Daily WHUFC News - 4th November 2014

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Alladyce has tipped Stewart Downing for an England call-up after his
starring role at Stoke City
02.11.2014

Sam Allardyce has pushed Stewart Downing's England credentials after the
West Ham United midfielder played a pivotal role in the stirring two-goal
comeback at Stoke City on Saturday. The Hammers were two down when Downing's
burst of pace and undefendable cross set up Enner Valencia to head home,
before Valencia returned the favour by teeing up the No11 to drill a
right-footed equaliser past Asmir Begovic. The impact Downing had on the
game is reflective of his season so far, and much of the post-match
questioning of his manager centred on whether the former Liverpool winger's
name will be in included in Roy Hodgson's England squad when it is announced
on Thursday.
"If England need a central midfield player either in a three or in the hole,
it's well worth looking at him," Allardyce said. "We told him he should have
a go in the new role and try to express himself a bit more. "You've got all
the experience with England and in the Premier League, can we move you
inside and get more ball to you, will you be a better danger?' And up to now
the answer has been yes.
"Anything that Stewart has played in central midfield has been exceptional
and it turned the game on the Saturday in our favour by putting him in the
middle.
"It doesn't matter whether people mark him or don't mark him, he can go
either way. He can twist or turn and get his way out of trouble and start
running at people's back fours, which is better than running at full-backs.
"The first goal was coming out of the centre and going to the right, running
down and crossing with his right foot for Valencia. Then being in the middle
for the ball to drop and finishing it for the second shows his reading of
the game is exceptional.
While Downing's role will rightly get much of the attention, there were
other notable performances across the Hammers' XI. Goalkeeper Adrian pulled
off several outstanding saves, while James Collins had another eye-catching
outing, throwing himself in front of shots and keeping Stoke's threatening
forwards under control.
"Well James has played so well before this game. He stepped in for James
Tomkins when he got injured before the Burnley match, took his place and
played his third outstanding game on Saturday.
"The amount of blocks and headers was terrific. He wasn't happy as he
thought he should be protected more by his players but he was there when we
needed him.
"Their frontline was lively and all three have not only got great energy and
ability but they're strong physically, which challenged us. After all that
we come through and showed a bit of our quality and the biggest thing for me
is that's the fewest chances we've created in a game and we've scored two
even though we've not got our leading goalscorer [Diafra Sakho] on the
pitch."
The point helped maintain West Ham's lofty position in the Barclays Premier
League table and with a home game against Aston Villa on Saturday up next,
the chances of going into the international break in the top six remain
high. Big Sam revealed Diafra Sakho should be back to lead the line in the
3pm kick off, but has warned he will be expecting a better performance from
his team.
"We've got Villa at home on Saturday and the point at Stoke kept us on a
very good run. Anybody who gets a point away from home is extremely
satisfied in this league. To get a point after being two goals down is
almost like a moral victory.
"We think Sakho will be back for the next game. We don't think the shoulder
is going to be too long. There's no dislocation; it's a cartilage problem so
it's bruised and the pain is still pretty tender but it's getting better
every day and hopefully he'll be back for Aston Villa. If not, we have to
cope with it and after that it's the international break.
"The good thing is the goals are getting shared about the team. The goals we
scored against Stoke were not gifts, they had to be quality and both were
top quality. Even when we've got that quality when we're not as good as the
opposition, we've always got a goal threat. That changes games and it
certainly changed the game against Stoke."

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'I just ruffled a few feathers'
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole gave Stoke City 'a bit of entertaining' on his 200th Hammers
Premier League appearance
03.11.2014

Carlton Cole was proud to have 'ruffled a few feathers' as West Ham United
launched a thrilling comeback to draw 2-2 at Stoke City.
Making his 200th Barclays Premier League appearance as a half-time
substitute, Cole used his physical attributes to unsettle a Potters defence
that had appeared comfortable before the break. With the No24 partnering
Enner Valencia and Stewart Downing moving to the tip of a diamond formation,
West Ham roared back from two goals down to snatch a point. The centre
forward put himself about to great effect, occupying Ryan Shawcross and Marc
Wilson, making space for his teammates and, at one point, becoming embroiled
in an altercation with Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. "I think we knew we
needed a bit of my presence up front in the second half," Cole began. "In
the first half, Enner was trying his best but they have got two big boys at
the back who needed a bit of entertaining! "Enner got free in the second
half and that's how he got his goal. Stewart Downing has got an assist and a
goal too and I'm just glad to be part of it. "I just ruffled a few feathers
and created a melee in the box. Their keeper gripped me and I wasn't having
that so I got them wound up and off their game a little bit. "It's all about
the experience and we had the players to come off the bench to ruffle a few
feathers if need be and the manager used us."

