Daily WHUFC News - 10th July 2014

Poyet can't wait to get started
WHUFC.com
Diego Poyet is relishing his 'new challenge' with West Ham United
09.07.2014

Diego Poyet is looking forward to a new challenge after completing his
transfer to West Ham United on Tuesday. The 19-year-old midfielder has left
Sky Bet Championship side Charlton Athletic to link up with the Hammers and
is thrilled by the prospect of moving up to the Barclays Premier League.
Despite his tender years, the Zaragoza-born England U17 international
already possesses plenty of first team experience having featured regularly
for the Addicks last term. Now, having joined the Hammers on their
pre-season training camp in France, Poyet wants to kick on and show what he
can do at the higher level.
He told West Ham TV: "I'm very happy to be here. It took me by surprise a
little bit and it all happened very quickly. "It's a great Club to be at and
I know a few of the boys here already. It was a no brainer to sign, I wanted
to come out here to the training camp as soon as I could and I'm grateful
that they've had me here. "I had my medical on Friday and I flew out here on
Saturday so I've been around the boys for a few days. Being around them all
the time and training around the staff and all the players has been great.
"It's massive to come to a Premier League club. It's what I wanted to do - I
wanted a new challenge and soon as I heard there was a chance of stepping up
I had to take it. "I played quite a few games last season with Charlton and
I just want to push on now. Like any young player, the first thing you want
to do is get into the first team. I need to show the staff, players and the
gaffer what I'm capable of doing and maybe pushing my way in."

Poyet, Sunderland boss Gus' son, has his eyes on one fixture in particular
next term - and it is not hard to guess which. He continued: "I'll be
looking out for the Sunderland game. I watched West Ham play them towards
the end of last season, West Ham won and I'm not sure my dad was too happy
about it. "They got there in the end - after that game it looked tough for
them, but they turned it around, which was great for them and for him."

Poyet describes his role as a destructive one and he is hoping to feature in
the Hammers' first friendly of the summer at Stevenage on Saturday. He
added: "I'm a defensive midfielder who likes to break up play, pass the ball
around and get about the pitch. "I like to help the defence as much as I
can, do my job and help the team to win. "We've got a game on Saturday, I
don't know when my first game will come but if I get a chance then, that'll
be brilliant. If not I'll have to wait a little longer to get my
opportunity."

Poyet concluded with a few words for his former side Charlton, with whom he
had come through the ranks since the age of eleven. He explained "I grew up
at Charlton for seven years, so it's a bit sad to leave, but as soon as I
heard that West Ham - a great Club with a lot of tradition, moving to a new
stadium and everything - it was a no brainer for me because you never know
if you're going to get that kind of chance again."

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Nobby relishing Stevenage test
WHUFC.com
Captain Kevin Nolan is looking forward to West Ham United's opening
pre-season fixture at Stevenage
09.07.2014

Kevin Nolan is relishing West Ham United's first pre-season match at
Stevenage this weekend. The Hammers kick-off their preparations for the
2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign by making the short trip up the A1
to The Lamex Stadium. There, Nolan and company can expect a stern
examination from Graham Westley's League Two side, who will themselves be
seeking a morale-boosting victory over their illustrious visitors. "It's
always nice to play your first game in pre-season," the captain confirmed.
"After the intense week we've had at our training camp in France we're all
raring to go. It's nice to put a fresh, new kit on and I'm looking forward
to it. "It'll be a very good test for us. Knowing Graham Westley and his
coaching staff, they'll be fit, ready and raring to go and they'll want to
show that they can match us. "You want those tests all the time in
pre-season. The main thing is that we steer clear of injuries, as I'll keep
on saying throughout the season."

For Nolan, Saturday's game will not be the first time he has visited
Stevenage. In January 2011, he was part of the Newcastle United side shocked
3-1 in the FA Cup third round. Last summer, the experience was far more
positive as Nolan and club-mates Andy Carroll, Mark Noble, Matt Jarvis and
James Collins turned out in memory of former West Ham and Stevenage winger
Mitchell Cole - the late brother-in-law of namesake Joe. "I played at
Stevenage in Mitchell Cole's benefit match and it was a fantastic
atmosphere. The crowd were in great spirits that night and that's great
testament to Mitchell. "I was very honoured to play in the game and I'm
looking forward to going back. The dressing rooms remind me of when I was in
the youth team at Bolton. We're looking forward to getting going and getting
ready for what's going to be a great first home game against Spurs."

