Daily WHUFC News - 30th June 2015

Cresswell commits Hammers future
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Hammer of the Year Aaron
Cresswell has committed his long-term future to the Club, putting pen to
paper on a new five-year contract. The new deal will extend the 25-year-old
left-back's stay in east London until 2020, with the option of a further two
years. Cresswell, who joined from Ipswich Town last summer, played every
minute of the Hammers' 2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign, amid
repeated calls for his inclusion in Roy Hodgson's England squad. His
performances were such that he would go onto collect an awards treble in an
outstanding first season in Claret and Blue, bagging Signing of the Season,
Players' Player of the Season and the coveted Hammer of the Year crown.
Despite reportedly attracting interest from some of the Premier League's
biggest hitters, Cresswell was in no doubt where his future lay, keen to
repay the faith shown in him by the Hammers hierarchy. "It's exciting times
for me to pen a new deal at West Ham," he told West Ham TV. "Thankfully last
year was a good season for me personally to play every minute of every game,
so it's nice to finally commit my future to West Ham. "I was at Ipswich 12
months ago and when West Ham came in for me there was only one place for me.
I jumped straight in the car, down the A12 and signed for West Ham. So for
me to play for a club like West Ham, week in week out, is massive and these
are exciting times. "It's going to be a massive year for us, the last year
at Upton Park. But it's exciting times going into one of the best stadiums
in Europe, even in the world. It's going to be a good summer, hopefully a
few more faces will come in and we'll have a good year."

Though Cresswell is yet to meet new manager Slaven Bilic, he has already
crossed paths with the newest recruit to the Croat's training staff, the
newly-appointed Julian Dicks. And as a fellow left-back, West Ham's No3 is
thrilled to bits. He continued: "It's a great appointment, especially with
the fans, the fans love him as well, he's a fans' favourite from his time
when he was here and I think he's going to be a good addition to the staff."


Andorran minnows FC Lusitans may be taken aback by the prospect of a full
house on Thursday evening at the Boleyn Ground, but Cresswell reckons that
level of support is par for the course with the Claret and Blue Army. With a
ball still to be kicked, the Europa League has clearly captured the
imagination and Cresswell says it bodes well for a spectacular final season
at the Boleyn Ground. "It's the last year and it just shows you the passion
from the fans, to sell 30,000 up to now for the game on Thursday," he
confirmed. "It's massive the Europa League, but it's the last year here, so
hopefully we can make it a memorable one. "We've got to be looking, first
and foremost, to finish in the top ten. We were so close this season and
just had a sticky patch at the end of the season. Hopefully we can have a
good start again and carry it straight through."

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Dicks delighted with welcome
WHUFC.com

Julian Dicks has hailed his beloved West Ham United fans after returning to
the Club where he is hailed as a legend. The Hammers great is back at the
Boleyn Ground in a new role as coaching assistant to Slaven Bilic – a move
that has been roundly welcomed by the supporters who roared The Terminator
on during his eleven-year playing career in Claret and Blue. Now, as the
Club enters its historic final season at the Boleyn Ground, Dicks told West
Ham TV he cannot wait to get down to work with his former teammate Bilic and
the first-team squad.
"It's absolutely fantastic for me to be back," the four-time Hammer of the
Year began. "I've known Slav for many years and have not spoken to him for a
few of them, so I didn't expect to be back here, even under Slav, but he
rang me and we had a chat and it's happened from there. "He wants me here
and I'm just happy to be here. It is very exciting. I was here for eleven
years and I love the Club."I've always had a great relationship with the
supporters and since Slav took over all I have been asked is 'Are you going
back to West Ham?' and fortunately it has happened."
Dicks' appointment has generated huge excitement among fans on social media,
with thousands sending the former left-back tweets of support. With
enthusiasm for Bilic's own arrival and three exciting new signings already
secured, the Boleyn Ground is approaching a sell out for Thursday's UEFA
Europa League first qualifying round first leg visit of Andorra's FC
Lusitans. Dicks himself is not surprised that the Claret and Blue Army are
starting the Farewell Boleyn campaign by invading their historic home of 111
years. "West Ham are a one-off Club and you have to understand what the Club
is and what the supporters want," explained the new coaching assistant. "At
the end of the day, they make or break you. "They are the best fans in the
world, but then again they expect people and their players to work hard. If
you work hard first, that's fine, and if you have ability that's even
better. "Slav was here as a player and he knows what the fans want, which is
attractive, attacking football and that's what he'll try and deliver."

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Legend Dicks joins backroom staff
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Julian Dicks has joined
Slaven Bilic's backroom staff as a full-time coaching assistant. The Hammers
legend started his new role at Chadwell Heath on Monday morning and will
join a group of senior players heading to the Club's pre-season training
camp in Ireland on Tuesday. Dicks, who became a cult hero at the Boleyn
Ground during two unforgettable spells in Claret and Blue, joins the
first-team coaching staff after a successful season in charge of West Ham
United Ladies. The 46-year-old told whufc.com he cannot wait to join forces
with former Hammers teammate Bilic and start work with the Club's first-team
squad on a daily basis. "To be joining the first-team coaching staff at my
Club is fantastic news for me," the four-time Hammer of the Year began. "I
was with the Ladies last year and I thoroughly enjoyed that, but to get the
opportunity to work with Slaven, his coaching staff and the first-team
players is a dream come true. "This is a Premier League club with some very
good players already in the squad and some more very good players set to
come in this summer. It is exciting times for me and exciting times for West
Ham. "I met up with Slaven last week and, although we had not met in person
for a few years, it was like we had never been apart. We had a hug and a
kiss and sat down and talked all about West Ham and all about football. "We
had a great relationship when we played together in the same team here and I
am sure we will work well together again as manager and coach."

Dicks, who scored an amazing 65 goals in 326 games from left-back, has
watched his former teammate's development as a manager closely during
successful stints with the Croatia national team and Turkish club Besiktas,
and is looking forward to working closely with his new boss. "Slaven was a
top player and he has gone on to become a very good manager," confirmed The
Terminator. "His teams play a high-tempo pressing game and I am sure he will
instil that style of play here at West Ham. "I have always said that the
first quality that players must illustrate is hard work. If you then have
very good players who work very hard, then you can achieve great things and
hopefully we can do that here at West Ham. "I understand that I will be
involved on the training pitch and in the meetings and I cannot wait to get
down to work with Slaven, his assistant and his other coaches."

Dicks closed by thanking West Ham Ladies for the opportunity to manage the
side last season, when he guided them to the London FA Capital Cup final and
a much-improved position in the FA Women's Premier League South. "It would
like to thank the Ladies for the chance they gave me and all the girls for
the huge effort they put in last season," he concluded. "I have said many
times that I would not have taken a similar role at any other club, but West
Ham is my club and I really enjoyed the challenge. "The Ladies have some
very good players and we have already organised for some more very good
players to join the club this summer, so I hope I leave them in a good
position for the future. "If this new role had not come along, I am sure I
would have returned as manager this coming season, but I hope they can
understand that the opportunity to work with Slaven and the first team was
one that I could not turn down."

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Cullen's ready after Irish training camp
WHUFC.com

Republic of Ireland U19 international Josh Cullen was happy to be back on
familiar ground as West Ham United prepared for Thursday's game against FC
Lusitans. Development Squad midfielder Cullen was part of the group who
travelled to Cork for a week-long preparation camp for the UEFA Europa
League qualifying campaign. With a week's training now under his belt, the
19-year-old is raring to go in front of what could be a sell-out Boleyn
Ground crowd. "It was nice to be over in Ireland," he said. "Obviously I've
played a few games over here internationally, so making that short flight is
pretty regular now. "It was good to be back and the facilities were good,
the sun was shining and it was a productive week. "Playing international
football is always a great experience. We've had Elite Rounds in Germany and
that stands you in good stead for something like the Europa League this
year. "If I get the nod in that, I've played against European opposition
before so you sort of know what to expect. "We have to look at these
qualifying rounds as a great opportunity. All we can do is work hard on the
training pitch with the new manager coming over, show what you can do and if
you get an opportunity you have to take it with both hands."

Cullen is delighted to have had the chance to train regularly with
established first team players and says that will help him to take the next
step in his career. He added: "We've been playing with first team players
day in, day out in training and that's great. That brings you on as a player
and can only help with your development. "I was pleased with the progress I
made last season. Getting on the bench at nice Premier League stadiums was a
good experience and now it's time to kick-on. "I have to make sure I don't
take my foot off the pedal, keep going and take that next step to getting on
the pitch."

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Julian Dicks: Ex-West Ham player joins Hammers coaching team
BBC.co.uk

Former West Ham left-back Julian Dicks has joined the coaching set-up of new
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic. The 46-year-old takes on the role after a season
in charge of the Upton Park club's women's team last term. Dicks scored 65
goals in 326 games for West Ham and played with Bilic in their time at the
club. "We had a great relationship when we played together in the same team
and I am sure we will work well together," said Dicks. Dicks played for West
Ham from 1988 to 1993 and again from 1994 to 1999.

