Daily WHUFC News - 20th December 2014

Preview - Leicester City
WHUFC.com
Everything you need to know about West Ham United's crucial game against
Leicester City
19.12.2014

WEST HAM UNITED v LEICESTER CITY
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
BOLEYN GROUND
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER 2014
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: MARTIN ATKINSON

In brief

West Ham United host Leicester City on Saturday 20 December, with the
Hammers looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Currently, Sam Allardyce's men are fourth in the table, with 28 points from
16 games.

Saturday's opponents, Leicester City, have found life back in the Premier
League difficult as they sit at the foot of the table with ten points from
16 games. Since beating Manchester United 5-3 in September, they have yet to
win, picking up just two points in eleven matches.
Related stories

Big Sam on: Leicester
Chadwell Chatter
Betting Preview

Who are they?

Formed in 1884 and originally known as Leicester Fosse, they won their first
ever game 5-0 against Syston Fosse on 1 November 1884. In 1890 they competed
in the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4-0 to Burton Wanderers. Fosse
joined the Football League in 1894.
The Foxes won their one and only league title way back in the 1928/29
season. However they have had more success in the FA Cup, winning it four
times - 1949, 1961, 1963 and 1969.
More recently, the Foxes' silverware has come in the League Cup winning it
in 1997 and 2000 as well as being runners up in 1999.
Having being relegated from the Premier League in the 2003/04 season they
are back in the top flight after a decade away.

Team news
West Ham United

Mark Noble is unavailable as he is still recovering from a problem with his
Achilles tendon, he could be back in contention to play against Chelsea on
Boxing Day. Otherwise, Sam Allardyce has a full squad to choose from.

Leicester City

The Foxes will be without first choice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who
broke his metatarsal in training last week. Ben Hamer played against
Manchester City and is expected to deputise.

David Nugent could return to action after missing last weekend's fixture
with Manchester City. Former West Ham United player Matthew Upson is still
battling to regain fitness.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Martin Atkinson. The West Riding based referee has
taken charge of two games involving West Ham this season - the Hammers' 2-2
draw away at Hull City and the 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Statistics
(2014/15 season - Barclays Premier League only)
Matches refereed: 13
Yellow cards shown: 47
Red cards shown: 1
Penalties awarded: 2
One to watch

West Ham United

Diafra Sakho made his first start away at Sunderland since returning from
injury and is in line to start on Saturday.
The Senegalese striker has been a revelation since joining from FC Metz,
scoring eight goals in all competitions.

Leicester City

Record signing Leonardo Ulloa cost the Foxes £8 million to bring him to the
King Power Stadium from Brighton & Hove Albion and he appeared to repay that
fee instantly as he netted five goals in the opening five games, including a
brace against Manchester United.

Since then, his dip in form has coincided with Leicester's poor run. The
Argentine has scored just once in eleven games, most recently in the Foxes'
last away game, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa.

Regardless of current form, Ulloa is a powerful striker the West Ham defence
will need to be aware of and neutralise if they are to win on Saturday
afternoon.

Tickets
Tickets for Saturday's game have all sold out. As have tickets for Chelsea
on 26 December and Arsenal on 28 December. The last few tickets are
available for West Bromwich Albion on New Years Day, to buy tickets, click
here.
Travel
No closures are planned on the District or Hammersmith & City lines on
Saturday. Click here for the latest from TfL and here for the latest from
National Rail.
Weather
Saturday afternoon is set to be an overcast day with temperature at kick-off
forecast to be 9C (48F).
Last meeting

West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City
npower Championship
Saturday 29 October 2011

Two goals in a minute set the Hammers on their way to victory as striker Sam
Baldock and Julien Faubert scored in quick succession mid-way through the
first half.

Foxes striker Andy King pulled a goal back for the visitors, yet Baldock was
on hand to restore the two goal cushion. King got his second of the
afternoon but the Hammers held out to claim the three points.
West Ham United: Green, McCartney, Faye (Tomkins 64), Faubert, O'Brien,
Reid, Nolan, Noble, Collison, Carew (Piquionne 31), Baldock (Sears 86)
Subs: Boffin, Diop

Sunderland: Schmeichel, Peltier, Koncheskey, Bamba, St.Ledger, King,
Wellens, Abe, Vassell (Dyer 45, M Johnson 73), Beckford (Howard 55), Nugent
Subs: Weale, Paintsil

