Daily WHUFC News - 4th December 2015

Slaven Speaks - Manchester United
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic revealed that DIafra Sakho faces a spell on the sidelines when
he faced the media on Thursday ahead of this weekend's trip to Manchester
United. The striker suffered an injury to his thigh in last Sunday's draw
with West Bromwich Albion and will sit out the busy festive period. Bilic
answered questions on Sakho, the threat Manchester United pose and more in
his weekly press briefing.

Slaven, can we start with your injury news for Saturday please?

SB: "We are still waiting for the results on Diafra Sakho's scan, but it's
not good. As I said we are waiting for the opinion of a couple of
specialists. It happened in a game when he had a chance. When Moses gave him
the ball, he felt it when he was sprinting, but because he is a brave guy he
continued and when he fell down after the shot he felt it again. "It's a
muscle injury, not dangerous for long-term or whatever, but it's not a light
one unfortunately. We are going to be without him for a few games
definitely."

How big a blow is it?

SB: "Of course it's a big blow. In terms of the quantity of injuries we are
not bad, but unfortunately those three injuries have happened to our key
players, especially on the offensive side of our game. Payet, Sakho,
Valencia, it's a big blow to us."

Does it mean you will need to buy a striker now in January?

SB: "Not necessarily. We have strikers, and we have different types of
strikers. I'm not saying we will not try to get someone, but at this time
we're not thinking about that. Okay we're going to have a few meetings and
all that, but we will see."

How important now is Andy Carroll and his form?

SB: "Of course he's important. As I said it's him, and Jelavic and Antonio.
When Dimitri got injured and when Enner got injured, we didn't talk a lot
about him, because he got injured in pre-season. Because he didn't play for
us this season, apart from a few minutes in a few games we didn't talk about
him. He is also a big blow the way he played last year, but it looks like he
will be okay soon. At least we will have him, hopefully, in a couple of
weeks' time. It's a good chance for some of the guys to get minutes to step
in and show their class.

What have you made of Andy Carroll so far?

SB: "He is trying hard in training and he's played really well in the few
games he's had for us. He showed against Norwich, when he came on for the
last 20 minutes or half an hour, and the same against Chelsea and Crystal
Palace. He showed his class, and so far he's showed it more as an impact
player when he's come on. He lifted our game, that's why we brought him in
of course, but also he needs to show it from the start. He's got the
quality, sometimes the players need a longer time to gel in completely and
play like they did before the injury. We hope he's going to do that now for
us, if he plays of course.

Much has been made of the fact that Manchester United are having narrow
victories this season, that they're not playing as exciting football as
previously. What do you think of that?

SB: "Well they are different than, let's say, the Ferguson era, when
especially at home they were electric, playing more vertically, but you say
narrow victories, but they are victories. So they are winning – they're not
conceding goals and somebody said they are boring, but they having the ball.
They are not a team that is giving you the ball and defending, you can call
that kind of football, sometimes, boring.

"They have the ball possession, they are controlling the game and trying to
win every game. Especially at home, when the opponents are defending with
numbers and are compact, you can't play very vertically. You need gaps and
space behind or in between the lines of the opponent. That's hard to find.
We can call it controlled football, we can call it patient football, but it
is so far very effective because they are sitting good in the table."

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Chambers highlights team effort
WHUFC.com

West Ham defender Leo Chambers praised the team effort behind the Hammers'
4-0 win over Exeter City U21 on Wednesday 2 December. Chambers put it a
dominant display at centre-back, and was crucial in securing his side a
clean sheet, their second in consecutive games. Reflecting on the match,
Chambers said: "It was a good performance, we scored a very early goal which
put us on the front foot and it was a good start for us. "Clean sheets are
always good for defenders but it was a whole team effort, I've always said
that clean sheets don't come by accident. The starting XI all worked hard
and so did the subs, we all grafted and got our rewards. "Even though we won
4-0, they did have a few chances, especially at 2-0. Credit to Sam because
he made some vital saves, 4-0 was an excellent result."

The victory, over a spirited and experienced Exeter outfit, was the Hammers
fifth in sixth games and they could not have wished for a better start as
Jaanai Gordon netted after just seven seconds. The forward doubled his tally
just ten minutes later, before Djair Parfitt-Williams and Moses Makasi
netted late on. The 20-year-old continued: "That was most definitely the
quickest goal I've been involved in, I think that's the quickest goal I know
of! I'll be on YouTube and Google later to see what is the quickest goal.
"Overall, I was pleased with my performance; I think I did some good things
tonight. I've seen a few clips of Rio Ferdinand making some blocks like
that, so that one goes to him! The win sees the young Hammers progress to
the Round of 16 where they will host either Fulham or Colchester United.
Chambers finished by saying: "Our confidence is good at the moment, as a
squad we always had that confidence and belief. Earlier on in the season we
didn't get the results we deserved; now our performances are being matched
with the results. "A cup run would be good definitely, we're in the last
sixteen now. Either Fulham or Colchester at home, we've got every chance."

