Daily WHUFC News - 9th August 2015

U18s fall to opening-day Fulham defeat
WHUFc.com

Debutant George Dobson drew the Hammers level at 1-1
Barclays U18 Premier League
Fulham 3-1 West Ham United

Summer signing George Dobson opened his account for West Ham United U18s,
but could not prevent the Hammers from falling to a 3-1 Barclays U18 Premier
League defeat at Fulham on Saturday. The hosts made the perfect start at
Motspur Park when Aron Davies found space to fire home after 11 minutes,
before former Arsenal midfielder Dobson levelled matters after Jahmal
Hector-Ingram had hit a post. The visitors might have completed the
turnaround midway through the half, but Joe Powell saw his spot-kick saved
by Fulham keeper Jake Soutter.
The Cottagers made the most of their reprieve after the break, with frontman
Joshua Walker and full-back Ryheem Sheckleford firing the hosts to an
opening-day win. On his West Ham debut, Dobson started alongside Matt
Carter in the heart of midfield, while Oscar Borg, Marcus Browne and Joe
Powell, all of whom featured for the Development Squad at Canvey Island on
Wednesday, supported Hector Ingram in attack. But it was the Whites who
showed first, with a goal which stemmed from a set piece. Hammers stopper
Tim Brown had initially repelled Ravin Shamsi's free-kick, but Foday Nabay
reacted quickest to whip the ball in across the face of the goal for Davies
to stab home. The Hammers, however, were not behind for long. With 19 gone,
Fulham 'keeper Soutter spilled a Hector-Ingram shot from distance onto the
woodwork, which fell to the feet of Dobson, who finished confidently to
restore parity. New boy Dobson was involved again three minutes later, this
time being upended in the box as he prepared to shoot. Powell took charge
from 12 yards but was denied by Soutter, who was smartly back to his feet to
repel Browne's follow up.West Ham carved out another fine opportunity five
minutes into the second half, when Hector-Ingram slotted through to Browne,
but Soutter was again on hand to smother. And Fulham made the Hammers pay
for their missed chances with their second of the contest on the hour mark.
Walker raced in behind the West Ham backline and slotted sweetly into the
corner. As Steve Potts' side searched for a second equaliser, Declan Rice
and Dobson both connected with Powell free-kicks, but neither could keep
their headers on target. At the other end, Fulham went desperately close to
extending their advantage. Shamsi saw his strike cannon back off the
woodwork, before Brown denied Fulham's Estonian substitute Mattias Kait on
the rebound. With just five minutes left to play, Brown was again called
into action, this time to brilliantly repel Walker's header. But the second
ball fell kindly for Sheckleford, who slammed home to consign the Hammers to
defeat. Potts' men will look to pick up their first points of the season
when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Little Heath on Saturday 15 August.
Kick-off is set for 11am.

West Ham United U18s: Brown, Sylvestre, Neufville (Pask 46), Dobson (Henry
79), Akinola, Rice, Borg, Carter (Eggleton 64), Hector-Ingram, Browne,
Powell. Subs not used: Boness, Lewis.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell - We're definitely raring to go
WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United will give it everything to get their
2015/16 Barclays Premier League campaign off to a successful start on
Sunday. The Hammers make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium to face
Arsenal, with many predicting the visitors will return home with nothing to
show for their efforts. Hammer of the Year Cresswell is having none of that,
however, and says the squad are determined to get Slaven Bilic's domestic
managerial reign underway with a performance to be proud of. "It's never
going to be easy going to Arsenal, but we've been working hard over the last
six weeks and it's one we're looking forward to and we're confident going
there," said the left-back. After half-a-dozen pre-season matches and six
UEFA Europa League ties, West Ham finally get their Barclays Premier League
campaign underway this weekend, and Cresswell admitted the players have been
looking forward to their return to top-flight action. "We're definitely
raring to go," the told West Ham TV. "It was never going to be easy with the
schedule we've had, but as professionals we've just got to get on with it as
there's nothing we could do about it. "We have prepared ourselves the best
we possibly could do over the last few weeks. It's been tough at times,
playing Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, but we've adapted well to it and
hopefully it will stand us in good stead come the start of the Premier
League season."

Last year we hit the ground running with the signings that came into the
building and hopefully we can do the same this year With a new manager,
backroom staff and nine new signings through the door, Cresswell is hoping
West Ham can replicate the strong start they made last season, and avoid the
post-Christmas collapse this time around. "Last year we hit the ground
running with the signings that came into the building and hopefully we can
do the same this year," he continued. "We had a good first half to the
season last season, but the second half wasn't so good. "It we can get a
good start and take it into the Christmas period, we can kick on from there.
The main aim is to finish in the top ten. "
After signing a new long-term contract in the summer, the No3 is keen to
take his own game to the next level after a superb first season in the
Barclays Premier League. "That's in the past now and I'm looking to kick on
and improve each day on the training ground and in each game I play in,
taking each experience as it comes along," he explained. "For me, I want to
play as many games as I can and keep improving."

