Daily WHUFC News - 11th November 2014

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
After five games unbeaten, Sam Allardyce is delighted with the squad's
strength in depth
09.11.2014

Sam Allardyce praised his squad's strength in depth after West Ham United
extended their unbeaten run to five games following the 0-0 draw with Aston
Villa at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. Allardyce elected to start with the
in-form strike partnership of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, who have
scored nine league goals between them, but despite being on top for the
majority of the game, the Hammers were unable to break the deadlock. Big Sam
sought to change that by bringing on Carlton Cole and Andy Carroll as
second-half substitutes, with the latter making his first appearance of the
season after returning from an ankle injury. "Our strength in depth is a
real asset," Big Sam explained. "Now we have four strikers available it's
given us the opportunity to change the system when we lulled a bit in the
second half. "That ability to change the personnel allowed us to give the
fans an exciting finish to the game and I think that will stand us in good
stead for the rest of the season. The only thing was while our finishing was
good, their keeper was even better."

Speaking about Carroll's return to first-team football, the manager said
that while he was delighted to see the powerful striker back on the pitch,
he stressed that it would take several games before he is back to full
fitness. "He's still five or six games away from being fully fit. It's
pre-season for him really, so we'll gradually increase his pitch time and
see how he copes and how quickly he recovers.
"We need to be careful that we don't rush him back too quickly because we
don't want to risk him getting injured again. Thankfully our squad is
working well at the moment and that gives me the freedom to slowly work him
back into the side. We'll take each week as it comes and go by a game by
game basis. "It's great to see him back out there. He loves playing football
so to be out for such a long period was very frustrating for him. He's
worked incredibly hard to get back fit and he's back ahead of schedule,
which is excellent. "It also goes to show his desire and hunger to play
football. I think he demonstrated that in the few minutes he was on. We also
have Coley fit and looking good. Valencia and Sakho are looking better and
better as a partnership the more they play together."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
See how the five West Ham United loanees fared this weekend
10.11.2014

George Moncur played the first 60 minutes as Colchester United beat
Conference South side Gosport Borough 6-3 in a thrilling encounter in the FA
Cup first round.

Goals from Gavin Massey, Sanchez Watt, Alex Gilbey, Sammie Szmodics and two
from Freddie Sears secured the win. The score was 4-2 to the U's when Moncur
was replaced by Craig Eastmond

Modibo Maiga played the full game as FC Metz lost 3-0 to Toulouse. Goals
from Pantxi Sirieix, Wissam Ben Yedder and Aleksandar Pesic saw the home
side win emphatically.

Sean Maguire did not play for Accrington Stanley as they drew 0-0 away to
Notts County in the FA Cup first round.

Diego Poyet was an unused substitute in Huddersfield Town 3-1 defeat by
Fulham. Goals from Hugo Rodallega, Vigen Christensen and Ross McCormack
secured the victory for Kit Symons' men. The talented midfielder was not
expected to feature having joined the club just 24 hours before kick off.

Ravel Morrison was not involved in Cardiff City's 0-0 draw away to
Birmingham City who are unbeaten since new manager Gary Rowett took charge.

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Tevez and Messi in town!
WHUFC.com
Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi and co trained at the Hammers' Rush Green
training complex on Monday
27.10.2014

Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi trained at West Ham United's Rush Green
training complex on Monday afternoon, as the build-up to Wednesday's
international showdown with Croatia at the Boleyn Ground hots up. Fans
favourite Tevez was joined by a full Argentinian squad, Messi and all, as
manager Gerardo Martino put his side through their paces in east London 48
hours ahead of kick-off. Wednesday's prestige friendly will pit Tevez,
Messi and company against their fellow 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in
what promises to be a hugely entertaining clash.

The 7.45pm kick-off could also see Argentina's former Hammers midfielder
Javier Mascherano return to east London, while ex-West Ham striker Davor
Suker is now President of the Croatian Football Federation. Messi could be
just one of a host of household names on show for La Albiceleste, with
Barclays Premier League stars Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria, Erik Lamela and
Pablo Zabaleta all among the familiar faces at Rush Green.

