Daily WHUFC News - 2nd December 2015

Academy appoint two top coaches
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that highly-rated coaches Liam
Manning and Peter Trevivian have joined the Club's Academy. Manning will
work closely with Terry Westley as Assistant Academy Manager in the day to
day running of the Development Squad, as well as on a wider basis overseeing
all areas of the Academy The 30-year-old's appointment sees him join forces
with Westley, having worked under the Academy Manager and Head of Coaching
and Player Development at Ipswich Town. Speaking about his delight at
joining the Hammers, Manning said: "It's terrific, a great opportunity to
progress and move forward at such a prestigious club, one that is on the way
up. "I got a phone call off Terry over the summer and we had a discussion
about the type of role he was looking to appoint. He explained the programme
he has got going here at the Academy and it all carried on from there."

A promising player himself as a youngster, Manning came through the ranks at
Ipswich before stints at Dagenham & Redbridge and Bishops Stortford. Having
decided to turn his hand to coaching following the end of his playing
career, Manning returned to Ipswich, where he spent nine years honing his
craft before making the move to east London. Manning continued: "I feel
like I've settled in very well, there are a lot of very good people at the
Academy and the Club who have treated me really well. That's been very
helpful for me and it's an exciting time with so many promising players
coming through. "Having seen the standard now at U21 level for a while, we
have some of the best players around. Slaven Bilic has shown on several
occasions that he is willing to give them opportunities in the first team,
which is very important."

While he has certainly enjoyed his time at the Academy of Football so far,
Manning stressed the importance of man-management when developing promising
youngsters into professional footballers. "I like to get to know players on
a personal level, I think it's very important to understand what makes them
tick and to understand their family background, how they operate. I think
it's important to produce good people as well as good players. "Having
played for several local clubs, I'd like to think I have a good knowledge of
the immediate area, there's a lot of competition in London and Essex which
is great. "If you look at the clubs around us, Southampton and Tottenham
have bought some very good players through recently. We're just starting to
do that; Reece Oxford against Arsenal and then the youthful bench we had
away at Liverpool are all good signs."

Trevivian is a vastly experienced coach who has previously worked at
Ipswich, Watford and Southend United. Most recently, Trevivian worked as a
Youth Coach Educator for the Football Association and he joins the Hammers
as Head of Academy Player Development. The Cornwall-born coach worked under
former West Ham manager John Lyall at Ipswich as an Academy coach before
moving to Watford in 2002. There, he served as Academy Director under
Gianluca Vialli. He later joined Southend, where he was assistant manager to
Steve Tilson and also headed up the Shrimpers' successful youth setup.
Speaking about the exciting addition of the two new members of staff,
Westley enthused: "It's another message of our intent that we've been able
to attract two very high calibre, highly sought after coaches. At West Ham
United, we have a history of producing good footballers but also good
coaches and staff, and we're trying to continue that now. "Liam Manning
comes from good stock, there were a lot of other clubs that were trying to
get him, so we're delighted that he is at the Club. He is very diligent and
hardworking, very open minded and popular with the players and the staff.
"He wants to work with all ages which is nice to see, he'll give the U13s
the same amount of focus and concentration as the U21s which is very good.
It's fantastic that he is with us. "We are also delighted to announce that
Peter Trevivian has come on board too. The FA didn't want him to leave which
gives you an idea of how good he is. He's vastly experienced in the
development of players; he's been a manager and assistant manager himself, a
coach and an educator "He'll give us a calm head, years of experience and
he's a really great asset to bring to the Club. He'll be in charge of the
development of individual plans for players. He'll really focus on what each
player needs individually to push on to make that next big step.

"They are both two very, very good additions for the Academy and the Club as
a whole."

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Westley proud of hard-earned win
WHUFC.com

Terry Westley praised his Development Squad's determination and commitment
in securing a 1-0 Barclays U21 Premier League Division Two win at Swansea
City. To a man, West Ham United's young professionals put their bodies on
the line in South Wales, making tackles, blocks and chasing down everything
in sight. Their persistence and shear hard work was rewarded when Jordan
Brown stabbed Alex Pike's pull-back into the net just before the hour-mark
to seal their third win on the bounce. Reflecting on a hard-earned three
points, Academy Manager and Head of Coaching and Player Development Westley
said: "It was a hard-fought victory in very difficult conditions, it could
have easily been called off, but thankfully it wasn't. "The rain was
torrential but the wind was the biggest factor. Maybe we applied ourselves a
fraction more than what the opposition did; the end result is that we have a
well-earned victory. "Four wins out of five breed confidence, the players
start trusting our methods but also believing more in themselves. It was
just as pleasing as it was a changed team from last week; we had a few young
players involved today. It was a real test, and every single one of them put
in a real shift, they gave everything they've got and were rewarded."

