our club.
We need to thank David Moyes and send him on his way, he has achieved what he was asked to do and I'm sure he will now be handsomely paid for that achievement. He is not the man for us just as Bilic, Allardyce, Grant, Zola etc have not been.
If we are serious about moving to the next level which I class as breaking into the top 8 then we have look for someone who has experience of working at that level and let him build the team from scratch, the man for me is Rafa Benitez but I'm happy to consider anyone who fits the criteria above.
We simply can't appoint another manager who will give us another season of 12th-20th league positioning, if that's what we want, why move? I would let the new manager clear the decks of anyone he felt didn't fit his blueprint and that means nobody is safe.
For me, the players I would keep in position order are: Defence – Ogbonna, Zabaleta, Rice, Cresswell and Collins. Midfield – Masuaku (not a defender in my eyes), Fernandes, Obiang, Antonio and Noble. Strikers – Arnautovic, Carroll and Hernandez. So that's 13 spaces in our first team squad not including Martinez, Burke and Cullen but the time is now to cut the dead wood and build from who the new guy wants. I would sell the rest for whatever we can get, what's the point in keeping them, they aren't good enough and all they are is a drain on the wage bill.
Will this happen? I don't know but I know to have a continually successful business you need to reinvest in your assets (in our case the playing squad) so that your business continues to grow. Let's be honest that's what Gold, Sullivan and Brady see us as, customers and consumers not loyal fans or people and I don't care whether you have attended once or twice over the last 3 years like me or go every week. We all matter.
They didn't buy our club just because they were West Ham fans coming home. They bought us because they saw potential and an eventual money making business, great it's the club they love too but it wasn't s charity donation with no strings attached.
COYI!
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Safe
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 5th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are mathematically safe from the threat of relegation following today's 2-0 win at Leicester, coupled with results elsewhere. The much-criticised David Moyes completed his mandate by steering the Hammers across the safety line with two games to spare after securing United's third Premier League away win of the season at the King Power Stadium, thanks to strikes from Joao Mario and a Goal of the Season contender from Mark Noble. Meanwhile Swansea's defeat at Bournemouth combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Everton in the late kick-off ensured that West Ham cannot possible be relegated, regardless of remaining results - whilst a mid-table finish is still a possibility, with the Irons once again within three points of five clubs. Captain Mark Noble - who perhaps fittingly, given recent criticism from some quarters scored the goal that secured the club's Premier League status - spoke for many after the game when he reflected on a mostly disastrous season both on and off the field.
"It's been tough, really tough," he told the BBC. " I certainly don't want another one like this." And whilst David Moyes could perhaps be forgiven for feeling vindicated having filled his brief two games shy of the target, he chose instead to heap praise upon his squad who fully deserved the two-goal margin of victory against an admittedly impotent Leicester outfit. "I thought the players handled it brilliantly well, " he said. "From the opening they were composed and looked to play; there were lots of good things about it."
West Ham Utd's remaining two games of the season take place in Stratford within the next seven days, with Jose Mourinho's Manchester Utd providing the first test on Thursday evening. This season to forget culminates on Sunday when former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce returns to the East End with his struggling Everton side, who relied on a controversial injury time equaliser to deny Southampton all three points at Goodison Park this afternoon.
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WEST HAM UNLIKELY TO SELL SNODGRASS THIS SUMMER
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS L
ReadWestHam
West Ham will reportedly keep hold of Robert Snodgrass in the upcoming summer transfer window. According to a report from the Mirror, there are plans for David Moyes to afford the experienced winger a second chance to impress at the London Stadium ahead of next season. Snodgrass was recruited in the January transfer window last year for £10m after an impressive stint with Hull. However, in the following summer, he was sent out on loan to Aston Villa after failing to impress Slaven Bilic. He has since been in good form for Steve Bruce's side, who have secured their place in the Championship play-offs this term. Snodgrass' future at West Ham appeared to be somewhat bleak, given the club's decision to swiftly get him off the books in the build-up to the 2017/18 season. However, it appears as though Snodgrass' time at the club is not yet over, with Moyes prepared to give him another chance to prove his worth.
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How West Ham could look next season if David Moyes completes stunning £60m squad overhaul
If we were playing Football Manager, maybe this is what our West Ham team might look like
Football London
By Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
15:45, 6 MAY 2018
Should David Moyes stay as West Ham manager after the end of this season, he is expected to be handed a war chest to overhaul the squad. The manager has already been scouting targets ahead of next season and following confirmation that the Hammers will be playing Premier League football in 2018/2019, he can press ahead with those plans. After two seasons of struggle on the pitch since leaving the Boleyn Ground and moving to the London Stadium in the summer of 2016, the squad is in need of a revolution, an overhaul if you will. That will mean players coming in but also, players coming out. As always, the Hammers have been linked with plenty of players over the last couple of months, it's part and parcel of being associated with the club and if they signed everyone they have been linked with, the squad could be about 100 players deep. But, lets be sensible for a minute and look at realistic targets who the club have been rumoured to make a move for and that would fit in the squad. For a bit of fun, this is how West Ham could look next season if Moyes was to complete a bit of a transfer overhaul in E20.
In goal, Sam Johntone could be the answer. The Manchester United stopper has had an excellent season on-loan at Aston Villa but a lot will depend on whether the Villains are promoted back to the Premier League as no doubt they'll have first option. With Joe Hart and Adrian not impressing this season at West Ham, the club were linked with a swoop for Johnstone in March and will likely be after a new keeper this summer.
In defence, there isn't too much change with the only new addition potentially being Fulham right back Ryan Fredericks, who has been scouted a number of times by the Hammers and is out of contract at Craven Cottage this summer. Fredericks has yet to commit to a new deal in west London and again, a lot could depend on how the Cottagers perform in the play-offs.
Midfield could see a bit of a change with two new faces in the shape of Fulham captain Tom Cairney, heavily linked with a move to east London in January with an apparent £20m bid rejected. Cairney was also suspiciously spotted right behind David Moyes in the dugout at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.
Leander Dendoncker is the other new face, having come very close to a move to the Hammers in January. There are reports that Atletico Madrid have a €20m option to sign him but they don't have to if they don't want to so the Hammers aren't out of the running. A new central midfielder or two is a must for the Hammers this summer. They came close to getting him in January, the player wanted the move, but it fell through on deadline day.
The other potential new face is Xherdan Shaqiri of Stoke, who is certain to leave the club following their relegation. Everton and Crystal Palace have also been linked as well as the Hammers for a player that Moyes could see as a challenge, much like he revolutionised Marko Arnautovic since taking over.
Shaqiri, on his day, is a mercurial talent but you just never know which Shaqiri is going to turn up on any given matchday.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United would like to thank the Claret and Blue Army for their inspirational support after the Hammers secured their Premier League safety. An impressive 2-0 victory at Leicester City at Saturday means West Ham's top-flight status is now assured and everyone can look forward to home games against Manchester United and Everton as the team seek a positive finish to what has, at times, been a challenging 2017/18 campaign. Along with the 3,000 fans who gave the team magnificent backing at the King Power Stadium, the Club would like to place on record its thanks to each and every Season Ticket Holder and member of the West Ham family for your loyalty, commitment and dedication.
Captain and lifelong Hammer Mark Noble scored the best goal of his West Ham career in Saturday's victory with an unstoppable 25-yard volley – a goal he celebrated wildly with his fellow fans. "That's what we all love West Ham, because of days like this!" he smiled. "The heartache and the emotion we put them through, and I put myself through, make days like this fantastic. Let's all enjoy this result and the rest of the season, then get ready to go again in August. "On Saturday, for me, it wasn't so much the volley as the occasion. To score the goal which made us safe is something many young boys dream of."
Manager David Moyes echoed his skipper's comments before taking aim at ending the season with victories over two of his former clubs. "I'm pleased with our win at Leicester and that we have stayed up because the supporters had a really good day. Of course, they want to see their team winning, but the performance was also good and they sensed it and knew we'd played really well. "We knew we had to win one game and I'd like to win the next two games and finish as high up the league as we can. They're two hard games but if we get the backing we got at Leicester with everybody inside London Stadium, they'll make it difficult for the opponents to come and get a result."
West Ham United Season Ticket renewals are open for the 2018/19 season now. As a reward for the outstanding commitment from our most loyal fans, Season Ticket Holders in Bands 1-4 – including Accessibility Seats – and 1966 Seats have had their prices frozen for the second consecutive year. A Season Ticket remains by far the cheapest way to enjoy watching the Hammers in action, with Adults saving over £400 per season compared to purchasing match-by-match, while Under-16s can save more than £600 over the course of the campaign. Season Ticket Holders also enjoy exclusive benefits, including having the first opportunity to buy tickets for away matches, discounts instore and online and on coach travel, and invitations to exclusive events.
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Joao Mario: The support for us was amazing and it means everything
WHUFC.com
Joao Mario praised West Ham United's 'big personality' after the Hammers bounced back from a difficult fortnight to secure a big 2-0 Premier League victory at Leicester City. The Hammers travelled to the King Power Stadium knowing a win was vital to their chances of securing top-flight safety, and they rose to the challenge with a dominant performance that fully warranted the three points. "It was a huge game for us, an important game, and we knew before that only three points would be good enough for us, so the team produced an amazing performance and I'm very happy because it was a massive win," said the No18, who scored West Ham's all-important first goal. "We played very well, with big personality. It's never easy when you play away against a tough team, so I have to congratulate the team because we played a really good game."
It was Portugal star Mario who broke the deadlock just past the half-hour mark, converting Marko Arnautovic's cross to ease the tension in the Claret and Blue ranks. And the game was decided in West Ham's favour midway through the second half, when Mark Noble arrowed an unstoppable volley into the bottom corner. "We practised this week. When Marko is playing up front and we're playing behind him, we need to support him and we talked about that and it happened. It's good when you practice something and it happens during the game. "Mark shoots really well from outside the box and I'm really happy for him because it's an important moment not just for West Ham, but for him, so I'm happy for him. "We also talked about our defending. We pressed well, we defended well and high up. It was important to us, the team have been talking about the problems and on Saturday it was resolved and it made all the difference."
The 25-year-old joined his jubilant teammates at the final whistle, celebrating with them in front of 3,000 loyal, vociferous traveling fans in the East Midlands sunshine. Their support was not lost on the man who joined West Ham on loan from Inter Milan in January and has now scored two vital goals in the Londoners' quest to steer clear of the bottom three. "It was amazing. Their support for us was amazing and it means everything, so we have to say 'Thank you' to them because the atmosphere they created was fantastic."