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Konch returns
WHUFc.com
Barking-born former Hammer Paul Konchesky will be back at the Boleyn Ground
with Leicester City
17.12.2014

Leicester City's former West Ham United and England left-back Paul Konchesky
spoke to Steve Blowers ahead of his return to the Boleyn Ground this
Saturday. The Boleyn Ground holds many magical memories for Paul Konchesky,
who returns to his spiritual green, green grass of home with Leicester City,
on Saturday afternoon. Born just an Adrian drop-kick down the road in
Barking, the Foxes full-back surely knows every blade of the hallowed
Hammers turf. Not only did he watch his West Ham United heroes from the
terraces as a kid, but he also won his first full international cap for
Sven-Goran Eriksson's England against Australia at the Boleyn Ground in
February 2003, before going on to make 70 appearances in the Claret and
Blue, scoring twice along the way. "I grew up with West Ham United," says
Paul, who joined the newly-promoted Hammers from Charlton Athletic for £1.5m
in July 2005. "I can remember standing on the North Bank and the South Bank
watching the likes of Julian Dicks and after playing for England there, I
was th en lucky enough to go on and sign for the club, too."

Incredibly, Konchesky had been at the Millennium Stadium to roar Alan
Pardew's side to Play-Off glory over Preston North End, just a few weeks
before putting pen to paper on a deal that saw him make the perfect move
homewards, through the Blackwall Tunnel. "Bobby Zamora is a really good
friend of the family and we all went along to Cardiff to cheer him on," he
recalls. "But when he scored the winner to get West Ham promoted, I had
absolutely no idea that I'd be moving to the club just a few weeks later!
"When I signed in the summer, it was a dream come true and we had a
fantastic first season. There was a great bunch of lads at the club, I won a
second cap against Argentina and, of course, we got to the FA Cup final
against Liverpool, too."

So, almost a year after sitting with the Millennium masses watching that
Play-Off triumph, Konchesky was now out on the pitch helping Pardew's
underdogs to take a thrilling 3-2 lead over the reeling Reds. "That was one
of the highlights of my career...I scored a goal for my club in an FA Cup
final," he beams, looking back at the left-wing, long-ranger that flew over
Pepe Reina's head to the delight of an ecstatic East End. "It just doesn't
get any better than that, does it? "People still ask whether or not it was a
shot but, to tell the truth, it was actually a cross," confesses 'Konch'
with refreshing honesty. "When you're a defender, though, you'll take
anything, especially when you're playing in an FA Cup final, for your club."

While the history books will show that Liverpool went on to win the trophy
on penalties after skipper Steven Gerrard snatched a late, late leveller to
make it 3-3, that epic 2006 decider goes down as one of the all-time FA Cup
classics in which it was, for once, all about taking part. Unfortunately for
Paul, the 2006/2007 campaign was not all about winning, either, as the
Hammers soon found themselves in trouble in the Premier League basement,
only surviving on the final day of the season as they completed their very
own Great Escape with a crucial Carlos Tevez strike at Manchester United.
After seeing his first-team opportunities limited under new boss Alan
Curbishley, in July 2007 Konchesky reluctantly made a £2m move to Fulham,
where he played 122 matches, netting on two occasions. Ironically, that
included a spectacular BBC Match of the Day Goal-of-the-Month winner in
January 2009 during one of his returns along the District Line from Craven
Cottage to Upton Park. "Yeah, it was good goal against West Ham," he
concedes. "And although I've since scored a similar, long-range one for
Leicester City against Wolves, you'll never, ever beat that one in the FA
Cup final."

After signing for Liverpool in a £3m deal in August 2010, Konchesky made
just 18 appearances for the Merseysiders before going on loan to Nottingham
Forest and then heading to the Foxes in July 2011. "I loved my time at West
Ham and although it's always sad to leave, I've moved on since then and
having been here for over three years now, I look at Leicester City as a
great club, too," he continues, clearly determined to help Nigel Pearson's
side climb off the bottom of the table. Making his first return to West Ham
since City's 3-2 defeat in October 2011, there will be a new-look No3 on
display. Gone is the Dicks-esque shaven head given Paul sports a mop on top,
these days.
"My hair goes so wiry and that's why I always went for the bald look but
last year my wife and daughter persuaded me to grow it during the summer and
I guess it's stuck," he explains. "I get the odd bit of grey coming through
but that's not age, it's stress!"
Indeed, after running away with the Championship last time around,
stuttering City are finding life tough in the Premier League, where they
have managed to collect just two points from their last 11 matches. "At
first, I think we took a few teams by surprise with successive victories
over Stoke City and then Manchester United," observes Paul, who has now made
142 appearances for the Midlanders. "But we were under no illusions when we
got promoted and knew that there would be no easy games in the Premier
League. "Although we've not been picking up points, there have never been
more than one or two goals in it and we just need a little bit of luck to
make things turn for us. We've got over half-a-season to go, so there's
still plenty of time. We're certainly not out of it and you only have to
look at how well Burnley have done to lift themselves out of the bottom
three in recent weeks."