The win sets up the Hammers perfectly for their next game, which comes
around as soon as Wednesday evening at Exeter City in the Barclays U21
Premier League Cup Round of 32. Reflecting further on Monday's plucking of
the Swans, Westley was delighted to see a relatively inexperienced side
prove more than a match for their hosts. U18 captain and Swiss midfielder
Noha Sylvestre impressed during his U21 debut, as did England youth
international Vashon Neufville at left-back. Westley continued: "It was
good for us that we were able to field two youngsters, as this was the first
time both had played for the U21s this season. "Noha played wide of a
midfield four, he'll be pleased of his debut and rightly so, I was pleased
with what I saw. It's a good start for him at U21 level. "I thought Vashon
was our best player. We've been working with him to move the ball quicker
and he's taken that on board, because you can't just run with the ball every
time. He was up against a decent player on the right and he did very well."

Looking ahead to Wednesday's cup tie in Devon, Westley is already
considering his options. Given the short turnaround it is highly likely the
Academy manager will make a number of changes.
"We're staying in the South West because it made more logistical sense and
cut down the amount of travelling we needed to do. We have to see whether
any first-team players down to join us or not. We had a lot of good players
not involved, Djair Parfitt-Williams, Leo Chambers and Marcus Browne among
others, so you would expect them to all be involved. "We'll look at everyone
and see how the recovery from today's game goes and then we'll make some
decisions."

Kick-off in Wednesday's Barclays U21 Premier League Cup Round of 32 tie at
St James Park is at 7pm. For South West-based Hammers heading along, tickets
are priced at £8 for Adults, £4 for Over-62s and £2 for Under-16s. All entry
is through the Main Stand turnstiles.

The winners will host Colchester United or Fulham in the Round of 16.

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'Gibbo' honoured at the Boleyn Ground
WHUFC.com

Andrew Gibbs, 45 and currently serving as an instructor at the Maritime
Warfare School at HMS Collingwood in Fareham, set up and leads Doing it for
Heroes, a group of dedicated volunteers raising funds for Help for Heroes to
help rebuild the lives of those suffering due to their service. Their
efforts to date have spanned seven years to raise a staggering £400,000 for
charity by running walking challenges and fundraising collections across the
United Kingdom. Challenges have included walking from Wembley to Cardiff for
the UEFA Euro 2012 football qualifier and from the City of London to the
Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to kick off the 6 Nations rugby tournament.
Around 35 people have played their part in his team of volunteer
fundraisers.

Following Sunday's presentation, Mr Gold said: "It's a privilege to present
Andrew with his richly-deserved Point of Light award at the Boleyn Ground.
"I've met Andrew on several occasions and we're all delighted that his
extraordinary dedication to the Help for Heroes cause has been recognised by
Prime Minister David Cameron. I know it was particularly special for Andrew
that the award be presented here, at the Boleyn Ground, where so much
fundraising has taken place."

The generous fans at West Ham have played a huge part in supporting the
amazing fundraising achievement, but it's not over yet. Mr Gibbs added:
"It's an immense honour to receive this award and it's all about the team
that helped me achieve all that we have done to help support those affected
by their service. "They continue to need support for life and we're not
stopping now-the next target is half a million for Help for Heroes which we
hope to achieve by their tenth anniversary in 2017! A huge thanks especially
go to all those who have donated at the Upton Park collections."

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "With his fundraising for Help for
Heroes, Chief Petty Officer Andrew Gibbs has done a huge amount to support
our Armed Forces. As a serving member of the Royal Navy he sees first-hand
the bravery and sacrifices our forces make for us every day."

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The Big Interview - Angelo Ogbonna
WHUFC.com

It was a case of mixed emotions for centre-half Angelo Ogbonna on Sunday,
whose delight with a first Barclays Premier League start since September was
tempered by West Bromwich Albion's second-half leveller. Ogbonna has had to
bide his time since suffering a hamstring injury against Newcastle United at
the Boleyn Ground, but looked as assured as ever alongside Winston Reid at
the heart of the back four. Here, the Italian reflects on what might have
been against the Baggies and insists Saturday's trip to Old Trafford should
hold no fear for the Hammers.

Angelo, good to be back in the starting line-up today...

"I'm very happy for that, it was a really good game. From the start, we were
good in possession, we looked forward. It's an unlucky point in the end
because we wanted to win."

In the first half, you played some really good football...

"Maybe we had to close the match in the first half, score more goals. Maybe
it's an excuse. The second half was really good too, but unlucky for the
result. "We have to look forward to the next game, a big game at Old
Trafford. We need all the support, not just of the team, but of our fans. We
have another chance to do better."

You've been on the bench for a few weeks now, even though you are fit. You
must have been really pleased to get back into the team...

"I waited for my chance and the chance has come, and I have to take my
position, take my opportunity and I have to take it for the team."

Were you happy with the way you played on Sunday?

"Yes, I'm happy, not just with my performance, but everybody, everybody
played really, really good game. Really good shape, so I'm just disappointed
for the result. But this is football."

Manchester United next week, a chance to play at Old Trafford. Your first
time at Old Trafford?

"I don't want to talk too much about the next game. We firstly have to
prepare, we have to relax and forget about Sunday."

You've already won at Arsenal, at Manchester City and at Liverpool, so you
can go there without any fears?

