Daily WHUFC News - 12th May 2015

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Sam Allardyce says that the focus will remain on looking to beat Everton at
home in the next match to reach the 50 points target and remain on course to
secure the aimed-for top ten finish. Much is being discussed on whether the
amount of possible bookings that may or may not be picked up by either the
Hammers or the Toffees when the two teams meet at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday, may affect who could take the final Fair Play Europa League place.
But Hammers boss Allardyce will have his players only focusing on bouncing
back from the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend and getting three
points in what is the final home of the 2014/15 season. "I am not going to
look at it in that way, whether we are going to get any less cautions or
more than Everton. We just want to go out and play them to beat them, that's
the only thing we will be looking at. "I am not going to start saying to the
players, watch what you do, don't get cautioned because we might not finish
number one for European fair play place. It will be all about going out
there, playing our best and trying to win. And if we do that the right way,
hopefully we are still in the position for the fair play place."

Big Sam emphasised concentrating on the targets and aims that has been the
mainstay all season, having been in the top half of the table throughout the
current campaign. "Our position is to finish with 50 points or better and
finish in the top half where we have been all season. It would be very
disappointing to me if we don't manage that. "I know we have got more points
than we have ever got since promotion - we have one more point than in year
one back in the Barclays Premier League - but we have to get to the 50 point
mark and stay in the top half of the table."

The manager was ruing not being able to stick the ball into the back of the
net at Villa Park on Saturday and knows that and keeping a clean sheet will
be a key for facing Roberto Martinez's men this weekend. He also said the
continuing strong performances of young West Ham defender Reece Burke, who
featured in his third straight league match for the first-team against Villa
was fantastic for the club and said it further enhanced the long-admired
academy the club is famed for. "When you look across the Barclays Premier
League today, there are very few players under the age of 21 that are
actually playing [in first team] on a regular basis. "In fact, probably less
than double figures I would have thought. If you look across the whole of
the Premier League, it's a pity but it shows you how difficult it is for
youngsters to break into a Premier League team when he is an under 21.
"Obviously Reece has got in our side out of the fact we have two of our main
defenders injured [James Tomkins and Winston Reid], and when you get your
chance, you have to grasp it in this game.
"For me, he [Reece] has done that, he has grasped his chance, he has done a
fantastic job and I think that West Ham finding this lad from age of nine,
is very unusual now, because when you see youngsters breaking in, you will
see that they have probably been bought in by the igger clubs when they are
14 or 15 not when they are eight or nine like Reece. "It's great for him,
it's great for the reputation of the club, he played a part in making sure
we didn't give anything else away in the game at the weekend and that is
great."

Big Sam added that being more clinical in front of goal would be the main
key to undoing an Everton side. "Like I have said, we can't score a goal at
the minute from open play, we've gone so long, I can't remember the last
one, it's that long ago. The last goals we have scored were with Mark Noble
from the penalty spot and Aaron Cresswell from a free kick. It's been a long
time since we scored from open play. "We have to know, that when we play
Everton on Saturday, if we don't keep a clean sheet, it's unlikely we are
going to win because we are struggling to score goals at the minute, so the
need for to go back to being more clinical as well as keeping a clean sheet
is vital."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Modibo Maiga played the full game in FC Metz' 4-0 home defeat to Lorient.
Two goals either side of half-time for the visitors was enough to seal the
win against already relegated Metz. Lorient opened the scoring in the
twelfth minute through Mehdi Mostefa before Romain Philippoteaux doubled the
lead. Into the second half, it only took Lamine Kone ten minutes to seal the
win. Maiga was booked on the hour mark before Jordan Ayew completed the rout
with six minutes left to play.

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Ladies lose to champions Pompey
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies handed the FA Women's Premier League South title to
Portsmouth Ladies with a 3-1 defeat on the final day of the 2014/15 season.
First half goals from Sarah Kempson, Jess Frampton and captain Charley
Wilson set the hosts on their way to the title, meaning a goal from Hammers
skipper Stacey Little was nothing more than a consolation for Julian Dicks'
side. After an inspirational half time team talk from the former Hammers
left back, the Hammers came out and played out an impressive final 45
minutes of the season, although it was not enough to stop Pompey securing
the league title. Dicks decided to make two changes after Wednesday's
disappointing 5-0 London Capital Women's Cup final defeat to Charlton. Katie
Bottom was unavailable for selection for the trip to the South Coast,
allowing Kayleigh Xidhas to come in to cover at full back, whilst Jade Smith
replaced Lily Mellors on the left wing.