Defeat this afternoon will mean that the forlorn Foxes would be occupying
the dreaded bottom-spot on Christmas Day and, in the history of the Premier
League, only West Bromwich Albion (2005) and Sunderland (2014) have managed
to defy the odds and claw themselves to safety.
"That Christmas Day statistic is just a cliche as far as I'm concerned,"
insists the defiant Konch. "We're professional footballers and we know
exactly what we need to do - get results and get them quickly."

With wife Lyndsey plus children Jimmy, Connor and Tilly still living in
Essex, Paul has also been around to see the impressive progress of Big Sam's
side at close quarters, this season. "People were writing West Ham off at
the beginning of the year, too," he says. "But the new players came in,
settled really quickly and got the team off to a fantastic start. Once you
get up and running like that, confidence grows and you've just got to keep
it going. That's exactly what they've done."

With all those marvellous memories of his beloved Boleyn Ground indelibly
etched on his mind, Paul knows that the clock is now ticking down on further
opportunities to grace the pitch ahead of the summer 2016 move to the
Olympic Stadium. "Although it's been a little while since I've been back,
I'll be really sad to see West Ham eventually leave the old place given
everything that I've seen and done there," concludes the 33-year-old. "But
the club obviously think that it's time to move on to bigger and better
things. "The fans will all get their heads around it in time and, hopefully,
I'll get a chance to play at the new ground at some stage, too. In any
event, when I eventually retire, don't worry, I'll be making sure that I get
along to the Olympic Stadium to watch the Hammers!"

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate on settling in, Leicester and the Africa Cup of Nations
18.12.2014

Hello everyone,

We have a very important game against Leicester City on Saturday. We need to
battle for the three points. The atmosphere at home is very good, we have
very nice supporters and I'm happy to play in front of them. We want to make
them happy again on Saturday! I'm looking forward to coming up against
Marcin Wasilewski. I played with him at Anderlecht and he's a nice guy. He's
a good player and Wasil really helped me at Anderlecht for four years. He's
experienced and he won't make it easy for us. It's good to see him
succeeding in the Premier League. This is the first of our Christmas games
and it will be something new for me. I'm used to having a break at this
point of the season and we have to play a crazy amount of matches in a short
space of time. But it's ok - it's football and we'll try to win as many
games as we can. We've had a great start to the season and anything is
possible in football. We need to stay humble, work hard but it's possible
that we can qualify for Europe. We have a great set of lads here. You've
probably seen the pictures of me, Alex Song and Diafra Sakho on social
media! Alex takes some funny pictures - he's a great guy and I'm very happy
him and Diafra are here. We get on very well. Next month I have the Africa
Cup of Nations too and I'm looking foward to helping Senegal. We have the
group of death, against Algeria, Ghana and South Africa, but as I said
before anything is possible in football!

See you on Saturday!
Cheikhou

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February fixture changes
WHUFC.com
Four of West Ham United's February games have new dates or kick-off times
19.12.2014

All four of West Ham United's February fixtures have new dates or kick-off
times. The home Barclays Premier League match against Manchester United has
been moved to Sunday 8 February, with a 4.15pm kick-off.
As a result, the trip to Southampton has been put back 24 hours to Wednesday
11 February, with a 7.45pm kick-off. The away game at Tottenham Hotspur will
now be played on Sunday 22 February at 12pm. Finally, the home London derby
against Crystal Palace stays on Saturday 28 February but will now kick-off
at 12.45pm.

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West Ham v Leicester
KO 15:00
19 December 2014
By Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 20 December

TEAM NEWS

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble will miss Saturday's game against Leicester
because of an Achilles problem but he could return on Boxing Day. Manager
Sam Allardyce has otherwise reported no fresh injury concerns.
David Nugent could return for Leicester after missing last week's defeat by
Manchester City with a calf injury. Full-back Ritchie de Laet should also be
available after illness but Kasper Schmeichel and Matthew Upson remain
sidelined.