"Any fear? No, we're not afraid, because this is our job. This is our
passion, so we have to prepare everything without being afraid."

Another injury, after Dimitri and now we have Diafra as well. So
disappointing and frustrating, isn't it?

"This is football. We are really disappointed we are without a good player,
but it's a chance for another player."

West Ham had a couple of opportunities towards the end, Victor Moses and
then Diafra. Did you think he'd scored? Certainly a lot of the fans did...

"If Diafra hadn't got injured then maybe he'd have scored! We didn't have a
couple of opportunities, we had a lot of opportunities to score, Victor
Moses, Andy Carroll, Cheikhou, Diafra. We have to move on now."

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Cresswell - We don't need any motivation
WHUFC.com

West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell insists the players will not need
any motivation playing against Manchester United on Saturday and hopes they
can record another memorable away victory at Old Trafford. The Hammers have
already showed they can compete against the big teams on their travels this
season recording famous wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
After going four league games without a win, Cresswell knows the importance
of seeing his side get back on the winning trail and sees no reason why they
cannot record all three points at the weekend. Cresswell said: "We don't
need any motivation playing at Old Trafford. They are a fantastic team and
are third in the league. "We need to go there and try and get something out
of the game."

Despite taking the lead against West Brom with a superb free-kick from Mauro
Zarate and producing one of their best first half displays this season, the
Hammers had to settle for a point after Rickie Lambert scored early in the
second half. Cresswell reveals the players were disappointed they could not
secure all three points but says it could have been a lot different had
Adrian not produced a wonder save in the second half to keep out a powerful
header from Salomon Rondon.
Cresswell added: "Adrian is a fantastic keeper and as everyone knows he has
pulled off some unbelievable saves. "He had no right getting to that ball
but he has saved us a point there. But we are still disappointed that we
could not come away with all three points. "It was a game of two halves. The
first half was probably one of our best performances at home. "They scored
early in the second half and that took the wind out of us. They got a bit of
luck with the ball hitting Reidy's hand and we couldn't get the goal that we
needed. "We kicked on but we could not get the rub of the green to find a
second goal."

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Diafra Sakho: West Ham striker to undergo scan on injury
BBC.co.uk

West Ham's Diafra Sakho will have a scan on Wednesday to discover how long
he will be sidelined by the leg injury he suffered in the draw with West
Brom. The 25-year-old pulled up after taking a shot and was substituted in
the 17th minute of the 1-1 draw at Upton Park. The Senegal striker has
scored five goals in 14 appearances for the Hammers this season. West Ham
are already without midfielder Dimitri Payet, who has been ruled out until
February with an ankle injury. Ecuadorian striker Enner Valencia is also
sidelined by an ankle problem. Speaking after Sunday's game about Sakho's
injury, West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said: "That worried me more than the
result. I don't know if it's too early before the scan but it looks like a
muscle injury. "It's a big blow for us after Enner Valencia and Dimitri
Payet."

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WHY WE NEED A RESULT AT OLD TRAFFORD
By Bobby Shovels 1 Dec 2015 at 09:00
WTID

Last week, I spoke about how those famous away wins were beginning to fade
into background: the results against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City
feel an age away, especially now we have gone four games without a win.
What's more worrying is that we have not had a clean sheet since the
Newcastle win – that's ten games in a row. Yes, we are consistently getting
on the score sheet (bar Watford, and even when we get trashed, like at
Spurs), but a top quality side relies on its back line and we desperately
need a good clean sheet – something Manchester United have become very good
at recently.

That is indeed a worry given that we were frequently defensively strong
under Allardyce – even in the season when we almost went down, we had one of
the highest number of clean sheets in the league. We are clearly an
attacking threat, but the defensive frailties are a concern. However, what
was more concerning about the draw against West Brom was not the defence but
the attack. Bilic said a few weeks back he wanted us to shoot more but we
have not taken that on board. We seem to have this weird tendency to not
shoot when he should and to shoot when he shouldn't, Mauro Zarate being the
prime offender in the latter category. What was upsetting about Sunday was
that we clearly deserved to win but just did not take the chances: we need
to be far more lethal when it comes to these sorts of games.

Which brings me to my next point: the worrying tendency to not be able to
beat teams at home: Norwich, Bournemouth, West Brom – they are teams we
should be claiming three points from. We have not from any of those
fixtures. I was called a pessimist before for pointing this out, but now I
feel we should all be collectively concerned at our inability to be ruthless
and to get three points from what, are on paper, easy games. And I have to
admit I thought West Brom were one of the dullest, poorest sides that I've
ever seen in the Premier League, hence their desire to time waste from the
minute they equalised.

This brings me on to my belief that that's why we need a result at Old
Trafford: because if I am to believe that this is genuine team with a
genuine hope of a top ten finish, then we should be able to muster the
courage and energy of those famous, distant wins from a few months back. We
should be able to show an ability to bounce back from four fixtures without
a win, to bounce back from two consecutive losses away that have seen us
ship six goals. Or we have to admit that the shine has gone from those early
results and we now accept that we have to start performing more solidly and
convincingly against lesser opposition. We have Aston Villa coming up soon,
and that is a perfect opportunity to show that we can be clinical, rather
than the West Ham of old that always messes up.

