Daily WHUFC News - 18th April 2015

On this day - 18 April
WHUFC.com

Anniversary

Dylan Tombides
8 March 1994 - 18 April 2014

Dylan Tombides sadly lost his brave three-year battle with testicular cancer a year ago today. A hugely popular figure among his team-mates, coaches, backroom staff, supporters and opponents alike, the Australia U23 international was loved and respected throughout the football community for his talent, his smile and his spirit. Dylan Tombides was born in the city of Perth in Western Australia. As a youngster, he played football before moving with his family to Hong Kong. The amiable Australian joined West Ham United at the age of 15 after being spotted playing youth football in Hong Kong and his family moved with him to London to help him fulfil his ambition of playing professional football.

After impressing at Under-18 and reserve-team levels, Tombides was included in the first-team squad for the first time when he was named as an unused substitute for the Barclays Premier League home fixture with Sunderland on 22 May 2011. The same month, he was named Academy Player of the Year.

Tombides appeared and scored for Australia at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Mexico in June 2011. Illness curtailed the striker's progress during the 2011/12 season, but his first-team debut arrived as a late substitute in the 4-1 home Capital One Cup third-round defeat by Wigan Athletic on 25 September 2012.

Tombides represented Australia in the U22 AFC Championship where he helped the Socceroos reach the quarter-finals before they were defeated 2-1 by Saudi Arabia. The DT38 Foundation, which aims to raise awareness support and awareness for testicular cancer, was launched last month - visit the website here.

Classic match

Orient 0-2 West Ham United
Division Two
18 April 1981

The Hammers' march to the Division Two title continued unabated as they completed a league double over fellow east Londoners Orient on this day 34 years ago. West Ham had topped the table ever since November and this victory over the O's was the third in a run of five straight wins. Jimmy Neighbour and Geoff Pike - a league ever-present that season - were the goalscorers as the visitors notched a 25th maximum-point haul of the campaign. John Lyall's side would go on to claim the title by a huge 13-point margin in the era of two points for a win, having dropped only 18 points all season.

Complete record - 18 April

1923 Notts County 2-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1925 West Ham United 4-1 Everton (Division One)
1927 West Ham United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Division One)
1930 West Ham United 1-0 Sheffield United (Division One)
1931 Manchester City 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1936 West Ham United 1-3 Charlton Athletic (Division Two)
1938 Plymouth Argyle 2-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1949 Leicester City 1-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1953 Sheffield United 3-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1956 Nottingham Forest 0-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1959 West Ham United 1-1 Preston North End (Division One)
1960 Manchester United 5-3 West Ham United (Division One)
1961 Burnley 2-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1981 Orient 0-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1987 Leicester City 2-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1992 Manchester City 2-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1998 West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
2007 West Ham United 1-4 Chelsea (Premier League)
2009 Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)

Played 19, Won 4, Drawn 6, Lost 9, Scored 23, Conceded 33

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Potts proud despite Norwich setback
WHUFC.com

Steve Potts could be forgiven for wondering what he has done to deserve the misfortune that has befallen his Development Squad this season. On Friday, the Hammers' second-string looked on course for a morale-boosting Barclays U21 Premier League victory over Norwich City at Rush Green. Jordan Brown had fired the home side into a deserved lead with a peach of a goal five minutes after half-time, but after missing a host of chances, West Ham were made to pay as the Canaries scored twice within the final six minutes to steal a 2-1 victory. "We easily should have won the game," said Potts, with a wry smile. "In the first half, we came in nil-nil and said to them to keep doing what they had been doing. "We got a very good goal and it was just a case of getting the second. We had some fantastic openings but didn't quite make the most of those opportunities and we got punished for making two mistakes. "It's harsh, but this is the level we are playing at. If you make mistakes, you get punished and that's what happened. It was a harsh, harsh lesson for the boys to take home."

Brown could have had a hat-trick, hitting the crossbar and seeing two shots saved by Mark Bunn, while Djair Parfitt-Williams also rattled the goalframe and saw his own long-ranger turned aside. The Hammers forced at least a dozen corners, too, but only had Brown's 25-yard curler to show for their efforts before full-backs Reece Hall-Johnson and Michee Efete broke the hosts' hearts late on. "We are a young team and I said to them I was more than happy with what I saw out there and that I would rather have our group of players than Norwich's on that performance," Potts continued. "But result-wise, you've got to finish games off and that's what we failed to do. "We made a mistake for the first one, then made another one a minute or two later rather than keeping it tight after going 1-1. We certainly shouldn't throw the game away, but we managed to do that."

On a pair of more positive notes, Potts' son Dan made his return after nearly three months out with a knee injury, while Brown caught the eye with his strength, running and ability to work the goalkeeper. "Dan has trained solid for ten days and had a good run out," the coach said. "He's been unlucky – he broke a bone in his foot earlier in the season and was out for six or eight weeks, then had to nurse a problem with his knee which eventually needed surgery. Hopefully that's all OK now and he looked OK out there. "I was very pleased with Jordan. We mentioned it to him in midweek and he did exactly what we wanted, like most of the players did."