In the opening quarter of an hour, Portsmouth came out looking like they had
a job to do and immediately set about trying to get the opening goal of the
game. Wilson and Gemma Hillier were causing the Hammers backline all sorts
of problems. After just 17 minutes, the referee was caught up in the
occasion by giving a weak penalty decision for the home side. As Hammers
full back Vicky King dived in to clear the ball, there was an apparent
handball by the experienced defender, with Kempson stepping up to fire into
the corner of Nikki Duncan's goal.

The Hammers failed to deal with going behind early on in their Cup Final
defeat to the Addicks earlier this week and they repeated that again on
Sunday when Frampton stole possession from Xidhas and fired confidently into
the corner from 18 yards to double the hosts lead.
If being 2-0 behind within the opening half an hour wasn't bad enough for
Dicks side, the game went from bad to worse when Wilson lost Ruby Baxter at
a corner and was standing alone inside the six yard box giving her the
chance to tap home from a right wing corner.

It look Dicks' side until 40 minutes in to launch a comeback in the game.
Emma Sherwood's curling free kick wasn't dealt with by the Pompey keeper and
she palmed it straight into the path of Little, who finished well.
Throughout the second half, the Hammers looked like a much improved team as
they looked to scare their hosts. Sherwood again looked to fire an effort at
the Pompey keeper, but this time she managed to hold the ball. With the home
side two goals ahead with minutes left to play, it was clear that both sides
were ready for the full time whistle to blow and allow Portsmouth to begin
their championship celebrations.

Sunday's defeat means West Ham Ladies finish their 2014/14 FA Women's
Premier League South season in sixth place, which is a massive improvement
for the Hammers who finished second bottom of the league last season before
Dicks took charge at the club.

LADIES: Duncan, King, Revell, Baxter (Mellors), Xidhas, Blanchflower (Sale),
Little (c), Bowers, Smith, Kinsman, Sherwood.

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Stat's a Fact - Burke's impressive start
WHUFC.com

Reece Burke featured in the West Ham United starting line-up for the third
Barclays Premier League game in succession on Saturday and was arguably
faced with his toughest task to date by the in-form Christian Benteke. The
Belgian hotshot had scored twelve goals in his previous eleven games for the
Villans, but could not add to that streak against the Hammers, despite the
best efforts of Tim Sherwood's side to supply him in the attacking third.
29.9 percent of the game was played in the Hammers' defensive third,
indicating the pressure that Burke and centre back partner James Collins
came under, but the 18-year-old Newham boy continues to look assured. He
made 17 clearances, six with his head, to help his side, as well as making
three ball recoveries as the Hammers kept themselves in the contest, despite
Tom Cleverley's 31st minute goal. In possession, Burke was an asset to his
team, making 24 of his 31 passes, completing all six in the defensive third
and giving possession to Aaron Cresswell on seven occasions to help drive
forward. His manager was once again impressed with his contribution, saying:
"He was great and him and Ginge handled Benteke very well. I thought the
goal we gave away was a gift, though. We should have done a lot better with
the run from Grealish and made sure he didn't get that far, but he did."

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Time up for Allardyce as deadline approaches
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 11th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

Hammers fans are likely to discover whether Sam Allardyce will be offered a
new contract within the next few days. The 60-year-old manager's existing
two-year contract expires at the end of the current season, with both the
Board and Allardyce having insisted previously that no decision will be made
with regards to a new agreement until the end of the campaign. That, both
parties have maintained, is par for the course. However two years ago, when
Allardyce's first contract was about to expire, it was confirmed he had
signed a new deal 24 hours before West Ham's penultimate game of the 2012/13
season. Ironically perhaps that came again Everton (a 2-0 defeat at Goodison
Park), who West Ham face at the Boleyn this weekend in their final home game
of the season. Few believe that Allardyce will still be at West Ham by the
beginning of next term, although the list of potential replacements
continues to grow shorter as the days pass. Jurgen Klopp and David Moyes
have already ruled themselves out of contention whilst Rafa Benitez, of whom
David Sullivan is a long-term admirer looks poised to sign a new contract
with Napoli.