Having secured a third away win of the season, West Ham close the season with home games against Manchester United and Everton, and Joao Mario is hoping to give the supporters more reason to cheer before the campaign comes to an end. "We have two important matches and I hope the supporters come to watch these games. We want to win them. It's a big game on Thursday and again on Sunday and I hope everybody is there to back the team up."
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Mark Noble: The man for the big occasion - again
WHUFC.com
Numerous times over the past decade, when West Ham United have needed him most, Mark Noble has stepped up. That was the case again on Saturday as the skipper produced one of his best performances of the season to inspire the Hammers to a 2-0 victory at Leicester City. In a match West Ham won to ultimately secure their Premier League safety, Noble not only scored a goal with his only shot on target, but was instrumental all over the pitch. Let's start with the captain's goal, which was a thing of real beauty and very probably the best of the 51 he has scored in a Claret and Blue shirt.ark Noble's heat map at Leicester City
West Ham were leading 1-0 midway through the second half at the King Power Stadium when Joao Mario delivered a curling free-kick from near the right touchline. Leicester substitute Aleksandar Dragovic cleared with a looping header and Noble shaped his body to send a skimming right-foot volley into the bottom left-hand corner of Ben Hamer's net. Noble's fourth of the season was also his first goal from outside the penalty area since another important away win, 3-1 at Southampton in February 2017.
Aside from his goal, the No16 covered more ground than any other West Ham player – and 670m more than any other player on either side – with 11.58km. To put Noble's work-rate in context, only three other players – Joao Mario, Cheikhou Kouyate and Leicester's Adrien Silva – covered more than 10km. The captain was also influential in possession, making the joint-highest number of passes, 43, with Joao Mario, with both players completing 34 of them for a 79.1 per cent pass-completion rate. Unusually, on the defensive side, Noble did not make a single tackle – Manuel Lanzini made four – but he did regain possession a team-high seven times, make three interceptions, a clearance and block a Leicester shot. Having also scored the opening goal in each West Ham's previous two away victories at Stoke City and Huddersfield Town, the 30-year-old has proven yet again that he will stand up and be counted when the pressure is on.
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Moyes: I'm pleased because the supporters had a really good day
WHUFC.com
David Moyes praised his West Ham United team for producing the goods when they needed it most and securing Premier League safety. The Hammers manager sent his team out at Leicester City knowing victory was vital to their chances to staying up, and that is exactly what they achieved with a professional performance and a 2-0 victory at the King Power Stadium. A smiling Moyes was not only proud of his players, but also delighted for the Claret and Blue Army, whose support undoubtedly played its part in Saturday's success. "I thought the boys dealt with the pressure which came with the game and needing to pick up the points," he began. "There was a real focus about them. "We've been hurting a bit since the Manchester City game, because we felt we didn't play well even though it was against the champions. We felt we're a lot better than that and on Saturday we bossed the game for periods and probably should have scored more goals. "We were as good as we've been with the ball at times. We passed it, we controlled it, we had good thought with our shape and what we wanted to do with the ball. I thought Declan Rice also had his best game as a young player up against the likes of Jamie Vardy, as that's not an easy job. He did very well. "We wanted to leave Leicester with the ball as there is an anxiousness about them in their stadium. We got it back off them and then we broke quickly with Manu and Marko and Arthur. We did a lot of good things. "The only thing which disappointed me was that we had opportunities to score more goals. If we'd done that a little bit better, we'd have won more comfortably. "I'm going to enjoy it and why not? The job when I came in was to make sure we weren't relegated."
The highlight of a memorable afternoon was Mark Noble's unstoppable second-half volley, which followed Joao Mario's well-taken opener from Marko Arnautovic's cross. "Nobes's goal was a worldy, wasn't it! I'm pleased for Nobes because the Club means a lot to him, so I'm glad he got the goal. "Joao has helped us in lots of ways, he's done two or three jobs and is a good footballer. He's now come up with a couple of goals for us [against Southampton and Leicester] in this period. We brought him in to help us play a bit better and get a couple of goals, so I'm pleased with that. "I'm also pleased because the supporters had a really good day as well. Of course, they want to see their team winning, but the performance was also good and they sensed it and knew we'd played really well."
Having secured their top-flight future, Moyes is now targeting a strong end to the season, with the manager aiming to collect six more points from matches against Manchester United and Everton at London Stadium. "We knew we had to win one game and I'd like to win the next two games and finish as high up the league as we can. Then we might be thinking 'What were we worried about?'. "They're two hard games but if we get the backing we got at Leicester with everybody inside London Stadium, they'll make it difficult for the opponents to come and get a result."
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WHICH PLAYERS SHOULD WE TARGET NEXT SEASON AND WHO SHOULD LEAVE
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 MAY 2018 AT 9:44PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by: Mads Hartov @hartov_mads
The rumors are everywhere, and players from across the globe are being linked with every premiership club like there is no tomorrow . That includes our beloved claret and blue. Except, we are primarily being linked with relegation players and championship players. That's not for me I understand that we are not Chelsea or Man Utd and i am not delirious, but i really do feel that if we are to avoid the same type of season as we are in now, we have to be a little more ambitious. So here are my choices, that could be realistic for the summer.
Managers
Moyes
I am all for Moyes out, and i was close to tears when he was announced, but hopefully he will be gone by june 1st. (hopefully straight after a win at Leicester)
Benitez
For me he would be an amazing asset for the club. If he gets what he wants, he can do us some magic. When he won the CL with Liverpool, he had a terrible team imo, but he got them playing together and they beat the best AC Milan team in the 00's. But hey lets not dwell more on him, he is still at Newcastle, and we dont know what Ashley has to offer.
Villas-Boas
This one popped up on my timeline a couple of days ago, and i was immediately intrigued. I personally rate this guy very high, and i think he has done a decent job everywhere he has been. The only problem i can see with him, is getting along with the board. He is very charismatic, and he plays great football. Also Players tend to like him at the clubs he has been at. He has also been very good at utilising South American players skills, which is very interesting for me because of a couple of players. Of course Lanzini, but also a lad that i will get to later with the transfers.
Others
Silva, Wagner & Howe don't really rub me the right way. Why, i honestly can't tell you, there is just something about them i don't see happening at West Ham.
Players in
William Carvalho
This one was close earlier, and i was fuming that it didn't happen. He is exactly what we need, and he is a great footballer. I believe that he can do magic in the centre for us. Send the Sporting owners some flowers, apologise and get this done.
Rui Patricio
So while ordering the flowers and writing the apology for the Sporting owners, send som chocolate too with a bid for Rui Patricio. He has had a good career so far, and being 30, he still has a lot of years in him. To be honest, i do not know a lot about him, and i have only seen him in the Euros, the WC qualifiers, and playing for Sporting in Europe. But i really like what i have seen, and i would to se him in that horrible yellow shirt:)
Timo Horn
Young german goalkeeper. Thats three words every football fan loves to hear. Had he been from another country, he would be their number 1 or 2. But he is competing with Neuer, Leno, Fährmann, Ter Stegen, Baumann, Trapp, well the list goes on. He has 1 year left of his contract, he has just been relegated with Cologne, so there might be an opportunity to get him on the cheap. He basically have the same stats this season as Butland (one we have been linked with many times) some stats better and some worse, and imo Cologne has a terrible defence compared to Stoke.
Lautaro Martinez
20 year old Argentine, who plays for Racing Club in Argentina. I am really amazed that i have not seen one single rumour about him moving to any european clubs. Why am i amazed and why should we go get him? At 19 years he had 26 appearances for Racing and 9 goals, that is an ok stat. This season at 20, he has had 24 appearances and 17 goals, thats a great stat. I have been trying to keep me saliva inside my mouth the last 6 months because of him, but it is hard. He is incredibly fast, he is strong, and he does some great things with the ball. I have never ever watched the argentine league before this season, but he got me in.
WOW what a player. If we only sign one player, he is the one!
J. Mario
I think he has done a fair job, and i think if we would have had a more inspired manager, he would have done a lot more.
Keep him!
Players out
Carroll
Can he do magic in the air, Yes! Can he help out in defence, Yes! Do i want to keep him, absolutely not! What a plonker! Having a row with the manager (whether you like Moyes or not) at this point of the season, and in the situation we are in, that is just beyond stupidity for me. He has just show us that he rates himself over everybody else. I don't do violence, but i hope Noble gave him a good slapping after that! Jesus! I want him far away from our club, very far.
Evra
We shouldn't have brought him here in the first place.
Hugill
I feel so sorry for this bloke. A move to a premiership club, and just being the laughing stock, because the owners just needed to do a transfer to keep us fans happy. I hope he i send to a club where the manager rates him and the board wants him. But hey, if he got a big sign on fee, good on him.
Reid
Being a dane and going to the SuperLiga every weekend, i remember when he played for FC Midtjylland. He was very good and to good for that league, but i did not think he was good enough for the premiership, and especially not for West Ham. But honestly he won me over in our Championship season. Unfortunately i am back at my initial thoughts. I don't rate him highly anymore. I like him but the injuries and his standard is not up to par anymore. Hate to say it, but West Ham comes first.
Kouyate
When we brought him in. I was excited and i remember telling one of my friends "look out for the new Yaya" Boy did i get that thrown in my face on a regular basis. I have always liked him, but i just hate it when players look like they would rather be at home eating Doritos, than be on the pitch. Sorry Kouyate, but i can't defend you anymore. This is just my opinion, and i hope you have yours too.
COYI from Denmark!
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MOYESIAH'S DOUBLED EDGED SWORD
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 MAY 2018 AT 9:24PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Lukas (@lu_thirty_1)
So, here we are, another very disappointing season comes to an end. A season where we were expecting bigger things, with the whole 'the stadium is crap' thing behind us and four solid signings. Well, sort of.
I watched the Leicester game today and I really could not get excited. Don't get me wrong, I'm obviously happy that we avoided a year of playing against the mighty Barnsley but is this really what our reality is? Praying for safety and hoping other teams slip up?
For the record, I didn't ever think we would get relegated, even during the massive crappy stretches when our fanbase was in meltdown. Think we had one of those during every month of the season. Oh yeah, congrats to the Moyesiah for 'doing his job' and keeping us up.
But hey, here we are. Premier League status secured.
So, now what?
Well, let's start by saying that this is very bittersweet. It's like, would we rather have won and secured our status ourselves and be stuck with Moyes OR lose, survive by the skin of our teeth and hopefully get someone new next season?
Personally, I would have preferred the latter if it meant the board actually woke up and realised that this man is not the right person to take us forward. Game after game this year, the tactics have been abysmal and way too negative, especially when we played teams outside the top six. In my opinion, we should be beating everyone in that category week in week out, no problem.
But, in the end, every time Moyes' back was against the wall, we somehow pulled off a result and made him look good. How looks can be deceiving ey?
