Daily WHUFC News - 20th July 2014

On this day - 20 July
WHUFC.com
A key moment from the West Ham United archives on this day in history
20.07.2014

A 23-year-old Costa Rican by the name of Paulo Wanchope signed for West Ham
United on this day 15 years ago. The languid 6'4 forward sealed a £3.5
million switch from Derby County, making an almost instant impact with his
new employers. He netted twice in the Hammers' victorious Intertoto Cup
campaign, including a crucial third goal in the decisive 3-1 win at Metz.
Unpredictable at times, Wanchope enjoyed a fine first season alongside Paolo
Di Canio at the Boleyn Ground, bagging 15 goals in all competitions. He
started all but five of the Club's Premier League outings that term, as
Harry Redknapp's men ended the campaign in ninth - a third successive
top-ten finish. In spite of that highly respectable return, Wanchope was
subsequently sold to newly-promoted Manchester City, with Frederic Kanoute
and Davor Suker the replacement firepower. The prolific Costa Rica
international spent four seasons with the Citizens, scoring some 27 league
goals along the way. Meanwhile, Wanchope remains the second highest scorer
in his country's history, with 45 goals and 73 caps.

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Fit pair will boost Hammers
WHUFC.com
A fit Andy Carroll and Winston Reid are set to boost West Ham United hugely
during the 2014/15 season
20.07.2014

Manager Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan say a fit Winston Reid and
Andy Carroll will boost West Ham United hugely this season. Centre-back Reid
missed a large portion of the 2013/14 campaign through a high ankle sprain,
restricting the New Zealand captain to just 15 Barclays Premier League
appearances and leaving a gaping hole in the Hammers' squad. This year, the
No2 has joined the squad on the Football United Tour of New Zealand and Big
Sam believes the pair will contribute greatly to the 2014/15 campaign.
"First and foremost his defensive qualities are what Winston are about,"
said the manager. "Today there is a shortage of players who play in central
defence who put their defensive duties first. "That's the key element as if
you are central defender in our league, you combat some of the best strikers
in the world when you play in the Premier League. You've got to be sharp and
alert to read danger. "He has improved an incredible around since I arrived
at the Club to be a very consistent, powerful and important player for us.
He did get injured quite a bit last year but our whole defensive unit was
fantastic. It was a team effort though but we got 14 clean sheets last year,
which is the hub of building a successful season but also getting the other
right is what were after next season. "Winston has been a key part of us
sustaining our place in the Premier League and hopefully getting better as
well."

At the same time, skipper Kevin Nolan believes Andy Carroll is set to play a
massive role after recovering from the plantar fasciitis that kept him to
just 22 league appearances last term. Nolan says West Ham's offensive
talisman will improve the side's attacking threat in terms of scoring and
creating goals. "We'll have the Big Man available for the whole of the
season and I think that will be a big thing for us," said the No4. "Last
season, we had injuries and it made it very difficult for me, from a
personal point of view, to build up a relationship with just one striker.
There was a lot of chopping and changing to do because of the state of the
injuries we had to put up with last year. "I'm really confident that, if we
can stay away from injuries and keep Andy fit, as well as introducing the
signings we have brought in, that this year is going to be a very good one
for us. I've seen Mauro Zarate and he's a fantastic player who I can really
feed off and who can also score goals. "I'm just touching wood that we don't
lose Andy and Winston for the amount of time that we did last season. If we
don't, I'm sure we'll do really well and have a productive season."

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'We're all really looking forward to it'
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce and his players say West Ham United are relishing their
ten-day Football United Tour
19.07.2014

