Daily WHUFC News - 25th May 2018

James Collins to leave West Ham United
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that James Collins will leave the Club when his
contract expires on 30 June. Collins will depart having made 214 appearances
across two spells spanning ten seasons in Claret and Blue. The centre-half,
who turns 35 in August, initially joined the Hammers from Cardiff City
alongside close friend Danny Gabbidon in July 2005, making his debut in a
League Cup second round victory at Sheffield Wednesday in September of the
same year. He initially spent four years in east London before moving to
Aston Villa. The former Wales international returned to West Ham in the
summer of 2012 and established himself as a regular starter under Sam
Allardyce following the Club's promotion to the Premier League. Collins'
final appearance saw him don the captain's armband for the last few minutes
of the Hammers' 3-1 Premier League win over Allardyce's Everton on 13 May
2018.
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold said: "We would like to place
on record our sincere thanks for the outstanding service James has given
West Ham United down the years. "His bravery and commitment on the pitch
were never called into question and he has played his part in establishing
the Club in the Premier League since his return in 2012. "We appreciate just
how popular James is among our fellow supporters but, with the appointment
of a new manager, we felt together that the time was right to go our
separate ways. "It goes without saying that we wish James and his family
every success in the future and they will always be welcome at London
Stadium."
Former France defender Patrice Evra will also depart when his contract
expires on 30 June. The 37-year-old arrived on a short-term contract in
February 2018 and made five appearances in Claret and Blue.
The Club will also release youngsters Korrey Henry, Rosaire Longelo and
Rihards Matrevics at the end of their scholarships. West Ham United would
like to thank all five players, and Collins in particular, for their hard
work and commitment and wish them all the best with their future careers.

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The Ginger Pele - James Collins' ten seasons in Claret and Blue
WHUFC.com

James Collins became a true hero to the Claret and Blue Army during his ten
seasons in a West Ham United shirt. The flame-haired defender was just 21
when he swapped his native South Wales and Cardiff City for the bright
lights of east London and the Hammers in July 2005. While the early months
of his West Ham career were affected by injuries, competition for places -
Anton Ferdinand, Tomas Repka, Christian Dailly and his close friend and
former Cardiff teammate Danny Gabbidon were also part of Alan Pardew's
newly-promoted squad - and six losses in his first nine appearances, Collins
waited patiently for his chance to impress, making his debut in a League Cup
second-round victory at Sheffield Wednesday in September 2005.

Collins' second season also took time to get going but, when it did, it
really took off as he returned to the team for the unforgettable nine-match
'Great Escape' from relegation, which culminated in a typically resilient
display from the defender in the 1-0 final-day win at champions Manchester
United. However, his West Ham career would take a backward step as first new
manager Alan Curbishley chose Ferdinand and Matthew Upson as his
first-choice partnership at the start of the 2007/08 season, then Collins
himself suffered a serious knee injury in a reserve-team game at Portsmouth
in January 2008, ruling him out for nine months.

Collins forced his way back into the team in October 2008 and stayed there
but, early the following season, joined Aston Villa in a £5million deal.
However, his West Ham career was far from over. After three seasons with
Villa, for whom he appeared in the 2010 League Cup final defeat by
Manchester United, the then-28-year-old returned to the Hammers for a fee of
around £2.5million in August 2012. He made a career-high 30 starts in
2012/13, scoring two memorable headers in an FA Cup third-round tie with
Manchester United under the Boleyn Ground floodlights, and was part of a
strong defensive unit that also included Winston Reid, James Tomkins and
Joey O'Brien. Collins continued to play his part as he moved into his
thirties, signing a new contract on Christmas Eve 2015, and his status among
West Ham supporters grew as quickly as his striking orange beard.

Nicknamed the Ginger Pele by the Claret and Blue Army, the proud Welshman
helped the Hammers qualify for Europe in back-to-back seasons and featured
25 times as the Club supported by his Essex-born wife Sam and her family bid
farewell to the Boleyn Ground in 2015/16. Collins was named captain for the
Boxing Day trip to AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day 2017 and celebrated by
scoring his ninth and final goal for the Club. And it was only fitting that
the 34-year-old signed off his West Ham career by wearing the armband, which
was handed to him by his teammate and friend of the past 13 years, Mark
Noble, in the final-day victory over Everton at London Stadium in May 2018.

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West Ham United announce backroom staff departures
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can today confirm a number of departures from the first team
coaching and medical departments. Goalkeeping Coach Chris Woods, Head of
Medical Services Gary Lewin, Club Doctor Ian Beasley and Head of Fitness
Nick Davies have all left the Club with immediate effect. Following the
arrival of Manuel Pellegrini as manager, a restructuring of the coaching and
backroom staff is currently underway, with several new appointments set to
be confirmed in due course.
The Club would like to thank Chris, Gary, Ian and Nick for their excellent
service and commitment. They leave with the Club's gratitude and respect and
West Ham United wish them all the very best in the future.

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David Gold: We've appointed a winner who is still hungry for success
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold has expressed his delight at
securing the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as manager and has described
the Chilean as 'a winner still hungry for success'. The former Villarreal,
Real Madrid, Malaga and Manchester City boss arrived at London Stadium this
week on a three-year deal and has made an immediate impression with his
eagerness to gain knowledge of all areas of the Club and his vision for the
future. Speaking exclusively to West Ham TV, Mr Gold said: "I think it's
fantastic. Here is a manager of great reputation, who has been there and
done it. A man who I think has won four league titles in four different
countries, which is remarkable. "Let's hope he can do something special - I
think he will. I've only met him a couple of times, but I've found him very
warm and friendly, but very determined. Everything you see about him is
determination - he wants to know about everything. "He is a football man
but, most of all, I get the impression he is a winner. And he is still
hungry to succeed. I think that's terrific, that's what we want to see."

With the new manager now in place, the focus turns to the summer recruitment
process that will undoubtedly see new faces arrive, but the Joint-Chairman
believes that Pellegrini already has a strong base to build upon. "There is
no question that he is inheriting a decent squad," he said. "We finished
13th, but if we hadn't suffered the awful injuries we had, we could have
finished higher up the league with our full squad. "Yes, of course, we need
to add to it and, to that extent, Manuel is already planning and working on
that. I think he is talking about four or five players - as we were talking
about four or five players, and so straight away we are in agreement about
what should be done."

The Joint-Chairman spent time with the new manager on Wednesday afternoon at
the Club's Academy headquarters at Chadwell Heath, where the pair met
Academy Director Terry Westley to discuss the £3 million redevelopment plans
at the site scheduled for this summer. "Manuel wants to look at the plans,
he is excited about it and he is impressed," said Mr Gold. "He wants to know
about what it is going to deliver. He talks about the importance of young
players and I like to hear that from a manager. "I've been in this business
for 25 years and most managers talk about the here and now - what are you
going to deliver tomorrow? They don't look too much to the future, but
Manuel did - he was keen to talk about the young players, and to see the
facility and the money we are spending here."

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Manuel Pellegrini coming to West Ham is good for English football - Graham
Hunter
WHUFC.com

Journalist, author, broadcaster and Spanish football expert Graham Hunter
shares his personal experiences of West Ham United's new manager Manuel
Pellegrini...

FIRST OF ALL, I AM THRILLED that Manuel Pellegrini is back in British sport.
I like him very much as an individual and I have worked around him quite a
lot, especially at Villarreal, who were the team I covered in the UEFA
Champions League for UEFA.com. Not only did I enjoy his football a lot and
the way they played, but I really liked his integrity and the way he treated
people in general, which was quite old-school. He gives you your due if you
merit it and does not judge you on supposed ideas, but what he finds. I'm
only a journalist, but the way he treated me translates to the way he treats
his players, too. I'm also pleased that he is back because I genuinely
believe is abilities, his attitude and his contacts across European football
have much they bring to the Premier League.

WHILE I'VE GOT LINKS WITH WEST HAM through being friendly with the likes of
Russell Brand, Tony Gale, Matt Lorenzo and Frank McAvennie, and had huge
respect for John Lyall due to his links with the Scottish island of Lewis
and Harris where my mother was brought up, and therefore I have a soft spot
for the Club, but I'm still not a West Ham fan. My viewpoint is that Manuel
coming to West Ham is good for English football, because I believe he's very
talented. I think he inherited a pretty difficult job at Manchester City
which, even if you look at Pep Guardiola's first year, even with huge
investment, it was hard for him to get it right first time. I also firmly
believe that across many sectors of English football, the news of him taking
the City job was met with scepticism and 'Who is this guy?' which I don't
think he merited. Those I know at Manchester City who had to deal with him
adored him. They found him to be a gentleman, true to his word, bright about
football, and therefore I'm pleased for West Ham as this is a
forward-thinking appointment.

WEST HAM HAVE NOT WON A MAJOR TROPHY SINCE 1980 and Pellegrini's own
personal trophy cabinet is not full, either, so people can look and say
there is maybe a match there in a Club and a person who want to change their
records of achievement.

WHAT PELLEGRINI PATENTLY OFFERS IS A SHORTCUT TO PLAYERS and agents across
Europe.
If they see it is a Pellegrini project then, even though they will always
talk about the wages and the budget, they will find themselves persuaded by
who is going to be coaching them, his record and what languages he speaks.

I USED TO REPORT FROM THE UEFA ELITE CLUB COACHES FORUM IN SWITZERLAND,
which is attended by the top managers from across Europe every September.
You'd see all the big names like Mourinho, Ancelotti, Deschamps, Guardiola,
Benitez, the elite coaches in Europe, and the majority had won a European
trophy. Although Pellegrini had only got to the Champions League semi-finals
with Villarreal at that time, he was invited, too. I remember looking into
the dining room and Sir Alex Ferguson was holding a place next to him for
Pellegrini because Fergie wanted to chat to him. That is a mark of the man.
When he was with Villarreal, they faced Manchester United four times in the
Champions League, were unbeaten and did not concede a single goal.

OVERALL, PELLEGRINI IS A MAN OF TALENT AND DIGNITY. He is somebody who will
help West Ham improve their squad, can cope with the challenges of managing
the Club and proposes a style of football which is attractive and exciting.
I have my fingers crossed for him.

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Hammers represented at Premier League Primary Stars tournament
WHUFC.com

West Ham United were represented by two local primary schools on Thursday at
the annual Premier League Primary Stars tournament. The two teams - one
boys' outfit and one girls' side, brought together by the Hammers'
Foundation - enjoyed the day at Leicester City's King Power Stadium, which
saw more than 12,500 youngsters take part in the competition. It was a
successful tournament for the girls' team in particular, with the team from
Lincewood Primary School getting all the way to the semi-finals before
losing out 2-0 to eventual tournament winners Everton. The boys - from
Chirchfields Junior School - were knocked out in the group stages, however,
despite an opening fixture victory against Crystal Palace. The 1-0 win over
the Eagles was followed by 2-0 scorelines against Liverpool and Tottenham
Hotspur with a 1-0 defeat against Watford sandwiched inbetween. The girls,
meanwhile, beat both the Reds and the Hornets (2-0 and 1-0) before also
claiming three points against Palace in a 2-0 victory before a goalless draw
with Spurs.

