Daily WHUFC News -21st February 2015

Big Sam on: Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com
The manager faces the press ahead of Sunday's trip to White Hart Lane
20.02.2015

Sam Allardyce is keen for his West Ham United side to show their
bouncebackability when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. On the back
of a disappointing FA Cup exit at West Bromwich Albion, the Hammers boss is
well aware of the need to give the fans something to cheer at White Hart
Lane and he believes his side possess the tools to do that.

In his pre-match press conference he faced questions on team news, European
ambitions and more.

Has Nene's international clearance come through yet and is he available to
play on Sunday?

SA: "Whether it has come through or not he won't be available to play
because he isn't match fit yet. He's a naturally fit player and he's not far
away, I think ten days to two weeks before he's ready. We'll monitor his
progress, he could be ready for the Crystal Palace game, we'll have to wait
and see. It's nice to have him here with the CV he's got and we're looking
forward to working to with him."

With 13 games to go, does he have an important role in the club?

SA: "I think so definitely. We've lost our goalscoring touch at the moment
and we've struggled to put our chances in the back of the net. We had been
fluent in that area at the start of the season. Obviously that is key to any
team doing well and I think that is why we have drawn some games we should
have won. "Hopefully we find that touch on Sunday, against Tottenham our big
rivals in a big London derby. It's a massive game for us and hopefully we do
as well as we did there last season."

How important is this game in terms of reaching a European place?

SA: "We need to rekindle our winning mentality, we've been playing very well
recently but haven't been collecting enough wins. We have to maintain that
level to qualify for Europe and certainly beating the big boys will be
difficult but not impossible.

There have been question marks over your future at the Club, how do you deal
with that?

SA: "The same way I deal with most things in the game, I don't listen to it.
It's not my desire to listen to praise or criticism. I like to be
professional and work with the people within the football club to try and
get the best out of them. I hear things but I don't take any notice of it. "

Does it concern you that information is getting out there about X, Y and Z
being linked with your job?

SA: "Not really, there was speculation last season same as this season, I
think there always will be. It seems to me it occurs if and when you get a
bad result."

Andy Carroll is out injured for a while. How have the players reacted to
that?

SA: "Everyone is very disappointed and he's very disappointed himself. These
things happen in football, unfortunately for Andy it is happening too often.
He's managed to overcome the last injury and came back and did well. I think
he was getting back to his best and then a different injury happened. We can
only hope that sooner rather than later he can overcome these problems for
good. He was scoring goals and playing well, it was difficult making choices
between him, Diafra Sakho, Carlton Cole and Enner Valencia because they were
all at the top of their game.

It isn't quite happening for the strikers at the moment. Can you put your
finger on quite why?

SA: "Yes, it's their first season here, in English football. They're not
used to the level of football we play on a regular basis. They're not used
to the demand, both physically and mentally and as a result there in a
little bit of a lull trying to cope with that. There is no let up at this
level. They haven't experienced a Christmas like we have here. It takes it
toll on everyone but the experienced players know how to deal with it
better."

Apart from Andy Carroll and Nene, is everybody else fit and raring to go?

SA: "Yes at the moment. Matt Jarvis, Winston Reid and James Collins have all
recovered. Where we go from here will depend on how fit we keep the players.
We will strive to push on and try and get as many players fit for the rest
of the season."

Harry Kane has been in excellent form this season, scoring all types of
goals. Will you be looking to stop the supply line to him?

SA: "Absolutely, that's one way of stopping him. We are aware of his
capabilities. He was a surprise at the start of the season and no one
expected him to make such an impact. But he's been brilliant. He was an
unknown quantity, a bit like Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho. But now
everyone knows what to expect, the fact he's managed to keep on scoring
shows you how good he really is."

When you cast your mind back to that 3-0 win last season, does it seem like
a long time ago now?

SA: "Yeah, with no strikers either. It was a great result, one of the best
performances and results in my time here at the Club. We were in such a
difficult position with no strikers available and it seemed to work
surprisingly well.

Tottenham have played the most games out of any side in the Premier League.
Have you been surprised with how well they've coped?

SA: "I wouldn't say I've been surprised but I am impressed. He's managed to
find out as quickly as possible what his players are capable of. He's
rotated his team on a regular basis and he has a very talented squad to work
with. As a result he's managed to keep his players happy which is very
important. They've performed for him exceptionally well and he's done an
excellent job."

Following Sunday's game, you've got three other London derbies afterwards.
Is it fair to say your season will be determined by what happens in London?

SA: "I think the next 13 games as a whole will determine our season. A win
in a derby team is a bonus for us all, particularly the fans. We're
concentrating on winning as many games as possible from now on until the end
of the season."

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Page signs new contract
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Lewis Page has signed a new contract keeping him at the
club until 2017
20.02.2015

West Ham United are delighted to announce that 18-year-old defender Lewis
Page has signed a professional contract with the Club, keeping him at the
Boleyn Ground until summer 2017. The highly rated left-back has been a
mainstay of the West Ham United Development Squad this term, making 13
starts as well as featuring on the bench for the first team in their League
Cup game against Sheffield United. Speaking after signing his new contract,
Page said: "I'm delighted, I can't wait to get going. I heard the new
contract was coming about two or three weeks ago. I've just been waiting to
sign it. "Alongside signing my scholarship, it's definitely one of the
highlights of my career so far, it's great."

Having joined the Club at just ten years old, the talented left-back, who
can also play at centre-back, is the latest player from West Ham United's
prestigious Academy to sign a contract with the club. When asked to describe
his best attributes, Page replied: "I like to go forward from left-back and
get crosses in to the box. I'm enthusiastic and I'd like to think I can
defend well too. "I love watching Aaron Cresswell play, in games as well as
training. He's great going forward as well as defensively. He's got
everything you need to be a good left back. "It's a great experience to be
training with him, I'm learning a lot. Carl Jenkinson too, he's on the other
wing but I still look up to him and see what he does."

Page is one of a number of exciting prospects to make the first-team bench
this season, alongside the likes of Reece Burke, Elliot Lee and Reece
Oxford, among others. Having been forced out of action for the last few
weeks due to injury, Page is raring to get back playing.
"I had a thigh injury which has kept me out for almost six weeks but I'm
almost ready to get back into training. I just want to get out there and
show what I can do. "Being involved with the first team squad is great.
Obviously I hope I can be involved as much as possible for the rest of the
season."

West Ham United Academy Manager and Head of Coaching and Player Development
Director Terry Westley spoke of his delight at the news of Page committing
his future to the Club. "I'm delighted for him. He's a great player and he
always works hard. I'm delighted with the progress he's been making and he
deserves the new deal. "He's been training with the first team for a while
now and he's impressed all the coaching staff there. I hope Lewis continues
to work hard because he has a bright future here at West Ham United."