Finally, Potts said the Club was still mourning the passing of Dylan Tombides, a year on from losing the young striker to cancer. As the father of a son in Dan – one of Dylan's closest friends – who recovered from a life-threatening bout of Leukaemia as a schoolboy, Potts knows first-hand just what an effect the disease can have on families. With that in mind, he backed the work being done by the DT38 Foundation – the testicular cancer awareness charity founded by the Tombides family in Dylan's memory. "It was a hard one for Dylan's family to take and for the Club to take, and especially the young lads around him," he recalled. "My Dan was good friends with Dylan, like everyone else was in his age-group because they were close. "As a person, Dylan was a top boy and as a player who knows what he could have achieved because he was a real talent. "It's fantastic cause to raise awareness and money, because to finally find a cure would be fantastic. I know the survival rates are improving but to get it even higher would be fantastic."

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Chadwell Chatter - Carl Jenkinson
WHUFc.com

Hello everyone,

We head to Manchester City on Sunday and we have to get over the sucker punch we were hit with in stoppage time last weekend. Up to then we had defended so well for the whole game and then to concede so late was hugely disappointing. I don't know what to say really, it was a massive blow to us because we thought we were going to take the three points as did everyone else, but it was not to be - hopefully Sunday will be our day. It is bizarre why we keep conceding late goals. Of course it is massively frustrating and you start to question when things are going to start going our way. We have been in those positions and we haven't managed to hold on, so it is about time we started. It would be very disappointing after the season that we have had if we don't come in the top ten. There was so much optimism around the place, but it is not really happening for us at the moment, but we have six games left and it is massive, we want to finish as high as we can. We would love to get eighth spot we just have to take each game as it comes, but we are just not getting the results at the moment. Rest assured, we are all determined to turn that around, starting with Sunday's game. See you all there!

Carl

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Scorer Brown setting goals
WHUFC.com

Jordan Brown is a handful. The striker signed from Arsenal at the age of 16 has transformed himself from a skinny schoolboy into a goal-getting all-round centre forward. Now 18, Brown showcased his talents in Friday's 2-1 Barclays U21 Premier League defeat by Norwich City at Rush Green, smashing in an unstoppable 25-yard shot, hitting the crossbar and seeing two more well-struck efforts saved by the Canaries goalkeeper. On another night, the frontman could have taken the match ball home with him, but neither a hat-trick nor a victory came his way. "I felt we were on top with all the chances we created," he observed. "We kept it tight all game but then a couple of mistakes at the end cost us dear. "On another night I think I would have had two or three goals, but it wasn't to be. I kept it going but I just need to tidy up on a few things and keep improving. Of course the aim is to score goals and keep hitting the target, which I felt I did."

After seeing two efforts turned aside by Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn, another kiss the crossbar and two more fly narrowly wide, Brown finally found the net five minutes after half-time. When it arrived, the goal was something special, with the teenager collecting 25 yards out before hammering the ball high into the top right-hand corner. "I wouldn't say it's the best finish I've scored, but it was a good goal. It got a slight deflection, but they all count!" he smiled, before admitting that the Club's youngsters need to learn how to close games out. "We have had a young team, but we're all good players and I think we'll all learn from this hard phase we've been going through and eventually the results will come because our performances are getting better. "Personally, I'm trying to improve every day and adapt to U21 football. Even though I got a look-in last season, it was hard for me, so I'm trying to work on my game and improve so I can be a shining light at this level."

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Man City v West Ham
KO 13:30
17 April 2015
Last updated at 13:28
By Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Etihad Stadium Date: Sunday, 19 April

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany could miss the rest of the season with the thigh injury he sustained during the defeat at Manchester United. Dedryck Boyata is fit but City are without Wilfried Bony, Gael Clichy, James Milner and Stevan Jovetic.

West Ham striker Carlton Cole could replace Diafra Sakho, whose season may have been ended by a thigh strain. Enner Valencia is fit despite picking up a minor foot problem on his return from a toe injury last weekend.

MATCH PREVIEW

West Ham's last visit to the Etihad was a truly joyous occasion… for Manchester City. It was the final day of last season and goals from Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany earned the result required for City to be crowned Premier League champions. Manuel Pellegrini was celebrated as a genius. How things have changed. Eleven months on and the Chilean appears to be a dead man walking. He might have been excused another early exit from the Champions League and poor showings in the domestic cups, but their alarming slide in the Premier League has probably done for him.

Lawro's prediction "Manchester City are struggling badly at the moment and it is almost like some of their players have downed tools. I don't think some of them are too bothered, and I think part of the reason for that is the money that they are on." Just four wins from their last 12 league outings means his side begin the weekend a massive 12 points adrift of champions-elect Chelsea. It's easily the club's worst season in recent years - true they were trophy-less in 2012-13 but they did finish runners-up in the league and the FA Cup. Even so, Roberto Mancini was dismissed so how can Pellegrini survive after what he's overseen this term? Being out-thought and outplayed at Old Trafford last weekend will only damage his cause. That defeat leaves City in the sights of Liverpool and Southampton for the final Champions League qualifying place. Failing to clinch fourth spot would be unforgivable. The good news is that West Ham shouldn't pose too much of a problem, especially as they'll be without top scorer Diafra Sakho with a thigh injury which might even have ended his season prematurely.