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Westley proud of Dev Squad dedication
WHUFC.com

Terry Westley spoke of his pride for his players and backroom staff after
the Development Squad secured their second win in three days with a 4-0 win
over Exeter City U21s at St James Park.
The resounding victory, which sees the young Hammers progress to the Round
of 16 in the U21 Premier League Cup, followed their 1-0 triumph over Swansea
City U21 on Monday. Reflecting on a highly productive 72 hours, Westley
said: "We've had a really good Monday through to Wednesday. I'm really proud
of the way the players, the staff, everyone has handled themselves
throughout the trip, on and off the pitch. The kitman, physios, everyone,
has worked very diligently, I can't praise them highly enough. "The result
of that hard work is that we've won a hard league game away at Swansea, in
difficult conditions and have progressed to the next round of the cup with a
4-0 win over Exeter City. They're really a Division Two team as a lot of
their team has played league football. The centre-forward that played
tonight is the leading goalscorer. "So both games were two very difficult
challenges, we've come through and managed to field a number of young
players. At times, we played really well, we got through them because of
good play, good football and a plenty of other times when we got round the
back of them."

The Hammers raced to an opening goal in just under eight seconds as Jaanai
Gordon finished emphatically after Marcus Browne and Josh Cullen attacked
from the kick-off. Just ten minutes later, Gordon doubled his personal tally
with a header from Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross. Westley continued:
"People might laugh, but at 2-0, it was a close game, they had a lot of the
ball and were creating chances and if not for the back four and the keeper,
it could have been a lot worse. "Oxford did very well, particularly in the
first half; he recovered extremely well when he lost it while Chambers put
in some very important blocks."

The Grecians had a number of chances to get themselves back into the game,
however the Hammers stood firm and secured the win with late strikes by
Parfitt-Williams and substitute Moses Makasi. Westley's side will now face
either Fulham or Colchester United in the next round. The two sides play
each other on Tuesday 8 December, with the round of 16 tie due to be
scheduled in late December. Westley finished off by saying: "We've now got a
home game in the next round against either Fulham or Colchester United; we
have a good opportunity to get to the quarter finals. Whoever we play will
be a good game. Just like today we showed great determination, desire. "I've
said it before when we played well against West Brom, Stoke and Blackburn
but didn't get the results we deserved, now we're getting what our
performances merit and that is very pleasing."

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Former Player Blog - Tony Cottee
WHUFC.com

Tony Cottee scored 146 goals in 336 matches for West Ham United over two
spells in the 1980s and 1990s. He was part of the Hammers side which won at
Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round in March 1986… There has been
talk of challenging for a European place but, for me, the bigger picture is
finishing in the top half of the Premier League table. At the start to the
season that was the aim for everyone. We made a sensational start with the
away performances and wins at some of the top clubs, which raised
expectations, but I still think that if we get the results to get a top nine
or ten finish I will be absolutely delighted. When you start the season like
we did, some people got carried away about the fantastic position we found
ourselves in, but the main priority is that we are still a Premier League
club when we move into the new Stadium next summer. We have probably done
enough already to ensure we will not be involved in a relegation fight this
season, but it's important that we pick up points quickly in the next few
weeks. When you play four games in a short period of time over Christmas and
the New Year and don't pick up points, and other clubs pick up six or eight
in no time, you can find yourself dropping down the table.

We have got 22 points on the board already and it's important we keep
collecting them going forward. A lot has been said and written about our
injuries, but they are part of football and every club suffers them – and
suspensions – throughout the course of the season. Manchester City have been
without David Silva and Sergio Aguero, Manchester United have lost Luke
Shaw, Liverpool have only just got Daniel Sturridge back, while Arsenal are
going to be without Santi Cazorla and Laurent Koscielny… Every club you can
think of has had long-term injuries. It's unfortunate for West Ham that they
have lost key players in Dimitri Payet and Diafra Sakho, but we cannot dwell
on their absences. As a squad, the boys have got to get together and produce
the goods, while Slaven Bilic and his coaching staff need to work out their
tactics to get us results and performances without them on the pitch. We
have now got to stop moaning about it and the players to take action and get
results on the pitch. We go to Manchester United on Saturday and I see a
team that are struggling to score goals.

Defensively, they are very strong and a lot of that has been down to the
form of Chris Smalling, who has been outstanding, while David De Gea in goal
behind him is back to his best.
Manchester United are not creating chances the way they did under Sir Alex
Ferguson and they do not carry the same attacking threat that they have done
down the years. We have got to go there and stop conceding goals the way we
have been in recent matches, because they don't concede many and if we fall
behind it will be difficult. They are hard to beat. I would take a 0-0 draw
now, and the longer it stays goalless the more chance we have got of
creating a chance and nicking a win in the last 20 minutes through someone
like Manuel Lanzini or Mauro Zarate, who have been excellent. I think this
is a big game for Andy Carroll, too. It is time for him to shine and the
challenge is to get the tactics right to play to his strengths. He is a big
man, but he can play with his back to goal and is also good on the floor, so
we don't want to get suckered into just lumping long balls up to him. As a
striker myself, I know that Andy is only as good as the service he receives,
so it is the responsibility of the team – not just Andy – to get the ball
into good positions and deliver quality into the penalty area. I can see us
setting up with Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble shielding in front of the
back four, then you have Manuel, Mauro and Victor Moses as a creative
attacking trio behind Andy. It's a good chance for Slaven to look at his
squad and for those players to step up.

We have won at Old Trafford many times before, so why can't we do it again?