Saturday's 3pm kick-off is the first of seven pre-season fixtures to be
played ahead of West Ham's Barclays Premier League opener at home to
Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 16 August. Following Stevenage, the Hammers
travel to Ipswich Town, take on Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC in New
Zealand, FC Schalke 04 and Malaga in Germany and host UC Sampdoria at the
Boleyn Ground. "We want to be playing against good teams so that we build up
towards that first league game," Nolan continued. "The better the opposition
you play, the more focused you'll be come the start of the season. "We're
looking forward to playing in front of our supporters again too. It was a
difficult season for us all last year - players, staff and fans alike. We're
all just looking forward to a fresh new season, with fewer injuries to key
individuals and we know if that does happen we'll have a good season."

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Hammers target further signings
WHUFC.com
Manager Sam Allardyce says West Ham United's summer recruitment drive is far
from over
09.07.2014

Sam Allardyce says West Ham United's summer recruitment drive is far from
over. Big Sam and the Board have already markedly strengthened the Hammers
squad by bringing in Argentine forward Mauro Zarate, Senegal midfielder
Cheikhou Kouyate, highly-rated left-back Aaron Cresswell and promising
midfielder Diego Poyet. With the new Barclays Premier League campaign a
little more than five weeks away, the manager said he still hopes to add
three or four more signings before the big kick-off against Tottenham
Hotspur. "I think there are three or four positions - it depends on the
budget," the manager told West Ham TV. "You would say there is still room
for a young central defender, particularly a left-footed one because we do
run with three and not four. Ideally, you would have four. "You would also
say we need another left-back to go along with Aaron and I think a
front-line player and the possibility of a midfield player as well."

While the search for new talent goes on, Big Sam hailed the capture of
19-year-old defensive midfielder Poyet from Charlton Athletic. The teenager
burst into the Charlton first team in January 2014 before going on to make
23 appearances and scoop the Addicks' Player of the Season award. The son of
former Chelsea and Uruguay midfielder and current Sunderland manager Gus,
Big Sam believes the young Poyet will be able to draw on the experience of
being part of a footballing family as he continues with his own development.
"Diego is one of the younger end that we have invested in, based on the
information that we've got, and based on the progression he has made in a
short period of time," said the manager. "He has taken that leap into the
first team and, all of a sudden, became a big contributor to Charlton last
year. "He's appeared on the scene after working very hard as a youngster and
trying to make the grade with a very famous father and always having that to
deal with. "Of course, having a father like Gus, he knows all about the
professional side of being a player. He has watched his Dad over the years
and sees him as a manager and I think that will have had a massive effect on
Diego, know what dedication and commitment is needed to be a footballer. "I
think he has got all that and hopefully that development will continue with
us. If he can break into the first team this year, that would be a massive
bonus."

Poyet is likely to be handed opportunities to impress during the pre-season
schedule. Looking further into the future, Big Sam said his first
competitive chance is likely to come in the Capital One Cup. "Like all the
young players, we'll try him out in the pre-season. We may try him out, if
he progresses well, in the early stages of the Capital One Cup if the
opposition are from a lower division than ourselves. "That system progressed
us to a fantastic run last season to the semi-finals and we nearly made
Wembley. It was about playing the young players and trying to play them at
very competitive first-team level in the Capital One Cup. He'll get a chance
in there and hopefully he can take the chance and move on from there."

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Diarra departs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United and Alou Diarra have reached a mutual agreement to terminate
the midfielder's contract
09.07.2014

West Ham United can confirm that the Club and Alou Diarra have reached a
mutual agreement to terminate the midfielder's contract and registration
with immediate effect. Diarra joined the Hammers in August 2012 but has
found first-team opportunities limited and his release means he is now free
to pursue opportunities elsewhere. West Ham United would like to thank Alou
for his efforts at the Club and wish him well for his future career.