After the tournament, West Ham Foundation's Ross Williams, the PL Primary
Stars lead, said: "Our two teams came incredibly far to reach the final
stage - with regional qualifiers held throughout the season to represent
West Ham. "We had a fantastic day, and the boys and girls did incredibly
well. It was gutting for the girls to go out in the semi-finals, but both
teams had such a memorable day that it didn't take them long to forget it
and enjoy the experience! "Primary Stars is a brilliant project, and we run
it in over 70 schools across east London and Essex. "It truly is providing
life changing opportunities for our youngsters and these sort of activities
only go to highlight that."

Bella Holloran, one of the girls from Lincewood Primary School who enjoyed
her day as part of the West Ham United girls team, said" "We had an amazing
time. It was so good to be out playing on the pitch at Leicester, and we all
had a great day. "We do Primary Stars at our school and the lessons are fun
and different, but to be given the chance to represent West Ham in this
tournament was something none of us dreamt of!"

Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and
professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and
develop important life skills. Available to every primary school in England
and Wales, it inspires girls and boys aged 5-11 in the classroom, the
playground and on the sports field.

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West Ham welcome Ghana legend Stephen Appiah
WHUFC.com

Stephen Appiah is one of Ghana's greatest footballers, having starred at the
2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. Now, though, Appiah's ambition is to
become a manager, with his ultimate dream being to one day manage his
national side. The 37-year-old is an ambassador for our principal sponsors
Betway was invited to spend a week at the Club to help him kick-start his
coaching career. Appiah, who also played for Italian sides Parma and
Juventus during his career, spent time with the first team and Academy
sides, and spoke to several leading figures at the Club about what it takes
to succeed at the highest level.

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REACTION TO PELLEGRINI AND MOVEMENT IN THE TRANSFER WINDOW
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 24 MAY 2018 AT 5:45PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Corey Evans (twitter - CoreyEvans83)

Firstly, I believe that for the first time in a while, the board deserves
praise for the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini. His impressive track record
includes many trophies and also the ability to work with limited budgets
such as Malaga and also at highly demanding clubs such as Man City. Most
importantly, during his time managing in Europe he has never fallen outside
of the Champions or Europe League which is imperative for a club trying to
move onto the 'next level' like West Ham. For me, it is now imperative that
the board give him the funds to manoeuvre this squad and allow him to put
his own ideas into it. If the board fail to carry out this task, we could be
in this same position in twelve months time.

Moving on to the section in which most Irons fans take most notice at (the
transfer window), I believe we will see many ins and outs with some
extremely exciting signings. Starting in goal, with Joe Hart's loan
finishing means it is essential we get a keeper to push Adrian throughout
the season. Many reports have linked us with Jack Butland and although he is
a fantastic keeper I believe the money would be spent better elsewhere. I
recommend signing Kasper Schmeichel in the region of 15m if we could prize
him away from Leicester. Many would think this is unrealistic but I
personally think that Leicester are being remembered for their title winning
season and not as a mid table team which they are. The chance to potentially
play in Europe again with Pellegrini may tease Schmeichel and with the likes
of Mahrez and Vardy tipped to leave it could be a season of transition for
the 'Foxes'.

I expect to see many departures within the defence for West Ham this season.
With Collins and Evra coming to the end of their contracts I expect to see
Byram, Burke and Oxford all leave permanently. I hope that 'Ginger Pele'
will return as a coach and I am shocked, embarrassed and disgusted by how
badly he's been treated by the club, as are all fellow Hammers fans. All
three youngsters (Byram, Burke and Oxford) have showed promise at times but
I feel it is the right time for them to move on and free up some cash (maybe
15-20m for the three combined) for better replacements who can add more
quality to our squad.

I would go all out for Swansea defender Alfie Mawson. I think he has great
leadership qualities and could go on to be England's captain for years to
come. Similarly to Collins, he has the ability to defend (which is a dying
art these days) and put his body on the line. However, he can also play out
from the back which I feel will be a necessary with Pellegrini in charge. I
also think Cedric of Southampton would be a great addition as Pellegrini
demands full backs that have pace and can get up and down the pitch.
Zabaleta was great in my eyes last season but is now another year older and
Cedric would provide much competition for the right back spot.

Moving onto the midfield, I wouldn't be surprised to see the exits of
Snodgrass (10m), Fernandes (10m) and also youngsters Cullen (1-2m) and
Haksabanovic (2m) leave the club. We also have to consider that Joao Mario's
loan deal has now come to an end.

Taking this into consideration, I feel we need a two central midfielders and
one wide player. The two central players I think we should move for are
Stoke's Joe Allen and free agent Ki-Seung Yeung (previously of Swansea
City). Allen who would cost roughly 20m has the ability to read the game,
run his socks off and distribute the ball when needed. I believe he is one
of the most underrated midfielders in the Prem and didn't get a fair chance
at Liverpool. Whilst, Ki would be a great addition on a free to add more
competition along with the likes of Noble, Kouyate and Obiang. However, I
would not be surprised to see one of Kouyate/Obiang leave this summer.

The wide midfielder in my opinion should be either Shaqiri of Stoke or
Traore of Middlesborough. Both have the ability to play on the counter
attack and both possess lightening pace (something which our squad needs).
They would both cost around 15m and I think Traore is more realistic due to
Shaqiri having many clubs monitoring him however he would be a massive coup
for the club and he would be reunited with our 'Hammer of the Year'
Arnautovic.

With regards to attackers, I believe we will see very little movement unless
Pellegrini decides to move on Carroll. His quality is unquestionable when
fit but with twelve months left on his contract the club may want to cash
in. If so, I would fully expect Rondon of West Brom to be brought in as he
was a key player under Pellegrini at Malaga. Hernandez looks set to stay and
I think this is great news as he is one of the best strikers we've ever had
because of his natural goal scoring instincts. The only player I expect to
definitely leave upfront is Jordan Hugill and if we could recoup around 6-7m
of what we spent I would take it.

Overall, my signings I believe would cost around 80m and I think this is
attainable with Pellegrini given 50m to spend and an extra 30m through
player sales. I also feel that if we could sign Mawson, Allen or both we
could be looking at our Hammer of the Year for the 2018/19 season.

Ones to Watch:

Interestingly, Mario Balotelli, Max Meyer and Oğuzhan Özyakup contracts are
all expiring in the summer and have all previously been linked with us
before. I think Balotelli seems to have calmed down in recent years and his
goal scoring form has improved despite only playing in the French league.
With regards to Meyer, I think this would be a statement of intent from the
board and Meyer has expressed an interest in playing in the Premier League.
Meyer has unbelievable potential and could go on to become one of the best
players within Europe.

Finally, I think it is a time to be excited ahead of next season. I really
believe we can push on and attain 7th place with hopefully a good cup run.
If the fans can galvanise around Pellegrini and make the London Stadium a
tough place to visit then the good times and the 'West Ham Way' may well
return. Would love to hear your thoughts on this article, COME ON YOU
IRONS!!!

Written by Corey Evans (twitter - CoreyEvans83)

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The end for Collins
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

There will be no new contract for long-serving defender James Collins, whose
current deal expires next month. Collins was recently informed by email that
West Ham would not be offering him a new contract, before the club
backtracked and declared that the final decision would be left to incoming
manager Manuel Pellegrini. However the 34-year-old former Welsh
international clearly hadn't done enough to persuade the new boss that he
was deserving of a new deal as it was confirmed this morning that he was one
of two senior players not being retained. Co-owner David Sullivan, who
received heavy criticism last week for the manner in which Collins'
departure was handled thanked the Welshman for his service. "We would like
to place on record our sincere thanks for the outstanding service James has
given West Ham United down the years," he told whufc.com. "His bravery and
commitment on the pitch were never called into question and he has played
his part in establishing the Club in the Premier League since his return in
2012. "We appreciate just how popular James is among our fellow supporters
but, with the appointment of a new manager, we felt together that the time
was right to go our separate ways. It goes without saying that we wish James
and his family every success in the future and they will always be welcome
at London Stadium."

The other senior player not being offered new terms is veteran French
defender Partice Evra, who arrived on a free transfer in February and
featured on just five occasions in the Premier League. In addition to the
two seniors, Academy prospects Korrey Henry, Rosaire Longelo and Rihards
Matrevics are also being released by the club at the end of June.

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Decks cleared ahead of new arrivals
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have bid farewell to several of David Moyes' former backroom
staff. With new manager Manuel Pellegrini set to introduce his own team over
the course of the next few days, a number of medical and coaching staff have
left the club with immediate effect.

They are as follows:

Gary Lewin (Head of Medical)
The former England physio was appointed in May 2017. Lewin replaced the
outgoing Stijn Vandenbroucke having moved from Arsenal, where he had been
working with the Ladies squad.

Chris Woods (Goalkeeping Coach)
Former England international Woods leaves West Ham after three years at the
club, having been introduced by former Everton team mate Slaven Bilic in
June 2015.

Nick Davies (Head of Sport Science)
Nick first arrived at the club on Alan Curbihley's watch a decade ago,
having followed the manager from Charlton.

Ian Beasley (Club Doctor)
Formerly employed by both England and Arsenal, Beasley moved to West Ham in
July 2017 to team up with Slaven Bilic and his revamped backroom team.

The departures follow the news from earlier this month that Moyes and his
entire coaching team of Stuart Pearce, Alan Irvine and Billy McKinley had
left following the expiry of their short-term contracts.

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West Ham thank James Collins for his 'bravery and commitment' as defender
departs after 10 years' service
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham have confirmed the departure of long-serving central defender James
Collins. The former Wales international, who has been at the club for a
total of 10 years in two spells and made 214 appearances, was hoping for a
new one-year contract but posted a picture on Wednesday of himself leaving
the pitch in the final game of last season, with the caption: "It's official
I will be leaving West Ham on June 30th.Heartbroken."

A big favourite with fans, Collins, 35 in August, had limited game time this
season because of injuries and with new manager Manuel Pellegrini wanting to
freshen up his squad, the writing was always going to be on the wall for the
defender. There was some ill-feeling about Collins's departure when it was
suggested he had been informed in an e-mail but the club dispute this,
claiming conversations had taken place with officials but that regulations
mean players not retained have to be informed before the third weekend in
May.

Owners David Sullivan and David Gold said: "We would like to place on record
our sincere thanks for the outstanding service James has given West Ham down
the years. "His bravery and commitment were never called into question and
he has played his part in establishing the club in the Premier League since
his return in 2012. "We appreciate just how popular James is among
supporters but with the appointment of a new manager, we felt together the
time was right to go our separate ways."

Former France defender Patrice Evra will also depart when his contract
expires on June 30.