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Chadwell Chatter - Nikica Jelavic
Whufc.COM

Hello,

I have special memories playing at Old Trafford and look forward to going
back there on Saturday. I have had some great moments there scoring twice
for Everton when we came away with a 4-4 draw and it was a great game to be
involved in. We had lost against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final and we
went there still thinking about the game at Wembley. To be honest we didn't
think we could come away with anything but we had a great game and I managed
to score twice. There were eight goals and with that draw, United lost
points as they looked to win the title. This is something new and I am
looking forward to being involved in the game. It is always a great
atmosphere playing against Manchester United and it is a great stadium.
There will be a big crowd and you have to be at your best playing against
them.

We have already proved this season that we can play against the big teams.
We are a great team and have a great bunch of players. We have a couple of
injuries at the moment but we still have a good team and we can take some
points against United. It will be a tough game for us as they are playing in
front of their own fans, but we want to make it tough for them and come away
with a positive result. We are not going to go there and defend for the
whole game. I am sure we are going to have our chances against them. I am
enjoying my time at West Ham and this is a great club. Everyone around the
club has been fantastic and I am very pleased with the move. I know Slaven
and the management well and that definitely helped at the start. But I also
knew most of the lads as I have played against them before and it was not a
problem for me to settle so quickly. It is a big blow for us that Diafra has
now got injured but we have still got Andy, myself and a couple of the
younger lads. We are going to fight for our place in the team. The important
thing is that the team are playing well and we are winning games. Sometimes
it will be Andy and other times I will play. You want to play and show what
you can do. I will wait for my chance and hopefully I will take it.

We have got great players just behind us and it was an amazing free-kick
from Mauro Zarate against West Brom last weekend. Lanzini has also been
fantastic and he is a great talent. We have got some great players and we
can build on that. This is a big season for the Club as we prepare to move
next summer. We are moving into a bigger stadium and automatically there
will be bigger expectations. But I think we are ready for that step forward.

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Vice-Chairman named Ultimate Businesswoman
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady has been named Ultimate
Businesswoman by Cosmopolitan in their 2015 Ultimate Women's Awards. The
Vice-Chairman was presented with her award by Myleene Klass at the Mayfair
awards dinner, which celebrates the ultimate women who have made a positive
difference to the world. The Vice-Chairman has long been a figurehead for
women in business and has championed their cause throughout her career.
Since arriving at West Ham United in 2010, the Vice-Chairman has brought the
Club back to its core values celebrating West Ham's role at the heart of the
East London community through the Moore than a Football Club brand and has
grown the Hammers' fanbase at grassroots and an international level. Her
ability to grow commercial revenue at every operational level of the
business saw the Club start recording its first operating profits in recent
history. While working tirelessly to attract investment, increase revenue
and reduce the Club's historic debt burden, one of the Vice-Chairman's
greatest triumphs to date came in March 2013, when Her Majesty's Government
selected West Ham United as the anchor concessionaire for the Olympic
Stadium following its transformation into a UEFA Category 4 Football Stadium
in 2016. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to ensure is a truly
world-class destination that will exceed the expectation of Hammers fans
come the first game there next August.

Ms Brady is also an indefatigable supporter of charitable causes as an
Ambassador for The Stroke Association, WellChild and Teenage Cancer Trust.
West Ham United Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold were the first
to offer their congratulations to the Vice-Chairman. They said: "We are
delighted that Karren has won this prestigious award. It is thoroughly
deserved as recognition for her outstanding work. "Karren's passion and
vision were crucial for us securing our stunning new home in 2013 and she is
now spearheading the project to make sure it truly looks and feels like home
for our fans. "Having worked with Karren for more than two decades now, we
know what an asset she is to our football club and we are both very grateful
to have her on our Board."

The award follows a long list of recent accolades for the Vice-Chairman. She
was awarded a life peer in August 2014, made a CBE in HM The Queen's New
Year's Honours List in 2014 and FC Business Magazine CEO of the Year in
2012.

Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate the Vice-Chairman on
this latest award.

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View on the Opposition - Manchester United
WHUFC.com

Manchester United Season Ticket Holder and West Ham United Academy sport's
scientist Miles Smith lifts the lid on Saturday's opponents.

What have you made of United's season so far?

"I think we're getting there, under Louis van Gaal we're playing the style
that he likes to play, certain United fans haven't taken that so well
because of the expectations they have. But I think overall, the team are
getting there, he's starting to implement his philosophy.

"A few weeks ago Gary Neville said he thought United needed two more top
players to change the games and I think that's all we need really, I think
we're missing that spark."

Quite a few new players came in over the summer, who has impressed you most?

"The young boy Anthony Martial is obviously a standout; he couldn't have
started any better scoring against Liverpool. Memphis Depay has come in for
a lot of unnecessary criticism but he has definitely showed signs that he
can be a good player. He's got that quality to play at United's level for a
long, long time but it might not be happening for him at the minute."

What is a realistic expectation for United this season, in terms of a league
position?

"Top, I think you have to say top of the league every year as a United fan,
I don't think you can say anything else. If a United manager said any less
than top they'd already be in trouble, it's got to be challenging at least
for the title."

What have you made of West Ham this season?

"They've impressed a lot of people and I think they've ruined a lot of
betting slips this season. Obviously their away form has been amazing, they
have beaten the big teams so far and it'll be interesting to see if they can
do it again on Saturday. If they can they I'm sure they'll drive on for the
rest of the season. The last few results are not what they wanted but it'll
be interesting to see how they react on Saturday."

What is your prediction for Saturday's score?