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Zarate backs Argentina to progress
WHUFC.com
Mauro Zarate will be glued to the television for the second World Cup
semi-final on Wednesday
09.07.2014

When day six of West Ham United's training camp in France is over, Mauro
Zarate's attentions will be switching to events over 5,000 miles away. His
home country, Argentina, face the Netherlands in the second semi-final of
the FIFA World Cup, and the one time Albiceleste U20 international is
looking forward to the match, He believes a certain Lionel Messi will prove
key to the outcome of the match, although he reckons it will be a tighter
affair than Germany's meeting with Brazil. "I will be watching the Argentina
game on Wednesday night," he said. "I think because we have Messi, if he has
a good day we can win the game and get to the final. I hope Argentina can
win. "The first semi-final was spectacular and Brazil lost it in the first
20 minutes - you can't do what they did. "If Argentina win this evening, it
will be difficult because Germany are playing very well and it will be a
tough game for Argentina. "I played with Aguero and Di Maria in the U20
World Cup in 2007. There's a chance Aguero will be fit, so if he plays it
will be better for us."

Zarate has been getting stuck into life with the Hammers during his first
week of pre-season training at the Club and he is already feeling like part
of the group.
He added: "It has been a good training camp in France. The place, Evian, is
very nice and the pitches are perfect. I feel very good. "I'm settling in
well, and it's a help to have Adrian and Diego Poyet here too. They speak
Spanish, so I can talk with them in the language and that's good for me.
"The group is very good and I'm integrating with them well."

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Dev Squad to take on Sutton
WHUFC.com
A West Ham United XI will travel to Sutton United on Wednesday 23 July
09.07.2014

The Development Squad have added a fixture at Skrill South side Sutton
United to their pre-season schedule. Nick Haycock's side will travel to
south London to take on the U's on Wednesday 23 July with a 7.45pm kick-off.
Sutton came second in their division last season, but missed out on
promotion to the top tier of non-league football after losing out to Dover
Athletic in the Play-Offs. The Gander Green Lane side boast several former
Football League pros in their ranks, including the likes of ex-Nottingham
Forest and Leyton Orient left back Matt Lockwood, Chelsea Academy product
Lee Sawyer and former Norwich man Michael Spillane.

See below for the full pre-season schedules of the Hammers' U21 and U18
sides
Under-18s
Sat 19 July - U18 v Oxford Utd - Little Heath - 11am
Sat 26 July - U18 v Millwall - Little Heath - 11am
Tue 29 July - U18 v Leyton Orient - Little Heath - 11am
Sat 9 August - U18 v Brentford - Little Heath - 11am

Development Squad
Sat 12 July - U21 v AFC Hornchurch - Little Heath - 11am
Tue 15 July - U21 v Havant & Waterlooville -Away - 7.45pm
Sat 19 July - U21 v Shakhtar Donetsk - At Cambridge - 2pm
Sun 20 July - U21 v Espanyol - At Cambridge - 2pm
Wed 23 July - U21 v Sutton United -Away - 7.45pm
Tue 29 July - U21 v Braintree Town - Away - 7.45pm
Sat 2 August - U21 v Newport County - Little Heath - 3pm
Tue 5 August - U21 v Woking Away 7.45pm
Fri 8 August U21 v Aston Villa Little Heath 12 noon

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New club crest revealed
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th July 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have revealed the club's new proposed crest. As expected,
the word 'London' has been incorporated into the stripped-down design, which
completely removes any reference to the Boleyn Castle that has been part of
the club's crest for many years. There is no mention of the club's
birthdate, which was mooted during the initial consultation video, with many
supporters having expressed concern at the use of TIFC's incorporation date
of 1895 during that recent consultation process. The design is remarkably
similar to those produced by the KUMB Forum's team of amateur designers,
some of which we showcased here with many more being available on the Forum.
Supporters have been asked to give their view on the new design, which has
been produced by Kensington-based WTF Creative agency in a new YouGov poll
which may be found

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Alou Diarra leaves West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th July 2014
By: Staff Writer

Alou Diarra has left West Ham United after his contract was mutually
terminated. The former French international has barely featured for Sam
Allardyce's first XI since joining the Hammers in the summer of 2011, and
has now agreed to terminate his contract with West Ham a year shy of his
three-year deal. The news was confirmed by West Ham United this afternoon,
with a short statement posted on whufc.com. "Diarra joined the Hammers in
August 2012 but has found first-team opportunities limited and his release
means he is now free to pursue opportunities elsewhere," it read. "West Ham
United would like to thank Alou for his efforts at the Club and wish him
well for his future career."

