Bilic: 'Payet has got everything'
WHUFC.com
West Ham Uited manager Slaven Bilic is relishing the chance to see new
signing Dimitri Payet make his European debut for the Club against Astra
Giurgiu and says he is the all-round player.
Payet has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings following his
big money move from Marseille earlier in the summer and made a dream debut
when he scored two goals against Southend. The French international has
followed that up with impressive displays against Charlton and Norwich and
is now set for his first appearance at the Boleyn Ground on Thursday night.
Bilic always felt that Payet could become a special player for the east
London Club and has nothing but praise for the way he conducts himself on
the field. Bilic said: "He's not only a great player, he's a professional
and is a good lad. He's the kind of player I thought we really needed. "He
is going to make every player better than they actually are. He's got
everything.
"He was my number one target and I am grateful to the chairman that we got
him. It was done just like that – not in four weeks. "He's doing really well
at the moment. It may go a bit up and down. But we're going to help him and
he's going to help us."
West Ham United defender James Collins has also been impressed with Payet in
the short time he has been at the Club and could see straight away that he
was going to be a top player. Collins said: "I played with him at Southend
and he was a million miles the best player on the pitch. He's a special
player. "He's a tremendous signing for the Club. He's going to create so
many chances and score goals as well. You can see it from the day he walked
in he's kept himself fit. "He's come in and speaks very good English and
gets on with the lads. It's an exciting time to have players like that in
the squad. You can see he's a top player - even in training."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell - We want to reach the group stages
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell says he would love to help the Club
reach the group stages of the Europa League and wants to compete against the
big teams in Europe. The Hammers are just four games away from reaching the
main stage of the competition, but face another tough test when they play
Romanian side FC Astra at the Boleyn Ground on Thursday night in the third
qualifying round. Cresswell, who was voted Hammer of the Year last season,
is excited by the prospect of playing against different European teams and
hopes it will improve everyone in the squad. The games are certainly coming
thick and fast for Slaven Bilic and his players and with just over a week to
go before the opening Premier League game against Arsenal, Cresswell says
they will be raring to go for the London derby at Emirates Stadium on August
9. Cresswell said: "I don't think many of us have had this amount of
pre-season games but we just need to relish it and look forward to the
opening Premier League game against Arsenal. "We want to be in the group
stages (of the Europa League) and there will be better teams as the
competition progresses. "It will be a test for us (against Astra) but one we
are looking forward to. The fans are turning out in their numbers again and
long may it continue. "It is a game we are looking forward to. We have seen
videos of the opposition. They are going to be tough and don't look a bad
side."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jack Sullivan Column
WHUFC.com
Jack Sullivan is the youngest son of West Ham United Joint-Chairman David
Sullivan and is a huge Hammers fan. Jack will be giving his exclusive views
to the official website in a regular column...
Hello everyone,
It has been another good week for the Club as we continue on this exciting
European adventure and we now look forward to another tough encounter
against Romanian side AFC Astra Giurgiu.
I have been away on holiday in Spain but I still made sure that I got to
travel to the game in Malta last week with my dad and brother. I'm sure like
all the fans who travelled there, they will say what a nice place Malta is
and their stadium was very impressive. They looked after us so well and we
obviously knew that we were going to be playing at the national stadium, but
it was amazing to see how passionate the home fans were and that they sold
out most of the tickets. It was a really big match for the people in Malta
and how much it meant to everyone.
All the substitutes were trying to get the fans going and there was a real
party atmosphere. Despite going a goal behind early on in the game and then
losing James Tomkins to a red card on the stroke of half-time, it was great
to see how the players kept battling and it shows the spirit in the squad
that we were still able to win the game. All five penalties were fantastic
and it was the same against Everton last season in the FA Cup. I know the
players would have learned a great deal from the opening two rounds and I
know Slaven Bilic has been saying that we need to keep our cool and not get
wound up by the opposition We obviously don't get the same tactics when we
play in the Premier League every week, but I'm sure the players will get
used to it now and hopefully we will not see any more dismissals. We are all
hoping to get a good advantage from the first leg.
I know all the fans are excited to see our new summer signing Dimitri Payet
make his European debut for the Club at the Boleyn Ground. Payet is a
fantastic signing and we have already seen the skills and talent he is going
to bring to the first-team this season. I know he was Slaven's first choice
and we are delighted that we were able to clinch his signature. It shows the
ambition we have got as a Club now that we are able to attract these big
names to come and play for West Ham United. There is no doubt that Payet is
going to scare opponents and he has settled in extremely fast. You only have
to look at Alexis Sanchez and how quickly he settled into Arsenal last
season. Hopefully Payet can do the same.
It is fantastic that we are close to selling out for the Europa League game
on Thursday night and it shows once again how amazing our support is. We
have affordable family pricing and the fans are determined to be part of
this European journey. I cannot believe that the new Premier League season
gets underway in just over a week's time, but Slaven has worked the players
really hard over the last few weeks and I am confident the players are going
to be really sharp for the start of pre-season. This has certainly been a
meaningful pre-season with all the competitive games we have had to face and
the players have been able to build their fitness up. I know a lot of fans
are asking about the possibility of any more new signings coming into the
Club. I know my dad is continuing to work hard behind the scenes, but we are
determined to spend the money wisely and get the best value we can for a
player. We still have time to get the right deal.
I look forward to speaking with you all again soon.
Jack
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hernandez Latest
Posted by whufc_news@hotmail.com on July 30, 2015 in News, Transfer Rumours
C AND H
Portuguese giants Benfica have joined the race to sign Manchester United
forward Javier Hernandez, according to Mirror Football. The 27 year-old is
wanted by a host of clubs this summer, including London rivals Spurs and
West Ham. However, for the time-being, the Mexican has been told that he is
a part of Louis Van Gaal's plans for the upcoming season. It is believed
that this situation may change, if Manchester United manage to snap up a
forward before the close of the transfer window. But in the meantime, Slaven
Bilic is looking elsewhere for a new striker, and could turn his attention
to Fenerbahce striker Moussa Sow.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OS seats moved forward for first time
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
The Olympic Stadium Seats are on the move for the first time. Following the
completion of the athletics event over the weekend, work has started moving
the retractable seats forward to be closer to the pitch.
This image posted online by Matthew Wheele on Tuesday shows the first middle
section behind the goal moved forward leaving a permanent section in
concrete which will not be used in football mode. The black seats in this
photo will screened off when football is played.
Retractable seating will be used for the first time for Rugby and the first
event scheduled for 29th AUgust when Barbarians take on Samoa.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons surprise at bookies Hernandez odds
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham have slipped to 5/1 second favourites in the race to sign Javier
Hernandez. Sky Bet have installed Spurs as 2/1 best bets to grab the
Manchester Unietd striker with nobody seemingly accepting that he will be
staying at Old Trafford. As reported here, the Irons have already had one
bid of £9 million turned down and that was immediately followed by OT boss
Luis van Gaal claiming the Mexican was not for sale. Since then however,
Portuguese side Benfica have entered the fray and according to the Mirror
want the player on loan next season. The Hammers, however, don't see any
reason for the bookies to be lengthening their odds to three points beyond
Spurs. A source told us: "We have made a bid and are continuing to monitor
things very carefully. He remains very high on our target list. These odds
surprise us."
Latest odds for Hernandez's next club: Spurs 2/1 West Ham 4/1 Aston Villa
12/1 Sevilla 12/1 To stay at United 11/10.
Odds vary at various betting outlets
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slav "It's a risk be I want a couple more"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Slaven Bilic has made it clear he wants one or two more signings. The club
has already spent around £24m on seven summer signings but the new boss
wants a couple more in through the doors.
He said: "You have to be clever (in the transfer market) of course, but even
Einstein would have to spend money." And he accepts the club will have to
splash the cash without knowing whether West Ham have made the Europa League
group stages or not. He said: "That is very tricky because you can't wait
that long. So we will have to risk one way or another."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Evolving West Ham are like no other Premier League team', says boss of
Europa League opponents
HITC
Damien Lucas
Marius Sumudica, the manager of West Ham United's Romanian Europa League
opponents FC Astra Giurgiu says the Hammers are a one-off in the Premier
League. Sumudica has seen a lot during his managerial career so far having
taken charge of no fewer than 16 clubs over nine years in three different
countries. So the former striker, who scored 100 goals in 350 games during
an equally nomadic playing career, is well qualified to talk about the
different challenges posed by teams his side come up against in the Europa
League. Having got a taste of British opposition when Astra saw off Scottish
Premier League side Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the last round, Sumudica
hopes his players can cause Slaven Bilic's Hammers problems in the first leg
at Upton Park tonight. But having watched the Irons in their pre-season
friendly at Norwich on Tuesday night, he has told West Ham's official
website he was left somewhat intimidated by what he saw. "They left a very
good impression, the team has changed under the new manager and I can say
they play a different type of football to the other English teams," Sumudica
told whufc.com. "They have a high pressing line and they try to play
football. "We will have to be very careful, (they) have a very high
quality."
Praise is far cry from '19th century football' accusations
Sumudica's words are a far cry from the kind of assessment opposition
managers have been making of Sam Allardyce's West Ham in recent years.
Managers have been quick to label the Hammers one-dimensional and a "long
ball team" in recent seasons. Most famously Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
accused the Hammers of playing '19th century football' – as reported by the
BBC at the time – after their defensive display earned them an unlikely
point at Stamford Bridge two seasons ago. Allardyce was always quick to
refute any such claims, saying it was an unfair tag that has never left him
since his Bolton Wanderers days.
Are Hammers rediscovering their roots?
But West Ham and their fans have always prided themselves on playing
attractive, attacking football true to their Academy of Football roots.
However, under Sam Allardyce many supporters grew tired of what they saw as
negative tactics, particularly away from home. So they will find it
refreshing to hear a neutral such as Sumudica speak in such glowing terms
about what he described as Bilic's 'evolving' side especially given the fact
the Croatian is only a month into his Hammers tenure.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham target Europa League win against Astra Giurgiu
Last Updated: 30/07/15 11:46am
SSN
West Ham take on Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League third qualifying round
at Upton Park on Thursday night. The Hammers have already beaten Andorran
side Lusitanos 4-0 over two legs in the first qualifying round, before just
edging past Birkirkara from Malta 5-3 on penalties in the following round.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, however, wants his team to try and kill the
tie off ahead of the return leg next Thursday, especially with a trip to
Arsenal to come on the opening weekend of the Premier League season three
days later. "They are a club that's investing money, has a lot of good
players," he said. "Last year they knocked out Lyon so it's going to be a
good test for us. "I'm hoping for that (a commanding victory) and it would
be nice, and we're going to try for that, but to be fair we're not expecting
an easy ride."
The first-leg tie against the Romanians will be West Ham's 10th game already
of preseason, but Bilic was adamant he would not let his side's busy summer
schedule to account for any fatigue.
"It's not ideal, but there's no point moaning or saying it again, we just
have to cope with the situation and that's it - no excuses," said the
Croatian. "I would have had to learn quickly here anyway, because I'm new
here. "I've done my homework but these European nights we've had so far,
they are not ideal, but at the same time they give you the best pictures
from your players. "The negative side of that was that we had so many games
because the club had to arrange friendly matches because we didn't know we'd
compete in European qualification." New signing from Marseille Dimitri Payet
is expected to make his full debut for the club, but centre-back James
Tomkins misses out through suspension after being sent off in the previous
round against Birkirkara
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea backed to snap-up free agent midfielder as West Ham and Aston Villa
look elsewhere
14:13 30 July 2015 Brad Pinard
Chelsea have been backed from as big as 10/1 into joint favourites to sign
free agent Esteban Cambiasso this summer. The Argentinean left Leicester
earlier this month despite being offered a new contract and so is a free
agent. West Ham were immediately installed as the favourites to sign the
central midfielder who impressed for the Foxes last season and has left them
with a huge gap in their squad to fill. However, Slaven Bilic has confirmed
Alex Song is moving closer to a deal with the club and so the Hammers have
drifted in the betting market. Aston Villa and Tottenham were also shorter
prices earlier this week and have been pushed out to bigger odds. Chelsea
however have done the opposite and are now as short at 2/1 to be the next
club of Cambiasso's.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Euro goal shortage to continue as the net bulges en masse at St
Mary's
bwin.com
West Ham are joined by Southampton in the shallow waters of the Europa
League, which is now just two rounds away from starting in earnest. The
Hammers entertain Romania's Astra Giurgiu, while Southampton welcome Chelsea
reserves Vitesse Arnhem. Both Premier League outfits are heavily fancied to
win at 53/100 and 33/100 respectively, but we've sounded out two better
value wagers from each match just as likely to land.
West Ham v Astra Giurgiu Under 1.5 goals @ 9/4
West Ham have faced sides of minnow-to-a-stickleback stature in the previous
rounds of this competition, yet have only been able to prevent this bet
copping in one of their four matches.