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Manuel Pellegrini to continue David Moyes' discipline demands at West Ham
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport

David Moyes ran a tight ship in his short time as West Ham manager, and
Manuel Pellegrini is likely to follow a similar path. The former Hammers
manager demanded a level of discipline which was non-existent under his
predecessor Slaven Bilic, clashing on occasion with the likes of Michail
Antonio and Andy Carroll over time-keeping and attitude issues. It was
something the Scotsman ranked among his highest priorities, and credited as
a key factor in their Premier League survival after players told him
standards had waned under Bilic. Now former Manchester City manager
Pellegrini has taken the reins. With European football once again the
long-term target at London Stadium, he will demand three core principles
from his squad - both on and off the pitch - when they meet for pre-season.
"Usually, the first few days I'm with the players I tell them how I work
with a group, not just on the pitch but off the pitch, too," Pellegrini
wrote recently for The Coaches' Voice. "For me, there are three things that
are totally non-negotiable with players. "First of all, respect. Respect for
everything: the club, fans, journalists, coaching staff, directors. Respect
among the players themselves, that's very important. "Second is commitment,"
he continued. "I think there are a lot of ways to coach, but you have to get
the commitment of the group to your way of coaching. "And third:
performance. For me, it is not up for negotiation at all. I try to be as
objective as possible. I understand players who aren't playing can't be
happy, but my demands of them have to be exactly the same."

Pellegrini, who spent his first full day as West Ham manager meeting staff
and settling in at the Rush Green training ground, has targeted "four or
five new" signings ahead of his first season and is expected to bring in
Ruben Cousillas as assistant manager to reinforce his mantra.

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Pellegrini eyes seven West Ham signings, including Yaya Toure
HITC
Jordan Harris

A report has outlined how many signings Manuel Pellegrini would like in his
first summer as West Ham United boss. According to a report from The
Telegraph, Manuel Pellegrini is hoping to try and make seven signings during
his first summer as West Ham boss, and would like to bring Yaya Toure to the
London Stadium.
Pellegrini's appointment was confirmed earlier this week, and there was
plenty of excitement that his arrival may be the catalyst for a gradual
ascent up the Premier League table after spending much of David Moyes'
tenure battling to beat the drop. And it appears that Pellegrini has major
plans for the first few months of his tenure, with The Telegraph reporting
that he is eyeing as many as seven additions to the first-team squad during
his first window. And a move for Toure is on his radar. Toure - who has
earned £220,000-a-week at the Etihad Stadium this past season, according to
Spotrac - will soon see his Manchester City contract expire and he will be
able to discuss a free transfer to one of City's Premier League rivals if he
wishes to stay in England. The 35-year-old has worked with Pellegrini
before, and certainly made a devastating impact for City while he was
playing under the Chilean. He scored 36 goals in all competitions during
Pellegrini's first two seasons with the club, including 20 in the top flight
during the 2013/14 campaign which saw the Cityzens win their second Premier
League title. He may prove to be an expensive signing in terms of wages, but
he has to be considered to be one of the finest midfielders from the Premier
League era and will be hoping to prove at his next club that he still has a
lot to offer in the twilight years of his career. And with Pellegrini's
ideal summer appearing to involve landing Toure with another six signings
following him through the door, it appears that it may well prove to be a
very exciting window for the Irons.

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RANGERS SHOULD FORGET LANDING BURKEFeatured Image
Date: 24th May 2018 at 4:34pm
Written by: Wayne Howard
Forever WestHam

Rangers should forget about signing West Ham defender Reece Burke. He is a
promising youngster who has already played 15 times for the Hammers but is
not the answer for the Glasgow giants as they step up plans to reinforce a
defence that was far too porous in the recently completed campaign. Rangers
boss Steven Gerrard and recruitment chief Mark Allen need to set their
sights on battle-hardened warriors who are used to the pressure of
delivering at a big team. There has been speculation of interest in Martin
Skrtel, the ex-Liverpool defender now at Fenerbahce, and he is the kind of
defensive leader they need. In truth, the 54-times champions need three new
centre-backs, as Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso are not up to it, David Bates
has quit for Hamburg and Russell Martin has returned to Norwich City.
Rangers already have a rising defensive star in academy graduate Ross
McCrorie, who has all the tools to be an Ibrox defensive star for years,
provided they can keep him away from clubs south of the border.

The Mirror have reported that Gerrard wants to make Burke, who Transfermarkt
report stands at 6ft 2in, his next signing following his impressive campaign
on loan at Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers. Intriguingly, the The Times
claim new Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini will listen to offers for the
club's academy product. But Rangers should steer clear. Spending big money
on a rookie for their defence would be a terrible mistake.

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WEST HAM IN FOR MAREGAFeatured Image
Date: 24th May 2018 at 3:24pm
Written by: Guy Giles
ForeverWestHam

West Ham United are in the hunt to sign prolific Porto striker Moussa Marega
this summer, according to Correio de Manha. The leading Portuguese
newspaper, as translated by Sport Witness, report that the Hammers are among
three English clubs who are in hot pursuit of the 27-year-old. Correio de
Manha claim that Porto have set an asking price of £26million, which
represents a £9million slash on the striker's release clause of £35million.
The Mali international hitman bagged an impressive 23 goals in all
competitions this season, with eight assists on top of that.

Marega had a massively prolific season for Porto as they waltzed to the
Primeira Liga title, and the 27-year-old looks ready for a step up. His
powerful, pacy play up front seemingly suits the Premier League down to a
tee, and West Ham would do brilliantly to win the race for his signature.
One thing that Marega would need to improve quickly is his hold up play and
discipline, but Manuel Pellegrini should be able to drill those in to him
soon enough. A massive bonus for the Hammers here is the £9million reduction
in price, with £26million far more affordable than the previous £35million
price tag.

Forever West Ham rating: 8/10

Likely to happen?

It looks like Marega will move on this summer, but his destination is
anyone's guess. Wolves and Aston Villa are the other English sides in the
hunt, and you would think that the Hammers have the financial might to
outmuscle either of those clubs. All that's left now is to wait and see if
the Irons' interest is genuine, which should come to light in the next few
weeks.

Forever West Ham rating: 3/10

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Could Manuel Pellegrini convince Reece Oxford to stay at West Ham United?
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United defender Reece Oxford has been tipped for an exit this
summer. Manuel Pellegrini may be able to help convince Reece Oxford to stay
at West Ham United, if his comments in his first interview are anything to
go by. West Ham published an interview with their new manager on their
official website, and during it the Chilean boss suggested that he wanted to
give more of the club's academy players a chance. Pellegrini stressed how
important bringing through young players was to him, and that could be music
to Oxford's ears. Pellegrini said: "For me, the young players are very
important. Me and my staff will be there with the young players at the
academy. We are going to try and have the same style of football and always.
"I hope in the three years, we can bring a lot of young players to the
first-team."

If Pellegrini is true to his word, then Oxford could be one of West Ham's
academy graduates who is ready to break into his first-team straight away.
Football.London reported how Oxford was thinking about moving away from West
Ham in search of more regular action. The youngster spent last season out on
loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, and West Ham were reportedly ready to cash
in on him for £18 million. However, Pellegrini's commitment to playing
youngsters could be just what Oxford was wanting to hear. And it may suggest
that the young defender could yet make an impact at the London Stadium next
season.

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MANUEL PELLEGRINI LOOKS TO MAKE EDOUARD MENDY HIS FIRST SIGNING
BEN EMMOTT
readWestHam

Manuel Pellegrini has got his eyes set on signing a goalkeeper as his first
task as West Ham boss. The newly appointed manager is looking to sign Reims
goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The goalkeeper was one of the players of the
season in Ligue 2 as he managed to only concede 22 goals in 34 matches,
racking up an impressive 18 clean sheets. According to the Mirror, the
25-year-old would cost the Hammers around £2 million, which would be cheap
for a keeper who has the potential to get even better. Despite interest from
numerous Championship clubs, Mendy and his team believe he is good enough to
make a name for himself in the Premier League. Joe Hart has returned to
Manchester City after his loan at the London Stadium and Adrian hasn't been
in the best form when he's played for the club, leaving Pellegrini with a
goalkeeping situation on his hands.

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INSIDER RUBBISHES THOMAS REPORTS
Date: 24th May 2018 at 9:37am
Written by: Guy Giles
ForeverWestHam

Reports suggesting Derby youngster Luke Thomas is set to become Manuel
Pellegrini's first signing at West Ham are "not true whatsoever", according
to a club insider. According to Gloucestershire Live the Hammers submitted a
£1.2million bid for the Rams Young Player of the Year, with former club
Cheltenham Town in line to receive a 15% sell-on fee for the 19-year-old.
However, as reported by West Ham site Claret and Hugh, a club source has
said that these claims are well wide of the mark as Pellegrini seeks his
first Irons incoming. The source is quoted as saying this report was "not
true whatsoever" amid this huge development.

OPINION

It had seemed like a deal for Thomas was close between the two clubs, with
reports seemingly adamant that the Hammers had tabled a bid for the
19-year-old. However, this club insider seems to think that is not the case,
and Claret and Hugh are usually spot on with their information. This is not
to say that the Hammers are not interested in Thomas, but they do not seem
to be close to a deal for the youngster. So, the search goes on for
Pellegrini's first signing, and fans will be hoping for a much bigger name
to be Pellegrini's first incoming. The Chilean has spoken about the need to
bring in four or five new players in the coming weeks, with several areas of
the squad needing reinforcements. Defence in particular needs bolstering,
with the Hammers conceding a joint league-high 68 goals in 2017/18, with
midfield also an issue.

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PELLEGRINI AND THE BOARD - A LEAP OF TRUST?
By Blind Hammer 24 May 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Blind Hammer looks at Pellegrini's strategic relationship with the Board

The excitement surrounding Pellegrini's appointment is approaching Messianic
proportions. Sir Trevor Brooking is probably correct to introduce a note of
caution and warn that patience may be required.

Yet some excitement is certainly understandable. Pellegrini is the most high
profile and successful Manager we have ever appointed.

This excitement extends to the Board. From what we hear Pellegrini will have
unprecedented control over Transfer Policy. In his first interview
Pellegrini has already talked of the need to bring in 4-5 players. If this
handover to Pellegrini is genuine it represents a remarkable volte face.
This is in high contrast to their relationship with Allardyce, Bilic and
Moyes. Instead of reserving some control they are leaping into a new level
of trust and confidence.

Whatever the complaints from supporters the numbers of Premier League
Managers who genuinely control transfer policy are vanishingly small.
Wenger's departure from Arsenal makes identifying such Managers even harder.
It is clear, for example, that differences in transfer policy between Conte
and the Chelsea Board is one of the biggest ongoing tensions at Stamford
Bridge. Pochettino has poured pressure on Tottenham by suggesting his
continued management may depend on how well Levy delivers his desired
transfer targets. Pellegrini himself complained of Board interference with
squad recruitment whilst at Real Madrid.

Whilst Madrid recruitment was distorted by their desire to hoover up Global
attacking talent, neglecting more mundane areas, most Boards interfere on
economic grounds.

Supporters rail against their Boards because of perceived penny pinching.
The reality is slightly more complicated. There is also an underlying
structural tension. Football managers come and go with alarming frequency.
West Brom had 3 managers last season. West Ham had 2, as did Crystal Palace,
Southampton, Watford, Stoke, Swansea, and Leicester. West Ham now has their
third Manager in just over 6 months, as will Stoke, Swansea and Everton.
Despite their FA Cup win Chelsea appear keen to make a change. Any logical
analysis of this turnover indicates that allowing unfettered control over
squad development invites problems. Manager A invest vast sums assembling
his squad, only to see it fail. Manager B comes along and has a different
view. He feels it is unbalanced. Both Manager A and Manager B and
potentially even manager C have little interest in investing for the longer
term, given their likely restricted tenure. They instead prioritise players
who can perform immediately. This pressure tends to outweigh concerns about
age and development. So players are recruited by Manager B and possibly
Manager C on top of the players recruited by Manager A. Yet shifting on the
failed earlier player investments may be far harder. The result are bloated
squads with expensively acquired but unsuccessful players. These mistaken
investments, often on high wages can prove difficult, if not impossible to
move on. This problem explains why teams like Sunderland and Aston Villa,
despite spending more than average, still managed to spiral into relegation.