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A message from the Joint-Chairmen
WHUFC.com
A message to our supporters travelling to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday
20.02.2015

We would like to thank you for purchasing a ticket to support the team in
Sunday's Barclays Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Your loyal and unwavering support is greatly appreciated by all at the Club,
from us on the Board right through to the players, and we are looking
forward to you creating a superb atmosphere in what promises to be a
passionate London derby at White Hart Lane.

Sunday's match will see us take 3,000 fans a few miles across London, but
the 5,500 who travelled last week to West Bromwich Albion had further to
travel and we are sorry that you did not have more to cheer that day. We
wanted to thank our fans for making the effort to travel to the Midlands
last week and in particular for the many messages we have received this week
in support for the direction we have taken over this season, building again
for an improved finish in the Premier League.

Sam and the team have been working hard on the training pitch this week to
put last week's wrongs right and Sunday's game offers an exciting
opportunity for us to bounce back. We would also like to remind all fans
attending the match at White Hart Lane that they will be acting as
ambassadors for West Ham United and their behaviour should reflect the
values and standards of our Club.

Working with the Metropolitan Police, the Club will continue to adopt a zero
tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory behaviour and any fan
found to be acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and
homophobic behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and
banned from attending matches.

We are rightly proud of our world-famous support home and away and we look
forward to the famous Claret and Blue Army once again getting behind the
team with all their heart and showing the world that following the Hammers
means supporting with pride, passion and respect.

David Sullivan and David Gold

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New date for Man City
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will travel to Manchester City on Sunday 19 April
20.02.2015

West Ham United's away Barclays Premier League fixture at Manchester City
has been moved back a day to Sunday 19 April. The City of Manchester Stadium
clash will kick-of at 1.30pm as the Hammers look to complete a league double
over last season's champions. Please note that this date remains subject to
change in the event Manchester City qualify for the UEFA Champions League
quarter-finals and are scheduled to play the following Tuesday.

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Lifelong West Ham United fan Mark Noble looks forward to Sunday's trip to
north London
19.02.2015

Hello everyone,

We are off to White Hart Lane on Sunday and you don't need me to tell you
how important Tottenham away is to everyone associated with West Ham United.
We won there twice last season and we'd love to make it three in a row, but
it will not be easy by any stretch. I think they are a different team now.
Mauricio Pochettino has got them playing very well and obviously they've got
the likes of Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane is flying now. They've got a
good team and a good squad and it's going to be tough, so we need to go
there and play our best game, or else we'll get turned over. I'm sure the
fans will be buzzing for the game on Sunday and it's live on TV, so I'm
looking forward to it, as are all the lads.

After going to Spurs, we have Crystal Palace and Chelsea at home in the
space of five days, then we go into the closing straight of the last ten
games. A lot of our final set of fixtures are against teams in the bottom
half, but those can be the hardest matches. We've been in that position
ourselves and we've done it to other teams when we're scrapping for our
lives and they are safe and they have less to play for. We need to go into
those games fully equipped to have a battle or else we'll get turned over,
so I'm sure we'll be ready for them. We can't let the season tail-off - we
need to finish as strong as we can.

Expectations are as high as I can remember at this Club but that's a help
rather than a hindrance because we want to be as high as we can. You can't
get used to fighting relegation. Any team in the bottom ten is in the
relegation scrap and has been over the last few seasons. If you lose a
couple of games and the teams below you win a couple, you are suddenly two
points away from safety. Every team is getting stronger and that's the way
seasons are going now, so you have to be as strong as possible to cope in
this league.

I was delighted to see Tonks sign a new long-term contract recently and it's
great to see the home-grown players representing this Club.
We have seen a few of the Academy boys in the squad, but it's getting a lot
harder to break into the first team - and that's the same for young players
at every Premier League club. The mental side of playing in the Premier
League now and the pressure on clubs financially to stay in it makes it more
difficult for them to bring youngsters in, especially if they are fighting
against relegation.

It's tough but I'd say to those boys to keep working hard, don't get bored
of training well and not playing because you will get your chance, whether
it is here or somewhere else. They need to be ready when that chance comes.
Back to this weekend and I hope all of you travelling to north London have a
safe and enjoyable trip, and the rest of you enjoy watching the game with
your family and your mates.

Come on you Irons!
Nobes

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Akinola eyeing Canaries win
WHUFC.com
U18 defender Tunji Akinola believes his team has what it takes to overcome
Norwich
20.02.2015

West Ham United U18 defender Tunji Akinola is looking forward to facing
Norwich City on Saturday 21 February as the Hammers look to finish inside
the top four of the Barclays U18 Premier League south division. The
16-year-old defender has been an important figure at the back for the U18s,
playing 15 games. Speaking ahead of Saturday game, at Little Heath, the
young defender said: "I played against Aston Villa last weekend, it was a
good game. They're second in the league so they're a decent team. They have
a few internationals in their side."I thought we played well, we dominated
for large parts of the game so we were unlucky not to win." In the reverse
fixture, the Hammers secured a 1-0 win over Norwich thanks to a late Jerry
Amoo goal. Since then, the Canaries have struggled this season, and are
currently bottom of the south division with 12 points from 19 games.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to beat Norwich, we've beaten them before this
season. They haven't won many games this season, so hopefully we'll get the
result we want. "We want to get into the top four for the play offs. With
the players we've got, that's definitely something we're aiming for and
something we all think we can achieve. We'll need to win our last two games
but I don't see why that won't happen." "We've pressed the opposition really
well recently, particularly as a team and we've been creating chances.
Hopefully we'll continue to do that on Saturday."

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West Ham fined by the FA for failing to control players
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have been fined £30,000 by the Football Association for failing to
control their players in their recent 0-0 draw at Southampton.
The sanction relates to an incident which followed the dismissal of West Ham
goalkeeper Adrian for handling the ball outside his penalty area. The red
card was subsequently overturned on appeal. West Ham admitted a charge of
failing to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.
Adrian was sent off by referee Craig Pawson for the first time in his career
after losing possession under pressure from Southampton striker Sadio Mane
and falling on the ball. The Spaniard, 28, appeared to touch the ball with a
hand to prompt the red card which was met with protests from a number of
West Ham players. Southampton, who are third in the Premier League, face
Liverpool at St Mary's on Sunday (16.15 GMT) while the Hammers, who are
eighth, face a London derby against Tottenham at White Hart Lane (12.00
GMT).

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Tottenham v West Ham
KO 12:00
20 February 2015
By Conor McNamara
BBC Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: White Hart Lane Date: Sunday, 22 February

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino rotated his squad against Fiorentina on
Thursday and is set to recall key players such as Harry Kane.
Pochettino has reported no new injury concerns and will have a fully-fit
squad at his disposal.
West Ham trio Winston Reid, Matt Jarvis and James Collins are all available
after recovering from injuries. Andy Carroll remains out with a knee problem
and new signing Nene will not feature as he lacks match fitness.