Astra were just as prolific as far as landing unders punts is concerned in
both legs of their second preliminary round tie with Inverness Caledonian
Thistle, with just one goal scored across two legs. Furthermore, the
Romanians haven't scored more than one in any of their last nine matches in
this competition.
West Ham to win 1-0 @ 21/4
Three of the four prelim fixtures involving the Irons have finished 1-0,
while they've leaked just one goal across these games. Working on the
premise that the net will bulge once at most here and Slaven Bilic's side
are likely to keep a clean sheet, this is the most likely scoreline by some
margin.
Southampton v Vitesse
Both teams to score @ 11/10
While it's difficult to envisage anything but a Saints win here, the net
rippling courtesy of the men from Arnhem can't be discounted. They've done
so in ten of their last 11 sojourns, including their only away-day friendly
against Sparta Prague on their previous outing. Southampton notched 11 goals
across the final five home games of the previous season.
More goals to be scored in the first half @ 9/5
Of the 14 registered in total across the aforementioned five fixtures at St
Mary's, nine prior to the interval. Similarly, seven of the 12 bagged in
Vitesse's last three competitive away games came before the half-time
whistle.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic believes Dimitri Payet arrival will make entire West Ham squad
play above themselves
London Evening Standard
TOM DUTTON
Published: 30 July 2015 Updated: 09:57, 30 July 2015
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic believes his entire squad will step up
following the arrival of Dimitri Payet from Marseille. The 28-year-old
joined for £10.7million earlier this month and scored on his debut for the
club in a pre-season friendly against Southend. And Bilic is expecting Payet
to shine for the Hammers next term as they target a top-eight finish in
their final season at the Boleyn Ground. Indeed, the West Ham boss will
receive no bonuses if the club fail to finish inside the Premier League top
eight but he is confident Payet's arrival will provide a timely boost across
the squad. "It's still early days but I know so far he's not only a great
player but he's professional and he's a good lad," the former Croatia boss
said. "He's the kind of player I thought we really needed. "He's going to
make every player better than they actually are - he's got everything and he
likes to take responsibility. "He was my number one target and I am
grateful to chairman that we got him and it was done like that – not in four
weeks."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham need to get 'streetwise' against Europa League's wind-up merchants,
says James Collins
22:30, 29 JULY 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The Mirror
The Wales international defender says his teammates must how to cope with
the underhand tactics being used by rivals ahead of their clash with Astra
James Collins admits West Ham need to get "streetwise" in the Europa League.
Collins has told his teammates they need to learn quickly how to cope with
the underhand tactics being used by their rivals in the competition. West
Ham , who qualified for the Europa League via the fair play league, have
already had two players sent off in the first two rounds following
provocation.
Diafra Sakho and James Tomkins have seen red in the Hammers' two away legs
at Lusitans and Birkirkara after being suckered into violent reactions by
their opponents. Defender Collins said: "These teams are coming to play us,
looking at it as a cup final so will try anything they can to beat us. "We
have to be streetwise, deal with that and let our football do the talking.
Some of the stuff that was going on the pitch was unbelievable. "They spoke
about doing it before the game and from minute one they have tried
everything they could to get under our skin."
While Sakho and Tomkins – both banned for Thursday night's third qualifying
round tie against Romanian's Astra Giurgiu – have taken the bait and paid
the price, Collins added: "It's niggly and verbal but it's quite enjoyable.
"You don't see it week-in, week out in the Premier League so it's a good
eye-opener. "I had that a lot when I was growing up and it made me a
stronger player so for some of the younger lads that are going to get a
chance it is going to be a great experience."
Slaven Bilic is set to hand £10.7m signing, attacking midfielder Dimitri
Payet, his competitive debut at Upton Park. Boss Bilic said: "He was my
number one target. He is going to make every player better than they
actually are. He's got everything." Collins added: "He's a special player. I
played with him (in the friendly) at Southend and he was a million miles the
best player on the pitch. "I'm looking forward to seeing how he gets on in
the Premier League and Europa League."
Bilic has spent around £24m on his seven summer signings and revealed he is
eyeing "one or two" more. He added: "You have to be clever (in the transfer
market) of course, but even Einstein would have to spend money." And he
admits he will have to spend again without knowing whether West Ham have
made the Europa League group stages or not. He said: "That is very tricky
because you can't wait that long. So we will have to risk one way or
another."
West Ham expected team vs Astra Giurgiu
Adrian; Burke, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Oxford, Kouyate;
Valencia, Payet; Zarate.
Referee: Adrien Jaccottet (Switzerland)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Collins heaps praise on owners and boss for building strongest squad
he's known at West Ham
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United defender James Collins has praised the club's owners and new
manager Slaven Bilic for assembling the strongest squad he's seen at the
club. The 31-year-old Welshman was speaking at a pre-match press conference
– which was reported by the club's official website – ahead of West Ham's
Europa League third qualifying round clash against FC Astra on Thursday
night. The fans' favourite's words carry some weight too considering he has
played more than 130 games for the east Londoners during two spells spanning
seven years. Crucially he has also played under three different sets of
owners, firstly Terence Brown, then the Icelandics who sold him to Aston
Villa and in his second spell David Sullivan and David Gold - and it is the
latter two who have impressed him most. One of West Ham's best performers
last season, Collins has watched with delight as the Irons have been one of
the most active clubs in the summer transfer market bringing in nine players
so far with the promise of more to come. And in his opinion it has left new
manager Slaven Bilic with the best squad he has known during his time with
the club. "We've got a strong squad and all credit goes to the chairmen and
the gaffer for getting the squad how it is, we've got some top quality
players and I think that's deserved for a club like West Ham and the way
we're looking to go," he told the assembled media. "Yes, I'd say so (it's
the best squad of players in his time at the club). "Some of the signings
like the gaffer says, it's still early days, but the signings have been
quality, the additions to the squad have been tremendous."
Words carry weight
Collins is well qualified to talk about comings and goings at West Ham as he
has seen a fair few in his seven years at the club. The former Cardiff star
was part of Alan Pardew's squad which made it to that epic FA Cup final
against Liverpool in 2007. He also played in Europe for the Hammers against
Palermo the following season – the club's reward for having made the FA Cup
final – where he played alongside the likes of Carlos Tevez and Javier
Mascherano. So when Collins says this is the best squad he has seen at the
club, fans can start to believe it might truly be the start of something
memorable under Bilic in what is the last ever season at their Boleyn Ground
home of 112 years. Collins' remark "the way we're looking to go" also tells
you something about the ambitions of the club to really start challenging
the elite as they prepare for their big move to the 54,000 seater Olympic
Stadium next summer.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
Thursday, July 30
Daily WHUFC News - West Ham United v Astra Giurgiu
Astra coach wary of Hammers threat
WHUFC.com
Astra Giurgiu manager Marius Sumudica is wary of a West Ham United side
evolving under their new manager Slaven Bilic ahead of Thursday's UEFA
Europa League meeting at the Boleyn Ground. Sumudica was an interested
observer as the Hammers took on Norwich City on Tuesday and the 44-year-old
admitted to being impressed with they way they ended their 1-0 victory.
Having seen off Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the last round and reached
the group stage of this competition last year, Sumudica believes his team
possess the ability to cause the Londoners a headache but knows Astra will
have to be at their best. "This is a very important match for us," he said.
"It's the first leg, so the first battle to win the war and I'm sure it will
be difficult. "The crowd will try to make our lives very hard, but we are
ready to fight here and we will give everything. "I watched West Ham's game
against Norwich on Tuesday, and I watched the games against Lusitans and
Birkirkara too. "They left a very good impression, the team has changed
under the new manager and I can say they play a different type of football
to the other English teams. "They have a high pressing line and they try to
play football. We will have to be very careful, and watching the last half
hour against Norwich, the nine players they brought on, who I think will
start against us on Thursday, have a very high quality. "We have to fight
our enthusiasm, because we had an away win at the weekend, so it's human to
be in a state of enthusiasm after that. "We have to be careful that we're
not over-confident so we have to focue and concentrate very well."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Collins press conference
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender James Collins also faced the media on Wednesday at
the Club's pre-match Europa League press conference. The Wales international
looked ahead to the UEFA third qualifying round tie against FC Astra at the
Boleyn Ground and talked about the preparations for the new season.
James, how have you found the Europa League in terms of preparation as part
of the pre-season?
"As the gaffer said, it's a lot of games, but that's what we're here for, to
play games, to get fit, and that's the way we view it.
"We've had a couple of tough games already and the game on Thursday is not
going to be a walkover. "They are a good side we are playing against, and
it's good preparation for us to know the gaffer, and for the gaffer to get
to know us as players and see us play. "As players we've used these games to
impose ourselves on the new staff, and tomorrow night we have a good chance
of doing that."
It has been an unusual route into the competition. Is there a feeling around
the club to go as far as you can and hopefully get some big clubs to play at
the Boleyn Ground?
"To have a big European team there would be great. We have a strong squad,
and some top quality players, so all credit to the gaffer and the chairmen."
Is this the strongest squad of players at West Ham since you've been here?
"Yeah, I'd say so. We're still trying to get to know each other, and how
each other plays, but the signings have been quality, and obviously to go
with the lads we had here last year, the additions to the squad have been
tremendous."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic press conference
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic faced the media ahead of the Europa
League tie against FC Astra on Thursday night.
Slaven, I would imagine that you want Thursday to go more smoothly than the
last round?
"For that time it was good training for us, for the guys in Malta. Of course
we are going to try but we are playing a good team.
"The Romanians have a good side, it's a good club, they are investing money.
They have a good mixture of players. Last year they knocked out Lyon, it's
going to be a good test for us."
Are you hoping to get a good enough lead in the first leg so you can rest
players before the Arsenal game?
"We are hoping, but the most likely thing is that it is going to be a two
legged game. It can be the other way round, but either way it would have to
be an exceptional game for both teams. Exceptionally good for one team, and
bad for another. "But as I said they are a good side, and we are a good side
as well, so I am hoping to rest a few players . We are going to try to do
it, but to be fair we are not expecting an easy ride."
How are you finding the process of having to prepare for a Premier League
season, gettingt to know your new team, play in the Europa League , and get
everybody fit?
"Well I've said it a few times already, and I don't want to repeat myself,
but we are taking it day by day, and week in week out.
"It's not ideal, but there's no point in moaning over it, we just have to
cope with the situation, and that's it, no excuses."
You must be finding out a lot about your players very quickly though?
"You have to be quick but I've done my homework on the players. These
European Qualification games, are not ideal, looking at the big picture
you're getting the best from your players individually and as a team, so in
that case it was good. "We didn't have a first team or a second team, it was
a mixture, some of the players had a longer summer holiday than others and,
have only trained together for the first time as unit last week, and this is
not ideal. "But, as I said, I am very optimistic, and we are going to be
ready for the start of the Premier League Season."
What is the latest about a new striker coming to West Ham?
"As I said before, we are not panicking, but we are trying to sign one. We
need to find one that best fits the team. "I'm happy with my squad. The
transfer window is still open just like every other club, so there is still
the possibility that some players will come and some will go."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Astra Giurgiu
KO 19:45
29 July 2015
Last updated at 17:18
Europa League third qualifying round
Date: Thursday, 30 July. Kick-off: 19:45 BST. Venue: Upton Park
Coverage: BBC Sport website, live commentary on BBC London 94.9.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says his side can have "no excuses" despite
the early start to their season. The Hammers face Romanian side Astra
Giurgiu in the Europa League third qualifying round on Thursday, in a
campaign which began on 2 July. "We just have to cope with the situation and
that's it - no excuses," said Croatian Bilic, who replaced Sam Allardyce as
boss in the summer.
West Ham start the Premier League season against Arsenal on 9 August. They
ended the 2014-15 campaign on 24 May with a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle, but
were back in competitive action just 39 days later in the first qualifying
round of the competition against Lusitanos.
They beat the Andorran side 4-0 on aggregate, followed by a win on penalties
against Maltese outfit Birkirkara in the next round.
But Bilic feels the number of matches can enable him to assess his players.
"I've done my homework but these European nights we've had so far, they are
not ideal," he said. "At the same time they give you the best pictures from
your players. "The negative side of that was that we had so many games
because the club had to arrange friendly matches because we didn't know we'd
compete in European qualification."
New signing Dimitri Payet is in line to make his full debut, but defender
James Tomkins is suspended after a red card against Birkirkara.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v FC Astra
image: http://www.kumb.com/2008/images/percy.jpg
Filed: Wednesday, 29th July 2015
By: Preview Percy
Preview Percy went to Malta for last week's match against Birkirkara. We'd
just like to apologise to the good people of that fine island - it wasn't
our idea. We'd also like to apologise to Romania for what follows.....
Two rounds down and another 94 to go (or something). If it's Thursday night
it must be the Thursday Night League and our next opponents are FC Astra
Girgiu who are based in the Romanian town of, er, Girgiu. The home leg is
this Thursday at the usual time with the return over there a week later.