"It's a tough one for me this weekend as I have a foot in both camps. This
fixture is probably the worst one of the season for me, obviously working at
West Ham I want them to do as well as possible but my family have been
United season ticket holders for generations really.

" I'll be at Old Trafford this weekend, it'll be a difficult game. I think a
draw is probably the worst outcome.

"We know West Ham can score while United are struggling up front a little
bit, but not conceding many. I'll go for a 1-0 to Manchester United."

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Diafra Sakho: West Ham man expected to miss 'four to eight weeks'
BBC.co.uk

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho could be out for more than two months after
injuring a thigh during Sunday's match against 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. It will definitely not be a couple of weeks - four
to eight, maybe longer," said manager Slaven Bilic. We are waiting for the
specialists. He has a bit of history with that thigh. It's not a light one
unfortunately." 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. "Of
course it's a big blow," Bilic added. "We are not bad in terms of quantity
of injuries, but unfortunately they have happened to key players."

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Sakho sidelined until 2016, says Bilic
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd December 2015
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has confirmed that striker Diafra Sakho is unlikely to return
until the new year - as exclusively revealed on KUMB earlier this week. We
revealed on Monday how the Senegal international - injured during the 1-1
draw with West Bromwich Albion last weekend - was expecting to face around
two months on the sidelines as a result of the thigh injury he sustained
late on in the game. And that story was confirmed by Bilic during his
pre-match press conference this morning - in which he admitted that Sakho
would be out for some considerable time. "We are still waiting for the
results of the scan, but it's not good," said Bilic. "It will definitely not
be a couple of weeks - we're looking at four to eight weeks, maybe longer,
but we are waiting for the opinion of a couple of specialists. "It is a
thigh injury and he's got a bit of history with that. It happened in a game
when he got the ball and had a chance. He felt it when he was sprinting and
because he's a brave guy, he continued - but when he fell down after the
shot he felt it again. "It's a muscle injury, it's not dangerous for
long-term or whatever but it's not a light one, unfortunately. We are going
to be without him for a few games definitely."

The manager - whose team face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday
afternoon - also admitted that Sakho's injury had arrived at the worst
possible time - when two of his fellow attacking players are already
sidelined. "Of course it's a big blow,2 he added. "In terms of the quantity
of injuries we are not bad, we are ok in that department. Unfortunately
those three injuries - Payet, Sakho, Valencia - have happened to our key
players, especially on the offensive side of our game. It's a big blow for
us."

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Big Sam's Tombides tribute
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd December 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce may have left West Ham behind him, but there is one little
piece of the club he remains honoured to be associated with. The 61-year-old
has been at the helm of Premier League strugglers Sunderland since the
beginning of October, since when he has began to turn their season around
with three wins in six games.
Yet he was spotted wearing a DT38 shirt during his press conference this
morning - the name of the foundation set up in memory of former Hammer Dylan
Tombides by his family last year.
Allardyce was of course the managerial incumbent when Tombides passed away
at the age of just 20, following a long battle against cancer in April 2014.
Speaking at the time he described the young Australian's loss as a massive
blow. "It's been hugely difficult," he said just days after Tombides death.
"It's a massive blow to everybody that knew Dylan, because of how many times
we've seen him fighting this intolerable illness. "We had so much hope [due
to] the determination he showed to recover from the treatment he had and
recover from the disease he had. It looked so many times like he'd
recovered. "He was fit and never wanted to miss a day's training, but
unfortunately in the end it's been a sad day for all of us, especially for
the family."

You can find our more about the Dylan Tombides Foundation on their website
at www.dt38.co.uk.

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HOW HAVE WE SCORED OUR GOALS?
By Iain Dale 3 Dec 2015 at 08:00
WTID
Guest Post by RoHammer

As we were debating the topic of the moment (the merits of Carroll and Sakho
respectively) a week or so ago we ended up talking about how our play looks
with each of them. Undoubtedly Carroll has not had the best comeback from
injury this time around unlike last season but hopefully he will be back to
his marauding best eventually…God knows we'll need him what with everyone
else injured. So far Sakho has made up for it with his movements up front
somewhat but even his contributions in the final third have been less then
significant at times and the strain of his own style has become apparent.
While he hasn't been out for the long term yet it's his third injury in a
year and a half. But I digress; as we were debating on as we usually do
around WHTID it got me thinking about how we have scored our goals this
season. I will put my tin hat on for this, but I have to say, we are perhaps
not as good as we thought, especially in the final third. While we've played
better in some games then others undoubtedly, and at times our pressure has
forced defenders into mistakes, I feel we have also benefited from our share
of luck coupled with a few well taken set pieces and moments of magic…not to
mention playing against 10 men on more then one occasion. We don't really
seem to create that much in open play on our own though. Let's take it one
goal at a time shall we:

Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
1st goal – set piece, Cech comes out foolishly and Kouyate scores 2nd goal –
Zarate recovers a ball and shoots from range. Individual effort.

West Ham 1-2 Leicester
Goal – Noble from a wide position passes to Payet who shoots, the ball
rebounds off Sakho to Kouyate fortunately who plays in Payet who scores this
time. We were arguably unlucky not to score on Payet's first attempt and the
build up was decent enough so let's put this one down as a good team effort.