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Sullivan's Academy ire
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th July 2014
By: Staff Writer

David Sullivan has accused fellow Premier League clubs of attempting to
steal West Ham United's rising stars on the cheap. Within the past fortnight
West Ham have lost 16-year-old Ben Sheaf to Arsenal whilst Reece Oxford, 15
and a former fellow sholar of Sheaf's, is also being courted by the North
London club.
And that is simply not acceptable, according to Sullivan, due to the minimal
compensation available for afftected clubs. "Our academy costs just under
£4million a year to run. Up until this season you could nick a 15-year-old
for about £50,000," he told the Mirror. "I think they are going to change it
now and there is going to be some retrospective compensation, so you'll
probably get £250,000. "But for each £4million you get one crop. So you'd
have to have 16 players like that to cover the cost of running the Academy
and [Oxford] is the best of the crop. "It's a joke that they can come and
nick your best players for £250,000. The big clubs just go to the player. If
he refuses to sign a scholarship then they'll have offered him a guaranteed
pro scholarship which we would match. "There are a few young players that
have been tapped up. There's nothing you can do about it. If you lose
someone for a few hundred thousand quid it's nothing when the academy costs
£4million to run. "People want clubs to invest in academies but up to this
year you could lose a 14-year-old for just £44,000."

Despite Sullivan's complaint, West Ham have themselves profited from the
same methods currently employed by Arsenal in recent years. Stephen Bywater
and Jermain Defoe came to east London via Rochdale's and Charlton's
Academies respectively, whilst earlier this week the Hammers signed
19-year-old Diego Poyet from Charlton against the club's wishes. Despite
having lost Sheaf - and facing a second potential loss with Oxford -
Sullivan maintains that West Ham's Academy is still the place to come. "I
would say to any young player at West Ham to stay," he added. "Our track
record over a 20-year period of producing players is as good as any club,
maybe with the exception of Southampton in recent years."

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Transfer update
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th July 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have been told to raise their bid if they want to land Ukraine
international Yevhen Konoplyanka, say the Telegraph.

The Hammers are said to have offered £9.5million for the Dnipro winger, who
has a £12million release clause in his contract - which West Ham have been
told to meet if they want the player. Konoplyanka is likely to insist upon a
salary of some £3million per year.

* Enner Valencia, who has been linked with a move to West Ham for some weeks
is also said to be interesting Portuguese outfit Porto. The Pachuca striker
has insisted that his future lie in Europe although West Ham have as yet
been unwilling to meet the World Cup star's £12million valuation. United's
Premier League rivals Stoke City have also expressed interest.

* Arsenal are still chasing West Ham's Academy star Reece Oxford, according
to the Mirror. The 15-year-old defender, one of Chadwell Heath's brightest
young stars is being seduced by both the Gunners and fellow London rivals
Chelsea. West Ham are reporrted to have offered Oxford a lucrative offer to
remain at the club but fear losing the player, just as they did with Ben
Sheaf.

* Also continuing to be linked with a move to Arsenal is West Ham's kiwi
defender Winston Reid. The New Zealander has just over a year left of his
current contract to run and is stalling over signing a new deal. Reid joined
West Ham four years ago this summer following a successful 2010 World Cup
Finals.

* Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy is still considering a move for West Ham's
Stephen Henderson. West Ham's current number three - behind Adrian and Jussi
Jaaskelainen - enjoyed two brief spells with the Tractor Boys last season
and could be set for a permanent return. Henderson, 26, has made just two
starts for West Ham in two years - both in the League Cup. Blackburn are
also reported to be monitoring the situation.

* West Ham are still unable to shift the out-of-favour Modibo Maiga and Alou
Diarra. Both players have been left at home whilst the rest of the first
team squad travels to Evian for pre-season training but look no closer to
leave the BG than at the start of the summer. The Hammers are now
considering allowing both out on loan.

* Play-off final winner Bobby Zamora is being linked with a move to lowly
Millwall. The former Hammer, who has scored play off winners at Cardiff and
Wembley for West Ham and QPR respectively is thought likely to remain in the
Championship despite earning top-flight status for Rangers back in May.

* Richard Garcia, a member of West Ham's star-studded youth team of the late
1990s has returned to Australia. Now 32, Garcia - who made 16 first team
appearances for the Hammers - has joined home town club Perth Glory on a
two-year deal. Prior to returning to Perth, Garcia had spent the previous
two seasons at Melbourne Heart and Sydney FC, where he scored 12 goals in 47
matches.