MATCH PREVIEW

It is three months since Leicester City last won in the Premier League, so
it's no surprise that they're bottom of the table and five points adrift of
safety. Under-fire manager Nigel Pearson has changed personnel and formation
to no avail. He will have had the players in for extra training then tried
giving them a day off. He might have admonished them more forcefully or put
his arm around a few more. As yet, nothing has worked. I wonder if he's
superstitious? If so, I might be able to help. You see, on that memorable
day on 21 September when Leicester scored five against Manchester United, it
was my absolute pleasure to be in the commentary box, and I'll be on the
gantry at the Boleyn Ground too. I know it's a long shot - and Leicester
fans, I really don't want any credit if your side does return to winning
ways - but, short of Pearson donning the lucky underpants he wore last
season, what else is there to try?

"Sam Allardyce has got players who can come off the bench and make a
difference, which is a great thing for a manager. Sadly for Leicester boss
Nigel Pearson, he is not in the same situation." In that heady atmosphere of
Leicester's win over United, I heard some fans talk of a top-half finish,
even Europe! Others were much more circumspect. Now, two points from 11
games later, I expect it's those latter folk backing the man who got the
club promoted to turn it around, while the knee-jerk brigade demand
Pearson's exit from the club.
Surely after all he's done he deserves some time? They won the Championship
with 102 points! Just look at what's happened at West Ham. The board ignored
the fans' discontent at Sam Allardyce, and he has got them promoted,
established them in the Premier League and now has them sitting fourth in
the table. The message is clear: if you've got a good manager, give him some
time to ride through the inevitable hard times. Form and history (see below)
make this game look like a home banker but we've all watched enough football
to know that the unexpected sometimes happens. If it does, the chap who
sorts out the Match of the Day commentary rota might be getting a few texts,
tweets and emails from Foxes fans.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Leicester's only league win in their last 27 trips to Upton Park came in the
Premier League in August 2000 when Darren Eadie scored the only goal. West
Ham have won 15 of the 17 most recent meetings in East London (D1, L1).
West Ham are undefeated in their last six league matches against Leicester
City, home and away.
West Ham
The Hammers are unbeaten in four matches and have only lost one of their
last 10 in the league (W6, D3, L1).
They have earned 16 points out of a possible 18 at Upton Park since losing
their opening two home fixtures (W5, D1). The last time they went unbeaten
at home for a longer spell was an eight-match streak between December
2001-March 2002.
Sam Allardyce's side have reached 28 points in 10 games fewer than last
season.
Kevin Nolan has scored 99 career league goals.
Stewart Downing has been directly involved in five goals in his last six
Premier League appearances (two goals, three assists). However, he is yet to
score at home this season.
Leicester City
Leicester are without a win in 11 league games, drawing two of those matches
and losing nine.
Ten points from 16 matches represents their joint-worst return at this stage
of a top-flight season, along with the equivalent tally in 1932-33
(adjusting points for a win from two to three).
They must beat West Ham to have any chance of avoiding being bottom at
Christmas. Only Sunderland, last season, and West Brom, in 2004-05, have
stayed up after being at the foot of the table at that stage of the season.

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Jenkinson hails Allardyce influence
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 19th December 2014
By: Staff Writer

Carl Jenkinson has praised Hammers boss Sam Allardyce for allowing him "to
express myself". The on-loan full back, who is at West Ham for the duration
of the current season has settled in well at the Boleyn Ground whilst
playing a major role in the club's resurgence this season. For that, he
says, there is only one man to thank. "He [Allardyce] has been absolutely
brilliant," Jenkinson told the Guardian's Jacob Steinberg. "I didn't want to
go on loan to a team that was just going to kick the ball long. I wanted to
go to a team where I was going to learn and improve and I think I'm
definitely doing that here at West Ham. "We focus on defending in training
and we do a lot of work on one-v-ones and heading and I feel I've developed
in those areas. He's given me the licence to get forward and express myself.
I know what I'm capable of."