MATCH PREVIEW

If you're a Tottenham Hotspur fan the dream scenario over the next week is
to win three games and virtually guarantee that this season is deemed a
success. Three victories would deliver the League Cup, a place in the last
16 of the Europa League and a continued presence in the race for a top-four
finish. With Harry Kane having scored 11 times in his last 10 top-flight
appearances, anything seems possible.
There is always a flip side of course, and three defeats could drag
Tottenham's season off the rails. Which is a bit how West Ham United fans
are feeling at the moment, having seen their team only score one goal in
the past four league and cup games. Lawro's prediction
"Tottenham pinched the points with an injury-time winner at Upton Park when
these two sides met on the first day of the season. They are a completely
different side now, though, and I think they will show it with a much more
convincing performance."

Sam Allardyce's side have improved in leaps and bounds this season, helped
by a strong recruitment drive last summer. Players like Alex Song, Diafra
Sakho, Enner Valencia and Cheikhou Kouyate elevated the club to a top-four
place until mid-December. But with improvement comes expectation, and last
weekend's humiliating 4-0 exit from the FA Cup at West Bromwich Albion has
left West Ham's season in danger of petering out. At the club's Chadwell
Heath training ground on Friday, Allardyce said any new contract would not
be talked about until the end of the season. "I don't listen to praise or
criticism" said Big Sam, reminding fans of his cupped ear gesture to the
crowd after the home win against Hull last season. The last time these sides
met, both had a man sent off and Eric Dier scored a last-minute winner on
his Spurs' debut. It was also Mauricio Pochettino's first league game in
charge of Tottenham. Next weekend the Argentine will hope to lift his first
trophy for the club - and victory against the Hammers would be the perfect
fillip ahead of the short trip to Wembley.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
West Ham have won just one of their last 12 league games at White Hart Lane
(D4, L7) - but the Hammers are chasing a third successive win there in all
competitions. They won this fixture 3-0 last season, claiming their first
win at Spurs since 1999, and two months later triumphed 2-1 in a League Cup
game.

Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs are unbeaten in their last seven home matches in the league (W5, D2) -
having lost four of their first six. They have conceded 10 goals in their
six Premier League games in 2015, keeping just one clean sheet. Harry Kane
has scored 11 times in his last 10 top-flight appearances. Eight of Spurs'
last 10 Premier League victories have been by a 2-1 scoreline. Tottenham
have conceded seven Premier League penalties - more than any other side
prior to the latest round of matches. They have recovered 15 points from
losing positions this term - the joint-highest figure in the division (along
with Crystal Palace) prior to this weekend.

West Ham United
The Hammers have won one of eight league games since Christmas (D4, L3).
West Ham have never had more points at this stage of a Premier League
season. They also claimed 38 points from their opening 25 games in 1997-98
and 2005-06. The last top-flight season in which they did better was
1985-86, when they had 48 points at this stage. This is the first of four
successive London derbies for West Ham - after Sunday's game they host
Crystal Palace and Chelsea before visiting Arsenal.

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In brief - Saturday's news round-up
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 21st February 2015
By: Jack Hammer

Get the very latest West Ham news in one place, with our new daily media
round-up!

West Ham's Sam Allardyce to Tottenham's Harry Kane: PROVE you're not a one
season wonder!
SAM ALLARDYCE has challenged Harry Kane to prove he is not a one season
wonder.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/426749/West-Ham-s-Sam-Allardyce-To
ttenham-s-Harry-Kane-PROVE-you-re-not-one-season-wonder

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce laments missing out on Tottenham's Emmanuel
Adebayor
Sam Allardyce believes he could have gotten the best out of Emmanuel
Adebayor had he been able to land the Tottenham striker in January.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11685/9724381/west-ham-boss-sam-alla
rdyce-laments-missing-out-on-tottenhams-emmanuel-adebayor

Sam Allardyce: I am not losing grip on West Ham job
AM ALLARDYCE has defended his record as West Ham manager amid growing
speculation he will depart this summer.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/559548/Sam-Allardyce-West-Ham-job

West Ham fined £30,000 for failing to control their players
West Ham have been fined £30,000 by the Football Association for failing to
control their players during the recent draw at Southampton.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11685/9723904/west-ham-fined-1633000
0-for-failing-to-control-their-players

Sam Allardyce's relationship with West Ham United and its fans has never
been a harmonious one
There is no love story between Sam Allardyce and West Ham United. Never has
been, never will be.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/02/20/sam-allardyces-relationship-with-west-ham-unit
ed-and-its-fans-has-never-been-a-harmonious-one-5071764/

Nene to make his West Ham debut in two weeks time
BRAZILIAN FORWARD Nene is unlikely to play for West Ham for potentially two
weeks – due to fitness concerns and administration delays.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/426660/Nene-to-make-his-West-Ham-d
ebut-in-two-weeks-time

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FA steal another 30 grand
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 20th February 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have been fined £30,000 by the FA for apparently failing to control
their players. According to the Football Association, the club have been
fined as a result of "failing to ensure its players conducted themselves in
an orderly fashion," during the goalless draw at Southampton last week. The
charge is said to relate to "an incident which occurred in or around the
61st minute of the game" - roughly the same time Adrian was dismissed by
referee Craig Pawson, a decision rescinded three days later upon appeal.

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Nene set to miss Spurs trip
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 20th February 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce says that new arrival Nene is unlikely to feature at Tottenham
on Sunday due to a lack of match fitness. The 33-year-old Brazilian striker
arrived at West Ham this week on a free transfer. However he is unlikely to
be thrown into the lion's den at White Hart Lane this weekend, according to
Allardyce. "It's great to have a player like Nene, with his CV, at the club.
We're all looking forward to seeing him play," said Allardyce, speaking at
this morning's pre-match press conference. "But Nene isn't ready physically
yet as he's just started training with us. It'll be about 10 days - maybe
two weeks - before he's ready."

On the plus side, Big Sam is delighted to have first team defenders Winston
Reid and James Collins available for selection once more following their
recent lay-offs - plus winger Matt Jarvis. "Having those players back for us
is huge," he admitted. "If we avoid further injuries we'll have a good rest
of the season."

Meanwhile Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino faces something of a selection
quandary this weekend as he prepares to approach three games within a week.
Four days after West Ham's visit to White Hart Lane, Tottenham travel to
Italy for the second leg of a Europa League tie - which itself comes just
three days before the face Chelsea in the Capital One Cup Final.