West Ham 3-4 Bournemouth
1st goal – Noble penalty, won also by him if memory serves. Enough said.
2nd goal – set piece…specifically a throw in to Sakho who shoots from close
range into the keeper. The ball falls kindly for Kouyate to slot home.
3rd goal – Maiga (yes I know lol) receives it and makes a solo run and goal.

Liverpool 0-3 West Ham
1st goal – Skrtel fails to properly clear a ball which ends up with Cressy
who plays Lanzini in to score. Good assist but it was a move comprised of
exactly 1 uninterrupted pass from us. Could be argued that we were creating
pressure and forced the error but on another day the ball wouldn't have
found itself at Cressy's feel.
2nd goal – Just as on another day Lovren wouldn't have made the blunder he
did. Even to it took a lucky deflection of Lanzini's pass to Sakho for the
ball to end up with Noble for the goal.
3rd goal – Kouyate tries to pass out wide, the ball hits a Liverpool player
and lands at Sakho's feet. Skrtel backs off clearing the way for a shot.

Man City 1-2 West Ham
1st goal – effort from range from Moses… how often will that happen over the
course of the season?
2nd goal – set piece. Obiang pushed it to Sakho who scores from the 6 yard
box.

West Ham 2-2 Norwich
1st goal – Payet runs receives the ball and runs wide, plays Sakho inside
the box who puts it in the back of the net. Good goal.
2nd goal – set piece. Keeper punches it into Carroll, rebounds to Kouyate
who slots home.

Sunderland 2-2 West Ham
1st goal – good build up, Moses rom a wide left position finds Jenks running
late into the box to score. Good goal.
2nd goal – Lanzini shoots from range. Keeper fails to clear properly, the
ball falls to Payet who puts it in the back of the net.

Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham
1st goal – Moses from a central position plays in Jenks who is running
behind the opposing full back to score. Good goal.
2nd goal – 88th minute. Zarate crosses to AC who heads it down to
Jelavic/Lanzini. The ball end up with the latter who scores. Good goal.
3rd goal – smooth move with Lanzini finding Payet on the run. Lovely chip
for the finish. Good goal.

West Ham 2-1 Chelsea
I attended this game which made it special for me but we struggled to break
down a 10 man team in truth.
1st goal – set piece. Bad rebound from Terry fortuitously lands with Zarate
who shoots from range with a lovely first time effort.
2nd goal – Noble to Cress, cross to AC, goal. Good goal but even that was
preceded by a faulty clearance.

West Ham 1-1 Everton
Goal – ball played to Moses wide who's shot is deflected to a defender who
clears badly under pressure from AC. Ball ends up with Lanzini who finishes
with class.
Spurs 4-1 West Ham
Goal – ball played to Jelavic who turns and plays in Lanzini running in
behind who scores. Good goal

West Ham 1-1 West Brom
Goal – set piece. stunning free kick by Zarate.
So there you go. Out of our 25 goals of the season, 8 were created solely
from touches and passes from our own players from open play. A "whopping"
32%. 7 came from set pieces…which is 28% if my math is not off. Some of them
had an element of luck to them as well with the ball falling kindly for our
guys…but it didn't end there. 7 more goal came off failed ball clearances,
rebounds and such… another 28%. The other 3 were individual efforts. Taking
that into account, I'd say that singing "Barcelona, we're coming for you!"
is a bit premature isn't it? I realize that it was done in jest last season
mind you, but the point is we are still lacking in clear cut chance creation
in the final third and the absence of Payet makes this all the more
noticeable.

It's not that I didn't enjoy all our goals and they were all good in that
respect and like I said, I realize that some of the mistakes we "benefited"
from were forced by the pressure we created, and that we did play well in
some games… and I don't want to take anything away from the lads… but you
can't rely on Fortuna as much as we have and expect to finish amongst the
teams at the top of the league. We are still lacking in certain positions…we
need better quality wide players for one, a class right back and a top
striker. Going back to the original discussion, neither AC nor Sakho,
despite having their respective qualities, and having more (in the case of
Sakho) or less impact on the game so far into the season, are clear first
choice quality for a top team in my opinion. Neither play the "give it and
go" game that well and their pass completion in the final third is not the
best. Arguably it should be the midfield supplying the forwards and not the
other way around but the way Slav has us set up at the moment I feel lends
itself to a forward that is both strong enough to play the lone striker
role, mobile enough to cause problems but also with good feet and vision of
the game. Not asking much am i?!

I'm gonna go and fetch that tin hat now… but I can't help calling it as I
see it… as far as creating clear cut chances we have not been all that good,
even in our better games truth be told. Feel free to discuss ;)

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Laid back Slav knows the score
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic is ready to soldier on and make the best of what he's got
rather than press for signings in the January transfer window. The manager
was extremely cool when questioned on the crisis up front when speaking at
his presser this morning, more or less confirming what ClaretandHugh has
been reporting from insiders over the last few days – everybody is preparing
to soldier on. He explained: " We have strikers, and we have different types
of strikers. I'm not saying we will not try to get someone, but at this time
we're not thinking about that. Okay, we're going to have a few meetings and
all that, but we will see."
And we were told by a source close to the manager: "Thankfully he's a very
laid back guy and takes everything in his stride. He will get on with it.
"There are some small signs coming that James Collins may interest
Sunderland and were that to happen then there could be moves made of the
type Slav spoke about in the presser.
"But the more likely scenario now is that the manager will make do and mend
until he get his two main men back – Dimitru Payet and Diafra Sakho. The
pressure has been taken off by the quicker than expected recovery being made
by Enner Valencia but there's no cash to spare and Slaven knows the score."