After Andorra and Malta, I guess that Romania opposition is another step
forward in terms of league quality for the opposition, though the Romanians
– not to mention the Maltese - might be a bit cheesed-off to discover that,
according to UEFA they are roughly on a par with the Scottish leagues. Astra
are, of course, one of the less familiar clubs in Romania, which has
traditionally been dominated by the Bucharest giants Dinamo and Steua.
Despite this, the club is one of the older clubs in Romania having been
founded over 90 years ago. The club started as a series of works teams for
an oil company based in different towns across the country. Eventually these
teams merged to form one club who then set about moving into the Romanian
League system. There have been numerous name changes following mergers and,
more recently, a change of home from Ploiesti, where they had been based for
91 years, to Girgiu.
Nationally, they had been bumping about the secondary and tertiary levels of
Romanian Football before finally making the leap up to the top flight in
1998. They hung around with the big boys until 2003 when they were relegated
back to Liga II. Then Liga III. However, they've been on an upward curve
since then, winning the Liga III title in 2007/08 and following that up with
promotion from Liga II in second place in 2008/09. After a few relegation
battles the last three seasons have seen them finish 4th, 2nd and 4th.
2012/13 was probably their peak as they took the Romanian Cup on penalties
from Champions Steua on penalties, also defeating the same team in the
Romanian Super Cup.
Whilst we're on the subject of the Romanian League it's fair to say that the
league has not been in the rudest of financial health of late. Of last
season's 18 clubs in the top flight, no fewer than 7 entered into some sort
of insolvency arrangement – including Dinamo Bucharest. They cut back the
size of the league from 18 teams to 14 for this term which, incidentally,
commenced on 10 July. This reduction was achieved by relegating the bottom 6
sides into the respective regionalised second tier leagues and promoting the
winners of each of the two sections. Incidentally one of the promoted teams
from last season were our old friends Poli Timisoara, who we faced in the
1980/81 Cup Winners Cup.
The league is one of those affairs that has been tinkered with by a no doubt
well-meaning committee so that, once everyone has played everyone twice,
they split the league. The top 6 go into another round of fixtures carrying
forward half of the points they won in the first half of the season (rounded
downwards in the case of half points) to decide the league. The same will
happen with the bottom eight teams to decide relegation. The question that
immediately leaps to mind is "why"? Ok there has to be some alteration to
the system to ensure that a full league season can take place but it seems
rather an odd way of doing things.
As mentioned the season has started already and, at time of writing, Astra
sit in 6th place of the nascent league having won, drawn and lost one of
their three matches so far. In fact but for CFR Cluj's starting the season
with a five point penalty for an infringement of licencing regulations
(watering down the beer I expect) Astra would be a further place down into
the relegation group zone, though with just the three games played it may be
a bit soon to hit the panic button just yet.
On the European front, this is their third consecutive season in the
Thursday Night League. In 2013/14 they were knocked out at the play-of stage
by Maccabi Haifa 3-1 on aggregate. Last season they made the group stage by
disposing of the not-inconsiderable scalp of Lyon on away goals in the
play-off round. Despite a home win over Dinamo Zagreb and a home draw
against Celtic, that was pretty much as good as it got or the "Black
Devils", who lost every other match, twice shipping five goals away in
Zagreb and at Red Bull Salzburg, a club from a city as beautiful as the
club's name isn't.
As for their players, whoever was responsible for the draw in this
competition has clearly sat there and said: "I know. Let's give that
miserable old so and so who does the previews for Kumb a hard time in each
round. Let's give him a tough time researching stuff". After Andorra and
Malta I thought Romania ought to be a doddle. Well it might have been had we
been playing Dinamo Bucharest maybe. Information on Astra'a players is,
however, a bit thin on the ground. I can find stuff about the club itself
easily enough, but the biographical details for each player seems to consist
of the standard phrase ***** ****** is a professional footballer who plays
for FC Astra Girgiu. Like, thanks.
Their first choice 'keeper has the wonderful name of Silviu Lung Jr. The
usual biographical source helpfully informs us that Lung Jr is a
professional footballer for FC Astra Girgiu, adding – in case the reader is
hard of thinking - that he is the son of Silviu Lung. A bit more digging
about the Romanian databases provided the information that he has made over
100 appearances for Astra since signing from Universitatea Craiova in 2011.
He's been capped three times at senior level by the Romanian national side,
though the fact that the first of these came in 2010 and the last 2013
suggests that he's not uppermost in the mind of the national coach.
The skipper is Constantin Budescu, a midfielder who makes a useful
contribution on the goalscoring side of things. Last season's top scorer
with 10, he picked up the soubriquet "Hero Of Cyprus" for his efforts in the
2013 Thursday Night League when he picked up a brace against Omonia Nicosia.
Which is nice I suppose, but it's hardly "Lion Of Vienna" stuff is it? (ask
your great-grandad about that reference). He is also a professional
footballer for FC Astra. Apparently.
They brought in Portuguese defender Geraldo Alves during the close season. A
signing from their erstwhile local rivals Petrolul Ploiesti, at 34 Alves is
at the veteran stage of his career, which includes shifts at Befica, AEK
Athens and, Steua Bucharest. A professional footballer with Astra Girgiu, he
is the elder brother of Bruno, the much-capped Portuguese centre half.
It seems that no European team these days, however unlikely the location, is
complete without a Brazilian. Astra are no exception – in fact they have a
pair in the form of midfielder William De Amorim ("William") and Fernando
Boldrin ("Rick"), who arrived in the close season. Both William and Rick are
professional footballers who – oh you get the picture.
And so to us. Having popped over to stay with our friends at the Dom Mintoff
Home For The Frankly Quite Bonkers last week we found ourselves in the
middle of a heatwave, the likes of which had even the locals running for
shelter. Our mobility scooters were melting and it was all we could do to
sit for much of the day in the nearest air-conditioned hostelry with a pint
of Cisk. For medicinal purposes, obviously. Even the late kick-off of the
match still saw us sitting in temperatures of the mid-80's and it was humid
and uncomfortable to sit and watch. So it must have been horrible for the
players.
We didn't play well – and for the first 20 minutes at least, tactically we
seemed to play into their hands. It was as if nobody had considered the fact
that they would need to score to have any chance of progressing. We duly
conceded – a good goal but one that stemmed from our inability to keep hold
of the ball in the early period.
The other way we played into their hands was on the disciplinary front. Yes
the bloke that Tomkins tangled with made a twenty course meal with fine
wines and post prandial liqueurs in the drawing room out of the incident,
but Tomkins did react thereby giving the ref (who seemed to be on work
experience) the chance to make a decision, however incorrect. That's the
second "sucker" red card we've had in this competition and, assuming that
Astra have seen video of the matches played so far they may be considering
continuing the trend. They might possibly have a look at targeting Mark
Noble who, for a ten-minute spell in the first half looked like a second
yellow in waiting. It's definitely an area we need to improve on.
With Sakho and Tomkins out – there was an appeal proposed re Tomkins but
I've heard nothing as yet – we are shorn of two of our goal threats. Sakho
will be available for the second leg though. Squad-wise, Payet, Jenkinson,
Valencia and Ogbonna are all eligible for selection according to the UEFA
list and Payet in particular would be a welcome addition to the Thursday
Night League squad – his pre-season friendly appearances so far have been
impressive so if he's fit enough use him I say. Jenkinson's return would
also be an improvement on the game-but-limited Joey O'Brien should he be fit
enough to join in. I'm not sure how much running he could have done by
hiding behind the sofa every time Sunderland came knocking though.
Prediction? Well with all due respect to Birkirkara, who played out of their
skins to push us all the way last week, this match represents another step
up in terms of the class of opposition faced – the fact that they beat
someone of the pedigree of Lyon on their way to last season's group stage
shows that they are capable of causing an upset in this competition.
However, the Maltese adventure will have proved useful for a number of
reasons. Apart from the improvement in fitness levels gained from playing
120 minutes in that heat – one of the targets at this stage of the season –
the scare will have concentrated the minds of both players and staff and
brought into focus the requirements of the task in hand.
With our opening match at the Library coming only a few days after our trip
to Romania it would be nice to be able to rest some key players from the
second leg and, with a strong squad promised for the home leg much will
depend on whether the quality of finishing can improve on that displayed in
the home leg of the Birkirkara match. Overall I think we should have too
much for them so I'll take us to get through to the Play-Off Round on
aggregate.
Enjoy the games!
When last we met: You haven't learned your lesson from last time, have you?
How did they get here?:
QR1: Bye
QR2: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-0 (a) 0-0 (h) (agg 1-0)
Danger Man: Constantin Budescu – last season's top scorer.
Referee: 1st Leg: Adrien Jacottet (Switzerland) – can't be as bad as last
week's Albanian. Can he?
Daft Fact Of The Week:: Famous people born in Romania include:
Johnny Weismuller – five times Olympic gold medal winner and Tarzan actor;
Nadia Comenici – five times Olympic gold medal winner and the first gymnast
to achieve a perfect 10 score in competition; and
Nicolae Ceausescu – zero times Olympic gold medal winner and former
President. He was tried and executed with his wife Elena within an hour on
Christmas Day 1989 as part of the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.
Just to add to his misery, HM The Queen stripped him of his honorary Order
Of The Bath 24 hours before the execution and, just to really rub it in, one
of the first actions of the new regime after his death was to abolish the
death penalty.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
No Europa stream but CandH on case!
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham's army of fans will be without a stream to watch tomorrow's Europa
Cup clash live. The game will not be screened on the official website while
tickets remain available for the Europa League game. Although tickets for
tomorrow's game against Romanian team Astra FC are selling well, it is
unlikely to completely sell-out so like the game against Birkirkara at the
Boleyn Ground two weeks ago. So no TV or streaming coverage will be
provided. A senior source told Claret and Hugh that it would have been
possible to sell the TV rights in the region of £35,000 as Birkirkara
arranged with Premier Sports last Thursday. However, the club made a
business decision that it could damage ticket sales although they declared:
"These are marginal decisions." Our source added: 'Most people were
surprised that the Andorra match sold out, so we decided to offer it to
armchair supporters free. Some 26,000 watched the game on the internet.
"Malta wasn't sold out, hence we didn't offer it free. These are all
marginal decisions, had we known Andorra would have sold out we'd have sold
it to TV.' However, ClaretandHugh will be carrying the planned BBC London
commentary on BBC London 94.9 FM along with our popular match text
highlights.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic predicts another tough Europa League mission for West Ham as
they take on Romanians Astra Giurgiu
West Ham face Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in Europa League
By KIERAN GILL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:34, 29 July 2015 | UPDATED: 16:04, 29 July 2015
Slaven Bilic has warned his West Ham players that their status in Europe is
about to be seriously tested on Thursday night. West Ham only scraped past
Birkirkara in the Europa League second round of qualifying by beating the
Maltese minnows on penalties, and now face Romanian club Astra Giurgiu.
Astra have already beaten a British team to face West Ham by seeing off
Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the previous round, and they progressed to
the group stages last season by defeating Ligue 1 side Lyon. Astra even drew
with Scottish Premiership giants Celtic in the competition last year, and
beat Dinamo Zagreb too. 'They have a good side,' Bilic admitted when asked
about his opposition in the third round of qualifying. 'They are a good
club. 'They are a club that spent money and have a good mixture of local
Romanian guys. Last year they knocked out Lyon. It's going to be a good test
for us.' Despite this being a Barclays Premier League club against their
Romanian counterparts, Bilic is not expecting this to be over and done with
in the first leg at Upton Park. 'This is most likely going to be a two-leg
game,' Bilic added. 'They are a good side and we are a good side. We are not
expecting an easy night.' West Ham have had a hectic time in pre-season with
friendlies and Europa League qualifiers being mixed together, and Bilic
admits it is not a situation he finds comfortable. 'It is not ideal but
there's no point of moaning,' he continued. 'We just have to cope with the
situation and that's it. No excuses. 'I've done my homework. I know the
players. I didn't come to a country where I didn't know the football. I
learned it here.'
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
WHUFC.com
Astra Giurgiu manager Marius Sumudica is wary of a West Ham United side
evolving under their new manager Slaven Bilic ahead of Thursday's UEFA
Europa League meeting at the Boleyn Ground. Sumudica was an interested
observer as the Hammers took on Norwich City on Tuesday and the 44-year-old
admitted to being impressed with they way they ended their 1-0 victory.
Having seen off Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the last round and reached
the group stage of this competition last year, Sumudica believes his team
possess the ability to cause the Londoners a headache but knows Astra will
have to be at their best. "This is a very important match for us," he said.