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Aaron Cresswell: West Ham defender signs five-year contract
BBC.co.uk

West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell has signed a new five-year contract. The
left-back, who moved to Upton Park from Ipswich in 2014, was the Hammers'
player of the year as they finished 12th in the Premier League last season.
The 25-year-old's new deal has the option for a further two-year extension
when it expires in 2020. "It's exciting times for me to pen a new deal at
West Ham," he said. "Hopefully a few more faces will come in and we'll have
a good year." The London club have already signed France international
midfielder Dimitri Payet from Marseille, Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang and
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph. Cresswell began his career
in Liverpool's youth set-up before making his professional debut in League
One with Tranmere in 2008. He moved to Ipswich in 2011.

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Aaron Cresswell signs bumper new deal
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 29th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United full-back Aaron Cresswell has signed a new five-year
contract with the club. Last season's KUMB Player of the Year initially
joined West Ham on a five-year deal last summer, when moving in a £4million
switch from Ipswich. However in order to stave off interest from other
parties, the Hammers have given the 25-year-old Liverpudlian an improved
contract extending his stay by a further year, with the option of two
additional years. Speaking about his new deal, Cresswell told West Ham's
website: "It's exciting times for me to pen a new deal. "I came here 12
months ago and I was just going to keep my head down and work hard.
Thankfully last year was a good season for me, to play every minute of every
game, so it's nice to finally commit my future to West Ham. "I'd never
played in the Premier League before, so my main aim was to get my head down
and work hard. I did that every day in training and I gave everything I
could on the pitch. To play for a club like West Ham, week in week out, is
massive - and these are exciting times."

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Dicks out - then in again
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United Ladies manager Julian Dicks has left the club after just a
year - to join Slaven Bilic's new look backroom team. Dicks, who has been
with the Ladies since June 2014 was confirmed as the latest member of
Bilic's back room staff by the club this morning. "To be joining the
first-team coaching staff at my Club is fantastic news for me," he told the
club's website. "I was with the Ladies last year and I thoroughly enjoyed
that, but to get the opportunity to work with Slaven, his coaching staff and
the first-team players is a dream come true.
"This is a Premier League club with some very good players already in the
squad and some more very good players set to come in this summer. It is
exciting times for me and exciting times for West Ham. "I met up with Slaven
last week and, although we had not met in person for a few years, it was
like we had never been apart. We had a hug and a kiss and sat down and
talked all about West Ham and all about football. "We had a great
relationship when we played together in the same team here and I am sure we
will work well together again as manager and coach."

Dicks' first appointment will be to fly to Ireland with the rest of the
senior squad to take part in his first session at the club's Irish training
camp in Cork. Bilic himself arrived in Ireland last Friday along with fellow
new staff Edin Terzic, Nikola Jurcevic and Miljenko Rak (pictured below).

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Nolan eyeing Bolton return
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

Kevin Nolan is understood to have held preliminary discussions with Bolton
Wanderers, with view to a return to the Championship club. The West Ham
United captain spent a decade at the Reebok Stadium between 1999 and 2009
and could be set for a return to the North West this summer. KUMB revealed
earlier this month how Liverpool-born Nolan had privately expressed a desire
to leave the Boleyn Ground the 2015/16 campaign after four years with the
Hammers. And according to sources close to the player, the 32-year-old
midfielder has already held talks regarding a possible return to Wanderers -
although the major sticking point remains his £50,000-per-week wages.
Nolan's current five-year contract with West Ham expires at the end of the
2015/16 season. He was Sam Allardyce's first major signing upon taking the
managerial post in the summer of 2011.
Bolton have sunk like a stone since Nolan was a firm favourite amongst
Trotters fans during their mid-noughties heyday. However last season they
finished 18th in the Championship, just four places clear of relegation.
'Nobby' has made 152 appearances for West Ham during the past four seasons,
scoring 31 goals. That followed 91 appearances for Newcastle between 2009
and 2011, plus a further 345 for Bolton with whom he began his professional
career.

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PLEASE LET THE BORINI RUMOUR BE UNTRUE
By Iain Dale 29 Jun 2015 at 13:03
West Ham Till I Die

Rumours are swirling that we might be in the market to sign Liverpool
striker Fabio Borini. No, really. It's the kind of rumour that makes you
want to bang your head on the desk and shriek "Nooooooooooo!" The fee is
said to be £8 million, can you believe.

In his entire career he's only made 94 first team appearances, scoring 24
goals. At Sunderland he managed 7 in 32. At Liverpool he scored 2 in 25.
With that ratio we might as well have kept Carlton Cole and saved ourselves
£8 million. I am very much hoping this is all agent talk and there's nothing
in it. Surely we can do better than this. Loic Remy is a proven goalscorer
and wouldn't cost much, if any more. Given the choice of the two I suspect I
know which 98% of us would go for.

Or do you disagree?

UPDATE: Claret & Hugh has a quote from a club spokesman saying there's
nothing in this rumour. Long may that remain so.

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Julian Dicks re-joins West Ham as a coaching assistant
Last Updated: 29/06/15 10:12am
SSN

West Ham have announced that former full-back Julian Dicks has re-joined the
club as a coaching assistant. The 46-year-old enjoyed two spells at Upton
Park and is a former team-mate of new Hammers boss Slaven Bilic. Dicks has
joined the first-team coaching staff after a season in charge of West Ham
United Ladies, whom he guided to the London FA Capital Cup final.
Now he will head out to a pre-season training camp in Ireland on Tuesday
with a group of senior Hammers players. He told whufc.com: "To be joining
the first-team coaching staff at my club is fantastic news for me. "I was
with the Ladies last year and I thoroughly enjoyed that, but to get the
opportunity to work with Slaven, his coaching staff and the first-team
players is a dream come true. "This is a Premier League club with some very
good players already in the squad and some more very good players set to
come in this summer. It is exciting times for me and exciting times for West
Ham. "I met up with Slaven last week and, although we had not met in person
for a few years, it was like we had never been apart. We had a hug and a
kiss and sat down and talked all about West Ham and all about football. "We
had a great relationship when we played together in the same team here and I
am sure we will work well together again as manager and coach."
Dicks, who scored 65 goals in 326 games from left-back for the Hammers, said
he had watched Bilic's development as a manager closely during stints with
Croatia and Besiktas, and is looking forward to working closely with him.
"Slaven was a top player and he has gone on to become a very good manager,"
Dicks said. "His teams play a high-tempo pressing game and I am sure he will
instil that style of play here at West Ham. "I have always said that the
first quality that players must illustrate is hard work. If you then have
very good players who work very hard, then you can achieve great things and
hopefully we can do that here at West Ham. "I understand that I will be
involved on the training pitch and in the meetings and I cannot wait to get
down to work with Slaven, his assistant and his other coaches."

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Cresswell signs new five year deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

David Gold has just announced on Twitter that Aaron Cresswell has agreed a
new deal at West Ham. He tweeted: I'm pleased to announce that Aaron
Cresswell has committed his future to WHUFC by signing a new 7 year deal."
The Hammers had promised an announcement earlier in the afternoon and for
the Hammer of the Year to agree such terms after just one season is
fantastic news.

However, the offiial site explained that the deal was for five years.
Cresswell told the official site: ""It's exciting times for me to pen a new
deal at West Ham. Thankfully last year was a good season for me personally
to play every minute of every game, so it's nice to finally commit my future
to West Ham.

"I was at Ipswich 12 months ago and when West Ham came in for me there was
only one place for me.
I jumped straight in the car, down the A12 and signed for West Ham. So for
me to play for a club like West Ham, week in week out, is massive and these
are exciting times."It's going to be a massive year for us, the last year at
Upton Park. But it's exciting times going into one of the best stadiums in
Europe, even in the world. It's going to be a good summer, hopefully a few
more faces will come in and we'll have a good year."

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West Ham have reportedly discussed the prospect of signing Javier Hernandez
HITC
Vincent Ralph

The Manchester United player is said to be on West Ham United's list of
potential striking recruits this summer. According to a report from the
Daily Mail, West Ham United have discussed the prospect of signing
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez this summer, but two other
players are currently priority targets. The report claims that while
United's Mexican international is seen as an option, the Hammers are
currently looking predominantly at Chelsea front-man Loic Remy and Queens
Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin. Both players are likely to have plenty
of suitors and it is always wise to have a back-up plan in place, even if
that player is also set to have no shortage of offers if he does leave Old
Trafford permanently this summer.

Would Hernandez be a good signing for West Ham?

For now he may be third choice – according to the latest reports – but if it
did come to Hernandez moving to Upton Park it would be a wonderful piece of
business by Hammers boss Slaven Bilic. The 27-year-old only has one year
left on his current United contract and his cost is likely to reflect that,
while he has netted 59 times for the club to date. Even last season, during
a loan spell at Real Madrid which saw him spend the majority of his time on
the bench, he still managed to score nine goals and provide nine assists for
the La Liga giants, so West Ham would be befitting from a bona fide
goal-scorer if he did arrive.