It could be argued that a Board which does not supervise transfer priorities
fail in their duty. The existence of this tension is one of the biggest
motivators for the Director of Football role. Yet if we are to credit the
reports, this caution is precisely what the Board is prepared to jettison
for a make or potentially break new relationship with Pellegrini.

Starting out this new relationship will not be difficult. It is easy now to
express trust and confidence with a Manager of his outstanding record.
However this trust will come under immediate strain if Pellegrini is, for
whatever reason, slow in delivering the sustained improvement we all crave.
Whether the Board will honour their "hands off" approach then is much more
uncertain.

Of course Pellegrini has vast experience of dealing with Boards. Probably
the most difficult was Malaga. Malaga has been quoted as a possible template
for Pellegrini's new West Ham project. Yet this project ended in tears.

Billionaire Oil Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani purchased Malaga in June 2010. He
proceeded to invest millions bringing in top players. To oversee this
investment he recruited Pellegrini in 2011 and allowed £80 million for his
new Manager to recruit stars like Santiago Cazorla and Joris Mathijsen.
Pellegrini duly delivered Champions League qualification for Malaga yet
within a year the club was in what was described as financial meltdown. The
expensively acquired players who had delivered success for Malaga were in
turn then sold on. The reason for this was to "balance the books" and
allegedly comply with FIFA Fair Play regulations. It was reported that the
remaining players and Pellegrini himself were not paid for several months.

Given the depth of Malaga's financial collapse some may question
Pellegrini's financial acumen. Most commentators have though instead
focussed on the reportedly capricious behaviour of Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani
who is alleged to have, in the end, only a paper thin commitment to Malaga.
He is reported to have withdrawn funds because of unhappiness with local
Political factors in the Costa Del sol. In the end the Malaga story probably
warns us of the risks inherent in chasing an illusory pot of gold from an
Oil Rich investor who does not have a history of emotional commitment to a
club.
Pellegrini was probably reassured by the history of Gold and Sullivan's long
term support of West Ham. Whilst having far more limited resources they are
far less likely to pull the more limited resources they can offer.

We will wait to see whether this new trust can be sustained against the
competitive rigours of the most difficult league in the world. It is a
gamble, but for Sullivan, in particular, this is a gamble which he must feel
he has little to risk losing. West Ham could never deliver the millions
other clubs could offer. They could however offer unprecedented trust and
control. This must have attractive Pellegrini. Sullivan must feel the hand
of history judging his stewardship of West Ham. His stewardship has been
blighted by controversy. In probably the boldest decision of his control he
has made a make or break decision which could determine his legacy. It
provides at least a chance for a historic positive heritage. For this to
emerge may require patience from all, not least from all of us as fans.
COYI

David Griffith

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 24th May 2018

Exclusive: Manuel Pellegrini's first interview as West Ham United manager
WHUFC.com

Manuel Pellegrini is excited and energised by the prospect of returning to the Premier League to manage West Ham United. The experienced Chilean has been a success wherever he has been, winning trophies in four different countries, including the Premier League with Manchester City in 2014, and qualifying for continental competition in all but one of his 12 seasons in European football. Pellegrini, who has signed a three-year contract at London Stadium, arrived in east London on Monday to start work immediately on turning West Ham into one of English football's most exciting teams. On the 64-year-old's agenda are the appointment of his backroom staff, finalising the Club's pre-season plans and identifying and recruiting new players to bolster his squad. With the FIFA World Cup finals kicking-off in Russia next month and a shorter than normal summer transfer window, time is of the essence, but the calm and composed South American is confident the Hammers have time to do good business before the 2018/19 Premier League season gets underway in August.

"We are going to start working today, first of all to prepare a good pre-season which is very important," Pellegrini confirmed. "After that, we will try to finish the squad as soon as we can, but I think we must be patient to find the right players with the amount of money that this club will spend this season. "So, we need to work with every day from now until the start of the season, because the time is a little bit short. But we have time and I am confident that, with hard work, we have enough time to build this squad."

Having previously managed the likes of River Plate, Real Madrid and Manchester City, Pellegrini is well-versed in handling the expectations of large and passionate fanbases. And the man who led both Villarreal and Malaga to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League also has a reputation for getting the very best out of the players at his disposal. For those reasons, therefore, the Claret and Blue Army can feel confident and optimistic about the future under their new manager. "It's very important to be clear that we are starting a new project. Maybe as soon as you can reach important achievements it's better, but we need time. I think we need to start the new season going game by game and not trying to start with a target, because it's not easy. "Taking it game by game and with the players taking on and practising my ideas, I think we are going to be a good football team."

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Hammer of the Year Arnautovic called-up by Austria
WHUFC.com

Marko Arnautovic has been called-up by Austria for a trio of international friendly matches. The West Ham United forward, who is the most-experienced in Franco Foda's squad with 69 caps, will welcome Russia, Germany and Brazil in the lead-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. While the Burchen themselves did not qualify, Arnautovic and company will play their part in helping the hosts and two of the pre-tournament favourites prepare for the competition. Russia will visit the Tivoli Stadion in Innsbruck on Wednesday 30 May before Germany are welcomed to the Worthersee-Stadion in Klagenfurt on Saturday 2 May. The game will be shown live in the UK by BT Sport 2, with kick-off at 4.45pm. Finally, five-times World Cup winners Brazil will be the visitors to the Ernst Happel Stadion in Arnautovic's home city of Vienna on Sunday 10 May. With 19 goals, the 29-year-old is also the leading scorer in Foda's squad, with Bayern Munich's David Alaba the only other player to hit double figures with 12. The Hammer of the Year made his debut as long ago as October 2008, when he appeared as a substitute in a World Cup qualifying tie in the Faroe Islands. The No7 has fond memories of facing Russia, having tasted victory over the World Cup hosts in two UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers. He has faced Germany three times, losing all three, but scoring once and assisting twice in those matches, and tackled Brazil once, but the South Americans ran out 2-1 winners in Vienna in November 2014. Austria missed out on qualification for the World Cup themselves, finishing fourth in a group that also contained qualifiers Serbia, Republic of Ireland and Wales.

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Birthday boy Ogbonna recalls his favourite West Ham match
WHUFC.com

On the day he celebrates his 30th birthday, Angelo Ogbonna recalls his standout appearance in the Claret and Blue of West Ham United. Unsurprisingly, the Italy defender has selected the night he made the Boleyn Ground rock under the lights...

The Build Up

Ground, beating the Reds twice in the Premier League, 3-1 and 2-0. Liverpool's final visit to the Hammers' historic home of 112 years came in the Emirates FA Cup, however, in an epic fourth-round replay played on a clear, cold Tuesday night in February 2016. Eleven days previously, the Hammers had held Jurgen Klopp's side to a goalless draw in the initial tie, with goalkeeper Darren Randolph's man of the match performance earning the visitors a second bite of the cherry with a stupendous triple save from Christian Benteke and Joe Allen.

"It was a big occasion," Ogbonna recalled. "We were thinking that when we played the first match, if we could have won away it would have been important for us. so when we drew we were a bit disappointed. But I remember thinking on the night that the opponents looked scared and there was no reason for us to fear them. "Before the game, the atmosphere inside the Boleyn Ground was unbelievable, which made us more comfortable. We said to ourselves, we have to go ahead and win! We knew we could beat Liverpool, because we had fantastic players who could keep the ball, like Dimitri Payet, and when you compared our players, we had a very high level and we knew we could win."

The Match

Slaven Bilic made three changes to his starting XI for the replay, replacing James Tomkins, Alex Song and Victor Moses with Joey O'Brien, Mark Noble and Michail Antonio. The manager also made a tactical switch from the five-man defence he deployed at Anfield to a flat back four, with Ogbonna partnering Winston Reid in the centre. Liverpool boss Klopp picked a team full of youngsters, aside from goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, midfielder Lucas and forwards Benteke and Coutinho, while the likes of Divock Origi, Daniel Sturridge and James Milner were introduced from the bench. Unlike the original tie, the replay was a thriller. "It was a great game," Ogbonna confirmed. "There were many chances and I think the fans loved it!"

Coutinho and Payet both hit the woodwork before Michail Antonio acrobatically volleyed West Ham into the lead on the stroke of half-time. Within three minutes of the restart, Coutinho levelled with a low free-kick, before Klopp introduced Origi and Sturridge on the hour-mark. Both sides traded chance after chance, with Enner Valencia being denied a clear penalty, but there were no further goals in eight added minutes and a further half-hour of extra time. With a penalty shootout looming large, however, Payet delivered a free-kick into the penalty area and Ogbonna rose above a forest of heads to send the ball arcing into Mignolet's top right-hand corner. The capacity Boleyn Ground crowd erupted, while the West Ham players formed a bundle on the pitch.

The last-gasp goal sparked wild celebrations on the Boleyn Ground pitch

"I was lucky because the ball came into that position and I said to myself 'I have to go and get it' and I got it!" the match-winner recalled, smiling as he remembered the moment. "The celebrations were fantastic. In that moment, it was so important for us, not just because of that game but because we had stayed together that season. The most important thing is the group, and it's important to be with your teammates when you achieve something. "For us, we were so happy for that moment and we all wanted to celebrate together, the players, the fans, everyone."

The Reaction

Unsurprisingly, the media were caught up in the euphoria of West Ham's dramatic victory. The Sun's Charlie Wyett described the atmosphere at the final whistle as 'terrific and, frankly, a bit bonkers', and the moment Ogbonna's header hit the back of the Liverpool net as 'spine-tingling'. In The Telegraph, Sam Wallace said the goal was 'the kind of moment that supporters remember for the rest of their lives'. Manager Slaven Bilic was caught up too, claiming in his post-match press conference that 'this will go down in history as one of the greatest nights, and greatest games, for our club'.

Angelo Ogbonna
✔
@OgbonnaOfficial
My graet Men ! ! ! @pedrombaobiang @payetdimitri27 http://ift.tt/1RnMMcc
2:42 AM - Feb 10, 2016
748

Ogbonna himself tweeted two photos, one of him celebrating his goal and a second from the dressing room, where he sat alongside a jubilant Payet and Pedro Obiang. The final word, of course, belongs to the man himself. "I've got a lot of photos and things from that game in my house," he revealed. "It will always be a great memory for me, scoring that beautiful goal in the last season at the Boleyn Ground. "Every time I see that goal, I say to myself 'That moment was unbelievable!'. I think it was really good, for sure my favourite moment in a West Ham shirt."