"It's the first leg, so the first battle to win the war and I'm sure it will
be difficult. "The crowd will try to make our lives very hard, but we are
ready to fight here and we will give everything. "I watched West Ham's game
against Norwich on Tuesday, and I watched the games against Lusitans and
Birkirkara too. "They left a very good impression, the team has changed
under the new manager and I can say they play a different type of football
to the other English teams. "They have a high pressing line and they try to
play football. We will have to be very careful, and watching the last half
hour against Norwich, the nine players they brought on, who I think will
start against us on Thursday, have a very high quality. "We have to fight
our enthusiasm, because we had an away win at the weekend, so it's human to
be in a state of enthusiasm after that. "We have to be careful that we're
not over-confident so we have to focue and concentrate very well."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Collins press conference
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender James Collins also faced the media on Wednesday at
the Club's pre-match Europa League press conference. The Wales international
looked ahead to the UEFA third qualifying round tie against FC Astra at the
Boleyn Ground and talked about the preparations for the new season.
James, how have you found the Europa League in terms of preparation as part
of the pre-season?
"As the gaffer said, it's a lot of games, but that's what we're here for, to
play games, to get fit, and that's the way we view it.
"We've had a couple of tough games already and the game on Thursday is not
going to be a walkover. "They are a good side we are playing against, and
it's good preparation for us to know the gaffer, and for the gaffer to get
to know us as players and see us play. "As players we've used these games to
impose ourselves on the new staff, and tomorrow night we have a good chance
of doing that."
It has been an unusual route into the competition. Is there a feeling around
the club to go as far as you can and hopefully get some big clubs to play at
the Boleyn Ground?
"To have a big European team there would be great. We have a strong squad,
and some top quality players, so all credit to the gaffer and the chairmen."
Is this the strongest squad of players at West Ham since you've been here?
"Yeah, I'd say so. We're still trying to get to know each other, and how
each other plays, but the signings have been quality, and obviously to go
with the lads we had here last year, the additions to the squad have been
tremendous."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic press conference
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic faced the media ahead of the Europa
League tie against FC Astra on Thursday night.
Slaven, I would imagine that you want Thursday to go more smoothly than the
last round?
"For that time it was good training for us, for the guys in Malta. Of course
we are going to try but we are playing a good team.
"The Romanians have a good side, it's a good club, they are investing money.
They have a good mixture of players. Last year they knocked out Lyon, it's
going to be a good test for us."
Are you hoping to get a good enough lead in the first leg so you can rest
players before the Arsenal game?
"We are hoping, but the most likely thing is that it is going to be a two
legged game. It can be the other way round, but either way it would have to
be an exceptional game for both teams. Exceptionally good for one team, and
bad for another. "But as I said they are a good side, and we are a good side
as well, so I am hoping to rest a few players . We are going to try to do
it, but to be fair we are not expecting an easy ride."
How are you finding the process of having to prepare for a Premier League
season, gettingt to know your new team, play in the Europa League , and get
everybody fit?
"Well I've said it a few times already, and I don't want to repeat myself,
but we are taking it day by day, and week in week out.
"It's not ideal, but there's no point in moaning over it, we just have to
cope with the situation, and that's it, no excuses."
You must be finding out a lot about your players very quickly though?
"You have to be quick but I've done my homework on the players. These
European Qualification games, are not ideal, looking at the big picture
you're getting the best from your players individually and as a team, so in
that case it was good. "We didn't have a first team or a second team, it was
a mixture, some of the players had a longer summer holiday than others and,
have only trained together for the first time as unit last week, and this is
not ideal. "But, as I said, I am very optimistic, and we are going to be
ready for the start of the Premier League Season."
What is the latest about a new striker coming to West Ham?
"As I said before, we are not panicking, but we are trying to sign one. We
need to find one that best fits the team. "I'm happy with my squad. The
transfer window is still open just like every other club, so there is still
the possibility that some players will come and some will go."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Astra Giurgiu
KO 19:45
29 July 2015
Last updated at 17:18
Europa League third qualifying round
Date: Thursday, 30 July. Kick-off: 19:45 BST. Venue: Upton Park
Coverage: BBC Sport website, live commentary on BBC London 94.9.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says his side can have "no excuses" despite
the early start to their season. The Hammers face Romanian side Astra
Giurgiu in the Europa League third qualifying round on Thursday, in a
campaign which began on 2 July. "We just have to cope with the situation and
that's it - no excuses," said Croatian Bilic, who replaced Sam Allardyce as
boss in the summer.
West Ham start the Premier League season against Arsenal on 9 August. They
ended the 2014-15 campaign on 24 May with a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle, but
were back in competitive action just 39 days later in the first qualifying
round of the competition against Lusitanos.
They beat the Andorran side 4-0 on aggregate, followed by a win on penalties
against Maltese outfit Birkirkara in the next round.
But Bilic feels the number of matches can enable him to assess his players.
"I've done my homework but these European nights we've had so far, they are
not ideal," he said. "At the same time they give you the best pictures from
your players. "The negative side of that was that we had so many games
because the club had to arrange friendly matches because we didn't know we'd
compete in European qualification."
New signing Dimitri Payet is in line to make his full debut, but defender
James Tomkins is suspended after a red card against Birkirkara.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v FC Astra
image: http://www.kumb.com/2008/images/percy.jpg
Filed: Wednesday, 29th July 2015
By: Preview Percy
Preview Percy went to Malta for last week's match against Birkirkara. We'd
just like to apologise to the good people of that fine island - it wasn't
our idea. We'd also like to apologise to Romania for what follows.....
Two rounds down and another 94 to go (or something). If it's Thursday night
it must be the Thursday Night League and our next opponents are FC Astra
Girgiu who are based in the Romanian town of, er, Girgiu. The home leg is
this Thursday at the usual time with the return over there a week later.
After Andorra and Malta, I guess that Romania opposition is another step
forward in terms of league quality for the opposition, though the Romanians
– not to mention the Maltese - might be a bit cheesed-off to discover that,
according to UEFA they are roughly on a par with the Scottish leagues. Astra
are, of course, one of the less familiar clubs in Romania, which has
traditionally been dominated by the Bucharest giants Dinamo and Steua.
Despite this, the club is one of the older clubs in Romania having been
founded over 90 years ago. The club started as a series of works teams for
an oil company based in different towns across the country. Eventually these
teams merged to form one club who then set about moving into the Romanian
League system. There have been numerous name changes following mergers and,
more recently, a change of home from Ploiesti, where they had been based for
91 years, to Girgiu.
Nationally, they had been bumping about the secondary and tertiary levels of
Romanian Football before finally making the leap up to the top flight in
1998. They hung around with the big boys until 2003 when they were relegated
back to Liga II. Then Liga III. However, they've been on an upward curve
since then, winning the Liga III title in 2007/08 and following that up with
promotion from Liga II in second place in 2008/09. After a few relegation
battles the last three seasons have seen them finish 4th, 2nd and 4th.
2012/13 was probably their peak as they took the Romanian Cup on penalties
from Champions Steua on penalties, also defeating the same team in the
Romanian Super Cup.
Whilst we're on the subject of the Romanian League it's fair to say that the
league has not been in the rudest of financial health of late. Of last
season's 18 clubs in the top flight, no fewer than 7 entered into some sort
of insolvency arrangement – including Dinamo Bucharest. They cut back the
size of the league from 18 teams to 14 for this term which, incidentally,
commenced on 10 July. This reduction was achieved by relegating the bottom 6
sides into the respective regionalised second tier leagues and promoting the
winners of each of the two sections. Incidentally one of the promoted teams
from last season were our old friends Poli Timisoara, who we faced in the
1980/81 Cup Winners Cup.
The league is one of those affairs that has been tinkered with by a no doubt
well-meaning committee so that, once everyone has played everyone twice,
they split the league. The top 6 go into another round of fixtures carrying
forward half of the points they won in the first half of the season (rounded
downwards in the case of half points) to decide the league. The same will
happen with the bottom eight teams to decide relegation. The question that
immediately leaps to mind is "why"? Ok there has to be some alteration to
the system to ensure that a full league season can take place but it seems
rather an odd way of doing things.
As mentioned the season has started already and, at time of writing, Astra
sit in 6th place of the nascent league having won, drawn and lost one of
their three matches so far. In fact but for CFR Cluj's starting the season
with a five point penalty for an infringement of licencing regulations
(watering down the beer I expect) Astra would be a further place down into
the relegation group zone, though with just the three games played it may be
a bit soon to hit the panic button just yet.
On the European front, this is their third consecutive season in the
Thursday Night League. In 2013/14 they were knocked out at the play-of stage
by Maccabi Haifa 3-1 on aggregate. Last season they made the group stage by
disposing of the not-inconsiderable scalp of Lyon on away goals in the
play-off round. Despite a home win over Dinamo Zagreb and a home draw
against Celtic, that was pretty much as good as it got or the "Black
Devils", who lost every other match, twice shipping five goals away in
Zagreb and at Red Bull Salzburg, a club from a city as beautiful as the
club's name isn't.
As for their players, whoever was responsible for the draw in this
competition has clearly sat there and said: "I know. Let's give that
miserable old so and so who does the previews for Kumb a hard time in each
round. Let's give him a tough time researching stuff". After Andorra and
Malta I thought Romania ought to be a doddle. Well it might have been had we
been playing Dinamo Bucharest maybe. Information on Astra'a players is,
however, a bit thin on the ground. I can find stuff about the club itself
easily enough, but the biographical details for each player seems to consist
of the standard phrase ***** ****** is a professional footballer who plays
for FC Astra Girgiu. Like, thanks.
Their first choice 'keeper has the wonderful name of Silviu Lung Jr. The
usual biographical source helpfully informs us that Lung Jr is a
professional footballer for FC Astra Girgiu, adding – in case the reader is
hard of thinking - that he is the son of Silviu Lung. A bit more digging
about the Romanian databases provided the information that he has made over
100 appearances for Astra since signing from Universitatea Craiova in 2011.
He's been capped three times at senior level by the Romanian national side,
though the fact that the first of these came in 2010 and the last 2013
suggests that he's not uppermost in the mind of the national coach.
The skipper is Constantin Budescu, a midfielder who makes a useful
contribution on the goalscoring side of things. Last season's top scorer
with 10, he picked up the soubriquet "Hero Of Cyprus" for his efforts in the
2013 Thursday Night League when he picked up a brace against Omonia Nicosia.
Which is nice I suppose, but it's hardly "Lion Of Vienna" stuff is it? (ask
your great-grandad about that reference). He is also a professional
footballer for FC Astra. Apparently.
They brought in Portuguese defender Geraldo Alves during the close season. A
signing from their erstwhile local rivals Petrolul Ploiesti, at 34 Alves is
at the veteran stage of his career, which includes shifts at Befica, AEK
Athens and, Steua Bucharest. A professional footballer with Astra Girgiu, he
is the elder brother of Bruno, the much-capped Portuguese centre half.
It seems that no European team these days, however unlikely the location, is
complete without a Brazilian. Astra are no exception – in fact they have a
pair in the form of midfielder William De Amorim ("William") and Fernando
Boldrin ("Rick"), who arrived in the close season. Both William and Rick are
professional footballers who – oh you get the picture.
And so to us. Having popped over to stay with our friends at the Dom Mintoff
Home For The Frankly Quite Bonkers last week we found ourselves in the
middle of a heatwave, the likes of which had even the locals running for
shelter. Our mobility scooters were melting and it was all we could do to
sit for much of the day in the nearest air-conditioned hostelry with a pint
of Cisk. For medicinal purposes, obviously. Even the late kick-off of the
match still saw us sitting in temperatures of the mid-80's and it was humid
and uncomfortable to sit and watch. So it must have been horrible for the
players.
We didn't play well – and for the first 20 minutes at least, tactically we
seemed to play into their hands. It was as if nobody had considered the fact
that they would need to score to have any chance of progressing. We duly
conceded – a good goal but one that stemmed from our inability to keep hold
of the ball in the early period.
The other way we played into their hands was on the disciplinary front. Yes
the bloke that Tomkins tangled with made a twenty course meal with fine
wines and post prandial liqueurs in the drawing room out of the incident,
but Tomkins did react thereby giving the ref (who seemed to be on work
experience) the chance to make a decision, however incorrect. That's the
second "sucker" red card we've had in this competition and, assuming that
Astra have seen video of the matches played so far they may be considering
continuing the trend. They might possibly have a look at targeting Mark
Noble who, for a ten-minute spell in the first half looked like a second
yellow in waiting. It's definitely an area we need to improve on.
With Sakho and Tomkins out – there was an appeal proposed re Tomkins but
I've heard nothing as yet – we are shorn of two of our goal threats. Sakho
will be available for the second leg though. Squad-wise, Payet, Jenkinson,
Valencia and Ogbonna are all eligible for selection according to the UEFA
list and Payet in particular would be a welcome addition to the Thursday
Night League squad – his pre-season friendly appearances so far have been
impressive so if he's fit enough use him I say. Jenkinson's return would
also be an improvement on the game-but-limited Joey O'Brien should he be fit
enough to join in. I'm not sure how much running he could have done by
hiding behind the sofa every time Sunderland came knocking though.
Prediction? Well with all due respect to Birkirkara, who played out of their
skins to push us all the way last week, this match represents another step
up in terms of the class of opposition faced – the fact that they beat
someone of the pedigree of Lyon on their way to last season's group stage
shows that they are capable of causing an upset in this competition.