We all know that the board isn't going to do anything outlandish by their standards and actually spend money to get a decent manager and good players. But, the overall picture of this season should be setting off alarms left, right and centre for them. Don't even get me started with the whole Hernandez thing. In Chica, we have a striker we have been crying out for and he's spent every game picking splinters out of his backside form sitting on the bench the whole year.
Anyway, that's a whole 'nother topic.
I seriously hope I am wrong, but I think Moyes is here to stay and this is a worrying thing. All the signs are there, especially with the sudden abandonment of the Director of Football project and Sir David Moyes the saviour in line to handle our transfer activity. Surely a few decent wins can't overshadow the fact that he is a poor manager?
I'm actually struggling to get excited for next year because as things stand, it will be another season of the same rubbish, watching 17 defenders make up our starting 11 on a Tuesday night against Wolves, Fulham or even Millw***. Yeah, I know. God forbid.
We need some serious enforcements, from the manager to the players. The owners have to see this, especially when we've all seen through their 'take West Ham to the next level' nonsene and would do anything for them to sell up.
That's another thing to pray for by the way. Big time.
They say insanity if doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, right? Well, if that's so then we are screwed because that's exactly what we've done for the last two seasons. But for our sanity, let's cross our fingers and hope something changes and fast.
COMEEEE ONNN YOOUUUU IRROONSSS!
PS – I'm not even going to watch Match of the Day tonight but it's cool, I've seen Nobledinho's goal already!
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LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 MAY 2018 AT 9:13PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by: @measomaj
So we are safe and I'm sure we all breathed a collective sigh of relief and punched the air when Tom Davies equalised for Everton. Watching the toffees and how dreadful they are made me think about our situation and how the manager is key to the rebuilding of our club.
We need to thank David Moyes and send him on his way, he has achieved what he was asked to do and I'm sure he will now be handsomely paid for that achievement. He is not the man for us just as Bilic, Allardyce, Grant, Zola etc have not been.
If we are serious about moving to the next level which I class as breaking into the top 8 then we have look for someone who has experience of working at that level and let him build the team from scratch, the man for me is Rafa Benitez but I'm happy to consider anyone who fits the criteria above.
We simply can't appoint another manager who will give us another season of 12th-20th league positioning, if that's what we want, why move? I would let the new manager clear the decks of anyone he felt didn't fit his blueprint and that means nobody is safe.
For me, the players I would keep in position order are: Defence – Ogbonna, Zabaleta, Rice, Cresswell and Collins. Midfield – Masuaku (not a defender in my eyes), Fernandes, Obiang, Antonio and Noble. Strikers – Arnautovic, Carroll and Hernandez. So that's 13 spaces in our first team squad not including Martinez, Burke and Cullen but the time is now to cut the dead wood and build from who the new guy wants. I would sell the rest for whatever we can get, what's the point in keeping them, they aren't good enough and all they are is a drain on the wage bill.
Will this happen? I don't know but I know to have a continually successful business you need to reinvest in your assets (in our case the playing squad) so that your business continues to grow. Let's be honest that's what Gold, Sullivan and Brady see us as, customers and consumers not loyal fans or people and I don't care whether you have attended once or twice over the last 3 years like me or go every week. We all matter.
They didn't buy our club just because they were West Ham fans coming home. They bought us because they saw potential and an eventual money making business, great it's the club they love too but it wasn't s charity donation with no strings attached.
COYI!
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Safe
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 5th May 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are mathematically safe from the threat of relegation following today's 2-0 win at Leicester, coupled with results elsewhere. The much-criticised David Moyes completed his mandate by steering the Hammers across the safety line with two games to spare after securing United's third Premier League away win of the season at the King Power Stadium, thanks to strikes from Joao Mario and a Goal of the Season contender from Mark Noble. Meanwhile Swansea's defeat at Bournemouth combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Everton in the late kick-off ensured that West Ham cannot possible be relegated, regardless of remaining results - whilst a mid-table finish is still a possibility, with the Irons once again within three points of five clubs. Captain Mark Noble - who perhaps fittingly, given recent criticism from some quarters scored the goal that secured the club's Premier League status - spoke for many after the game when he reflected on a mostly disastrous season both on and off the field.
"It's been tough, really tough," he told the BBC. " I certainly don't want another one like this." And whilst David Moyes could perhaps be forgiven for feeling vindicated having filled his brief two games shy of the target, he chose instead to heap praise upon his squad who fully deserved the two-goal margin of victory against an admittedly impotent Leicester outfit. "I thought the players handled it brilliantly well, " he said. "From the opening they were composed and looked to play; there were lots of good things about it."
West Ham Utd's remaining two games of the season take place in Stratford within the next seven days, with Jose Mourinho's Manchester Utd providing the first test on Thursday evening. This season to forget culminates on Sunday when former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce returns to the East End with his struggling Everton side, who relied on a controversial injury time equaliser to deny Southampton all three points at Goodison Park this afternoon.
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WEST HAM UNLIKELY TO SELL SNODGRASS THIS SUMMER
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS L
ReadWestHam
West Ham will reportedly keep hold of Robert Snodgrass in the upcoming summer transfer window. According to a report from the Mirror, there are plans for David Moyes to afford the experienced winger a second chance to impress at the London Stadium ahead of next season. Snodgrass was recruited in the January transfer window last year for £10m after an impressive stint with Hull. However, in the following summer, he was sent out on loan to Aston Villa after failing to impress Slaven Bilic. He has since been in good form for Steve Bruce's side, who have secured their place in the Championship play-offs this term. Snodgrass' future at West Ham appeared to be somewhat bleak, given the club's decision to swiftly get him off the books in the build-up to the 2017/18 season. However, it appears as though Snodgrass' time at the club is not yet over, with Moyes prepared to give him another chance to prove his worth.
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How West Ham could look next season if David Moyes completes stunning £60m squad overhaul
If we were playing Football Manager, maybe this is what our West Ham team might look like
Football London
By Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
15:45, 6 MAY 2018
Should David Moyes stay as West Ham manager after the end of this season, he is expected to be handed a war chest to overhaul the squad. The manager has already been scouting targets ahead of next season and following confirmation that the Hammers will be playing Premier League football in 2018/2019, he can press ahead with those plans. After two seasons of struggle on the pitch since leaving the Boleyn Ground and moving to the London Stadium in the summer of 2016, the squad is in need of a revolution, an overhaul if you will. That will mean players coming in but also, players coming out. As always, the Hammers have been linked with plenty of players over the last couple of months, it's part and parcel of being associated with the club and if they signed everyone they have been linked with, the squad could be about 100 players deep. But, lets be sensible for a minute and look at realistic targets who the club have been rumoured to make a move for and that would fit in the squad. For a bit of fun, this is how West Ham could look next season if Moyes was to complete a bit of a transfer overhaul in E20.
In goal, Sam Johntone could be the answer. The Manchester United stopper has had an excellent season on-loan at Aston Villa but a lot will depend on whether the Villains are promoted back to the Premier League as no doubt they'll have first option. With Joe Hart and Adrian not impressing this season at West Ham, the club were linked with a swoop for Johnstone in March and will likely be after a new keeper this summer.
In defence, there isn't too much change with the only new addition potentially being Fulham right back Ryan Fredericks, who has been scouted a number of times by the Hammers and is out of contract at Craven Cottage this summer. Fredericks has yet to commit to a new deal in west London and again, a lot could depend on how the Cottagers perform in the play-offs.
Midfield could see a bit of a change with two new faces in the shape of Fulham captain Tom Cairney, heavily linked with a move to east London in January with an apparent £20m bid rejected. Cairney was also suspiciously spotted right behind David Moyes in the dugout at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.
Leander Dendoncker is the other new face, having come very close to a move to the Hammers in January. There are reports that Atletico Madrid have a €20m option to sign him but they don't have to if they don't want to so the Hammers aren't out of the running. A new central midfielder or two is a must for the Hammers this summer. They came close to getting him in January, the player wanted the move, but it fell through on deadline day.
The other potential new face is Xherdan Shaqiri of Stoke, who is certain to leave the club following their relegation. Everton and Crystal Palace have also been linked as well as the Hammers for a player that Moyes could see as a challenge, much like he revolutionised Marko Arnautovic since taking over.
Shaqiri, on his day, is a mercurial talent but you just never know which Shaqiri is going to turn up on any given matchday.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, May 5
Daily WHUFC News - 6th May 2018
Hammers secure three huge points with terrific Leicester performance
WHUFC.com
Goals from Joao Mario and Mark Noble helped West Ham United take a giant
step towards securing their Premier League safety as they were 2-0 winners
at Leicester City in the Premier League. Joao Mario's tapped home a Marko
Arnautovic cross to give the Hammers the lead in a first half they
dominated, before the skipper lashed in a stunning 25-yard volley in the
second period to seal all three points. David Moyes' men looked a constant
danger throughout the clash, however, and went close on a number of
occasions through Manuel Lanzini and top scorer Arnautovic. It's fair to say
the Hammers controlled the opening half and they broke forward to create
their first opportunity in just six minutes. A ball was fed through to
Manuel Lanzini inside the penalty area, and after his shot was blocked, it
broke to Pablo Zabaleta who could not pick out a claret shirt. Five minutes
later - another chance - and it was Argentine Lanzini causing trouble again.
Beating a Leicester defender on the edge of the box, the No10 struck
goalwards, but his shot on target rebounded off Marko Arnautovic and rolled
out for a goal-kick. Zabaleta could not direct a header from the returning
Arthur Masuaku's cross on target moments later, and though few chances
arrived before the half-hour mark, the visitors continued to assert their
authority. And on 30 minutes, Ben Hamer in the City goal was forced into his
first important save of the afternoon. Lanzini and Arnautovic worked it
brilliantly round Hamza Choudhury on the left flank and broke forward, with
the latter feeding Arnautovic but the Austrian's low shot from a tight angle
was saved. And a lick of paint denied David Moyes' team two minutes later as
they went even closer. Again, it was Arnautovic with the chance. Watching
the ball like a hawk as it dipped over his shoulder, the Hammers' top scorer
smashed a left-footed volley at Hamer's goal and only the underside of the
crossbar denied an opener. But that elusive opener came less than 60 seconds
later as Joao Mario grabbed his second of the season. Masuaku crossed from
the left, and Arnautovic - at the heart of everything dangerous for West Ham
- revived the deep ball at the back stick. Controlling and squaring across
goal, Joao Mario could barely miss as he tapped into an empty net to give
the Hammers a huge goal and lead. Just before the break, Lanzini went close
to adding a second as he smashed against the side-netting, but Moyes' men
went in a deserved one-goal to the good.