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Allardyce concerned by string of Carroll injuries
KUMB.com,
Filed: Friday, 20th February 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce admitted this morning that he has concerns over Andy Carroll's
long-term future in the game. West Ham's 26-year-old striker is likely to
miss the rest of the season and part of next year's pre-season having
recently undergone surgery to resolve a ligament problem. And that, combined
with the numerous other medical complaints the Newcastle-born goalscorer has
sustained during his time in east London, have led Allardyce to question
whether Carroll will ever be able to complete a full season. "It has to be a
concern, there's no doubt about that," admitted Big Sam this morning. "He's
been picking up injuries for three or four years. "But the specialists say
there's no long-term problem there, so we would hope that he'll recover from
this - and hopefully that'll be the case for a period of time." Allardyce
then likened the target man to Manchester United's Dutch international Robin
Van Persie, another player who suffered a string of injuries during his
younger years. "When he played for Arsenal, people were saying that Van
Persie never seems to finish a season," he added. "Then all of a sudden, at
maybe 27, he was free of all those injuries and started playing games on a
more regular basis and became an even better player than he was before. "So
we have to hope that'll be the case for Andy."

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Sam Allardyce: West Ham new boy Nene not fit for Tottenham trip
Last Updated: 20/02/15 2:52pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has contradicted his chairman's claim that new signing Nene is
fit to make his debut this weekend. West Ham signed the Brazilian striker
this week on a deal until the end of the season, and David Gold tweeted on
Thursday to say the 33-year-old "is fit and ready to play". Gold added that
former Paris Saint-Germain forward Nene could be on the bench at Tottenham
on Sunday, but Allardyce dismissed that idea at his pre-match press
conference. He said: "Nene isn't ready physically yet. He's just started
training with us, it'll be about 10 days maybe two weeks before he's ready."
Reports this week suggested there had been tension between Allardyce and the
board over the signing, and West Ham's owners have form for making signings
above the manager's head having instigated last summer's move for Diafra
Sakho. But Allardyce said: "It's great to have a player like Nene, with his
CV, at the club. We're all looking forward to seeing him play."

The manager's contract is up in the summer, and there are no plans to
discuss his future until then. In the meantime, last weekend's FA Cup defeat
at West Brom brought criticism from some supporters. He said: "It's not my
desire to listen to praise or criticism, it's my desire to be professional
and work with the people in the football club to try and get best out of
them. "I know about it, but I don't take any notice of it. I just do my job
and on a day-to-day basis work with everybody at the football club,
including the owners. We move forward after the disappointment of last
week."

Allardyce expects to have centre-halves Winston Reid and James Collins
available this weekend for the first time since January 31, while winger
Matt Jarvis is also fit. "Having those players back for us is huge," he
said. "If we avoid further injuries we'll have a good rest of the season."

Reid was among the scorers when West Ham won 3-0 at White Hart Lane last
season, a result Allardyce described as "one of the best results in my time
here". Harry Kane has emerged as a consistent goalscorer for Spurs since
then, and the England hopeful is fresh after starting on the bench against
Fiorentina on Thursday. "Harry Kane is the main danger man," Allardyce said.
"He didn't start last night so we expect him to be ready for Sunday."

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce laments missing out on Tottenham's Emmanuel
Adebayor
Last Updated: 21/02/15 9:19am
SSN

Sam Allardyce believes he could have gotten the best out of Emmanuel
Adebayor had he been able to land the Tottenham striker in January.
West Ham came close to completing a loan move for the striker on the final
day of the January transfer window only for Spurs to pull out of the deal at
the last minute. With Harry Kane in inspired form, Adebayor faces an uphill
battle to break into the Spurs starting line-up and Allardyce says he would
have relished the prospect of working with the former Arsenal and Manchester
City man - despite his reputation for causing unrest. When asked what the
signing of Adebayor would have brought to West Ham, Allardyce simply
replied: "Goals. "If you see where he has gone and his initial impact at
where he has been would be that he comes into a football club and scores
goals on a regular basis. "If you see where he has gone and his initial
impact at where he has been would be that he comes into a football club and
scores goals on a regular basis." "So you use your management skills in
terms of looking at his personality, like you do with most players and
talking about wanting the best out of him while you are here, and wanting
him to enjoy your football and do what you do best - play and score goals.
"If you are in the transfer window and a quality player comes your way and
you think he is a quality player, some people say 'do you need a player in
that position?' - but the bottom line is that he is a quality player. "If
you can get him, for me you get him if you can afford him. That is what we
tried to do. There was such a short time frame at that time it was not
possible to be pulled off."

Allardyce's frustrations at missing out on Adebayor have been heightened by
the season-ending knee injury suffered by Hammers frontman Andy Carroll.
Allardyce conceded Adebayor would have been the perfect fit to step in with
Carroll sidelined but has now called on the likes of Enner Valencia, Carlton
Cole, Diafra Sakho and new arrival Nene to prove their worth. "Any player
with the ability that he has got is my kind of player," he added of
Adebayor. "Particularly with a relatively good goalscoring record. There can
be the odd blip that happens with a player of his character but sometimes
you deal with that as a manager. But it was not to be. "We have players here
that have got to perform from now to the end of the season. There is no let
up. "They can't take it easy and sit back on what they have done in the past
and they have got to continue to strive for the future and hit the levels we
have performed at for most of the season."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham fined £30,000 for failing to control their players
Last Updated: 20/02/15 5:39pm
SSN

West Ham have been fined £30,000 by the Football Association for failing to
control their players during the recent draw at Southampton.
The incident in question occurred after referee Craig Pawson sent off
goalkeeper Adrian just after the hour mark for handling the ball outside of
his penalty area. Although the Spaniard's red card was later overturned on
appeal, the FA has announced the club have been punished for their players'
reaction. A statement on the FA's official website confirmed: "Following an
independent regulatory commission hearing, West Ham United have been fined
£30,000 after the club admitted an FA charge of failing to ensure its
players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion. "The charge was in
relation to an incident which occurred in or around the 61st minute of the
game against Southampton on 11 February 2015." Adrian's dismissal saw West
Ham play with 10 men for the remaining half an hour at St Mary's - with Sam
Allardyce's side able to hold on for a goalless draw. Allardyce confirmed
immediately after the game that the club would appeal the red card and,
while that proved to be successful, the club have now been hit with a fine
for the separate charge. It is the second time this season West Ham have
been punished for failing to control their players following an incident in
a 2-1 defeat at Everton which saw both clubs handed the same charge.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham host West Ham in second game of congested 17-day period
Last Updated: 20/02/15 6:17pm
SSN

Tottenham play the second of six games in 17 days as West Ham travel to
White Hart Lane on Sunday. Spurs kicked off their congested fixture list
with a disappointing draw with Fiorentina in the Europa League on Thursday.
Mauricio Pochettino now finds himself in the difficult position of having to
prioritise between trying to finish fourth in the league and trying to win
the Europa League as he looks to bring Champions League football back to the
Lane. Such was the nature of the draw; Pochettino may have an eye on the
second leg in Florence, as well as the Capital One Cup final which follows
three days later. West Ham will hope to catch Spurs off-guard just as they
did last season, when their 3-0 victory in the corresponding fixture proved
to be the highlight of their three victories against their London rivals.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has concerns that Andy Carroll may never
reach his full potential due to injuries. Eric Dier scored the winner in a
close encounter between the two sides on the opening day of the season, and
West Ham will be out to stop a run of four games without a victory.