However, the Maltese adventure will have proved useful for a number of
reasons. Apart from the improvement in fitness levels gained from playing
120 minutes in that heat – one of the targets at this stage of the season –
the scare will have concentrated the minds of both players and staff and
brought into focus the requirements of the task in hand.
With our opening match at the Library coming only a few days after our trip
to Romania it would be nice to be able to rest some key players from the
second leg and, with a strong squad promised for the home leg much will
depend on whether the quality of finishing can improve on that displayed in
the home leg of the Birkirkara match. Overall I think we should have too
much for them so I'll take us to get through to the Play-Off Round on
aggregate.
Enjoy the games!
When last we met: You haven't learned your lesson from last time, have you?
How did they get here?:
QR1: Bye
QR2: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-0 (a) 0-0 (h) (agg 1-0)
Danger Man: Constantin Budescu – last season's top scorer.
Referee: 1st Leg: Adrien Jacottet (Switzerland) – can't be as bad as last
week's Albanian. Can he?
Daft Fact Of The Week:: Famous people born in Romania include:
Johnny Weismuller – five times Olympic gold medal winner and Tarzan actor;
Nadia Comenici – five times Olympic gold medal winner and the first gymnast
to achieve a perfect 10 score in competition; and
Nicolae Ceausescu – zero times Olympic gold medal winner and former
President. He was tried and executed with his wife Elena within an hour on
Christmas Day 1989 as part of the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.
Just to add to his misery, HM The Queen stripped him of his honorary Order
Of The Bath 24 hours before the execution and, just to really rub it in, one
of the first actions of the new regime after his death was to abolish the
death penalty.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
No Europa stream but CandH on case!
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham's army of fans will be without a stream to watch tomorrow's Europa
Cup clash live. The game will not be screened on the official website while
tickets remain available for the Europa League game. Although tickets for
tomorrow's game against Romanian team Astra FC are selling well, it is
unlikely to completely sell-out so like the game against Birkirkara at the
Boleyn Ground two weeks ago. So no TV or streaming coverage will be
provided. A senior source told Claret and Hugh that it would have been
possible to sell the TV rights in the region of £35,000 as Birkirkara
arranged with Premier Sports last Thursday. However, the club made a
business decision that it could damage ticket sales although they declared:
"These are marginal decisions." Our source added: 'Most people were
surprised that the Andorra match sold out, so we decided to offer it to
armchair supporters free. Some 26,000 watched the game on the internet.
"Malta wasn't sold out, hence we didn't offer it free. These are all
marginal decisions, had we known Andorra would have sold out we'd have sold
it to TV.' However, ClaretandHugh will be carrying the planned BBC London
commentary on BBC London 94.9 FM along with our popular match text
highlights.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic predicts another tough Europa League mission for West Ham as
they take on Romanians Astra Giurgiu
West Ham face Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in Europa League
By KIERAN GILL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:34, 29 July 2015 | UPDATED: 16:04, 29 July 2015
Slaven Bilic has warned his West Ham players that their status in Europe is
about to be seriously tested on Thursday night. West Ham only scraped past
Birkirkara in the Europa League second round of qualifying by beating the
Maltese minnows on penalties, and now face Romanian club Astra Giurgiu.
Astra have already beaten a British team to face West Ham by seeing off
Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the previous round, and they progressed to
the group stages last season by defeating Ligue 1 side Lyon. Astra even drew
with Scottish Premiership giants Celtic in the competition last year, and
beat Dinamo Zagreb too. 'They have a good side,' Bilic admitted when asked
about his opposition in the third round of qualifying. 'They are a good
club. 'They are a club that spent money and have a good mixture of local
Romanian guys. Last year they knocked out Lyon. It's going to be a good test
for us.' Despite this being a Barclays Premier League club against their
Romanian counterparts, Bilic is not expecting this to be over and done with
in the first leg at Upton Park. 'This is most likely going to be a two-leg
game,' Bilic added. 'They are a good side and we are a good side. We are not
expecting an easy night.' West Ham have had a hectic time in pre-season with
friendlies and Europa League qualifiers being mixed together, and Bilic
admits it is not a situation he finds comfortable. 'It is not ideal but
there's no point of moaning,' he continued. 'We just have to cope with the
situation and that's it. No excuses. 'I've done my homework. I know the
players. I didn't come to a country where I didn't know the football. I
learned it here.'
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
Daily WHUFC News - 30th July 2015
Dicks – 'Some of the football was fantastic'
WHUFc.com
Coaching assistant Julian Dicks could not help but be impressed by the impact of wholesale changes in the second half at Carrow Road, as Slaven Bilic shuffled almost the entire pack to see off Norwich City on Tuesday. The Hammers made no fewer than nine substitutions on the hour and it most certainly had the desired effect, with the visitors completely running the show thereafter. Though it ultimately took an 82nd minute own goal to break the deadlock, but for the outstanding John Ruddy, Bilic's men could well have helped themselves to a hatful in the closing minutes. "The lads played well, considering it was a friendly, it was pretty competitive," Dicks told West Ham TV. "Obviously the turning point was when Slaven put the subs on. Some of the football was fantastic. "The players that have gone on are very good players and they'd change most games. They were sat there watching the game and when they came on they just changed it. The passing and the movement was fantastic, it was great to watch."
Not for the first time this pre-season, it was another largely frustrating evening in front of goal, with Ruddy proving equal to almost everything the Hammers had to throw at him. But with no shortage of opportunities, Dicks sees no reason to worry. He continued: "We have to finish them, we have to score goals. It's about creating chances, when you don't create chances, that's when you have a problem. So as long as we keep creating them, hopefully we'll start putting them away. Another clean sheet, however, is no small consolation and Dicks reckons a second successive shutout bodes well for the fast-approaching Barclays Premier League campaign. "I'd like to take credit for it," he joked. "Football's about keeping clean sheets. If you keep them then you've got a chance of winning as we proved in the second half. If you can do that in the Premier League games then you've always got a chance!"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jenks - It's good to be back
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson was delighted to be back in a claret and blue shirt on Tuesday as West Ham United continued their preparation for the new Barclays Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over one of their league rivals, Norwich City. The Carrow Road clash was Jenkinson's first run-out since rejoining the Hammers on loan from Arsenal and he is looking forward to continuing from where he left off last term. Since his last game for the Hammers, at Newcastle in May, a new manager and eight new players have all come in so the 23-year-old says these are exciting times. "It was great to be back on the pitch on Tuesday - I loved every minute of it," he beamed. "I was looking forward to it all day to be fair, I just wanted to get back playing football as I've missed it. "Even after just a couple of weeks off you start to miss it and it's nice to be back in front of our away following, which is always great. I really enjoyed it.
"There have been a lot of changes, but the change is for the positive. You look at the players who have been brought in and they are fantastic players. "There's a lot of reason to be optimistic for the season because I think we're shaping up really well."
Tuesday's victory came courtesy of an 82nd minute Harry Toffolo own goal, which arrived on the back of a strong spell of positive West Ham play. The one-touch passing and movement posed several problems for the hosts and Jenkinson says that was a positive sign. "We did well on Tuesday," he continued. "We were solid at the back throughout the game and in the second half we really pushed on. "We really took a stranglehold on the game in the last 20 to 30 minutes and we got the goal we deserved. "Attacking-wise we're looking exceptional. Dimi [Payet], who's come in, looks very good and I think he's going to link up play between the forward and the midfielders well this year. The other boys look sharp too. "It's nice - we'll be playing Norwich again in a few weeks time so it's nice to get one up on them before we play them."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic still 'in contact' with Alex Song
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 29th July 2015
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that West Ham remain interested in re-signing Alex Song from Barcelona. The 27-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan at the Boleyn Ground and has also indicated his wish to remain in London, where his young family are settled. However the two parties have been unable to agree personal terms thus far, with West Ham having only offered Song a short-term contract whilst the former Cameroon international seeks a longer term arrangement. When asked about the possibility of Song returning to east London, Bilic replied: "We are in contact, but it's not for the media yet."
With little more than a month to go until the end of the current transfer window, Bilic also revealed that he remains hopeful of introducing one or two new faces - should the opportunity arise. "I'm happy with my squad, the transfer window is still very open and there's a possibility some players will come and some will go," he added. "We're not panicking. If we can find a player - or a couple of them, maximum - who are going to make us better, then we definitely want to do it. But there's a few things that have to match. "First we have to like the player, then the player needs to be free. If it's for a reasonable fee and is a good investment for the club, then why not?"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
RUMOUR ROUND-UP: YET ANOTHER DEFENDER?
By Reece Bateman 29 Jul 2015 at 14:45
WTID
Following last night's win at Norwich the press is buzzing with new West Ham targets today. talkSPORT? suggest that we will look to sign defender Douglas from Dynamo Moscow. A Brazilian by birth, he allegedly turned us down in 2013 to move to Russia but he has never left our radar. I'm not so sure this one has any substance. I think nearly all of us would agree that we seem to be covered at Centre Half, if not overrun in this area, unless one of Tomkins/Reid/Collins is set to leave. There would be riots if we signed another defender instead of trying for a striker.
Talking of strikers and The Wharf? claim we are interested in Senegal striker Moussa Sow, currently of Fenerbache. The striker would be known to Bilic from his time in Turkey and would certainly be welcomed by Sakho & Kouyate whom he has played with for Senegal. He has a great scoring record wherever he has been and for the mooted fee of £12million its a risk worth taking in my eyes. At 29 years old he isn't getting any younger but he would still add something to our front line that we have lacked for a long time, a genuine goalscorer.
Apparently Lassana Diarra is set to reject West Ham in favour of a move to Marseille. The midfielder has been training with West Ham for about the last year in order to keep fit and whilst he has been sorting out his release from his previous club. The Brentwood Gazette suggest they are prepared to offer him a 4 year deal whilst it has been reported West Ham would offer only a 1 year deal with the option of a second season. Seems a bit cheeky that Diarra has opted to do this considering our hospitality, if true, but I don't see that it will disrupt our plans all that much as I think he would have only been a back up option to the likes of Kouyate and Noble.
The same source claim we have missed out on German wonderkid Thilo Kehrer to Inter Milan. Another player that I know very little about so perhaps some of our German readers will be able to enlighten us? He is a teenage centre back tipped for big things but unfortunately not with West Ham it would appear.
And finally, as Alex Song is out recovering from his operation West Ham are said to have turned their attention to Caen's midfielder N'Golo Kante. The 24 year old plays the holding role in midfield and would be almost a like for like replacement positional wise but it remains to be seen whether he has the star quality of Alex Song (think pre-christmas!!) With the fact we are being linked to a few holding midfielders perhaps Bilic isn't comfortable with having just Kouyate and Noble for this role, although with the recent performances of Oxford and Poyet he may feel they have the ability to step up this season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payet's contract is "100 per cent watertight"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Dimitri Payet has been locked into a 100 per cent watertight contract without a single escape clause. West Ham's negotiators led, by David Sullivan, refused to give way on any sort of escape clause when pushed to the limits in seriously tough negotiations. Having spent weeks agreeing a fee of around £10.8 million with Marseilles, negotiations on the player's deal were equally fierce . And the Irons made it clear throughout that there could be no 'get out' clauses if they were to offer the brilliant French midfielder the cash terms he wanted.
A high level source told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "There was no budging on get outs. There was no question of any escape clauses.
The negotiations were incredibly hard and eventually a five year deal was hammered out with a year's option in the club's favour. "We think he is the real deal and is a player around whom things will revolve. We couldn't therefore even consider giving way on a single escape clause. His deal is 100 per cent watertight."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Redknapp predicts a top ten finish
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp has suggested Slaven Bilic can finish tenth this season if he can keep his strikers fit. "I think he'll do well. They've got a good squad there and a decent group of players. Sam made some good signings last year and I think they look a good team," Redknapp told Talksport Radio "If the two front men stay fit this year, they'll have some pace up front and I think they'll be okay, I think they'll be mid-table, I think they'll be around tenth again."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kante deal agreed in principle
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
French media make fresh claims today that West Ham have an agreement in principle with SM Caen midfielder Ngolo Kanté's representatives about a possible deal. The player's agents, Mondial Promotion are working with Excelfoot's Mark McKay, the son of the Willie McKay. The player was proposed to West Ham by Mark McKay. The Hammers will need to offer a good €10m in order to sign the player but reports say there is an "agreement in principle", at least orally, with Kanté's representatives to do just that. The Hammers might want a loan option first but Kante may well be a back up option if a deal cannot be reached with Alex Song as reported yesterday.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Besiktas midfielder linked again
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
The agent of reported Hammer midfield target, Veli Kavlak has been discussing the future of his client, He is quoted by Austrian press that he has inquiries from both England and German.