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SLAVEN: CHIN TICKLER
By Mike Ireson 1 Dec 2015 at 08:00
WTID

It's been a funny old week.

One very poor performance against a deadly rival has spread a bit of panic
amongst us.

Are we a one man team? Have our tactics been sussed out? Is it the end of
the world as we know it?

The answer to all the above is no.

When we take a couple paces back and look around, the claret and blue world
is actually not three bad at all.

After a smidge over a third of the way in to the season we're sixth with 21
points.

Would we have taken that before a ball was kicked in anger at the start of
the season?

Too damn right we would.

If we were to replicate the results so far in the other two thirds of the
season we would end up, despite having lost 12 games, with around 60 points.
That, last season, would have landed us in 6th or 7th place.

Will we take that?

Too damn right we will.

I'm feeling a bit sorry for Slaven Bilic and the team at the moment. Bilic
came in to the job in a different position from the majority of recent
incumbents.

He was the overwhelming choice amongst us for the job, and we have all
welcomed him with open arms.

His West Ham connection and pleasant, honest personality meant he could walk
down Green Street on day one of his employment knowing he was truly wanted
in his job.
The same cannot be said about many of his predecessors.

Since we said goodbye to our favourite wheeler dealer, Mr Redknapp, no one
has been afforded the love Slaven has received.

Glenn Roeder was in the right place at the right time to step up from
reserve team coach, his name would not have featured on any of our lists of
potential new managers.

Alan Pardew struggled for a long time after his arrival to convince us he
was our man, again he would have been far from the top of our lists at the
time of appointment.

Alan Curbishley came in with some favour due to his club connections, but
the lack of a sparkling personality or track record of exciting football
meant there was nothing like 'Slavenmania'.

Gianfranco Zola, although a charming man, had the stigma of being a Chelsea
man along with no proven record at the top level.

Avram Grant. Don't. Get. Me. Started.

And Big Sam, well you all know how welcome he was.

And here we are with Slaven. Rightly given a bigger welcome than the
previous six put together.

But there was always going to come a point in time when the honeymoon period
came crashing to a halt. And that was last Sunday.

Have we suddenly thought he may not be the right man? Of course not.

The level of his success in the first 12 games had tickled us all under the
chin and we got a bit cocksure. He should have taken those first 12 games to
get himself settled in, with our expectations low to allow for him to tinker
with the side until he got it working.

But what did he do? He went and got it right from game one and tore through
our expectations like a wrecking ball.

If the Tottenham game had been the first of the season we'd have patted
Slaven on the head and told him not to worry. It takes time to get things
right.

But he had messed with our expectations. We were slightly dizzy and
disorientated by some of the previous results.

But when we step back and take it all in we have to be happy.

And if you don't believe me have a look at the bottom of the table. We are
nowhere near it and our name is not Aston Villa or Newcastle United.

Keep calm everyone.

COYI

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GENIUS AND GARBAGE - WEST HAM STILL IN TRANSITION
By HamburgHammer 30 Nov 2015 at 16:00
WTID

The sight of Zarate trying to get rid of a resilient bin liner bothering him
prior to taking a free kick was quite symbolic. He threw it away, but it
settled just a metre or so away from him again before finally being removed
by a steward. Against West Brom the game in itself was entertaining enough,
played against the backdrop of a wet and windy afternoon in East London
(being mirrored by the way by a wet and windy afternoon in Hamburg as well).
Apart from the bin liner there was some football garbage to be seen on the
pitch too, but also some pretty nice skills.

Our defence again looked at times all over the place culminating in the
unlucky equaliser stemming frrom a deflection off Reid's arm that gave
Adrian no chance.
Our goal in the first half from that sublime unstoppable well measured gem
of a freekick was a sight to behold. If it had been scored by a Man U or
Arsenal player I'm sure we would hear about it for the next four weeks. As
Zarate still plays for West Ham we'll be lucky if the pundits talk about it
for four hours, but it was indeed a magnificent goal.
I also liked the link up play between Zarate and Lanzini who seems to get
into his role as a younger version of Payet more and more.

Obiang worked quite well playing alongside Kouyate.

Jenkinson on the other hand appears to run out of excuses, again he had a
below average performance and this will not have gone unnoticed with Bilic.

Same as Carroll (again) not doing a lot really when he came on. He's a very
expensive luxury player to have and I don't think West Ham as a club can
really afford to have that kind of luxury player. I can only hope Newcastle
will be desperate enough in January to make West Ham and Carroll an offer
they simply cannot refuse.

Don't get me wrong, I am aware of what Carroll can do and I'm also grateful
for the goals he has in fact scored for us (some vital ones too), but in the
long run he delivers too little while costing the club too much in wages to
justify keeping him really.

Our whole team though right now (with exceptions in Lanzini, Adrian and to a
degree Zarate, Cresswell and Kouyate) are underperforming and playing well
short on confidence. Which is natural if you fail to win a game for a while.
I'm sure things will improve for us again, but make no mistake: The injury
to Payet has knocked us for six.