* Swansea striker Michu is on the verge of completing a season-long loan
move to Serie A Napoli. A summer transfer target of West Ham's, the Spaniard
was a huge hit at the Liberty Stadium in his first season but endured a
dreadful sophomore year last season in which he failed to score a single
goal after Christmas.

* Ross McCormack, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Boleyn
Ground since the turn of the year has completed a quite astonishing
£11million move to fellow Championship club Fulham. Despite being 28 and
having never appeared in the top flight, the Scot becomes the first ever
second division player to command an eight-figure fee.

* Former Academy youngster Robert Girdlestone has signed a year-long
contract with Chelmsford City. City boss Mark Hawkes told the Brentwood
Gazette: "Rob has been at West Ham since he was nine years old so he has
obviously been very well coached. He is going to be a good footballer and
taught the right way. We'll have to see if he can adapt to the physical side
of non-league football."

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Alou Diarra parts company with West Ham United by mutual consent
By Emma Webb | Last Updated: 09/07/14 7:21pm
SSN

French midfielder Alou Diarra has parted company with West Ham United by
mutual consent, the club confirmed on their website. The 32-year-old
transferred to the Hammers from Marseille for £2million in 2012, and made
six appearances for the club before being loaned to Rennes for the remainder
of the 2012/13 season. Diarra made a further eight appearances for West Ham
the following season, rarely in a first team instance. He last played for
the East End outfit in the Capital One Cup 3-0 loss to Manchester City in
January. Confirming the decision, West Ham stated on their official website:
"West Ham United can confirm that the club and Alou Diarra have reached a
mutual agreement to terminate the midfielder's contract and registration
with immediate effect. "Diarra joined the Hammers in August 2012 but has
found first-team opportunities limited and his release means he is now free
to pursue opportunities elsewhere. "West Ham United would like to thank Alou
for his efforts at the club and wish him well for his future career."

West Ham start their 2014/15 campaign at home to London rivals Tottenham
Hotspur on 16th August.

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West Ham eager to keep Reece Oxford and ready to offer new deal
Last Updated: 09/07/14 6:44pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham United are ready to offer starlet Reece
Oxford a bumper deal in a bid to fend off interest from their Premier League
rivals.
The likes of Chelsea and Arsenal are thought to be weighing up moves to lure
Oxford away from Upton Park. Oxford is highly-regarded within the corridors
of power at Upton Park and is tipped for a big future in the game. The
England Under 16 international has been earning reviews in the West Ham
academy and this has alerted other clubs to his potential and talent. West
Ham are determined to keep hold of Oxford and are ready to offer the
centre-back a deal which would make him one of the best paid youngsters at
the club.

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NEW WEST HAM BADGE REVEALED
By Sean Whetstone 9 Jul 2014 at 22:59
West Ham Till I Die

West Ham Have revealed their proposed design of an updated crest for the
2016/17 season. Following the recent supporter consultation, which the club
claim offered support for a new crest, the Club have been working with
designers WTF Creative agency to create a bolder, cleaner and more vibrant
Club crest which will work better the modern digital age. The final design
has now been put forward for approval by supporters through an independent
polling company, SMG YouGov, with voting to commencing on Wednesday evening
9 July and closing later at 6pm on Friday 11th July. Prior to casting a
vote, fans are invited to watch a brand new reveal video narrated by Tony
Cottee, which takes a look at the crest's colourful history, as well as the
months of research.

Consultation Summary

77 per cent of respondents in favour of updating the crest

98 per cent say crossed hammers are most important

In discussion of the castle's future, 86 per cent said they want to see it
retired

Nearly two thirds want a bolder and cleaner typeface

67 per cent majority were in agreement with the Club's rationale to combine
the cross section of the Ironworks' HMS Warrior with the famous crest of the
1950/60s

Majority recognise the need for representation of the Club's future

Fans in favour of adding London to the badge vs Olympic Stadium

(It is believed less than 10,000 supporters completed the consultation)

Personally I think the new badge will grow on me, initial reactions have
been poor on social media tonight but like the London Olympic 2012 logo I
think it will grow on many supporters once they get over the initial shock
of change. Whether supporters will vote in significant numbers to make it a
reality remains to be seen.