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West Ham target Aymen Abdennour trains with Monaco as Premier League club
also aim to sign Alex Song on a free transfer
By KIERAN GILL FOR MAILONLINE and SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 20:55, 29 June 2015 | UPDATED: 20:55, 29 June 2015

West Ham are working against strong competition to bring in Monaco
centre-back Aymen Abdennour and Alex Song from Barcelona. Song has agreed
personal terms but West Ham hope to get the player out of Barcelona on a
free transfer and the La Liga champions are holding out for a fee. Abdennour
has confirmed interest from AC Milan and Newcastle while Manchester United,
Liverpool and Arsenal have also been credited with an interest but have yet
to make offers. It confirmed that new West Ham manager Slaven Bilic may
have competition from Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers in bringing Abdennour
to England. Abdennour, when quizzed about his future, previously said: 'I
have a contract with Monaco and I'm undecided. But I can say that I want to
get better every day and I want to play for one of the biggest clubs spoken
about soon. I'm ready.' Abdennour was part of the Monaco team that marched
into the Champions League quarter-finals last season after a shock
two-legged win against Arsenal in the last-16.

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ExWHUemployee Column: More big name signings imminent
http://whufctv.com/
by @ExWHUemployee on June 29th, 2015

So this is my first column for WHUFCTV.com and I am pleased to be working
with such a great bunch of lads who I have known a while now, they provide a
quality website that I frequently visit for the away games that I cannot
make.

Last week we completed the move of Dimitri Payet and what a signing that is.
I first saw his name on a list of targets that was given to me on the 10th
June which I shared with you. Back then I was doubtful if we would pull it
off because I expected a number of top quality clubs to be sniffing around.
David Sullivan worked tirelessly to make this transfer happen and credit
must be given. I said many times throughout the season that we sent scouts
to France on numerous occasions and through being interested in their
manager and a number of players (Gignac, Ayew, Payet, N'Koulou, Thauvin and
Imbula) we watched Marseille a lot in particular. The last three are still
at Marseille and further interest could be followed up.

I expect further signings to come in the next week. I took so much stick
from Sunderland fans and the occasional West Ham fan who said that I didn't
have any sources because Carl Jenkinson was certain to join them! I insisted
that he wasn't and that he will join us because he doesn't want to go up
north for which I know personally. Jenkinson has still not joined anyone and
after returning from the Under 21's and a small break, he should sign.

Last week Alex Song went to the training ground to have some treatment on
his current injury and to meet with the chairmen to agree terms. The
personal terms for Alex to re-join are all sorted. The reason it hasn't been
confirmed sooner is because the club needed to sort out getting him on a
free from Barcelona who were still after a fee for the player. It appears
that terms are now close to being agreed with Barcelona, who need to get him
off their wage-bill and I would expect Alex to re-join us this week, despite
reported interest from other clubs because of his home grown status.

We are very much after a quality centre back and the list of six that I have
seen has some great names from Europe on, those who are highly rated and
those who have a great deal of potential. The captain of Monaco, Aymen
Abdennour is the top target for the club. We are prepared to pay another big
fee to bring him in although we face very strong competition and I don't
think that the deal is close as of yet, but the club will try to step up
the pursuit.

The same day that I reported that Payet was a target, was also the day I
said Cabaye was too. The club love his talents and think he is the sort of
player to excite the fans and bring back the quality of football that the
chairmen wish to see. Originally PSG were demanding too high a fee for the
player, but it appears to be dropping and dropping, so much so that we may
be able to resurrect a deal for him. As you can see, it is clear a lot of
our scouting has been done in France.

Another French player that we would like to sign is Loic Remy from Chelsea.
The chairmen have been keen on this player for many seasons now back to when
he was still playing in France. Austin was the number one target but QPR
appear to be pricing him out of a move at the moment so Remy seems the more
likely option. This is a story I again reported a while ago, that it was
between those two players, many papers have subsequently picked up on that
deal. I have been told that we hope to secure two big loan signings, with
Jenkinson being one and a forward/midfielder being the other. Hernandez of
Manchester United is available this summer, the club were keen, if a loan
deal could be agreed we could be potentially looking at one from him, Remy
and Austin. With Remy seeming the more likely option, we are just waiting
for Chelsea to discover the outcomes of Costa's injuries and whether they
bring someone in.

Yet another Frenchman now, but this one is very unlikely to be joining us in
the near future as I reported a couple of weeks back. Lassana Diarra had
been training with the club for several months but a deal for him now looks
unlikely as we would have to pay substantial compensation to Lokomotiv
Moscow.

Stewart Downing has been the subject of a couple of bids from Northern clubs
of late but there is no intention to sell him unless a ridiculous bid comes
in as I reported in my column for Claret & Hugh. I personally would keep him
unless the bid is more than he is worth because I think he was brilliant
before Christmas and in a more attacking team can continue to be.

We are only looking to sell a few players for the right money, Nolan, Jarvis
and Maiga for example, but we are not actively looking to move players on.
We want a big squad for a European push and the extra TV revenue has enabled
us to do this without the need to sell players.

Bilic's backroom team is getting finalised now with many just awaiting work
permits and these are people who have worked with him for a number of years.
We should be appointing a past club player this week too. The front runner
is John Hartson who I know has been approached and has played with Bilic.
Others potentially in the frame for a position are Steve Potts, Tony Cottee,
Don Hutchison, Julian Dicks and Steve Lomas all keen to be considered too.

The fact that we will be practically sold out for the game on Thursday shows
an excellent pricing structure from the club and the general excitement
around the place at the moment, which is really refreshing as it is
something we have really missed in recent years.

@ExWHUemployee

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Hammers Europa League squad published
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers#
C AND H

UEFA have published a 47 man squad for West Ham on their website while FC
Lusitans can only muster a squad of 23

West Ham Squad in full

13. Adrian, 34. Raphael Spiegel, 58. Sam Howes*, 2. Winston Reid, 3. Aaron
Cresswell, 5. James Tomkins, 17. Joey O'Brien, 19. James Collins,25. Doneil
Henry, 32. Reece Burke*, 35. Reece Oxford*, 37. Lewis Page*,40. Emmanuel
Onariase*, 41. Sam Westley,54. Leo Chambers*, 59. Kyle Knoyle*, 63. Vashon
Neufville*, 65. Josh Pask*, 66. Alex Pike*,4. Kevin Nolan, 5. Cheikhou
Kouyate, 7. Matt Jarvis,11. Stewart Downing, 14. Pedro Obiang, 16. Mark
Noble, 21. Morgan Amalfitano, 23. Diego Poyet, 39. Josh Cullen*, 50. Oscar
Borg*, 52. Marcus Browne*, 53. Matthew Carter*, 55. Grady Diangana*, 56.
Ross Elsom*, 60. Moses Makasi*, 62. Amos Nasha*, 68. Declan Rice*, 69.
Anthony Scully*, 9. Andy Carroll, 10. Mauro Zarate, 15. Diafra Sakho, 31.
Enner Valencia, 36. Elliot Lee*, 51. Jordan Brown*, 57. Jahmal
Hector-Ingram*, 61. Nathan Mavila*, 64. Djair Parfitt-Williams* and 67. Joe
Powell*

The 25 players with a star by their name are 21 or under and have played for
West Ham for two years or more so do not need to be registered in the
primary 25 man squad A list. Europa allows an unlimited number of young
players on the B list.

The 25 man A list squad needed to be registered with UEFA by 23rd June for
the first qualifying round. West Ham have until 11th July to register
further players for the second qualifying round. The club is also allowed to
introduce one additional player to the A list up to 24 hours before kick off
so Payet could still be a late addition to the squad.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maiga missing from Europa League squad
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

The players that are missing from the 47 man Europa League squad is possibly
of more interest than those who are not. Darren Randolph and Doniel Henry
are both absent because they signed pre-contracts to join West Ham on 1st
July so were not eligible for inclusion in the Europa League A list 25 man
squad which needed to be submitted by 23rd June. Also missing is Hammers new
boy Dimitri Payet who signed after the 23rd June UEFA deadline. Maybe the
most notable absentee is Modibo Maiga leading to speculation that he has
another loan deal arranged or that the club will attempt to buy him out of
his contract. It seems strange that Andy Carroll who is not fully fit yet
would be included yet Maiga excluded. Just one week ago David Gold suggested
Maiga would get a chance saying on twitter "Maiga is in the pre-season
squad. It's up to him and Slaven to decide what will happen. He will get his
chance"

UEFA rules allow one addition player to be added to the squad up to 24 hours
before kick off on Thursday so we may yet see Randolph, Henry or Payet
included. West Ham will be able to submit a new squad list for the second
qualifying round before the 11th July.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham legend returns as coach
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham legend Julian Dicks has joined Slaven Bilic's backroom team.
WHUFC.com revealed "West Ham United are delighted to announce that Julian
Dicks has joined Slaven Bilic's backroom staff as a full-time coaching
assistant.The Hammers legend started his new role at Chadwell Heath on
Monday morning and will join a group of senior players heading to the Club's
pre-season training camp in Ireland on Tuesday."