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'Heartbroken' James Collins to leave West Ham this summer
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 23/05/18 6:51pm
SSN

James Collins has confirmed he will be leaving West Ham this summer and says he is "heartbroken" by his exit from the club. The 34-year-old is coming to the end of his current contract and seemingly bid farewell to the Hammers fans following their final day 3-1 win over Everton earlier this month. Sky Sports News understands Collins was informed by the West Ham board over 10 days ago that it was unlikely he would be offered fresh terms to remain, but the final judgement would be made by the club's new manager Manuel Pellegrini. The former Wales international was omitted from West Ham's retained list which was sent to the Premier League on Saturday and he is now set to become the first player to leave since Pellegrini took charge.

As it stands I will be leaving West Ham on June 30th... Heartbroken 💔
A post shared by James Collins (@gingercollins19) on May 23, 2018 at 7:33am PDT

In a post released on his official Instagram page, Collins said: "As it stands I will be leaving West Ham on June 30th... Heartbroken." Collins first joined West Ham from Cardiff in 2005 and spent four years at the club before leaving for Aston Villa. He returned in 2012 following West Ham's promotion back to the Premier League and has since spent the last six seasons with the east London side. Collins made 214 appearances during his two spells with West Ham.

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Will Manuel Pellegrini be able to get West Ham playing attacking football?
Last Updated: 22/05/18 5:06pm
SSN

Manuel Pellegrini insists on playing attacking football but will he be able to transform West Ham? Adam Bate take a look at the veteran coach's credentials for the job and the challenges ahead...

"I always play attacking football."

That was the line from Manuel Pellegrini that will have West Ham supporters intrigued about the possibilities next season. The Chilean talked of playing "football that will delight the fans" and that is, of course, precisely what they will want to hear. The 64-year-old coach might not be the freshest of faces but he does come with considerable pedigree.

For instance, Pellegrini has already done something that neither West Ham as a club nor any of their previous managers have achieved - he has lifted the English title, one of only 10 coaches to do so in the Premier League era. His Manchester City side even scored 102 goals en route to winning that trophy during the 2013/14 season, his first in English football.

But if West Ham fans are wondering how transferable that achievement is to life at the London Stadium, it is worth remembering Pellegrini has demonstrated an ability to entertain everywhere he has been. After winning titles in Chile and Argentina, he succeeded in producing a plethora of attacking teams during his nine-year stay in Spain.

"He tries to keep the ball and his teams always play good," Pep Guardiola once said of his predecessor at City. "I would like to be like him. No matter which team he is training, his teams always play in the same way. So his fingerprints, his footprints, his trademark on his teams is always there. It happened at Villarreal, at Malaga and at Real Madrid."

This is what will be of more interest to David Sullivan. It's not necessarily his 96-point season with Real Madrid, a then record for the club as well as another 102-goal campaign. Instead, it is those top-four finishes with Villarreal and Malaga, clubs at which he showcased an ability to take teams to the next level - vastly improving the style of play in the process.

Malaga had finished only a point above the relegation zone prior to Pellegrini's appointment in the summer of 2010 with only Osasuna having a worse pass completion record. But aided by significant investment, he succeeded in transforming their approach. Malaga were among the top-six passers in La Liga for each of his three seasons at the helm.

That is the norm under Pellegrini. Every team that he has coached over the past decade, including, most recently, Hebei China Fortune, have ranked among that top six for passing. As Guardiola suggests, this is a coach with the ability to implement his own style. But that is an ability that will surely be tested to its limits at West Ham given their recent record.

Last season was a struggle. When David Moyes was appointed in November, his focus was on securing the club's Premier League status. Entertainment was not high on the agenda. In truth, but for a brief period in which Dimitri Payet flourished at Upton Park, it has seldom seemed a priority ever since Sam Allardyce took West Ham back up in 2012.

Manuel Pellegrini revealed his wishlist of up to five players as he promised an attacking revolution at West Ham after being unveiled as the new boss. In each of the six seasons since their return to the top flight, the team has ranked among the bottom half of the table for both passing accuracy and possession. Even when they enjoyed relative success during Slaven Bilic's first season in charge, this was achieved through counter-attacking football rather than possession play.

Pellegrini will seek to do it differently. How feasible that is with the players currently at his disposal will be a matter for debate. No team in the Premier League conceded more goals than West Ham last season so there is work to do defensively and the midfield will need to be overhauled too. Keeping Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini will be important.

In his opening address to supporters, Pellegrini referred to bringing in "maybe another four or five players" but while those additions could well be enough to keep the club away from danger, they will need to be high quality to bring about the proposed style changes. Until there is more investment, former West Ham defender Tony Gale is remaining cautious.

"I will only be happy when West Ham release the funds to buy players because managers are only as good as the players they are working with," Tony Gale tells Sky Sports. "Let's hope this isn't a smokescreen by the West Ham board so that they don't have to buy players. There is a lot of money in those West Ham coffers and they need to spend it.

"They need major surgery to that football team in the region of £75m to £100m. Money attracts top players. I think they have to back up their position with Pellegrini by giving him that money to spend on players. The whole club needs a turnaround not just the manager and hopefully he is someone who has the experience to convince them of that."

Gale, part of the West Ham team that finished third in 1986, knows all about the club's tradition for playing attractive and entertaining football. That is what the West Ham owners are attempting to tap into once again with the appointment of Pellegrini. His record suggests he can deliver. West Ham's own record of late suggests that it will be easier said than done.

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Manuel Pellegrini's in-tray: what the new West Ham manager must tackle
Jacob Steinberg
The Guardian
The 2014 Premier League winner with Manchester City has to stiffen the defence, rebalance the squad and handle controversial owners
@JacobSteinberg
Wed 23 May 2018 08.00 BST Last modified on Wed 23 May 2018 08.01 BST

Manuel Pellegrini has said he wants to play football that will delight the fans but nobody will be smiling if West Ham's defending does not improve. David Moyes settled on a 3-4-2-1 system because he did not trust his ponderous side to function properly in a more open formation. Yet it was a stop-gap manoeuvre and West Ham still finished with the Premier League's joint-worst defensive record alongside relegated Stoke, conceding 68 goals. Pellegrini will need to sort out that weakness before thinking about a more expansive style. There have been too many humiliations in the past two seasons.

Adrián is the only senior goalkeeper, there is not enough energy in midfield or cover in defence, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll are rarely fit, Moyes had nobody to play on the right wing, there is too much reliance on Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini and the bench was often filled by novices and free transfers last season. Pellegrini has spoken about making five signings but the squad requires more surgery. The question is how much money is available, though, and the Chilean will need to sell players. Sam Byram, Jordan Hugill and Reece Oxford, who is wanted by Borussia Mönchengladbach, could all go. Carroll and Javier Hernández should also be vulnerable.

Help to improve the club's recruitment

West Ham's signings since moving to London Stadium in 2016 have largely been underwhelming and that has led to David Sullivan, the club's influential co-owner, receiving a lot of criticism. However, Sullivan has handed Pellegrini control of transfers and West Ham are looking for a new head of recruitment. Málaga's Mario Husillos and Leicester City's Eduardo Macià are potential appointments and whoever comes in must implement a more focused scouting system. West Ham are crying out for greater youth and intensity.

Assess whether Oxford is worth keeping

The defender spent most of last season on loan at Mönchengladbach and has been a target for Red Bull Leipzig. Oxford enjoyed his time in Germany and was glad to return to the Bundesliga after being briefly recalled by Moyes over Christmas. Yet while Gladbach want to sign the 19-year-old in a £12m deal, Pellegrini should give a chance to a player who announced himself with a fine performance against Arsenal three years ago. Oxford is a versatile talent and although there have been doubts over his attitude, it is debatable whether West Ham should be willing to let one of their academy products leave.

Deal with an unpopular board

West Ham have struggled since leaving Upton Park and the board came in for fierce criticism during the home defeat by Burnley in March. With that in mind, perhaps Pellegrini's experience at Málaga will be relevant. The former Manchester City manager dealt with a difficult owner at La Rosaleda and kept his players onside when money dried up, so he might know how to handle Sullivan. Yet whether Pellegrini's appointment on a deal worth up to £7m a year represents value for money remains to be seen. The 64-year-old's predecessors were undermined in the transfer market. Having made a big statement, though, Sullivan has to back it up.

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David Gold wants West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini to turn Ireland international Declan Rice into England player
Gold confused the player's nationality while saying what he wants from Pellegrini
Sports Staff
The Independent Sport

West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has suggested that he wants new manager Manuel Pellegrini to develop Republic of Ireland international Declan Rice into an England player. Pellegrini was announced as David Moyes' successor on Tuesday, being made the third best paid manager in the Premier League in the process, on a three year contract. With such a pay-packet, coupled with the Hammers having one of the biggest wage bills in the league, there was some worry that West Ham's owners would be expected too much of their new boss.

Daniel Gabbidon ✔
@Gabbidon35
Ha ha! David Gold hoping Manuel Pellegrini will turn Declan Rice into and ENGLAND player... Already setting unrealistic targets! 😂😂😂
10:51 AM - May 23, 2018 · Malmesbury, England

And it appears as though that is the case, with co-owner Gold telling talkSPORT his dreams for 19-year-old Rice, who made his debut for the club earlier this season. "I'm looking forward to the new manager turning Declan Rice into a strong English defender for the future of the England team," Gold told the radio station. The only problem with that is that Rice, who played 27 times last season, has represented the Republic of Ireland since under-16s and made his senior international debut in March this year, during a 1-0 win to Turkey.

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Pellegrini poised to land first signing
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd May 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are close to completing a deal for Derby County youngster Luke Thomas. Thomas, 19, was named as the Rams' Young Player of the Year last season but is set to complete a move to West Ham two years after joining the Championship club from Cheltenham Town. Having made his first team debut in a 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers last November, Thomas went on to feature on one further occasion for County in the Championship - in a 3-0 win over Bolton last month. West Ham are understood to have had an offer in the region of £1.2million accepted by Derby, of which approximately £180,000 would go to the Robins due to a contractual clause entitling them to 15 per cent of any fee. Derby have deicded to cash in on Thomas having failed to reach the Championship play-off final; despite beating Fulham 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-final, Fulham's 2-1 win in the return fixture saw the Cottagers proceed to Wembley at County's expense.

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WEST HAM MUST MOVE FOR MAWSONFeatured Image
Date: 23rd May 2018 at 7:00pm
Written by: Dominic Toner
Forever WesTHam

West Ham defender James Collins confirmed on Wednesday he is leaving at the end of the season and the club now need to move swiftly to find a replacement.
The 34-year-old revealed on his official Instagram account that he will be exiting the London Stadium this summer when his contract expires. His exit has not gone down well with supporters after 217 appearances for the Hammers and manager Manuel Pellegrini now needs to look at bringing in a new centre-back option as soon as possible. West Ham have already been linked with a move for Alfie Mawson following Swansea's relegation from the Premier League and Pellegrini should step up the interest immediately. The Guardian reported that both West Ham and Southampton were interested in the enforcer and that he is likely to cost £20million. It is understood his value could have been much higher had an injury not ruined his World Cup hopes with England and if the Swans had stayed in the top flight. West Ham need to try wrap up a deal for Mawson quickly and he would be the sort of marquee addition that would be an excellent start to the Pellegrini era. The no-nonsense centre-back was the standout player for Swansea this season and has the quality to be a real force in the Premier League. He has an excellent range of passing that could see him slot in nicely to the Hammers backline and would be an improvement on their existing options. Mawson's £20million price tag looks an absolute bargain in today's market and the 24-year-old would help bring down the average age too.