However one person who seems to be against the use of the word London
appears to be the Chairman's son Jack Sullivan who tweeted "NO TO WEST HAM
LONDON"

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OFFICIAL: ALOU DIARRA CONTRACT TERMINATED
By Sean Whetstone 9 Jul 2014 at 22:53
WHTID

West Ham United and Alou Diarra have reached a mutual agreement to terminate
the midfielder's contract

In a short statement on WHUFC.com it said "West Ham United can confirm that
the Club and Alou Diarra have reached a mutual agreement to terminate the
midfielder's contract and registration with immediate effect."

Diarra joined West Ham United on a three-year contract in August 2012, for a
fee believed to be around £2.5m on £40,000 per week. After joining West Ham
United, Diarra said he was delighted to join the club and was looking
forward to play in the Premier League.Chairman Vincent Labrune said he had
been sold in order to reduce the wage bill as Diarra was claimed to be
earning £60,000 per week with Marseille.

Diarra made his debut for West Ham on 25th August in a 3–0 away defeat to
Swansea City coming on as a 69th minute substitute for Mohamed Diamé. Having
made three appearances, Diarra first team opportunities soon became limited
when he soon suffered thigh strain during training in September 2012. In the
2013 January transfer window, Diarra made a request to leave the club and
criticised Sam Allardyce for holding him back by not explaining his
[Allardyce] team selection. Diarra also said that his time at West Ham
United has become a waste of time .After his move, Diarra claimed he was
conned when his "well known" agent lied to him to join West Ham United.
Diarra criticized West Ham United for his pre-season training schedule,
having finished Euro 2012. Despite his comments Diarra returned to West Ham
for the beginning of the 2013-14 season. In his second game of the season, a
League Cup game against Cheltenham Town, he was carried-off injured after 34
minutes having damaged his anterior cruciate ligament. He was expected to
miss the whole of the season due to this injury. Unexpectedly, Diarra
returned to fitness in 2013 making his return in a 2-1 away win against
Tottenham Hotspur on 18 December 2013 in the League Cup. He has made just
six appearances in a West Ham shirt.

He is believed to have had around £2m of wages remaining on his last year of
contract but it believed West Ham paid less than £1.5m for him to leave
early.

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West Ham looking to fend off Arsenal and Chelsea over young defender Reece
Oxford
Jul 08, 2014 23:51 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror

West Ham have offered their teenage defender Reece Oxford a huge contract to
try and fend off the advances of Arsenal and Chelsea. The deal for the 6ft
3in, ball-playing centre-half would make him one of the best paid youngsters
at the club. The Irons joint-chairman David Sullivan is desperate for the
15-year-old to snub their London rivals to continuing his education at Upton
Park. Sullivan said: "It almost makes you give up on having an academy if
they can come in and nick your best 15-year-old. What's the point?" Oxford,
an England Under-16 international has been tracked by Arsenal and Chelsea
for some time with his talents likened to another of the club's academy
graduates, Rio Ferdinand. The Gunners raided the Hammers only last week to
poach 16-year-old Ben Sheaf - regarded as one of the best young midfielders
in the country. AFPWest Ham's co-owner David SullivanWhat's the point?
Sullivan says rules on young players make owners question academies Sullivan
added: "Our academy costs just under £4million a year to run. Up until this
season you could nick a 15-year-old for about £50,000. "I think they are
going to change it now and there is going to be some retrospective
compensation. So you'll probably get £250,000. "But for each £4million you
get one crop. So you'd have to have 16 players like that to cover the cost
of running the academy- and [Oxford] is the best of the crop.
"So its a joke that they can come and nick your best players for £250,000.
The big clubs just go to the player. If he refuses to sign a scholarship
then they'll have offered him a guaranteed pro scholarship which we would
match. "But there are a few young players that have been tapped up. There's
nothing you can do about it. "I would say to any young player at West Ham to
stay. Our track record over a 20-year period of producing players is as
good as any club. "Maybe with the exception of Suthampton in recent years.
Not many come through from the Arsenal academy these days. "Chelsea have 44
players out on loan. They are logjammed with players. Tottenham are
logjammed with players. There are so many that just can't get into those
teams. "If you lose someone for a few hundred thousand quid its nothing when
the academy costs £4million to run. People want clubs to invest in academies
but up to this year you could lose a 14-year-old for just £44,000."

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