Team news

Harry Kane is expected to return to Spurs starting line-up after he started
the Europa League last-32 tie with Fiorentina on the bench.
Kane, Ryan Mason and Mousa Dembele were rested for the 1-1 draw at White
Hart Lane on Thursday but all three are likely to come back in against the
Hammers. Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino has no injury concerns as his
side embark on their second of six games in 17 days.

West Ham will welcome both Winston Reid and James Collins back into their
squad for the short trip to North London. The defensive duo have been
missing with hamstring problems but are both back in training - as are Diego
Poyet and Cheikhou Kouyate, who is available despite suffering a minor arm
injury earlier in the week. Morgan Amalfitano is suspended and Nene, who was
signed earlier in the week after Andy Carroll (knee) had been ruled out for
the season, will also miss out as he is not yet match fit.

Opta facts

Harry Kane has scored 11 goals in his last 10 Premier League matches for
Tottenham.
There have been three red cards in the last two Premier League meetings
between West Ham and Spurs.
Eight of Spurs' last 10 Premier League victories have been by a 2-1
scoreline.
Tottenham have conceded more penalties than any other Premier League side
this season (7).
West Ham have scored more headed goals (14) than any other Premier League
team this season, also accounting for a divisional high 39 per cent of total
scored.
The Hammers have won just one of their last eight Premier League matches (W1
D4 L3).

Merson's prediction

The Europa League is back and that will have an effect on Tottenham in the
long run – but not against West Ham. It's difficult to play on Thursdays and
then again on a Sunday but they can put that to one side against a West Ham
side who have hit a brick wall. Spurs will keep the pressure on in the race
for the top four with a very good win.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1

Betting

Tottenham are Sky Bet's marginal odds-on favourites at 4/5 to claim the
points on Super Sunday, with West Ham 100/30 to leave White Hart Lane with a
win and 13/5 to share the spoils. Spurs head into the weekend behind
Arsenal, Manchester United, Southampton and Liverpool in the top-four
betting at 4/1. Harry Kane unsurprisingly commands favouritism in the first
goalscorer market at 100/30, while Diafra Sakho is considered the visitors'
biggest threat at 15/2 to net first.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH PREVIEW: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
By Dan Coker 21 Feb 2015 at 09:17
West Ham Till I Die

Greetings from the homeland of West Ham legend Ludek Miklosko and West Ham
liability Tomas Repka! This week's preview comes direct from a short break
in Prague, the beautiful capital city of the Czech Republic which, it turns
out, is not that "near Moscow" after all…

Blast from the past

2nd September 1981 – Soft Cell were number one with 'Tainted Love' but there
was nothing soft about David 'Psycho' Cross as he astonishingly bagged all
four goals in a 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in front of 41,200 at
White Hart Lane.

Tottenham, having opened the 1981/82 season with a 3-1 win at Middlesbrough,
were making their first appearance at White Hart Lane since winning the 1981
FA Cup. The Hammers, meanwhile, were back in the top flight after the Second
Division title-winning campaign the previous year and had drawn 1-1 at home
with Brighton in their opening fixture.

It was the visitors who opened the scoring in the first half though when a
Jimmy Neighbour cross from the right beat a crowd of players to find Cross
who fired a low first-time shot underneath the body of England goalkeeper
Ray Clemence, who was making his home debut for Spurs.


The second half was a treat for the travelling Claret and Blue Army – Cross
grabbed his second when firing in at the near post at the second attempt.
His hat-trick goal was a cracker after neat, one-touch build-up play; Frank
Lampard's lofted pass found Paul Goddard who sent a side-foot volleyed pass
down the left for Geoff Pike who, in turn, centred first-time for Cross to
finish expertly into the net. 'Psycho' grabbed his, and the Hammers', fourth
when Clemence went walkabout in his own penalty area and Cross provided the
finishing touch after a goalmouth melee by hammering home from within the
six-yard box.

Cross later said of his four-goal salvo: "For me to get four goals against
Tottenham in a West Ham shirt was the pinnacle of my career in terms of the
joy it brought to the West Ham fans". The Hammers would end the 1981/82
season in ninth position, while Tottenham would finish fourth.

The goals from this match, as well as an interview with 'Psycho' from that
evening, can be seen in the video below.

Tottenham Hotspur: Ray Clemence, Paul Price (Gordon Smith), Graham Roberts,
Paul Miller, Steve Perryman, Micky Hazard, Glenn Hoddle, Garry Brooke, Ricky
Villa, Tony Galvin, Mark Falco.

West Ham United: Phil Parkes, Ray Stewart, Alvin Martin, Billy Bonds, Frank
Lampard, Jimmy Neighbour, Geoff Pike, Paul Allen, Alan Devonshire, Paul
Goddard, David Cross.

Club Connections

A large group of players have turned out for Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham
United. Divided here by position, they include:

Goalkeepers: Bill Kaine, Tony Parks, Fred Griffiths.

Defenders: Calum Davenport, Paul Konchesky, Mark Bowen, Mauricio Tarrico,
Steve Walford, Simon Webster, Chris Hughton, Mitchell Thomas, Neil Ruddock.

Midfielders: Paul Allen, Jimmy Neighbour, Matthew Etherington, Mark Robson,
David Bentley, Ilie Dumitrescu, Martin Peters, John Smith, Michael Carrick,
John Moncur.

Strikers: Mido, Frederic Kanoute, Clive Allen, Sergei Rebrov, Dave Dunmore,
Teddy Sheringham, Jermain Defoe, Bill Joyce, Robbie Keane, Fred Massey,
Bobby Zamora, Les Ferdinand, Jimmy Greaves.

Both Jack Tresadern and Harry Redknapp played for the Hammers and managed
Spurs.

This week's focus though is on one of West Ham United's greatest players of
the twenty-first century who also spent two years with Tottenham Hotspur.
Scott Parker was born in Lambeth on 13th October 1980. A Lilleshall
graduate, Parker was the 13-year-old keepie-uppie star of a McDonalds advert
during the 1994 World Cup. He began his professional career at Charlton,
making his debut in 1997; he also had a brief loan spell with Norwich in
2000. He joined Chelsea in the winter window of 2004 for a fee of £10m but
found first team opportunities hard to come by and signed for Newcastle in
July 2005 for £6.5m. He was made captain the following summer by Glenn
Roeder but left for West Ham United to be reunited with his former Charlton
manager, Alan Curbishley, in a £7m deal in the summer of 2007.