The Sam old game

28 May 2011: Allardyce accepts offer to become West Ham's 14th manager.

19 May 2012: West Ham return to the Premier League at the first attempt via
a Wembley play-off final.

11 May 2013: Allardyce signs a new two-year contract. Few object.

19 May 2013: West Ham beat Reading 4-2 to finish 10th in their first season
back in the big time.

11 May 2014: Three wins over Spurs and a Capital One Cup semi final spot
fail to gloss over a poor season as the Irons finish 13th.

20 May 2014: Sullivan confirms Allardyce remains in the face of some stiff
opposition - and delivers new targets (European football).

May 2015: Allardyce looks set to deliver another top ten finish - but his
days appear numbered.

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PSYCHOLOGY 101
By Iain Dale 11 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by RoHammer

A lot has been discussed lately about the (apparently) imminent appointment
of David Moyes as West Ham manager and I guess that was inevitable. Sam's
time seems to be at an end and for better or worse the board seem to be
looking for a replacement.

When we draw the line my only conclusion can be that Sam has done his job
and we are in a better place for it. So there's not gonna be any
maliciousness from me. I will say though, that at the end of the day I will
be happy with the change. Not necessarily because Moyes will be a tactical
genius for us or bring youth through or whatever other arguments have been
made (which are positives but not the be all end all for me)… but because I
genuinely hope for a change in mentality within the team.

My biggest concern and complaint against Sam will probably always be that he
doesn't seem to have a winner's mentality and doesn't seem able to convey
belief to the players. Of course this may well be a matter of personal
perception and I may be wrong. But when accounts appeared of how Sam divides
the season into chunks of 3-4 games targeting a certain amount of points
from each chunk I became increasingly worried that he will not be able to
take us any further.

It's one aspect of Sam's philosophy that hasn't been mentioned much but
personally I find this approach fundamentally wrong. It's all well and good
doing the math in your head points wise as a manager but when you make a
point of telling your players you are targeting 6-7 out of the next 9
available points (for example) you are basically telling them that a) you
don't think they are good enough to win at least 1 of the following 3 games
and b) that you'll be happy enough with 6-7 points… so then why would you
expect the players to give 100% for the win when you send them out there?
Doesn't it seem counter intuitive? And don't you end up basically throwing
games… look at Arsenal and Forest last season or Chelsea this season to name
a few. I would much rather have a manager that takes each game as it comes
and asks the players to give their all for the result… if they fall short on
the day so be it but at least you're not telling their subconscious that
it's ok if they fail before a ball is even kicked.

I may not be an expert in sports psychology but in my experience from
participating in both individual and team sport competitions at various
youth levels I remember coaches always making a point out of convincing the
players that they COULD get the win… that they WERE good enough and that
their hard work WILL pay off.

Because of this it is my humble opinion that Sam's approach may very well
have been one of the biggest pitfalls of his career and as the cliché goes…
he has been his own worst enemy … never quite getting there at the end of it
all.

Whether Moyes will bring an improvement in that regard (if indeed he is
appointed) remains to be seen but I hope he does. The human psyche is a
powerful thing… if can help or hinder… about time we had it on side no?!

Thanks of reading.

P.S.: I know y'all were missing a post on the manager and/or potential
replacement as they've been so scarce over the last few days… so here you go
;)

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West Ham keen on summer move for £6million Guingamp striker Claudio Beauvue
22:30, 10 May 2015 By Darren Lewis
The Guadeloupean hitman wants to test himself in England after a terrific
season in Ligue 1 at the Stade du Roudourou
The Mirror

West Ham are interested in £6million Guingamp striker Claudio Beauvue. The
27-year-old has scored 25 goals this season and is keen to build on this
success by moving to the Premier League. Bertrand Desplat, Guingamp
President, confirmed his player was interested in a move. "It seems that
this is the will of Claudio – to go to England," he said Beauvue claims to
have an agreement with his club which means that he could leave this summer.
The Frenchman, who has played wide right and as a central striker for
Guingamp this season, said: "The deal I had with the club president was that
I would leave in the event of a beautiful season. "The season has been very
beautiful."