We are still trying to find a way to cope without him and we are clearly
struggling. Payet was the secret missing ingredient to make our team and
club tick.

With him gone we still haven't quite found a surrogate ingredient, Lanzini
may continue to grow into that role, but the dish will still not taste quite
the same as it ever did with Payet in the side I'm afraid.

Bur there is no point in moaning and cursing our bad luck with injuries (who
knows how long Sakho will now be out after having to leave the game early
?). We need to maintain that "us against the rest" mentality and mindset of
togetherness now. We are losing a bit of touch with the top regions of the
table, so we are indeed looking at a solid midtable position near the top
now I reckon. Which of course is not the end of the world at all. As this is
still, I believe I mentioned this several times before, a season of
transition. We are moving into the OS next season and we will be a Premier
League club. Considering that there is an ever decreasing number of home
games left at the Boleyn I was saddened to listen to the flat atmosphere at
Upton Park on the telly. Sure enough the crowd was nervous as we failed to
score that vital second goal, but again this showed to me that atmosphere is
very much depending on the way our team plays, not necessarily where it
plays.

The atmosphere will be magnificient in the OS if our play on the pitch
warrants it, it will be very much crap if the performance (and result)
leaves something to be desired.

Which brings me to the final (personal) note. My parent's house has finally
been sold, there is still some legal paperwork required, but the day is not
far off now when my brother and I will be handing over the keys to the new
owners and then we can finally try and move on. It's hard leaving behind all
those memories (good and bad) and, yes, leaving behind a house that was a
home to me and a lovely place to return to for the visits for the best part
of 35 years.

Not quite as long as the Hammers have been at the Boleyn, I know, but I now
start to get an idea of what a lot of you guys and gals are going through
now with our upcoming move to the OS.

Man U next then, a game I will only be able to watch the first half of
because I'll have to attend the Golden Wedding anniversary of my uncle (my
mom's brother) and my auntie.
I hope we'll get at least a point there. And please let us finish the game
with no further injuries. That is something we can really do without. God
bless!

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West Ham crock Diafra Sakho to have thigh scan in next 24 hours as club
dread lengthy layoff
21:13, 1 DEC 2015 UPDATED 21:23, 1 DEC 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Striker only recently returned from a similar injury was forced off against
West Brom and Hammers are concerned he'll miss the next three months
The Mirror

West Ham will discover the full extent of Diafra Sakho's thigh injury in the
next 48 hours. Senegal international Sakho will have a scan on Wednesday
after suffering the damage as he stretched to take a shot in Sunday's 1-1
home draw with West Brom. The 25-year-old striker only returned from a month
out with a similar issue to face Tottenham in the Hammers ' previous game,
and now faces a longer lay-off. As we revealed yesterday , the east
Londoners fear Sakho will be sidelined until February. That would be
another big injury setback to Upton Park boss Slaven Bilic's attacking
ambitions. Already this season, he has lost Enner Valencia for two lengthy
spells and Dimitri Payet for three months, while Andy Carroll missed the
first month of the campaign.

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West Ham's Diafra Sakho facing THREE MONTHS out as their injury bug bites
again
22:30, 30 NOV 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
The striker went off with a thigh problem on Sunday and it's understood the
area is too swollen to even be scanned yet PLUS: Valencia comeback latest
The Mirror

West Ham fear Diafra Sakho will be out for up to three months after picking
a thigh injury in Sunday's match with West Brom. The Irons have been boosted
however, by the news that Enner Valencia could be back for their Christmas
programme. Senegal striker Sakho pulled up with 17 minutes of the 1-1 draw
left and now faces a scan this week to determine the exact length of time he
will be out. Club sources are hoping it is not worse than the initial
estimates, but it is understood the affected area is too badly swollen to be
scanned as yet. It is the latest in a series of blows for the Hammers, who
already have Dimitri Payet out for three months. Sakho has scored five
goals in 14 appearances in all competitions this season. Forward Valencia
missed the first three months of the season with an ankle injury picked up
in a Europa League qualifier in July. After a comeback last month against
Watford, he was again injured in the 1-1 draw with Everton. West Ham do have
options up front with Andy Carroll and Nikica Jelavic both fit ahead of
games against Manchester United, Stoke, Swansea and Aston Villa. They are
hoping Valencia will be available by the time they face Southampton and
Liverpool in successive home games either side of New Year.

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Hammers plan for winter crisis
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 1, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are looking at crisis plans should the striker crisis look to be
heading beyond the January. The club are caught on the horns of a dilemma
knowing that should their striker curse continue into the New Year they will
have to bring in a player or even two to breach the gamp. Juventus striker
Simone Zaza would be among the names they would be looking at but the
biggest problem is an empty till for transfer funds whilst being up to
their FFP ceiling. A top level source – talking to ClaretandHugh – explained
the problems and admitted that they would somehow have to circumvent the
situation on finances if things failed to improve. He said: "There's no
panic at this stage because the extent of Diafra Sakho's problem is unknown
and hopes are rising that Enner Valencia could be back before Christmas.
"The club will wait for a while and soldier on for now because there's
nothing that can be done anyway until the window opens. "Everybody is
hopeful there will be good news on Diafra and fingers are crossed on Enner.
However, should the problem still be a problem in Jauary something ould
have to be done." And we have learned that would involve a board meeting
aimed at finding a way of circumventing the financial problems with wages
and FFP in order for the club to protect its season.