Before the introduction of Cole and, at 2-1 down, captain Kevin Nolan, West
Ham were second best to their hosts. Victor Moses poked Stoke in front on 23
minutes before Mame Biram Diouf doubled their advantage on 56, while Adrian
also had to be at his best to deny the Senegal forward just before
half-time. However, the introduction of two experienced players changed the
course of the game, with Downing and Valencia combining to set each other up
for the comeback goals. "The players will be the first to tell you that we
didn't play well, but you know it's going to be a tough game when you come
to a place like Stoke," said Cole. "It was a hard-fought game and if you'd
told me we were going to get a point before the game, to be totally honest I
would have taken it. "Although I think we can go anywhere and score goals
now, we knew they were going to come at us. They want to be in our position
and show they are as a good as us, but we showed great belief and mental
strength to come from 2-0 down."

While Cole was the main source of goals for West Ham for many seasons, he is
now surrounded by players who know where the back of the net is. With 19
goals in just ten league games so far, the 31-year-old is loving the
Hammers' new-found potency. "That's what I'm saying. We've got goals all
over the pitch and it helps the strikers out so much and takes a bit of
pressure off everybody, which is what you need. You need goals from all
departments. "Obviously Diafra Sakho was out, so we needed other players to
come in and live up to expectations, and I thought that was what happened.
"Stewie set up a goal and scored one with his right foot, which is an
example of the standard he is setting for himself. He's working hard, never
giving up and he's playing really well."

Cole himself was also proud to become just the third Hammer to reach 200
Premier League appearances, following Steve Potts and Mark Noble.
"It's been up and down and I'm just glad to be involved in the ups right
now," he said. "Hopefully I can keep on going now, because it's a long old
season and we need to keep churning out the points. "I'm happy to be at West
Ham - everyone knows that - and I'll keep showing the passion in my play. "I
know I didn't have my best game at Stoke, but I just wanted to get that
lucky goal at the end when it goes in off my shin or something to win the
game! It wasn't to be fairytale 200th appearance, but that's OK."

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Downing the dazzling diamond
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing is loving life at the tip of West Ham United's new diamond
formation
03.11.2014

Stewart Downing is loving life at the tip of West Ham United's new diamond
formation. The midfielder is being tipped for an England return after a
series of dazzling performances in recent weeks, and could add to his 34
caps when Roy Hodgson names his squad for upcoming fixtures with Slovenia
and Scotland. Downing has chalked up four assists and two goals in his
opening ten Barclays Premier League appearances this term, catching the eye
with his outstanding passing and delivery, pace and ability to open up
opposition defences almost at will. Having spent the majority of his
professional career on the wing, the No11 has enjoyed seeing more of the
ball and having a greater influence on the game from a central position. On
Saturday, a switch to the diamond formation brought a vital equaliser from
Downing to secure a 2-2 draw at Stoke City. "Yes, it's brilliant," he
enthused. "To be fair to the manager in the second half, he called me over
and made the change and said he was just going to go for it. "Credit to him
because he made the change. I was quite happy out wide, but it was difficult
to get involved at times, so credit to him for putting me in the middle and
going for it, because it's paid off for us and we've got a point out of the
game. "Enner Valencia got to the line it was a great pull-back. Cheikh and
Ginge went for it and missed it and it came through bodies and I thought I
needed to make a clean contact and make their keeper work. I probably had a
little bit of luck because it went through bodies and their keeper couldn't
see it until the last minute. He got a hand to it, but we needed that little
bit of luck in the game because for large periods we didn't play well."

