Daily WHUFC News - 18th November 2015

EXCLUSIVE: Payet - the support has been fantastic
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet has nothing but praise for the way his team-mates, the medical
staff and all the fans have helped him overcome his injury disappointment
and has vowed to come back even stronger. Payet was forced to leave the
field during the 1-1 draw with Everton with an ankle injury and after
consultations with a specialist, the scans showed he would be ruled out of
action for three months. The France star received positive news this week
that he would not need surgery to clear up the problem, but he still faces a
lengthy spell on the sidelines. Payet made an emotional return to the Club's
training ground on Tuesday and West Ham TV caught an exclusive interview
with the talented midfielder on how his recovery is going and the support he
is receiving from everyone at the Club.

Payet said: "It has been a week since I sustained the injury. I am doing
well. I am surrounded by very good people which has allowed me to recover
and I am keeping my head high. It is a long period but I am looking forward
to making a return to action. "Of course it is a big relief for me that I
will not need an operation. I speak from experience and having had a couple
of operations it is not an easy thing to cope with. It is good news on that
front but it doesn't change the time that it will take me to recover. "I am
taking the news as well as I can. There are more serious things that happen
in life and injuries happen in that situation. You have to put things in
perspective and the most important thing is for me to get back playing as
quickly as I can.
"The support has been fantastic from my team-mates, everyone at the Club and
from the supporters. It is during these times that you can really feel
loved. That is very important and I want to get back playing as quickly as I
can and perform to the way I have been doing so far this season. It has been
a dream for me. "It has been a big help to me with the support from the
fans. It has been incredible the support they have shown towards me and not
just at home, but when we play away as well. You can really feel the fans
support and I really hope it will become even greater as time goes on. "The
medical team here is excellent and they are doing everything they can to
help me. We have regular meetings every day where I get updates and that is
a big boost for me in the recovery process and getting back as quickly as I
can."

It has been a turbulent few days for Payet who made a return to France last
week and was in Paris when the attacks were taking place on Friday night.
The 28-year-old is pleased that the England game against France was allowed
to take place at Wembley and hopes that sport can help bring everyone
together. Payet added: "It is a very difficult time. I was in Paris over the
weekend and I was very close to everything that happened. "The support that
sport can provide in this case and with many important sporting figures
showing their support has helped for the game to take place. "I have seen
photos of Wembley in red, white and blue which is very special. Aside from
the match itself, it is going to be a very emotional evening."

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Gapes' glowing Foundation report
WHUFC.com

Ilford South MP and lifelong West Ham United supporter Mike Gapes has joined
those heaping praise on the West Ham United Foundation, after the Hammers'
community wing celebrated 25 years of community sport.

Mr Gapes has a longstanding association with the Club, both personally and
professionally, and insists West Ham has always taken great care of its
community.

And with the Club's fan base growing all the time, the Labour Co-operative
MP expect the Foundation will do likewise as the Hammers prepare for the big
move to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

He told West Ham TV: "The work that the Foundation has done in the
community, with different groups, girls and boys, in and out of schools, is
very important. The Club does put, and always has put, things back into the
community.

"In fact, I can remember years ago, when I was involved in a Thames Gateway
project, West Ham were supporting that, for young people, including young
offenders, who were coming out of prison, or were actually in prison, and
trying to encourage people to change their behaviour.

"It's actually very important. Football is the national game and lots of
people are affected by football and if you can't get people to be engaged in
educational or other activities in a conventional way, often football,
football clubs, Premier League clubs, and West Ham among them, can provide
the key to that.

"West Ham is a community-based club and with the move to the Olympic
Stadium, it will still be a community-based club. Because the club
represents and covers the community, and obviously it's important that we
get that message out to all the different groups in the area around the
ground and wider, because the fan base is so big now."

On the pitch, Mr Gapes is thoroughly enjoying what he has seen this season
and is hopeful that the good times are here to stay under the stewardship of
Slaven Bilic.

"As a Season Ticket Holder over the years, I've seen the ups and downs, the
setbacks, so you get used to it, but there's something about this team, this
year, I think the quality is really good," he added.

"They're playing attractive football, and obviously we've had some really
good wins against teams that were, last season, in the top six and this
season, we're in the top six! I think we're going to have a good year."