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EXCLUSIVE: Irons wait on Benitez
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 11, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Rafa Benitez remains right at the top of the West Ham's wanted list and
those close to the Spanish boss are making encouraging noises in our
direction. We can reveal that intermediaries have been spoken to and that
the former Liverpool and Chelsea caretaker boss is listening to the Hammers'
overtures as a result. Although he is heading into possible contract talks
with Napoli we have been told that he remains keen on a Premier League club
and sees the Olympic Stadium move as a big plus on his own impressive CV. We
were told categorically earlier today that he is attracted to another crack
at the PL and assurances have even been sought that the Hammers won't
negotiate elsewhere until he knows where he is with Napoli. However, one
contender who has now been ruled out apparently is Marseilles boss Marcelo
Bielsa with the board uncomfortable working with a manager who doesn't
possess a word of English. Well places insiders have made it clear too that
there is no huge rush to appoint the new boss with one saying: "There is no
doubt in the board's mind they can attract a top quality manager. "They are
determined to ensure they give themselves the best chance they can of
attracting Rafa and that means waiting. He is the one that is at the top of
the list."

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Irons linked with French goal machine
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 11, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

The Hammers are reported to be interested in signing Guingamp striker
Claudio Beauvue valued around £6 million. The 27-year-old has scored 25
goals this season and is keen to move to the Premier League. Guingamp
President, Bertrand Desplat confirmed his player was interested in a move.
"It seems that this is the will of Claudio – to go to England," he said The
Frenchman, who has plays wide right and as a central striker for Guingamp
this season, said: "The deal I had with the club president was that I would
leave in the event of a beautiful season. "The season has been very
beautiful." Everton, Spurs and Hull have all been linked with the form
striker.

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10m euro fine for Hammers target
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 11, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

According to reports in Italy, Lassana Diarra has told he must pay a 10
million Euro penalty to Lokomotiv Moscow in a long running contractual
dispute with his former club. It is understood the player has already lodged
an appeal with the lawyer Jean Luis Dupont, made famous for the Bosman case.
Diarra claims that Lokomotiv Moscow management wanted to change his
contract. He refused and got fired by the club. Lassana Diarra is thought to
be training with West Ham in hope of securing a permanent contract in the
summer and to keep up his fitness levels. He is good friends with Hammer's
head of medicine Stijn Vandenbroucke, with whom he previously worked at
Anzhi Makhachkala. The 29-year-old Frenchman was previously played for
Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid has been linked with a move to Celtic or
QPR. There remains a possability that Diarra could be West Ham's first
signing of the summer if FIFA gives him clearance to play. Earlier this
season Diarra has claimed his move to West Ham had been blocked by the
game's ruling body.

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Allardyce: We wont pull FPL punches against Everton
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 11, 2015 in Whispers
Claret 7 Hugh

Sam Allardyce has revealed that no punches will be pulled when the Hammers
meet Everton at the weekend. With the Toffees just a place behind us in
third in the Fair Play League there have been suggestions we might 'take it
easy ' in challengses. But – like David Gold on Twitter – manager Sam
Allardyce has dismissed any suggestions that tackles will be anything less
than 100 per cent. He said: ". "I am not going to start telling players to
watch what we do because we might not finish number one for the European
Fair Play place, it is 'go out there, play your best and make sure you win'.
"If you do that the right way you will hopefully still be in the same
position in the Fair Play. "Our position is to try to get 50 points or
better and finish in the top half where we have been all season. It will be
very disappointing for me if we don't manage that."

"I won't look at it that way. I don't want to know if we get less cautions
than Everton, I want to go out there and beat them. "I am not going to start
telling players to watch what we do because we might not finish number one
for the European Fair Play place, it is 'go out there, play your best and
make sure you win'. "If you do that the right way you will hopefully still
be in the same position in the Fair Play. Our position is to try to get 50
points or better and finish in the top half where we have been all season.
It will be very disappointing for me if we don't manage that."