Prior to scoring himself, Downing had given a reminder of his wing wizardry
when he sped down the right before crossing for Valencia to launch West
Ham's dramatic second-half comeback. "It was probably the first time we had
a bit of space to go forward down the line," he recalled. "It was probably
the first bit of quality we had during the game, because I thought we were
poor in the first half. "It was a great finish from him and a great time to
score because it put them on the back foot and you could sense it. "It was a
great game for the neutral watching because it was end to end, but from the
manager's point of view some of the stuff we did wasn't very good. The
pleasing thing is we didn't play well, but we got a point which was a big
point as well."

Having produced another eye-catching display, does Downing expect to receive
the call from Hodgson when his squad is named later this week? "I think I've
said before that if he picks me I would love it," he admitted. "I've just
got to keep playing well and getting goals and creating and if I do well it
gives him something to think about. "We'll see what happens. There are a
couple of injuries, so we'll see who he picks in the squad. I know Roy has
been to games and watched us, but my attitude is 'If he picks me, great, but
if he doesn't I'll just keep on working and getting on with it. "I've just
got to keep showing different parts to my game. If he's been watching the
past six or seven weeks, it's not only been me who has been playing well in
our team. We'll see, it'll be interesting."

Whether he is called by England or not, Downing will be focusing all of his
efforts this week on preparing to face former club Aston Villa, who visit
the Boleyn Ground on Saturday afternoon. The Villans, who the
Middlesbrough-born midfielder served between 2009 and 2011, have lost their
last six league matches, but Downing is not expecting an easy ride against
Paul Lambert's side. "The manager stressed before Stoke that, after beating
Man City, we couldn't go out thinking we just had to go out and we had won
the game. "In the first half, they could have been out of sight, to be
honest, with the chances they had. Our keeper made a great save from Mame
Biram Diouf just before half-time and if he had scored it would have been
2-0. "They are all tough games and playing at home can be tougher than
playing away. They will come and make it hard for us but if we produce the
quality we did in the last half-hour at Stoke then we'll definitely get
chances in the game."

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Ginge delighted with Downing form
WHUFC.com
James Collins says Stewart Downing is one of a host of Hammers pushing for
an England call-up
03.11.2014

James Collins making a block is a sight West Ham United fans have become
accustomed to during his two spells in Claret and Blue.
At Stoke City, Ginge was at it again, throwing his body in front of anything
that moved in and around the Hammers penalty area.
While one such block inadvertently led to Stoke's opening goal in Saturday's
2-2 Barclays Premier League draw, Collins emerged with immense credit from
yet another all-action performance. The Hammers fell two goals down to
strikes from Victor Moses and Mame Biram Diouf, but recovered to snatch a
point through Enner Valencia's diving header and Stewart Downing's
first-time finish. "It was hard in the first half because they made it tough
for us," said the Wales international. "We weren't great but Stoke played
very well. We stayed in the game and with the firepower we've got we knew
we'd get chances. "I had to play like I did and coming to Stoke I knew it
was going to be like that. It was one of those days where it fell on my head
or I managed to get a block on it. "I was disappointed to concede two goals
but we managed to get back into it. It's nice to be back in the team and
playing in a confident, winning team. "We knew it was going to be tough
without Diafra Sakho, who everybody has been talking about for weeks now,
but it shows the strength in depth we have now with boys coming in and
playing very well. "We've come to Stoke, a very tough game, and somehow from
2-0 down we've come back to 2-2 and everybody is delighted."

While Collins himself was impressive, the impact made by Downing was
outstanding yet again, with the No11 picking up his fourth assist and second
goal of a superb season so far. The centre-back believes it will not be long
before the wider football world give Downing the credit he deserves for his
outstanding form. "It's no surprise to me because I obviously had three
years at Aston Villa with him as well before he came down here. "Stewie is a
world-class player whether it's behind the strikers, in central midfield or
out wide. The Gaffer asked him to play out wide because of Diafra Sakho's
injury and again he's put in a great performance, set a goal up and scored
one. You can't ask for much more. "I've been fortunate enough to play and
train with him for a number of years now and good players can play anywhere.
"I think he deserves the recognition because he is playing superbly at the
minute. He is probably the driving force in our team, whether it's through
the middle or out wide. It's nice to see him getting back in the limelight.
"If he keeps playing the way he is playing, I'm sure an England call-up will
not be far away."