Croatia also possess a strong group of players, with Real Madrid playmaker
Luka Modric, Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic and Messi's Barcelona
team-mate Ivan Rakitic all expected to be involved. The two nations have met
three times previously, with each recording one victory. The most-recent
meeting took place in Switzerland in March 2006, when Messi and former
Hammers striker Tevez were on target, but Croatia won 3-2. Argentina will be
playing in London for the first time since September 2006, when they took on
South American rivals Brazil at Arsenal, losing 2-0. Croatia's most-recent
visit to London was also an unhappy one, with England running out 5-1
winners in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at Wembley in September 2009.

Tickets for the match are on General Sale now and are available directly
from West Ham United.
Standard Ticket prices start from £25 for Adults and £15 for Over-65s and
Under-16s. Disabled Ticket prices are the same, including a complimentary
carer. Family Tickets priced at £60 for two Adults and two Under-16s are
also available in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand Upper.
Demand for tickets for this exciting fixture is expected to be high, so fans
are urged to book early to avoid disappointment.
To make sure of your seat now, click here, call 0871 529 1966 (calls cost
10p/min plus network extras) or buy in person at the Alpari Stand Ticket
Office.
Corporate hospitality packages are also available, with Executive Boxes
available for just £1,250 plus VAT and lounge packages starting from only
£60 per person plus VAT. To book a package now, please 0871 091 1911 (calls
cost 10p/min plus network extras).

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Noble thrilled with squad strength
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes the strength of West Ham United's squad bodes well for a
positive season
10.11.2014

Mark Noble is determined to keep West Ham United in the upper reaches of the
Barclays Premier League table for the long haul. Despite being frustrated by
Aston Villa in a 0-0 draw at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, the Hammers
moved back up to fourth in the league, with a further boost being provided
by the return from injury of Andy Carroll. Noble believes that, with the
squad returning to full strength, the Hammers are well placed to build on
their strong start to the campaign. He explained: "It was a good performance
from the lads and it was nice to have Andy back out there. It's a very good
squad with a lot of comeptition for places. "We've got to thrive off that
competition and want to get better. "It's been a successful period for us
since the last international break. We came back from Stoke after a big
performance and got another point on Saturday, but most importantly a clean
sheet and a good performance. "We have to carry on and look forward to the
next game. We can't dwell on how well we're playing or how many points we've
got. We need to try to stay in this position as long as we can."

As for Saturday's game itself, Noble held mixed feelings after a positive
performance was not matched with the maximum reward. "We're a little bit
gutted if we're honest," he continued. "We played well enough to win the
three points and created enough chances to score goals but sometimes it
doesn't go for you. "Villa got that little bit of luck on Saturday that
nothing quite hit the back of the net for us, but we're in good form, we got
another point and are fourth in the league. "We keep picking up points and
it's another clean sheet so it's looking good for us."

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Ravel Morrison cleared of acid threats to ex-girlfriend
BBC.co.uk
Ravel Morrison has four England Under-21 caps

England Under-21 footballer Ravel Morrison has been cleared of threatening
to throw acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend, have her killed and blow up
her house. He was accused of harassing Reah Mansoor, 19, over four years but
the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the allegation at Manchester Crown
Court. The West Ham star, 21, who is on loan at Cardiff City, denies three
remaining charges of assault against Miss Mansoor and her mother, Parveen
Mansoor. He will stand trial on 26 January. Mr Morrison, who is originally
from Manchester, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault by beating and
one of assault causing actual bodily harm on 24 July. The midfielder was
bailed on condition he lives at an address in Cardiff and does not contact
his ex-girlfriend and Ms Mansoor, 39. He cannot enter the Greater Manchester
area unless he has a court appearance or when he plays in his professional
capacity. Mr Morrison played for Manchester United and appeared in the
League Cup before former manager Sir Alex Ferguson sold him to West Ham for
£650,000 in January 2012. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce later loaned him to
Birmingham and Queens Park Rangers. Mr Morrison, who has four England
Under-21 caps, is currently playing for Championship club Cardiff City on a
three-month loan deal.