"There are requests from top clubs from England and Germany. Our goal is that he is at the European Championships [with Austria]." Bilic and Kavlak worked together at Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas. Reports in Turkey 9 days ago claimed that Hammers boss Slaven Bilic wants to be reunited his former player. Turkish sports news site Sporx.com claims the 26 year defensive box-to-box midfielder would be interested in a move to the Premier League to join up with his former manager. Kavlak has a contract until 2019 at Besiktas and they would not let him leave without a fight. Kavlak started his career at Austrian side Rapid Vienna and is an Austrian international. He has 30 caps for his country and has scored one goal, against Turkey.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic on transfers: 'We are not panicking'
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Hammer manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed West Ham have not given up on completing a permanent deal for Barcelona midfielder Alex Song but said to expect a maximum of two additional players.
Speaking about Alex Song Bilic said "We are in contact but it's not for the media yet" "We are not panicking, we are good: if we can find a player, or maximum two, who are going to make us better then we definitely want to do it, we have to like the player, and the player has to be free, or payable and a good investment for the club. I'm happy with my squad, the transfer window is still very open and there's a possibility some players will come and some will go." Bilic added.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 'agree' deal for €10m Song alternative
By James Jones - Jul 29, 2015 1
West Ham appear to have ramped up their efforts to sign Caen midfielder N'golo Kante by agreeing a deal in principle with the player's representatives, according to Get French Football.
The defensive midfielder, once labelled 'the new Makelele' had initially looked set for a move to Marseille this summer, but a deal eventually broke down. It is believed Slaven Bilic has turned his attention to Kante after a potential deal for Barcelona's Alex Song hit complications, with the player reportedly unhappy with the length of the one year deal the Hammers have offered him. Kante, 24, is thought to be available for around €10m (£5m), and the club have supposedly agreed a deal in principle with the player's representatives ahead of making an offer to Caen. London 24 claim Leicester, Southampton, Arsenal and Newcastle have all registered their interest in the player this summer, but West Ham appear to be the first to make a solid move. Kante score two and provided five assists in 36 starts in Ligue last season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH REPORT: OXFORD 1 NORWICH CITY 0
By Iain Dale 28 Jul 2015 at 23:51
West Ham Till I Die
Whenever I go to see a pre-season friendly I always vow never again. There wasn't a lot in this match to make me change my mind to be honest, although that's not to say I didn't have a good evening. Let me tell you about it.
I love Norfolk. I spent a lot of my childhood here on day trips to Hunstanton or Wells. I then spent four of the happiest years of my life at the University of East Anglia. I stood in the 2005 general election in North Norfolk (and got walloped, since you ask). And two years we bought a house in an idyllic little village north of Norwich. So when I heard West Ham were playing at Carrow Road to mark the 80th anniversary of the first game ever played there in 1935 I just had to book a couple of days off my radio show.
My friend Tim from university, who's a Gillingham fan, decided he'd come too. The last time we went to a match at Carrow Road together was more than thirty years ago, He's a solicitor in Wroxham so I drove over to his office and we got the train into Norwich as the football ground is only a ten minute walk from the station. There were no ticket machines on the station so we had to pay the conductor on the two coach train. A bit different to the London commute.
We picked our tickets up and found our seats in the Barclay Stand. The ground has certainly changed a lot since I was last there. It's a lovely, well presented stadium with a capacity of around 26,000. Unfortunately there's little scope for expansion. Ninety per cent of the seats are reserved for season ticket holders, or so I'm told so there's not much opportunity for the casual visitor. Today around 20,000 were there, including at least 2,000 Hammers fans, who made themselves heard throughout the game.
In terms of a spectacle it certainly wasn't much to write home about. Both sides fell down in the final third and initially there were very few shots on goal. West Ham dominated the opening changes, and it wasn't until the seventh minute until Norwich managed to venture into the West Ham half. In the first half I was particularly impressed by Doneil Henry and Diego Poyet. Henry is a big lump of a central defender, and throughout his time on the pitch he was at the centre of the action. He showed a nice first touch but could also be a bit of a brute. He stopped numerous Norwich attacks and very rarely lost possession. Poyet was also at the centre of everything. He was tough in his tackling and just like in the first FC Lusitans game, was great at spraying the ball around the pitch. I really see a big future for this young man at Upton Park.
Modibo Maiga and Cheikhou Kouyate both appear to have piled on the pounds a bit over the summer. Kouyate has certainly thickened out from his beanpole like stature. Maiga actually showed some nice touches. Matt Jarvis, too, made some good runs down the left but his crosses came to nowt. He also spurned a brilliant chance in the second half when he was through on goal. "He used to do that at Gillingham," said Tim helpfully.
After 60 minutes West Ham made no fewer than seven substitutions. I was a little mystified by this because you'd have thought the likes of Nolan, Valencia and Payet in particular would be saved for Thursday's Europa League game. Bilic clearly decided they needed the minutes on the pitch. Valencia, wearing the number 11 showed some nice touches and had a lot of possession, Zarate too, looked sharp and could have easily notched a goal.
The substitutions really made a difference to the game. The pace increased, the passing was better and Dimitri Payet grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. He looks the real deal. He's quite chunky and has some real strength. He shows some lovely skill and his cross which gave Reece Oxford the chance to glance the ball past John Ruddy was sublime. You can see why he got more assists than Lionel Messi last season. Every poisitve move West Ham made came through him, and he seemed to pop up everywhere.
It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination a great game, but it was a good run-out and Slaven Bilic will have learnt quite a bit. I left Carrow Road looking forward to the new season even more than I already was.
UPDATE: Hugh Southon of Claret & Hugh has an altogether more positive take on the game HERE? I'll have some of whatever he's been drinking!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham keep tabs on Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante as Alex Song deal stutters
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:44, 28 July 2015 | UPDATED: 00:23, 29 July 2015
West Ham have enquired about Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante. Kante joined Caen from Boulogne in 2013 and has made more than 80 appearances for the French club since. Paris-born midfielder Kante is valued at around £5million and has been likened to former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele. West Ham have enquired about Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante (right) who joined the club from Boulogne in 2013 The move comes as their deal for Alex Song stalls over his length of contract. Song has floating bone in his ankle which means he is out for three months and West Ham want to offer him a one year deal until he proves his fitness. The former Cameroon international made 28 appearances for the east London outfit last season, but ended the campaign disappointingly.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer news: Bilic confirms Hammers are still in the hunt for Alex Song
Evening Standard
NICK PUREWAL
Published: 29 July 2015 Updated: 15:13, 29 July 2015
Slaven Bilic insists West Ham have not given up on completing a permanent deal for Barcelona midfielder Alex Song. Former Arsenal star Song will miss three months with ankle trouble, leaving the ex-Cameroon midfielder haggling with the Hammers over the length of a permanent contract. Song spent last season on loan at Upton Park, and Barcelona are ready to let him return on a free transfer - but new West Ham boss Bilic admitted talks are ongoing with the 27-year-ol d. "We are in contact but it's not for the media yet," he said. West Ham will face Romanian outfit Astra Giurgiu at Upton Park on Thursday as their marathon pre-season continues apace. Hammers manager Bilic again admitted frustration with the packed schedule brought about by an unexpected Europa League qualification bid. "We are not panicking, we are good: if we can find a player, or maximum two, who are going to make us better then we definitely want to do it," he said. "We have to like the player, and the player has to be free, or payable and a good investment for the club. "I'm happy with my squad, the transfer window is still very open and there's a possibility some players will come and some will go."
West Ham face their 10th game of the pre-season already on Thursday - with two more to follow after that before they start their Premier League campaign with a testing trip to Arsenal on August 9. Former Hammers defender Bilic vowed he will not allow his side's lengthy run-up to the league season to account for any fatigue. "It's not ideal, but there's no point moaning or saying it again, we just have to cope with the situation and that's it - no excuses," he said. "I would have had to learn quickly here anyway, because I'm new here. "I've done my homework but these European nights we've had so far, they are not ideal, but at the same time they give you the best pictures from your players. "The negative side of that was that we had so many games because the club had to arrange friendly matches because we didn't know we'd compete in European qualification."
Bilic hopes West Ham can take control of their two-leg battle with Astra Giurgiu on Thursday - to allow him to mix up selection for the return clash in Romania a week later.
"They are a club that's investing money, has a lot of good players," he said. "Last year they knocked out Lyon so it's going to be a good test for us. "I'm hoping for that (a commanding victory) and it would be nice, and we're going to try for that, but to be fair we're not expecting an easy ride."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic hopeful of securing Song deal
setanta.co.uk
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is hopeful the club can reach a deal for Alex Song. The defender spent last season on loan at Upton Park, making 31 appearances in all competitions, but he returned to Barcelona at the start of the summer. He is facing a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, but the Hammers are in talks with Barcelona over a possible deal for the 27-year-old. "We are in contact but it's not for the media yet," Bilic told reporters. "We are not trying to get many [players]. But if we can find a player or a couple who will make us better then we definitely want to do it. "We have to like the player. The player has to be available, but if they are available for a reasonable amount of money and are good investment then why not. "I am happy with my squad, but the transfer window is very open and it is possible players will come and go."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham co-owner David Gold lauds Slaven Bilic for 'sensible' approach to chaotic pre-season
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United co-owner David Gold has been singing the praises of new boss Slaven Bilic for the way he has been handling the club's hectic schedule. West Ham were the first Premier League side to be back in competitive action this season way back on July 2nd after making it into the qualifying stages for the Europa League through the FIFA Fair Play rankings. The early return to action meant the shortest summer break for any Premier League side in history and has made for a somewhat chaotic pre-season schedule with friendlies and competitive European matches coming thick and fast. The early qualifying rounds of the competition were always going to throw up some unknown opponents and interesting trips across the continent which have added to the exertions.
Strain starting to show?
It looked like the strain was beginning to show as Bilic's side toiled in the heat against Maltese minnows Birkirkara in the last round. They lost the second leg match 1-0 to draw 1-1 on aggregate and after the added burden of 30 minutes extra time had to hold their nerve in a penalty shootout to progress. But Hammers co-owner Gold has told the club's official website that Bilic has taken it all in his stride and has hailed his 'sensible' approach to the club's predicament. "The games are certainly coming thick and fast for the lub and I have never experienced such congestion when it comes to pre-season action," Gold told whufc.com. "But I have to say that Slaven Bilic is dealing with the amount of games in a very sensible manner and is providing the right balance when it comes to playing the senior and young players."
Will fitness levels help shoot down Gunners?
Gold said he had been particularly impressed with the way Bilic was mixing and matching his squad for each game and making sure players are getting the right amount of game time under their belts before the Premier League season gets under way in just over a week. They don't come much harder either. The Hammers will travel to London rivals and last season's Premier League runners-up Arsenal on August 9th, just three days after a long trip to Romania for the second leg of their third qualifying round match against FC Astra. But one consolation for Bilic is that his players will be sharp and fit with six competitive games already under their belt so may have a slight edge on Arsene Wenger's side in that respect.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM CONTEMPLATE ADDING THIRD SENEGALESE TO FIRST TEAM
Ladbrokes.com
This Fenerbahce forward could join Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho at the Boleyn
29 July 2015
West Ham incurred the wrath of the Senegalese FA when withholding 'injured' striker Diafra Sakho from January's Africa Cup of Nations, but the incident hasn't put the Irons off targeting a third Lions of Teranga star. The Express believes Fenerbahce's Moussa Sow is the centre-forward new Boleyn Ground boss Slaven Bilic wants heading into the new campaign, with a £12m bid in the offing for the 29-year-old. Sow has a fine Super Lig strike rate with last season's Turkish title runners-up, having bagged 51 goals in 106 matches since signing on at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium four years ago, and started for Fener on their return to Europe after a two-term match-fixing ban against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. However, the arrival of former Manchester United and Arsenal hotshot Robin van Persie will put huge pressure on Sow's place in the side, so a move could well be on the cards. During his 18 months with French outfit Lille between 2010-2012, Sow notched a superb tally of 31 goals in 54 league fixtures, top scoring in Ligue 1 en route to Les Dogues taking the title for the first time in 57 years during the Senegalese's only full campaign at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. A move to east London would see Sow link up with international teammates Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate, who were signed last summer for combined fees totaling more than £10m. Sunderland are also thought to be in the hunt for Sow though, having been touted as a potential home for the striker during the last transfer window in January. With the Black Cats' forward ranks in need of refreshing, and the futures of striking trio Steven Fletcher, Danny Graham and Connor Wickham far from assured, the France-born hitman may see a simpler route to first-team action in the north east. On the other hand, he may not fancy Sunderland's annual battle against relegation, with Dick Advocaat's side priced up at 7/4 to go down next spring.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report: West Ham weighing up move for exciting striker with fearsome scoring record, Moussa Sow
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United are reportedly weighing up a £12 million move for exciting Fenerbache striker Moussa Sow, but what would he bring to the Hammers? According to the likes of the Express, Slaven Bilic is returning to Turkey in the hunt for a new striker with Fenerbache's Senegal star Moussa Sow the latest name being linked. The French born 29-year-old is an international teammate of West Ham hero Diafra Sakho and boasts an astonishing scoring record of more than a goal every other game at his last two clubs. Reports claim Bilic, who used to manage Fenerbache's rivals Besiktas, is keen on Sow who only has a year left to run on his contract and faces new competition from former Manchester United star Robin van Persie. With Mauro Zarate and Modibo Maiga failing to impress, Carlton Cole having left and the injury-prone Andy Carroll out until at least September, West Ham are left with just Sakho and Enner Valencia up front. Signing a striker is the club's number one priority before the start of the season. And the Hammers have been linked with a host of forwards this summer including Queens Park Rangers' Charlie Austin, Chelsea's Loic Remy and Manchester United's Javier Hernandez. But with no sign of any movement on potential deals for those players, Bilic looks to be moving on to other targets.