The hosts certainly looked as if a stern half-time talking to had kicked
them into action as they came out for the second half. Soon after the
restart, Aaron Cresswell was perhaps lucky to just see yellow after handling
the ball on the edge of the box with Jamie Vardy breathing down his neck.
But despite the hosts' pressure, it was the Irons who came closest to
scoring the next goal, when Arnautovic was released by Joao Mario on the
break. The No7, in the end, could not quite square to a teammate in the box.
The second goal did come - with 25 minutes remaining - in spectacular
fashion. Joao Mario curled in a Hammers free-kick but substitute Aleksandar
Dragovic headed the ball clear. But from 25 yards, there waiting was the
skipper Noble, who lashed a beautiful, controlled volley into the bottom
corner - an absolute beauty - to make it 2-0 and put the game beyond
Leicester City. With their heads well and truly up, West Ham went in search
of a third and almost got just that on 70 minutes. Arnautovic danced past
three challenges inside the Foxes' box but his strike at goal was
well-blocked on its way to the back of the net. Late on, Adrian was forced
into a superb stop to keep out Yohan Benalouane's header, but the visitors
looked safe enough throughout the last 25 minutes and claimed what is likely
to be a massive three points in the Premier League.
Leicester City: Hamer, Benalouane, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Choudhury
(Iheanacho 61), Iborra (Dragovic 46), Silva, Diabate (Gray 61), Mahrez,
Vardy
Subs not used: Jakupovic, Thomas, Hughes, Barnes
Bookings: Dragovic 64
West Ham United: Adrian, Zabaleta, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Noble,
Kouyate, Mario, Lanzini (Carroll 75), Arnautovic (Fernandes 79)
Subs not used: Trott, Evra, Cullen, Obiang, Hugill
Goals: Joao Mario 33, Noble 65
Bookings: Arnautovic 41, Cresswell 49
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Moyes: Leicester win was more than deserved
WHUFC.com
David Moyes heaped praise on his West Ham United side after they took a
giant leap towards the Premier League safety mark with a 2-0 win at
Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. Joao Mario's first half opener was
added to by skipper Mark Noble - who volleyed in a spectacular 25-yard
strike - to put the game beyond the Foxes' reach. And the two-goal scoreline
was perhaps kind on Claude Puel's men, who could have fallen further behind
on a number of occasions during both halves as Moyes' men looked dangerous
throughout. The result leaves the Hammers on 38 points and with a sizeable
buffer from the bottom three and the manager was delighted by his team's
huge performance. "We played as well, at times, as we have played [this
season]," he said. "The confidence the players had; they were trying to make
things happen and in the end we got there. "The win was more than deserved.
It's always a good feeling when you win. We have needed to win for a couple
of games now and the boys have done that, so we're really pleased. "To get a
clean sheet and three points is really good, too. These players are capable
of winning games. Of course we have to do this on a more consistent basis,
and we probably have to defend better to give ourselves a chance. "But we
did that today and on another day, if we were more clinical, we would have
scored more goals."
After a dominant opening 45 minutes, the visitors came under a spell of
pressure as the second half began before the skipper relieved that with his
65th-minute screamer. And Moyes admitted Noble - whose last goal was against
Crystal Palace at the end of January - might have a case for claiming an
award from a teammate. "I just said to Nobes, Pedro Obiang might have to
give you back the Goal of the Season [award] from his goal at Tottenham!"
the boss laughed. "But look; in all seriousness, Mark is capable of scoring
goals and it was really good for us. "It's an important goal. We didn't play
as well in the second half or control the game as we had done in the first,
but you'd expect Leicester to come back into it. "But then we had two or
three really great chances on the break to more than wrap it up."
Though the Hammers are not mathematically safe with the victory, it leaves
teams below them with a lot of work to do and the gaffer admitted his is now
looking upwards - not back over his shoulder - as his team head into their
last two matches, both of which are at London Stadium. "It's not completely
done yet, but it will take some doing for the teams below us to get us now.
But now I'm actually thinking how many points we can get, where we can
finish and thinking about getting close to the mid-half of the table. "The
Premier League has been like that all season and two wins, you're near the
top half. "We'll try and win some more points in the final two games to
come. We're in a good place and we can look to move forward."
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Noble: I couldn't have hit it any sweeter!
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble was brimming with pride after leading West Ham United to a vital
2-0 Premier League victory at Leicester City. The Hammers were under huge
pressure when they kicked off at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, but an
outstanding all-round performance and a fine goal in each half from Joao
Mario and Noble himself secured three important points. The final score
could have been even emphatic against a lethargic Leicester, with Marko
Arnautovic hitting the underside of the crossbar and both Manuel Lanzini and
Pablo Zabaleta going close during a dominant first-half display. West Ham's
win means they are all but mathematically safe - if Southampton fail to win
at Everton in the evening kick-off, it will be confirmed - and Noble is
determined to finish a challenging 2017/18 season on a high. "After the last
two results (4-1 defeats by Arsenal and Manchester City), to come here
against a good Leicester team is tough, but we played really free with the
ball, and we probably should have been clear - we had three really good
chances and Marko hit the bar," the skipper observed. The standout moment on
a warm and sunny afternoon came midway through the second half, when Joao
Mario's free-kick was headed out by Aleksandar Dragovic and dropped to Noble
25 yards from goal. Rather than control the ball or lob it back into the
penalty area, he instead lashed arguably the best strike of his illustrious
career into the bottom left-hand corner. The goal sparked huge celebrations
on the pitch and in the stands, where the 3,000-strong Claret and Blue Army
were in full voice for the whole 90 minutes and beyond. "With my goal, I
don't know what happened to be honest! They've dropped to me like that
before and by the time you take a touch, the defenders are on you. So, it
lined up nicely, and I just thought I'd have a go, and to be honest I
couldn't have hit it any sweeter! In front of the away fans as well; it was
nice."
West Ham can now likely look forward to their final two fixtures at home to
Manchester United and Everton, and Noble is hoping the Hammers can reward
the Claret and Blue Army with similarly positive performances at London
Stadium. "I hope on Thursday against United that we can perform like we did
today. I know it will be a tough game but why not try and finish as high up
the table as we can? "We have two home games now. Where we are in the
league, the fans will come and hopefully we can make that stadium a real
good atmosphere for the last two games and finish off the season well."
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Leicester City 0-2 West Ham United
By Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport
Manager David Moyes says he "wants to look up the table" after his West Ham
team secured their Premier League status with a comfortable victory at
Leicester. Mark Noble's stunning volley capped a dominant performance from
the visitors, who opened the scoring through Joao Mario. "I feel as if I
want to look up the table and win the last two games," Moyes said. "The team
is more than capable of winning lots of games. We defended better than we
did in other games which gave us a good chance."
And with the Hammers now on 38 points and holding an unassailable five-point
advantage over Swansea and Southampton, who play each other on Tuesday, the
West Ham manager has cause for optimism. Maximum points from their two
remaining fixtures against Manchester United and Everton could bring
mid-table finish.
It was a disappointing afternoon for the hosts, who wrapped up the Premier
League title two years ago this week. The Foxes' meek surrender leaves them
ninth after a fourth defeat in five games and is also likely to intensify
pressure on manager Claude Puel, who was given a vote of confidence by the
club's owners on Friday. "Sometimes there's tough periods without a good
performance. It's normal that we can have some negative activity," said
Puel, whose team were booed off at half-time. "It's not the time to discuss
about the summer. Now it's just to try and finish the last two games."
A combination of West Ham's win and results elsewhere confirmed that their
Premier League place had been preserved. Swansea's defeat at Bournemouth
coupled with Southampton's draw at Everton in the late Saturday kick-off,
meant that the Hammers could not be caught. Going into Saturday's contest,
Moyes' team had won one match in eight but looked resolute in defence and
showed a sense of urgency the hosts were unable to match. Noble exemplified
their efforts, urging his team-mates forward at every opportunity and
covering more ground that any other player (11.66km). His volley was a
fitting reward for his effort - though Marko Arnautovic also lauded by
Moyes, played a key role. "It was a great goal from Mark Noble, he
epitomises much about West Ham. He's been there every week for us and he
deserves it. He's got that in his locker. "Marko Arnautovic has been
terrific since I came in. He's always close to a goal. All season I've been
really pleased with him."
While the Austrian did not add to his tally of 10 league goals but his
presence was felt by the home defence all afternoon. He teed up on-loan
Inter Milan midfielder Mario for the opening goal - but was perhaps
fortunate to escape a harsher punishment when his flailing arm caught Harry
Maguire in the first half.
Pressure on Puel?
Leicester started this fixture still capable of catching Everton and earning
a top-eight finish for only the second time since the 1999-00 season.
However, another limp display extended a dismal sequence of results that has
included two victories in 12 outings. Puel's hand was admittedly limited
given he was hampered by injuries and suspensions. Yet even without nine
senior players he would surely have hoped for greater urgency and fight from
his players with owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha present in the stands.
Foxes lacking confidence - Claude Puel
"It was a tough game for us," Puel said. "We started without a lot of
confidence because we had young players played and things like referee's
decisions can give a boost to the other team." Had Aaron Cresswell been
dismissed for deliberately grabbing the ball after falling over with Jamie
Vardy set to run clear on goal with the score at 1-0, the momentum of the
game may have shifted back towards his team. His future, though, remains a
matter of conjecture despite a club statement offering the owner's full
support on Friday.
Man of the match - Mark Noble (West Ham)
West Ham captain Mark Noble provided the games defining moment with a goal
he described as "the best I've scored"
First win at Leicester since 2000 - the stats
Leicester are without a win in six home Premier League games, their longest
such streak since a run of six ending on 26 December 2014.
West Ham registered their first clean sheet in their past nine top-flight
away games.
The Foxes have lost four of their past five league games (D1), as many
defeats as they had suffered in their previous 13.
West Ham have scored in their past 11 away league games - their longest
scoring run in the top flight since December 1966 (14 games).
Leicester have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for
the first time since February 2017.
Arnautovic has been directly involved in nine goals in his past eight away
league games for West Ham.
Noble scored his 37th Premier League goal - only two players have scored
more for West Ham (Paolo di Canio 47, Carlton Cole 41), with Trevor Sinclair
also on 37.
What's next?
Leicester welcome Arsenal to King Power Stadium on Wednesday, 9 May (19:45
BST), while West Ham host Manchester United on 10 May at London Stadium
(19:45).