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Oh no - it's Taylor for Tottenham!
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 17th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

Anthony Taylor has been named as the referee for West Ham United's big
London derby at Tottenham this weekend. The 37-year-old, who hails from
Wythenshawe in Greater Manchester has been widely hailed as the worst
referee in the Premier League by Hammers fans following his disastrous
performances in recent months. Taylor has issued 38 yellow cards so far this
season in ten Premier League matches and just one red - to West Ham's
goalkeeper Adrian in the 2-1 home defeat against Leicester for 'dangerous
play'. However it is for his previous appearances at the Boleyn Ground that
he is best remembered for - notably the ludicrous dismissals of West Ham's
Carlton Cole and Everton's Darren Gibson in a Premier League meeting back in
December 2012.
Taylor was also jeered off the field by the Boleyn faithful in April 2014,
following his performance in a 2-1 home defeat against Liverpool - a game in
which he awarded two incredibly weak penalties to the visitors. Last season
his tally of 115 yellow cards was only beaten by Mike Dean and Martin
Atkinson. And since being appointed by the PGMOL five years ago, he had
averaged one red card every five games.

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West Ham keeping hold of midfielder Manuel Lanzini - David Sullivan
Last Updated: 17/11/15 4:02pm
SSN

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has warned off rival clubs interested in
signing rising star Manuel Lanzini. There have been reports of Liverpool
weighing up a move for the Argentina midfielder following an impressive
start to life in the Premier League. Lanzini has scored four goals this
season, including one against the Reds in West Ham's 3-0 win at Anfield in
August. The 22-year-old moved to Upton Park in the summer on a season-long
loan from United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira, and Sullivan insists his club
have the conditions in place in the contract to sign him permanently. "I
know there have been some reports in the media over the weekend surrounding
the future of Manuel Lanzini," Sullivan told the club's website.
"We have an unbreakable option with both Lanzini and his club, so any other
team's interest is irrelevant. "Manuel has been a fantastic signing for the
club and we all hope he can maintain this superb run of form for the rest of
the season." Sullivan also confirmed forward Enner Valencia will be out
until early January with the ankle injury he suffered against Everton on
November 7.

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RIGHT TO BUY - IS MR SULLIVAN'S FAITH IN 'UNBREAKABLE' OPTION CLAUSE
MISPLACED?
By Iain Dale 17 Nov 2015 at 17:00 153 comments
WTID
Guest Post by Harbrook

Amid reports that the vultures are already beginning to circle for Manuel
Lanzini, the Chairman has taken evasive action to ward off any would-be
suitors.

Envious glances are to be expected considering the little Argentine's start
to the season; displays full of industry, guile, stamina, quality and
technique, not to mention 5 goals and 2 assists, will have left many a
recruitment department scratching their heads as to how this little jewel
went unnoticed.

Mr Sullivan has acted promptly and resolutely to nip these rumours in the
bud. Indeed, this is a stance we have seen before, when star performers such
as Tomkins and Kouyate were linked with moves away from E13.

On previous occasions, Mr Sullivan's fighting talk reflected the Club's
position of strength. After all, the players were under contract, playing
regularly, earning decent salaries and about to move to a world-class new
stadium. Further, the Club's finances and marketability have never been
stronger; frankly there is no need to sell.

But, Manuel Lanzini is not a player 'under contract'. Or, if he is, a number
of high profile examples would suggest that our 'right-to-buy' clause is not
worth the paper it's written on.

The previous summer's events involving Toby Alderweireld's switch to Spurs
are a case in point. As you will recall, the defender had previously been on
loan at Southampton. A clause in their contract with parent club Athletico
Madrid allowed the Saints to sign the defender permanently for £6.8million
at the end of the loan deal. There were murmurs in the press that Atleti
could pay £1.5m to cancel the buy-out clause, but missed the deadline to do
so. What followed was a period of ambiguity, where what once seemed a cast
iron, legal entitlement to the player became increasingly watered down.
Presumably, the St Mary's club reached some sort of financial settlement
with the 2014 Champions League finalists, but the net result (and the one
that mattered) was that Alderweireld ended up plying his trade at White Hart
Lane.

Another worrying example is that of Mohammed Salah. When opportunities at
Chelsea became limited, the winger went out on loan in search of regular
first-team action. In the January transfer window, Salah joined Fiorentina
on an 18-month loan deal, for a reported fee of £700,000. After an excellent
second half to the campaign, Salah took a well-deserved summer break. But,
Salah never reported back for pre-season training in Florence. Instead, he
joined Serie A rivals Roma for the 2015/16 season. The Viola were incensed;
they waved their contract around and demanded that Salah re-join them. They
even suggested that Chelsea would have to replace Salah with an alternative
member of their expensively assembled squad. But, such demands were never
met.