So, what of Arsenal, who beat Chelsea 1-0 to win the Community Shield at
Wembley last weekend thanks to a goal from the man who could be Cresswell's
direct opponent on Sunday, right winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain? "It's the
Premier League and anyone can beat anyone, but we know it's not going to be
easy going there and it's not going to be a stroll in the park," Cresswell
conceded. "We're going to go there and give 110 per cent, as we will in
every game we play, and hopefully we'll get a result there. "There are
plenty of world-class players in the Premier League and everyone wants to
test themselves against the best there is out there. The top five or six
teams in the Premier League have got some of the best players in the world,
so it's good to put yourself up against them. "It is one I am personally
looking forward to and I'm sure all the other lads are as well."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Edin in the right direction
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's new first-team coach Edin Terzic cannot hide his
excitement as he prepares to start work in the Barclays Premier League. The
32-year-old arrives in England's top-flight after cutting his teeth with
German giants Borussia Dortmund, where he served as a scout and coach to the
hugely successful Jurgen Klopp, before spending the past two and a half
years working under Slaven Bilic. After stints with the Croatian national
team and Turkish club Besiktas, the UEFA 'A' Licence holder has followed
Bilic to West Ham to begin a project he hopes will bring great success to
the east London club. "We need to honour this great stadium by having a
great season," Terzic told West Ham TV, alluding to the final season at the
Boleyn Ground. "We want to improve with every game and, as a coach, I want
us to improve with every session. "We would like to leave the club in a
better condition than when we found it. That's hard, but this is what we are
here for."

So, just who is Edin Terzic and how did he become a member of Slaven Bilic's
technical staff? "I was born and grew up in Germany but my mother is
Croatian and my father is from Bosnia, so I speak Croatian and I met Slaven
a couple of years ago and I started doing some analysis work for him with
the national team," he explained. "At the time I was working as a youth
coach with the Academy of Borussia Dortmund and was also one of the scouts
for Jurgen Klopp and his team and I was looking at players. "For the last
two years I have worked with Slaven in Besiktas and for the last
two-and-a-half years overall."

As a youngster, Terzic himself harboured hopes of becoming a professional
footballer himself, playing for German lower-league clubs SG Wattenscheid,
SC Westfalia Herne and BV Cloppenburg before hanging up his boots in 2012.
When he realised he would not make it to the Bundesliga as a player, Terzic
decided to try to do so as a coach and scout. "I was very young as a coach,
so I started doing my coaching licences and studied sports science in
Germany and paid my bills and university by playing semi-professional
football," he continued.
"I studied for my UEFA 'A' Licence and met the chief scout of Borussia
Dortmund and a couple of months later he called me and offered me a job. In
2010, I stopped playing and started to be a coach with Borussia Dortmund."

During his time with Dortmund, Terzic was sent on a scouting mission to
Croatia, where he was hosted by an agent. "It was a totally strange story,"
he smiled. "I had been in Croatia on a scouting job to watch a player and
usually the scouts arecked up and given a lift to the ground. "On this
occasion the agent was very kind and we had a great dinner, but then he said
'You must meet my brother'. I was polite and said I would, but I didn't know
who his brother was! "He said he was called Domagoj Bilic and his brother
was Slaven Bilic! I didn't think about it until I was at a game in Sweden
and three days before the European Championship in 2012 I got a phone call.
I didn't respond, then I got another phone call and didn't respond. Then I
got a message 'Please call me back. Regards, Slaven Bilic' so I thought I
better call back! "I called back and that's the story of how we met each
other in 2012!"

Having joined forces with Bilic, the duo have evolved a style of play that
has seen them enjoy great success in recent years. So, what is the
philosophy of West Ham's new managerial team? "I don't want to talk about
philosophy but to show it," said Terzic, with a determination that clearly
drives him. "It's about acting and not reacting. Acting doesn't mean we want
to have 85 per cent ball possession, but we want to have the right solution
at the right moment. This is the main part of it. "I think we have a great
relationship. It's totally open, so are spending a lot of time together and
we see each other more than we see our families. We are talking about
everything on and off the pitch and we definitely understand each other and
are on the same wavelength."