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Leicester 0-2 West Ham: Hammers edge closer to Premier League safety
By Charlotte Marsh
Last Updated: 05/05/18 8:05pm
SSN
West Ham edged closer to Premier League safety with a 2-0 win against
Leicester, whose winless run under Claude Puel continued on Saturday. The
Hammers were deserving of their win at the King Power Stadium as Joao Mario
opened the scoring in the 34th minute before Mark Noble (64) produced a
superb volley to seal a vital three points. Leicester - the day after Puel
was given backing by the club's chairman - offered little in terms of a
reply and did not have a shot on target until the 86th minute. The Foxes
remain in ninth place but are now winless in five Premier League games,
while West Ham have moved five points clear of the relegation places with
two games left to play. West Ham began the game well, but could not really
test Leicester goalkeeper Ben Hamer until the half an hour mark, with Manuel
Laznini sliding Marko Arnautovic through in the area but his shot was well
blocked by the legs of the stopper. Two minutes later, Arnautovic should
have opened the scoring but his brilliantly curled effort could only ping
against the upright and go wide, with Hamer well beaten in goal. West Ham
found the breakthrough in the 34th minute as Arthur Masuaku delivered a
superb cross into the area that met Arnautovic, who took two flicked touches
before sliding the ball back for the waiting Joao Mario. The Portuguese then
swept home past Hamer. Leicester improved at the start of the second half
but struggled to find their rhythm up front with the Hammers doubling their
lead in the 64th minute. It was a wonderful strike from Noble as he
collected a headed clearance from Aleksandar Dragovic before powering a
volley through the area and into the net off the post.
The Foxes had their first shot on target in the 86th minute, although it was
a tame effort from Adrien Silva that went straight into the hands of Adrian,
but the goalkeeper was more sternly tested not long after. He palmed away a
near-post header from Yohan Benalouane before denying the defender again as
he tried to head home from a corner. West Ham saw out the game with relative
ease to move onto 38 points and have almost secured their Premier League
status for another season.
England Watch
Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy both played the full 90 minutes, and despite
the defeat, the defender did not do too much wrong. Vardy did very little,
but was starved of service from his team-mates more than his own
performance. Aaron Cresswell also did well despite a bizarre handball
booking, while Andy Carroll made a decent 20 minute cameo after a turbulent
week.
Opta stats
Leicester are without a win in six home Premier League games (D4 L2), their
longest winless streak in the league on home soil since a run of six ending
on Boxing Day 2014 (D2 L4).
The Foxes have lost four of their last five league games (D1), as many
defeats as they had suffered in their previous 13.
West Ham have scored in each of their last 11 away Premier League games
their longest scoring run in the top-flight since December 1966 (14 games).
Leicester have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for
the first time since February 2017 (a run of six which were Claudio
Ranieri's last games in charge).
The managers
Claude Puel: "I think it is normal [the fan reaction of boss at full-time]
because it is a tough period with some negativity and blame. I would like to
apologise for the last performance because it is not enough and we have to
finish strongly in the last two games."
David Moyes: "Winning always feels good and we've needed to win a couple of
games so the boys did a really good job today getting that result. We've
just played Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in a row which is never easy and
we conceded some goals so to get a clean sheet and three points today is
really good."
Man of the match - Marko Arnautovic
By the 78th minute, Arnautovic looked tired and for good reason. The striker
ran himself ragged, especially in the first half, and was heavily involved
in much of the positive attacking play from West Ham. While he may not have
got on the scoresheet himself, he did set up Joao Mario for his opener and
has now been involved in nine goals in his last eight Premier League away
games.
What's next?
Leicester will play their final home game of the season against Arsenal on
Wednesday, while West Ham finish their season with two home fixtures,
starting with the visit of Manchester United on Thursday.
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David Moyes wants consistency from West Ham after Leicester win
Last Updated: 05/05/18 7:22pm
SSN
David Moyes has urged his West Ham side to show consistency after they beat
Leicester 2-0 and put themselves within reach of Premier League safety. It
was a solid performance from the Hammers after two successive 4-1 losses to
Arsenal and Manchester City, and has taken them onto 38 points with two
games to play.
Moyes was pleased with his side following the game, but wants them to
produce the same levels each week to pick up more points in the future.
"Winning always feels good and we've needed to win a couple of games so the
boys did a really good job today getting that result," he told Sky Sports.
"We've just played Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in a row which is never
easy and we conceded some goals so to get a clean sheet and three points
today is really good. "I think these players are capable of winning games
like this and winning other games. What they've got to do is do it across a
consistent basis. "I don't think we have a bad team, but what we have to do
is defend better if we're going to give ourselves a chance and we did that
today. I thought on another day we would have been more clinical and scored
more goals."
West Ham have pulled themselves further clear of the relegation places
following the win at the King Power Stadium, and while the job is not yet
completed, Moyes is starting to look up the table. "It's not done completely
yet but you'd have to say it would take a lot for the other teams to get
us," he added. "I'm actually now thinking how many points can we get and
where can we finish in the league table. I'm thinking can we get closer to
the middle part of the table... We'll try and win more points in the home
games to come. "You take a little bit of a risk when you come to any club
that is in the bottom three and the only person who gets the blame for it is
the manager. If you don't stay up, the manager seems to get in trouble. I
don't think that's right but at the moment, it looks like we're in a good
place and hopefully pick up more points."
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LEICESTER CITY 0, WEST HAM 2. DEEP BREATH IN, AND NOOOOW BREATHE OUT.
By David Hautzig 5 May 2018 at 17:29
WTID
This is kind of off topic. But the truth is I wasn't too bothered to think
about today's monumental match when I woke up this morning. I don't know
why, either. I think maybe the last few weeks have brought a clarity to my
frustration and fury, and I couldn't get past that. It started with the
Burnley match when I was over there for work. And the match itself wasn't
the seminal moment for me. It was the early lunch at Nathan's with Nigel,
his son in law, and one of my bosses, followed by the wonderful West Ham Way
event at the East Ham Working Men's Social Club, ending with a walk up Green
Street to the train. I live in upstate New York for gods sake, and I felt
palpably sad. I couldn't shake it for days, even though I had a great rest
of my stay in my favorite city in the world. Thankfully my wife, she of two
Masters Degrees, was able to sum it up for me. She had been to Upton Park
twice, including a game on our honeymoon, and other than Paolo Dicanio
couldn't name a single player that has ever worn our shirt.
"You can live with lousy players and bad teams. But what these owners did
was destroy a community and fabric of life. For that they should never be
forgiven."
Amen.
Then, in what could only be described as spooky, I took a break from writing
the paragraphs above to scan some fan sites, only to read the horrible news
that Nathan's would close later this month. If Liquor were blood, our board
would have plenty on their shameful little hands.
So as we began what could end up being our last week in the Premier League
for the foreseeable future, I tried to be excited about the starting eleven
names as they were released on Twitter. Unfortunately when I saw them
excitement is not how I would describe my reaction.
Overall we started the brighter side. But when you have chances to take an
early lead in a match of such importance you simply have to take them.
Lanzini found himself in the box after some decent interplay in the 6th
minute, but his shot was deflected wide into the path of Arnautovic. He
tried to play it back to Noble in the box, but Leicester were able to clear
the ball from danger. A few moments later Arnautovic tried to chase down a
sloppy back pass to Hamer. The Leicester keeper lost control momentarily but
Arnautovic was unable to capitalize. Minutes later Lanzini got on the end of
a Masuaku cross but his low shot was deflected out by Arnautovic for a goal
kick.
Leicester looked a lot like us the last few months in the first twenty
minutes or so. They sat back, barely moved, and allowed us to have as much
of the ball in midfield as we wanted. It wasn't so much that we bossed the
center of the pitch. Leicester conceded it. Yet my mate Jon texted me and
predicted a Leicester City goal against the run of play, and every nerve in
my body felt obliged to agree.
West Ham had another opportunity in the 32nd minute when Lanzini ran past
Morgan and rolled a pass to Arnautovic in the box. Hamer came out to cut
down the angle, and Arnautovic had nowhere to shoot so he tried to get the
ball through the keepers legs but Hamer played it well. Moments later the
West Ham leader got a quick shot off in the box that clanged off the
crossbar. Just as the fear of missed chances started to overwhelm me,
Masuaku sent another cross that Arnautovic played back in front of goal, and
that's where Mario was to put it in the back of the net.
Embed from Getty Images
Leicester City 0
West Ham 1
Leicester gave the visitor section a scare in the 39th minute when Zabaleta
tried to intercept a pass to Diabate and missed, giving Diabate some space
to move forward and have a go. But his low shot rolled wide, with Adrian
watching it the whole time. Minutes later a similar theme played out when
Cresswell made a terrible mistake when he tried to grab a pass to Mahrez on
the right side of the West Ham box and missed by a time zone. Or two. Mahrez
marches into the box but his cross was deflected to safety by Ogbonna.
Halftime
Leicester City 0
West Ham 1
I never liked that movie Forrest Gump. In fact, I've always been bitter
about the awards it won. That year also had Shawshank Redemption, Pulp
Fiction, and Paul Newman's epic performance in Nobody's Fool. And Gump was
judged to be the best? Really?
Back on topic.
When Cresswell tried to be too cute when a simple back pass to Adrian would
have been more than sufficient, the words "stupid is as stupid does" came to
mind. Cresswell went to ground, Vardy looked enraged as he tried to go
around the fallen defender, and the look on the referee said red card.
Thankfully it was yellow. Leicester didn't do anything with their free kick,
but a new tone was set. Leicester started to chase down balls and pressure
West Ham, and we looked anxious.
Moments later Mario sent Arnautovic into the box with a rolled pass, but
when he had a chance to shoot he looked for the extra pass. That did not end
well, and Leicester cleared the area. In the 60th minute Mario waited a
moment too long to roll a pass to Arnautovic and the Austrian was flagged
offside. A second goal should have arrived from those chances, but did not.
The 63rd minute saw Hammer hearts rise precipitously into the esophagus when
Maguire got on the end of a deflected Vardy shot and sent his own from the
top of the box that caused Adrian to dive to his left, but the shot went
over the bar.
Set pieces are always a reason for the supporters of the side taking them to
at least relax for a second or two, if not get a bit excited. When Mario
stepped up to send the ball into the Leicester City box, it was in a good
enough area for us to pay attention. When Maguire headed the delivery out of
the box, another lobbed effort back in was all I was looking for. When Noble
struck it on the volley, the angle of the TV camera was perfect. The ball
looked tethered to the far post, and quite possibly the best shot I've ever
seen our captain strike followed that line past the keeper and into the net.
Poetic that Noble may end up being the guy that saved our season, don't you
think?
Leicester City 0
West Ham 2
West Ham thought they had a penalty shout in the 70th minute when Noble went
down in the area, but the referee waved it off. Rightfully I might add. A
minute later Arnautovic did all the work needed in the box to get a good
shot off but Maguire got a crucial touch in to send the ball out for a
corner.
So. Moysie. Arnautovic is on the pitch in discomfort. Andy Carroll is going
to come on. Obviously for Arnie. But wait. Lanzini came off. Like for like
in hair color, or maybe choice of hair gel based on the sheen in the sun.