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Big Sam shows his softer side
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Former Hammers Manager Sam Allardyce has shown his softer side today by
wearing a Dylan Tombides DT38 Foundation tee shirt during his Sunderland
press conference today. Dylan, who signed for West Ham in 2008, lost his
brave three-year battle with testicular cancer in April 2014, at the age of
just 20. Dylan's considerable legacy is now to be channelled through DT38, a
new Foundation which is setting out to provide testicular cancer support and
awareness through education and opportunity. Whatever your your views on Sam
Allardyce he deserves respect for honouring the memory of Dylan Tombides and
supporting such a worthy cause in the foundation in his name. Speaking on
Goals on Sunday just after Tombides passed in 2014 Allardyce said: "We all
felt so much for the parents who have supported Dylan for so long and had so
much hope. "There were so many times that young Dylan looked like he had
pulled through and recovered. "Because he loved football so much, he
couldn't wait to get back into training, even though he had been through
chemotherapy and wasn't feeling so well. "Unfortunately it kept coming back
and sadly, in the end, the brave fight was no more. It was a great shame for
the family and for us, and it was a sad moment when we all found out."
"It is a terrible disease and we have to do as much as we can to fight it,"
added Allardyce. "We do that in this country through charity events."

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X-factor finalist meets the Irons squad
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham fan and X-factor semi finalist Louisa Johnson visited the Hammers
first team squad in training today. The 17 year old Hammers fan is
considered one of the favourite's to win this year's X-Factor's finals.
Essex girl Louisa has one other ambition and that is to sing at the Boleyn
Ground this season before we move to the Olympic Stadium. In September she
tweeted out "I neeeeeeeeeed to sing at west ham before we move"

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West Ham striker Diafra Sakho out for two months with thigh injury
By Huw Bonello
Last Updated: 03/12/15 10:16am
SSN

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho's is set to miss two months with a thigh
injury. The Senegal international sustained the injury in the last weekend's
1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, and despite initial fears his season
could be over, Hammers coach Slaven Bilic is expecting to have him back
early in the New Year. "Diafra Sakho, we are still waiting for the results
of his scan, but it will definitely not be a couple of weeks - four to
eight, maybe longer," Bilic said in his press conference ahead of Saturday's
visit to Manchester United. "We are waiting for the opinion of a couple of
specialists. He has a bit of history with that thigh. It's not a light one
unfortunately. "Of course it's a big blow. We are not bad in terms of
quantity of injuries, but unfortunately they have happened to key players."
The Hammers are already without attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet (ankle)
until at least February while striker Enner Valencia has also been sidelined
since November with an ankle injury.
Bilic revealed that Valencia was nearing a return and is confident Andy
Carroll can step up after making an impact off the bench in several games
this season. "Enner is having a good recovery so hopefully we will have him
in a couple of weeks. It's a good chance for the guys to step in," Bilic
said. "Andy has lifted our game when he's come in for the last 20 or 30
minutes and now he needs to show that from the start."

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Hammers ht back on Collison's Payet claim
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Jack Collison's comments on Dimitri Payet's future have gone down like a
lead balloon inside West Ham United. The former Irons midfielder – in
launching a new column today – declared that he didn't think the Hammers
could survive without Dimi Payet before adding bizarrely that the only
upside was that "the injury may mean some of the big boys will wait until
the summer to secure the Frenchman's signature."
As depressing statements go it doesn't get much worse than than that and the
club moved quickly today to scotch such talk before it gains any serious
currency. ClaretandHugh was told: "He signed a five year deal in the summer
and there is no buy out clause. we simply won't listen to any sort of offer.
To be making such suggestions is unhelpful. It won't happen. We put together
one of the tightest contracts ever."
Beyond any of that is Payet's age. He hits 29 in March and is not likely to
attract a mega bid as a result of that with our source saying: "That was
part of our thinking when buying him. Dimitri Payet will be a West Ham
player for a long time to come."

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Depressing forecast from Collison
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 3, 2015 in News
C and H

Jack Collison has given a deeply depressing forecast of the Hammers outlook
without Dmitri Payet. Having launched a new column in London24.com he has
immediately addressed te issue asking: "Can they survive without star man,
Dimitri Payet? The answer is simple. No. He adds that Slaven Bilic was right
to describe the Frenchman as irreplaceable, "not just his goals and assists
but his ability to drive the team forward, and to inspire his team-mates
around him." And he forecasts even worse new declaring that the only
positive is that "the injury may mean some of the big boys will wait until
the summer to secure the Frenchman's signature." He adds: "There's no doubt
the West Ham squad is brimming with talent, but it's not often a player like
Payet comes along. From whispers of Europe early in the season it now seems
the Hammers faithful will be happy with a top half finish, and a good cup
run as a bonus. "The style of football has been great to watch at times with
some great scalps along the way including big wins at Liverpool, City and
Arsenal. I'm sure the fans will see this as a big improvement on last
season."