With Terzic and Bilic in the dugout, West Ham United are Edin in the right
direction…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Euro exit ended Raul Jimenez deal
KUMB,com
Filed: Saturday, 8th August 2015
By: Staff Writer

Raul Jimenez has opted against signing for West Ham - following the club's
exit from the Europa League on Thursday. The talented 24-year-old was all
set to join West Ham on loan for the season having agreed personal terms
with the club. However a report in today's Mundo Deportivo claims that
Jiminez opted to join Benfica instead after West Ham's second string were
dumped out of the Europa League by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu. Benfica
are now set to sign the Mexican international on a permanent basis, although
50 per cent of his rights will continue to be owned by his agent. Jiminez is
also thought to have been tempted by the move to Portugal having been
guaranteed first team football, which wouldn't have been the case at West
Ham.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham have gambled on Slaven Bilic, and the club is more under the
microscope than ever
22:15, 8 August 2015
OPINION BY ANDYDUNN
The Croat is undoubtedly charismatic, but he will need to do more than just
make people laugh in east London
The Mirror

The last time Slaven Bilic managed a team at the Emirates – Besiktas in a
Champions League play-off last year – he was forbidden from being in the
dugout. West Ham's season is not even a Premier League game old yet and
Bilic has already served one touchline ban. With the Football Association
­introducing a clampdown on technical area tantrums, there is every chance
Slaven will be spending more time in the posh seats this season than David
Sullivan's furry hat. He's a passionate man, you see. We've been told that
about a million times. But also a pragmatic one, it seems. The Europa League
is insulted on a regular basis by English teams but not usually BEFORE the
first whistle of our own one. Bilic preferred to send what was pretty much a
hybrid second/third team to Astra Giurgiu and West Ham's European adventure
was over before a grouse has been pelleted on British moors. Now, you won't
find a defence of the Europa League here. It is a bloated nonsense of a
competition, made even more farcical by the parachuting of Champions League
failures into the later stages.
But a competitive football match is a competitive football match. Bilic
should have found a way to win a two-legged tie against the team that
finished fourth in the Romanian league last season and didn' t. It is a
first failure on his West Ham record. Whatever way you look at it.His
rationale was to keep the vast majority of the first-team squad fresh for
the visit to Arsenal. And why not? After all, West Ham's recent history at
the Emirates is ­promising. Since a 1-0 win nine seasons ago, they have
played seven, lost six, drawn one, scored two, conceded 16. But you never
know. Law of averages, and all that. Every point scraped this season will,
of course, be vital. Just before Bilic's selection succumbed on Thursday
night, there was a BBC news special which suggested the Olympic Stadium deal
was even more peachy for West Ham than was first imagined. If that can be
possible. It is a scandal, for sure. But a scandal that lies with those in
charge of Olympic legacy not with the West Ham owners. Sullivan and David
Gold have ­negotiated the ­footballing deal of a century that still has 85
years left to run. They are extremely ­sure-footed ­businessmen. Which made
their appointment of Bilic earlier this summer a surprise. A surprise, as in
a risk. Keeping Sam Allardyce would not have been much of a risk. Going all
out for a David Moyes or a Tony Pulis would not have been much of a risk.
Bilic is. He is one of the biggest risks taken by Premier League owners in a
long while.
This will be an emotional and crucial season for West Ham. But the board
didn't want a cold, calculating, no-nonsense figure. Bilic is popular
because, well, he's a bit mad. He was a populist choice even if the reasons
for his popularity are a little opaque. His start has been erratic. He has
already overseen three red cards, in addition to his own ­indiscretion, and
his team have conceded some pretty shoddy goals. Reading too much into a
hapless summer exit from a competition so broadly sneered at in these parts
would be wrong. But one thing is for sure. If, at the time, Messrs Gold and
Sullivan didn't realise appointing Bilic for such a watershed West Ham
season was one hell of a gamble… they do now.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
est Ham offered transfer of Dimitar Berbatov as he eyes a return to the
Premier League
0 COMMENTS22:30, 8 AUGUST 2015
BY MIRROR FOOTBALL
The 34-year-old striker is clubless after being released by Monaco and his
representatives have also approached Aston Villa and Leicester
The Mirror

Dimitar Berbatov has been offered to West Ham, writes the Sunday People.
Former Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham striker Berbatov is desperate
to get back to the Premier League after French club Monaco decided not to
offer him a new deal.Representatives acting on his behalf have also alerted
Aston Villa and Leicester to the fact England is his desired destination.
And the Hammers are the latest club to be asked if they would consider a
move for the 34-year-old Bulgaria international.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Dimitri Payet reveals Joe Cole was driving force behind his Upton
Park move
22:30, 8 AUGUST 2015
BY DEAN JONES
Frenchman says the former Hammers midfielder spoke in glowing terms about
his boyhood club when they were teammates at Lille
The Mirror