But football? Not that sure. Especially when Arnautovic came off seconds
later for Fernandes, a move that made me a little antsy. This had better
work or you will need Mel Gibson with blue face to save you from an East
London mob.
Gray had a good chance to get Leicester back in the game when he beat
Zabaleta down the flank, but his cross was perfect if Adrian was the
intended recipient. Then, ten minutes later, Silva registered the home
side's first shot on target and Adrian handled it well.
Leicester could have made the extra time interesting in the 89th minute when
Benlouane got his head to the ball at the far post, which forced Adrian to
make either a good save or a crucial interception, depending on whether
Benlouane's header was a shot or an attempt to get the ball in front of
goal. Regardless, Adrian smothered it.
Final Score
Leicester City 0
West Ham 2
As the old saying goes, credit where credit is due. West Ham showed up
today. The tactics worked. Even the questionable substitutions worked. The
players chosen did their jobs and did them well. They gave Leicester City
enough of a hard time with every ball that the home side collectively looked
to throw in the towel. And at the time of writing, our position in the
league looked a million times better than it had three hours earlier. We
might even end up mathematically safe by dinnertime. Yet unlike other years
when I was naive enough to think the board would learn from their ways and
we would not continue this hamster run of relegation fights, I have no such
illusions. We may survive this year. We will be promised things. Some may
even hope.
And I will still never forgive them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble wonder-strike sees West Ham heap more pressure on Claude Puel at
Leicester City
Leicester City 0-2 West Ham United: The Hammers all but secured their
Premier League survival with the win
Sean Taylor The King Power Stadium 4 hours ago0 comments
The Independent Sport
West Ham took a giant leap towards securing their Premier League survival
and piled more pressure on Leicester boss Claude Puel with a 2-0 victory at
the King Power Stadium. Puel's side went into the match having won just
twice in their last 11 Premier League games but the Frenchman received the
dreaded vote of confidence from club's owners this week. His cause was not
helped on Saturday by the absence of nine players through injury and
suspension but Leicester's performance, on a hot afternoon, was lukewarm at
best. West Ham inflicted a fourth Foxes loss in five Premier League matches
with goals in each half from Joao Mario and Mark Noble, the Hammers captain
scoring a possible goal-of-the-season contender. The win moved David Moyes'
team six points clear of the bottom three and put a three-point cushion
between Swansea and Huddersfield immediately below them.
Leicester looked disjointed early on, perhaps as a result of Puel having to
make five changes, and struggled to settle. West Ham tried to take advantage
and Manuel Lanzini saw two goalbound efforts blocked - the second
inadvertently by team-mate Marko Arnautovic. The game was played almost
exclusively in the Leicester half until the hosts finally found their feet
and put together their best passage of play as the half-hour mark
approached. Although, it must be said, without troubling Adrian in the West
Ham goal.
West Ham's best spell immediately followed, during which they took the lead.
Arnautovic fired a couple of warning shots across Leicester's bow. First he
forced Ben Hamer to save with his legs following a swift break down the left
by Lanzini before his shot on the turn struck the crossbar. The opening goal
came after 34 minutes when Arthur Masuaku's far-post cross from the left was
controlled and knocked back into the six-yard box where Joao Mario simply
tapped the ball home.
West Ham should have extended their lead early in the second half. Joao
Mario's pass put Arnautovic through on goal down the right side of the
penalty area but he dawdled and allowed Christian Fuchs to make a block when
he did eventually shoot. Puel, who had brought Aleksandar Dragovic on for
Vicente Iborra at half-time, made his two remaining substitutions after 61
minutes with Demarai Gray and Kelechi Iheanacho replacing Hamza Choudhury
and Fousseni Diabate. The changes were met with a rendition of "you don't
know what you're doing" from some home supporters. Harry Maguire, now
playing in central midfield, went close with a half-volley from the edge of
the area. The centre-half showed good technique but his shot was always
rising. West Ham scored their second goal in the 64th minute and it was a
strike worthy of settling any match. Joao Mario's free-kick was cleared by
Dragovic as far as Noble, who struck the ball first time from 25 yards out
and his shot flew into the bottom corner of the net. The closest Leicester
came to a reply was when Yohan Benalouane's late header was pushed away by
Adrian.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Goals from Joao Mario and Mark Noble helped West Ham United take a giant
step towards securing their Premier League safety as they were 2-0 winners
at Leicester City in the Premier League. Joao Mario's tapped home a Marko
Arnautovic cross to give the Hammers the lead in a first half they
dominated, before the skipper lashed in a stunning 25-yard volley in the
second period to seal all three points. David Moyes' men looked a constant
danger throughout the clash, however, and went close on a number of
occasions through Manuel Lanzini and top scorer Arnautovic. It's fair to say
the Hammers controlled the opening half and they broke forward to create
their first opportunity in just six minutes. A ball was fed through to
Manuel Lanzini inside the penalty area, and after his shot was blocked, it
broke to Pablo Zabaleta who could not pick out a claret shirt. Five minutes
later - another chance - and it was Argentine Lanzini causing trouble again.
Beating a Leicester defender on the edge of the box, the No10 struck
goalwards, but his shot on target rebounded off Marko Arnautovic and rolled
out for a goal-kick. Zabaleta could not direct a header from the returning
Arthur Masuaku's cross on target moments later, and though few chances
arrived before the half-hour mark, the visitors continued to assert their
authority. And on 30 minutes, Ben Hamer in the City goal was forced into his
first important save of the afternoon. Lanzini and Arnautovic worked it
brilliantly round Hamza Choudhury on the left flank and broke forward, with
the latter feeding Arnautovic but the Austrian's low shot from a tight angle
was saved. And a lick of paint denied David Moyes' team two minutes later as
they went even closer. Again, it was Arnautovic with the chance. Watching
the ball like a hawk as it dipped over his shoulder, the Hammers' top scorer
smashed a left-footed volley at Hamer's goal and only the underside of the
crossbar denied an opener. But that elusive opener came less than 60 seconds
later as Joao Mario grabbed his second of the season. Masuaku crossed from
the left, and Arnautovic - at the heart of everything dangerous for West Ham
- revived the deep ball at the back stick. Controlling and squaring across
goal, Joao Mario could barely miss as he tapped into an empty net to give
the Hammers a huge goal and lead. Just before the break, Lanzini went close
to adding a second as he smashed against the side-netting, but Moyes' men
went in a deserved one-goal to the good.
The hosts certainly looked as if a stern half-time talking to had kicked
them into action as they came out for the second half. Soon after the
restart, Aaron Cresswell was perhaps lucky to just see yellow after handling
the ball on the edge of the box with Jamie Vardy breathing down his neck.
But despite the hosts' pressure, it was the Irons who came closest to
scoring the next goal, when Arnautovic was released by Joao Mario on the
break. The No7, in the end, could not quite square to a teammate in the box.
The second goal did come - with 25 minutes remaining - in spectacular
fashion. Joao Mario curled in a Hammers free-kick but substitute Aleksandar
Dragovic headed the ball clear. But from 25 yards, there waiting was the
skipper Noble, who lashed a beautiful, controlled volley into the bottom
corner - an absolute beauty - to make it 2-0 and put the game beyond
Leicester City. With their heads well and truly up, West Ham went in search
of a third and almost got just that on 70 minutes. Arnautovic danced past
three challenges inside the Foxes' box but his strike at goal was
well-blocked on its way to the back of the net. Late on, Adrian was forced
into a superb stop to keep out Yohan Benalouane's header, but the visitors
looked safe enough throughout the last 25 minutes and claimed what is likely
to be a massive three points in the Premier League.
Leicester City: Hamer, Benalouane, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Choudhury
(Iheanacho 61), Iborra (Dragovic 46), Silva, Diabate (Gray 61), Mahrez,
Vardy
Subs not used: Jakupovic, Thomas, Hughes, Barnes
Bookings: Dragovic 64
West Ham United: Adrian, Zabaleta, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Noble,
Kouyate, Mario, Lanzini (Carroll 75), Arnautovic (Fernandes 79)
Subs not used: Trott, Evra, Cullen, Obiang, Hugill
Goals: Joao Mario 33, Noble 65
Bookings: Arnautovic 41, Cresswell 49
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: Leicester win was more than deserved
WHUFC.com
David Moyes heaped praise on his West Ham United side after they took a
giant leap towards the Premier League safety mark with a 2-0 win at
Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. Joao Mario's first half opener was
added to by skipper Mark Noble - who volleyed in a spectacular 25-yard
strike - to put the game beyond the Foxes' reach. And the two-goal scoreline
was perhaps kind on Claude Puel's men, who could have fallen further behind
on a number of occasions during both halves as Moyes' men looked dangerous
throughout. The result leaves the Hammers on 38 points and with a sizeable
buffer from the bottom three and the manager was delighted by his team's
huge performance. "We played as well, at times, as we have played [this
season]," he said. "The confidence the players had; they were trying to make
things happen and in the end we got there. "The win was more than deserved.
It's always a good feeling when you win. We have needed to win for a couple
of games now and the boys have done that, so we're really pleased. "To get a
clean sheet and three points is really good, too. These players are capable
of winning games. Of course we have to do this on a more consistent basis,
and we probably have to defend better to give ourselves a chance. "But we
did that today and on another day, if we were more clinical, we would have
scored more goals."
After a dominant opening 45 minutes, the visitors came under a spell of
pressure as the second half began before the skipper relieved that with his
65th-minute screamer. And Moyes admitted Noble - whose last goal was against
Crystal Palace at the end of January - might have a case for claiming an
award from a teammate. "I just said to Nobes, Pedro Obiang might have to
give you back the Goal of the Season [award] from his goal at Tottenham!"
the boss laughed. "But look; in all seriousness, Mark is capable of scoring
goals and it was really good for us. "It's an important goal. We didn't play
as well in the second half or control the game as we had done in the first,
but you'd expect Leicester to come back into it. "But then we had two or
three really great chances on the break to more than wrap it up."
Though the Hammers are not mathematically safe with the victory, it leaves
teams below them with a lot of work to do and the gaffer admitted his is now
looking upwards - not back over his shoulder - as his team head into their
last two matches, both of which are at London Stadium. "It's not completely
done yet, but it will take some doing for the teams below us to get us now.
But now I'm actually thinking how many points we can get, where we can
finish and thinking about getting close to the mid-half of the table. "The
Premier League has been like that all season and two wins, you're near the
top half. "We'll try and win some more points in the final two games to
come. We're in a good place and we can look to move forward."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble: I couldn't have hit it any sweeter!