The 46-year-old told whufc.com he cannot wait to join forces with former
Hammers teammate Bilic and start work with the Club's first-team squad on a
daily basis. "To be joining the first-team coaching staff at my Club is
fantastic news for me," the four-time Hammer of the Year began. "I was with
the Ladies last year and I thoroughly enjoyed that, but to get the
opportunity to work with Slaven, his coaching staff and the first-team
players is a dream come true. "This is a Premier League club with some very
good players already in the squad and some more very good players set to
come in this summer. It is exciting times for me and exciting times for West
Ham. "I met up with Slaven last week and, although we had not met in person
for a few years, it was like we had never been apart. We had a hug and a
kiss and sat down and talked all about West Ham and all about football. "We
had a great relationship when we played together in the same team here and I
am sure we will work well together again as manager and coach."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons Borini link reaction
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Reports that Liverpool striker Fabio Borini is on his way to West Ham were
denied by club insiders this morning. According to The Sun Slaven Bilic is
now trying to make a fourth new signing and that Borini is the target. But
ClaretandHugh was told this morning that there has been no move for a player
who would cost around £8 million. Our source said: "We've seen the story and
there's nothing in it as far as we are concerned . It's not the first time
the media has had a pop at it." Borini, 24, has struggled to make an impact
with Liverpool since arriving from Roma in 2012, scoring just three goals in
38 games in all competitions.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers could face Savio
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham could face Savio in the Europa League third round. Savio Nsereko
signed for PFC Beroe Stara Zagora earlier this year who face FK Atlantas
Klaipedia on Thursday night in the first qualifying round of the Europa
league. West Ham previously carried out investigation into the £8.3 million
transfer of Savio Nsereko from Brescia in January 2009. Savio made just one
Premier League start during a seven-month spell at West Ham "The deal is
something I'm investigating," Karren Brady said in her Sun Football Diary
column in the Sun in November 2012. "Just before this board took over, the
club paid a huge amount to Brescia for the German Under-21 who took part in
a handful of matches and then departed for Fiorentina at a fraction of the
price."

Savio was once hailed "the talent of the century" in German football
circles, when Savio Nsereko won the 2008 European Youth Championship under
coach Horst Hrubesch. He was sold to Fiorentina for a reduced fee of £3m
according the Telegraph, with Manuel da Costa going the other way as part of
the deal. West Ham retained the rights to 50 percent of the player's sell-on
fee. Manuel Da Costa who later had personal problems of his own was sold by
West Ham for 1.5 million Euros.

Savio never broke into Fiorentina's first team and in January 2010 was
loaned out to Bologna. In July 2010, he was sent back to Germany, joining
1860 München on a season loan; the loan agreement was however cancelled in
October, after the player was reported missing for a week before being found
at his sister's place.He was later loaned to Juve Stabia but after only one
game with the club, Savio was reported missing once again in 2011. In 2012
it is claimed he called his family from Thailand telling them he had been
abducted and demanding a sum of 3,000 euros (£2,400). However, police
arrested him after becoming suspicious at the small ransom demand. He later
claimed it was a misunderstanding. In 2013 he was back in the headlines for
the wrong reasons. According to German website Bild.de he stole a watch from
his own team-mate, Salvatore Amirante, who was recovering from a knee injury
while playing in the German regional leagues with FC Viktoria Koln.

Since then Savio has played for a number of obscure football teams around
the world.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Macari on Dicksy
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Former Hammers manager Lou Macari has told the Stoke Sentinel of his
memories of Julian Dicks after reading about his appointment in Slaven's
backroom team. "I was interested to read about Julian Dicks being promoted
to first-team coach at his beloved club West Ham. He was a player there when
I was manager some 25 years ago now – and what a player he was." "He never
quite played a full international for his country in the end, but I can tell
you he was better, tougher, stronger and quicker than any full back playing
for England in the last five years."
"I remember one of the first phone calls I got at West Ham was from Terry
Venables, who was Tottenham boss at the time, and he wanted to sign Julian."
That told me all I needed to know about how good Julian was, before working
closely with him, and obviously my answer to Terry was a polite" "Julian
would run through brick walls for you and when he went on one of his
barnstorming runs forward the crowd went bonkers." "And when he smashed a
penalty, he'd very nearly knock the goalkeeper into the back of the net as
well."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nobby in talks with Bolton
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Our friends over at KUMB have reported that skipper Kevin Nolan is
understood to have held preliminary discussions with Bolton Wanderers,with
view to a return to the Championship club where his professional career
started. Kevin Nolan has one year and one day remaining on his five year
contract thought to be worth £50,000 per week. Nolan made 345 appearances
for Bolton until he left for Newcastle in 2009 for £4m. He has made 152
appearances for the Hammers scoring 31 goals since joining in 2011.

Back in March Nolan told Dave Evans at the Newham Recorder: "I have been
considering my future, without a shadow of a doubt, I am not one who wants
to sit here on the bench, I won't continue to do it, just for the fact that
if you are not good enough for one club you move on and you prove to someone
else you are."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moncur: 'The Terminator's' return is brilliant
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

ClaretandHugh blogger JOHN MONCUR couldn't be happier with today's
appointment that Julian Dicks has joined the coaching staff. And in this
blog he talks about the shared history 'The Terminator' has with Slaven
Bilic. He also suggests another appointment if Slav wants to add even more
passion to the Hammers squad!

WOW! That was my immediate reaction to the news that Dicksie had joined
Slav's backroom coaching staff although it's not a huge surprise because the
two were big mates during their time together as players. Julian is a
Hammers cult hero and both he and Slav shared the same approach to the game
– they are fighters, hard men who give the lot – precisely what's demanded
by every Iron supporter. It's absolutely great to see the club being
reclaimed by the guys who meant so much to the fans and who have everything
West Ham to offer. I'm a big mate of Julian's and was pretty close to Slav
during his time here and what's happening is brilliant because beyond
anything else there is going to be real discipline in the dressing room.
They both admired each other's attitude to the game – they were two of a
kind so we can expect them to bond again very quickly. I'm loving this close
season. First and foremost I'm a West Ham nut and the arrival of guys like
Slav and Dicksie is just fantastic. 'The Terminator has revealed that he
will be involved on the training pitch and in the meetings . Trust me he
will have a real input. This is not a cosmetic, window dressing appointment.
Julian brings his heart and soul to everything he does. I am absolutely
convinced now that we will see a return to the West Ham United we all love
and carry in our hearts with Slav producing the passing game for which we
have always been renowned whilst adding the steel an guts which Julian
typifies. We are going to see some real passion and if Slav wants a bit more
he knows where I am. Slav mate, I'm waiting for the telephone call. :-)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham face battle with Italian giants to snap up £13.5million Monaco star

London 24
10:44 29 June 2015 Brad Pinard

West Ham are yet to finalise terms with Monaco for the signing of defender
Aymen Abdennour leaving the door open for AC Milan. Reports in Italy suggest
Milan will make their move for the 25-year-old this week to beat the Hammers
and a host of other clubs reportedly interested. Spurs, Newcastle Liverpool
and Barcelona have all been linked with Abdennour in recent weeks but the
Hammers still remain favourites. After snapping up Dimitri Payet from France
last week, West Ham are looking to double up with Abdennour in another big
money transaction. West Ham face Andorran side Lusitanos on Thursday in
their first Europa League clash of the season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Could Downing be back at Boro by next week?
The Northern Echo: Photograph of the Author
Paul Fraser, Chief Football/Golf Writer / 3 hours ago / Sunderland

MIDDLESBROUGH are in pole position to land Stewart Downing and could even do
a deal with West Ham United before Aitor Karanka's squad return for
pre-season training next Monday.
The Hammers are ready to let Downing leave this summer and are in
discussions with Boro, and other clubs, which seem set to end with the
playmaker making an incredible return to the Riverside Stadium. The
30-year-old has also caught the eye of Sunderland, Leicester and Swansea,
while former boss Steve McClaren was yesterday linked with trying to take
him to Newcastle United. But Middlesbrough are understood to be putting the
most work in to try to get a deal done after Sunderland, who recently had a
verbal offer rejected by West Ham, failed to reach an agreement. Steve
Gibson, the Boro chairman, is determined to get Downing back on Teesside and
it would be a massive statement of intent if he can persuade the ex-England
international to step down to the Championship. It will be hoped the former
Liverpool and Aston Villa winger, who was sold to Villa Park for £12m
following relegation in 2009, can give the Riverside and Karanka's squad a
huge lift and provide the extra quality required to secure automatic
promotion next season West Ham are looking for around £5m for the player
following their capture of Marseille's Dimitri Payet and new boss Slaven
Bilic is happy for the sale to bring some cash back in. Middlesbrough's
determination should end fruitfully, but there will be plenty of negotiating
to be done as to how to structure a deal for a player who still has two
years to run on a reputed £80,000 a week contract at West Ham.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 'to complete £8m transfer of Liverpool's Fabio Borini'
George Bellshaw for Metro.co.uk
Monday 29 Jun 2015 8:46 am