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Ravel in hot water again
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 2, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

It appears patience is finally running out for Lazio with regards to Ravel
Morrison in an all too familiar pattern. Italian media claim the Italian
club are open to letting go of Ravel Morrison in the January transfer but
want to recoup at least £750,000 in wages and agent fees they paid to land
the former Hammer. The 22-year-old is allegedly in hot water after leaving
Rome without permission from Lazio despite being selected in the Europa
League squad to face Dnipro last Thursday. The player's representative is
believed to have expressed their wishes for his client to leave in the
January transfer window, and although Lazio are open to such a request they
are unwilling to let him go for free. Therefore the termination of
Morrison's contract is not considered an option at this stage. Morrison
arrived at Lazio in the summer after being released by West Ham but he has
struggled with injuries and playing time under coach Stefano Pioli, making
just five substitute appearances and one start in all competitions.

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Irons have international right back on radar
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are tracking £7 million Villareal captain and right back Mario
Gaspar. The Hammers have been looking world wide for a permanent right sided
defender but ClaretandHugh understands that both Chelsea and Manchester City
are keen on the player. Barcelona made a move in the summer but the player
snubbed all moves to remain in Spain given his love of Villareal where he
has been since he was eight years old. He has been a member of the first
team since 2007 and has recently topped 250 appearances whilst currently
having made two international appearances.
He wants to move into the Premier League and the Hammers have been alerted
to the player by his advisers whm we understand are also set for talks with
Chelsea. We were told exclusively by sources close to the player: "West Ham
are aware of the player's availability as are one or two other clubs. They
are keeping tabs on the situation but Chelsea are also in the frame and the
plyer wants to be in London."

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Slav names the new big players
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic has admitted that Michail Antonio has become a big West Ham
player as the injury crisis bitten into the club's squad. The manager says
that whilst the final verdict has not yet been delivered by specialisS that
Diafra Sakho could be out for between four to eight weeks. He said: ""It is
nothing dangerous for long term but it is not a light one and we will be
without him. It is a big blow, in terms of quantity of injuries we are not
bad but in terms of quality we are. "We don't necessarily need to sign a
striker in January, I am not saying we won't try and get someone but right
now we will wait and see. "Now Andy Carroll is a big player, and Nikica
Jelavic and Michail Antonio. It looks like Valencia is going to be ok soon,
maybe in a few weeks time so that is a big boost."

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What is the obsession with Ravel Morrison?!
thewesthamway.co.uk
Caretaker_Rants@twitter.com

Hello everyone and welcome back to another rant from the caretaker. I will
summarise the last couple of games at the end of this article but I want to
get straight to the point and get my rant going, which today is about Mr
Ravel Morrison. Less than six months into his Lazio playing career and after
a disastrous spell (Three sub appearances in the league) it looks like he
will be sold/released come January as once again, he is failing to tow the
line.

That is fine, I have no issue with what he gets up to these days, but I
cannot believe that I am reading, and hearing a vast amount of people almost
praying that we re-sign him! The same Morrison who, despite what he tweets,
didn't give a $hit about the club when he was here. The same Morrison who
couldn't even get a game at Cardiff last year. The same Morrison who Harry
Redknapp (famous for getting good shifts out of trouble makers) dropped for
the playoff final after he sulked at being subbed, amongst other issues.

I watched every minute Ravel Morrison played in a West Ham shirt and he did
provide some excellent moments, his world class goal against spurs will long
live in the memory for most fans. His vision, passing and silky skills were
almost too easy for him at times. But those moments were far outweighed by
constant discipline issues, training ground bust ups and the famous
Christmas incident when he just didn't bother to come back to London and
declared himself injured. In at least half the games he played (and I think
I am being generous) he offered absolutely nothing when the chips were down,
petulantly insisting on trying to turn it into the Ravel show before he
would get subbed after yet another failed attempt at being his marker.

Blame Sam Allardyce, that was the common line rolled out by his fans, as
Allardyce couldn't handle big players…….WRONG! Anelka, who is as big as they
come when it comes to troubled footballers played some of his best football
under Allardyce at Bolton and hardly put a foot wrong. Campo, Hierro,
Djorkaeff, Okocha. Just some more examples of big stars Allardyce managed
superbly at Bolton. Blame Sam for a lot of things, but blaming him for
Morrison's downfall is wrong and above all lazy.
The greatest British manager of all time declared him unmanageable and that
is as good a character reference as you need (Sir Alex Ferguson). At one
point or another he has fallen out with every manager at every club he has
been at, yet some of you are still desperate to have him back, WHY? Please
tell me why, please tell me what Ravel Morrison actually did for West Ham.
Bilic got rid of Amalfitano after he played up so what chance would Morrison
have, who despite somehow earning a move to a club like Lazio he has still
not taken his opportunity.

It would be a fool who denies Morrison's ability but that will only get you
so far in football, look at how Paul Pogba's career has panned out compared
to Ravel's. The way some people are shamelessly calling for his return is
absolute nonsense and I can only assume they play too much Football Manager
or Fifa. Think I am wrong, tweet me @caretaker_rants and tell me why.