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Ravel Morrison 'murder' charge dropped
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Ravel Morrison has been found not guilty of threatening to have a former
girlfriend murdered. The 21-year-old midfielder, currently on loan at
Championship club Cardiff City appeared at Manchester Crown Court this
morning where he was informed that a charge relating to harassment was being
dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service and recorded as a 'not guilty'
verdict. It had been alleged that Morrison threatened to have acid thrown
in the woman's face in exchange for £10,000 - just one of a string of
incidents that were said to have occurred between 2010 and earlier this
year, when the England under-21 international was briefly imprisoned before
being released on bail following his arrest in Manchester on Sunday, 27
July.

Police had been called to an address on Alexandra Road, Salford, following
reports that a 19-year-old woman - Morrison's former girlfriend Reah Mansoor
- and her mother, 39-year-old Parveen Mansoor, had been assaulted. Whilst
Morrison - whose contract at West Ham is unlikely to be renewed - will no
doubt welcome today's news, he was reminded that he should return to court
in January of next year to face outstanding charges of actual bodily harm
and assault.

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Powell seeking to extend Poyet loan
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Current Huddersfield boss Chris Powell has admitted he hopes to retain the
services of Diego Poyet beyond the agreed 28-day period. The 19-year-old
midfielder moved to West Ham in the summer via Charlton, where Poyet and
Powell were both previously employed. Having developed a positive working
relationship at The Addicks, the Terriers boss is delighted to once again
team up with Poyet. "He's made his Premier League bow for West Ham and we
will give him further Championship experience," said Powell. "I am grateful
that the club has demonstrated a willingness to enhance the squad and move
quickly to get the move done. "We only met him at 6.30pm on Friday night
down here in the hotel. He wasn't involved in any of the preparation going
into the game so it was about him being involved in the squad today
(Saturday). "There is a quality player there and it is really good for us
that West Ham have allowed him to come to us for an initial 28 days, and we
will see from there. The busy December and Christmas period is coming up
where you can't bring players in, so it is important to get the squad
right." "I have kept my eye on Diego, obviously I know him well from
Charlton. He will make us a better team for sure. He is a tenacious midfield
player with a great range of passing, should dovetail brilliantly with our
other midfield players at the Club and fit right into the squad in terms of
his personality."

Poyet - who has been given the number 44 shirt - was an unused substitute as
Huddersfield went down 3-1 at Fulham in the battle of the Championship
strugglers on Saturday. It's a defeat that leaves Powell's side just four
points above the relegation zone. The Terriers next fixture is against
Sheffield Wednesday 12 days from now.

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Long ball, tall story
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's five-match unbeaten run is currently only bettered by
Chelsea in the Premier League. Victories against Queens Park Rangers,
Burnley and Manchester City - added to the two recent draws against Stoke
and Aston Villa on Saturday - have helped catapult Sam Allardyce's side into
the higher echelons of the Premier League. Only the league leaders - who are
still unbeaten this season having won nine and drawn two - can boast a
better record, although Newcastle - who have won their last four under Alan
Pardew - are also unbeaten in five.

* Whilst West Ham have been largely praised for their apparent change in
emphasis when in possession of the ball this season, the stats tell a
slightly different story.

Almost one-third of West Ham's goals this season have arrived from set
pieces - a total of six goals (two at home, four away), the league's highest
and a number that only next weekend's opponents Everton can currently match.
In contrast, West Ham's total of 11 goals scored from open play is bettered
by six clubs.

* As for the long ball tag with which Big Sam has long been tainted, West
Ham's average of 66 long passes per game is only the tenth highest in the
Premier League.

Strugglers Burnley currently top that particular chart with an average of
73, closely followed by Manchester United and fellow new boys Leicester City
(73). Arsenal, with the league's lowest score of 42 can genuinely claim to
"play on the floor" - certainly not Southampton, as suggested by their fans
last season, who have the fifth highest total on 71.

* Andy Carroll's return to the fold will almost certainly encourage the
likes of Aaron Cresswell, Carl Jenkinson and Stewart Downing to fire more
crosses into the box. Yet even without the England international, West Ham's
average of 26 crosses per game so far this season is only marginally
bettered by Arsenal and Southampton (27 each) and matched by Manchester
United.

Conversely, West Ham's 313 short passes attempted on average per game is one
of the league's lowest; only last weekend's opponents Aston Villa (309),
Crystal Palace (236) and Premier League newcomers Burnley (295) and QPR
(297) have attempted fewer. Arsenal again lead the way with 567 per match.