The Hammers have won only one of their last 10 top-flight games and their last success on the road came on 2 December at West Brom.
Back then, they were in the top four themselves but those memories have faded and instead the murmurings over the future of Sam Allardyce at the Boleyn Ground are getting louder again. His contract expires in the summer and although he wants to extend his stay it appears that his enthusiasm is not shared by those upstairs who call the shots. Allardyce and Pellegrini are very different men but right now they have a lot in common and whatever happens on the pitch this weekend won't make a scrap of difference to their futures.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Manchester City have won their last six home games against West Ham in all competitions.
Victory would see the Hammers claim their first league double against City since the 1962-63 season - when they won both fixtures 6-1.
Manchester City
City have won their last three Premier League home games, scoring a total of 10 unanswered goals.
However, they have lost five league games in 2015, one more than in the whole of 2014.
They could lose three successive league games for the first time since October-November 2008.
Sergio Aguero has failed to score a Premier League goal from open play at the Etihad Stadium since 2 November. His only strike since then was a penalty against Newcastle on 21 February.
West Ham United
The Hammers have won just one of their last 10 league matches (D4, L5).
They have lost a league-high seven points to goals scored in or after the 90th minute this season.
West Ham's next away win will be their 250th in the top flight.
They are the only Premier League side yet to score a penalty this season - with Mark Noble missing their only spot-kick against Tottenham on the opening day.

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Injured Dafra Sakho may miss remainder of season
BBC.co.uk

West Ham and Senegal striker Diafra Sakho may not play again this season because of a thigh injury. The 25-year-old, who has scored 12 goals for the English Premier League club since joining in the summer, limped off against Stoke last weekend. "We think maybe towards the end of the season (he could be back), but maybe not," said boss Sam Allardyce. "You have to be very careful with a thigh strain, so that he does not suffer a recurrence." Although Allardyce admitted Sakho's absence leaves the club "very short in goalscoring options" he insisted he will not rush the player back. "If he is fit, he is fit. We would say 100% fit, and not want to risk him if he was 95%.
"We would give him that time to be absolutely certain, which would mean we would have to be at least four or five days training with the rest of the squad before he was available."

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City face injury crisis ahead of Hammers visit
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th April 2015
By: Staff Writer

Manchester City are missing five key players as they prepare for Sunday's clash with West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. City boss Manuel Pellegrini, speaking the the assembled press pack at the club's Football Academy has ruled Wilfried Bony, Gael Clichy, Stevan Jovetic, Vincent Kompany and James Milner out of contention for this weekend's match, which takes place at 1.30pm on Sunday lunchtime.

"Clichy has a groin problem, while Jovetic and Bony are recovering," he said. "Vincent is injured – it's very difficult to know [how long he'll be out]. He has a muscle injury – we don't know how many weeks. You don't know if he will be fit before the end of the season. "We are thinking about the next game against West Ham on Sunday - and that's the only thing on our minds."

West Ham go into the game harbouring injury problems of their own, with James Tomkins, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho all unlike to play again this season. That means that Sam Allardyce is likey to start with the soon-to-depart Carlton Cole alongside Enner Valencia this weekend, should he choose to emulate the two-striker system that beat City 2-1 at the Boleyn earlier in the season.

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Devonshire departs, seeking new challenge
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th April 2015
By: Staff Writer

Alan Devonshire has parted company witrh Brantree Town after four years with the North-Essex club.

The 59-year-old former Hammers winger has left the Vanarama Conference Premier side with immediate effect after he turned down the club's offer on a new contract extension, citing interest from elsewhere as the reason.

Chairman Lee Harding told the local Times: "We had a lengthy chat with Alan on Saturday and advised him that we would like him to remain with us for a fifth year. Alan advised that he had been approached by third parties for next season and was not prepared to sign as he felt that he wanted to speak with them.

"We agreed to give him until Thursday evening to consider our offer, but he was still not prepared to sign. The board have therefore decided to ask Mark Sansom to act in a caretaker role for Saturday's trip to Wrexham and at home to Altrincham a week on Saturday.

"On behalf of all of us, I'd like to thank Alan for his efforts over the four seasons he was with us, more so this season when a number of injuries have made the job difficult. But now the board look forward to a new era and new challenges."

Devonshire joined Braintree in 2011 following spells with Maidenhead and Hampton & Richmond Borough. Fellow former Hammer Julian Dicks was a regular at the Iron's Cressing Road ground during his tenure.

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Allardyce: 'nervous' players have let themselves down
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 17th April 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has criticised his squad for dropping points at crucial stages, accusing them of "letting themselves down". Allardyce, speaking ahead of West Ham's trip to Manchester City this weekend castigated his team for conceding once again in the closing stages of a match, allowing Stoke to earn a point at the Boleyn last weekend.

"The motivation for the players should be that they've let themselves down by not achieving the results that they should have done, from the positions we've been in," he told reporters this morning. "We want to get the feel good factor back by winning a few games and getting the confidence back up.

"Late goals have been terrible for our results recently. Stoke was probably one of our weaker performances but we were still 30 seconds away from winning it. We need to make sure we don't show the type of nerves that we did, because we looked exceedingly nervous.

"We have had a good season but we've thrown away a lot of points. At the moment we want to reach the 50 point mark or higher, that will make sure we finish higher than we have done in the three years we've been back."


The late, late show: how we threw it all away

16 Aug: Tottenham (h) 0-1: Eric Dier scores in the last minute to secure a 1-0 win for rivals Tottenham.
30 Aug: Southampton (h) 1-3: Graziano Pelle's 83rd minute strike confirms Southmapton's 3-1 win at the Boleyn.

6 Jan: Everton (a) 1-1: Romelu Lukaku scores from an offside position in the 90th minute to earn Everton a point.
13 Jan: Everton (h) 2-2 aet: Kevin Mirallas popped up in the 82nd minute to score and necessitate extra time.
31 Jan: Liverpool (a) 0-2: Daniel Sturridge secures a win for the hosts with an 80th-minute effort.