West Ham to reap what they Sow
If the former Croatia boss does manage to get Sow, he will quite literally be buying goals. The former France youth international has scored 82 goals in just 164 games for Fenerbache and before that Lille. In fact during his time with Lille he fired in 25 Ligue 1 goals to lead his side to the title. A final day hat-trick against his former club Stade Rennes sealed the league crown and also persuaded Fenerbache to splash out £7 million to bring him to Turkey. Known for some acrobatic goals, including his trademark bicycle kicks, he actually scored a last gasp goal in a 1-0 win over Bilic's Besiktas side on his debut and has clearly left an impression on the Hammers manager. West Ham fans should be excited at the potential partnership between Sakho and Sow who would be amongst the most feared pairings in the Premier League.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham reignite interest in Dynamo Moscow defender
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Wednesday, July 29, 2015
West Ham are ready to rekindle their long-standing interest in Brazil-born defender Douglas but will face competition to land him from Galatasaray. The Hammers were keen on the centre-back back in 2013 when he was at Twente but he decided to join Dynamo Moscow instead. He has racked up 43 league outings since his arrival but has been heavily linked with a move away this summer. Newcastle and Liverpool have also tracked the 27-year-old, who is entering the final year of his contract in Moscow, although it appeared that Inter Milan were set to enter the race to sign him. But, according to sources in Italy, Inter have fallen behind the Hammers and Galatasaray who are now the frontrunners. Galatasaray were interested in Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches but now he looks set for Napoli, the Turkish club could switch their attention to Douglas. And that could entice new Hammers boss Slaven Bilic to make his move.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham chief provides double injury update ahead of Hammers' Europa League clash
London 24
09:58 29 July 2015 Jack Green
West Ham co-owner David Gold has revealed that two Hammers stars will miss Thursday night's game against Astra Giurgiu. Both players have been struggling with injuries in the pre-season and will not feature in the first leg of the club's Europa League Third Qualifying Round tie. Obiang was West Ham's first major signing of the summer as he moved to Upton Park from Sampdoria early in the transfer window. The Spanish midfielder made his first appearance for the Hammers in a friendly against Peterborough but has not been match fit since then. Gold has revealed that the 23-year-old will be back in training next week. Defender Reid will also not be available to face Astra. The New Zealand international is recovering from a minor injury and he will be held out of action until he returns to full fitness.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Archdeacon Elwin Cockett is a fan of West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
Newham Recorder
09:50 29 July 2015
I am a big fan of West Ham United's new manager, Slaven Bilic. Many years ago, I found myself in the same room as him, both of us having arrived early before a game. Knowing where he was from, I asked him about the war in Bosnia that was raging at the time. To my surprise, Slaven then spent the best part of an hour with me, explaining in depth the complexities underlying that conflict, and putting forward his ideas for a peaceful future for the Balkans. He showed a remarkable knowledge of the relevant history, law and politics, and I came away hugely impressed.
Now, I would be the first to say that you don't need a university degree in international law to be a footballer, but I am very glad that my football club has a new manager of such intelligence, wit and learning. It can only help. I'm also a big fan of our local MPs in Newham. Whatever our politics (and no, I am not a member of the Labour party or any other party, for that matter), it seems to me that we are particularly well-served by our Members of Parliament . It was no surprise to me that Stephen Timms was elected with the biggest majority in the country. Like the best of his colleagues, Stephen is a dedicated and able MP, respected by colleagues of all political hues.
What do Slaven Bilic and Stephen Timms have in common? You don't have to be a West Ham fan or a Labour party supporter to recognise that they are both bright, dedicated people. What they also are is men of faith. Both of them have a faith in God, and neither of them is ashamed to say so. It doesn't stop them being competitive, nor does it require them to leave their intellect behind. But at a time when the new Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is under fire for admitting that he prays, it affirms that it is perfectly possible to excel at things and believe in God. Thank God for that!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Payet looks like the real deal… but I'd love to see Charlie Austin or Javier Hernandez join' - West Ham Till I Die preview the 2015/16 season
Evening STandard
TOM DUTTON
Published: 29 July 2015 Updated: 09:21, 29 July 2015
It's been a summer of upheaval at West Ham, and by jove the fans are loving it thus far! The arrival of Slaven Bilic has filled Upton Park with renewed optimism, as have the signings that have arrived at the club. Dimitri Payet, for one, has certainly excited the Hammers faithful, while Europa League football in East London has seen the club start their season earlier than their Premier League rivals. And Standard Sport spoke to West Ham Till I Die editor Iain Dale to get the Hammers fans' perspective ahead of the new campaign.
What's your target for the club's forthcoming season?
Any club with a new manager always has high expectations. Last season, after a fantastic start we under-performed dramatically and finished 12th. This season the aim has to be to finish in the top half and I think 8th is a realistic target as a springboard into the Olympic Stadium. We have the players to do it. Prediction: 8th
Who would you like to sign before the window closes?
Our weakness over the last two years has been that our main strikers have been injured too often. Our main priority has to be to sign a goalscorer, and that man is Charlie Austin. He's similar in style to Diafra Sakho and vaguely like Andy Carroll. He's proved himself at all levels. The Davids need to get their checkbook out. And if it isn't him, let's go for Chicarito!
Who's in your Starting XI?
4-2-3-1
Which fixture are you most looking forward to?
Perhaps somewhat strangely, the fixture I look forward to is playing Norwich, as they are my second team and I have written a history of Norwich City. Alex Neil has done a fantastic job and I really hope they survive this time. Having said that, I hope we take six points off them.
Which signing are you most excited about?
There is only one answer to that question. Dimitri Payet. In his debut in a friendly at Southend he scored two goals from outside the penalty area, laid on the third and put in a performance that was awe-inspiring, so much so that Southend manager Phil Brown asked Bilic to sub him. We love a playmaker with an eye for goal and Payet seems to be the real deal. He cost £14 million, our second highest ever fee. So far he looks worth it, but he now needs to prove himself in the Premier League.
Which young player excites you the most?
We have quite a few young players coming through. Diego Poyet has looked excellent and could well replace Kevin Nolan, while 16 year old Reece Oxford looks a real prospect. He's a tall, gangly central defender but has played in central midfield in the Europa League. He's got the languid style of a young Rio Ferdinand and I expect him to get quite a few substitute appearances under his belt this year, or to be sent out on loan to get some experience. An England player of the future.
Who's your most important star?
Whoever plays at centre forward is the most crucial player. And the most crucial thing is they stay fit and score goals. Diafra Sahko will certainly be in that position for the first couple of months, and when Andy Carroll gets fit (no, don't laugh) they can duke it out. Sakho scored ten in 23 games last season. I have no doubt he'd have scored double that if he'd been fit throughout the season. That has to be his aim this time.
Who's the weak link?
I could repeat what I wrote above for goalscoring has always been our problem under the last few managers. Dean Ashton was our last semi-prolific goalscorer, and if we don't have someone in that position who can hit the back of the net regularly, that will be our downfall this season. Otherwise it's Kevin Nolan, who I'm afraid has reached his sell-by date. He will be replaced by Pedro Obiang or Diego Poyet.
Who will get booed at Upton Park?
Now that Frank Lampard has departed these shores, I suspect the most hated ex West Ham title is passed to Jermain Defoe, mainly because of the way he left us 12 years ago. Yes, we have long memories. Defoe and Lampard have one thing in common. They invariably score when they return to Upton Park. Perhaps we need to cheer Defoe when he comes back this season. That might put him off his stride.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carl Jenkinson praises the 'fantastic' changes made by Slaven Bilic
HITC
Lewis Doe
West Ham United defender Carl Jenkinson is confident that the future is looking bright for the club. West Ham United defender Carl Jenkinson has praised the signings made by manager Slaven Bilic as he spoke to the club's official website. The right-back has re-joined the club on loan for the coming season from Arsenal and he's suggested that there is plenty for supporters to be optimistic about, with the first game of the domestic season against Arsenal just around the corner. "There have been a lot of changes, but the change is for the positive. You look at the players who have been brought in and they are fantastic players," he told whufc.com. "There's a lot of reason to be optimistic for the season because I think we're shaping up really well."
Credit to Bilic for addressing a problem
Credit has to go to the manager for addressing a key problem with the team's attack while adding quality players in other areas. One of the areas the side arguably struggled over the second half of last season is in terms of creativity and scoring in big games. Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini have come in to improve the options in terms of the creativity in midfield, which should mean more chances for the strikers in the side to attack. There is plenty for West Ham fans to be optimistic about because the early signs under his reign are very good.
The team has shown a resilience to grit through difficult games in Europa League qualifying and there is evidence that new signings haven't taken long to gel and adapt to the mentality and philosophy which is already in place at the club.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold: West Ham summer signing Pedro Obiang will return to training next week
HITC
Olly Dawes
David Gold says West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang will return to training next week. Following the 1-0 friendly win over Norwich City, West Ham United co-chairman David Gold took to Twitter to announce that midfielder Pedro Obiang will be back in training next week. The Hammers beat newly-promoted Norwich at Carrow Road thanks to a late Harry Toffolo own goal, and there was more good news for supporters as Gold revealed Obiang's scheduled return, as seen above. Obiang, 23, joined West Ham from Italian club Sampdoria earlier this summer, and it seen as a huge signing for the Hammers given his reputation in Serie A. The Spaniard is an athletic, box-to-box midfield player who starred on a regular basis for Sampdoria, and has earned comparisons to Yaya Toure in the process. Fans have yet to see much of Obiang this summer due to injury and fitness problems, but Gold's revelation that Obiang will return to training next week will be a big boost for Hammers fans.
How important can Obiang be this season?
West Ham have seen last season's loanee Alex Song return to Barcelona, leaving a vacancy for a physical midfielder in the Hammers line-up. Cheikhou Kouyate formed a great partnership with Song last season, and with Mark Noble sitting to dictate play, Obiang could step into the role that Song filled last term. With speed and strength, Obiang's athleticism could be a huge asset to West Ham, have a star both for now and the future in Obiang - and he should be a vital player for the club this coming season and beyond.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Agent of reported West Ham United target Veli Kavlak admits English interest
HITC
Mathew Nash
The Besiktas midfielder worked alongside Slaven Bilic in Turkey. The agent of Austrian international Veli Kavlak has been discussing the future of his client, who has been linked with a move to West Ham United this summer. He is quoted by Laola1 in Austria as claiming that Kavlak has both offers from England and Germany ahead of the new campaign: "There are requests from top clubs from England and Germany. "Our goal is that he is at the European Championships [with Austria]." It was reported by Hurriyet earlier this month that new West Ham boss Slaven Bilic was keen on midfielder Kavlak. The two worked together at Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas but with Bilic gone the future of Kavlak has reportedly been cast into doubt. Kavlak started his career at Austrian side Rapid Vienna and is an Austrian international. He has 30 caps for his country and has scored one goal, against Turkey. Kavlak's signing would certainly be impressive for West Ham. They have already strengthened their midfield area with the arrival of Pedro Obiang from Sampdoria. But the Spaniard is not enough and West Ham certainly could do with signing another central midfield player for the upcoming campaign. Kavlak could be the perfect man to join the likes of Mark Noble and Obiang in the heart of the West Ham midfield this season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leyton Orient will not sign former Cardiff City and West Ham United defender Danny Gabbidon
Guardian Series
Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon has confirmed the club will not be offering a contract to Danny Gabbidon. The former Cardiff City and West Ham United defender played 45 minutes of the O's win at Colchester United on Saturday but was not involved in tonight's 4-0 victory at Woking. Orient completed the signing of experienced former Millwall defender Alan Dunne on Monday and he made his debut in their latest friendly. His arrival appears to have been a key factor in the decision over Gabbidon. Hendon said: "I've spoken to Danny's agent and that's not going to happen now. "Alan's not played much football over pre-season to be fair so he's playing a little bit of catch up. He's been training at Millwall doing some stuff over the summer but he's not played many minutes. I think you've seen what he's about in the first half. "He's very experienced, knows what to do when he's got the ball, organises and I was very pleased with what I saw in the first 45 minutes. That was the plan to give him 45 minutes and then come off so I was delighted with his first performance."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
WHUFc.com
Coaching assistant Julian Dicks could not help but be impressed by the impact of wholesale changes in the second half at Carrow Road, as Slaven Bilic shuffled almost the entire pack to see off Norwich City on Tuesday. The Hammers made no fewer than nine substitutions on the hour and it most certainly had the desired effect, with the visitors completely running the show thereafter. Though it ultimately took an 82nd minute own goal to break the deadlock, but for the outstanding John Ruddy, Bilic's men could well have helped themselves to a hatful in the closing minutes. "The lads played well, considering it was a friendly, it was pretty competitive," Dicks told West Ham TV. "Obviously the turning point was when Slaven put the subs on. Some of the football was fantastic. "The players that have gone on are very good players and they'd change most games. They were sat there watching the game and when they came on they just changed it. The passing and the movement was fantastic, it was great to watch."