These 2 contracts have clearly been breached. The Alderweireld agreement
contained a conditional clause; a certain event needed to occur in order to
trigger the clause. Such clauses are commonplace in commercial deals, as we
saw when Arouna Kone recently triggered a 12-month extension to his deal
(and bagged a hattrick to boot) against Big Sam's beleaguered Black Cats.
The requisite trigger in Alderweireld's case was the conclusion of the
season, coupled with the Saints retaining and actioning an interest in the
player. Those conditions were met, but the Saints failed to land their man.

The Salah 'Italian Job' is even more outrageous, for here was a player who
was 'under contract' in every sense of the word. Nevertheless, 'cash is
king' and both the parent clubs successfully managed to navigate or
circumvent their contracts so as to flog their assets for a better return
elsewhere.

Players are assets in a volatile environment. Their values can soar or
plummet in equal measure. Option-to-buy clauses are implemented by parent
clubs seeking to protect themselves against the risk of depreciation during
a lean loan spell. This logic was sensibly applied by Manchester City in the
deal which took Alvaro Negredo to Valencia; after an injury plagued first
season at the Mestella, his value would have dramatically decreased, but
City had already locked in the price. They didn't let Valencia have their
cake and eat it – a risk-free loan is becoming increasingly uncommon in an
era of soaring transfer fees – and the contract was followed to the letter.

On the other hand, when a player's performance exceeds expectation, his
current value will invariably outweigh the previously agreed buy-out price.
This then generates a margin to be bargained with. Whilst the parent club is
fully aware of their contractual obligations, they know that, if they
stretch that margin by selling the player to the highest bidder, this will
offset any repercussions of breaching the contract.

The Alderweireld and Salah deals have set a dangerous precedent as to how
'right to buy' clauses will play out in future. They cast considerable doubt
on Mr Sullivan's claims that such provisions are 'unbreakable'. If Lanzini's
performances continue to attract acclaim, we may well have a fight on our
hands to exercise our option, realise our investment and, ultimately, hold
onto our prized asset.

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Hammers reveal Ogbonna's future
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Suggestions that Angelo Ogbonna may be loaned out in January has been firmly
ruled out by West Ham. A claim in the Italian media that Fiorentina are set
to move in for the £8 million signing from Juventus appeared yesterday. And
former Irons employee Gianluca Nani said: "It can happen if he cannot
immerse himself in this world [English football]. A return to Italy in
January is strong."

Nani worked at West Ham under Zola between 2008 and 2010 as technical
director and had responsibility for the academy, scouting,transfers and for
the training ground department. He was dismissed when David Gold and David
Sullivan took over the club and although it's well known Ogbonna is
recovering from injury Nani has suggested the central defender has not
adapted to English football or life in this country. But a highly placed
source inside the club told ClaretandHugh tonight: "There's zero chance of
Angelo being loaned anywhere in January. He's been unlucky with injuries,
so we haven't seen the best of him, but he's a key member of our squad and
hopefully will be playing in the first team soon."

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As Ravel Morrison divides opinion at Lazio, we look at a talent unfulfilled
Last Updated: 17/11/15 6:49am
SSN

West Ham's clash with Tottenham on Super Sunday evokes happy memories for
Ravel Morrison. Here, we consider how the former Manchester United prodigy
is faring at Lazio and wonder what's next for a player still waiting to
unlock his huge potential… Two years ago at White Hart Lane, Ravel
Morrison's brilliant solo goal sealed a memorable 3-0 win for West Ham
against their London rivals, with Sam Allardyce describing his 50-yard
dribble and audacious dinked finish as "genius" in his post-match press
conference. "You will struggle to see a better goal this season," added the
former Hammers manager, and he wasn't alone in praising the talented
midfielder. Morrison appeared to be coming of age after a troubled start to
his career at Manchester United. He was in the form of his life, and his
thrilling performances for West Ham and England U21s had put him in
contention for a place in Roy Hodgson's World Cup squad. A few months later,
Morrison had lost his place in West Ham's starting line-up and any hopes of
making the plane to Brazil had evaporated amid reports of a falling out with
Allardyce. Perhaps the expectations had been unrealistic, but Morrison's
natural talent has been a source of excitement since his formative years at
United, where his grace in possession and ability to glide past opponents
set him apart from an early age.