8 Feb: Man Utd (h) 1-1: Despite having led for much of the second half Daley Blind's 90th-minute equaliser costs West Ham two points.
22 Feb: Tottenham (a) 2-2: Two up with ten to play, goals from Rose and a Kane penalty three minutes into added-on time earn Spurs a draw.

14 Mar: Arsenal (a) 0-3: Still in the game at 0-1, West Ham conceded in the 81st and 84 minute and suffer a 0-3 reversal

4 Apr: Leicester (a) 1-2: Andy King's 86th-minute effort is enough to win the game for the Foxes
11 Apr: Stoke (h) 1-1: A Marko Arnautovic equaliser in the fifth minute of added-on time costs West Ham two points

Total points lost by above scenarios: 10

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Calling Carlton Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th April 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has revealed that he expects Carlton Cole to play a big role between now and the end of the season.

With Andy Carroll definitely out for the rest of the campaign and Diafra Sakho unlikely to return due to a thigh injury sustained against Stoke last weekend, Allardyce's options in attack are limited somewhat.

And that means the big striker, whose nine-year association with West Ham is set to end this summer when his latest 18-month contract expires is expected to play a prominent role in the remaining few matches.

"We're missing Diafra Sakho and obviously Andy Carroll and James Tomkins," Allardyce told the press at his pre-match press conference this morning. "That leaves us a bit short of goal scoring options as Sakho and Carroll are our two top scorers this season.

"I'm expecting Carlton Cole to come in and play a big role for us in the next few games, hopefully he can deliver what we know he is capable of."

Cole himself admitted earlier this week that he is unlikely to extend his stay at the club, which would have seen him enjoy a testimonial season in the club's final season at the Boleyn Ground.

"I am trying my best to make myself a presence in the team, which has been hard for me this year," he told the Mail. "I felt in the last 12-13 games I could have played a bigger part, but the manager chose to go with someone else so whenever I do get my chance I do do my best.

'I was on the brink of going to West Brom but that didn't work out - hopefully something else works out in the future. I have got a few things lined up, just in case. I have been playing in the Premier League for 10 years so I have a lot to offer a team who wants to take me - or if I stay at West Ham, I have a lot to offer them."

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Sam Allardyce to take no risks with Diafra Sakho
Last Updated: 17/04/15 5:54pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce reveals he's not going to risk picking Diafra Sakho until he's one hundred percent fit. Sam Allardyce will be without Diafra Sakho for the Super Sunday game against Manchester City - and the West Ham manager admits the striker may have kicked his last ball in anger this season. The Senegal striker, who is West Ham's top scorer this season with 12 goals, was forced off during last week's 1-1 draw with Stoke City with a thigh strain and Allardyce is wary of exacerbating the problem. Allardyce told Sky Sports News HQ: "He may be back before the end of the season he may not, we will just have to be very careful with his thigh strain and make sure we do not get a recurrence. We will not be risking him at 95% fitness - we would have to be sure there was no problem before we risked him.
"It leaves us short in goal-scoring options because Andy Carroll and Sakho are our two leading scorers this season. I'm expecting Carlton Cole will come in and play a big role." Allardyce admits he is baffled by City's recent slump in form but acknowledges it will be a hard to get something out of this weekend's game. He said: "I'm very surprised that City have lost four away games on the trot. That's a huge shock to everyone in football because of the huge amount of talent that they have in their squad. "But like ourselves they just don't seem to be able to find a way to win at the moment. I watched them play against Crystal Place and Palace had to defend brilliantly after they went ahead and City are normally exceptionally good at breaking down defences, but they have not been able to manage it "At home they are normally very good and we know how tough it is going to be and how hard it is to get something there. But they are struggling in terms of results. "We want to hit the 50-point mark or better. That will ensure we finish higher in the Premier League than we have done since promotion."

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Manchester City v West Ham preview: Vincent Kompany and Wilfried Bony out
Last Updated: 17/04/15 4:25pm
SSN

Manchester City host West Ham in a Super Sunday clash they'll be desperate to win after back-to-back defeats have seen their Champions League status come under serious pressure. Manuel Pellegrini's side were beaten at Crystal Palace before their 4-2 thumping at the hands of Manchester United last weekend. It hasn't been too long since City were considered the only side capable of challenging Chelsea for the Premier League title, but they are now sitting precariously in fourth, looking over their shoulder at Liverpool just four points behind.

West Ham beat City 2-1 at Upton Park in October, a result that took them to fourth, but a rapid decline in the second half of the season - winning just one of their last 10 games - has seen them drop into mid-table obscurity. Defender Kompany (groin) could miss the rest of the season while Bony (ankle/knee) faces at least another week on the sidelines. Midfielder James Milner (knee), defender Gael Clichy (groin) and striker Stevan Jovetic are also ruled out this weekend.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will be without striker Diafra Sakho because of a thigh strain, but Enner Valencia is available after a minor foot problem picked up on his return from injury against Stoke last weekend. Man City have lost two league matches in April this season already – they have not lost three PL games in a single month since November 2008. West Ham defeated Man City 2-1 in the Premier League earlier this season – they have never won both games against them in a single PL campaign. Man City have outrun their opponents only six times in the Premier League this season, fewer than any other side. If the season had started on Boxing Day then Man City would be ninth, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Merson's prediction