Despite having no intention of leaving Arsenal - his boyhood club - either
on-loan or permanently, the 22-year-old jumped at the opportunity to move
from north to east London back in August. "I didn't want to have another
season sitting on the bench," he added. "It was starting to drive me up the
wall a little bit, I wanted to get out and play football, and I've realised
that I'm happiest when I'm playing regular football. "I have a couple of
friends who are West Ham and they're absolutely buzzing. I've got a feel of
what it means to everyone at the moment and how good it is for everyone
involved at West Ham with where we are in the league. "That gives you
motivation to keep it going and keep achieving. It's nice to see other
people enjoying your success."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Carl Jenkinson: sitting on Arsenal bench was driving me up the
wall
The right-back has played a key role in West Ham's surprise revival since
joining on loan and believes European football is a realistic target this
season
Graeme Robertson for the Guardian
Friday 19 December 2014 12.14 GMT

Carl Jenkinson is being annoyingly sensible as he contemplates the
improbable run of form that has lifted West Ham United from relegation
candidates to Champions League contenders. It is nearly Christmas and West
Ham are still fourth, their best start to a Premier League season. Their
squad is easily the finest they have seen for years at Upton Park and it is
natural to wonder if the transformation is permanent.

Jenkinson is optimistic but cautious. He says the right things, admitting
that qualifying for Europe has to be the target but he resists the urge to
make any bold claims. There is a desire at West Ham not to get carried away
and that mindset will not change even if they win for the fourth time in
five matches when Leicester City visit Upton Park on Saturday. The manager,
Sam Allardyce, believes his side should not be judged until the end of
January and Jenkinson's view is similarly measured.

At which point it is revealed to him that Andy Carroll went off-message
after he scored twice in the 3-1 win over Swansea City two weeks ago and
said that West Ham can challenge for the title. Jenkinson has a good old
chuckle about that. "I think he was getting a bit carried away there,"
Jenkinson says. "Did he actually say that? Oh, brilliant! At least he's
optimistic. I think that one's a bit far-fetched. Like I said, European
football would be fantastic. That's the goal and everyone's just working
hard to achieve that. But it's not unrealistic."

It is hard to argue with that assessment at the moment but West Ham's rise
has caught people by surprise. They are playing good football and their
new-found sense of belief is typified by the way they fought back from a
goal down in their past three matches. "A couple of lads have said to me
that in previous seasons when they would go a goal behind they wouldn't come
back," Jenkinson says. "That's a real sign not just of the quality but also
the spirit in the squad. Mentally you have to be on it to come back. You
have to be prepared to keep playing and believe in your style of play and I
think we did that against Swansea especially. It's not easy in the Premier
League to come back from behind."

Jenkinson's role in West Ham's revival should not be overlooked. Although he
has been overshadowed by the attacking players in Allardyce's squad, the
right-back has been outstanding since joining on a season-long loan from
Arsenal, the 22-year-old's speed and energy giving West Ham far more impetus
going forward.

West Ham's diamond formation has not only brought out the best in Stewart
Downing but also given their full-backs more responsibility. Jenkinson, who
supplied the cross for Carroll's first goal against Swansea, and Aaron
Cresswell have both caught the eye.

"As a full-back you always have to focus on your defensive job but the
modern-day full-back has to get forward and you have to get back if the
attack breaks down," Jenkinson says. "It's not an easy job any more. I think
you used to just be able to stay in your own half and it used to be more
straightforward but it's not like that any more. But I enjoy that, I like
getting forward and getting crosses in. It's fun, you want to be involved in
the goals. We've got the lads in the box who can head the ball like not many
others in the league can."

Jenkinson's family history helps his style of play. His father, Steve, ran
the 800m at a high standard and trained with Sebastian Coe. "I have that in
my genes," Jenkinson says. "I used to run for the school and the district. I
used to love running. I treated it as a way of getting fit for pre-season. I
would go to my local running club, Woodford Green. I used to love athletics
and always did the cross countries. It sort of went hand in hand with
football actually, because it was a sport you could do. I was playing at an
academy so I couldn't be playing rugby, but it's hard to get injured
running. If anything, it's a good thing.

"I was good at the cross country, I had good endurance. I was decent at the
100m when I was younger. I don't think I ever really got beaten until Year
10 and 11 and then I was pushed down the pecking order a little bit. It was
more 400m. If I was running now, it would probably be 400m."

He is unsure what his 100m time would be now. "I could say something wrong
here and then all of a sudden people think I think I'm Usain Bolt,"
Jenkinson says.

Jenkinson's dad also gave him a love of Arsenal. He was a Junior Gunner, his
favourite player was Tony Adams, Lee Dixon was an inspiration and his most
cherished memories are of watching The Invincibles.