While Downing already has 33 England caps to his name, Collins believes Mark
Noble, Carl Jenkinson and Aaron Cresswell should also come into Roy
Hodgson's thoughts if they maintain their current form. "I think we've got a
number of players in our squad who should be pushing for England places -
Mark Noble to name one, Stewie and the two full-backs who are playing great.
"It's all coming down to their club form and long may that form continue.
"I'm sure if Roy Hodgson comes down to watch the boys when he can, he will
see consistent performers who play very well for their club. For me, I don't
know what more they can do."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Catch up on how the five West Ham United loan players fared in this
weekend's games
03.11.2014

Modibo Maiga scored a brace as FC Metz beat Caen 3-2 in a thrilling game at
Stade Saint-Symphorien. The Malian born striker opened the scoring after ten
minutes following an assist from ex-Chelsea winger Florent Malouda. Maiga
doubled the lead just after half time before Caen came back with goals from
Jean Calve and Bengali-Fode Koita. The drama continued when Malouda scored
in the 90th minute, securing Les Grenats' fifth win of their league
campaign.

Sean Maguire played the full 90 minutes as Accrington Stanley secured a 2-1
win over Lancashire rivals Morecambe. Stanley took an early lead through
Luke Joyce's fifth minute penalty before Shay McCartan doubled their lead in
the eleventh minute.

George Moncur played the full game as Colchester United slipped to a 2-1
home defeat by Port Vale. Goals from Mark Marshall and Colin Daniel secured
the three points while Freddie Sears scored a late consolation goal.

Ravel Morrison came on the 81st minute as Cardiff City's revival under new
manager Russell Slade continued by beating Leeds United 3-1. Goals from
Bruno Ecuele Manga, Federico Macheda and Kenwyne Jones see the Bluebirds
stay eleventh.

Elliot Lee missed Southend United's 2-1 victory over Mansfield Town through
injury. The young striker has joined the Shrimpers on a three month loan.

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Allardyce to lead West Ham into the OS, hints Sullivan
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd November 2014
By: Staff Writer

David Sullivan has admitted it is 'probable' that Sam Allardyce will still
be in charge when West Ham move to the Olympic Stadium in two years time.
West Ham's largest single shareholder and current co-owner told Sky Sports
this afternoon that although talks regarding a contract extension for the
manager are on hold until the end of the season - as established previously
- he believes Allardyce could be the man to lead West Ham into their new
home. Asked whether he thought Allarydce would still be in charge come the
start of the 2016/17 season, West Ham's first in Stratford, Sullivan
replied: "In all probability - but he might be the manager of Manchester
United or the manager of England. Anything is possible in football. "We will
sit down at the end of this season with Sam and sees how he feels about
everything and then decide what we are doing. "Fans are warming to him but
he's from the north and West Ham is a London club. We didn't play the best
football at the time but I don't think it was as bad as people said. They
are warming to the new Sam, and the new West Ham, and the way we are
playing."

Recent weeks have witnessed an abrupt change of fortune for Allardyce, who
just three months ago was still being loudly heckled by some sections of
West Ham's fanbase that insisted the club could only progress by firing the
60-year-old. However a four-match unbeaten run has propelled the Hammers
into the Premier League's top five, which has resulted in many of his former
detractors now backing Allardyce's continued employment at the club.

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Sam Allardyce set for West Ham contract talks, says David Sullivan
Last Updated: 03/11/14 10:22pm
SSN