Injury played a large part in Parker's early career in east London, with the
midfielder unable to make his debut until a League Cup win over Plymouth at
the Boleyn Ground in late September. Three days later Parker was injured
again during a home defeat to Arsenal and ruled out for a further two
months. His first goal for the club came three days before Christmas, the
last-minute winner in West Ham's first ever victory at Middlesbrough's
Riverside Stadium.


Parker's second goal for the club was over a year later, from close range in
a 2-1 defeat at Bolton in February 2009, by which time Gianfranco Zola had
taken over from Curbishley. His season was ended by injury the following
month but he had still done enough to win the 2008/09 Hammer of the Year
prize. The Irons struggled in 2009/10 and were second bottom of the Premier
League when Parker was sent off for two yellow cards in the 2-2 home draw
with Arsenal in October. His first goal of that season was a stunning,
dipping half-volley from distance to bring the Hammers level at the home of
his old club Chelsea in March, although the match would ultimately be lost
4-1. His only other goal that season was infinitely more significant, the
winner in a tense 3-2 victory over Wigan at Upton Park on 24th April which
secured the Hammers' survival – Parker's sensational 77th-minute strike from
25 yards was followed by an emotionally-charged celebration. Two weeks
later, he would become the first player to retain the Hammer of the Year
trophy since Julian Dicks in 1997.


A 17th-placed finish in 2009/10 resulted in Zola being replaced by Avram
Grant and the Hammers would endure a turbulent 2010/11 campaign. Parker was
the bright light shining in the east end gloom as he displayed the fight,
determination and character sadly lacking in many of his team-mates – he was
often mistaken as the club's captain by an inattentive national media. This
was epitomised by his best goalscoring season during his time with the club,
Parker opening with three goals in his first six games (the injury-time
winner against Oxford in the League Cup, a wonderfully-lofted volley in a
3-1 defeat to Chelsea and a scrambled effort in a 1-1 draw at Stoke).
Another three-goals-in-six-games spell followed in October/November as he
scored the equaliser in a 3-1 extra-time win over the Potters in the League
Cup, struck a thunderbolt in a 2-2 draw with West Brom and grabbed the
clincher in a 3-1 win over Wigan. On 9 February 2011, he became the first
England player to receive his first four full caps whilst playing for four
different teams, coming on as a second-half substitute for Frank Lampard in
a friendly against Denmark. Three days later, Parker's inspirational
half-time team-talk when 3-0 down at The Hawthorns would be the catalyst for
a stirring comeback to claim a 3-3 draw. Parker was to score once more for
the Hammers that season, a beautifully-executed effort with the outside of
his right foot from the edge of the area in a 3-1 home victory over
Liverpool in late February. The following month, Parker played in a 0-0 draw
at Tottenham hours after the death of his father. He also started in
England's victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Parker would again
be crowned Hammer of the Year, the only player other than Sir Trevor
Brooking to claim the award three seasons in a row. He was also named as the
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, an incredible feat
considering his club were relegated in bottom place. In doing so, he became
the only Hammer aside from Bobby Moore to win the award.

Parker started West Ham's 2011/12 Championship campaign, notching one goal
in four league appearances, this coming in a 4-0 win at Watford. At the age
of 30, Parker knew he may only have one opportunity left to play in an
international tournament and, with Euro 2012 on the horizon, was aware that
he would have to be playing Premier League football. With his children in
school in the local area, Parker opted to remain in London and signed for
close rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £5.5m. Parker made 129
appearances for West Ham in all competitions, scoring 12 goals.


Parker was named Tottenham's Player of the Year in his first season with the
club, playing in 29 league matches as the club finished fourth but were
denied Champions League qualification as Chelsea won that competition and
would compete as holders despite finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Parker's move to Spurs paid off in that he cemented his England place, being
named Man of the Match in a friendly against European and World champions
Spain in November 2011 and appearing as captain of his country against the
Netherlands in February 2012. Parker started all four matches at Euro 2012
as England made the quarter-finals. However, an Achilles injury picked up
during the tournament would keep him out of the first four months of
2012/13. After 63 matches without scoring for Tottenham, he was on the move
to Fulham in August 2013, for whom he still plays today.

Scott Parker, disappointingly, received a mixed reception when he returned
to Upton Park as a Tottenham player in February 2013. I was one of the many
who gave him a standing ovation when he left the field that night,
remembering his four years of exceptional service rather than focusing on
the club he left us for. For me, Parker was a perfect picture of passion,
perseverance and pirouettes and I am sure he will be long remembered as a
West Ham United great. The video below is a tribute to his time in claret
and blue.

Referee

The referee on Sunday will be Jonathan Moss. West Ham lost all three games
in which Moss officiated in during 2013/14 – a 1-0 home defeat to Stoke, the
3-1 loss at Norwich and the 1-0 reverse at Everton. Moss was the man in the
middle for our 1-0 victory at Stoke the season before. He also took charge
of our home draws against Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion earlier this
season

Possible line-ups

Tottenham Hotspur have a fully fit squad to call upon for the visit of the
Hammers. Harry Kane is almost certain to be restored to the starting line-up
after being rested against Fiorentina on Thursday.

West Ham United will be without Morgan Amalfitano who serves the first of a
three-match suspension for his red card at West Brom. Winston Reid and James
Collins are back in contention, as is Matt Jarvis. Cheikhou Kouyate injured
an arm in training earlier this week and is a doubt, as is Diafra Sakho who
has reportedly suffered a slight recurrence of his back injury.

Possible Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris; Walker, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies;
Paulinho, Bentaleb; Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen; Kane.

Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell;
Song, Noble, Nolan; Downing; Cole, Valencia.

Enjoy the game – Up The Hammers!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
By Iain Dale 20 Feb 2015 at 12:42
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by Marvin Carter

I wanted to add a comment in support of Bianca Westwood's post yesterday,
but wanted to add something a little more in depth.

If I can start with the F A Cup. The performance at West Brom was no worse
than when we played Bristol City. Both games were poor from our point of
view and I felt we approached the games with the same arrogant attitude that
we were going to win whatever happened as this was going to be our year. It
seemed the players, the manager, the owners and the fans had already seen
our name written on the Cup and therefore the team didn't really have to do
very much to get through. We were lucky against Bristol City as we managed
to clear their two main chances off the line in the first half and were only
saved from embarrassment by Diafra Sakho. At West Brom, the body language
and attitude of the players was exactly the same, even when we went 2-0
down. It seemed we all thought that a bit of magic from Sakho would get us
back into it. He nearly did score, but it was 3-0 by then and too late for
it to have made any difference.