His life revolves around football but it is important for Jenkinson to find
ways to relax in his spare time. "I do a bit of fishing," he says. "I go
with Mark Noble a lot. A lot of the things I do are decided around football
and fishing is the perfect hobby as a footballer because you just rest and
relax. You can do other things but a lot have you exerting energy, if you're
playing golf, say. Whereas fishing you go and chuck your rods in and you're
sitting down having a chat for hours.

"It's good for your mind as well because you can just switch off. There's
not many things you can do where it's like that. Normally we just do a night
and we'll go in the afternoon after training and stay for the night, put our
tents up. He's better than me, to be honest. He's a more experienced
fisherman. The geezer's got a souped-up fisherman's van. He's got a van
which is all insulated and he sleeps in that. I'm sleeping in a tent by the
lake freezing cold."

Jenkinson says it was important for him to leave Arsenal and start playing
regular football. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Jenkinson is learning plenty of new things at West Ham then and he feels he
has improved under Allardyce. "He's been absolutely brilliant," Jenkinson
says. "I didn't want to go on loan to a team that was just going to kick the
ball long. I wanted to go to a team where I was going to learn and improve
and I think I'm definitely doing that here at West Ham. We focus on
defending in training and we do a lot of work on one-v-ones and heading and
I feel I've developed in those areas. He's given me the licence to get
forward and express myself. I know what I'm capable of."

Jenkinson is unrecognisable from the naive teenager who was thrown in at the
deep end after joining Arsenal from Charlton Athletic in 2011. His fourth
game was against Manchester United at Old Trafford but Arsenal lost 8-2 and
Jenkinson was sent off. It took strength of character to recover from such a
torrid experience; he won his first and only England cap a year later.

In an ideal world he would not have gone on loan but the writing was on the
wall when Arsenal signed Mathieu Debuchy. "I didn't want to have another
season sitting on the bench," Jenkinson says. "It was starting to drive me
up the wall a little bit, I wanted to get out and play football, and I've
realised that I'm happiest when I'm playing regular football."

And West Ham were a good fit. Growing up in Essex, he always had a soft spot
for them. "I have a couple of friends who are West Ham and they're
absolutely buzzing," Jenkinson says. "I've got a feel of what it means to
everyone at the moment and how good it is for everyone involved at West Ham
with where we are in the league. That gives you motivation to keep it going
and keep achieving. It's nice to see other people enjoying your success."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham host struggling Leicester looking to maintain fine form
Last Updated: 19/12/14 4:22pm
SSN

West Ham face bottom side Leicester City at Upton Park looking for their
fourth win in five games as Sam Allardyce's side prepare for a tough
Christmas period. Sitting pretty in fourth place after just two defeats in
13, the Hammers are the Premier League's surprise package this season, and
couldn't wish for a more out-of-form opponent before playing Chelsea and
Arsenal in the space of three days.
Nigel Pearson's Leicester have won just twice in the Premier League this
season and have taken one point from a possible 27 over their last nine
matches. The Foxes have lost seven of their eight games on the road, and
face Tottenham and fellow strugglers Hull before the year is out.

Sinking without a trace, Leicester are already five points from safety, and
hate travelling south to the capital. No win in 17 Premier League games in
London doesn't bode well, and Pearson's side desperately need a result to
stop the rot before the turn of the year.
Anything less than a win puts Leicester bottom on Christmas Day; only two
sides, West Bromwich Albion (2004/05) and Sunderland (2013/14) have survived
having propped up the table on December 25.

Depending on Southampton's result at home to Everton, West Ham could be in
the top four at Christmas for the first time since 1985/86, the season
legendary manager John Lyall led them to third place, their highest ever top
flight finish. Mark Noble will be missing because of an Achilles problem,
but Allardyce hopes the midfielder will be back for the Boxing Day trip to
Chelsea. The Hammers otherwise report no fresh injury problems heading into
the hectic Christmas schedule, with strikers Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho
in contention to lead the attack again. David Nugent is set to return for
Leicester after missing last week's defeat to Manchester City with a calf
injury. Kasper Schmeichel is out after breaking a metatarsal last week and
Matt Upson is close to a comeback after a long-standing foot injury but will
not be risked as he returns to full fitness.

Opta Stats

Kevin Nolan has scored three goals in four Premier League appearances
against Leicester.
Leicester City are without a win in six league meetings with West Ham United
(D3 L3).
There have been five red cards in the last eight league meetings between
West Ham and Leicester.
No player has created more goalscoring opportunities than Stewart Downing
(50) in the Premier League so far this season.