Dimitri Payet has revealed how Joe Cole was a driving force behind his move
to West Ham. The Frenchman will make his Premier League debut against
Arsenal on Sunday after completing a £10.7million switch from Marseille to
Upton Park this summer. The exciting midfielder, who also attracted
attention from Inter Milan, met ex-Hammer Cole while they were team-mates in
France at Lille three years ago, and the pair stayed in contact. Payet – who
created more goalscoring opportunities than anyone else in EUROPE last
season – now wants to emulate his English pal at Upton Park. He said: "Joe
Cole motivated me to sign for West Ham. "I met him when he was playing for
Lille and he spoke about the club in a very positive way. He told me it is a
great club and that it had so much ambition and wants to achieve things.
"Now, I need to go out and give 100 per cent if I want to go into the same
category as people like Joe Cole and Paolo Di Canio." The Hammers are
looking to bounce back from a Europa League exit to little-known Romanian
side Astra Giugiu on Thursday. But Payet added: "The real question is
whether the Europa League was really of use to us this season... I don't
think so."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slav won't park the bus!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic has told the squad for the Arsenal game nobody should be
looking for a little rest during tomorrow's (Sun)"90 minutes at the
Emirates. The manager declared: 'Basically, we have to defend as a unit. You
cannot have two or three bodies staying up front, and resting, against
teams, especially with Arsenal. You cannot get away with it. "You have to be
as a unit, defend with numbers, attack with numbers.' But he appears to have
no intention of going to the Emirates and defending for the duration of the
game adding: "You can say: "we are going to defend", we are going to say in
England we will park the bus and hope you have that magic moment. "But we
have a team, when we are fit, that has got a lot of creative players."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moncur's CandH blog: Gunners v Irons
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

So today we will be either trekking our way to North London or settling down
in front of Sky Sports for the opening game of the season probably with more
hope than expectation in our hearts.

And despite the uneven spread of results across pre-season I believe the
team is ready although we'll find out for the first time today exactly how
Slaven sees things.

I sat down in his office a few days back and we caught up on old times. It
was great to meet up again and I was struck again by his intelligence and
absolute love of the game.

Sunday's game could hardly be tougher. Arsenal are a terrific team and I
know that Slav has a great regard for Arsene Wenger but our man may just
have one or two surprises up his sleeve.

Let's remember though that we finished last season as one of – if not THE –
most out of form team in the Premier League and there's a confidence
building job to be done as well as a new style of play to be introduced.

Whatever some may think, we now have a better squad than we have had for
several years and I've got everything crossed that we can take the Gunners
by surprise.

First and foremost I'm a fan and always see the best side of things but I
hope I'm also a realist and the truth is we have one hell of a job on our
hands.

We are about 10/1 outsiders to win the game and it's around 5/1 for the draw
with the Arsenal well odds-on to win. I think those odds are a bit over the
top but I honestly can't tip us to win.

A draw would be fantastic but the main thing is that we go there and give
them a real game, put in a performance and come out with our heads held
high.

What we can't afford to happen is to get battered because that sets up a
mental reaction which is hard to shake off. I think Slav will have them in
good shape and that we'll give 'em a game.

But the fans have to give Slav a chance. It could take him a couple of years
to really put his mark on this team.

I'm sure we'll be safe and mid table but let's keep the expectancy levels
down a bit and give the man a real crack of the whip.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons look to wreck Wenger's fast start hope
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has demanded his team shake off the "slow
starters" tag which plagued them last season when the team clash with the
Irons tomorrow.

They won just two of their opening eight games and the Frenchman, heading
into his 20th campaign as Arsenal boss, wants no repeats."

They were held to a point on four occasions and lost a couple before
hitting their stride around November so unsurprisingly the mood within the
Irons camp is that this is the best time of the season to travel to the
Emirates.

Slaven Bilic believes the Irons can acquit themselves well and will look to
capitalise on any psychological reserve given that history.

'I'm motivated to start well,' said Wenger, who will be without Jack
Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky for Arsenal's opener against West
Ham.

"One of our targets is to start strongly, we've had good preparation and
that should give us much-needed confidence.

"The Premier League is a fight in every single game so we have to prepare
ourselves mentally for that and come out of the blocks straight away against
West Ham.

'Every game of pre-season went well, and I cannot remember a much better
preparation.