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Hammers linked with Chinese investment
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 1, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have once again been linked with a take over or investment by
Chinese investors. In the last 24 hours news broke that Man City group sold
a 13% stake in the club, worth £265m, to a consortium of Chinese investors.

City Football Group (CFG) has sold the stake to CMC (China Media Capital)
and investment company Citic Capital. CFG is an investment and development
company which is privately owned by Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi royal
family. It also includes New York City FC, Melbourne City FC and Yokohama
Marinos.

BBC reporter Dan Roan tweeted today that the same fate could happen to West
Ham next year after the move to the Olympic Stadium. Roan who recently
fronted a BBC documentary on the Olympic Stadium 'How the Hammers stuck
Gold' said "Some suspect the one Chinese would really like is West Ham
(Olympic Stadium, already own nearby land). Not for sale apparently, let's
see"

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Let's end this 10 game run in Manchester
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 1, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham's shortage of clean sheets has not gone unnoticed by the club's
powers that be and they have not been frightened to say so publicly. The
Irons run of games in which they have conceded now totals ten of the trot –
stretching back to the game against Newcastle in September indicating where
the team's major problems have been. Along the way the Irons have conceded
no less than 17 goals and David Gold has made it clear he's not happy and
wants an end to it at Old Trafford this weekend.

Speaking to ClaretandHugh he said: "Not only have we been desperately
unlucky with injures but it seems every mistake we make gets punished with a
goal – it's frustrating not to mention expensive. "We have now gone 10 games
without without a clean sheet which is probelmatival and the game at Old
Trafford would be the perfect place to put a halt to that. "We are a good
team and I still travel with great confidence. We can't let misfortune get
to us – that no way forward."

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Striker boost for Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 1, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are hoping that Enner Valencia will be back in action earlier than
expected and be ready for the Christmas programme! The Ecuador international
is recovering from a new ankle injury sustained in the clash against Everton
but hopes are high that he will be back for the crowded programme against
Villa, Southampton and Liverpool over Christmas and the New year.
Early thoughts had been that the player would be sidelined for eight to ten
weeks but that has now been revised and hopes are on the rise that he will
players his part and give the Irons a Christmas present! We were told by a
reliable source: "It's impossible to be absolutely spot on with these things
but the report is he is making very decent progress. "We would be hopeful of
having him back for the festive programme which after all the recent
problems would be a massive result for us."

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Ogbonna heads to OT for first time
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 1, 2015 in News
C and H

Happy-to-be-back Angelo Ogbonna admits the Irons should have had the game
against West Brom won by half time. The big Italian has waited for his
chance to return to the team on after injury and said: " "I am very happy
for that. I waited for my chance, it has come and I have to take my
opportunity and try and keep my place in the team. "I am happy with my
performance, but not just mine, everybody played a really good game, we had
a good shape, so I am a little disappointed with the result. But he admitted
to London24.com: "We had to close the match out in the first half and score
more goal. In the second half, I thought we were good too, but we were
unlucky. "If Diafra doesn't get injured then maybe he scores, and we had
lots of opportunities – Victor Moses, Andy Carroll, Cheikhou Kouyate and
Sakho as well, but we have to forget it now and look forward to the next
game at Old Trafford. "It is my first time there, but I don't want to talk
about it too much, but we just have to relax for a day and then start to
prepare for the match against Manchester United. "We need the support of not
only all the team, but also the fans. We have another chance to do better in
the future and we want to take that."

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Irons outcast set for long stay
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 1, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and h

David Gold has been fan of Mauro Zarate since his days at Birmingham when
as a young striker with attitude he arrived on loan. Brought back into
English football for the second time under his and David Sullivan's
stewardship, he is thrilled to see the striker well and truly in the
Hammers first team fold. Zarate had arrived at St Andrews as a 21 year from
Qatar club Al Sadd, and managed four goals from 14 before moving on to Lazio
on loan later signing a permanent deal and staying four years. Gold and
Sullivan never forgot the player who scored a genius free kick against the
Baggies at the weekend. Slaven Bilic commented: "Mauro has got it and it is
a natural talent the way he shoots the ball. Whether it is from free-kicks
or open play when he scored against Chelsea. "He practices that every day in
training and it wasn't a surprise to see him do that. It was a great goal."