Merson's prediction

"I make West Ham an absolute certainty. I think they're a very good team who
are going under the radar at the moment. When they fall behind away from
home they fight back, they win at home and Leicester have not won in 11
games. "Leicester are in trouble. It's hard because they're on a roll and
this league is ruthless and suddenly another hard games presents itself. You
couldn't pick a tougher game than West Ham away at the moment. Leicester
have got to stick at it and hope for a bit of luck. Thankfully they haven't
been cut adrift but they need to win a football match very soon."

PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (Sky Bet odds 12/1)

Sky Bet consider this one a home banker for West Ham, making them 4/6
favourites to collect all three points. It's unlikely there will be many
backing Leicester even at odds of around 4/1 at Upton park. The Foxes have
lost their last two games by one goal and it's 11/4 for that trend to
continue on Saturday. Carroll and Sakho are considered joint favourites in
the goalscorer markets at 4/1 apiece to net first, while David Nugent, Jamie
Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa are rated the visitors' biggest threats, each at
8/1.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce hints West Ham will sell Ravel Morrison in January
Last Updated: 19/12/14 10:02am
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has hinted troubled midfielder Ravel
Morrison's future could be resolved in the January transfer window.
Morrison has returned to the Hammers early from an unsuccessful loan spell
at Cardiff City and is training with the club's U21s with Allardyce keen not
to disrupt his fourth-placed squad. Allardyce says Morrison is not a
priority for him and hinted the player will be moved on in January. "It
hasn't worked at Cardiff," Allardyce said. "We have such a big squad this
season that I felt it was better for him to try and get some football and
see how it goes. "It hasn't worked there that well and he is back here with
us now but that is before his loan expires at Cardiff so we'll have to look
at the situation over the new year.

Terminate

"But my focus isn't on Ravel, it is on my first-team squad continuing the
great run of form they are on at the moment." Morrison made just seven
appearances for the Sky Bet Championship side and they allowed him to
terminate his loan spell on compassionate grounds. A Cardiff statement read:
"Due to personal circumstances, Cardiff City have allowed Ravel Morrison
compassionate leave and permission to train in more familiar surroundings at
this time with his parent club, West Ham United." Morrison was last month
cleared of threatening to throw acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend and
have her killed. However, he will stand trial at Manchester Crown Court on
January 26 on three remaining charges of assaulting Reah Mansoor, 19, and
her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39, in the early hours of July 24.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll hails Teddy Sheringham's impact on West Ham strikers as top
four surge continues
Dec 19, 2014 18:43 By Aaron Flanagan
The former-England international has been working with the Hammers since May
and has been credited for his work in helping them fly up the league
The Mirror

Andy Carroll has hailed Teddy Sheringham's impact on West Ham's strikers,
six months into the former players' role as an attacking coach at the club.
Sheringham embarked on his first off-pitch job in football in May 2014 and
has been widely credited for the change in playing style, which has seen the
Hammers rocket up the Premier League table. New signing Diafra Sakho has
already claimed a Player of the Month award, as West Ham sit in the
Champions League places at the middle of December. And now the impact of
Sheringham has also been celebrated by Carroll, who scored twice in the
recent Premier League win over Swansea City.

In an interview with Sport magazine, he admitted that Sheringham's impact
has been crucial to their success. The former-England man, who actually
started his career at rivals Millwall, scored a total of 355 goals for nine
teams, eight of which being in England, and a further 11 for the country.
Carroll said: "Teddy Sheringham has come in and he has us working on our
movement around the box. That's clearly had an impact on our runs to get on
the end of crosses, and so on. He's just sharpening everyone up. "That's
just the way he used to play, being quick to react. That's what we were
doing, quick movement around the box and working on finishing. Obviously
it's got us moving a lot more and offering a lot more options, and it's
making a big difference."