After that tantalising glimpse of Morrison's quality at West Ham, another
roadblock in his career felt reminiscent of his departure from Old Trafford
in 2012. "He possessed as much natural talent as any youngster we ever
signed," Sir Alex Ferguson wrote in his new book Leading. "It was very
painful to sell him to West Ham in 2012 because he could have been a
fantastic player. But, over a period of years, the problems off the pitch
continued to escalate and we had little option but to cut the cord."

Much to the disappointment of many West Ham fans, there was no way back for
Morrison under Allardyce, either. There were flickers of class when he
scored six goals in 17 appearances on loan at QPR in 2014, but he lost his
place in the side as they navigated the Championship play-offs. An
unsuccessful stint at Cardiff was then cut short in January of this year,
and his contract at West Ham was terminated shortly afterwards.

Morrison agreed a deal with Lazio and began the latest chapter of his career
in Italy this season. It was a brave and unexpected move, and it appeared to
get off to a good start when a string of eye-catching performances in
pre-season immediately endeared him to Lazio supporters. In Rome, the
22-year-old has evoked memories of Paul Gascoigne, another maverick English
talent who became a cult figure at the club in the early 90s.

But while Morrison was an instant hit with the fans, he has found it
difficult to replicate his pre-season form consistently on the pitch. After
four substitute appearances, he was handed his first start in a 2-0 win away
to Rosenborg in the Europa League two weeks ago, but manager Stefano Pioli
has raised questions of his attitude and in September he said "he still
doesn't speak a word of Italian".

Sources in Italy say Morrison has already been guilty of missing training
sessions, and he appears to be near the bottom of Pioli's midfield pecking
order. But while his relationship with the manager is somewhat strained,
sporting director Igli Tare is determined for him to succeed at the club.
"Ravel Morrison is one of those classic footballers who is a bit eccentric,"
Tare told Sky Sports in Italy last month. "Without doubt he's an outstanding
player because he's got some great moves. People like him need time, but his
time will come."

Morrison has struggled to integrate with his new team-mates and spends most
of his time with his entourage. He sparked speculation over his future by
tweeting "January…" last month, but there have been encouraging signs too.
He is taking an intense Italian language course, he has struck up a
friendship with young winger Keita Balde, and his first start against
Rosenborg suggests he could get more opportunities. Morrison is just 22, but
the next few weeks could be key to his future. It's difficult to imagine him
staying at Lazio in January unless he gets more playing time, but it appears
he has work to do to earn Pioli's trust. West Ham would dearly love that
"genius" of two years ago in their side at White Hart Lane on Sunday, but
Morrison can't afford to dwell on the past. Right now, he faces a fight to
ensure his Italian adventure doesn't follow a familiar pattern.

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Oh no, Taylor's in charge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

The worst thing that could have happened was for Dimitri Payet to be out for
three months! Running it a close second – for this weekend anyway – is the
news that ref Anthony Taylor will be in charge of the Spurs/Irons game.
Taylor is no friend to the Hammers and has been widely condemned as being as
'bad as it gets" after some appallingly bad appearances notably the sendings
off of Carlton Cole and Everton's Darren Gibson in December 2012.
Taylor has 38 yellow cards and handing our one red – yes you've remembered
-, to West Ham's Adrian in the 2-1 home defeat against Leicester for
'dangerous play'. It's hard to remember a half decent appearance by the
Manchester based official who gave Liverpool a couple of soft spot kicks on
a previous occasion. The week just got worse.

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OS revenue will not bridge that Spurs gap
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Although our move to Olympic Stadium will bring increases in ticket, retail
and sponsorship it will still not allow the Irons to bridge the financial
gap with Spurs. The Hammers heavy discounting on the first season at the
Olympic Stadium on season tickets, together with half the number of
corporate seats compared to other London, means the increase in revenue will
be between £10-£15m per season. And speaking exclusively to Claret and Hugh
to a senior club insider previously told us: ""Our (increase in turnover)
will be £10m-15m as we have kept prices low at the OS. "There might be more
from retail and sponsorship. My figures relates JUST to tickets and
hospitality. Arsenal have 7,000 corporate, we have limited to 3,600 to make
lots of good seats available for ordinary (ie non corporate) supporters."
It is hoped that a further £15m turnover could be increased in retail and
sponsorship opportunities at the new Stadium but that might that time to
achieve. Based on 2014 released financial accounts Spurs has a turnover of
£181m compared to West Ham who had a turnover of nearly £121m in 2015 so a
£15m hike from moving the Olympic Stadium would still leave us £30m adrift
of Spurs if we increased turnover by £30m from the move. We will be between
£170m and £300m behind the top four. Manchester United have a turnover of
£433m, Man City £347m, Chelsea £324m, Arsenal £304m, Liverpool £256m based
on 2014 figures.