Back to the club and what a disappointing week it has been. The way Spurs
almost tossed us aside was humiliating and we desperately needed to bounce
back against West Brom. The second half was woeful and the home performances
really have to start picking up. With the news that Sakho may be out for
months rather than weeks, being reported by ExWHUEmployee on the site, it is
worrying as to where the goals will come from. Andy Carroll looks like he
has forgotten how to perform and Jelavic almost seems like he has got the
move on the back of a friendship with Bilic. Given that Carroll would still
be able to fetch us £10M what would you guys do? Sell him and get someone
else in or persist with him? Drop me a tweet and let me know. Have a good
week guys

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Slaven Bilic gives update on January striker hunt and Liverpool target
Manuel Lanzini
London 24
11:41 03 December 2015 Brad Pinard at Chadwell Heath

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic admits signing a striker in January is not his
priority despite their injury worries. Diafra Sakho is ruled out for at
least two months and that leaves just Andy Carroll and Nikica Jelavic to
lead the line for the Hammers until the new year at the earliest. Bilic
insists no plans are currently in place to secure a new forward but that
could change. "We don't necessarily need a striker in January," Bilic said.
"We have strikers but we have different strikers. I am not saying we will
not try and get someone but at the moment we have what we have. "It is a
good chance for the guys to step in and show their class." Summer arrival
Manuel Lanzini has impressed so far this term and the loan deal reportedly
ties the playmaker down to a permanent deal should the Hammers want it.
Bilic knows that without Payet and Sakho, Lanzini becomes even more
important despite links to Liverpool. "I would like to make his move
permanent," he said. "He has proved himself and he is a key player for us.
The way he plays in recent games, he is playing all the games and been
really good. "He is missing Payet I think to be fair. I would like him to
stay with us, the chairmen agree and he is happy here."

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Why Rafael Benitez should regret picking Real Madrid over West Ham United
Jason Pettigrove for Metro.co.uk
Thursday 3 Dec 2015 12:05 pm

The idea Rafa Benitez should have picked West Ham United over Real Madrid is
laughable. Isn't it?
If we backtrack to the summer, it's worth remembering just how close the
Spaniard was to becoming the Hammers' new manager. Talking to Sky Sports,
West Ham Chairman David Sullivan noted: 'Rafa Benitez was within three hours
of signing for us. 'Every clause in his contract was agreed and then he went
to Real Madrid. It was a real blow because he is a really experienced
manager in England and done really well in Italy. 'We had an agreement in
place but you have to pick yourself up, look who else is available and pick
the best you can.' The emotional lure of heading to the Santiago Bernabeu
and coaching some of the best players in the world was too hard for Benitez
to resist. However, just four months down the line and the manager is
treading water. At odds with a number of senior players, did Benitez really
supervise a side including Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez, Sergio Ramos
et al that wasn't really trying against Barcelona? To most observers it
certainly seemed that way. No passion, no fight, no chasing down every ball.
How else do you explain why Los Blancos just rolled over and handed the game
on a plate to their biggest rivals? All was well in the first 10 or so games
of the season when Real were taking all before them, but the poorest of
performances at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League despite
a win, followed by the defeat at Sevilla and then the manner of the loss to
Barca has seen some players break ranks. The notoriously fickle Real fans
are also calling for Benitez's head and that of president Florentino Perez.
It's hard to imagine that the manager would've been subjected to the same
treatment in East London.
Of course, the standard of club and players therein can't compare in any way
to Real Madrid with respect to West Ham, but Sullivan and his partner David
Gold have shown themselves to be good owners with the clubs' best interests
at heart. And importantly will put money where their mouths are. There's no
point trying to argue that by going to West Ham, Benitez would have shown a
lack of ambition. Moving into the Olympic Stadium is the beginning of a
brand new legacy and there is much to admire about the Hammers' modus
operandi and way of working presently.
Perhaps Rafa was ill advised to pass that particular opportunity up because
love affairs rarely end well. And this one is heading for divorce quicker
than anyone expected.

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Ravel Morrison returns to Lazio after talks with hierarchy
London24
11:23 03 December 2015 Brad Pinard

Ravel Morrison Former Manchester United and West Ham youngster Ravel
Morrison is back training with Lazio, according to Football-italia. The
playmaker reportedly left Rome last week without permission and retuned to
England before making the journey back to Italy on Tuesday. After missing
both a Europa League clash and a league defeat to Empoli, Morrison is back
training and ready to fight for his place. Director of Sport Igli Tare has
reportedly sat down with the Manchester-born midfielder and told him what is
expected if he is to make it in Serie A. Morrison reportedly had similar
issues with not turning up to training when at West Ham before Sam Allardyce
grew tired and released the 22-year-old. Reports in the English press this
week have claimed Morrison wants a January return home with QPR a possible
destination.

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West Ham striker Diafra Sakho out for 'four to eight weeks' says Slaven
Bilic as Hammers suffer another attacking blow
Daily Mail
By ANDY SIMS, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 11:15, 3 December 2015 | UPDATED: 11:21, 3 December 2015

West Ham have confirmed that they expect to be without striker Diafra Sakho
for at least two months with a thigh injury, as revealed by Sportsmail on
Wednesday. The Senegal international suffered the problem as he attempted to
shoot during the second half of last Sunday's 1-1 draw with West Brom. The
Hammers are still awaiting the results of a scan to determine the full
extent of the injury. But manager Slaven Bilic said: 'It's not good. It
will be four to eight weeks. Maybe more. 'He has a bit of history with his
thigh. It's a muscle injury. Nothing long term, but we will be without him
for a few games, definitely.' The injury to Sakho, who has hit five goals
this season, is the latest blow to hit Bilic's attacking players after
Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia were sidelined by ankle problems. Andy
Carroll, only recently back to fitness after six months out following ankle
surgery, is set to lead the line against Manchester United on Saturday.

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