West Ham co-owner David Sullivan says he will hold talks with Sam Allardyce
about a new contract at the end of the season. West Ham co-owner David
Sullivan says he will hold new contract talks with manager Sam Allardyce at
the end of the current season. Sullivan says fans are warming to the new
style of football that the Hammers are playing under Big Sam this season, a
new approach that has seen the club climb to fifth in the Premier League
table. "We will all sit down exactly the same as we did last season,
exactly the same as the season before and the end of the first year in the
Premier League when Sam's contract ran out and we sat down and agreed a new
deal," Sullivan told Sky Sports News HQ. "We will sit down at the end of
this season with Sam and sees how he feels about everything and see how he
feels about everything and then decide what we are doing. When asked if
Allardyce would be the manager to lead the club into the Olympic Stadium for
the 2016-17 season, Sullivan added: "In all probability but he might be the
manager of Manchester United or the manager of England, anything is possible
in football." "He has an image of being some sort of rough northerner and
probably not very bright" He said: "It's very amicable, we have never had a
cross word. Sam is an intelligent, smart person. He has an image of being
some sort of rough northerner and probably not very bright - this is the
image I would say. "But, in fact he is a very intelligent person, he
analyses stats, he analyses performance, he analyses the opposition, he
analyses his own players and he is a very, very intelligent man. You can
have a very sensible conversation with him. "Fans are warming to him but
he's from the north and West Ham is a London club. We didn't play the best
football at the time but I don't think it was as bad as people said. They
are warming to the new Sam, and the new West Ham, and the way we are
playing."

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MANAGER OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER
By Sean Whetstone 3 Nov 2014 at 16:58
West Ham till I Die

Sam Allardyce must have a good chance of winning the Barclays Premier League
Manager of the month for October.after winning all three games against QPR.
Manchester City and Burnley in the month. The narrow defeat against
Manchester United fell at the end of September and the weekend's draw
against Stoke fell on the first day of November meaning he achieved nine
points out of nine in October.

His main competitor Ronald Koeman won the manager of the month for September
and despite a 8-0 win against Sunderland they lost to Spurs on the 5th
October.

Sam last won the Barclays Premier League Manager of the month back in
February this year after he guided the Hammers to four wins out of four
through February, beating Swansea City, Aston Villa, Norwich City and
Southampton.

We have all come a long way since the dark days of last season which
provoked a lack of confidence in the manager among many Hammers fans. The
owners refused to be swayed by fan protest and stuck with their manager but
they did insist on changes and bought extremely well in the transfer window
as they took a greater control over the recruitment policy. It was never
personal against Sam, just his style of play with no plan B which annoyed
many fans, this made going to watch West Ham week in week out last season a
chore but this season we look forward to the excitement of forthcoming
matches as we know goals will be scored.

While I wish Sam all the best to win this award for October manager of the
month I think this has been a massive team effort both on and off the pitch.
Our owners particularly David Sullivan who worked tirelessly to bring in
quality transfers,Teddy Sherringham, Neil McDonald and the other back room
boys in getting the players to adapt to the Premier League so quickly as
well as the whole team guided by Sam Allardyce have now turned West Ham into
one of the best in form teams while being entertaining. We have our West Ham
way back!

I also think fans played they small part last season by insisting to the
board that things needed to change. With hindsight It appears a leopard does
change it's spots and If I owe Sam an apology for suggesting he couldn't
adapt I am man enough to admit I was wrong and say Sorry to Mr Allardici.

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Stewart Downing bidding for England recall after impressing in West Ham's
buoyant start
Nov 02, 2014 22:30 By David Anderson
The rejuvenated former Aston Villa winger won the last of his 34 caps in Roy
Hodgson's first game in charge against Norway in May 2012
The Mirror

Stewart Downing hopes he has given Roy Hodgson a big problem. The England
boss names his next squad on Thursday and Downing has his fingers crossed he
will be included. West Ham midfielder Downing has been in the wilderness
since winning the last of his 34 caps in -Hodgson's first game in charge
against Norway in May 2012. The 30-year-old has been -rejuvenated since Sam
Allardyce moved him to a central role and he showed his versatility at the
Britannia, shining when he was switched to the right because of Diafra
Sakho's absence.
The former Liverpool winger led West Ham's fightback, creating Enner
Valencia's goal before cracking home the -equaliser, both times with his
supposedly weaker right foot. "If he picks me it would be unbelievable,"
said Downing. "I'd love to play for England. "I think the main thing for me
is that I've got to keep playing well and if I can nick goals and create, it
gives him a problem to think about. We'll see what happens next week. There
are a couple of injuries there and I'll look at the squad, see what he does
and who he picks. "I know he's been to games and is watching us, so we'll
see. That's my attitude at the minute. If he picks me, great. If not, I'll
just carry on."