Carroll also joked about the long-ball style of play, which West Ham were
widely criticised for in time gone by. He admits that the team do pump the
ball up towards the strikers, but only because they like to play to the
team's strengths. He describes the aerial threat as "another weapon"."Yeah,
you get a bit of stick for putting the ball in the air and heading it,"
Carroll laughs. "But it's just another weapon, you know? Obviously we can
pass it and open teams up, because we have been doing that this season. But
we have a lot of players who are good in the air as well, so we're going to
use that."
West Ham host Leicester on Saturday afternoon, boosted by the news that the
Upton Park club are looking to sign midfielder Alex Song on a permanent
deal. He admitted to a French newspaper earlier this week that he wants to
stay at the club.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cheikhou Kouyate: I'm glad West Ham signed Diafra Sakho and Alex Song
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate believes the Hammers can achieve
European qualification this season. West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou
Kouyate appears at home on and off the pitch since arriving at the Boleyn
Ground this summer. Kouyate's performances for the Hammers so far have
caught the eye, with his imposing displays allowing his side to win the
midfield battle. And it seems that settling in the dressing room has also
been a simple transition, due to the bond he has formed with some of the
Hammers' other new arrivals. Kouyate joined in what was a busy summer for
Sam Allardyce's men and having so many teammates arrive at the same time
seems to have increased team spirit in the group. The Senegalese midfielder
has already formed strong relationships with Diafra Sakho and Alex Song
since arriving in East London and he says that he is glad to be able to
share this experience with the duo. "Alex is a great guy and I'm very happy
him and Diafra are here," he said to the club's official site. "We get on
very well." This chemistry the squad have away from matches is clearly
translating into success on the pitch, as West Ham have enjoyed their best
start to a season in years. Allardyce's men are in the Champions League
qualification spots as things stand and Kouyate says that the team are
starting to think about European football. "We've had a great start to the
season and anything is possible in football," he enthused. "We need to stay
humble, work hard but it's possible that we can qualify for Europe."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rav departure could fund Sakho deal
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 19, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Diafra Sakho's improved contract and pay deal is likely to be funded by the
ppssible departure of Ravel Morrison. Sakho's revised pay deal which could
more than triple his weekly basic of around £7,5000. plus appearance
bonuses. The striker has made just eight full appearances in a claret and
blue shirt so factoring in the African Nations Cup, and the manager's hint
at team rotation, he is unlikely to achieve the 25 appearance mark until the
end of this season.

West Ham have previously confirmed we are right up to the upper limit on the
FFP players wage cap with little room for manoueuvre.
So the release of Ravel Morrison at the end of his contract this summer
would release another £15,000 per week of which £10,000 per week can be
re-invested in Diafra Sakho. The FFP wage limit will also rise by another
£4m (£77,000 per week) next season allowing further negotiation of
contracts such as Mark Noble's and maybe bringing in new players in the
summer. The probable release of Carlton Cole after his 18 month contract
expires this summer is likely to bring in a further £30,000 per week/£1.5m
per year in wages giving us more options for next season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leroy lets loose on Leicester
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 19, 2014 in Whispers
Clart & Hugh

West Ham are in such a great place at the moment that anything other than a
win is unthinkable against Leicester City tomorrow. Nigel Pearson's team are
eleven games without a win but played very well against Manchester City
last weekend before going down 1-0. However, another defeat meant they
haven't won since that crazy 5-3 against Manchester United in September.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have been outstanding and their record against the
Foxes at Upton Park shows only one defeat since the sixties. Now whilst
managers, coaches and players don't look at stuff like that, the fans do and
it creates an atmosphere not unlike the mood when we go to Everton. When the
match itself starts they will be thinking: "Oh, blimey there's Sakho, then
there's Carroll oh and here comes Downing."

Trust me, that's not a great feeling and although they won't be beaten
before the start it's a very daunting Irons line up and it can get to a team
in City's position. I'm really glad we have this match before the Christmas
games against Chelsea and Arsenal because three points will allow us to play
with freedom and adventure in those two. I'm going for Diafra Sakho and Alex
Song to score in a 2-0 win.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons are Stelling's team of season so far
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 19, 2014 in Whispers
Calret &Hugh

Sky's Jeff Stelling has named the Irons his team of the season so far. He
told HITC Sport: ""They've brought in players and it's hard to think of one
that hasn't really come off. Full-backs, Cresswell and Jenkinson, have been
absolutely fantastic. Song, everybody is scratching their head and wondering
how did West Ham manage that, when the likes of Arsenal have been looking
for someone like Song pretty much since he left. Up front, Sakho and Varate
and Valencia, everybody has come off. He's (Sam Allardycew) got Stewart
Downing playing the football of his life, Andy Carroll has come back. "The
thing with them is that they have got every chance of keeping it going
throughout the season because they do have a little bit of strength in
depth, they do have players battling for their place in the side because
somebody else is waiting to come in. They have been fantastic."

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