How can the owners have stipulated a good cup run this year as some kind of
demand on the manager and the team? Shouldn't we try our best to have a good
cup run every year? The F A Cup has so many variables being a knock out
competition that it's impossible to demand that we do well on any one
particular campaign. We should be giving it our best shot every time, every
game, always hoping to get in the hat for the next round. We should have
gone to West Brom with a siege mentality, defending for our lives, fighting
for every ball and breaking quickly on the counter attack. Did the manager
not remember what Tony Pulis did to us when he took over at Palace last
season? We went into the game at the Hawthorns believing our own hype,
thinking that we'd just need to turn up to get through. I don't think it had
anything to do with tiredness or anything else, it was simply a misguided
conception that we were going to get to Wembley this year regardless.

Big Sam has been pilloried for his style of play since the day he was
appointed as manager. But as Bianca has pointed out, he has done everything
that has been asked of him and has put us on a solid footing for going
forwards. I would like to draw a comparison with his seemingly obstinate
favouritism of his Captain, Kevin Nolan. I remember John Lyall always
picking Pat Holland in the 1970's. Holland was a trier, but he was booed
more often than not and ridiculed by the fans for a decade or more. I used
to stand in the North Bank and there was a bloke in the crowd who always
used to shout out 'take off Holland'. He always got a laugh as it was always
what everyone else was thinking. He got an even bigger laugh when he said it
when Holland wasn't even playing, such was the irony of using Holland as a
scapegoat for every poor performance. The point I'm making is that all
managers have their favourites, players that rarely seem to justify their
inclusion in the team as far as the fans are concerned.

I've read that the performance at West Brom is the worst that West Ham have
ever played. Well, I've seen plenty worse, that's for sure. I'm thinking of
the time I went to Loftus Road, 31/01/78, to watch in horror as QPR thrashed
us 6-1 in the F A Cup and even worse, far worse, when I went to Anfield,
07/04/84, to witness a 6-0 drubbing in Division 1. Liverpool could have
scored 10 that day, it was so easy. And for those with rose tinted
spectacles, we had Brooking and Bonds playing against both QPR and Liverpool
and John Lyall was the manager!

What is the West Ham way? To me the West Ham way is how we played against
Eintracht Frankfurt in 1976, in the semi final of the ECWC, how we played
against Liverpool in 2006, in the F A Cup final and how we played against
Man City earlier on this season. We play the West Ham way when we've got
good players, who are good on the ball and are skilful. We've played some
good stuff under Big Sam, under Alan Pardew, under John Lyall and Ron
Greenwood. But we've played some dire stuff under every single one of them
too!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL....
By Sean Whetstone 20 Feb 2015 at 08:12
West Ham Till I Die

Despite all the hype about Sam Allardyce leaving in the summer at the end of
his contract I understand no final decision has been made and won't be made
until a board meeting is held towards or at the end of the season.

What is clear and very prudent of the West Ham board is they are preparing a
list of possible replacements for Sam Allardyce should they eventually agree
it is time for a change, should Sam decide he wants a change or negotiations
over a new contract break down. Sam Allardyce's contracts are negotiated by
his agent Mark Curtis and there is every chance Sam & Mark want more than
the reported £3m in wages and bonuses he already receives as manager of West
Ham.

One name who is definitely on that list is former Hammers central defender
Slavan Bilic who refused to deny West Ham had contacted him indirectly.

Yesterday he said "Have West Ham contacted me? I wouldn't like to talk about
that, and that's it."

Back in 2008 Blilic 'I always said that, if I come back to English football,
I want it to be as manager of West Ham, but I have a contract with Croatia
until 2010 and intend to honour it.'

Bilic made 48 league appearances for the Hammers from 1996-97 after being
bought by Harry Redknapp for £1.3m which was a club record at the time.
Bilic wanted a move to a bigger club and in 1997 he moved to Everton for
£4.5m. Things didn't work out at Everton and they decided to cut their
losses with Bili? in1999, leaving him free to choose a new club but unwanted
in England he continued to play only for Croatia on a £27,000-a-week
contract with Everton, while living in Zagreb. Everton eventually agreed to
give Bili? a million-pound payoff, representing around half of the balance
remaining on his lucrative contract which still had 28 months to run.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce defends his West Ham record as speculation grows over his
Upton Park future
22:30, 20 February 2015 By Rob Maul
Big Sam met with his paymasters after last week's defeat at West Brom and
looks increasingly likely to leave in the summer
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce defended his record as West Ham manager – as his spell in
charge looks to be coming to an end. MirrorSport reported on Wednesday that
Allardyce held talks with the owners in the aftermath of last weekend's 4-0
FA Cup hammering at West Brom (see gallery below). His deal expires at the
end of the season and the club hierarchy are considering replacements.
Yesterday, though, the 60-year-old spoke with pride about his
three-and-a-half-year tenure at Upton Park and how the club had progressed
from the depths of the Championships, via the play-offs, to Premier League
stability. Asked if he wanted to remain in charge, with the club moving to
the Olympic stadium in 2016, Allardyce said: "I've never said I didn't want
to stay here. We've made good progress. "Look back at what the club were
when I got here. Look back at 2011 and you can say we have since forged a
structure at the football club that is hopefully going to breed success.
"We've managed to put in an infrastructure that has grown the club from
where it was when I came in until, at this moment in time, a top-half
Premier League club in my fourth season."

On the subject of his own future, with numerous managers being linked to his
position, Allardyce said: "I don't really listen to it. It doesn't affect
me. I don't take any notice of it. I just do my job." Allardyce wants a
response from his players following the Hawthorns horror show. But is
without new Brazilian forward Nene over fitness and international clearance.
Allardyce missed out on Emmanuel Adebayor in the transfer window and has
lamented the failure since. He added: "Any player with the ability he has,
is my kind of player. But it wasn't to be."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers unsure on midfielder deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2015 in Whispers
Claret 7 Hugh

West Ham are cooling on a permanent Alex Song deal. The midfielder hasn't
been at his best since returning from Africa in January when ending his
international career with the Cameroon. And the failed move for Darren
Fletcher later in the month was an indicator the club may be ready to look
elsewhere. Now it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the club will be
ready to splash out up to £15 million on the transfer fee and £70k – £80k
wages the player will want. A source told ClaretandHugh said: "He has been
out of sorts in recent weeks although it's important to remember he's not a
guy who tries to play the easy pass. "However, some questions are being
asked and the chances of the club getting involved in a battle for him are
receding a bit. "It's still too early to make a final judgement but from all
I hear I'd say the chances have gone from 50/50 t0 about 70/30 against."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold leaps to Carroll's defence
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold is convinced that Andy Carroll has a bright West Ham future
despite his ongoing injury problems. Manager Sam Allardyce this morning
declared of the latest Carroll injury: "It has to be a concern, there's no
doubt about that. He's been picking up injuries for three or four years.
"But the specialists say there's no long-term problem there, so we would
hope that he'll recover from this – and hopefully that'll be the case for a
period of time." But Gold believes the player's major problems – heel and
ankle are now totally under control and told ClaretandHugh: "Once he returns
from the knee setback – which is an entirely new issue – he should be fine.

"We have learned how to look after the heel problem and the ankle problem
has now been dealt with. He had a loose ankle and should have had surgery
before joining us but that is now totally solved. The ankle is fine."Once we
get him back from his latest problem he and the club are due an injury-free
spell. We need a change of luck because what happened at southampton was
just desperately UNLUCKY. "People have been writing him off for a long time
and he has this playboy image promoted by the media but I know better. he's
a complete professional and I'm sure he has a long and bright future at this
club.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Let's remember Sam's Nene words!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

I never believed we were likely to see Nene on the bench against Spurs on
Sunday even if required despite David Gold's optimistic tweet of a few days
ago. The Brazilian hasn't played for a month and I trust Sam Allardyce's
assessment that he is probably ten days to a fortnight away despite being
told privately that he could be ready within a week. What I'm not so sure
about is whether we will see him against Palace or indeed very much at all!
Time will of course tell. At heart I'm a cynic and have sat through too many
press conferences where managers have said the right thing at the right time
before allowing the initial high interest to erode along with fan interest.
Nene has been a big issue this week – along with the manager's own position
– on which he has really said nothing at all.

Indeed the Brazilian's arrival was perhaps a convenient distraction with the
manager claiming: "He's a naturally fit player and he's not far away. I
think ten days to two weeks before he's ready.. He could be ready for the
Crystal Palace – we'll have to wait and see."
Indeed we will although with a fortnight being such a long time in football
there's a danger of course that we will all forget the assessment from Sam.
I hope that Sakho and Valencia are in such fine form that there's no need to
call on him and will be carefully tracking and remembering these words. The
manager's comments on his own position in fact represented a zero response.
Indeed it would be difficult for him to do anything else and he's probably
responding in the only way possible by repeating the party line that all
will be decided at the end of the season. However, the situation is in fact
very straightforward. The club is looking for a replacement and only should
they fail to find the right person will he be offered some sort of deal. And
should that be the case can any of us see him turning around and saying:
"Thank you very much Daves …of course!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
16 weeks for Carroll
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Andy Carroll is facing 16 WEEKS on the sidelines. ClaretandHugh has learned
the player will be ready to re-start his battle for match fitness in plenty
of time for the new season. The club learned earlier this week that the four
month lay-off has been confirmed with a source declaring: "It's 16 weeks.
That's been confirmed." "Andy should – according to our reports from medics
– be okay to join the squad as it reassembles for the pre-season." "There
should be no problems beyond that."

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Sam proud of his Irons reign
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 21, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce – having seemingly started a long goodbye from
Upton Park – has taken time out to defend his record at the club. Sam is
very much a 'Marmite Man' – you either do or you don't – but the guy himself
has no doubts that he has done a great job with us. It is a fact that with
his deal ending at the end of the season the club are lcompiling a list of
possible replacements with one source telling ClaretandHugh last night
"It's time for a change. Everything moves on…we need a different brand of
football." But as the clouds hover around him the 60 year old spoke with
justified pride about his three-and-a-half-years in charge, And when asked
if he ACTUALLY wants to stay he said: "I've never said I didn't want to stay
here. We've made good progress. "Look back at what the club were when I got
here. Look back at 2011 and you can say we have since forged a structure at
the football club that is hopefully going to breed success. "We've managed
to put in an infrastructure that has grown the club from where it was when I
came in until, at this moment in time, a top-half Premier League club in my
fourth season." Tomnorrow he meets Spurs – a team the Hammers beat three
times last season following last weekend's devastating FA Cup shocker at
West Bromwich Albion.

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Sam is right: This game is MASSIVE
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 21, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Finally, back to the football and after the horror show of last weekend.
tomorrow can't come soon enough! Once again Sam has dominated the agenda
throughout the week but tomorrow the team really has to perform for him at
White Hart Lane. With the exception of Andy Carroll, everybody is reported
fit and in the words of co chairman David Gold: "There has to be a
response." Victory will see the team close within two points of Spurs
although regardless of what happens at Swansea immediately below us (v
Manchester United ) or at Southampton where Liverpool (immediately above us)
are involved tomorrow, our position in eighth place is safe for the weekend.
Last season the manager came up with an extraordinary plan to play no
strikers in our first White Hart Lane encounter as we scored a 3-0 victory.

That was only our second win in seven league games and we had to wait until
the end of November for our next – another 3-0 win over Fulham. Victory
tomorrow is even more important given we have had just one win in the last
eight PL games along with the disastrous FA Cup excursion last weekend. The
manager – despite all the chat surrounding his future – sums tomorrow up
like this: " We've lost our goalscoring touch at the moment and we've
struggled to put our chances in the back of the net. "We had been fluent in
that area at the start of the season. Obviously that is key to any team
doing well and I think that is why we have drawn some games we should have
won.
" It's a massive game for us and hopefully we do as well as we did there
last season. "I think the next 13 games as a whole will determine our
season. A win in a derby team is a bonus for us all, particularly the fans.
We're concentrating on winning as many games as possible from now on until
the end of the season."

Defeat at White Hart Lane is incredibly hard to take – and pride is the key
to everything tomorrow. With only AC absent there can be no excuses. And
after the events of last weekend every fan expects! Sam used exactly the
right word. This game is indeed MASSIVE!

COYI

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Irons drop big Bilic hint
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 19, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Slaven Bilic is in the frame as a possible next West Ham boss. Media reports
that the former Hammer could maker a hero's return to the Boleyn next season
look to be worth respect as the club continues to compile a list of
possibles candidates that also includes Marseilles boss Marcelo Bielsa. A
well placed club source told ClaretandHugh, however, that it could be
another two months before a final decision is taken on who will become the
club's 21st manager.

Bilic – who made 48 appearances for the club in the nineties – refused to
deny there had been contact between himself and the club in Liverpool this
today. The former Hammer is on merseyside for a Europa League clash and was
asked whether his future may be at the Boleyn.
He said: "All I can say is I am happy at Besiktas. Have West Ham contacted
me? I wouldn`t like to talk about that."

Bilic, however, is a contender with our West Ham source dropping a massive
hint when telling ClaretandHugh this afternoon: "He has to say he's happy
doesn't he? "There are a number of irons in the fire but the situation won't
be aggressively addressed until 5-6 weeks before the end of the season.
"Currently we are looking and getting our list together because you can't
put all your eggs in one or two baskets."

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