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WEST HAM SHOULD SWOOP FOR CANCELOFeatured Image
Date: 23rd May 2018 at 5:37pm
Written by: Dominic Toner
Forever WesTHam

West Ham are set for a busy summer of spending under new manger Manuel Pellegrini and they should get things off with a bang by chasing Valencia defender Joao Cancelo. Co-owner David Gold confirmed that the Hammers are likely to enjoy a record-breaking window of spending this summer and they do need several top-class reinforcements to shoot up the table next season. One area they need to strengthen is at right-back, where they could do with a young option despite an impressive campaign from veteran Pablo Zabaleta. They should consider hijacking reported interest in Cancelo and he could be a brilliant long-term solution at the London Stadium. Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato Web reports that Wolves are keen on signing the 23-year-old, while Inter Milan are unlikely to activate a £30.7million release clause for him after his loan spell with them this season.
West Ham should enter the running for the attack-minded right-back to improve their side, but it's unclear how much Valencia will demand for him. He is a right-sided flyer with brilliant pace and loves to bomb forward in attack, something that should fit Pellegrini's style of play well. The Portugal international has three goals in six caps for his nation and has the potential to develop into a real star. It would be a real sign of intent if West Ham manager to bring in a full-back of his quality, but it remains to be seen if Pellegrini will bring in high-profile player and splash huge amount of cash..

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Why Manuel Pellegrini's work away from Real Madrid and Manchester City is what really counts for West Ham
ES Football Newsletter

When West Ham's new manager Manuel Pellegrini was the coach of Real Madrid, the club signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso among 10 summer arrivals. The team finished his one season in the job in 2009-10 as runners-up to Barcelona. They lost in the Champions League's last-16 against Lyon. They were beaten 4-0 by Second Division Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey. So Pellegrini was sacked because he shouldn't possibly have failed with such an array of new talent at his disposal. What wasn't included in the justification for his axing was the fact that within weeks of his arrival at the Bernabeu, Real sold the Dutch pair Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder against his will. Of course, he will have known beforehand that the club's transfer policy would be run from above the dugout. And that it would largely consist of swapping one set of Galacticos for another. That didn't prevent him from arguing after his departure that for all the wonderful talent he had been given to work with, his squad was unbalanced. Or that the cause was the endless pursuit of new superstars to replace old ones.
"They signed the best players, but not the best players needed in a certain position," he said when later ruminating on his time in charge. "It's no good having an orchestra with the 10 best guitarists if I don't have a pianist."

He will not get to sign Galacticos at West Ham. He will not compete in the Champions League. He won't finish second in the league. But what must be significant for Hammers fans is that Pellegrini has shown such a public understanding of the need for any squad to be balanced. That is because West Ham's squad currently looks like the most flawed and impractical in the Premier League. What will also resonate is Pellegrini's regret that transfer dealings at Real were out of his control.
The fervent suspicion among vast numbers of the supporters in east London is that co-owner David Sullivan has had a disproportionate and malign influence on recruitment.

This, they argue, is the reason for the unevenness of the squad and the failure of expensive signings like Andre Ayew during the first two troubled seasons at the club's new home. Along with Sullivan's fondness for public pronouncements and publicity, they want it to end. It may be just a perception in the stands that Sullivan dabbles too much. But it is just as important now - after forking out £10million a year to land such a high-profile manager - that West Ham prove they really have turned the corner. They can do this by ensuring that the four or five new arrivals he plans make sense, and address the need to improve the squad in every area in a constructive and thoughtful way. The time for what has appeared to be a scattergun, headline- driven approach to the transfer market is over.

Pellegrini certainly plays the kind of exciting, attacking football which can make life inside the soulless London Stadium more bearable for the fans. Players like Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio should relish his appointment. But the dramatic change required across the board at West Ham will not happen unless the strength, measure and quality of the squad is vastly improved. So the news that a top-level new head of recruitment is being sought must also encourage the supporters. The new manager may also be able to bring a sense of calm to a club which has made far too many uproarious column inches in recent times. Some may fear that Pellegrini's low-key demeanour suggests a willingness to accommodate the 'idiosyncrasies' of the boardroom. But he has 30 years' experience as a manager, and that must count most of all at West Ham now. At Manchester City, he restored order and success after the turbulent end to Roberto Mancini's reign. The Hammers could certainly do with a similar act now. However, it is not Pellegrini's title-winning work at City or his spell at Real which is important now. It is the work he did at smaller clubs like Villarreal and Malaga which is more significant for West Ham. True enough, during his five years at Villarreal he had players like Juan Roman Riquleme and Diego Forlan to work with - a notably higher calibre than he has inherited at West Ham. But it was still a fine achievement to reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2005-06. They also finished second in 2007-08 thanks to his ability to inspire attacking players and lift his teams by encouraging them to play on the front foot and express themselves.
At Malaga he finished fourth in his first full season and then - despite a massive financial crisis which forced the sale of Santi Cazorla and Salomon Rondon in 2012 - he reached the last eight of the Champions League in 2013. Now West Ham need to match the standard of players Pellegrini worked with at Villarreal and Malaga if his appointment is to be worthwhile. Many supporters remain suspicious of the board's approach to spending; but the appointment of Pellegrini is certainly a big statement of intent. This can be a new beginning after the turmoil of the first two years away from Upton Park. But that is all it is for now - a beginning. One that must be followed up boldly, expansively and, yes, expensively.

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World Cup 2018: Senegal captain Cheikhou Kouyate says squad is ready to make their country proud
Senegal will make only their second World Cup appearance when they compete in Group H at next month's finals in Russia against Poland, Japan and Colombia
The Independent Sport

Senegal's primary objective at the World Cup is to make their people proud and "write our own story", captain Cheikhou Kouyate told reporters as the squad began training in the beach resort of Saly-Portudal. Senegal will make only their second World Cup appearance when they compete in Group H at next month's finals in Russia against Poland, Japan and Colombia. Their previous appearance in 2002 saw them beat holders France in the opening game and go onto to become only the second African team to reach the quarter-finals. "The World Cup is a competition that takes place every four years and it is not given to everyone to take part," Kouyate said. "We have the chance now to participate and we will prepare well to please the Senegalese people. We want to write our own story. "We are going to play match by match, but the most important thing is to be ready on the day of the game," the West Ham United midfielder added. Senegal's preparations got off to a slow start with just seven players on hand for their first training session at the Diambars academy, some 80-kilometres from the capital Dakar, on Tuesday.
However, they expect a full squad on Thursday, save for Sadio Mane, who plays for Liverpool in the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kiev on Saturday. "It is our brother who plays and although there are supporters of Real Madrid in our squad, for this final everyone supports Liverpool because we want Sadio to win this trophy," Kouyate added. "We hope he will do it because it will push us to try and win the World Cup."

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WEST HAM RETAIN INTEREST IN FULHAM DUOFeatured Image
Date: 23rd May 2018 at 3:17pm
Written by: Guy Giles
Forever WestHam

West Ham retain a heavy interest in Fulham duo Ryan Fredericks and Tom Cairney after the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager, according to the Evening Standard. The newspaper report that confirmation of Pellegrini as their next boss has not tempered the club's hunt for right-back Fredericks and attacking midfielder Cairney. The Standard claim that any potential moves will however depend on the outcome of Saturday's Championship play-off final, with Fulham set to face Aston Villa for a place in the Premier League next season.

Good move for West Ham?

A move for Fredericks makes perfect sense for the Hammers, with the jet-heeled flyer available on a free this summer. The 25-year-old speed demon would bring more dynamism to the right side of defence, which would suit Pellegrini's style of play, and that one looks to be a no-brainer.
Cairney on the other hand is a different matter entirely, with the classy playmaker set to cost the Hammers a relatively large fee this summer. Previous reports suggested the 27-year-old Scotland international would cost around £20million, and there are surely other, less injury-prone players around who would be better options for the club at this point in time.

As the report states, the major issue here will be the result of the play-off final on Saturday. Should Fulham win that, then the likelihood will surely be that Fredericks and Cairney will stay at Craven Cottage. However, should Villa win, then both moves would very much be on the cards, with both players known to have designs on playing in the top-flight.

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Jordan Hugill reportedly set for early West Ham exit, move a mistake for all
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United are reportedly set to sell striker Jordan Hugill. West Ham United are set for a host of changes this summer, and The Times report that a host of players are primed for the exit after Manuel Pellegrini's arrival as manager. The Hammers are reportedly set to let Andy Carroll, Reece Burke, Edimilson Fernandes and Sam Byram leave the club this summer as Pellegrini pursues reinforcements, and Jordan Hugill is also on that list. Hugill, 25, only joined West Ham from Preston North End in January, with the Hammers paying £10m to land the centre forward (BBC Sport), but he could already be facing the exit door. A former non-league striker, Hugill hit 30 goals in 114 games for Preston and impressed in the Football League with his work rate and physical attributes, though technically there were always questions over his suitability for the Premier League. Since being snapped up by David Moyes, Hugill has remarkably played just 22 minutes of Premier League action for West Ham, and didn't feature at all in April or May. Now, it seems that Hugill – who is contracted with West Ham until the summer of 2022 – is now set to leave the London Stadium already, in a move which simply hasn't paid dividends for anybody. Hugill has barely featured and may be forced to up sticks again this summer, just months after heading down to London; West Ham may lose money on their January investment after barely using him, whilst Preston missed out on the Championship play-offs and may just feel that they could have got over the line with Hugill still in their squad. A move back to Preston is almost impossible due to the money now involved, but one of the Championship's big spenders may well be keen on Hugill, and it would appear that West Ham are ready to cut short the striker's stay in what has been a disastrous move.

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Meet Jose Cabello - Manuel Pellegrini's trusted fitness coach set to join him in London
The new manager has yet to name his backroom staff but he is set to bring his trusted sidekicks with him
By Sam Inkersole West Ham Correspondent
14:00, 23 MAY 2018UPDATED14:09, 23 MAY 2018

New West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini looks set to bring another trusted lieutenant with him to the capital as he starts to shape his backroom team. The 64-year-old is expected to bring assistant manager Ruben Cousillas to join him as assistant manager at the London Stadium and football.london understands others who have worked with the manager for the last 12 years are set to follow suit. One of those is fitness coach Jose Cabello, who has been with Pellegrini since their days at Malaga. Former fitness coach at the Hammers, Nick Davies, departed the club in the wake of David Moyes leaving east London after a short six-month spell in the capital. Cabello is an important part of Pellegrini's set up and that is not expected to change. Upon taking charge at Manchester City, Pellegrini immediately stressed how important fitness is, saying: "The most important thing at the moment is the fitness and they're working very hard with Jose."

Cabello, 44, is known for his hard-working sessions where the Spaniard likes to consistently simulate playing conditions within his fitness regime at football clubs.
Pellegrini and Cabello had the City players training three times a day when he first rocked up at the Etihad to whip them in to shape. West Ham were very unfit under Slaven Bilic, that improved a lot under Moyes but it's still not likely to be enough for Pellegrini and Cabello. In a sign of what could be to come, when City jetted off for a pre-season tour in 2013, Pellegrini said: "In terms of football, they're just playing small games of six or seven-a-side with one touch, but nothing more." Pellegrini has yet to announce his backroom staff at the Hammers after agreeing his contract at the London Stadium on Monday.