* The north London club also lead the average possession chart having
enjoyed a shade under 60 per cent per match. West Ham, perhaps surprisingly
given the club's overall form are way down in 14th place with just 47.1 per
cent - the lowest possession rate outside of the Premier League's bottom six
clubs.

Oddly perhaps, Allardyce's side have seen slightly more of the ball away
from home - 49.7 per cent on their travels (9th overall) compared to just
44.9 per cent on average (16th) at the Boleyn Ground. Meanwhile West Ham's
combined pass success rate of 76.4 per cent is also way down the table in
15th (again, only better than the league's bottom five clubs).

* Given that the opposition have tended to see more of the ball so far this
campaign is has been essential that West Ham have been able to rely on their
defence. James Collins has been a rock at the back in recent weeks and only
Jason Shackell (Burnley, 11.5) and Michael Dawson (Hull, 11.2) have averaged
more clearances per game than the Welsh international (11). Winston Reid
(with 9.5 clearances per match) and James Tomkins (9.4) also feature in that
particular top ten.

* In terms of goalscorers, Diafra Sakho's average of 3.4 shots per game is
the league's seventh highest total (led by Man City's Sergio Aguero with
5.2). The Senegal international rises to third in the table if only
considering attempts at goal away from home (4.0) with Stewart Downing
appearing on that list in sixth place (3.2).

* Finally, despite having make an apparently promising start to his new
career at Hull, the Premier League's most dispossessed player so far during
the current campaign (3.3 lost challenges per game) is ... Hull City's Mo
Diame.

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Morrison cleared of threatening to throw acid at his ex-girlfriend and have
her killed
Last Updated: 10/11/14 1:43pm
SSN

West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison has been cleared of threatening to throw
acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend and have her killed.
The 21-year-old was said to have harassed Reah Mansoor over a four-year
period but the Crown Prosecution Service have formally withdrawn the
allegation. Morrison, who is currently on loan at Cardiff City, was also
accused of threatening to blow up Miss Mansoor's house as part of the
alleged conduct between January 2010 and July this year. A not guilty
verdict on Morrison's harassment charge was formally recorded in a case
management hearing at Manchester Crown Court, which the footballer attended.
Morrison will stand trial at the same court on January 26 on three remaining
charges of assaulting Miss Mansoor, 19, and her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39,
in the early hours of July 24. The ex-Manchester United player denied the
harassment charge at a preliminary hearing held in August. He also pleaded
not guilty to two counts of assault by beating and one of assault causing
actual bodily harm. Morrison was bailed on condition he lives at an address
in Cardiff, does not contact the two women complainants, and does not enter
the Greater Manchester area except for a court appearance or when he plays
in his professional capacity.

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NO OFFERS PLEASE - THESE HAMMERS ARE NOT FOR SALE!
By HamburgHammer 10 Nov 2014 at 13:52
West Ham Till I Die

Another break for some International footie and the Hammers are still
sitting comfortably in fourth place in the Premier League table. Yes, that's
your good old West Ham United, we are still talking football and after
numerous gruesome pinching sessions I have convinced myself that this is in
fact really happening.
I'm salivating at the thought of our options in upcoming games with a fully
fit squad as Demel should also return after the break, same as Zarate who
apparently had a bit of a niggle (nothing more) before the Villa game and
according to some usually well informed sources is still very much in our
plans for the future.
Life is bizarrely very good for a West Ham fan right now.


Which brings out the pedantic side in this particular German, the worrying
side which makes one feel suspicious if things go too smoothly and so much
better than according to the realistic and conservative plan we may have had
at the start of the season. And it got me thinking about the boring domestic
league I have to suffer at home, the Bundesliga. I hear you all collectively
sigh: What is the prat talking about ? Standing terraces, cheap tickets,
beer allowed in the ground, some hugely entertaining football and a
fantastic national side to boot who are the current World Champions.

But trust me, this is now a league that's as boring as it gets. The one
reason: Bayern Munich. They seem to have a subscription on the title and
usually win it at a canter six or seven weeks before the season officially
ends, only every four or five years another team gets a shot, but even those
teams never really can close the gap to the mighty Bavarans for several
seasons in a row. Why ? Because Bayern have a habit of snatching away the
key players that make competitors tick. It's been happening since I started
watching football as a five year old in front of our black and white telly.
Before teams can build squads to really challenge Bayern for years to come
the key player(s) are presented with offers from Bayern that neither the
players nor their club can refuse. These players more often than not then
ride the Bayern bench for the next few years instead of being regular
starters. But Bayern don't care as long as Dortmund, Schalke, Stuttgart or
whoever cannot continue to benefit from those players. I've even got tired
of hating Bayern as it is so futile now, the best players from the league
are just being hoovered up by Bayern who rarely seem to lose out to even
bigger clubs like Real or Barcelona.
The result: Teams like Dortmund, Bremen, Stuttgart and Hamburg who at one
point were all title holders are now bumbling along the bottom of the table,
although it is of course not solely Bayern's fault they have fallen that far
behind.


For West Ham the situation is even more difficult as in the Premier League
there are several clubs doing the hoovering up on top of other moneybag
clubs of course like PSG, Real, Barcelona or the Milan clubs. West Ham have
always been known as a selling club, the Academy of Football developed the
players, they became good, but before they reached the 'brilliant' stage
they were sold to the highest bidder. And rarely for amounts that reflected
their true value.
With West Ham about to move into the OS this mentality has to change, even
at the risk of turning down some good or even fantastic financial offers
from other clubs.

I don't think other clubs see West Ham as a threat to the big clubs yet, so
there will be no deliberate effort to weaken our squad, but clubs will still
try to take our best players away from us, those that have hit the ground
running and those that have surprised us all with their breath of fresh air
performances: Guys like Sakho, Valencia, Downing, Kouyate, Song, Cresswell,
maybe even Adrian if he continues to improve.
Our board have mentioned in the recent past that we were no longer a selling
club and I reckon the time is near when we can put those statements to the
test of harsh reality.
Will we get weak in the knees when offers for Sakho and Valencia fly into
the club's offices ? Will we consider selling for 15 million ? 20 million ?
When does an offer become too good to turn down ?

I have a very strong opinion on this: You choose the players you consider to
be the spine of your team and then do a Barcelona, well, maybe a Barcelona
light – you slap ridiculous price tags on their heads to fend off interested
parties. You want Sakho who fits our team like a hand in glove ? Bidding
starts at 50 million.
Same for Valencia. Interested in Cresswell ? Well, have you got those 30
million available in cash please ? You get my drift.
Realistically you don't want to lose those spine players but if you have to
you at least ask for serious money that allows you to bring in adequate
replacements that will keep the team at the same level of quality.

I live in the real world. I know if any offers for our players reach a
certain level they will be gone in a flash. But I hope our board are true to
their statement.
We need to stop being a selling club if we want to be a challenger for years
to come and make the move into the OS a success.
We need to keep building our squad, not dismantling it once we've started
playing well. Let's try and make the Premier League a bit more interesting
in the next few years.
Mind you, it's a lot more interesting right now than the boring Bundesliga.

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Fit-again Andy Carroll insists he can adapt game to contribute to West Ham's
bright new dawn
Nov 09, 2014 22:30 By Neil McLeman
The former Liverpool forward made his return against Aston Villa and is
confident he can make an impact in the weeks ahead
The Mirror

Andy Carroll insisted he can play the new West Ham way after a typically
barnstorming return to the side in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa . Making
his first appearance of the season, the £15million star came off the bench
to force the brilliant Brad Guzan into two late saves from towering headers.
But without the England striker the Hammers have enjoyed their best ever
Premier League start, with summer signings Diafra Sakho and Enner Valenica
adding a new attacking dimension. Pace and movement with the ball on the
floor is this season's style rather than relying on route one. Yet Carroll,
who suffered an ankle injury in pre-season, said he is itching to show he
has the all-round game to play a central role in the future. "I have
enough quality on the floor as well as in the air – the style doesn't really
matter," he said. "It doesn't really affect me. People have got that image
of me, just on the end of long balls. "They have got the image of Sam
Allardyce and long balls. It just does not work like that. The gaffer knows
he can play both ways and he has shown that this season. I think I am
capable of doing that as well. I think it is a tag that we have both got
that is not justified. "The signings the gaffer has brought in have been
great. And I can complement them. "There is nothing better than to have to
fight to try to get your spot. Our team is doing fantastic and I am
delighted to have that fight."