West Ham 'make SHOCK £8m transfer move for Prem star, negotiating
£100,000-a-week deal' West Ham are reportedly set to complete the surprising
£8million transfer of Liverpool's Fabio Borini.
The Hammers are awaiting the arrival of the Italian who is on his way to
London to finalise a move. The Italian flop is demanding a remarkable
£100,000-a-week but despite his demands he is expected to complete a switch.
Liverpool are desperate to offload the 24-year-old as they look to fund a
move for Aston Villa's Christian Benteke, according to the Sun. And with
West Ham willing to take Borini off their hands, it could be a good deal for
all parties.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report: Liverpool misfit Fabio Borini set for shock £8m West Ham transfer,
medical imminent
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham are reportedly close to signing Liverpool forward Fabio Borini.
According to The Sun, Liverpool striker Fabio Borini is set to undergo a
medical with West Ham United ahead of a move to Upton Park. The Hammers have
made three summer signings already, with Darren Randolph, Petro Obiang and
Dimitri Payet all arriving so far. New manager Slaven Bilic is now trying to
make a fourth new signing, with The Sun reporting that Liverpool outcast
Borini is set for a permanent move to Upton Park. Borini, 24, has struggled
to make an impact with Liverpool since arriving from Roma in 2012, scoring
just three goals in 38 games in all competitions. A ten-goal season-long
loan spell with Sunderland showed what the Italian can do, and it seems that
West Ham are willing to pay up to sign the former Chelsea forward
permanently. The Sun report that Borini is set to arrive in London for talks
and a medical with West Ham within the next 24 hours, with a deal expected,
according to the report.

Something different?

Assuming that flop Mauro Zarate leaves West Ham for good this summer, Borini
could actually bring something different to the West Ham front line. With
Enner Valencia providing pace, Andy Carroll providing a target man figure
and Diafra Sakho providing all-round athleticism, there is room for a more
technically-gifted forward. That's what Borini can do, in that he can drop
off a front man and use the ball well, or he can play as more of a poacher
inside the box. Somebody needs to turn Borini's career around, and that
could well be Bilic - if the Italian forward is used correctly at West Ham.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Trevor Sinclair and Frank McAvennie react on Twitter to Julian Dicks joining
West Ham coaching team
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

Julian Dicks will be part of West Ham United's coaching staff next season.
Trevor Sinclair has taken to social networking site Twitter to give his
reaction to the news that Julian Dicks has been appointed a first-team coach
at West Ham United. Former West Ham defender Dicks has joined new manager
Slaven Bilic's coaching staff for the upcoming 2015-16 campaign.
The 46-year-old retired left-back scored 65 goals in 326 games for the
Hammers and played with Bilic in their time at the club. Dicks featured for
the London outfit 1988 to 1993 and again from 1994 to 1999. Former West Ham
winger Sinclair is delighted to see his ex-teammate get the new role and has
posted the following message on Twitter:

Trevor Sinclair ?@trevor8sinclair
Congrats to @JULIAN3DICKS on being appointed coach @whufc_official all the
best pal ??
9:24 AM - 29 Jun 2015

Another of Dicks' former West Ham teammates, Frank McAvennie, has also
posted a congratulatory message on Twitter and has backed him for success at
the Boleyn Ground.

Frank McAvennie ?@MaccaFrank
Congratulations to my old mate @JULIAN3DICKS who has just joined
@whufc_official coaching staff, great signing, good luck #COYI
10:13 AM - 29 Jun 2015
18 18 Retweets 54 54 favorites

Dicks, who was in charge of the West Ham United Ladies last season, has
managed Wivenhoe Town, Grays Athletic and Sealand before.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's star signing Dimitri Payet urges new teammates not to get
distracted by Olympic Stadium move
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United's exciting new midfielder Dimitri Payet has urged his
teammates to concentrate on making the last season at the Boleyn Ground a
good one. Eight figure signing Dimitri Payet has been speaking to West Ham's
official website about his big transfer to the Premier League from Marseille
and says the Olympic Stadium move next summer was a major factor in his
decision.
But the 28-year-old playmaker insists he and his teammates must put that to
the back of their minds and ensure they give the club's famous Boleyn Ground
home of 112 years a fitting send off.
"In coming here I've taken into account the new stadium and that's obviously
part of the project," he told whufc.com. "You move to a new stadium with
ambitions, but first things first let's have a very good season this year."

The Hammers will leave Upton Park for their new 54,000 seater home in
Stratford next year with plans to try and break into the Premier League's
elite just like Manchester City have.
But Payet revealed he is just as happy at their historic home having seen a
number of games on television. He added: "The ground's always full and
there's a lot of atmosphere. "For me that's important and that's just the
kind of ground I like."

Payet's signing is just what West Ham fans have been crying out for. A
player blessed with great skill who is not afraid to take people on and go
for goal. Former manager Sam Allardyce's teams were criticised for being too
predictable and at times - especially away from home - one-dimensional. But
Payet is a real coup for new boss Slaven Bilic and a show of intent in the
transfer window from the East Londoners as he has earned nine full caps for
France and is highly rated across Europe.

Comfortably created more chances than Messi, Ronaldo and Hazard

He comfortably created more chances for his team than any other player in
Europe's top five leagues last season with 135 - 40 more than the likes of
Barcelona's Lionel Messi. The France international had the second highest
number of assists last season behind Messi and the season before finished
top of that same table. When the likes of Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and
Enner Valencia spent time out injured - which was all at the same time at
one stage last season - West Ham struggled badly for goals. And it showed as
they slipped from fourth at Christmas to 12th by the season's end. But their
new midfielder will give them many more options as he can play in a number
10 role or as a winger and has a good record of 58 goals in 296 career games
so far, including one for France. The star is quick and blessed with
terrific technique and dribbling skills, something that will go down well
with West Ham fans who like to see football played a certain way.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Julian Dicks joins former team-mate Slaven Bilic's coaching team at West Ham
By JAMES ANDREW FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:08, 29 June 2015 | UPDATED: 10:08, 29 June 2015

New West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has added former Hammers hardman Julian
Dicks to his coaching team. Dicks had previously been working as manager of
West Ham Ladies team and will now move to work with the first team. Dicks
spent two spells as a player at Upton Park where he scored 65 goals in 326
games from left back and is looking forward to linking up with his former
team-mate. 'I was with the Ladies last year and I thoroughly enjoyed that,
but to get the opportunity to work with Slaven, his coaching staff and the
first-team players is a dream come true.
'This is a Premier League club with some very good players already in the
squad and some more very good players set to come in this summer. It is
exciting times for me and exciting times for West Ham. 'I met up with Slaven
last week and, although we had not met in person for a few years, it was
like we had never been apart. We had a hug and a kiss and sat down and
talked all about West Ham and all about football. 'We had a great
relationship when we played together in the same team here and I am sure we
will work well together again as manager and coach.'
And while Dicks may not have seen Bilic for a few years – he has kept an eye
on his managerial career from a far. He added: 'His teams play a high-tempo
pressing game and I am sure he will instil that style of play here at West
Ham. 'I have always said that the first quality that players must illustrate
is hard work. If you then have very good players who work very hard, then
you can achieve great things and hopefully we can do that here at West Ham.
'I understand that I will be involved on the training pitch and in the
meetings and I cannot wait to get down to work with Slaven, his assistant
and his other coaches.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham set to splash out £8m to snap up Liverpool flop
London 24
06:19 29 June 2015 Pete Evans

Liverpool striker Fabio Borini will head to West Ham for talks about an £8
million move, according to reports. The Sun claims that the 24-year-old
Liverpool flop, who fell out of favour and made just two appearances since
February, will undergo a medical before agreeing terms on a transfer to
London. His move south is said to help fund the signing of Aston Villa's
Christian Benteke, with no clubs yet to pay the buy out clause for the big
Belgian striker. West Ham currently have a number of strikers on their books
with Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll all competing for a
starting role. And the arrival of Borini, who began his English football
career in the capital with Chelsea, will add to the competition for places
at Upton Park as Slaven Bilic begins to mould a squad for next season. The
Croat has already added Pedro Obiang and Dimitri Payet to his squad ahead of
their season opener on Thursday night.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic discusses team selection ahead of Europa League qualifiers
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

West Ham United will start their 2014-15 Europa League campaign next month.
Newly-appointed West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has suggested on the
club's official website that he may not play his best players in the Europa
League qualifiers. The Hammers will take on Andorran side FC Lusitans in the
first qualifying round of the prestigious European competition.
The Premier League outfit, who qualified due to their Fair Play record, will
play the first leg of the tie at the Boleyn Ground on July 2 before taking
on Andorra seven days later for the second leg. Bilic is looking forward to
West Ham's Europa League campaign and has hinted at the team he could field
against Lusitans. "We are hungry for European nights, especially at Upton
Park, but on the other hand we must be very careful not to use the players
who had a very long season last year and call them four weeks before the
season and make their holidays short," the Croatian told West Ham's official
website. "It would be good at the start, maybe, but by the end of the season
it would be totally negative. We have to get the balance and I am sure we
are going to do it."

Practical approach

West Ham will be favourites to win against Lusitans, which means that Bilic
can afford to play some young and fringe players. However, the Hammers need
to be serious about the tie and have to ensure that they are mentally
prepared. As the following Opta Stats table shows, West Ham relied heavily
on Adrian, Aaron Cresswell, Stewart Downing, Carl Jenkinson, Enner Valencia
and Cheikhou Kouyate last season. All except Jenkinson (who has returned to
his parent club Arsenal) will play important roles for the Hammers next
season. This means that Bilic will have to be careful with how he uses them,
and maybe he would be reluctant to include them in the starting line-up for
the first leg against Lusitans. However, it would be best for West Ham if
Bilic plays his best available players in the first leg. If the London
outfit register a comprehensive win at home, then Bilic can draft some young
players into the starting line-up for the second leg.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Italian press: West Ham have yet to reach agreement over Monaco's Aymen
Abdennour
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham are reportedly losing ground in the race to sign Aymen Abdennour.
According to Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham have yet to reach an
agreement with Monaco over the transfer of Aymen Abdennour. The Hammers have
been busy this summer, bringing in Darren Randolph, Pedro Obiang and Dimitri
Payet to their squad, whilst also appointing Slaven Bilic as their new
manager. More reinforcements are needed, but Sky Italia journalist Gianluca
Di Marzio reports that the Hammers have yet to close a deal for Monaco star
Abdennour. The Tunisian international, 25, has become a star in France
during spells with Toulouse and now Monaco, with his impressive displays
under Leonardo Jardim now triggering interest. However, the report states
that West Ham were on the verge of striking a shock deal to sign Abdennour -
but have yet to reach an agreement with Monaco. That leaves West Ham open to
being hijacked, with the report suggesting that AC Milan are now ready to
make a late bid to try and take him to the San Siro.

How important is signing a new centre back?

West Ham once again saw Winston Reid impress last season, whilst James
Tomkins exceeded expectations to produce a decent season in the heart of the
West Ham defence. Yet, when both players were ruled out injured, West Ham
were left with very few options, resorting to playing James Collins and
midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate in defence. That can't happen again, so bringing
in another centre back - whether it's Abdennour or another player - is
imperative for Bilic and the West Ham hierarchy.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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Daily WHUFC News - 29th June 2015

Sakho thrilled by Payet arrival
WHUFC.com

Diafra Sakho is thrilled to welcome Dimitri Payet to West Ham United with the Senegal striker well aware of the new recruit's ability to lay chances on a plate for his frontmen. Payet created more chances than any other player in Europe's big five leagues last term and made 17 goals for Marseille in the French Ligue 1. That has Sakho licking his lips at the prospect of being on the end of the 28-year-old's decisive contributions and he cannot wait to link up with the Frenchman. I was happy to see the news on Friday because Payet is a very good player," Sakho explained. "At Marseille last season he had the best assists record in the league and he's a great recruit for West Ham. "He's good for me because he could give me ten or 15 assists in the season. All the players are happy to welcome Payet to West Ham United. "I look at my Instagram and Twitter accounts and every West Ham fan is excited for the new season. I pray to God that the new season is a good one for all the people who love West Ham."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cork camp 'ticks all the boxes' for Westley
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Academy Manager and Head of Player Development and Coaching Terry Westley is delighted with how his young players have integrated with the senior professionals at the Hammers' training camp in Cork.

Several members of the Development Squad have travelled out to Ireland with the more experienced players, which include the likes of Joey O'Brien, Diafra Sakho, Matt Jarvis, Morgan Amalfitano, Darren Randolph, James Tomkins and Mauro Zarate.

A chance in Thursday's UEFA Europa League qualifier against FC Lusitans could await them, and Westley says that has acted as a great incentive throughout the week-long camp.

He explained: "When we first met with the players when we returned to Chadwell Heath on Monday, we said that we had ten days leading into a European fixture. To come away and have this group of players together for this period of time has been a success.

"Ultimately, Thursday night will decide how successful that has been, but to get the senior players and younger players integrated together, to do blocks of work, and to focus for the European game, the camp ticks all the boxes we set out to achieve.

"As a young player you're always after an opportunity. It doesn't matter what age. If you're 16 you want an opportunity in Under-18s football, if you're a scholar you want to play in the 21s and if you're an Under-21 you want that chance to play first team football, or at least to train with the first team.

"This trip has really highlighted again the benefits of Reece Burke, Reece Oxford, Josh Pask and Manny Onariase marking Diafra Sakho. When you are being tested day in, day out your progress will be very sharp and that has really been evident on this trip all over the pitch.

"Whether you're Djair Parfitt-Williams playing against Joey O'Brien, a midfield player playing against senior players, Jordan Brown playing against Tomkins, that combination works and the progress, even in this short period of time, is significant.

"That's something I've spoken to the new manager about and it's something that we're very keen on moving forward."

Westley has taken training throughout the first week of pre-season, with new boss Slaven Bilic arriving on Friday to meet his new players.

He continued: "Slaven has been monitoring training, he's got to meet the young players and the senior players, he's had meetings with them and it gives him the chance before the whole senior group turn up next week to know the players across the board.

"I have to say, first and foremost, the senior players have shown the young boys the utmost respect, and vice versa, and I haven't seen a poor training session here where they haven't committed to the work.

"They've been trying to press the ball as soon as they lose it, trying to move it quickly and counter-attack with pace. The professionalism of the group, of the staff around the group and the organisation – I've got the utmost respect for the senior players for the way they've gone about this week. I think that stands us in good stead for Thursday."

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Boleyn Insider
WHUFC.com

Our man on the inside lifts the lid on the latest transfer speculation...

Following Friday's capture of Dimitri Payet, speculation has continued to abound in the press as to who the Hammers will turn to next in the transfer market.

Sunday's papers carried strong rumours of a move for Juventus' highly-rated defender Angelo Ogbonna and I can reveal that he is a player that the Club greatly admires. However, my understanding is that any deal remains a distance off.

Another named raised today is that of Real Madrid full back Alvaro Arbeloa. The talk was that the Spain World Cup winner might be available on a free, but I believe that a new loan for Carl Jenkinson remains the number one target for the Hammers in this position.

My sources tell me that the Club hope to conclude another one or two signings within the next ten days, but with the start of the Barclays Premier League season six weeks away they will wait until they land the right targets.

That is unlikely to include Charlie Austin, as Queens Park Rangers' valuation of the player remains too high.

There have also been rumours about that Stewart Downing could leave for one of the three clubs in the north east. While I believe that it is true there has been interest in the Hammers' England winger, the Club's attitude is that he is not for sale.

Meanwhile, I can exclusively reveal that a new addition to Slaven Bilic's backroom staff will be made in the next 24 hours as the new boss moulds his team for the year ahead.

Finally, I'm told that the Club have already sold over 28,000 tickets for Thursday's UEFA Europa League opener against FC Lusitans. The tie seems to have caught the imagination of the Hammers fans and it looks set to be a special night.

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Is the Tunisian Rock on his way to the Boleyn Ground?
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 27th June 2015
By: Charlie Clark

Is Aymen Abdennour the best defender in Europe? This was the question evoked by French magazine SoFoot, after Monaco narrowly lost out to Juventus in last season's Champions League quarter finals.

Juventus of course, made it to the finals, before eventually being outgunned by a Barcelona team who are arguably the best in the world.

At 6'2" and over 13 stone, it's small wonder that he has been dubbed 'le roc tunisian' - the Tunisian Rock. The Toulouse public knew little of the player plucked from l'etoile de Sahel in Tunisia in 2011 for a mere €400,000 (£280,000), but after his very first match they were already raving about how his performance had been among the few positives from their pre-season friendly against a technically competent Benfica.

After his first full season in France, he had firmly established his reputation as a hard-working, explosive and uncompromising central defender.

He went on to play 77 matches in Ligue 1, for Toulouse, before moving on to what was Ranieri's Monaco, the newly rich team from the principality, in the January 2014 transfer window for €15million (£10.5million).

His start to his time in Monaco, was less glorious, as is often the case when a player has already become a known quantity, and comes in for a large fee. Think Andy Carroll and his beginnings, coming onto the scene for his home town club, compared with being thrust under the spotlight since, after all that money has exchanged hands for him! Getting injured shortly after his arrival didn't help, and he frustratingly for everyone involved, he finished up making it onto the field for only 6 matches that season.

This past season (2014-2015), with the new management in charge, after Monaco lost their opening two matches, Abdennour was one of the players sacrificed. With a hectic schedule, between league, cup and Champions League matches, he was nevertheless counted upon, and over the course of the season he went on to make 18 league appearances for his new team, and 30 in all competitions.

He achieved all this despite being out injured for six weeks with a thigh injury and having such stiff competition for the central defensive role, with Carvalho and Raggi. It should be noted that Monaco went through the season with the best defensive record in Ligue 1.