James Collins played with Downing at Aston Villa and says picking him should
be a no-brainer.The centre-half, who was a rock against Stoke, said: "I know
what Stewie can do, he's a world-class player. "Whether it's in the middle,
behind the strikers, he can play centre midfield or out wide. I don't know
how much more he has to do to get into the England team. If you're playing
well for your club and people are talking about you, it shouldn't matter who
you play for. You could be playing in the Championship." Stoke had been
dominant for the first hour before Downing's intervention and Victor Moses
poked home his first Potters goal before Mame Diouf headed in their second.
City felt the game turned when ref Chris Foy played advantage after Alex
Song lunged at Diouf two-footed instead of stopping play and punishing the
Hammers' midfielder. Moses lost the ball and Downing produced a surging run
down the right to tee up Valencia's goal. Despite feeling aggrieved, Steven
Nzonzi admits Stoke should have put the game to bed by this point. "That's a
problem for us, closing out games," said the French midfielder. "When you
are winning 2-0, you should win. We should have been more patient, more
compact -defensively."

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Amalfitano contract rests on 25 starts
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 3, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Morgan Amalfitano needs to make 25 Premier League starts for the Irons if
he's to win an automatic contract extension. Newspaper stories today
suggested that the player would be granted his "wish" of getting an extended
contract at the Boleyn. However, ClaretandHugh has learned that the terms
are all covered in his contract and that the extension will only kick in
automatically after the 25th start.
We were told: "We look at stuff like that later in the season. IF he makes a
certain number of PL starts, its automatically extended.
But we have the right to extend if we want anyway so there's no hurry up
involved. Everything was sorted at the contract signing stage."
The 29 year old is keen to stay at the club and was reported as saying: "I
hope to contribute to ensure I stay here. I'm adapting well and hope it
carries on."

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Huge Benteke boost for Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 3, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke's absence from the clash with the
Hammers at the weekend is a huge plus for the Irons. ClaretandHugh's top
analyst Leroy Rosenior reckons the big fella was coming back to his best
against Spurs at the weekend and that his sending off and resulting
suspension for the Boleyn match is "fantastic" news. He said: Benteke is
their focal point - a mega presence and not having him to worry about him
makes - or should make - life considerably easier for us. Benteke raised his
hand to Ryan Mason's face after being shoved by the Spurs player during the
match at Villa Park on Sunday. Mason escaped disciplinary action but looked
a major offender and should perhaps have joined the striker but regardless
of that it was all good news for the Irons as Benteke walked. Rosenior said:
"There are no excuses for Benteke's but I think Mason should have gone as
well. However, there's no question the striker's absence should make life
easier for us."

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Irons watch Shrimpers keeper
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 3, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are closely monitoring the form of promising Southend keeper Daniel
Bentley! The 21 year old has been a near ever present for the Shrimpers over
the last couple of seasons and has been watched by the Hammers during that
period. Sam Allardyce and Southend boss Phil Brown have a close relationship
from Bolton days and Bentley could find himself on the move to Upton park as
back-up to Adrian next summer. A Hammers source told Claretandhugh: "The
goalkeeping position is one we are looking to strengthen in the summer.
Jussi can still do a job if needed but we have to look to the future. Benley
is a good young keeper but we have a long short list although he would
figure prominently upon it."

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Adrian back to his best
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 3, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

One of the most encouraging features o f the last couple of games has been
to see goalkeeper Adrian returning to his best. The Spaniard was perhaps
looking more suspect than he had been last season but his performances
against Manchester City and Stoke have been nearly faultless. Hammers
legendary stopper Phil Parkes pointed out earlier in the season that the
keeper may suffer a spot of the second seas syndrome and claimed he was
still on a learning curve. That he has overcome a slightly anxious opening
period and returned to top form, is hugely encouraging at a time when the
team is going so well. He showed he was back to his best with two saves in
particular, first when saving well from Mame Diouf blocking the shot with
his legs and then near the end making another brilliant save from Geoff
Cameron.
But for those efforts the outcome of the game may have been very different.
It was a far cry from the questions some were asking of his handling earlier
in the season. Thankfully, the learning curve Parksey talked of is in full
swing and going very well indeed.

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