Carroll announced his engagement to former TOWIE star Billi Mucklow last
week, and admitted he was more nervous seeing his team-mates the next day
than making his latest return from injury. Should be quite a stag party. But
Carroll, now 25, said: "I do think I have settled down a lot. I think it
shows in training and off the pitch." He said he was "champing at the bit"
to feature against his former club Newcastle but boss Allardyce (above)
warned the club's record signing is still "five or six games" away from
being fit. He added: "With Andy we have to be firm and say 'You are in
pre-season – if I put you on any quicker or sooner and you get injured again
then that will be my fault not yours'. We will gauge it each week."

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Gold: "This is my strongest squad in 20 years"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 10, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold cannot remember in the 20 years he has been involved in the game
ever seeing a squad of the quality currently in place at Upton Park. And he
has made it clear in an an exclusive ClaretandHugh interview that absolutely
nobody will now be picked on anything other than form and ability. He points
to Matt Jarvis as an example of the current situation declaring: "He
understands the position and will be entirely philosophical about it. He
knows what he has to do because here's a £10 million fully fit signing who
can't get on the bench.
"He will be moving heaven and earth to make it back into the squad and it is
a perfect example of where we are at right now. "We are similar to all the
top teams. Everybody is having to really fight for their places. This is the
most powerful squad I've been involved with in my time in the game."

The Jarvis example puts to bed once and for all any talk that he will be on
his way this January unless of course some club wants to come along and give
us something close to what we paid for him. Even then it may not happen!
The interesting thought which emerges from all of this: Perhaps we needed to
live through the horrors of last season to arrive at where we are today!

After all wasn't it the departed Mo Diame who claimed players weren't
putting it in on the training pitch last season because they were sure of
the shirt at the weekend. All of this, however, presents a new set of
challenges to a manager who has many fans and a hard core bunch of
detractors. Gold said: "You're right about new challenges. Players have to
be kept motivated when they are not in the picture currently but will be
constantly reminded of how quickly things can change with suspensions and
injuries. "They all have to step up to the plate and that as a club will
make us stronger and stronger. Our expectations are being exceeded. Allowing
Diego Poyet out on loan is another example of where we are at because he is
a very fine young player..

"Diafra Sakho has been outstanding, Enner Valencia too, and now Andy Carroll
is back. We look strong everywhere and we are playing the sort of game we've
all been crying out for. "I'm enjoying it, the players are enjoying it but
most of all the fans – who will always be the Number One priority – are
enjoying it. We all deserve this.

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Mighty Irons singing a new Song!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 10, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Richard Oses is the founder of a highly successful Facebook page Bubbles
Fanzine @ https://www.facebook.com/rich.oses?fref=ts He is a lifelong Hammer
and will be blogging here when he believes he has something important to
say. In his first article for the site he makes it clear that the Irons
really need to move heaven and earth to bring in Alex Song at the end of the
season. There's no denying West Ham look a great team this season – and we
all know why. We had a great transfer window! We have a top group of players
with the likes of Sakho, Valencia, Kouyate and Creswell being key to our new
found success. As a result our ambitions now rise as high as European
qualification. UNREAL! But for me the key signing so far has been Alex Song
on loan. Just the fact that we secured this deal in the first place amid
interest from top European clubs is in itself a statement of intent from the
club's board. He is the midfield anchor who has the ability to defend well,
and create sublime attacking passes to link up the play between the centre
of the park and the strikers. He may not have been at his best on Saturday
against Villa but he remains a highly composed, calm figure who thrives
under pressure which is vitally important especially if we are hanging on to
a slender lead or are chasing the game.

Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal are all thought to be showing interest in
buying him in January but the Hammers will keep him until the end of the
season and then the battle will be on. For me it's an absolute given we
have to keep this guy and it's good that the sounds coming from the
boardroom confirm the club feels the e same way. He is happy here and if we
can clinch a top six finish then we can hope to keep him and bring in more
like him – that's how high our ambitions are rising and after last season
that is a miracle.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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