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble was brimming with pride after leading West Ham United to a vital
2-0 Premier League victory at Leicester City. The Hammers were under huge
pressure when they kicked off at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, but an
outstanding all-round performance and a fine goal in each half from Joao
Mario and Noble himself secured three important points. The final score
could have been even emphatic against a lethargic Leicester, with Marko
Arnautovic hitting the underside of the crossbar and both Manuel Lanzini and
Pablo Zabaleta going close during a dominant first-half display. West Ham's
win means they are all but mathematically safe - if Southampton fail to win
at Everton in the evening kick-off, it will be confirmed - and Noble is
determined to finish a challenging 2017/18 season on a high. "After the last
two results (4-1 defeats by Arsenal and Manchester City), to come here
against a good Leicester team is tough, but we played really free with the
ball, and we probably should have been clear - we had three really good
chances and Marko hit the bar," the skipper observed. The standout moment on
a warm and sunny afternoon came midway through the second half, when Joao
Mario's free-kick was headed out by Aleksandar Dragovic and dropped to Noble
25 yards from goal. Rather than control the ball or lob it back into the
penalty area, he instead lashed arguably the best strike of his illustrious
career into the bottom left-hand corner. The goal sparked huge celebrations
on the pitch and in the stands, where the 3,000-strong Claret and Blue Army
were in full voice for the whole 90 minutes and beyond. "With my goal, I
don't know what happened to be honest! They've dropped to me like that
before and by the time you take a touch, the defenders are on you. So, it
lined up nicely, and I just thought I'd have a go, and to be honest I
couldn't have hit it any sweeter! In front of the away fans as well; it was
nice."
West Ham can now likely look forward to their final two fixtures at home to
Manchester United and Everton, and Noble is hoping the Hammers can reward
the Claret and Blue Army with similarly positive performances at London
Stadium. "I hope on Thursday against United that we can perform like we did
today. I know it will be a tough game but why not try and finish as high up
the table as we can? "We have two home games now. Where we are in the
league, the fans will come and hopefully we can make that stadium a real
good atmosphere for the last two games and finish off the season well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leicester City 0-2 West Ham United
By Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport
Manager David Moyes says he "wants to look up the table" after his West Ham
team secured their Premier League status with a comfortable victory at
Leicester. Mark Noble's stunning volley capped a dominant performance from
the visitors, who opened the scoring through Joao Mario. "I feel as if I
want to look up the table and win the last two games," Moyes said. "The team
is more than capable of winning lots of games. We defended better than we
did in other games which gave us a good chance."
And with the Hammers now on 38 points and holding an unassailable five-point
advantage over Swansea and Southampton, who play each other on Tuesday, the
West Ham manager has cause for optimism. Maximum points from their two
remaining fixtures against Manchester United and Everton could bring
mid-table finish.
It was a disappointing afternoon for the hosts, who wrapped up the Premier
League title two years ago this week. The Foxes' meek surrender leaves them
ninth after a fourth defeat in five games and is also likely to intensify
pressure on manager Claude Puel, who was given a vote of confidence by the
club's owners on Friday. "Sometimes there's tough periods without a good
performance. It's normal that we can have some negative activity," said
Puel, whose team were booed off at half-time. "It's not the time to discuss
about the summer. Now it's just to try and finish the last two games."
A combination of West Ham's win and results elsewhere confirmed that their
Premier League place had been preserved. Swansea's defeat at Bournemouth
coupled with Southampton's draw at Everton in the late Saturday kick-off,
meant that the Hammers could not be caught. Going into Saturday's contest,
Moyes' team had won one match in eight but looked resolute in defence and
showed a sense of urgency the hosts were unable to match. Noble exemplified
their efforts, urging his team-mates forward at every opportunity and
covering more ground that any other player (11.66km). His volley was a
fitting reward for his effort - though Marko Arnautovic also lauded by
Moyes, played a key role. "It was a great goal from Mark Noble, he
epitomises much about West Ham. He's been there every week for us and he
deserves it. He's got that in his locker. "Marko Arnautovic has been
terrific since I came in. He's always close to a goal. All season I've been
really pleased with him."
While the Austrian did not add to his tally of 10 league goals but his
presence was felt by the home defence all afternoon. He teed up on-loan
Inter Milan midfielder Mario for the opening goal - but was perhaps
fortunate to escape a harsher punishment when his flailing arm caught Harry
Maguire in the first half.
Pressure on Puel?
Leicester started this fixture still capable of catching Everton and earning
a top-eight finish for only the second time since the 1999-00 season.
However, another limp display extended a dismal sequence of results that has
included two victories in 12 outings. Puel's hand was admittedly limited
given he was hampered by injuries and suspensions. Yet even without nine
senior players he would surely have hoped for greater urgency and fight from
his players with owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha present in the stands.
Foxes lacking confidence - Claude Puel
"It was a tough game for us," Puel said. "We started without a lot of
confidence because we had young players played and things like referee's
decisions can give a boost to the other team." Had Aaron Cresswell been
dismissed for deliberately grabbing the ball after falling over with Jamie
Vardy set to run clear on goal with the score at 1-0, the momentum of the
game may have shifted back towards his team. His future, though, remains a
matter of conjecture despite a club statement offering the owner's full
support on Friday.
Man of the match - Mark Noble (West Ham)
West Ham captain Mark Noble provided the games defining moment with a goal
he described as "the best I've scored"
First win at Leicester since 2000 - the stats
Leicester are without a win in six home Premier League games, their longest
such streak since a run of six ending on 26 December 2014.
West Ham registered their first clean sheet in their past nine top-flight
away games.
The Foxes have lost four of their past five league games (D1), as many
defeats as they had suffered in their previous 13.
West Ham have scored in their past 11 away league games - their longest
scoring run in the top flight since December 1966 (14 games).
Leicester have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for
the first time since February 2017.
Arnautovic has been directly involved in nine goals in his past eight away
league games for West Ham.
Noble scored his 37th Premier League goal - only two players have scored
more for West Ham (Paolo di Canio 47, Carlton Cole 41), with Trevor Sinclair
also on 37.
What's next?
Leicester welcome Arsenal to King Power Stadium on Wednesday, 9 May (19:45
BST), while West Ham host Manchester United on 10 May at London Stadium
(19:45).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leicester 0-2 West Ham: Hammers edge closer to Premier League safety
By Charlotte Marsh
Last Updated: 05/05/18 8:05pm
SSN
West Ham edged closer to Premier League safety with a 2-0 win against
Leicester, whose winless run under Claude Puel continued on Saturday. The
Hammers were deserving of their win at the King Power Stadium as Joao Mario
opened the scoring in the 34th minute before Mark Noble (64) produced a
superb volley to seal a vital three points. Leicester - the day after Puel
was given backing by the club's chairman - offered little in terms of a
reply and did not have a shot on target until the 86th minute. The Foxes
remain in ninth place but are now winless in five Premier League games,
while West Ham have moved five points clear of the relegation places with
two games left to play. West Ham began the game well, but could not really
test Leicester goalkeeper Ben Hamer until the half an hour mark, with Manuel
Laznini sliding Marko Arnautovic through in the area but his shot was well
blocked by the legs of the stopper. Two minutes later, Arnautovic should
have opened the scoring but his brilliantly curled effort could only ping
against the upright and go wide, with Hamer well beaten in goal. West Ham
found the breakthrough in the 34th minute as Arthur Masuaku delivered a
superb cross into the area that met Arnautovic, who took two flicked touches
before sliding the ball back for the waiting Joao Mario. The Portuguese then
swept home past Hamer. Leicester improved at the start of the second half
but struggled to find their rhythm up front with the Hammers doubling their
lead in the 64th minute. It was a wonderful strike from Noble as he
collected a headed clearance from Aleksandar Dragovic before powering a
volley through the area and into the net off the post.
The Foxes had their first shot on target in the 86th minute, although it was
a tame effort from Adrien Silva that went straight into the hands of Adrian,
but the goalkeeper was more sternly tested not long after. He palmed away a
near-post header from Yohan Benalouane before denying the defender again as
he tried to head home from a corner. West Ham saw out the game with relative
ease to move onto 38 points and have almost secured their Premier League
status for another season.
England Watch
Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy both played the full 90 minutes, and despite
the defeat, the defender did not do too much wrong. Vardy did very little,
but was starved of service from his team-mates more than his own
performance. Aaron Cresswell also did well despite a bizarre handball
booking, while Andy Carroll made a decent 20 minute cameo after a turbulent
week.
Opta stats
Leicester are without a win in six home Premier League games (D4 L2), their
longest winless streak in the league on home soil since a run of six ending
on Boxing Day 2014 (D2 L4).
The Foxes have lost four of their last five league games (D1), as many
defeats as they had suffered in their previous 13.
West Ham have scored in each of their last 11 away Premier League games
their longest scoring run in the top-flight since December 1966 (14 games).
Leicester have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for
the first time since February 2017 (a run of six which were Claudio
Ranieri's last games in charge).
The managers
Claude Puel: "I think it is normal [the fan reaction of boss at full-time]
because it is a tough period with some negativity and blame. I would like to
apologise for the last performance because it is not enough and we have to
finish strongly in the last two games."
David Moyes: "Winning always feels good and we've needed to win a couple of
games so the boys did a really good job today getting that result. We've
just played Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in a row which is never easy and
we conceded some goals so to get a clean sheet and three points today is
really good."
Man of the match - Marko Arnautovic
By the 78th minute, Arnautovic looked tired and for good reason. The striker
ran himself ragged, especially in the first half, and was heavily involved
in much of the positive attacking play from West Ham. While he may not have
got on the scoresheet himself, he did set up Joao Mario for his opener and
has now been involved in nine goals in his last eight Premier League away
games.
What's next?
Leicester will play their final home game of the season against Arsenal on
Wednesday, while West Ham finish their season with two home fixtures,
starting with the visit of Manchester United on Thursday.
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David Moyes wants consistency from West Ham after Leicester win
Last Updated: 05/05/18 7:22pm
SSN
David Moyes has urged his West Ham side to show consistency after they beat
Leicester 2-0 and put themselves within reach of Premier League safety. It
was a solid performance from the Hammers after two successive 4-1 losses to
Arsenal and Manchester City, and has taken them onto 38 points with two
games to play.
Moyes was pleased with his side following the game, but wants them to
produce the same levels each week to pick up more points in the future.
"Winning always feels good and we've needed to win a couple of games so the
boys did a really good job today getting that result," he told Sky Sports.
"We've just played Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in a row which is never
easy and we conceded some goals so to get a clean sheet and three points
today is really good. "I think these players are capable of winning games
like this and winning other games. What they've got to do is do it across a
consistent basis. "I don't think we have a bad team, but what we have to do
is defend better if we're going to give ourselves a chance and we did that
today. I thought on another day we would have been more clinical and scored
more goals."