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West Ham will not sign Yaya Toure this summer as Manuel Pellegrini targets Fulham duo and younger players
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham will not be signing Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure this summer. The 35-year-old, who is a free agent, had been linked with a move to the club even before Manuel Pellegrini, his former boss at City, was announced as West Ham's new manager. The close links between the pair shortened the odds on the move happening, but it is understood West Ham have no interest in signing Toure. Pellegrini, who has said the club want to sign "four or five players" before the start of next season, is instead keen on attracting younger players with pace to the club. West Ham retain a strong interest in Fulham full-back Ryan Fredericks and midfielder Tom Cairney but the outcome may depend on whether Fulham win promotion against Aston Villa on Saturday. The arrival of Pellegrini also means Javier Hernandez is likely to stay. The striker's opportunities were limited last season, as David Moyes employed just one striker most of the time. Pellegrini has favoured a more attacking style with previous clubs and looks likely to offer Hernandez more chances. One of the Chilean's first appointments is expected to be Ruben Cousillas as assistant manager. Another priority is finalising the appointment of a head of recruitment, with co-owner David Sullivan having promised to take a step back from being in charge of player signings. Favourite for the role is Eduardo Macia, who has been at Leicester since September 2016

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West Ham EXCLUSIVE – 'We will spend more money this summer than in any previous window', says co-chairman David Gold
Listen back to talkSPORT's exclusive interview with West Ham co-chairman David Gold
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Wednesday, May 23, 2018

West Ham co-chairman David Gold has promised fans the club will make another huge statement of intent in the summer transfer window following the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini. Pellegrini was unveiled as the new Hammers manager on Tuesday, with the arrival of a Premier League-winning boss seen as a big step toward the club's goal of competing for European football. There are reports the former Manchester City and Real Madrid boss will get £75million to spend to strengthen his squad, as West Ham look to improve on their 13th-place finish to the Premier League. And, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to talkSPORT host Jim White on Wednesday, Hammers chief Gold confirmed the boss will be given funds. "You can't put a figure on [what Pellegrini has to spend this summer] because you don't know the players who are going to leave, therefore that will add to the kitty, or wont, as it might be," he said. "What I can assure everybody is that we'll probably spend more money in this window than we've spent in any window in the past. "That bodes well for our intent and we must wait and see where it takes us."
Pellegrini has already said he hopes to sign four or five new players this summer, and Gold has revealed the new boss is already hard at work in the transfer market. "He's working on it right now, that's his job, that's why he's been brought in," added the Hammers chief. "He's identified the positions he feels he needs to strengthen and it's up to him now to tell us the players and we'll do everything we can to bring them in."

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F365 Says: Pellegrini needs more than protection money
Date published: Wednesday 23rd May 2018 7:13

You would expect that the appointment of a former Real Madrid manager and Premier League title winner would get West Ham fans' pulses racing. But even David Sullivan appears to have recognised that suspicion rather than anticipation is the prevailing mood at the London Stadium.

"We hope they agree it is an exciting appointment," said Sullivan, somewhat more tentatively than many of his previous boasts. Pellegrini undoubtedly possesses the most impressive CV of the five managers Sullivan and David Gold have appointed, but the owners have certainly been made to pay a premium.

Pellegrini, 64, who since being moved aside by Manchester City has spent the last two years managing Hebei China Fortune in the CSL, reportedly returns to England as one of the Premier League's highest-paid managers.

The Independent suggests it took a £10million-a-year wage packet to tempt the Chilean to East London, while The Sun and The Mirror both report his salary as being closer to £7million. Even taking the lower figure, it puts Pellegrini on a par with Jurgen Klopp and in a higher bracket than Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino.

It is the price Sullivan, Gold and Karren Brady have to pay for running what has apparently become 'the most dysfunctional club in the Premier League'. Rather than being the catalyst for a Champions League push, the London Stadium move has seen the Hammers sink from Europa League qualifiers to relegation candidates amid a series a protests by fans who have long since realised they have been taken for a ride.

Since those protests came to a head in March when the atmosphere at the former Olympic Stadium went from one of frustration straight to poison, the owners have at least offered the impression of contrition. That 3-0 defeat to Burnley and the aggro that ensued could well be the lowest point – the board certainly hope so – but three months on, despite the arrival of the club's highest-paid manager, there remains a gaping, unstable void in the West Ham foundations.

Any manager coming into the club would be smart to seek written assurances over what interference is permissible from above. Since he and Gold took control of the Hammers in 2010, Sullivan has not so much crossed the line but set up camp and moved in his family. Almost literally.

Sullivan is even listed as director of football in the club's accounts and though he denies holding such sway, the evidence suggests he most certainly does. Years after their Premier League rivals saw the benefit of investment in scouting and analytics, both in terms of performance and recruitment, the Hammers have persisted with a far more haphazard approach.

The team was unfit for purpose through the first half of the season while their transfer business has too often reflected the manner in which they conduct it. Their transfer committee consisted of Sullivan, Slaven Bilic and Tony Henry, who between them would rule over players mainly brought to them by agents. Sullivan says Bilic preferred older, proven Premier League players, while he wanted younger talent – "the next Mr Stones, who Everton got for £500,000". The now-departed Henry's preferences are well documented.

Between the hapless trio, there has been no plan, no continuity and no strategy. To David Moyes' credit, he tried to instigate change, despite there being no guarantee over him being around to reap the benefits.

"We've put together some plans," he said in February. "We are going to try to look at it slightly differently. I'm going to be heavily involved in the process, as will be the chairman. I've not seen a process here, so I'm going to try something.

"It's going to come a little bit away from the chairman," he continued. "The chairman is going to try to stand aside a bit from it." Three months later, the chairman stood aside from the door and pushed Moyes through.

Moyes had also identified the need to bridge the gap, or rather offer an added layer of insulation between the manager and the boardroom. "It could be a head of football operations, could be a head of recruitment, could be a director of football."

Sullivan said before Christmas that he was considering such an appointment. "There's one very good one in the Premier League," he told The Guardian in December. "I would seriously think about taking him on in due course and I know he would come because he's approached me."

Whether that man is Eduardo Macia, Leicester's head of recruitment who has been linked with the Hammers, we can only guess. But with Pellegrini targeting "four or five" players this summer, the new manager does not have time to waste while Sullivan clings on to his power.

Pellegrini has worked for an over-zealous boss before in Florentino Perez at Real Madrid. The manager was presented with the finest players – Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso – but they finished his only season at the Bernabeu potless because, as Pellegrini put it: "I didn't have a voice or a vote at Madrid."

"They sign the best players, but not the best players needed in a certain position," he continued. "It's no good having an orchestra with the 10 best guitarists if I don't have a pianist. Real Madrid have the best guitarists, but if I ask them to play the piano they won't be able to do it so well. Perez sold players that I considered important. We didn't win the Champions League because we didn't have a squad properly structured to be able to win it."

Pellegrini will have a say at the London Stadium, but so too in the past have Sullivan's kids. The new manager needs a buffer in place because until a director of football is appointed, he remains too exposed to the circus that has overseen relegation scraps when the publicly stated ambition upon moving home was the top six and "to feel like a big club… not a tinpot club". Pellegrini cannot realistically make inroads on either target until West Ham make an appointment even more crucial than his own.

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West Ham to sell four to raise funds, Byram & Fernandes included
By Josh Challies - May 23, 2018 0
Forever WestHam

West Ham have confirmed the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager and their focus will now shift towards the transfer market. The Hammers have struggled to excel with additions during recent seasons and will hope that the experienced Chilean boss will lead the club to better fortunes. However, with funds restricted, the club are ready to offload a number of players to raise the figures that Pellegrini has to splash in the market. The Times reports West Ham are prepared to offload four players in the transfer market – Sam Byram, Edimilson Fernandes, Jordan Hugill and Andy Carroll. Byram has managed just 247 minutes of Premier League football for the Hammers since signing from Leeds but Fernandes is perhaps a surprise, given he's still just 22 and is highly-regarded.
Meanwhile, Hugill has barely featured since signing from Preston in January, and was reportedly only signed in case the Hammers were relegated, while Carroll fell out of favour during David Moyes' tenure and has struggled with regular injury issues.

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The 4 West Ham players set to thrive under Manuel Pellegrini's attacking philosophy
The Chilean has a reputation for attacking football and three players should feel the benefit of his management
By Sam Inkersole West Ham Correspondent
08:03, 23 MAY 2018

Manuel Pellegrini is West Ham's new manager in an appointment that has gone down very well indeed with the fans and it should be good news for the players as well. The Chilean has penned a three-year deal worth up to £7m a year to take charge at the London Stadium, taking over from David Moyes who left the club last week. It's straight down to business for 64-year-old, who is expected to be handed a transfer warchest to perform a radical overhaul of a squad that narrowly escaped relegation from the Premier League last season and has struggled over the past two campaigns. There will be incomings and probably some outgoings too, but what about the players likely to stay that could thrive under the new manager?

Manuel Lanzini

Pellegrini has a superb track record with developing and nurturing creative and attacking midfielders and that is something Lanzini should absolutely thrive on.
The Chilean worked wonders with the likes of David Silva at Man City, Isco at Malaga, Samir Nasri at City and Juan Roman Riquelme at Villarreal. Lanzini is the creative force of West Ham and if he plays well, the team plays well. The Argentine had a strong end to the 2017/18 campaign after struggling with injuries.
Discussions over a new contract for Lanzini to bring him in line with the loikes of Michail Antonio, Javier Hernandez and others have yet to get underway but the appointment of his fellow South American could hopefully accelerate those. Pellegrini's tactics like to play the ball through midfield, allowing someone like Lanzini to get a lot of touches of the ball to be creative and do damamge. His assist numbers should rocket under the Chilean.

Michail Antonio

Providing he can get back fit and stay fit, Antonio should be a player to benefit from the appointment of Pellegrini. Antonio is probably the quickest player in the Hammers ranks alongside Arthur Masuaku and the attacking style of the Chilean also relies on pacy wingers to deliver crosses into the box, Jesus Navas at Man City benefited from Pellegrini. With Manuel Lanzini ideally being the creative fulcrum of the team, he can get the ball in the pocket between midfield and defence and look to the wings for his widemen before continuing a run into the box. Pellegrini often plays with a rigid midfield four but they are pressed high up the pitch, not sitting back deep and narrow like we saw the three-man midfield do under David Moyes.

Arthur Masuaku

Same as with Antonio, the quick wide man should flourish under Pellegrini and don't be surprised to him pushed into a left midfield role rather than a left back or left wing-back position. One thing Masuaku will certainly have to work on is his crossing and delivery from wide areas, it's too haphazard. He is one of the most skillful players in the squad, electric with the ball at his feet and has the ability to beat a defender with ease. In a midfield four, Masuaku will be needed to ensure width is always there on the left hand side, we have often seen him hug the touchline under Moyes and will need to do the same with Pellegrini. The prospect of Masuaku improving his delivery with low balls into the box for a waiting poacher is quite tantalising. Speaking of which...