We won the FA Cup last year, we finished third in the league so our target
is very high – we want to win the Premier League.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dicksie: "I know what the fans want"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Julian Dicks is living his ultimate dream and every moment of it is down to
Slaven Bilic. Dicksie had been looking for a major coaching job for a long
time before taking over the Irons Ladies team but the arrival of his room m
ate from his playing days changed everything.
Talkimg to London24.com he admitted: "The only time I would have got a job
back here is with someone like Slaven, Fortunately for me he ot the
manager's job, he gave me a call and said he wanted me to come back – it
really is a dream job for me." He brings an intimate knowledge of the fans'
requirements declaring: "I know what the fans want. I know what this club is
about and it is getting that over to the players. "Certain players already
know, it is about work-rate, about desire to play in the shirt that you are
wearing." "I have played under managers like John Lyall, who signed me,
Billy Bonds and Harry Redknapp and all of them knew what this club is all
about. They knew what the fans wanted and what they expected and that is
good football. "They know we are not going to win the Premier League, but
they want the team to work hard and play for the badge. "Morale is good
here, the players enjoy training, but it is not all about that, it is also
about doing that on the pitch for each other."

As we all enter the last season at the Boleyn, Dicksie said: "I have 11
years of memories here. There have been ups and downs, quite a lot of downs,
but this is a fantastic place and it is going to be sad to leave. "I have
been here for so long, but we have supporters who have been watching for 60
or 70 years and so we want it to be a memorable last season for them. "I
remember making my debut here against Everton. I had downs with my injuries,
but for me the most important thing about this place is the supporters.
Without them there isn't a football club and they stuck by me through thick
and thin. For me this place will always be in my heart."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moncur "bitter" over son George's treatment
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

ClaretandHugh blogger John Moncur has spoken for the first time of his
bitterness at seeing son George leave the club. Moncur snr is delighted that
new boss Slaven Bilic has given so many youngsters a chance in pre-season
and culd be forgiven for believing things could have been so much different
for his by under the new boss. He believes his lad's career as an Iron came
to an end at the City Ground on Sunday January 5, 2014 when Sam Allardyce
crazily chose to play a team of kids and was on the end of a 5-0 thrashing
by Nottingham Forest.
Monc recalls his emotions perfectly and sums them up in three words: "I
was gutted. He played nearly a whole team of kids when only two or three
should have been involved."

Speaking exclsuively to ClaretandHugh he said: "I don't really need to say
any more than that – everybody in football will tell you the same and George
– after playing a not bad at all 45 minutes – saw his career as a Hammer
ended that afternoon. Yeah you can say I was bitter. "The boy had been at
West Ham since he was nine years old, his Dad had played for the club. His
life was centred on becoming a star with West Ham and it was ll over – just
like that. "He carried scars for a while and got a fresh chance with
Colchester where he scored 10 goals out of midfield last season and I really
hope and pray he has a career in the game. "They've got Blackpool this
afternoon where Allardyce's Number Two from West Ham, Neil McDonald is
manager so I hope he shows him how wrong it was to get rid of him.
"George wasn't alone in suffering – Danny Potts left but proving his own oin
point in America is Sebastian Lleteg – not good enough apparently but
performing brilliantly in the MLS." Moncs added: "George would come back to
the Irons like a shot and I just wish Slaven had been here last year because
had that been the case I think George would still be here with a Hammers
career ahead of him."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Benfica move on Jiminez
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham's hopes of landing Raul Jimenez on loan over the weekend depend on
whether the Atletico Madird striker rejects a move from Benfica.
ClaretandHugh understands the Portuguese giants have offered the striker a
permanent deal and he is currently thinking over his two options. The
Hammers had appealed his work permit and he is now clear to come to Britain
but Benfica made their move on the 24 year old. We revealed exclusively
yesterday that other clubs had moved in on the front man and this morning we
were told Benfica had come in with the offer of a permanent deal. A Hammers
source said: "Benfica are all over him but it remains fifty fifty – we are
hopeful but things aren't as straightforward as they seemed."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I spent too long at West Ham"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Freddie Sears fought a long losing battle to establish himself at the Irons
and now admits – TOO LONG! Five loan spells in four years tells its own
story and he now admits he'd have been better off moving on earlier and
getting match tim e. He told The Mail: "It didn't work out for me at West
Ham. It was my goal to play for them, but maybe my regret is not leaving
earlier and trying to get out and play more games. "It's a hard decision to
leave the club you support and the club that's local to you, but at the end
of the day you need to be playing football. I was 22 when I left; maybe I
could have left a bit earlier and played more but West Ham's a great club so
it wasn't easy."

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

http://vyperz.blogspot.com



---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus