Daily WHUFC News - 10th January 2015

Preview: Swansea City
WHUFC.com
Everything you need to know about the Hammers' trip to the Liberty Stadium
09.01.2015

SWANSEA CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
THE LIBERTY STADIUM
SATURDAY 10 JANUARY 2015
KICK-OFF: 3.00PM
REFEREE: MIKE DEAN

In brief

West Ham United travel to Swansea City on Saturday 10 January looking to
complete their first double of the season, having beaten the Swans 3-1 at
the Boleyn Ground in early December.

However, Garry Monks' men are certainly no pushovers, particularly at home
where they have won six games, including victories of Arsenal, Aston Villa
and West Bromwich Albion. The Welsh outfit are currently ninth in the
Premier League table with 29 points from 20 games.

Swansea's main danger man, Wilfried Bony, is unavailable as he is on
international duty with the Ivory Coast as his imminent £30 million move to
Manchester City is being finalised.

Sam Allardyce's men have enjoyed a strong first half to their league
campaign as they look to fulfil their aim of finishing in the top half of
the Premier League. They currently sit in seventh with 32 points from 20
games.

Who are they?
Formed in 1912 as Swansea Town, The Swans adopted the name Swansea City when
the town was granted City status in 1969. Having almost gone out of business
in 1985 following consecutive relegations, the directors managed to salvage
the club. They continued to slip through the Football League to the fourth
division yet their fortunes changed in 2005 with a move away from Vetch
Field to the Liberty Stadium. The Swans have enjoyed several promotions in a
decade and are now an established Premier League team. Praised for their
possession-based style of football, their recent success was capped off by
winning the League Cup in 2012/13, subsequently qualifying for the Europa
League the following year.

Team news
West Ham United

Top goal scorer Diafra Sakho is injured with a recurrence of a back problem
sustained against West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day.
Andy Carroll is back in the squad after missing the FA Cup tie with Everton.
Cheikou Kouyate is away on International duty as Senegal prepare for their
African Cup of Nations campaign. Aside from that, Sam Allardyce has a full
squad to pick from.

Swansea City

Garry Monk will have to do without Jefferson Montero (hamstring) as well as
Wilfried Bony and Ki Sung-Yeung (both international duty).
JonJo Shelvey is suspended after being charged with violent conduct
following an incident with Liverpool's Emre Can.

Referee
Saturday's referee is Mike Dean. The experienced referee has been involved
in top flight football for 15 years, taking charge of 350 matches in that
time. This season, Dean has been in charge of two West Ham games. The 3-1
home defeat by Southampton and the Hammers' 1-0 victory over Newcastle
United. The Assistant Referees are Stuart Burt and Edward Smart while James
Adcock is Saturday's Fourth Official.

Statistics
(2014/15 season - Barclays Premier League only)
Matches refereed: 10
Yellow cards shown: 27
Red cards shown: 3
Penalties awarded: 0

One to watch
West Ham United
Central defender James Collins put in a commanding performance against
Everton, capping it off with an excellent goal which almost gave the Hammers
an away victory. The Welsh International will be looking to continue his
form against the Swans.

Swansea City
With Wilfried Bony's departure imminent, the impetus to fill his
considerable shoes falls on Bafetimbi Gomis. The French striker has already
scored four goals this season, most recently a brace against Tranmere Rovers
in the FA Cup third round.

Tickets
Tickets for this game have sold out.
Tickets for the Hammers' next home game against Everton in the FA Cup Third
Round replay are available here.

Travel

For all your travel information on how to get to the Liberty Stadium, please
click here.

Weather

Temperature at kick off is forecast to be a sunny 6C (42.8F) with a high
chance of rain in the second half.

Last meeting
Swansea City 0-0 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
27 October 2013
West Ham picked up a hard-earned point on the road with a turgid goalless
draw at Swansea. The Hammers' dead-ball threat troubled their hosts all
afternoon, with Angel Rangel hooking a long Razvan Rat free-kick off the
line while Guy Demel and Kevin Nolan also had good chances. Jussi
Jaaskelainen made two point-blank stops to deny Chico Flores and Wilfried
Bony at the other end, and the hosts also had a late penalty appeal for
handball against Joe Cole turned down as Swansea were left frustrated as the
game finished 0-0.

Swansea City: Vorm, Taylor, Chico Flores, Williams, Rangel, Britton, Dyer,
Routledge (Hernandez 61), de Guzman, Michu, Alvaro Vazquez (Bony 66)
Subs not used: Tremmel, Amat, Tiendalli, Canas, Pozuelo
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, Tomkins, Rat, Demel, Nolan, Morrison (J
Cole 78), Noble, Diame (C Cole 64), Downing, Vaz Te (Jarvis 34)
Subs not used: Adrian, O'Brien, Taylor, Maiga

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Macca on: Swansea City
WHUFC.com
Neil McDonald spoke to the media on Friday morning ahead of Saturday's trip
to Swansea
09.01.2015

Neil McDonald faced the press on Friday morning to preview Saturday's
Barclays Premier League trip to Swansea City. The assistant manager stood in
for Sam Allardyce, who was feeling under the weather with a chest infection,
and provided an update on Diafra Sakho's fitness, along with the rest of the
team news.

Neil, what is the situation with Diafra Sakho, Senegal are clearly not happy
at the moment?

NMc: "He's injured at the moment. We've been in constant contact with the
Senegalese management team on his injury. Since he came back from playing
with Senegal he's been uncomfortable but he's got through the games and then
he got injured against West Brom. There's no way he can fly, he's probably
going to miss the Africa Cup of Nations because of his injury, and we're
going to miss him too."

They are talking about a lack of respect, what do you make of that?

NMc: "I think we have respected them by giving them regular updates on his
injury and keeping in constant contact. We've asked them to come across and
assess him. He's had scans at the club, not to back it up but to prove that
he is injured. All we can do is give them as much information as we have. I
think lack of respect may have been taken out of context as Cheikhou Kouyate
has gone. We're not trying to stop anyone from representing their country,
the lad's injured."

Is there some rule about him being unable to play until the end of the
Africa Cup of Nations?

NMc: "I'm not 100 percent sure what that situation is. I believe they have
announced the squad and Diafra's not in it. We're not sure how long he is
going to be out for anyway."

Winston Reid, has there been any confirmation of him staying?

NMc: "He's here until the end of the season, we want him to stay until the
end of the season. It's a players prerogative if he wants to leave when his
contract is up. He's weighing up his options, we've been talking to him for
a long time. He's playing very, very well so it's not affecting his
performances, which is great. We'll continue to have a dialogue with him and
see what happens."

Sam Allardyce has said that if a big offer came in then you might consider
it?

NMc: "We need him here until the end of the season to try and push on and
get up the league as high as we can. He's been an important member of the
team."

One player who will be with you is Alex Song who has just retired from
international football, that is pretty good news for you?

NMc: "It's great news. He wants to concentrate on his club football. He's
represented his country with distinction, in a few World Cups as well as
other competitions. It's sad when someone retires but he's thinking about
his long term future domestically, and we look forward to having him at the
club at least until the end of the season.

West Ham have had a great first half of the season. Swansea have had a
pretty good start too haven't they?

NMc: "They have. They play some really good football. We've already beaten
them once. I think the stats said we out passed them. We're playing some
good football as well, we're looking forward to the game. They've got a
couple of players missing too I believe so it will be an interesting
contest."

One of those who will be missing is Wilfried Bony, you'll relieved you're
not coming up against him?

NMc: "Yes, he's a great player, he's scored some great goals. He'll be a big
miss for them for sure."

Entering the second half of the season, what are the aims, have they changed
at all?

NMc: "Well, they have to change don't they? We've got 32 points on the board
now, so we'll set our sights a little bit higher if we can. The aim at the
start of the season was always top ten but I'm sure we can improve on that."

This season you're not looking at the 40 points presumably?

NMc: "Everyone looks to get the 40 points as quickly as possible and then
the pressure's off I suppose. Now we're in the position we are, we want to
make the most of it."

Andy Carroll missed the FA Cup game, he cut his finger making a sandwich, is
he alright for Swansea?

NMc: "Hopefully him cutting his finger won't keep him out of Swansea's
game!"

You've got a good record against Swansea recently, what is it about your
style that matches up well against Swansea?

NMc: "I think we're much more compact this season. We've got a lot more pace
in the side so we hit teams on the break harder. We've already beaten them
so that helps psychologically which is good for us and we're all looking
forward to it."

What team news is there for tomorrow?

NMc: "Everyone is fit apart from Diafra obviously, and Cheik has gone but
apart from that we have a full squad. We've got a busy schedule ahead with
the replay so we'll probably make a few changes on Saturday and Tuesday."

How does the FA Cup feature in the plan for the season?

NMc: "It's right up there. When you have a lot of points, why not push for
the FA Cup? We almost beat Everton away and we'll certainly be going all
guns to win on Tuesday."

There's been a couple of reports Diego Poyet might be going out on loan, is
that a possibility?

NMc: "I think with the fixtures that we've got I don't think anyone will be
leaving. The games are coming thick and fast so we need everyone on board."

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Noble targets winning return
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble was happy to be back in the team on Tuesday but now he wants
three points
09.01.2015

Mark Noble was happy to be back in action, but admitted West Ham United had
missed a golden opportunity to reach the FA Cup fourth round.
The Hammer of the Year returned to Sam Allardyce's starting XI for Tuesday's
1-1 third-round draw at Everton - a game that saw Romelu Lukaku score a
minute into added-time to cancel out James Collins' 56th-minute opener. The
midfielder, playing for just the second time since injuring his heel in the
Hammers' Barclays Premier League defeat at the same ground in November, had
mixed emotions when West Ham TV caught up with him after the game.
"Obviously you can't give Lukaku two touches in the box," he conceded with
typical honesty. "Overall I thought the lads were brilliant and played
really well, and probably didn't get what we deserved away at Everton. "It
felt really good to be out there again. I really enjoyed it, even though we
didn't get the result we wanted from the game. I saw a lot of the ball and I
thought we played really well on the night. "It's another game next Tuesday
night after we go to Swansea on Saturday. It's a home game and we're playing
well at home at the minute, so we're looking forward to it."

With Cheikhou Kouyate away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, Noble
has a chance to reclaim his starting position over the next few weeks, and
the No16 is determined to take it. Next up on West Ham's fixture list is a
trip to South Wales to take on Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on
Saturday. The Swans will be without leading goalscorer Wilfried Bony, who is
at the same tournament with Ivory Coast, while midfielder Ki Sung-yueng is
at the Asia Cup with South Korea. Noble believes West Ham can take full
advantage and pick up another Barclays Premier League victory. "I am sure we
have got a big enough squad to deal with any absences. We've got some top
players and we went to Everton and played really well against a very good
team. "We have got a good chance next Tuesday night when we play them again,
but the big game for us now is Swansea away on Saturday. "I think they've
got a couple of players away as well, so it'll be a good time to go and play
them."

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Swansea v West Ham
KO 15:00
9 January 2015
By Martin Fisher

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Saturday, 10 January

TEAM NEWS

Swansea will be without top scorer Wilfried Bony and Ki Sung-Yueng, who are
both away on international duty. Jonjo Shelvey is banned and Jefferson
Montero is still out with a hamstring injury, but new signings Nelson
Oliveira and Matt Grimes are available.

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is ruled out with the back injury which forced
him to miss the Africa Cup of Nations. Cheikhou Kouyate is away with
Senegal, but Alex Song is available after retiring from international
football.

MATCH PREVIEW

When the big clubs come knocking for your star striker, it's difficult to
keep the door locked - especially if they arrive armed with promises of
silverware, whopping wages for the player and a sackful of cash to test your
resolve. It now appears certain that Wilfried Bony will join champions
Manchester City during the January transfer window for a fee in the region
of £30m, representing a staggering profit of £18m on a player who's only
been in the Premier League for 18 months. "Wilfried Bony is away at the
Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast but Manchester City's interest might
mean that is the future for Swansea anyway. Swansea's back-up striker
Bafetimbi Gomis strikes me as the sort of player who needs a lot of chances
to put one away but I am sure manager Garry Monk will be happy to have £30m
or so to spend if Bony does leave."

His record of 34 goals in just 70 appearances speaks volumes and, while
manager Garry Monk would love him to stay, he's realistic enough to accept
the inevitable, take the cash and move on. Of course, Bony has already gone
to the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast. In all probability he's
kicked a ball for the last time for Swansea. Monk hopes he has a ready-made
replacement within his squad in Bafetimbi Gomis, and you can expect any
interest in the former France international from the likes of Crystal Palace
to be quickly rebuffed.
It's only five weeks since Bony gave Swansea an early lead at the Boleyn
Ground but West Ham came back impressively to win 3-1, with Andy Carroll
scoring twice. Carroll usually features strongly in this fixture. Last year
he set up two goals before being sent off after a tangle with Chico Flores,
and the season before he scored the winner. Small wonder, then, that Monk
expects the Geordie to be a prominent figure again and sees finding a way of
keeping him quiet as crucial to his plans for success. Both clubs' form has
been a little mixed of late, but with each residing within the top half of
the table, there's little chance of either being sucked into a relegation
scrap.
Instead, goals in the New Year will be similar in South Wales and the East
End - to finish in the top 10 and have a genuine crack at the FA Cup.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
West Ham are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Swansea (W3, D1).
The Hammers have failed to score at the Liberty Stadium on their two
previous visits (D1, L1).

Swansea City
Swansea have lost just one of their last seven league games at home (W4,
D2).
Garry Monk's side have dropped a league-high 16 points from winning
positions, including in the reverse fixture against the Hammers in early
December.
Only Chelsea (three) have conceded fewer home goals than Swansea's seven
this season.
Swansea are the only team yet to score from a corner in this season's
Premier League.
Ashley Williams will make his 300th appearance for the club.

West Ham
West Ham have won just once in their last five league games away from home
(D2, L2).
The Hammers have kept four clean sheets this season - only Everton and
Leicester have kept fewer, with three.
Sam Allardyce's team have scored 14 headed goals this season, the most in
the top flight.
Goalkeeper Adrian has made the second-highest number of saves this season
(76) in the Premier League, just behind QPR's Robert Green (79).
Andy Carroll is one short of 50 Premier League appearances for West Ham.

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A dozen clubs - and still only 23
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 9th January 2015
By: Staff Writer

Frank Nouble completed a move to his 12th league club earlier today when he
signed a six-month contract with Coventry City. Nouble, 23, spent three
years at West Ham between 2009 and 2012 having joined from Chelsea. However
much of that time was spent on loan, with the Lewisham-born forward making
no less than SEVEN loan moves during his time at the Boleyn. Wolves took
Nouble on a free transfer upon his release from West Ham, but he made just
one start - in the Capital One Cup - during his time at Molyneux, from where
he moved to Portman Road - for a nominal fee - in January 2013. After a
season-and-a-half with the Tractor Boys, Nouble was (literally) sent to
Coventry in September 2014 on a four-month loan. Upon the completion of
that, Nouble was released by Ipswich - allowing him to join the Sky Blues on
a permanent basis.

In the bank, Frank - Nouble's 12 clubs

2009-2009: Chelsea
2009-2012: West Ham United

February 2010: West Brom (one month loan)
March 2010: Swindon (three month loan)
September 2010: Swansea (one month loan)
January 2011: Barnsley (two month loan)
March 2011: Charlton (one month loan)
September 2011: Gillingham (three month loan)
March 2012: Barnsley (one onth loan)

2012-2013: Wolves
2013-2014: Ipswich Town

September 2014: Coventry City (half-season loan)

2015-: Coventry City

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Sam shoots back in 'Sully special' row
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th January 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has warned David Sullivan that his policy of signing untried
players could damage the club's growth in the long-term. Last week Sullivan
claimed that he was behind the signings of Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zarate,
adding that he could have signed in-form Swansea striker Wilfried Bony - who
is being linked with a £30million transfer window move to Manchester City -
for just £8million in the summer of 2013, instead of Andy Carroll.
Responding to Sullivan's comments in his Standard column today, Allardyce
insisted that although the deal was possible, it would have not made sense
given the club's financial situation. "David Sullivan has said recently that
he could have signed him for £8m but that I wanted Andy Carroll," he said.
"My recollection was that, yes, we knew about Bony but we all agreed to go
for Carroll — with the caveat that if the deal didn't work out for any
reason, we would switch to Bony. "Whatever anyone says now, at the time a
bid for Bony, unproven in English football, would have represented a bigger
risk than Andy, an established Premier League player. The likelihood of
achieving success, had we signed Bony, was far less than with Carroll.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing but, at the time, we were looking at these
two possibilities. In my experience over more than two decades in football
management, you always have to minimise the risk."

And whilst admitting that Diafra Sakho had proved an enormous success,
Allardyce maintained that a club could not survive on a long-term policy of
signing inexperienced players from abroad. "David likes a gamble, which is
no problem at all, and when it pays off it's great," he added. "If you keep
going down that route though, you end up with more failures than successes.
"It's particularly rewarding when one of those gambles pays off for
everyone, but it's difficult to see how you can keep doing it without
threatening the club's growth. Diafra Sakho could prove to be a one-in-a-
million signing. "I'm certainly not into picking an argument with him
[Sullivan] for what he said in a recent interview, but I think it is right
to put across my point of view. "The bottom line though is that we're all
working together to make this great football club even better and, up to
now, it has all been moving in the right direction, so we must be doing
something successfully. "As far as Bony is concerned, I wish him well
wherever he plays - but there are many we have looked at and decided against
signing who have gone elsewhere and not been a success."

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: Why we decided against signing Wilfried Bony
Evening Standard
SAM ALLARDYCE
Published: 09 January 2015 Updated: 15:20, 09 January 2015

The first big transfer of this January could be Wilfried Bony's £30million
move from Swansea to Manchester City. Bony is a player who could have come
to us a couple of seasons back. David Sullivan has said recently that he
could have signed him for £8m but that I wanted Andy Carroll. My
recollection was that, yes, we knew about Bony but we all agreed to go for
Carroll — with the caveat that if the deal didn't work out for any reason,
we would switch to Bony. Whatever anyone says now, at the time a bid for
Bony, unproven in English football, would have represented a bigger risk
than Andy, an established Premier League player. The likelihood of achieving
success, had we signed Bony, was far less than with Carroll. Hindsight is a
wonderful thing but, at the time, we were looking at these two
possibilities.

In my experience over more than two decades in football management, you
always have to minimise the risk. David likes a gamble, which is no problem
at all, and when it pays off it's great. If you keep going down that route,
though, you end up with more failures than successes.

It's particularly rewarding when one of those gambles pays off for everyone,
but it's difficult to see how you can keep doing it without threatening the
club's growth.

Admittedly, the £8m-£10m player represents a risk that you are going to have
to take more often than in the past because there are far fewer top players
around.

Diafra Sakho, at a lot less than that sum, could prove to be a one-in-a-
million signing. Likewise Enner Valencia and Cheikhou Kouyate have made
bright, encouraging starts.

We've been outstanding with our recruitment success rate this season but
that doesn't automatically mean it's going to be the same next summer.

We'd love it to be the case but realistically it's unlikely that future
signings will have quite the same impact on improving the team as last
summer's intake, although we live in hope.

As far as Bony is concerned, I wish him well wherever he plays but for one
player we could have signed, who then went somewhere else and did well,
there are many we have looked at and decided against signing, who have gone
elsewhere and not been a success.

Recruitment is a really difficult area. Often, when you are debating whether
or not to try and sign a player from abroad, you're working with very
limited knowledge, unlike someone from this country who you've seen or had
watched on a consistent basis.

Statistics are important but you should never ever rely on those alone.
Watching countless DVDs is all well and good but it can never replace seeing
the players yourself.

As I said, David loves a gamble — and I'm sure he will be up for a few more
along the way.

I'm certainly not into picking an argument with him for what he said in a
recent interview, but I think it is right to put across my point of view.

The bottom line, though, is that we're all working together to make this
great football club even better and, up to now, it has all been moving in
the right direction, so we must be doing something successfully.

Mauro wanted to play more, so I simply had to let him go

It's early days in the transfer window and everything is relatively quiet.
To be honest, that's how things should carry on here at West Ham for the
rest of the month. One departure has seen Mauro Zarate move on loan to
Queens Park Rangers, provoking some questions as to why now, when we have
Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll out injured? The answer, quite simply, is that
Mauro wanted to go, he wanted to play more football. His chances here had
been limited and it came to the situation where he didn't want to stay here.
If he had remained, in that frame of mind, it would have been difficult to
have got the best out of him, so it was the right thing for everyone that he
went out on loan to try and play more often somewhere else. Let's see what
happens. It will be interesting to see whether he comes back a different
player. We still have four strikers. Andy is near to a return, Diafra's back
injury is still being assessed, while Enner Valencia and Carlton Cole are
fighting fit. As far as Winston Reid is concerned, there is still a chance
he will stay, although my instincts tell me he probably won't. The reality
is that if he doesn't quite get what he wants he will stay, but if another
club meets his demands, he won't. I would be very surprised, though, if he
left the club this month, for three reasons. Firstly, we're doing well in
the Premier League and just one reason why we want to finish as high as we
can is that there is £1.2million per place in the final table at stake. Then
there is the issue of finding a suitable replacement, which is almost
impossible at this time of the season. Finally, even if we did find one, the
cost of signing him would be far greater than the sum we would receive for
someone who is out of contract next summer.

We're up for the Cup ... but first we must stop that man Lukaku

We almost made it into the next round of the FA Cup on Tuesday night before
that man Romelu Lukaku scored Everton's injury-time equaliser. That's four
goals he has managed in as many games against us. Whether he's just come
back from injury or in the middle of a lean spell, he invariably scores
against us. We'll just have to try harder to break that sequence at the
Boleyn Ground in next Tuesday's replay. One thing is for sure, though.
Despite the challenge of having three games in eight days, we're going to
give this replay our best shot. What would be the point of going to Everton,
working so hard and coming so close to a victory if we just gave it up now?
What a waste of time and energy that would be. I know it comes just after a
tough game at Swansea tomorrow, but we will be putting out the strongest
team possible for the replay which, as in the first game, is bound to be be
tight. We're hoping for a big crowd and a top atmosphere. I know attendances
have been down for some games and it becomes an extra financial burden for
the fans, but I hope the FA Cup still holds some football magic for most
supporters. There are some critics who haven't agreed with the changes in
the Cup format, particularly that the semi-finals are now played at Wembley.
For me, I would love the opportunity to take West Ham to Wembley for the
semis. Wouldn't Hammers fans rather go there than all the way to somewhere
like Old Trafford?

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West Ham insist Senegal striker Diafra Sakho's injury is genuine
Last Updated: 09/01/15 1:59pm
SSN

West Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald says the back injury which has
forced striker Diafra Sakho out of the Africa Cup of Nations is genuine.
Senegal Football Federation president Augustin Senghor has accused the club
of a "lack of respect" over Sakho's withdrawal, complaining the decision was
left until "the last minute". Senghor said he would consult FIFA and the
Football Association in a bid to prevent the player from appearing for West
Ham during the tournament, which gets under way on January 17 with the final
on February 8.
West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald says they have given all the
information about Diafra Sakho's injury to Senegal officials
"We've been in constant contact with the Senegal federation," said McDonald.
"There's no way he can fly, he's obviously injured and he's going to miss
the Africa Cup of Nations because of his injury and we're going to miss him
because he's injured. "We've been respectful, we've given them information
and kept in constant contact with them. He's injured. "We've asked them to
come across and assess him. We've had independent scans done and scans from
the club. "We're not trying to stop anyone from going to represent their
country."

Sakho missed Senegal's final qualifier for the tournament with a back
injury, with Hammers boss Sam Allardyce describing the treatment he received
for it while on international duty as "outrageous". The 25-year-old
subsequently missed three Premier League fixtures.

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Swansea start life without Wilfried Bony at home to West Ham
Last Updated: 09/01/15 4:26pm
SSN

Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis has big boots to fill in place of Wilfried
Bony. Two teams on the crest of a Premier League wave meet at the Liberty
Stadium as Swansea City host West Ham United on Saturday. Both sides are
enjoying their best ever opening half to a Premier League season and a
similar points haul between now and May would set up top-eight finishes.
This is West Ham's best record after 20 Premier League matches, the haul of
32 points being level with their 1998-99 effort but with a better goal
difference (+7 to +1), while Swansea's haul of 29 points from 20 matches is
their highest in their four years in the Premier League. Swansea manager
Garry Monk said his team failed to compete in the 3-1 defeat at West Ham
earlier this season, when two headers from Andy Carroll and a late goal from
Diafra Sakho settled the game. Wilfried Bony had given the visitors an early
lead but he is unavailable for selection this week as he is on Africa Cup of
Nations duty with the Ivory Coast for at least the next three weeks and is
also in talks with Manchester City over a big-money transfer. Bafetimbi
Gomis is likely to start in Bony's place and he will be looking to improve a
goalscoring record of just one goal in 17 Premier League appearances.

Team news

Ki Sung-yueng, like Bony, is unavailable for Swansea due to international
commitments with South Korea in the Asian Cup while Jonjo Shelvey
(suspension) and Jefferson Montero (hamstring) remain on the sidelines. West
Ham manager Sam Allardyce gives an injury update.
West Ham striker Sakho is ruled out with the back injury which forced him to
miss the Africa Cup of Nations but Alex Song is available for selection
after retiring from international football.

Opta stats

West Ham have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League
matches.
West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald says they have given all the
information about Diafra Sakho's injury to Senegal officials
In Swansea's last 34 Premier League games at Liberty Stadium they have only
won back-to-back games three times.
Wayne Routledge received Swansea's fifth red of the season in their last
game, the most shown to a team in the division.

Merson's prediction:

I like West Ham, they are a decent team. It will be interesting to see how
Swansea cope without Bony but Gomis doesn't look too bad a replacement.
There isn't anything between these two teams; they are about level with each
other. West Ham gave them a bit of a lesson at Upton Park in the
corresponding fixture. West Ham's one disappointing result this season came
against Arsenal, where they probably expected to at least get a draw that
day. Two evenly matched teams here and I can't split them.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1

West Ham are 4/7 to win or draw at the Liberty Stadium.
Betting

West Ham are without a win in three so home advantage makes Swansea the 5/4
favourites. Six wins from 10 at the Liberty isn't a bad return for the
hosts, but the Hammers are unbeaten in four against the Swans – they're 4/7
to keep that trend rolling with either a win or a draw on Saturday.

Meanwhile, betting has been suspended on Bony joining Manchester City, and,
with the Ivorian on international duty for the time being, Gomis is
Swansea's shortest priced forward at 5/4 to score anytime and 9/2 favourite
to score first.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why success does not sit well with West Ham United fans
Jacob Steinberg
Friday 9 January 2015 14.38 GMT
The Guardian

A strange thing happened this week. Usually when I say I support West Ham
United, people smile sympathetically, pat me on the back and tell me with
forced cheeriness to keep my chin up. Then they look away, unable to meet my
gaze for a moment longer, or comprehend the ineffable sadness of my
situation.

Those with no interest in football have a slightly different approach. They
regard me with a mixture of horrified fascination and amusement, in the way
the Boggs family peered at Edward Scissorhands when he sat at the dinner
table for the first time, and always ask the same questions. Why West Ham?
Why not someone good? What position are they anyway? Fourteenth? In the
Premier League? Well done to you!

This week, however, the response changed when I admitted I support West Ham.
Instead of finding myself on the end of a heartfelt hug from a stranger, I
was agreeing with his assertion that I must be very happy indeed. "Yes," I
replied, my voice a little uncertain. "I suppose I am – happy."

Surely I am not the only West Ham fan troubled by the idea of happiness,
even though it has been a long time coming. Look through the crowd at Upton
Park and you will see facial expressions that have been set to perma-frown
after years of watching teams led by managerial titans such as Glenn Roeder
and Avram Grant. I have been in the away end when we were 2-0 down to
Rotherham United on a freezing December afternoon and a man who looked like
Peter Griffin spent the entire game venting his fury at Alan Pardew. I have
seen two relegations and a Neil Shipperley winner against us in the play-off
final.

We travelled to Cardiff in a limousine that day, the driver left the engine
on during the match and the battery was flat when we returned. At least the
Crystal Palace supporters had a good laugh at our expense.

My fondest memory of last season was not the three wins over Tottenham
Hotspur or Sam Allardyce out-tacticking José Mourinho, but a stoic though
doomed 70-yard run by James Tomkins during a dismal 0-0 draw with
Sunderland. It yielded a throw-in and Tomkins received a standing ovation; I
swear I saw someone throw claret and blue confetti in the air.

Now West Ham are playing good football and challenging for Europe I am
supposed to be happy but I am uncomfortable. Football supporters are not
meant to enjoy themselves, it is not part of their DNA. They are in their
element when they are moaning, because there is nothing to sink your teeth
into when your team play well, it is much better if they spend 90 minutes
displaying the imagination of a wet towel. Then you can whinge for hours in
the pub afterwards.

That anger is always bubbling away under the surface and it re-emerged when
West Ham drew 1-1 with West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day. It was a
gloriously unfair reaction, but that cacophony of boos was music to my ears.
Finally, after all the ironic chants about playing Barcelona that greeted
West Ham's ascent into the top four, Upton Park sounded like Upton Park
again. It was our first chance to have a good boo since August and it was
cleansing – any doctor will tell you it is not healthy for a supporter to
keep that bottled up.

Stoke City's supporters appreciate the value of booing; nothing is off
limits. They booed Diego Costa from the whistle when they hosted Chelsea
last month, even though his offence was not obvious.

Football grounds are one of the few places where it is socially acceptable
to boo – you could try it in a restaurant, but you would probably be asked
to leave, and I promise I will cry if you boo this Funny Column. A search
for "football supporters booing" throws up 408,000 results on Google. Here
are some of the stories on the first page: Arsène Wenger booed by Arsenal
fans while boarding train; Cardiff fans entitled to boo – Slade; The Adam le
Fondre booing debate. Who knew it was possible to be that furious about Le
Fondre?

By now, you have probably been treated to Arsenal Fan TV, a YouTube show in
which Arsenal fans are interviewed by a jovial man called Robbie. The star
is undoubtedly Angry Claude, powered solely by his own rage at Arsenal's
inertia to the extent that Wenger's refusal to buy a defender may be a way
of trolling him.

The bane of Claude's life is the hopelessly optimistic Ty, who appears to
have been dragged through the Arsenal club shop by Taz. I am Team Claude. If
you tried to pull the wool over his eyes after an Arsenal defeat, he would
destroy it with his heat vision.

He would understand when I say that West Ham's attempt to make the jump to
the next level will end badly and that while the Olympic Stadium will look
resplendent on the outside, inside it will resemble the preposterous tiny
house that Homer Simpson built for Ned Flanders, which got smaller and
smaller from room to room. One tap and it will all come crumbling down.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
No return for Ravel Morrison at West Ham says Hammers assistant boss Neil
McDonald
Jan 09, 2015 11:46 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
The wayward England under-21 international is the only Hammers player who is
available this month with McDonald concluding his career at Upton Park is
over

Ravel Morrison is finished at West Ham and is the only player available for
sale this month. The former Manchester United star, who moved to Upton Park
in January 2012, has been sent out on loan to Birmingham, QPR and Cardiff.
But Cardiff boss Russell Slade sent him back early last month and Morrison
has been training with the Under 21s back in east London. The troubled
21-year-old, who has an £18m release clause in his contract, will be a free
agent in the summer. And while the Hammers will see their squad stretched
this month with an FA Cup replay and Cheik Kouyate and Diafra Sakho
unavailable, assistant manager Neil McDonald insisted there was no way back
for Morrison.
"I think with the squad we have got, I don't think anyone will be leaving,"
he said. "I think we need everyone hands on deck with the games that are
coming thick and fast. And if we progress in the FA Cup, which we are hoping
to do, then we will need everyone here to rotate the squad. "Ravel Morrison
falls outside that. I am not sure if he is leaving but he won't come back
into the squad."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce sets sights on PSG starlet Jean-Kevin Augustin
Jan 09, 2015 12:07 By James Nursey
The 17-year-old striker's contract at the Parc des Princes expires in the
summer and he is now permitted to hold talks with other clubs
The Mirror

West Ham are trying to snap up Paris Saint-Germain starlet Jean-Kevin
Augustin on the cheap. The exciting France U18 international striker is out
of contract this summer. He has a clutch of top European clubs chasing him
including Juventus, Roma, Benfica and Porto.
Augustin joined the Ligue 1 champions from ACBB in 2009 but is yet to make
an appearance for Laurent Blanc's side despite being a substitute on four
occasions. The youngster, who turns 18 in June, is now able to speak to
foreign clubs. And the high-flying Hammers are trying to broker a cut-price
deal to bring him this month or agree terms for the summer.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam's Bony story at odds with DS
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Sam Allardyce has used his London Evening Standard column to address a
couple of issues which many people feel may be causing behind-the-scenes
friction between himself and David Sullivan. The first concerns Wilfried
Bony and why we didn't sign him. YAWN! The second sees Sam addressing the
subject of Mauro Zarate. Perhaps he believed the eve of a game against
Bony's team Swansea is the right time to break his silence on why West Ham
didn't sign the striker despite the player not being involved tomorrow
because he's at the African Nations Cup. He writes: "The first big transfer
of this January could be Wilfried Bony's £30million move from Swansea to
Manchester City. David Sullivan has said recently that he could have signed
him for £8m but that I wanted Andy Carroll. "My recollection was that, yes,
we knew about Bony but we all agreed to go for Carroll — with the caveat
that if the deal didn't work out for any reason, we would switch to Bony."
He adds that Bony was a bigger risk than Carroll because he was unproven in
the Premier League saying: "David likes a gamble, which is no problem at
all, and when it pays off it's great. If you keep going down that route,
though, you end up with more failures than successes."

Quite what is served by airing various versions of a near two year old story
is a little beyond me to be honest. David has had his say and now Sam has
responded – can that please be the end of it because all it suggests –
whether true or not – is that behind the scenes all is not well.

On the Zarate issue the manager writes the player wanted to go saying: "His
chances here had been limited and it came to the situation where he didn't
want to stay here. "If he had remained, in that frame of mind, it would have
been difficult to have got the best out of him, so it was the right thing
for everyone that he went out on loan to try and play more often somewhere
else."

The tone is more moderate than when telling the player he wasn't good enough
but there's no explanation as to why he didn't get more games – the reason
Zarate feels the way he does!. But it won't go unnoticed that this could be
a manager v chairman situation again, Zarate having been Sullivan organised
purchase! Can we please just get on with the football now.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Senegal: Don't trust Irons? Here's how Sakho feels
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

The row being kicked up by the Senegal Federation over Diafra Sakho's is
probably hurting the player an awful lot more than West Ham United ! The boy
has already used his facebook page to explain how he feels about his injury
and is still having to listen to his country's top officials claiming he may
be faking it. For their benefit alone we have no problem in publishing
Diafra's feelings on the injury in which his agony at missing the African
Nations Cup is clear. We would suggest two things to the Senegal Federation
having listened to him say for example: "My injury force me to but on hold
my dream." Grow up …then SHUT UP!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Macca: Senegal fully informed on Sakho
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Polite Neil McDonald has this morning made it clear to Senegal they have
little reason to complain about the Diafra Sakho situation.
The nation's football federation has been loudly complaining about the
Hammers keeping them in the dark about the striker's situation and
threatening to invoke FIFA rules against them. This effectively means they
will do all they can to prevent him playing for us should he recover before
their team exits the African Nations Cup.

ClaretandHugh reported yesterday that the club has invioted them to send
their doctors to London to check out the player whilst providing them with
full medical reports and scans. And in the absence of Sam Allardyce from
this morning press conference ahead of the Swansea game Macdonald confirmed
our story. He explained: I think we have respected them by giving them
regular updates on his injury and keeping in constant contact. We've asked
them to come across and assess him. "He's had scans at the club, not to back
it up but to prove that he is injured. All we can do is give them as much
information as we have."

The Senegalese had spoken of a lack of respect being shown by the Hammers
but the assistant boss said: "I think lack of respect may have been taken
out of context as Cheikhou Kouyate has gone. We're not trying to stop anyone
from representing their country, the lad's injured."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian delighted with Vicente del Bosque praise... and the West Ham
goalkeeper could be in line for a Spain call-up!
By PETE JENSON FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 18:41, 9 January 2015 | UPDATED: 18:47, 9 January 2015

It was in a radio interview in November when Spain coach Vicente del Bosque,
tired of managers pushing their players under his nose saying he should
'call up this one' or 'take a look at that one', said: 'Why does no-one ever
ask me about Adrian the West Ham goalkeeper?'

A slightly surprised silence among studio presenters gave way to a consensus
that amounted to: good question, why does no one ever talk about Adrian? Two
months later and more people are talking about the West Ham goalkeeper than
ever before. Jose Mourinho, not prone to agreeing with Del Bosque, said
after Adrian's performance against his team on Boxing Day: 'He was
marvellous, just as he was marvellous last season'.

Spain stays glued to the Premier League during La Liga's winter break and
Adrian's performances only enhanced his chances of becoming No 3 behind Iker
Casillas and David de Gea when the next squad is announced in March. 'I
heard what Del Bosque said and it's honour,' he says at West Ham's training
ground. 'It's not just that he spoke about me but that he was the one who
brought my name up. No-one asked him.'

Another famous Spain No 3, Pepe Reina, is one of the major reasons why a
28-year-old from Seville is now plying his trade in east London. I know Pepe
very well and I spoke with him before I signed for West Ham,' Adrian says.
He told me: "Do it, don't hesitate. The Premier League is a great
opportunity and you'll enjoy it hugely just as I enjoyed those years at
Liverpool".'He doesn't regret taking the advice. 'It wins you over more with
every game. There is never a match when it seems one of the two teams
believe they can't win. There are times in Spain when you have a team
playing one of the big sides and because they have so much respect for them
the attitude is "let's defend and not lose by too many". Here everyone goes
for it. Everyone is brave.'

Not that switching from Spain to the Premier League was easy. As with De
Gea, there were adjustments for Adrian to make. 'The play is a lot more
physical here, there are a lot more high balls into the area and the
refereeing is different,' he says. 'In Spain the slightest push on the
keeper, especially if he goes down, the referee will blow. You have to watch
the flight of the ball and dodge the challenges. 'That's the biggest
difference but I have adapted well. I was good in the air in Spain and I'm
big enough to cope so that has helped.' There were other adjustments to
make. Spanish goalkeepers are more prone to punch than catch and tend to be
more comfortable using their feet. You can't imagine Sam Allardyce favours a
punching playmaker between the posts. 'It's true that here they don't like
you to punch,' Adrian says, 'but sometimes when the area is crowded and you
try to catch you can get a nudge from someone, the ball gets away, and if
they don't blow for a foul it's a goal. Sometimes a good punch will clear
the ball very effectively so you have to mix it up. With passing the ball
out from the back you can't be taking unnecessary risks, but if you are
decisive then there shouldn't be a problem.'

Adrian was a late starter, not taking up the gloves until he was 11 and not
breaking into the Real Betis first team until 25. 'I was an outfield player
before I was a goalkeeper,' he says. 'I played up front until I was 10 and I
loved to score goals but when my Under 11 team CD Altair lost their
goalkeeper and the coach asked: "Who wants to go in goal?" 'I said I didn't
mind while we looked for a new keeper — 18 years on I'm still in goal!' He
stayed at Betis for 16 years but had to wait for Pepe Mel's arrival to
graduate to first choice in 2012. 'An obstacle always seemed to crop up.
Three years ago I tore my cruciate and the following year I started as third
keeper but the first keeper wasn't playing well and the second keeper had
problems after saying something in an interview that the manager didn't like
so my chance came and I took it.' He's bright too, picking up the language
despite starting from zero. 'You have to launch yourself into it without
worrying about sounding like a fool. You need basic phrases immediately. You
can't be thinking how do I say 'away' or 'man-on' when you are in the middle
of the game. 'I have my own English teacher because my girlfriend speaks
excellent English. Deciphering accents can be the biggest problem and there
are plenty in the dressing room.' There are also plenty of Spanish speakers
at the club, though Big Sam is not one of them. 'I think he knows "tapas"
and "cerveza",' says Adrian. 'But the coaching staff are taking Spanish and
French classes.'

Adrian's family knew all about West Ham from Diego Tristan, a former Betis
youth player who played for the club. And Adrian adds: 'They also signed
Manuel Almunia. I was only a kid but when Spanish players come abroad —
especially a goalkeeper — you notice which club he has signed for.' His
references also go back to the club's finest keeper. 'Don't worry, I also
know who Phil Parkes is! I know he is a legendary keeper for this club and
everyone loves him.' Parkes was in goal the last time West Ham won
something, lifting the FA Cup in 1980. Adrian believes the team is moving in
the right direction after a good summer in the transfer market. 'There is a
change of style,' he says. 'The signings have brought a lot more variety and
more options, and now the manager can make decisions and think "how do we
approach this game?" We now we have plan A, B or C. 'You can really build
from midfield when you have a player like Alex Song who will always show for
the ball and move it on. That helps the team to build from the back and not
always play the long ball.' The one thing Adrian oozes is enthusiasm for the
game. He doesn't overplay it, but having seen two young team-mates lose
their lives — Miki Roque and Dylan Tombides both to cancer aged 23 and 20 —
it can only have made him more aware of the speed at which not just a career
but also life itself can pass a player by. 'I had played with Miki from the
youth team,' he says. 'We were very close friends because we had come
through the youth system together. You never imagine it can happen to a
team-mate. Everyone has to die some time, but not someone like Miki who was
so young and in the best moment of his life. 'We have to make the most of
life and make the most of times when things are going well. When these
tragic things happen you are reminded of what life is about — enjoying being
alive.'

He does that mantra justice with his goal celebrations that have endeared
him to West Ham fans. 'You can feel a bit isolated in goal so when the team
scores I love to celebrate,' he says. 'I can't go running to the other end
of the pitch so I celebrate with the supporters.' A festive dip in results
and the failure to win at Everton in midweek have pegged back expectations.
But Adrian still feels West Ham are moving forward. 'Maybe last season we
would always hit teams in the same area so in the end they put a wall there.
Now we can vary the approach to get around that. We can really compete.' As
long as Adrian's wall holds firm at the other end, they will have a chance.

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