Manchester City have to win. They cannot afford another slip up. It's a cup final for Manuel Pellegrini and his side. It's all gone pear shaped for the champions but they have to turn it around here. And I think they will.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says he's unsure if Vincent Kompany will play again this season
West Ham are the perfect opposition at the moment. Sam Allardyce's men are on a bad run themselves, having just won one of their last 11 matches. However, they are in no danger of relegation and will not trouble the European places, so if City cannot pick up three points here there will be serious questions to answer for Pellegrini and his squad.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (16-1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

Manchester City are odds-on with Sky Bet to end their two-match losing run with victory over 11/1 shots West Ham on Super Sunday. But after successive defeats to Manchester United and Crystal Palace pressure is mounting on Manuel Pellegrini who is now 8/11 to be the next Premier League manager to leave and 1/6 not to be at the Etihad at the start of next season.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce reveals he's not going to risk picking Diafra Sakho until he's one hundred percent fit Despite their dip in form City remain huge favourites to secure a top four finish. West Ham won the corresponding fixture 2-1, a 28/1 shot this time and are 5/2 to win or draw in the double chance market. Diafra Sakho, who scored the winner at Upton Park, is 7/2 to net in 90 minutes, while City's Sergio Aguero is as short as 4/6 to net in a home win for Pellegrini's men.

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West Ham and Burnley battling for bonus 'Fair Play' Europa League spot
Last Updated: 17/04/15 5:14pm
SSN

Despite a poor run of late, West Ham are still in the hunt for a European spot. West Ham and Burnley are in pole position to qualify for the Europa League this season via the Fair Play Table.

How? What? Why?

Relax. We have all the answers as we break down the process which means the Premier League is likely to receive a bonus place in next year's Europa League and why West Ham and Burnley are leading the race...

What is the Premier League Fair Play Table?

The Premier League Fair Play table factors in much more than just the amount of red and yellow cards picked up by a team. Positive play, respect towards opponents, respect towards match officials and the behaviour of staff in the dugout are all taken into consideration.

How and who calculates these factors?

Every Premier League game is watched by a referee's assessor who works alongside a Premier League match delegate and he marks each team on all the above mentioned factors. The respect towards officials and opponents categories are marked out of seven, with the behaviour of officials marked out of six. Teams can score a maximum of 10 points for positive play, where attacking tactics and efforts against time-wasting are considered.

How can a team qualify for the Europa League through the Premier League Fair Play Table?

Each UEFA registered league has their own Fair Play Table and the three leagues with the highest combined points total at the end of the campaign gain an extra qualification spot for the Europa League.

The Premier League currently sits third behind the Republic of Ireland and Netherlands.

Which clubs are top of the Premier League Fair Play Table?

At present (last points calculated on March 31), West Ham sit first in the Premier League rankings with 999 points - eight ahead of second-placed Burnley. They are in turn followed by Liverpool (990), Manchester City (986) and Southampton (977) – all of whom look certain to qualify for European football anyway, leaving the top two to battle it out.

Which teams are bottom of the Premier League Fair Play Table?


Sunderland are bottom of the latest standings, with Hull and Aston Villa only scoring marginally better. However, title favourites Chelsea are bottom of the pile when it comes to the individual rankings for attitude towards referees and linesmen and second-worst to Sunderland for the behaviour of their staff during matches.

Have any Premier League teams qualified through these means before?

Yes, Fulham's good behaviour in 2010/11 paid off as they qualified for the following season's Europa League via the Fair Play route. The Cottagers finished ahead of Blackpool by just 0.01 points.

Chelsea topped the Fair Play Table, with Tottenham second and Manchester United third, but as they had all qualified for Europe, Fulham, in fourth, got the spot.

One of the downsides of getting into Europe by this backdoor method is the team in question has to take part in the first qualifying round, which takes place at the start of July.

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JUST HOW GOOD ARE WE?
By Iain Dale 17 Apr 2015 at 14:12
West Ham till I Die
Guest Post by Littlefork

So just how good are we?

Bianca has had the whinge, guest poster VoR has looked at who we should keep at the club and there has been so much posted about our changing fortunes- 4th at Christmas and now struggling to hold a mid table spot.

But have we actually found our right level in the PL given the players we have? At the end of this piece I ask the serious question, player by player, how many of them would displace their counterpart in any of the teams above us in the league?

I have spouted my own views on why our 4th place at Xmas was such a false position and I'll quickly repeat them:

a) the fixture Gods were incredibly kind to us
b) our new players hit the ground running and seemed to find form very quickly
c) the usual "top teams" were incredibly slow out of the blocks
d) we had the "surprise" factor, teams hadn't worked us out and
e) all of our wins (Liverpool and Citeh excepted) were against teams in the bottom third of the table.

So that's why we were flying high. Our expectations had been exceeded, there was a great feeling of optimism—would we at worst qualify for the Europa league? This was the best football we had seen from a West Ham team for decades and we were winning games.

And then come Boxing Day the results started to go away from us. Performances seemed to drop, teams had worked out how to stop Downing at the tip of that shiny new diamond and then we picked up a string of injuries. And when players lost form they couldn't really be displaced in the side by other fringe players "just as good". We couldn't play a solid 90 minutes of good football. Clean sheets were a thing of last season, consigned to the archives. Players got twitchy when we went ahead in a game and started defending deeper and deeper and now we expect to concede in the 90+ minute of a game; and I am sure the players expect it too.

Some will say it's all the manager's fault, and to be sure the buck does stop with him. But does it tell the whole story? A manager can only work within the confines of the budget he has. For PL success you need to have a squad of excellent players…that's 25 top players who can all come into the team at any time and keep the run going, with no tailing off in performance or results. Squad rotation is vitally important when fixtures pile up because of cup runs etc. It's also important to keep players fresh and competitive.

So, of our squad of 25 players how many of them would get regular first team playing time elsewhere in the teams above us? In fact you only have to really ask that question about our regular 13 of Adrian, Creswell, Collins/Tomkins, Reid, Jenkinson, Kouyate, Song, Nolan/Noble, Downing, Sakho, Valencia. There's no point in looking at those who keep our bench warm…..Jussi, JOB, Demel, Jarvis, Cole, Nene, Amalfitano.

I doubt that many of our entire squad would get regular outings. A look at the OPTA rankings quickly shows how we are doing. Only Tonks is in the top 20, Noble's in the 90s, Collins is higher than Reid. But ignoring the stats and going with what we see and feel in our hearts what would we say?

Adrian…. Threw his gloves down and blasted in his "shoot out" penalty. Became a Boleyn hero. But which top team keeper do we honestly think he could keep on the bench?

Cresswell…has been outstanding for us this year, in his first PL season. But he's still learning and I don't think any top team would give him the playing time he needs to continue his development.

Collins….we all love Ginge, the total commitment to the cause. Those shuddering block tackles. Gets a lot of playing time with us because of injuries. I think a top team might possibly use him as CB back up.

Tomkins..Our highest placed OPTA stats individual who is the most likely to get regular playing time in a club above us.

Reid….I really thought I'd be saying he'd be another nailed on certainty to keep a current top team CB on the bench. But now I am not so sure, what do you think?

Jenkinson….really like the lad, hope he stays with us, but like Cresswell he's still learning and he would not be a first team regular in a higher placed team.

Kouyate….YES! Thank goodness he's tied down for a few years. A real powerhouse of a player, full of energy and getting better all the time.

Song…Without doubt he would hold down a regular place in a top PL team and with better players around him he would show even more. I have been "wowed' and disappointed with him in equal measure.

Nolan…a good captain, has put in some good performances for us but his time has been and gone. He would not feature in a top team.

Noble…a true "hammer" and we love him for that. With so much midfield skill in bucket loads in the teams above us, I am afraid Mark would not get much regular time either.

Sakho….too early to judge in my opinion. Blistering pace and not short of confidence. Good in the air and high work rate. If he moved to a top team now he'd be on the bench a fair bit.

Valencia…would he secure a number one spot straight away with any team above us? Chelsea are alleged to have made noises about him but he wouldn't be their number one striker.

What do you say about Andy Carroll? Does his style "fit" with the best teams in the PL? Would his injury record consign him to the bench or physio table too much?

So, looking at our 25 man squad as a whole, is it any wonder that we are mid table team at best? We have very few players indeed (maybe 3 or 4?) who would get regular first team exposure in a team above us in the premier league.

The Sullivans are aware of how much steady building they need to do. It has to be a 5 year plan at least to grow the squad into something strong and talented enough to compete with the top 6 clubs.

When you look at the players we have and compare them with their counterparts in the teams above us, then it puts our expected season end position into perspective. A different manager might be able to extract more in terms of performance from the team, given that a team is supposed to be stronger than its constituent parts.

The future looks promising, but let's not kid ourselves. The rebuilding work has only just begun.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce challenges Carlton Cole to get Hammers firing again
12:22, 17 April 2015 By Adrian Kajumba
The Irons striker is set for a run in the side following the injuries of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho, who are both out for the season
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has challenged striker Carlton Cole to deliver the goods to get West Ham firing again. Cole, 31, is set for a run in the Hammers side with fellow strikers Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho out injured. West Ham face out-of-form Manchester City on Sunday, having won just one of their last 10 league games. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce said: "I'm expecting that Carlton will come and play a big role for us in the next few games and hopefully he can deliver what we know he can." England striker Carroll is out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury. And Allardyce confirmed 12-goal top scorer Sakho's season could also be over due to a thigh injury suffered against Stoke last week, as revealed by Mirror Sport on Monday. Allardyce said: "Maybe he will just be back towards the end of the season maybe not. "We will just have to be very careful with his thigh strain and make sure he doesn't get a reoccurrence. "If he is fit he is fit. We wouldn't be risking him at 95 per cent we will give him that extra time to be absolutely certain. "That would mean he would have to complete at least four or five days training with the squad before he was available for selection." But Enner Valencia's recovery after being forced off against Stoke with a foot injury was some good news for Allardyce. He said: "Valencia has recovered. It was more just a stamp on his foot and just a bit of bone bruising. "Him and Carlton are our strike force so those two guys have to perform to their very best and provide the goals we need to win a game."

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DG: "I think we should take Euro chance"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 17, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold believes the club owes it to the fans to take part in the early Europa Cup if they gain a spot via the Fair Play League.

Although there is no obligation to do so and and a club may refuse to take part. DG believes it's an adventure the club needs to take.

The co-chairman told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "It has to be given great consideration for the sake of the fans. They want a taste of Europe and if we can provide it via the Fair Play League I think we will do so if we get the chance."

"It does mean an early return, much travelling and there's no real financial return involved early on but if we have a chance of reaching the later stages of the Europa League I think we will probably vote to take it. I think the fans would expect that.

"Obviously we will need to protect players like Andy Carroll who have been injured but I think we can put out teams capable of winning those early games."

Co chairman David Sullivan is also in favour of taking part.

Three spots are given to federations that finish above a certain level in Uefa's Fair Play table. The top three federations automatically receive a Fair Play entry if their rating is at least 8.0. The berth goes to the highest-placed team in the Fair Play table of that country's top league that has not already qualified for Europe.

The Hammers are currently on top of the Premier league Fair Play Table with an average of 8.3.

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Allardyce to rely on Cole!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 17, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Sam Allardyce has declared he expects Carlton Cole to finish the season on a high!

With Diafra Sakho possibly missing until the end of the campaign it seems that Cole is bang in the frame for a run of games.
The Senegal striker is believed to have torn a thigh muscle meaning that Cole will almost certainly get the nod for Manchester city (away) this weekend and beyond.
Enner Valencia is likely to partner Cole in attack at at the weekend with Allardyce saying: "Sakho has a thigh problem. He'll be out until maybe the end of the season.
"Hopefully it will be 3-4 weeks but you never know. Even if he's 95% fit, we wouldn't risk him. Only if he was 100%."With Sahko out, we are a little short in the goal-scoring department.
"So, I am expecting Carlton to play a big role for us in the next few games and he can deliver for us against Man City."

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Irons set to free-up £10m in wages
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 17, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

The Hammers are set to free up around £10 million this summer as various long term players head for the exit door. Jussi Jaaskelainen, Carlton Cole and Guy Demel are all out of contractand are unlikely to remain Irons beyond June 30th June when their contracts end.
Kevin Nolan could well be on his way too despite having another year on his deal whilst James Collins could be offered a new contract.
Loanees Alex Song, Nene and Carl Jenkinson are also at the end of their loan periods at the end of May and will automatically return to their parent clubs.

Jussi, Cole, Demel, Nene and Song are the most likely outbound players – releasing around £200,000 per week off the wage bill or £10m plus per year. These wages will be re-invested in summer signings. Likely signings are a goalkeeper as backup for Adrian, Carl Jenkinson on a permanent deal, a striker to replace Cole, a utility defender player to replace Demel and a versatile midfielder to replace Nene.
The Hammers are extremely unlikely to look for a central defender after Reid signed a six year contract and this is likely to save a significant multi million transfer fee that would otherwise been spent this summer on his replacement.

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DG gets tough on Olympic Stadium move
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 17, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold has told Hammers fans the majority want the move to the Olympic Stadium. DG is blitzed by tweets all day every day from Hammers fans but his dry sense of humour often puts the mouthiest of them well in their place. However, when questioned about the Olympic Stadium move he got deadly serious and declared: "All the figures suggest that the majority of fans want to go to the new "World Iconic Stadium" in Stratford dg When told that more Hammers fans want to stay at Upton Park, Gold hit back hard saying: "Since when has 1 per cent been a majority? dg"

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Sullivan sounds a warning
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 17, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Sullivan has declared that our end of season challenge could make the difference of adding a player or two to the squad in the summer.

He said: "The weekend's draw with Stoke City was disappointing and frustrating in equal measure, particularly after Aaron Cresswell had got us off our feet with that magnificent free-kick.

"However, we have six matches left to play and must give our all in those games to ensure we pick up as many points as possible."

He told the official site: "The prize money for each finishing place could be the difference between signing a new player in the summer and improving the squad, so every point we gain is potentially vital.

"On that front, I can assure you we are already casting our scouting and recruitment far and wide in the hunt for talent to make us better next season.

"Targets are being identified and you can expect us to be doing plenty of exciting business in the transfer market this summer, as we did last year."

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We need decisions, we need change- get it done!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 16, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

ClaretandHugh's New York based blogger Scott Alsweiler is a lifelong Iron and east-end boy.

He has followed the entire Hammers season and still still flies the Hammers flag outside his home.

Here's his view from across the pond!

It's been a bit of a roller coaster season.

High hopes dashed against the rocks of tactical errors and a second half of the campaign made up of poor substitutions and lacklustre effort.

You could argue, of course, that with us it's always up and down, and that it's part of being a Hammer. And it's generally been true over the years that we've had our dreams fade and die with a kind of monotonous regularity.

This season felt different. With the Davids taking a stronger role as owners, including buying in some great talent, and giving clear direction to the manager regarding expectations, a lot of us – myself included – had a sense that maybe this time it could be different. And for a while, it was.

Then the rot set in. We reverted to old methods. Long balls to a target man, getting one on the board and trying to defend that single goal, breaking up our beautifully performing midfield diamond to accommodate the return of Carroll (and the inclusion of Nolan).

It all fell apart. It's no secret that we're one of the worst performing sides in the league since Christmas. Although we're in no danger of relegation, as it stands we seem poised to slide further down the table which will lose us potential income, and have a negative impact on both fan and player morale.

Sam has to go. That much is obvious. I'd prefer to have him put on gardening leave tomorrow, but that seems unlikely.

We should be grateful to him. He brought us up from the Championship, and steadied us (if barely) in the EPL. But we're going nowhere, and we're a club with both history and ambition. Everyone seems to have their personal favourite to replace him, and there are some who would still prefer he stay until we're safely ensconced in our new home.

A fair number of names have been passed around but for me only two of them really stand out as a decent possibility – and I doubt Rafa will be looking our way. Throwing a couple of quid on Bielsa getting the job seems like a reasonable bet.

We also have to resist the temptation to start selling. Yes, there are definitely players who are surplus to requirements (Cole, Nolan, Demel, Jussi, and probably Jarvis and maybe Carroll as well), but let's not unload those new signings who have done so well for us.

There's a lot of talk about Valencia being Chelsea-bound. I'd hate to see that happen. Although he hasn't been a prolific scorer, his work rate is phenomenal. His partnership with Sakho earlier in the season was poetry to watch. It's a shame though, that Nene hasn't had a decent look in.

With us looking to be down to one striker for a few weeks, you would hope he'll finally get a shot, in tandem with Valencia, but I have a sinking feeling about his chances with Sam at the helm. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I suspect we'll see Cole playing as first choice instead.

Our midfield still needs work. Alex Song, despite a great start, has failed to impress in the latter half of the season. On his current form, he'll be lucky to get the sort of offer he wants. But I do think he has the raw ability if he can pull himself out of his present slump.

Downing too, so strong when at the tip of the diamond, seems lost at the moment. What Amalfitano needs to do to get a start with the present management is beyond me. He richly deserves to be in the starting lineup. New management could well see him return to his stunning early season form. Mark Noble, such a stalwart both on and off the field, seems oddly out of sorts recently as well.

Never the quickest man on the field, but always a resolute worker. Kevin Nolan is, no doubt, seeing out his last season with us. I rather hope so, but I am also cognisant of the great service he has given us since 2011. He's attracted a lot of venom but we should always remember the work he's put in for us previously.

Our defence actually looks good. I'd like to see Collins re-signed – big Ginge has had a very good season, and the addition of another centre-back. We probably also need more cover for the fullbacks. Cresswell has been outstanding, and we badly need to get Jenks under contract, but an injury to either can lead us down a rough road.

In short, if we're to move forward next season, we need to spend and bolster the squad in almost every position. If we fail to do so, we hinder our push forward into the new stadium. We need to replace our current manager – sooner rather than later.

I firmly believe that the lack of a definite and public decision in the midst of so much speculation is bad for morale in the squad, which in turn affects each and every game we play. Get it done; get it done quickly. And move on towards planning for next season. Especially as we may have a shot at Europe via Fair Play.

COYI and let us know your thoughts on how you would bolster the squad.

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Good-Guy Diafra Sakho Reveals Sacrifices Made for West Ham Move in Heartwarming Interview
By Liam Wheeler
on16 Apr 2015

​It is no secret that Premier League footballers often come with certain labels attached. The money, the arrogance, the fast cars and countless girls; it all seems too familiar. Yet just when you are starting to lose faith over what really matters to our on-pitch idols in the game we all know and love, a real gem pops up and shows us what it is really all about.
In a heartwarming interview with ​the Express, West Ham United's £3.5m striker Diafra Sakho has completely opened up about his move to the Premier League, including the sacrifices made, the family left behind, and why big money isn't his motivation. Sakho's lifestyle is now the polar-opposite of his childhood experiences in Senegal. The striker recalls how he found it so difficult to leave his young daughter behind after seeing so little of his own father during his childhood years: "Of course my daughter misses me and I miss her," Sakho said. "But we are on Skype all of the time and I try to chat to her. We are still both adapting – both her and me – to the situation. She is not that far away and she does come to visit frequently, which makes me very happy of course. "But when I lived with my mother when I was growing up, my father did exactly the same thing. He went off to earn money for the family. "My dad was away from home all the time. He was a bus driver between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. I effectively grew up without my father. "My dad would come back once a month or two but as a family we accepted it and it did not mean he did not love us. On the contrary, he did all of this because he did love us. That was the path that he showed us. He helped us a huge amount and we were always grateful for that. "Nevertheless, there were mornings when we would wake up and there would not be any food to eat. When I was growing up and my mum did not have any money, I would often tell her that I had eaten with friends to make her feel better. I did not want to see her cry. But we knew that better days would lie ahead – perhaps when dad came back home with more money.

Sakho's childhood experiences have at least allowed the 25-year-old to gain some perspective of what is important in the world, and even as a Premier League footballer whose name is now known around the world, Sakho maintains that his primary motivation is to support his family back home and to put food on their table: "Now at least I can give my mother the life that she was not able to give to me when I was growing up, I am trying to make her happy now. "Unfortunately, my dad passed away at the age of 53 and that was the example he has left me. Now he is not here, I feel that responsibility for the family. "I have two brothers and a sister, my mother and my daughter to support. Obviously the choice to come to West Ham was both sporting and financial and I am just happy I am able to support the family by doing this."

While today's generation simulate the majority of their sporting experiences on the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, Sakho fondly recalls how his early footballing memories involve kicking a ball of socks around dusty streets: "When I was growing up we used to make a ball out of socks, rolling them up together and playing with that," Sakho said. "It was great. We were just happy to play. "Now, whenever I go back to Senegal, I enjoy giving people footballs and boots, and also donating kit to local clubs."

A clear family man, Sakho admits he is proud of what he has achieved, but the forward, who has struck 12 times in 26 games for the Hammers, reiterated that materialism is far from his motivation: Money is no longer the objective. The aim is for me to make sure there is food on the table morning, afternoon and night. Of course, everybody wants more money. When you have 50, you want 100; when you have 100, you want 200. "But as I came from a family with nothing, that sort of thing just is not important. I am able to provide for my family and I am very proud that I am able to look after them and that is what really motivates me."

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