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Irons aim for new Jenkinson spell
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 11, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham intend to keep Carl Jenkinson on loan next season if Arsenal can be
nailed down to another year. The right back has had a brilliant season at
Upton Park but Arsenal manager has made it clear the England under 21 is not
for sale. He has already spoken to the player and claims the only decision
to be made is whether the player will go out on loan. That is considered a
certainty as Wenger knows he can't afford to have unhappy players in his
dressing room season and the Hammers are keen to sign him up to another
campaign. A source told ClaretandHugh: "We are certainly keen to keep him
and that would probably be as a loan because he's an Arsenal player so they
hold all the cards." He confirmed that nether the widely touted Glen Johnson
return or a move for Micah Richards was likely adding: "These seem to have
been recycled from last summer."

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Angry DG hits back
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 11, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold has declared the irons players would be "devastated" if they were
aware of some fans claims they are not giving 100 per cent in games. The co
chairman has again taken a hammering on Twitter following the Aston Villa
defeat with some supporters claiming they are not giving their all and
instead are protecting themselves against being booked. With a Europa spot
place in prospect the suggestion is that the payers are ensuring they
receive no yellow or red cards although Alex Song received a caution at the
weekend against Villa.
With third placed FPL outfit Everton arriving at Everton on Saturday the
accusations take on a certain significance but Gold was having none of it.
He immediately made his position crystal clear declaring: " "Our players
would be devastated if they thought the fans believed they weren't giving
100% dg."

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce to quit Upton Park
Sam Allardyce set to end tenure in east London and may consider move west
Sam Allardyce - West Ham manager Sam Allardyce ready to quit Upton Park
John Percy By John Percy10:30PM BST 11 May 2015
Telegraph.co.uk

Sam Allardyce will reject any offer to stay on as West Ham United manager at
the end of the season and he is understood to have turned down a tentative
approach from the club's board to open talks over a new deal. It was widely
expected that Allardyce would depart Upton Park, with his contract expiring,
but West Ham have experienced frustration with targets Jürgen Klopp, David
Moyes and Eddie Howe.
Klopp, who has announced that he will leave his position as Borussia
Dortmund manager this summer, was sounded out via intermediaries but is
prepared to wait until he makes his next career move.

Moyes is highly regarded by the West Ham board but he has made it clear that
he will be staying at Real Sociedad for another season, while Howe will not
leave Bournemouth after guiding the club to the Premier League by winning
the Championship title.

West Ham have other options, which could include Michael Laudrup, the club's
former defender Slaven Bilic and Napoli's Rafael Benítez, yet any hopes of
persuading Allardyce to stay on will be turned down by the 60-year-old.

Allardyce is understood to have two other offers, one in England and one
abroad, and one of those could be Fulham who are expected to search for a
new manager after another season of underachievement in the Championship.
His future will not be at West Ham, however, and he has decided that he will
leave the club even if they make a firm proposal to him in the next few
weeks. Sources at West Ham have insisted that there was an approach made to
Allardyce recently, with a new two-year deal potentially on offer, but it
was declined. That leaves West Ham facing a possible headache with their
options diminishing, ahead of a crucial 12 months when they prepare to move
into the Olympic Stadium for the 2016-17 season.

Allardyce is on the brink of securing a top-10 Premier League finish and
could even clinch a place in the Europa League next season. West Ham are
second in the fair play league, behind Liverpool, but could qualify if they
can finish with fewer bookings than nearest rivals Everton, who they play on
Saturday.

It has been a difficult final campaign for Allardyce, with injuries to the
club's record signing Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho leaving him woefully
short of attacking options. He has also been criticised by supporters over
his tactics and style of play despite a concentrated attempt to bring in
more flair players last summer. Allardyce is adamant that the season has
been a success. "Our position is to try to get 50 points or better and
finish in the top half where we have been all season. It will be very
disappointing for me if we don't manage that," he said. "I know we have more
points than we have ever got, we are one better off than year one, but we
have to get to the 50 mark and stay in the top half."

Allardyce's departure this summer will end a tenure of four years in east
London, following his appointment as manager in June 2011.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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