West Ham have pulled themselves further clear of the relegation places
following the win at the King Power Stadium, and while the job is not yet
completed, Moyes is starting to look up the table. "It's not done completely
yet but you'd have to say it would take a lot for the other teams to get
us," he added. "I'm actually now thinking how many points can we get and
where can we finish in the league table. I'm thinking can we get closer to
the middle part of the table... We'll try and win more points in the home
games to come. "You take a little bit of a risk when you come to any club
that is in the bottom three and the only person who gets the blame for it is
the manager. If you don't stay up, the manager seems to get in trouble. I
don't think that's right but at the moment, it looks like we're in a good
place and hopefully pick up more points."
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LEICESTER CITY 0, WEST HAM 2. DEEP BREATH IN, AND NOOOOW BREATHE OUT.
By David Hautzig 5 May 2018 at 17:29
WTID
This is kind of off topic. But the truth is I wasn't too bothered to think
about today's monumental match when I woke up this morning. I don't know
why, either. I think maybe the last few weeks have brought a clarity to my
frustration and fury, and I couldn't get past that. It started with the
Burnley match when I was over there for work. And the match itself wasn't
the seminal moment for me. It was the early lunch at Nathan's with Nigel,
his son in law, and one of my bosses, followed by the wonderful West Ham Way
event at the East Ham Working Men's Social Club, ending with a walk up Green
Street to the train. I live in upstate New York for gods sake, and I felt
palpably sad. I couldn't shake it for days, even though I had a great rest
of my stay in my favorite city in the world. Thankfully my wife, she of two
Masters Degrees, was able to sum it up for me. She had been to Upton Park
twice, including a game on our honeymoon, and other than Paolo Dicanio
couldn't name a single player that has ever worn our shirt.
"You can live with lousy players and bad teams. But what these owners did
was destroy a community and fabric of life. For that they should never be
forgiven."
Amen.
Then, in what could only be described as spooky, I took a break from writing
the paragraphs above to scan some fan sites, only to read the horrible news
that Nathan's would close later this month. If Liquor were blood, our board
would have plenty on their shameful little hands.
So as we began what could end up being our last week in the Premier League
for the foreseeable future, I tried to be excited about the starting eleven
names as they were released on Twitter. Unfortunately when I saw them
excitement is not how I would describe my reaction.
Overall we started the brighter side. But when you have chances to take an
early lead in a match of such importance you simply have to take them.
Lanzini found himself in the box after some decent interplay in the 6th
minute, but his shot was deflected wide into the path of Arnautovic. He
tried to play it back to Noble in the box, but Leicester were able to clear
the ball from danger. A few moments later Arnautovic tried to chase down a
sloppy back pass to Hamer. The Leicester keeper lost control momentarily but
Arnautovic was unable to capitalize. Minutes later Lanzini got on the end of
a Masuaku cross but his low shot was deflected out by Arnautovic for a goal
kick.
Leicester looked a lot like us the last few months in the first twenty
minutes or so. They sat back, barely moved, and allowed us to have as much
of the ball in midfield as we wanted. It wasn't so much that we bossed the
center of the pitch. Leicester conceded it. Yet my mate Jon texted me and
predicted a Leicester City goal against the run of play, and every nerve in
my body felt obliged to agree.
West Ham had another opportunity in the 32nd minute when Lanzini ran past
Morgan and rolled a pass to Arnautovic in the box. Hamer came out to cut
down the angle, and Arnautovic had nowhere to shoot so he tried to get the
ball through the keepers legs but Hamer played it well. Moments later the
West Ham leader got a quick shot off in the box that clanged off the
crossbar. Just as the fear of missed chances started to overwhelm me,
Masuaku sent another cross that Arnautovic played back in front of goal, and
that's where Mario was to put it in the back of the net.
Embed from Getty Images
Leicester City 0
West Ham 1
Leicester gave the visitor section a scare in the 39th minute when Zabaleta
tried to intercept a pass to Diabate and missed, giving Diabate some space
to move forward and have a go. But his low shot rolled wide, with Adrian
watching it the whole time. Minutes later a similar theme played out when
Cresswell made a terrible mistake when he tried to grab a pass to Mahrez on
the right side of the West Ham box and missed by a time zone. Or two. Mahrez
marches into the box but his cross was deflected to safety by Ogbonna.
Halftime
Leicester City 0
West Ham 1
I never liked that movie Forrest Gump. In fact, I've always been bitter
about the awards it won. That year also had Shawshank Redemption, Pulp
Fiction, and Paul Newman's epic performance in Nobody's Fool. And Gump was
judged to be the best? Really?
Back on topic.
When Cresswell tried to be too cute when a simple back pass to Adrian would
have been more than sufficient, the words "stupid is as stupid does" came to
mind. Cresswell went to ground, Vardy looked enraged as he tried to go
around the fallen defender, and the look on the referee said red card.
Thankfully it was yellow. Leicester didn't do anything with their free kick,
but a new tone was set. Leicester started to chase down balls and pressure
West Ham, and we looked anxious.
Moments later Mario sent Arnautovic into the box with a rolled pass, but
when he had a chance to shoot he looked for the extra pass. That did not end
well, and Leicester cleared the area. In the 60th minute Mario waited a
moment too long to roll a pass to Arnautovic and the Austrian was flagged
offside. A second goal should have arrived from those chances, but did not.
The 63rd minute saw Hammer hearts rise precipitously into the esophagus when
Maguire got on the end of a deflected Vardy shot and sent his own from the
top of the box that caused Adrian to dive to his left, but the shot went
over the bar.
Set pieces are always a reason for the supporters of the side taking them to
at least relax for a second or two, if not get a bit excited. When Mario
stepped up to send the ball into the Leicester City box, it was in a good
enough area for us to pay attention. When Maguire headed the delivery out of
the box, another lobbed effort back in was all I was looking for. When Noble
struck it on the volley, the angle of the TV camera was perfect. The ball
looked tethered to the far post, and quite possibly the best shot I've ever
seen our captain strike followed that line past the keeper and into the net.
Poetic that Noble may end up being the guy that saved our season, don't you
think?
Leicester City 0
West Ham 2
West Ham thought they had a penalty shout in the 70th minute when Noble went
down in the area, but the referee waved it off. Rightfully I might add. A
minute later Arnautovic did all the work needed in the box to get a good
shot off but Maguire got a crucial touch in to send the ball out for a
corner.
So. Moysie. Arnautovic is on the pitch in discomfort. Andy Carroll is going
to come on. Obviously for Arnie. But wait. Lanzini came off. Like for like
in hair color, or maybe choice of hair gel based on the sheen in the sun.
But football? Not that sure. Especially when Arnautovic came off seconds
later for Fernandes, a move that made me a little antsy. This had better
work or you will need Mel Gibson with blue face to save you from an East
London mob.
Gray had a good chance to get Leicester back in the game when he beat
Zabaleta down the flank, but his cross was perfect if Adrian was the
intended recipient. Then, ten minutes later, Silva registered the home
side's first shot on target and Adrian handled it well.
Leicester could have made the extra time interesting in the 89th minute when
Benlouane got his head to the ball at the far post, which forced Adrian to
make either a good save or a crucial interception, depending on whether
Benlouane's header was a shot or an attempt to get the ball in front of
goal. Regardless, Adrian smothered it.
Final Score
Leicester City 0
West Ham 2
As the old saying goes, credit where credit is due. West Ham showed up
today. The tactics worked. Even the questionable substitutions worked. The
players chosen did their jobs and did them well. They gave Leicester City
enough of a hard time with every ball that the home side collectively looked
to throw in the towel. And at the time of writing, our position in the
league looked a million times better than it had three hours earlier. We
might even end up mathematically safe by dinnertime. Yet unlike other years
when I was naive enough to think the board would learn from their ways and
we would not continue this hamster run of relegation fights, I have no such
illusions. We may survive this year. We will be promised things. Some may
even hope.
And I will still never forgive them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble wonder-strike sees West Ham heap more pressure on Claude Puel at
Leicester City
Leicester City 0-2 West Ham United: The Hammers all but secured their
Premier League survival with the win
Sean Taylor The King Power Stadium 4 hours ago0 comments
The Independent Sport
West Ham took a giant leap towards securing their Premier League survival
and piled more pressure on Leicester boss Claude Puel with a 2-0 victory at
the King Power Stadium. Puel's side went into the match having won just
twice in their last 11 Premier League games but the Frenchman received the
dreaded vote of confidence from club's owners this week. His cause was not
helped on Saturday by the absence of nine players through injury and
suspension but Leicester's performance, on a hot afternoon, was lukewarm at
best. West Ham inflicted a fourth Foxes loss in five Premier League matches
with goals in each half from Joao Mario and Mark Noble, the Hammers captain
scoring a possible goal-of-the-season contender. The win moved David Moyes'
team six points clear of the bottom three and put a three-point cushion
between Swansea and Huddersfield immediately below them.
Leicester looked disjointed early on, perhaps as a result of Puel having to
make five changes, and struggled to settle. West Ham tried to take advantage
and Manuel Lanzini saw two goalbound efforts blocked - the second
inadvertently by team-mate Marko Arnautovic. The game was played almost
exclusively in the Leicester half until the hosts finally found their feet
and put together their best passage of play as the half-hour mark
approached. Although, it must be said, without troubling Adrian in the West
Ham goal.
West Ham's best spell immediately followed, during which they took the lead.
Arnautovic fired a couple of warning shots across Leicester's bow. First he
forced Ben Hamer to save with his legs following a swift break down the left
by Lanzini before his shot on the turn struck the crossbar. The opening goal
came after 34 minutes when Arthur Masuaku's far-post cross from the left was
controlled and knocked back into the six-yard box where Joao Mario simply
tapped the ball home.
West Ham should have extended their lead early in the second half. Joao
Mario's pass put Arnautovic through on goal down the right side of the
penalty area but he dawdled and allowed Christian Fuchs to make a block when
he did eventually shoot. Puel, who had brought Aleksandar Dragovic on for
Vicente Iborra at half-time, made his two remaining substitutions after 61
minutes with Demarai Gray and Kelechi Iheanacho replacing Hamza Choudhury
and Fousseni Diabate. The changes were met with a rendition of "you don't
know what you're doing" from some home supporters. Harry Maguire, now
playing in central midfield, went close with a half-volley from the edge of
the area. The centre-half showed good technique but his shot was always
rising. West Ham scored their second goal in the 64th minute and it was a
strike worthy of settling any match. Joao Mario's free-kick was cleared by
Dragovic as far as Noble, who struck the ball first time from 25 yards out
and his shot flew into the bottom corner of the net. The closest Leicester
came to a reply was when Yohan Benalouane's late header was pushed away by
Adrian.
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