West Ham United are relishing their Football United Tour of New Zealand, say
manager Sam Allardyce and his players. Big Sam sat down alongside captain
Kevin Nolan, New Zealand national team skipper Winston Reid and Andy Carroll
to address the Kiwi and international media on the squad's arrival on the
other side of the world. There, all four spoke glowingly of the unique
welcome they received from Maori group Haka International and their
enthusiasm ahead of fixtures with A-League sides Wellington Phoenix (Eden
Park, Auckland, 23 July, 7.30pm) and Sydney FC (Westpac Stadium, Wellington,
26 July, 2pm). "It's fantastic for us to travel and experience this part of
the world," Big Sam confirmed. "We're all really looking forward to it and
our pre-season is going to be enhanced not just by us taking a tour but also
from a cultural point of view. "We're all very much looking forward to
seeing the sights of New Zealand, as well as playing football here and
promoting West Ham and the Barclays Premier League worldwide. "I've heard so
much about New Zealand from Winston and from [former All White defender]
Ryan Nelsen, a former player and captain of mine at Blackburn Rovers, and it
has a lot to live up to, such was the level of their praise. They said that
once I'd visited, I'd want to come back again and again, so hopefully I'll
be making more trips in the future. "Our welcome was fantastic. It's a
tradition for New Zealand and we've all seen the Haka before, but we'd not
seen the whole thing and had it explained to us as it was. It was very
interesting and a great welcome from our point of view."

"We'd planned to visit this area of the world if someone was willing to put
a package together. It wasn't just about coming this far - we needed to make
sure it's set up and controlled and organised properly. We spent a lot of
time in negotiation over travel, where we're staying and where we're going
to play and is that the right place for us to go to make sure we were in the
right place for our preparation for pre-season as well as promoting the Club
and the Premier League here. "The organisation and communication with all
parties has been very good and hopefully it'll run as smoothly as I think it
will."

The manager said West Ham's visit would offer football fans from across the
Oceania region an unique opportunity to see a Barclays Premier League team
first-hand for the first time. At the same time, the tour will represent a
chance to test the squad against two sides from the ever-improving A-League
in Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix, with tens of thousands of fans set to
turn out for both matches. "For us, it's about being out there with the
public and the people from New Zealand who support the Barclays Premier
League, who can now come and see a team live for probably the first time in
their lives," he added. "It's about us growing the brand by being here in
the flesh in New Zealand and spending a lot of time with the fans. We've
scheduled a lot of community events, photo and signing sessions and it's
important to show that side of things when you come out to a place like
this."

All Whites skipper Reid echoed the manager's sentiments, but was not
impressed by the grey skies and single-figure temperatures that greeted the
Hammers in the depths of the New Zealand winter. "It's good to be home but
the weather is a bit rubbish!" he joked. "For me, it was nice to see that
welcome because I've been used to them my whole life. "For the guys, it was
a diffferent experience but one they will have cherished and will remember
for the rest of their lives."

From a football side of things, Reid, Nolan and Carroll believe the Football
United Tour will help the Hammers to prepare for the 2014/15 Barclays
Premier League season. All three, like their manager, are desperate for the
squad to avoid picking up troublesome injuries during their stay in New
Zealand. For Reid and Carroll, the challenge of staying fit is one they are
relishing after a 2013/14 season ruined by ankle and foot problems
respectively. "I was out for four months and I came back into the team but
it was a little hard to get going again but I got there in the end," said
Reid. "It will be nice to get another full pre-season under my belt. I'm
just looking forward to a pre-season with no injures."

"Obviously we've added a few attacking players to the ranks and we'll have
the Big Man available for the start of the season, which is a bonus," added
Nolan. "Last season was very difficult with the injuries we had and the
chopping and changing we had to do. "I'm really confident that, this year,
if we can keep Andy fit and with the signings we've made, is going to be a
very good one for us."

Carroll is equally determined to stay fit and show everyone exactly what he
can do in a West Ham shirt. "It's a very important pre-season for me after I
had a very bad season last year with injuries. It's important I stay fit and
do everything right with the medical staff."

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Haycock pleased with progress
WHUFC.com
Development Squad coach Nick Haycock was happy with his team's performance
agaisnt Shakhtar
19.07.2014