Javier Hernandez

The Mexican striker didn't get much of a look in last season, particularly when Moyes was in charge but he should be handed a new lease of life under Pellegrini.
Much like Lanzini, the appointment of a fellow South American should be ideal for Chicharito, who will no doubt have a chip on his shoulder next season. Pacy wingers who can deliver low into the box with quality should be absolutely ideal for Hernandez, who obviously is at his best in the 18-yard box. Running in behind as well with Lanzini dropping dimes to him in behind the defence is a mouthwatering prospect. Javier Hernandez is world class when he is played to his strengths and Pellegrini's tactics really do suit him down to the ground.

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Redknapp: Duo would have been better than new West Ham boss Pellegrini
HITC
Will Butcher

West Ham have appointed Manuel Pellegrini as David Moyes' successor. Former West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp has told BBC Sport, as quoted by the Evening Standard, that he believes the Hammers should have appointed one of two other managers instead of Manuel Pellegrini. Pellegrini, 64, was appointed as Hammers boss on a three-year deal earlier this week, after the club decided not to offer David Moyes a new deal at the London Stadium. Plenty of names were linked with a move to east London, including the likes of Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez, Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca and many more. However, the Hammers opted to go with former Manchester City boss Pellegrini, but Redknapp reckons the club should have considered Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe or Burnley gaffer Sean Dyche. "I don't see it as an exciting appointment, I've got to be honest," Redknapp said. "West Ham's a fantastic club, but see if they can poach Eddie Howe or Sean Dyche. "There's some great young managers in the country who, if given the opportunity, could do the job, but they don't get the opportunities."

Dyche excelled at Turf Moor with Burnley this season, pushing himself into contention as manager of the season by guiding the Clarets into seventh place, qualifying for the Europa League. Meanwhile, Howe continues to keep Bournemouth afloat in the Premier League, finishing in a respectable 12th place with 44 points from their 38 top-tier matches. However, the Hammers have opted to go with experience, plucking Pellegrini from Chinese Super League outfit Hebei China Fortune.

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Pellegrini to land Cousillas a first West Ham addition
By Josh Challies - May 23, 2018 0
WestHamWorld.co.uk

West Ham are set to enter a new era following the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini on a three-year deal at the London Stadium. The former Manchester City boss has plenty of work ahead of him this summer to rebuild his side and has reportedly decided on his first addition, bringing in someone to join the backroom staff.
The Daily Express states Pellegrini will bring in Ruben Cousillas as his assistant with the Hammers, reuniting with a loyal colleague from his experienced career.
Pellegrini has worked alongside Cousillas at River Plate, Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga – and the pair are set to join together again at the London Stadium.
Cousillas will join as Pellegrini's first appointment to the backroom team and others are likely to follow in the coming weeks, while the club will also focus their attention on the transfer market.
The Hammers are reportedly eyeing a new central defender, central midfielder, striker and goalkeeper in the summer window to improve their ranks.

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PELLEGRINI GOALKEEPING CONUNDRUM, COULD BE SOLVED WITH TROTTFeatured Image
Date: 23rd May 2018 at 7:00am
Written by: Laura OLeary
ForeverWestHam

One of the first West Ham conundrums Manuel Pellegrini must solve is the club's goalkeeping issues that surfaced in the latest campaign, and the solution could already be at the club. The former Manchester City manager was confirmed to be David Moyes' successor of the club on Tuesday morning, via the Hammers' official Twitter account, and there's lot of problems for him to fix this summer ahead of the new season. One of these problems is the club's goalkeeping situation as neither Joe Hart or Adrian covered themselves in glory on a regular basis in the last campaign. In fact the pair contributed to the club conceding 68 goals in 38 league games and both should suffer the consequences this season. While Hart isn't set to be at the London Stadium for the next campaign, as he was only on loan for one season from Man City, the veteran goalkeeper will no doubt be punished by finding it difficult to get a new club. Adrian, however, looks like staying around and while he has been impressive in the past, letting 31 goals go flying past him in 22 games last season, proved that the 31-year-old isn't the right solution or a long-term fix. Therefore it seems likely that Pellegrini will dive into the transfer market to sign a new goalkeeper, however he shouldn't be so quick to, as the Hammers have a hidden gem of keeper in the form of Nathan Trott. The 19-year-old, who is contracted to the club until 2020 according to their official site, has never been afforded a first-team opportunity despite his glowing reputation proceeding him. Trott has featured for England's U-20s and is regarded as having a lot of potential, as the shot-stopper is clearly among his country's best for his age. The teenage gem has regularly featured for the Hammers' set-up, playing 21 times for the U-23s in the Premier League 2 in the latest campaign, and it shouldn't be assumed that he might not be ready. The promising talent tweeted, via his personal Twitter account, shortly after the experienced manager was confirmed as the Hammers' new boss with a simply tweet using a fingers crossed emoiji, implying that he perhaps believes he's ready for his side's first-team.

At the very least the young promising goalkeeper is hopeful for a chance and why shouldn't Pellegrini hand him one? The veteran manager has all of pre-season to test the goalkeeper out and he will be pleasantly surprise with what he sees, and it would be a quicker solution to his goalkeeping conundrum if the solution was already at the club. Therefore even though Trott has never previously featured for West Ham's senior team, unleashing the unseen gem, who is hoping for a chance based on his social media post, would swiftly see Pellegrini's goalkeeping issues at the club be no more.

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Could Eduardo Macia appointment see Fernando Torres join West Ham?
HITC
Danny Owen

Eduardo Macia brought Fernando Torres to Premier League giants Liverpool from Atletico Madrid and now he is set to work with Pellegrini at West Ham United.
Manuel Pellegrini has signed a three-year deal to become the new West Ham United manager and the Chilean is not waiting around to get his backroom staff in place. Sky Italia reports that his former Malaga midfielder Enzo Maresca is set to be announced as the Hammers' assistant coach, while Football London has stated that Pellegrini wants Eduardo Macia to follow him to the London Stadium in a director of football role. Macia is an experienced talent-spotter who is currently working at Leicester City. But one signing he made during his time with Liverpool is what he is perhaps best known for in England – the £20 million deal for Atletico Madrid star Fernando Torres back in 2007. According to Marca, Macia was responsible for convincing Torres to leave his boyhood club; something many teams before had tried and failed to do. But, 11 years on, what are the chances of Macia making contact with El Nino again? Torres will be a very high-profile free agent this summer with his second spell at Atletico Madrid coming to an end in dream fashion, via a Europa League title and two goals on his farewell appearance against Eibar in La Liga. Clearly, Torres has still got that touch of class, even if the speed and relentless goal-scoring of his Anfield peak have been left in the past. So, even on a free, he would be a real big-name signing for a West Ham side who could do with a striker, particularly with Pellegrini stressing his commitment to attacking football upon his official unveiling. Can Macia work his magic again?

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Report: West Ham to give Pellegrini £75m to spend; Tarkowski wanted
HITC
Jordan Harris

West Ham United are reportedly planning to back new manager Manuel Pellegrini with plenty of funds to spend. According to a report from the Daily Mirror, West Ham are planning to back Manuel Pellegrini with a £75 million transfer kitty this summer, with Burnley defender James Tarkowski one of the men that the new Hammers boss is planning to target during the upcoming window. Pellegrini's appointment as David Moyes' successor was confirmed this week, and the Irons hierarchy appear to be determined to ensure that they find themselves in nothing like the trouble that Moyes eventually led them away from this past season.
The Mirror reports that West Ham are expected to hand Pellegrini £75 million to spend, with the Hammers planning to sell Jordan Hugill this summer, while Michail Antonio and Winston Reid could also depart during the coming months. The Mirror hints that strengthening the centre-back options appears to be an important part of Pellegrini's plans as both Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle and Tarkowski are on the club's radar after both impressed for their respective sides this past year.
Like many of the Burnley squad, Tarkowski probably went into this past campaign not getting the credit he deserved. But after helping the Clarets secure European football for next season - an achievement that has led to the centre-back making his England debut and earning a place on Gareth Southgate's standby list for the World Cup - it appears that Burnley's rivals are starting to sit up and take notice. He would arguably be a fantastic addition to West Ham's options this summer, but with Burnley securing a massive fee from Everton for Michael Keane last summer, the Hammers should perhaps not expect the Clarets to make it easy for Pellegrini to bag Tarkowski's signature, especially now that Sean Dyche needs to put together a squad that can also manage a Europa League campaign.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Who is Eduardo Macia? The director of football who could change West Ham with Manuel Pellegrini
The Hammers are reportedly lining up a summer raid for the Leicester City man
By Sam Inkersole West Ham Correspondent
08:53, 23 MAY 2018

West Ham have announced Manuel Pellegrini as their fifth manager in eight years. But there will be more change than just a new manager arriving at the club this summer as Hammers co-owner David Sullivan is keen to appoint a director of football to work alongside the Chilean and help transform the club after two seasons of struggle in the Premier League. The name heavily mentioned with taking of a director of football role to help out Sullivan with the day-to-day running of the club and to have a hand in transfer strategy is Eduardo Macia, who is currently at Leicester City in a recruitment chief role. football.london understands that Pellegrini has indicated to Sullivan that he wants Macia to join him in the capital and that the co-chairman has agreed to pursue the Spaniard and endeavour to bring him to the capital.
Sullivan said earlier this year that he will step back from the transfer side of the operation after failed attempts to bring in William Carvalho and Leander Dendoncker, both moves collapsed in a very public way. Sullivan also fired disgraced former head of recruitment Tony Henry after alleged racist remarks regarding African players back in February. But what do we know about Macia? Here's everything you need to know about the man who, along with Pellegrini, could spark the start of a revolution at West Ham.

Who is he?

Eduardo Macia is a retired footballer who has been the Head of Senior Player Recruitment at Leicester City since September 2016. The Foxes moved for the 43-year-old to strengthen their recruitment department after the exit of Steve Walsh, who joined Everton as director of football in July 2016.

Which clubs has he worked with in the past?

Quite a few. Starting out in La Liga as a scout for Valencia he held a position there for a year before following Rafa Benitez to Liverpool where he was the chief scout until December 2010. Following a spell in England, Macia then became the technical director at Olympiacos and then held a similar position with Serie A outfit Fiorentina. He would have another chief scouting role with Viola before leaving in 2015 and then became the director of football at Real Betis, only to leave a year later for a position with the Foxes.

What's been said about him?

Prior to joining City from Sevilla last summer, Vicente Iborra explained the key role Eduardo Macia played. "Eduardo Macia convinced me. He came to find me with his aides and made me feel important within their project," the midfielder said, as reported by Sport Witness. "He's been at Valencia, Betis, Fiorentina and Benitez's Liverpool, and someone important who knows English football well."

What players has he been credited with for signing?

Do the names Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt or Raheem Sterling ring a bell? Well, Macia is said to be responsible for those signings during his time at Liverpool. While at Fiorentina he signed over 20 players including ex-Chelsea winger Juan Cuadrado, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Stefan Savic, Giuseppe Rossi and Alberto Aquilani. Furthermore, he also oversaw the arrivals of talented players such as German Pezzella and Petros at Betis as well as the return of the legendary Joaquin.

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