Zarate's arrival as a starter or regular squad member is a testimony to his
attitude after becoming an Irons outcast last season and looking likely to
be on his way from Upton Park.
DG said: "He's always been a smashing player. At his best he is great but he
can, shall we say be unpredictable and you have to accept that side of
things. But as we saw on Sunday he can do superb things with the ball. "He
is a player who believes he should always be in and around the first team
squad – give him that and an arm around a shoulder and you have a very good
asset on your hands. Making him feel wanted is the key and he's getting
that. "There was talk of him perhaps moving on at one point but I think he's
going to be around for some time to come. He's enjoying his time here now
and we are starting to see the best of him."

Zarate's Hammers record:

2015/16:

Europa Cup: Played 4………. Goals 1
League Cup: Played 1………. Goals 1
Prem League:Played 10……. Goals 3

2014/15

Prem Lge……Played 7……….. Goals 2
Lge Cup………Played 1 ………..Goals 0

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Hammers linked to striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 1, 2015 in News
C and H

Juventus winger Simone Zaza is not ruling out a move to England in the
January transfer window. However, with the Hammers in an acute cash flow
problem it's difficult to see how the player could make his way to Upton
Park. Having said that it would be premature to rule out some sort of loan
move if it can be worked should the Hammers still be experiencing serious
injury problems. Zaza was linked with a summer move to the Irons in the
summer and has since found life difficult in Turin having only started
three league games this term. After recently revealing West Ham made him on
offer in the summer, Zaza's agent Christian Maifredi now claims that his
player is not on the market but that could change. He said: "Now we're about
to enter the January transfer market," Maifredi told TuttoJuve.com. "We
haven't had any kind of contact yet from any club, but it's obvious that it
could happen with me or the club because of his performances.

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Stan Collymore suggests 4-4-2 could solve West Ham's Andy Carroll conundrum
HITC
Billy Hawkins

West Ham boss Bilic is searching for a way to utilise Andy Carroll
correctly. Speaking to talkSPORT, Stan Collymore has suggested a way that
West Ham could utilise Andy Carroll to his best strengths, diverting from
their 4-2-3-1 system to play with two strikers upfront. Collymore said:
"Could they play with two up top? Leicester City have been doing it all
season, and look what's happened to them. Is there any way that West Ham
could have Payet playing off both Sakho and Carroll, or is Carroll surplus
to requirements and should [Bilic] look to shift him on."

Leicester and Watford are two teams who have been playing with two strikers
upfront this season, and both are doing it to great effect. Jamie Vardy has
excelled due to the space gifted to him by Shinji Okazaki's clever running,
whilst Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo share a frightening mix of power,
precision and finishing ability which has scared a number of defences. Due
to the overriding influence of lone striker systems over the past few years,
it is almost as if defences have forgotten how to deal with a strike
partnership, and the Hammers could benefit playing this style due to
Carroll's obvious strengths. As a target man, there are few better forwards
in the Premier League, but he needs a player running off him to benefit from
the space he creates and the aerial duels he wins. Collymore has suggested
that Diafra Sakho could play alongside Carroll, and although Sakho us
currently out of action, it is certainly a bold idea. The striker duo would
seemingly be perfectly suited to playing alongside one another, with Dimitri
Payet sitting in a wide midfield role to send balls into them. Right now,
the Hammers would have to try this system with both Payet and Sakho out of
action, but when they are fit again, a 4-4-2 could be the perfect way for
Carroll to finally have a positive impact at the Boleyn Ground.

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Didier Drogba explains reason why he snubbed West Ham after holding transfer
talks
HITC
Olly Dawes

Didier Drogba has revealed that he snubbed West Ham as a youngster. Montreal
Impact striker Didier Drogba has told Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday that he
had the chance to join West Ham earlier in his career. Drogba, 37, enjoyed a
superb first season in Major League Soccer, smashing 12 goals in 12 games
for Montreal Impact after his departure from Chelsea. The Ivorian is winding
down his career over in Canada, having enjoyed a remarkable spell in England
with Chelsea, joining the club for two separate stints. With 164 goals in
381 games for the Blues following a move from Marseille in 2004, Drogba
became a Stamford Bridge hero, and he received the perfect send off at the
end of last season. Drogba will always be tied to Chelsea, but now it has
emerged that he could have joined another Premier League club, and one of
Chelsea's London rivals; West Ham United. Speaking to Sky Sports' Goals on
Sunday, Drogba revealed that, whilst he was playing for Guingamp in France,
he had the chance to sign for the Hammers. Drogba claims that West Ham came
to his house for talks over a transfer to Upton Park, but he rejected the
move as he wasn't ready to leave France for a move to England - even though
he did finally become a Premier League player just two years later. "I was
at Guingamp at that time," he said. "I'd just arrived at the club and they
came to my house and spoke, but it didn't happen. I wasn't ready to go."
It's interesting to think about how Drogba's career may have been different
had he joined West Ham, but given how impressive he was in the Premier
League, it's fair to suggest that he would have been just as successful in
claret and blue as he was at Stamford Bridge.