Catching up with Spurs in financial terms will also be a moving target as
they will undoubtedly generate further revenue from their move to their new
stadium which they will own. However, in the short term they will saddled
with increased debt to pay around £400m to build their new stadium. They are
likely to face years of austerity in the same way Arsenal faced years of
reduced spending after they built the Emirates stadium.
West Ham's turnover is currently 9th in the Premier League Everton £121m and
Newcastle £130m which are all above us in terms of financial power. All
Premier League clubs will benefit from a new TV deal next season adding tens
of millions to every club's turnover but the top club will benefit more –
making the gulf even larger.

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Ogbonna rumour claim that he is not settled
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 16, 2015 in News
C and H

Italy press claim Fiorentina is hoping to sign Hammer Angelo Ogbonna on
loan in the January transfer window, and Gianluca Nani says "It can happen
if he cannot immerse himself in this world [English football]. A return to
Italy in January is strong."

Gianluca Nani worked at West Ham under Zola between 2008 and 2010 as
technical director and had responsibility for the academy,
scouting,transfers and for the training ground department. He was dismissed
when Gold and Sullivan took over the club. In July 2o12 he joined Zola again
at Watford under former West Ham CEO Scott Duxbury.
Ogbonna is recovering from injury, but Nani has suggested that he has not
adapted to the English football and life and could be ready for a return to
Italy. TMW reported that Fiorentina are showing an interest in signing
Ogbonna on loan in January, hoping to take him on a short-term deal until
the end of the season.

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Irons linked with versatile French defender
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 16, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

The Hammers are interested in signing Lille's teenage defender Benjamin
Pavard according to French website Mercato 365. The 19-year-old has come up
through the Lille youth system after joining the French club at the age of
just nine. Pavard has now broken through to the Lille first-team, making
five league appearances so far this season. Pavard is versatile, capable of
playing all across the back four, having featured at left back, centre back
and right back for Lille during his short career so far. The versatile
defender who can cover in a number of positions might interest West Ham
considering the contracts of James Collins and Joey O'Brien expire next
summer. Pavard may not be the finished article just yet, but he appears to
have lots of potential. He is part of the French Under 21 team and a number
of Premier League scouts were present when the France U21 team beat Northern
Ireland U21 1-0 last Thursday in the Euro qualifiers.

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Chart shows Irons are deadly in front of goal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 17, 2015 in News
C adn h

West Ham are the Premier League's second most effective club in front of
goal. Fantasy football game www.oulala.com have released the shots to goals
ratios of every Premier League club so far this season. Leading the way are
Leicester City who have been the most efficient team in front of goal thanks
to the form of attacking duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
Vardy's 12 goals have come from 48 shots giving the 28-year-old a conversion
rate of 25 per cent while Mahrez has enjoyed a conversion rate of 21 per
cent, scoring seven goals from 34 shots.
The Irons are a mere 0.1 per cent behind with a shot conversion of 14.2 per
cent. Manchester City and Arsenal have had the most shots in the Premier
League this season with 221 attempts each. However the pair can only manage
fifth

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Hammers hero considers the Carroll dilemma
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Hammers hero Tony Cottee can't see Andy Carroll pushing his way past Diafra
Sakho to again become the club's Number One striker. But he hopes that this
won't deter the club's record signing from pursuing his career with the
Hammers. tough though that may be for him. Speaking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh Cottee said: "I like Andy a lot but if we're honest Sakho has
been amazing and genuinely looks our No 1 striker and with the style we are
now playing to playing he is key. "I tend to agree with the view that Andy
is going to find it difficult to become the regular starter when Sakho is
fit and it will be in his own hands how he receives that situation. "He may
feel that isn't enough for him – we will have to wait and see in the summer.
It's never easy to read what may be in a player's mind."
Regular stories that AC is a target for Newcastle continue to emerge but
Carroll's life is centred on the south. And that my help him decide that he
is better off with a hugely ambitious club on its way to the next level at
the Olympic Stadium.