The Tunisian colossus really caught the eye throughout the team's Champions League campaign, during which they famously beat Arsenal 3-1, at the Emirates, despite having a far different return leg back in France.

He also played two very impressive games against Juventus, in which only one goal was scored over 180 minutes of football. He then went on to score the winning header against Zenith Saint Petersburg, which pushed them over the line and allowed them to finish top of their group.

When interviewed after the match against his old club Toulouse, in May of this year, the interviewer alluded to the fact that people saw no one but him, that he was everywhere at the moment. Abdennour smiled and stated that he is always available when approached, that that was part of his job.

The interviewer, seemingly unwilling to let him get away with such a modest response, followed up, insisting that his exposure was perhaps also down to his performance on the pitch. Again, Abdennour deflected the attention and stated that his good form was simply thanks to hard work, discipline and having the chance to play alongside players such as Carvalho, Raggi and Toulalan.

Interestingly enough, during the same interview, the interviewer mentioned that Abdennour had never hidden his desire to play in England. His response: "The truth. Every weekend it's intense. We play football for these moments." With his muscular stature, he would certainly have no problem with the physical side of the British game and a number of teams have been hovering if the press is to believed.

According to the French press, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and Southampton have all been credited with interest; the Italian press cite Roma, Inter Milan and Napoli, and in the UK, teams such as Liverpool, and Newcastle have been mentioned along with West Ham of course.

According to ESPN's David Amoyal, West Ham are said to be leading the race for the player's signature and are willing to pay up to €18m Euros (£12.5million).

Toulouse's manager Dominque Arribagé, who was behind his initial recruitment from North Africa, suggested that he presently has few equals in European football today. With the capture of Dimitri Payet still fresh and the desire to make that step up and get the big boys looking over their shoulder, this is the sort of player that could help us do just that!

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Sevilla coach Unai Emery claims he turned down West Ham
Last Updated: 28/06/15 1:33pm
SSN

Sevilla coach Unai Emery claims he rejected offers from West Ham and Napoli to extend his contract with the Europa League winners.
The former Valencia boss joined the Andalusian club in January 2013 and has since guided them to back-to-back Europa League titles and fifth place finishes in La Liga. The 43-year-old said the prospect of leading his side in this season's Champions League made it impossible for him to leave the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán despite receiving a "very sizeable economic" offer to join the Hammers. "Which coach or player has the possibility to play in the finals? Few. I start training on July 6 and I already have the European Super Cup against Barcelona," he said in an interview published in Spanish daily newspaper El Pais. "And then we will play in the Champions (League). Sevilla gives me this possibility. Moreover, we have managed to create a culture of work at all levels. "Napoli offered me a project with economic strength but without the Champions (League). And I had a nice option from West Ham, a very sizeable economic."
Emery signed a 12-month contract extension at Sevilla earlier this month after leading them to the Europa League title for a second straight year. As winners of that competition, Sevilla will automatically play in the Champions League in the upcoming season.

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Hammers make mind upon Downing
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham will not be selling Stewart Downing! Despite interest from Sunderland, Leicester and Middlesbrough the club have made it clear that the 30 year old will be remaining at Upton Park. New reports emerged this morning (Sun) that Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson is keen to take the England international to the King Power Stadium. and has indeed made a first inquiry at around £7 million. But the Irons are not interested in entertaining any offers as they bid to put a powerful squad together for next season. We were told by a highly placed and trusted source that the the club has already turned down offers for the 30 year old. He said: "He's not for sale, but there have been a number of bids for him."

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Southampton to HIJACK West Ham midfield move as Schneiderlin rejects Arsenal for Man Utd
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 13:32, Sun, Jun 28, 2015 | UPDATED: 13:45, Sun, Jun 28, 2015
Express.co.uk

Schneiderlin, 25, is expected to sign for United next week after reportedly singing a four-year deal at the club. He is understood to have rejected the advances of Arsenal to play for Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, leaving Southampton with a midfield gap to fill. And Saints boss Ronald Koeman seems to be wasting little time getting in a replacement after it emerged the club are chasing PSG midfielder Yohan Cabaye. Cabaye, 29, only joined PSG from Newcastle in January last year for £19million. The Frenchman is said to be available for transfer if a club meets PSG's valuation, with West Ham preparing a bid for the player. However, the cash boost Southampton will earn from the sale of Schneiderlin - not to mention Nathaniel Clyne's expected £12.5m move to Liverpool - means Koeman is in pole position to land Cabaye.

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'I can fight for a first team place' Forgotten West Ham youngster vows to make impression
London 24
13:03 28 June 2015 Brad Pinard

West Ham youngster Elliot Lee has vowed to make an impact this season after coming off the bench on the final day of last season. The striker, who was on loan at Luton for a spell last season, has come through the ranks in east London and has been a goal machine at youth level. Having only had one week away from the club this summer, Lee is now ready to fight the likes of Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia and Andy Carroll for a place in the squad. "My main aim now is to push on this season and build from that," Lee told the club's official site. "I only had a week's holiday and the rest of the time I've been training trying to get myself fit as I can be to impress the new Gaffer. "It was a really positive thing that I got on at the end of last season so hopefully now I can fight for a place in this team." Lee could well start for the Hammers in their first Europa League clash in just four days against Andorran side Lusitanos. The 20-year-old is excited to be involved and wants to impress new boss Slaven Bilic and the Hammers fans. "Having the Europa League is a massive incentive for us young players because we know that if we're doing well in training that's the opportunity for us to impress in the Europa League games," he added. "We're all buzzing that we've got it this year and hopefully there'll be more and more chances for all of us. "We saw on Twitter that we've sold 20,000 tickets already and we got really excited by it. That's brilliant, so we're all looking forward to it. It will be a special night and we want to give the fans a good performance because it's been a while since we've been in Europe. "We're all gelling really well and we're really excited for Thursday."

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West Ham and Tottenham can't compete with 'an insane offer' for forgotten Chelsea man
London 24
06:20 28 June 2015 Brad Pinard

Fiorentina have confirmed they have made an 'insane' offer for Chelsea winger Mo Salah. The Egyptian is likely to leave Chelsea this summer and a Premier League stay with either West Ham or Spurs had been linked. However, with Fiorentina going all out to sign the man who shined on loan with them last season, it looks as though Italy will be the destination for the Blues. Club director Vincenzo Guerini confirmed the offer and expects a decision soon. "I tell the fans that the club made an insane offer to Salah," Vincenzo Guerini said. "If any player, not just Salah, turned down a proposal like that, then it's best he doesn't stay at Fiorentina. However, I think Salah will accept. "He made a huge impact with us, so it's normal that he should receive calls from elsewhere. "He wants to earn more, but Fiorentina made a truly important proposal." Chelsea play Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly at Stamford Bridge a week before the Premier League season kicks off.

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Man dies in horrific Olympic Stadium fall
12:13 28 June 2015 Brad Pinard
London 24

A man has died at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford after falling to his death. The 44-year-old is yet to be named but the incident is being treated as 'unexplained' by Scotland Yard. Their statement read: "Police were called at 07.30 am this morning to reports of a person having fallen from the Olympic Stadium. "Officers at the scene found a 44-year-old man unresponsive. "Officers believe they know the identity of the man but await formal identification. Enquiries are underway to trace next of kin. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained." Work on the stadium, which West Ham move in to next summer, has been halted for now and building firm Balfour Beatty had this to say: "We can confirm there has been a fatality at the former Olympic Stadium site this morning. "We are working with the relevant authorities whilst a full investigation is carried out. "All work on site has been stopped. Our thoughts are with the individual's family, friends and colleagues."

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Report: Slaven Bilic holds talks with John Hartson over coaching position
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

Former Arsenal, West Ham United, Celtic and West Bromwich Albion striker John Hartson is reportedly wanted by Slaven Bilic. Newly-appointed West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has held talks with John Hartson regarding a first-team coaching role, according to The Mirror. The Sun reported earlier this month that the former West Ham striker could be approached by Bilic to become the strikers' coach for next season. It has now been reported by The Mirror that the Croatian has held talks with his former Hammers teammate Hartson, who also played for the likes of Arsenal, Celtic and West Bromwich Albion in his career.

Good move

This is certainly a good move from Bilic, as the arrival of Hartson is going to help the West Ham squad next season. Teddy Sheringham was the the Hammers' forwards coach last season, and his departure earlier this summer means that the position needs to be filled. Hartson knows the Premier League inside out, and his success during his playing career means that he will command respect from the players rightaway. Having played with the former Wales international at West Ham, Bilic will be able to trust the 40-year-old's judgement as well.

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Report: West Ham close to making Angelo Ogbonna their fourth summer signing
HITC
Olly Dawes

Juventus defender Angelo Ogbonna is reportedly close to joining West Ham. According to the Daily Mirror, West Ham United are close to making Juventus defender Angelo Ogbonna their fourth summer signing. Having already landed goalkeeper Darren Randolph, midfielder Pedro Obiang and playmaker Dimitri Payet, it now looks like new manager Slaven Bilic is looking to add a new defender to his ranks. The Mirror believe that, despite late interest from Premier League rivals Everton, West Ham are close to making Ogbonna their latest signing, with an alleged fee of £12m. The 27-year-old centre back is a big, strong defender who also possesses pace, which could give West Ham an athletic centre back pairing alongside Winston Reid. The Italian international has been a bit-part player for Juventus, and with the Serie A champions bringing Daniele Rugani back from his loan at Empoli, Ogbonna is now surplus to requirements - and could be set for a move to West Ham as they continue their ambitious summer.

Aims next season?

With Obiang and Payet already snapped up, West Ham could add another big player in Ogbonna, displaying the ambition at West Ham ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016. After a disappointing finish to the 2014/15 season, West Ham will now want to make sure that they achieve at least a top ten finish under new manager Bilic - and possibly even higher, with the top eight a realistic aim. Ogbonna would certainly help strengthen the West Ham defence, whilst Obiang gives them depth in midfield and Payet provides a creative spark in the final third, making the Hammers a team to be reckoned with next season.

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David Gold responds to 'misinformed' Orient fan on Twitter; Oxford in training
HITC
Tim Poole

The West Ham United co-owner replied to a follower on social media. David Gold took to Twitter on Saturday night to respond to a 'misinformed' Leyton Orient fan regarding the suggestion the club has been given a loan by Newham Council. The West Ham co-owner made it clear no money has been loaned to the club by the council, while several fans also reacted mockingly or dismissively to the follower who posed the question to Gold. As he often does on social media, Gold replied for everyone to see and asserted that the Hammers have not been given any money by Newham Council.

Mike Gold @MikeGoldOrient
@davidgold perhaps you could tell me how Newham poorest borough in UK can loan WHU 40 million of rate payers money any thoughts Mr Gold
6:59 PM - 27 Jun 2015

David Gold ✔@davidgold
You are misinformed. Newham Council haven't loaned any money to West Ham United football Club. dg https://twitter.com/mikegoldorient/status/614855698007126016 …
10:33 PM - 27 Jun 2015

Meanwhile, 16-year-old West Ham starlet Reece Oxford was pictured in training with the first team as he did some weights practice during the club's training camp in Cork. Oxford came close to making his Hammers debut last term but didn't quite achieve the feat. Fellow youngster (with the same first name) Reece Burke did, however, and there is no reason promising talent Oxford can't get near the West Ham senior side during the upcoming campaign. Perhaps Slaven Bilic will be the man to provide the 16-year-old with his debut, while there may also be a number of other youth players knocking on the door.

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Olympic Stadium conversion halted after death
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

A 44-year-old worker at the Olympic Stadium construction site was discovered unresponsive by police at 7.30am on Sunday morning after reports of a person having fallen from the stadium. Ambulances attended but the man was pronounced dead shortly before 8am. His death is being treated as "unexplained".

Police has not named the man but said he was a sub-contractor working at the venue. Officers believe they know his identity and are trying to trace his next of kin. The Olympic Stadium is being converted into a multi purpose venue ahead of the first test event in July and the Rugby World Cup later this year.

Balfour Beatty, the construction company managing the site, said: "We can confirm there has been a fatality at the former Olympic Stadium site this morning. We are working with the relevant authorities whilst a full investigation is carried out. All work on site has been stopped."

"Our thoughts are with the individual's family, friends and colleagues."

David Goldstone, the chief executive of the LLDC, said: "We are devastated to hear of the death at the stadium this morning and our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time."

"As yet, the exact cause of death is unexplained, but we have stopped all work on site and will cooperate fully with the emergency services and all other relevant authorities on their investigations. We will also be conducting our own thorough examination of events."

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Diarra deal is almost impossible
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

15 year old Son of the West Ham chairman David Sulliva, Jack says a deal for Lassana Diarra is almost impossible now. Jack tweeted on Sunday afternoon "It's almost impossible to sign him, as who ever signs him have to pay £10 mil." when asked for any news on Lassana Diarra. Lassana Diarra was told back in May he must pay a 10 million Euro penalty to Lokomotiv Moscow in a long running contractual dispute with his former club. The player is understood to have lodged an appeal with the lawyer Jean Luis Dupont, made famous for the Bosman case. Diarra claims that Lokomotiv Moscow management wanted to change his contract. He refused and got fired by the club. Lassana Diarra has been training with West Ham since February in hope of securing a permanent contract and to keep up his fitness levels. The 30-year-old Frenchman has previously played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid.

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Alex Song back in London
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

The will he sign won't he sign debate continues with Alex Song as he flies back to London this afternoon. After posting an photo of himself near Chadwell heath last week, hopes were raised that West Ham were about the sign the Barcelona midfielder on a permanent deal. These hopes were dashed when he published a photo of himself back in Barcelona on Friday. This afternoon hopes were raised again again posting a photo on Snapchat of himself driving in London.

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'I don't know what to expect from Slav'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Matt Jarvis admits the players are "trying to get our heads around it bing just ten days to a competitive match from the start of pre-season."

He said: "It's very short. I don't think we would usually even have a friendly game lined up so quickly and even then you would only expect to play 45 minutes. But we will have to go out and play 90 minutes.

"So, yes, it's strange. Normally we have a couple of weeks working on the fitness, running and so on, whereas now we have needed to get straight into working with the ball and get used to playing again and preparing for a competitive game. It's definitely a different kind of pre-season."

Speaking to The Telegraph, he added that the players didn't know until late that Sam Allardyce would be leaving the club.

He said: "No one really knew what was really going on and we got to the end of the season, the last game, and Sam told us that he would not be staying.

"It felt very strange, right at the end of the season like that. But there's a lot that goes on that you can't control. You can only control what you can do and concentrate on that. You try not to let whatever else is going on around you affect you."

However,he views Slaven Bilic's arrival as a "fresh start" although understands new signing are par for the course in these situations.

He said: "Whenever a new manager comes in it's a fresh start for all the players and obviously he will be wanting to bring in his own players as well but it's a matter of showing what you can do in pre-season.

"That's what you have to focus on – proving to him you are good enough to be in his team," Jarvis, who has two years left on his contract

Jarvis admits he does not know what to expect from the Croatian who made 54 appearances for West Ham during his playing career and has craved the chance to manage in the Premier League.

He said: "I don't quite know what to expect. It's that opportunity for me to show what I can do for a new manager but it's also a new boss and you know he will have decisions to make."

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28,000 tickets sold for Europa League opener
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 28, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham have already sold over 28,000 tickets for Thursday's UEFA Europa League opener against FC Lusitans and the club hope to sell out all 35,000 by the evening kick off.

The Hammers sold over 12,000 tickets on Friday when the match went on general sale paralysing the ticket office website and phone lines when their experienced huge demand.

An insider told Claret and Hugh "We have never sold that many tickets in a day before for anything"

Despite FC Lusitans being a club no-one has ever heard of before and a game which in unlikely to be the most competitive match we have ever played, Hammers fans seem to have been caught up in the romance of Europe after a long absence together with the excitement of a new manager and three new signings. It may not be the most entertaining game on Thursday but the West Ham loyal support will be outstanding.

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Boleyn Insider strikes again….Zzzz
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

The Boleyn Insider has given us the wisdom of his thoughts again clearing up rumours on Angelo Ogbonna, Alvaro Arbeloa, Charlie Austin and Stewart Downing – not that they haven't been cleared up before!

We're assuming there are a few of you who remain interested in the thoughts of an 'ITK' who may exist in reality (unlikely) or in the mind of an employee who would or should know more than the limited knowledge passed on this far!

And the disturbing thought that the club, which should know before anyone else what's going on, is 'apparently' in need of someone to tell them what's happening – simply refuses to go away.

It makes absolutely zero sense. But hey wearen't supposed to ask such questions.

However, the latest vague musings go like this: "Sunday's papers carried strong rumours of a move for Juventus' highly-rated defender Angelo Ogbonna and I can reveal that he is a player that the Club greatly admires. However, my understanding is that any deal remains a distance off."

"Another named raised today is that of Real Madrid full back Alvaro Arbeloa. The talk was that the Spain World Cup winner might be available on a free, but I believe that a new loan for Carl Jenkinson remains the number one target for the Hammers in this position."

Err that's bee regularly recorded by virtually everybody for days.

He/she adds: "My sources tell me that the Club hope to conclude another one or two signings within the next ten days, but with the start of the Barclays Premier League season six weeks away they will wait until they land the right targets."

"That is unlikely to include Charlie Austin, as Queens Park Rangers' valuation of the player remains too high."

"There have also been rumours about that Stewart Downing could leave for one of the three clubs in the north east. While I believe that it is true there has been interest in the Hammers' England winger, the Club's attitude is that he is not for sale."

Thanks Insider, ClaretandHugh confirmed that one several hours ago. Indeed we reckon Insider must be a regular reader of these pages.

And you can now go to bed.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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