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I don't regret leaving West Ham, says Stewart Downing
SAM LONG 54 minutes ago0 comments
Evening Standard

Middlesbrough midfielder Stewart Downing has revealed that he has no regrets
about his decision to leave West Ham in the summer. The 31-year-old made 37
Premier League appearances for the Hammers last season but turned his back
on regular top-flight football to rejoin his boyhood club in July. Although
Slaven Bilic's side have enjoyed an impressive start to the season and are
flying high in eighth place Downing believes that his return to Teeside has
been vindicated. Asked whether he regrets leaving West Ham, Downing told the
Telegraph: "I might do if we don't get promoted, but no, not really. "I've
had no regrets up till now. We're in a good position in the league and after
tomorrow night we could be in the semi-final of the cup."

Aitor Karanka's side are currently second in the Championship table, two
points adrift of Brighton, and can secure a place in the Capital One Cup
semi-finals with victory against Everton tonight. "The aim is to get
promoted, but this is a great opportunity for us to reach a semi-final,"
stressed Downing. "By the end of the week we could be top of the
Championship [if Boro beat Ipswich Town on Friday night] and looking forward
to a semi-final." The town of Middlesbrough has endured difficult times of
late after 2,200 people lost their jobs due to the controversial closure of
the SSI steel plant in Redcar and Downing is determined to help give the
area a lift. "These are hard times on Teesside and, no disrespect to the
Championship, but our fans want to see us taking on the likes of Manchester
United, Liverpool and Everton again every week. "Promotion would be good for
the area financially, it would be massive if we get promoted. It would give
the whole town a lift, I think."

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Mauro Zárate makes a strong case for the special pleasure of a freekick
specialist
Guardian.co.uk
Paul Doyle
Tuesday 1 December 2015 11.01 GMT Last modified on Tuesday 1 December 2015
11.03 GMT

Welcome, Mauro Zárate, we hadn't really been expecting you, but we're sure
glad you came. We need more like you. Because every football match should
have at least one freekick maestro just as every city should have at least
one court and concert hall, ideally to be used in conjunction with each
other.

A team with a setpiece specialist is like a judge with a giant gavel and a
voice fit for movie trailers. And well-executed freekicks give a special
pleasure, delivering justice with aplomb or a punch. Once a player has
proved his deadliness from freekicks – as Zárate did with that wicked marvel
against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday – he gains a new status and adds
another layer of intrigue to his subsequent matches.

Opponents of West Ham will henceforth be extra wary of fouling within Zárate
territory and, when freekicks are awarded in range, onlookers will
experience a heightened thrill of anticipation and apprehension, Hammers
fans knowing that Zárate could mete out another spectacular punishment and
opposing fans dreading the harshest sentence but knowing they could yet be
fully pardoned – and the greater the fear beforehand, the more satisfying
the jeer if the ball finds the wall or the stands.

So that's the type of character Zárate has become, joining what promises to
become a good-sized cast in this season's Premier League. Willian is the
star so far, though Christian Eriksen has the same tally, both having scored
twice from direct freekicks this term. Oscar, Yann M'Vila and Gyllfi
Sigurdsson have each converted one, meaning that Zarate's success on Sunday
took the number of goals from direct freekicks in the season so far (eight)
past the total for the whole 1999/2000 season (seven), a surprising feat
given David Beckham and Ian Harte were active back then.

Beckham, as it happened, only scored from one freekick in the league that
season, while Harte did not score from any. But both atoned the following
season, each scoring four times from freekicks in the 2000-01 league season,
a campaign haul that only one player has exceeded in the last two decades.

All hail Laurent Robert, scorer of five freekicks in the 2001/02 season and
11 overall in his Premier League career, the same number as Cristiano
Ronaldo and Sebastian Larsson, but not as many as Thierry Henry and
Gianfranco Zola, who both scored 12 in the league, with Beckham the outright
leader with a total of 15.

David Beckham was known for scoring from direct freekicks and here he tries
to do so against Real Madrid at Old Trafford in April 2003 Facebook Twitter
Pinterest
David Beckham was known for scoring from direct freekicks and here he tries
to do so against Real Madrid at Old Trafford in April 2003. Photograph: Tom
Jenkins for the Guardian
Larsson has yet to score with a freekick this season and the sense of
anticipation when he stands over one is dwindling, but, aged 30, he must
have a few years left in him, even if M'Vila could try to pull rank on him.
Patrick van Aanholt could also make a case for being involved after his goal
against Stoke on Saturday, smashing the ball into the net from 25 yards
after a freekick was rolled to him by Adam Johnson.

So there is scope for many more goals from direct freekicks this season.
Like Larsson, Alexandar Kolarov is an established threat who has yet to
convert one, and the same goes for Yaya Touré, Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil,
Jason Puncheon, Chris Brunt, Juan Mata among others. Then there are younger
players who regularly supply fine crosses from freekicks but have yet to
find the net with one in this season's top-flight, notably Robbie Brady and
James Ward-Prowse. And, come to think of it, a goal from a freekick is
something that has been missing from Ross Barkley's repertoire despite his
bright start to the campaign – and it is not for want of trying, as Barkley
has shot from more freekicks without scoring than anyone else.

He and others must hone their technique. Especially if they are to help
surpass the tally of 2007/08, when 41 direct freekicks ended up in the net.

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