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Hammers have big edge over Spurs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham hold one big advantage over Spurs at the weekend following the
disappearnce of 64 per cent of their squad to international duty. And that
gives the Irons a big edge as the two managers attempt to get their game
plan in place for a massive White Hart Lane clash. Only 20 per cent of our
squad has been called away to join their national squads. "Those that are
fit will arrive perhaps tired from games and air travel so I have to fancy
the Irons despite the absence of out star man Dimitri Payet. ClaretandHugh's
top analyst Leroy Rosenior declared: "Any edge you can get before a game
like this is important and things look very much in our favour. "The Spurs
boss will have been unable to prepare properly with so many away. He has no
idea who will be fit and whether players will come back injured. Slaven
Bilic,on the other hand, knows exactly where he is and although the Payet
and Valencia injuries are very bad news he will have been able to sort out
his game plan and work on it for several days.

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West Ham label Liverpool's interest in star midfielder 'irrelevant'
DAVD SULLIVAN has confirmed West Ham have first refusal on Al Jazira loan
star Manuel Lanzini.
By JAMES CAMBRIDGE
PUBLISHED: 11:47, Tue, Nov 17, 2015 | UPDATED: 12:04, Tue, Nov 17, 2015
Express.co.uk

Manuel Lanzini has a buy-out clause of £5.5million. The Argentinian is
currently on a season-long spell with the Hammers and has hit the ground
running in the Premier League. The 22-year-old has four goals in 13
appearances and has been attracting attention from Liverpool, according to
reports. Bleacher Report claim Jurgen Klopp is keeping tabs on the
midfielder, asking for regular updates on his position at Upton Park.
However, West Ham co-owner Sullivan has quashed the rumours, calling them
'irrelevant' due to the east London club's deal. He has confirmed the
Hammers have the first option to sign Lanzini at the end of the season,
regardless of other club's interest. "We have an unbreakable option with
both Lanzini and his club, so any other team's interest is irrelevant," he
said. "Manuel has been a fantastic signing for the club and we all hope he
can maintain this superb run of form for the rest of the season."
The midfielder is understood to have a £5.5million buyout clause in his
current contract with parent club Al Jazira.

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Are West Ham relying too heavily on this star's fitness? (not Payet)
By Frankie Levin - Nov 16, 2015 0
westhamworld.co.uk

That is two games that we have played without Sakho since he has been
injured, and on both occasions we have not been able to pick up three
points. Do we rely too heavily on Sakho and are our alternative choices not
good enough?

Diafra Sakho has had a different season compared to last, but both equally
as successful. This year Sakho has been working 10 times harder on the pitch
and is doing more work for the team, but in return is scoring less goals.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing as we have the likes of Lanzini who's
scoring and Payet (although now injured) who can step up to the mark and
provide the team with goals. We look completely different with Sakho up top
compared to the likes of Carroll as I feel they are two different players.
Sakho hounds defenses and presses them excellently, not allowing them time
on the ball, which in return gives our defence an easier task and it is
easier to regain possession we do not have.

Andy Carroll, as we have seen from the previous two games, isn't as
physically capable as Diafra is to press the ball for that long in a match
and I feel our play alternates because of this.
I am still very happy with the choices we have up front, don't get me wrong,
with the likes of Carroll, Valencia and Zarate , but I am not convinced that
any can do as well as Sakho can in that lone striker role. I feel like we
have missed Diafra massively these past couple of games and I am hoping that
he will be fit to face Spurs this coming Sunday, especially with star man
Dimitri Payet out for the next three months.

Personally, I do not think that we need to sign another striker in January
unless Sakho gets a long term injury. However, if Sakho is fit at the time
then I do not see any reason as to why we would need another striker as our
alternate choices currently can provide the team with goals, maybe not do as
much for the team but can still slot them home. If Diafra was to get a long
term injury, which hopefully he doesn't, I would look to bring someone in
who has similar qualities and will work just as hard for the team. A name
that springs to mind, who has been flying around twitter recently is highly
praised Doumbia, currently on loan at CSKA Moscow. He could get recalled
early by Roma if we show interest and pay the right amount, but I think he
would be a great fit and definitely scores goals.

Whether he would find it difficult coming to the Premier League half way
through the season is another question for another day but he would be my
signing if Sakho were to be ruled out at some point. However, currently I am
happy with our squad and we have strength in depth which is impacting on
individual performances all across the team. We remain hopeful that Sakho
will be fit for Sunday's game against Spurs and it is one all the fans are
looking forward to.

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