Development Squad coach Nick Haycock is happy with the progress his team is
making in pre-season. The Under-21s followed up two positive results against
senior non-league teams by taking on their Shakhtar Donetsk counterparts in
the Absolute Sports Travel Cup on Saturday and emerging with a 0-0 draw.
The Hammers could well have been victorious, with a Kieran Sadlier
thunderbolt striking the crossbar before half time, but Haycock was more
focused on the strong level of performance against a team further along the
pre-season timeline. "It was a good game," he said. "They called us when I
was on holiday and straight away we made every effort to make sure we were
part of this tournament. "We came up to Cambridge for a game last year and
they looked after us well. It's a fantastic football club and the
organisation today has been fantastic and playing against foreign
competition bodes well for us because we're in the European competition this
year. "I was delighted with the performance because Shakhtar are only a week
away from the start of their season, so in terms of fitness levels they're
probably two or three weeks ahead of where we are. "We might have been a bit
more heavy-legged than them and the tempo of our game wouldn't be quite what
it is when we start the season, but I think you saw a good shape, a
determination to press the ball where we could, and playing foreign
opposition asks different things of you tactically. We had to change a
couple of things at half time to make sure we got better pressure on the
ball and the lads who played 60 minutes saw the game out to that stage well.
"The team that came on for the last 30 minutes, it's always difficult and we
couldn't get that continuity into our game, but that's no disgrace to them.
"Tomorrow [when they face Espanyol] it'll be the reverse, so the lads who
came on for the last 30 minutes will probably start tomorrow."

Away from events at Cambridge United's R Costings Abbey Stadium, several
members of Haycock's squad have been involved in the first team's pre-season
matches this summer, and the coach says it is up to them to continue along
their curve of progression. He added: "I'm delighted for them. I was at
Stevenage and I was at Ipswich, and it's always proud for the whole Academy
to see the players in the first team. "We know we've got good players and if
they get opportunities they've got to take them and keep knocking on the
manager's door. "That's the message throughout the whole season."

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Dev Squad held by Shakhtar
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Absolute Sports Travel Cup campaign started with a 0-0
draw against Shakhtar Donetsk
19.07.2014

Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Development Squad
Absolute Sports Travel Cup

The Development Squad opened the Absolute Sports Travel Cup at Cambridge
United with a 0-0 draw against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Saturday.
West Ham created the better chances on a sultry afternoon at the R Costings
Abbey Stadium, but were unable to find a route to goal. Kieran Sadlier came
closest of all with a thunderous shot which cannoned off the crossbar, while
Shakhtar's best opportunity fell to sub Artem Gabelock, who was denied by
Danny Boness from the edge of the box. The Hammers had the first opportunity
of the game as Seb Lletget knocked the ball past his man before passing into
Elliot Lee, who moved onto his right foot before shooting into keeper Yevgen
Grytsenko's hands. Shakhtar responded with an early chance of their own when
they won a corner down the left and Rotislav Rusin was able to control at
the far post before firing in a shot which teammate Nikita Bezugliy
deflected wide. With seven minutes on the clock Blair Turgott profited from
a loose Shakhtar pass to pick up possession in midfield and drive towards
goal, but his right-footed effort from 20 yards flew straight into
Grytsenko's grasp.

After Lee sent another sbot down the goalkeeper's throat, Tim Brown was
tested for the first time when Valery Hryshyn's curling effort needed to be
pushed off its goalward track, West Ham continued to probe and they were so
unlucky not to open the scoring on 36 minutes when Sadlier fired a dipping
shot from 25 yards which had Grytsenko beaten all ends up, but came crashing
down off the crossbar and away to safety. The Hammers started the second
period on the front foot too, and were a foot or so away from taking the
lead nine minutes after the restart when Turgott passed square to Lletget,
who controlled with his first touch and shot goalward with his second, with
the ball passing just the wrong side of the post. On the hour, Turgott
wriggled out of a couple of challenges down the right and crossed to the far
post, but half-time sub Alex Pike's effort was deflected behind for a
corner. With 62 minutes played, a further nine substitutes joined Pike in
the Hammers' side as Nick Haycock gave pitch time to nearly every member of
his squad. 12 minutes from time, sub keeper Danny Boness was extended by
Artem Gabelock's scorcher from the edge of the box, but he was equal to the
test. That prompted Shakhtar's most threatening spell of the game, but the
Hammers saw it out as neither team were able to make a breakthrough. The
Hammers take on Espanyol to close their Absolute Sports Travel Cup campaign
on Sunday, with kick-off at Cambridge United again at 2pm.

West Ham United: T.Brown (Boness 77); Westley (Knoyle 62), Burke (Harney
62), Oxford (Onariase 62), Page (Mavila 62); Bywater (Nasha 62), Cullen
(Makasi 62); Turgott (Gordon 62), Lletget (Parfitt-Williams 62), Sadlier
(Pike 46 (Amoo 77)); Lee (McCallum 62)

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Hammers arrive in New Zealand
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have touched down in New Zealand for the first day of the
Club's Football United Tour
19.07.2014

West Ham United have touched down in New Zealand ahead of the Club's
nine-day Football United Tour. The Hammers squad completed their 31-hour,
11,400-mile journey from London to Auckland via stops in Dubai and Sydney on
Saturday afternoon. On their arrival at the team hotel, the group received a
pōwhiri - traditional Māori ceremony of welcome that began with a wero -
challenge - from Haka International that was followed by dancing and
singing. Following the pōwhiri, the Hammers received a welcome from Nikki
Kaye - MP for Auckland Central and a Cabinet Minister in the New Zealand
Government.
Following a press conference attended by Sam Allardyce, New Zealand All
Whites captain Winston Reid, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll, the day of
acclimatisation continued with a walk around central Auckland, which ended
with the players marvelling at daredevils bungee jumping off the top of the
Sky Tower - New Zealand's tallest building.

Big Sam has brought a strong 24-man party to the other side of the world,
Reid, Carroll, Nolan, Hammer of the Year Mark Noble and summer signings
Cheikhou Kouyate, Mauro Zarate, Aaron Cresswell and Diego Poyet.
Joint-Chairman David Gold has also made the trip and was an interested
observer at the press conference. He will join thousands of Hammers fans
from across the globe at fixtures with Wellington Phoenix in Auckland on 23
July and Sydney FC in Wellington three days later.

The Football United Tour is one of the biggest soccer events ever held in
New Zealand, marking the first time in 29 years that an English top-flight
team has visited the country. With fellow Barclays Premier League club
Newcastle United also involved, four matches will be held at venues across
North and South Island, capturing the imagination of supporters from across
the region and beyond. West Ham will kick-off the tour with an Open Training
session at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday morning, with fans invited to
come along to watch the players in action. Further Open Training sessions
will be held at North Harbour on Monday, Eden Park on Tuesday and at Westpac
Stadium in Wellington on Friday.

Aside from the football, the squad will be taking part in a full programme
of community, fan engagement and corporate events in both cities. Among
them, the Hammers will be welcoming youngsters from Reid's old primary
school to train with them, visiting the UK High Commission and meeting a
variety of supporters' and other local groups. In their down time, the
players are also expected to scale New Zealand's highest building -
Auckland's Sky Tower - and visit the Weta Workshop, where the award-winning
special effects for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films were created.

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A moment of clarity
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 18th July 2014
By: David Hautzig

I've heard the term "a moment of clarity" used many times in various
scenarios. Since my brain tends to gravitate towards the less intellectual
side of things, I couldn't help but remember that amazing scene in Pulp
Fiction where Jules tells Vincent that he is leaving the life of crime that
they are both immersed in.
Jules says he had "what alcoholics refer to as a Moment Of Clarity" right
after a bunch of bullets whizz by their ears and Vincent subsequently blows
Marvin's face off with a shotgun in the back of their car. I wanted to find
a more clinical definition of the phrase, and this is what I've found.

"A moment of clarity is when you suddenly get a deep understanding of some
truth that's been out of reach for you".

Deserved or not, The David's have a reputation among many West Ham United
supporters of being not exactly the most ambitious owners in terms of buying
players. They point to their history of being relegated four times, three
times with Birmingham City and once with us. They claim that our board make
derisory bids, knowing they will be rejected, just so they can claim to have
tried. And to get us linked with tons of players to help drive ticket sales.


One particularly vocal, and sometimes vulgar, guy on Twitter goes on
endlessly about that fact. Any time we are linked with a decent player he
will scream that it will never happen, that all we will ever get are "loans,
freebies, and cheap foreign imports". But in the past few days, even THAT
guy has been offering praise to his sworn lifelong enemies. I wondered if
his account had been hacked I was so shocked.

I'm not saying that I believe they do all of the squirmy things described
above. I have no idea. But by the same token, I can't say that they don't
manipulate the media and the fans to accomplish certain goals. Nothing in
big money business surprises me anymore.

But look at our window so far. All five players are of sufficient quality or
value that the minute their names came up alongside ours, none of you can
tell me that you were not only concerned something would go wrong, you
expected it to. But each one have come over the line.

Mauro Zarate

When he signed, I immediately called an Argentine friend of mine. He was
pretty clear. We got a very good player, he told me. I wrote about it
elsewhere if you want to have a look.

Cheikhou Kouyate

It took about five seconds after the first round of rumours that people took
to Twitter saying they would be over the moon if we pulled that off. In many
cases it was followed by a second Tweet saying they were sure it would never
happen, it was a season ticket ploy, yada yada yada.

Aaron Cresswell

A slight exception here, only because his name came up so quickly we didn't
have time to become anxious. That's probably one of the reasons some
supporters have taken to Twitter recently to criticise the move because it
scuppered a deal for another highly rated back from Nice with a painfully
difficult name to spell. But I'm pretty sure if we had been linked with the
left back named to The Championship Top 11 for a few weeks, doom and gloom
would have reared its regularly scheduled head.

Having never watched either player, I'd go for a top defender from a league
where tough defense and physical play is the standard over a top defender
from a league not exactly known for its defensive play. Oh, and Cresswell
was a lot less expensive than that Kolo guy.

Diego Poyet

I can only judge by the people criticising the kid for coming to us when
other "bigger" teams were interested in him that this is a good deal for us.

Enner Valencia

Our latest arrival. Usually when a player bursts on the scene during the
World Cup like Valencia has it's the teams that print their own currency
that take the high priced risk. 18 goals in 23 games for Pachuca, three
goals at The World Cup. OK, Harry. Come and get him. Or will Everton kidnap
him? Maybe a club in Spain?

So why the shift in the paradigm?

I'm thinking fear ignited our board's Moment Of Clarity. As terrified as we
all were at times last season of being relegated, you have to believe they
were absolutely soiling themselves from terror. The Olympic Stadium, Andy
Carroll's contract, the new television deal. Not to mention the extremely
competitive nature of The Championship threatening to grab hold of us and
not let go for a very long time.

Somewhere, somehow, they realized they had to alter their plans and their
way of thinking. The rewards were too great, the risks too dire. By adding a
little more creativity to their transfer window approach, along with a
little more money, they could make their lives a lot easier.

And anybody still against the Olympic Stadium move, ask yourself this
question. Do you think the owners used the Olympic Stadium as a selling tool
to convince these players to choose West Ham? Of course they did. Would they
have been able to sell West Ham as a team with a brighter future than
present if we were staying at Upton Park? I seriously doubt it.

Obviously the ultimate judgment on these moves will come on the pitch. For
all I know these guys could be sequels to the Maiga and Diarra horror
movies. But to my way of thinking, there would have been little to no chance
to see this play out if David Sullivan and David Gold hadn't taken a long
hard look at themselves and decided these old dogs need to learn some new
tricks.

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West Ham are relishing their Football United Tour of New Zealand, says Sam
Allardyce
By Emma Webb | Last Updated: 19/07/14 3:17pm
SSN

West Ham United are relishing their Football United Tour of New Zealand,
says manager Sam Allardyce. Allardyce, speaking alongside captain Kevin
Nolan, Andy Carroll and Winston Reid, praised the traditional welcome from
their hosts and spoke of their enthusiasm for their upcoming fixtures
against Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC. "It's fantastic for us to travel
and experience this part of the world," he told the club's official website.
"We're all really looking forward to it and our pre-season is going to be
enhanced not just by us taking a tour but also from a cultural point of
view. "Our welcome was fantastic. It's a tradition for New Zealand and we've
all seen the Haka before, but we'd not seen the whole thing and had it
explained to us as it was. It was very interesting and a great welcome from
our point of view. "We're all very much looking forward to seeing the sights
of New Zealand, as well as playing football here and promoting West Ham and
the Barclays Premier League worldwide."

West Ham's 2013/14 campaign suffered under the strain of repeated injuries,
and Allardyce is desperate for the team to remain fit through the tour and
be ready for Tottenham on August 16. For Reid and Carroll, the challenge of
staying fit is one they are relishing after a 2013/14 season ruined by ankle
and foot problems respectively. "I was out for four months and I came back
into the team but it was a little hard to get going again but I got there in
the end," said Reid.
"It will be nice to get another full pre-season under my belt. I'm just
looking forward to a pre-season with no injures."

Carroll is equally determined to stay fit and show everyone exactly what he
can do in a West Ham shirt. "It's a very important pre-season for me after I
had a very bad season last year with injuries. It's important I stay fit and
do everything right with the medical staff." West Ham face A-League sides
Wellington Phoenix at Eden Park, Auckland on 23 July and Sydney FC at
Westpac Stadium, Wellington on 26 July.

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IS A SHOCK £15M BID FOR ANDY CARROLL ON ITS WAY?
By S J Chandos 20 Jul 2014 at 08:00
West Ham till I Die

The Sports pages of the Sunday Mirror have an article claiming that
Newcastle Utd are preparing a shock £15m bid for Andy Carroll. Of course,
Newcastle Utd have lost out twice to the Hammers recently where Carroll is
concerned, in terms of the orginal loan deal that brought him to the club in
2012-13 and the £15m permanent deal struck last summer. As we know,
Carroll's 2013-14 season was severely disrupted by injury and this
ultimately resulted in him missing out on inclusion in the England Squad for
the 2014 World Cup Finals. There has already been recent speculation in
social media that Carroll reported back for club pre-season training,
allegedly, not in the very best of physical conditions. That has not been
confirmed and the club have since claimed that Carroll is being nursed in
early pre-season as a result of a minor injury.

if this story of an impending Toon bid prove to be true, should the club
take the £15m and re-invested it in another striker minus Carroll's
fustrating injury record? Or alternatively, should the club keep faith with
Carroll's ability and accordingly reject any bid received? It begs the key
question, can Carroll stay fit and recapture the form that made him such a
prospect as a youngster at Newcastle Utd? Or should West Ham grab the £15m
fee and just draw a line under the episode? One probable obstacle to a deal
being struck could be Sam Allardyce, who places great store in Carroll and
sees him as central to his plans. it is unlikley that he will willingly
endorse a move. Another is whether Newcastle Utd will be able to match
Carroll's alleged current c.£100,000 plus a week wages? We shall have to
wait and see what (if anything) transpires on this one?

Elsewhere, it is also being reported that West Ham are lining up a double
loan swoop for 22 year old, Inter-Milan, Algerian International midfielder,
Saphir Taider and Malaga's Portuguese full-back Vitorino Antunes, 27. If
successful, both loan deals will be for the duration of next season and
include an option to buy the players next summer. There are also strong
rumours that West Ham are interested in taking Wilfred Zaha and/or Ashley
Young on loan from Man Utd. A lot will depend upon the new managerial regime
at Old Trafford and whether they are identified as surplus to requirements
next season?

As well as Taider, we are also being linked with another Inter-Milan
midfielder, Esteban Cambiasso. There is conjecture that Sam Allardyce is
trying to clinch the Bosman signing of Cambiasso with 'the financial carrot'
of an attractive £50,000 a week, two year deal. However, there is
competition for the 34 year old veteran's signature, in the form of Aston
Villa and Valencia. Cambiasso is a former Argentine international and a
defensive midfielder, with a good range of passing ability. If we were to
sign him then that would be a clear indicatior, following the signing of
Kouyate and Poyet, that a 4-2-1-3 formation that is going to figure
prominently in our tactics next season. This deal could also be seen as an
alternative move to sign an experienced 'older head' in midfield, in the
aftermath of our abortive Bosman bid for Gareth Barry.

Finally, Stephen Henderson has now left the club (by mutual consent) and
Raphael Speigel has gone out on loan to Crawley Town. That would seem to
indicate that another keeper could very well be signed. Additionally, there
are widespread reports linking us with either a c.£5m bid, or a season long
loan, for Arsenal's promising young right-back, Carl Jenkinson. Again, this
might suggest that an exit could very well be on the cards for Guy Demel,
with either Hamburg or Leicester City being his destination in a possible
£1m deal?

SJ. Chandos.

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ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
By Sean Whetstone 19 Jul 2014 at 18:10
West Ham till I Die

West Ham made an official statement to confirm out of favor goalie Stephen
Henderson has been released

In a short statement WHUFC.com said:

"West Ham United can confirm that the Club and Stephen Henderson have
reached a mutual agreement to terminate the goalkeeper's contract and
registration with immediate effect. Henderson joined the Hammers from
Portsmouth, initially on loan, in March 2012, but was restricted to two
League Cup appearances during his time at the Club and his release means he
is now free to pursue opportunities elsewhere.West Ham United would like to
thank Stephen for his efforts at the Club and wish him well for his future
career."

In March 2012, Henderson West Ham United on an emergency loan from
Portsmouth until the end of the season. He was unused substitute for the
2012 Football League Championship play-off Final, a result that ensured West
Ham made an immediate return to the Premier League.In May 2012, Henderson
joined West Ham permanently on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
He made his first team debut for West Ham on 28 August 2012 against Crewe
Alexandra in the League Cup. West Ham won the match 2–0. He joined
Championship club Ipswich Town on a three-month loan in October 2012 and
made his debut in a 2–1 defeat at Hull City on 20 October. He made 16
appearances for Ipswich, and re-signed for the club on loan for the rest of
the season on 31 January 2013.He was recalled to West Ham on 21 March 2013.

In October 2013 Henderson signed for Bournemouth on a three-month loan as
cover for the suspended first choice goalkeeper Ryan Allsop and the injured
second choice goalkeeper, Darryl Flahavan. In the second game of his loan
spell, an away game against Nottingham Forest, Henderson dislocated his
shoulder after colliding with Forest's Simon Cox. He returned to West Ham
for treatment for the injury which was expected to keep him out of football
for six months.

Henderson was believed to have earned £20,000 per week at West Ham had a
year remaining on his contract worth £1m. The usual practice to pay up 75%
of that so he may have walked away from a £750,000 golden handshake.

In recent weeks Henderson was linked with Ipswich, Charlton and Brighton and
Hove Albion but it appears his wage demands were too high with West Ham
asked subsidise the majority of wages for season loan. This outcome means a
clean break for the club and player.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
COLLISON TRAINING WITH HARRY
By Sean Whetstone 19 Jul 2014 at 13:22
West Ham Till I Die

QPR manager and former West Ham gaffer Harry Redknapp is having a look at
former Hammer Jack Collison who is training with them. Harry said in a press
conference

"Jack Collison is training with us. He's a smashing boy and I'd love to help
him out. He's a fine player."
The 25-year-old is without a club after leaving West Ham at the end of the
season following nine years in east London. Collison, spent spells on loan
at Bournemouth and Wigan last season and has recently been linked with a
move to Nottingham Forest. Collison made 121 appearances for the Hammers
after progressing through the club's youth system, scoring 14 goals.

Earlier this week the rather shy and modest Jack Collison appeared on BBC
Radio Five LIVE to give a rare 30 minute Interview. I was invited to ask him
some questions at the end of the interview with two other Hammers.

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Newcastle plot Andy Carroll transfer back home from West Ham in £15million
deal
Jul 19, 2014 23:00 By Alan Oliver
The Mirror

Newcastle want to take Geordie hero Andy Carroll back to Tyneside, writes
Alan Oliver in the Sunday People. The 25-year-old hitman's career has
stalled since he moved from St James' Park to Liverpool for £35million in
January 2011, and a switch to West Ham for £15m has failed to reignite him.
Now Toon boss Alan Pardew believes he can persuade the Londoners to sell
after they snapped up two South American ­strikers this summer. Pardew is
ready to offer the Londoners their £15m back to bring the England star home
to the north east. And if Pardew gets Carroll he will drop his interest in
Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha. A Toon source said: "Like all
Geordies, Andy Carroll has never lost his love for Newcastle and we are sure
if West Ham agree to sell we would have no difficulty in persuading him to
come home." The stumbling block is wages. Carroll picked up £120,000 a week
at Anfield and is on similar money at Upton Park – but there is no way the
St James' Park club will pay that kind of salary. But the lure of the
black-and-white shirt is strong and the Toon source added: "Don't forget
Alan Shearer turned down Manchester United to come home to Newcastle."
Carroll has spent much of his time at West Ham on the treatment table and
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce may be happy to sell now he has Ecuador's World
Cup star Enner Valencia and Argentinian front-man Mauro Zarate. With Papiss
Cisse injured, Pardew is desperate to sign another striker to partner new
boy Emmanuel Riviere for champions Manchester City's visit to St James' on
August 17.

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Irons rule out Man City defender
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 19, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham's hunt for a new right back is unlikely to lead them to Manchester
City's Micah Richards . It became clear yesterday (Fri) the club are
looking to add a right back to the squad with Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson a
prime target. At present the Hammers are trying to establish whether the
Gunners are ready to allow the exciting wing-back out on loan or even allow
a permanent move at around £5 million. In commenting on the interest an
Upton Park insider said: "Carl Jenkinson is one we are looking at along with
several others."

Richards had previously been the highest profile name linked with the club
for that position and thus ClaretandHugh inquired directly whether he was
still a target. Our source said: "Micah Richards is a very decent player but
very expensive and also seems to be injury prone. I don't think we'll be
moving in that direction."

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Don't judge Reid's reaction after 23 hours in the air
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 19, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Within minutes of posting a video of the Hammers arriving in New Zealand
this morning ClaretandHugh was receiving despondent messages from all over
telling us that Winston Reid looked like a man preparing to leave the club.
Confronted by a local hero, it didn't take the Kiwi media long to start
addressing the issue of an unsigned West Ham contract which ClaretandHugh
understands to be in excess of £60k a week. And we are told it will stand
until he returns from his homeland when the club will want a decision which
is par for the course with our management when negotiating with our top
players. They need a decision from them in order to plot a way forward as,
to quote the oldest cliche in the game, no player is bigger than the club
and to avoid last minute assents should any bids fail to come in.

However, before anybody starts assuming the worst, let's remember just two
things:

O Winston had just disembarked from a a 23 hour flight and clearly wasn't
at his best – who would be?

O and he is known to be one of the most laid back men in the world and not
one who would make bold proclamations on such an issue either way.

Given the size of the offer made to him, it will take a top six club to come
in for him to do better and that hasn't happened yet. At the moment it looks
like a re-run of the Mohamed Diame situation but all should become clear
within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, it would be unwise to
start making predictions on what might happen based on a brief press
conference at the end of a flight that would leave most of us shattered. The
media reaction was not unexpected but nothing has changed. My view? Unless
an offer comes in I think Winston would do well to accept a blinding deal
for with no interest having emerged this summer or in the past he would be
taking an enormous chance should he decide otherwise..

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Gold on Carroll fitness
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 19, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold is confident Andy Carroll will play his part during the tour of
New Zealand. Rumours have been surrounding the striker's fitness after he
missed both the team's pre-season friendlies this far this summer. He was
absent for the 2-2 and 0-0 draws at Stevenage Town and Ipswich Town in
midweek before the squad flew out to New Zealand. That was followed by a
Twitter suggestion that the No 9 had reported back unfit and that he would
be put on an intensive training programme. However, Gold made it clear that
the player is expected to be involved in the upcoming games in NZ. He told
ClaretandHugh exclusively: "Andy has a slight niggle which is not uncommon
among players at this time of the year but I am confident he will be
involved."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee missing from NZ squad
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 19, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Elliot Lee is a notable absentee from the Hammers squad which has flown into
New Zealand for the start of the pre-season tour. A mix of regular first
teamers plus the new signings – along with some promising youngsters have
made the trip.

Lee is the only surprise omission and the full squad is as follows: Kevin
Nolan (captain), Mark Noble (vice captain), Winston Reid, Aaron Cresswell,
James Tomkins, Matt Jarvis, Cheikhou Kouyate, Andy Carroll, Mauro Zarate,
Stewart Downing, Ricardo Vaz Te, Adrian, Joey O'Brien. James Collins, Guy
Demel, Mohamed Diame, Jussi Jaaskalainen Diego Poyet, Carlton Cole, Daniel
Potts, Sam Howes, Daniel Whitehead, Matthias Fanimo and Leo Chambers.

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