Not for the first time this pre-season, it was another largely frustrating evening in front of goal, with Ruddy proving equal to almost everything the Hammers had to throw at him. But with no shortage of opportunities, Dicks sees no reason to worry. He continued: "We have to finish them, we have to score goals. It's about creating chances, when you don't create chances, that's when you have a problem. So as long as we keep creating them, hopefully we'll start putting them away. Another clean sheet, however, is no small consolation and Dicks reckons a second successive shutout bodes well for the fast-approaching Barclays Premier League campaign. "I'd like to take credit for it," he joked. "Football's about keeping clean sheets. If you keep them then you've got a chance of winning as we proved in the second half. If you can do that in the Premier League games then you've always got a chance!"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jenks - It's good to be back
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson was delighted to be back in a claret and blue shirt on Tuesday as West Ham United continued their preparation for the new Barclays Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over one of their league rivals, Norwich City. The Carrow Road clash was Jenkinson's first run-out since rejoining the Hammers on loan from Arsenal and he is looking forward to continuing from where he left off last term. Since his last game for the Hammers, at Newcastle in May, a new manager and eight new players have all come in so the 23-year-old says these are exciting times. "It was great to be back on the pitch on Tuesday - I loved every minute of it," he beamed. "I was looking forward to it all day to be fair, I just wanted to get back playing football as I've missed it. "Even after just a couple of weeks off you start to miss it and it's nice to be back in front of our away following, which is always great. I really enjoyed it.
"There have been a lot of changes, but the change is for the positive. You look at the players who have been brought in and they are fantastic players. "There's a lot of reason to be optimistic for the season because I think we're shaping up really well."
Tuesday's victory came courtesy of an 82nd minute Harry Toffolo own goal, which arrived on the back of a strong spell of positive West Ham play. The one-touch passing and movement posed several problems for the hosts and Jenkinson says that was a positive sign. "We did well on Tuesday," he continued. "We were solid at the back throughout the game and in the second half we really pushed on. "We really took a stranglehold on the game in the last 20 to 30 minutes and we got the goal we deserved. "Attacking-wise we're looking exceptional. Dimi [Payet], who's come in, looks very good and I think he's going to link up play between the forward and the midfielders well this year. The other boys look sharp too. "It's nice - we'll be playing Norwich again in a few weeks time so it's nice to get one up on them before we play them."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic still 'in contact' with Alex Song
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 29th July 2015
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that West Ham remain interested in re-signing Alex Song from Barcelona. The 27-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan at the Boleyn Ground and has also indicated his wish to remain in London, where his young family are settled. However the two parties have been unable to agree personal terms thus far, with West Ham having only offered Song a short-term contract whilst the former Cameroon international seeks a longer term arrangement. When asked about the possibility of Song returning to east London, Bilic replied: "We are in contact, but it's not for the media yet."
With little more than a month to go until the end of the current transfer window, Bilic also revealed that he remains hopeful of introducing one or two new faces - should the opportunity arise. "I'm happy with my squad, the transfer window is still very open and there's a possibility some players will come and some will go," he added. "We're not panicking. If we can find a player - or a couple of them, maximum - who are going to make us better, then we definitely want to do it. But there's a few things that have to match. "First we have to like the player, then the player needs to be free. If it's for a reasonable fee and is a good investment for the club, then why not?"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
RUMOUR ROUND-UP: YET ANOTHER DEFENDER?
By Reece Bateman 29 Jul 2015 at 14:45
WTID
Following last night's win at Norwich the press is buzzing with new West Ham targets today. talkSPORT? suggest that we will look to sign defender Douglas from Dynamo Moscow. A Brazilian by birth, he allegedly turned us down in 2013 to move to Russia but he has never left our radar. I'm not so sure this one has any substance. I think nearly all of us would agree that we seem to be covered at Centre Half, if not overrun in this area, unless one of Tomkins/Reid/Collins is set to leave. There would be riots if we signed another defender instead of trying for a striker.
Talking of strikers and The Wharf? claim we are interested in Senegal striker Moussa Sow, currently of Fenerbache. The striker would be known to Bilic from his time in Turkey and would certainly be welcomed by Sakho & Kouyate whom he has played with for Senegal. He has a great scoring record wherever he has been and for the mooted fee of £12million its a risk worth taking in my eyes. At 29 years old he isn't getting any younger but he would still add something to our front line that we have lacked for a long time, a genuine goalscorer.
Apparently Lassana Diarra is set to reject West Ham in favour of a move to Marseille. The midfielder has been training with West Ham for about the last year in order to keep fit and whilst he has been sorting out his release from his previous club. The Brentwood Gazette suggest they are prepared to offer him a 4 year deal whilst it has been reported West Ham would offer only a 1 year deal with the option of a second season. Seems a bit cheeky that Diarra has opted to do this considering our hospitality, if true, but I don't see that it will disrupt our plans all that much as I think he would have only been a back up option to the likes of Kouyate and Noble.
The same source claim we have missed out on German wonderkid Thilo Kehrer to Inter Milan. Another player that I know very little about so perhaps some of our German readers will be able to enlighten us? He is a teenage centre back tipped for big things but unfortunately not with West Ham it would appear.
And finally, as Alex Song is out recovering from his operation West Ham are said to have turned their attention to Caen's midfielder N'Golo Kante. The 24 year old plays the holding role in midfield and would be almost a like for like replacement positional wise but it remains to be seen whether he has the star quality of Alex Song (think pre-christmas!!) With the fact we are being linked to a few holding midfielders perhaps Bilic isn't comfortable with having just Kouyate and Noble for this role, although with the recent performances of Oxford and Poyet he may feel they have the ability to step up this season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payet's contract is "100 per cent watertight"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Dimitri Payet has been locked into a 100 per cent watertight contract without a single escape clause. West Ham's negotiators led, by David Sullivan, refused to give way on any sort of escape clause when pushed to the limits in seriously tough negotiations. Having spent weeks agreeing a fee of around £10.8 million with Marseilles, negotiations on the player's deal were equally fierce . And the Irons made it clear throughout that there could be no 'get out' clauses if they were to offer the brilliant French midfielder the cash terms he wanted.
A high level source told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "There was no budging on get outs. There was no question of any escape clauses.
The negotiations were incredibly hard and eventually a five year deal was hammered out with a year's option in the club's favour. "We think he is the real deal and is a player around whom things will revolve. We couldn't therefore even consider giving way on a single escape clause. His deal is 100 per cent watertight."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Redknapp predicts a top ten finish
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp has suggested Slaven Bilic can finish tenth this season if he can keep his strikers fit. "I think he'll do well. They've got a good squad there and a decent group of players. Sam made some good signings last year and I think they look a good team," Redknapp told Talksport Radio "If the two front men stay fit this year, they'll have some pace up front and I think they'll be okay, I think they'll be mid-table, I think they'll be around tenth again."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kante deal agreed in principle
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
French media make fresh claims today that West Ham have an agreement in principle with SM Caen midfielder Ngolo Kanté's representatives about a possible deal. The player's agents, Mondial Promotion are working with Excelfoot's Mark McKay, the son of the Willie McKay. The player was proposed to West Ham by Mark McKay. The Hammers will need to offer a good €10m in order to sign the player but reports say there is an "agreement in principle", at least orally, with Kanté's representatives to do just that. The Hammers might want a loan option first but Kante may well be a back up option if a deal cannot be reached with Alex Song as reported yesterday.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Besiktas midfielder linked again
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
The agent of reported Hammer midfield target, Veli Kavlak has been discussing the future of his client, He is quoted by Austrian press that he has inquiries from both England and German.
"There are requests from top clubs from England and Germany. Our goal is that he is at the European Championships [with Austria]." Bilic and Kavlak worked together at Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas. Reports in Turkey 9 days ago claimed that Hammers boss Slaven Bilic wants to be reunited his former player. Turkish sports news site Sporx.com claims the 26 year defensive box-to-box midfielder would be interested in a move to the Premier League to join up with his former manager. Kavlak has a contract until 2019 at Besiktas and they would not let him leave without a fight. Kavlak started his career at Austrian side Rapid Vienna and is an Austrian international. He has 30 caps for his country and has scored one goal, against Turkey.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic on transfers: 'We are not panicking'
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Hammer manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed West Ham have not given up on completing a permanent deal for Barcelona midfielder Alex Song but said to expect a maximum of two additional players.
Speaking about Alex Song Bilic said "We are in contact but it's not for the media yet" "We are not panicking, we are good: if we can find a player, or maximum two, who are going to make us better then we definitely want to do it, we have to like the player, and the player has to be free, or payable and a good investment for the club. I'm happy with my squad, the transfer window is still very open and there's a possibility some players will come and some will go." Bilic added.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 'agree' deal for €10m Song alternative
By James Jones - Jul 29, 2015 1
West Ham appear to have ramped up their efforts to sign Caen midfielder N'golo Kante by agreeing a deal in principle with the player's representatives, according to Get French Football.
The defensive midfielder, once labelled 'the new Makelele' had initially looked set for a move to Marseille this summer, but a deal eventually broke down. It is believed Slaven Bilic has turned his attention to Kante after a potential deal for Barcelona's Alex Song hit complications, with the player reportedly unhappy with the length of the one year deal the Hammers have offered him. Kante, 24, is thought to be available for around €10m (£5m), and the club have supposedly agreed a deal in principle with the player's representatives ahead of making an offer to Caen. London 24 claim Leicester, Southampton, Arsenal and Newcastle have all registered their interest in the player this summer, but West Ham appear to be the first to make a solid move. Kante score two and provided five assists in 36 starts in Ligue last season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH REPORT: OXFORD 1 NORWICH CITY 0
By Iain Dale 28 Jul 2015 at 23:51
West Ham Till I Die
Whenever I go to see a pre-season friendly I always vow never again. There wasn't a lot in this match to make me change my mind to be honest, although that's not to say I didn't have a good evening. Let me tell you about it.
I love Norfolk. I spent a lot of my childhood here on day trips to Hunstanton or Wells. I then spent four of the happiest years of my life at the University of East Anglia. I stood in the 2005 general election in North Norfolk (and got walloped, since you ask). And two years we bought a house in an idyllic little village north of Norwich. So when I heard West Ham were playing at Carrow Road to mark the 80th anniversary of the first game ever played there in 1935 I just had to book a couple of days off my radio show.
My friend Tim from university, who's a Gillingham fan, decided he'd come too. The last time we went to a match at Carrow Road together was more than thirty years ago, He's a solicitor in Wroxham so I drove over to his office and we got the train into Norwich as the football ground is only a ten minute walk from the station. There were no ticket machines on the station so we had to pay the conductor on the two coach train. A bit different to the London commute.
We picked our tickets up and found our seats in the Barclay Stand. The ground has certainly changed a lot since I was last there. It's a lovely, well presented stadium with a capacity of around 26,000. Unfortunately there's little scope for expansion. Ninety per cent of the seats are reserved for season ticket holders, or so I'm told so there's not much opportunity for the casual visitor. Today around 20,000 were there, including at least 2,000 Hammers fans, who made themselves heard throughout the game.
In terms of a spectacle it certainly wasn't much to write home about. Both sides fell down in the final third and initially there were very few shots on goal. West Ham dominated the opening changes, and it wasn't until the seventh minute until Norwich managed to venture into the West Ham half. In the first half I was particularly impressed by Doneil Henry and Diego Poyet. Henry is a big lump of a central defender, and throughout his time on the pitch he was at the centre of the action. He showed a nice first touch but could also be a bit of a brute. He stopped numerous Norwich attacks and very rarely lost possession. Poyet was also at the centre of everything. He was tough in his tackling and just like in the first FC Lusitans game, was great at spraying the ball around the pitch. I really see a big future for this young man at Upton Park.
Modibo Maiga and Cheikhou Kouyate both appear to have piled on the pounds a bit over the summer. Kouyate has certainly thickened out from his beanpole like stature. Maiga actually showed some nice touches. Matt Jarvis, too, made some good runs down the left but his crosses came to nowt. He also spurned a brilliant chance in the second half when he was through on goal. "He used to do that at Gillingham," said Tim helpfully.
After 60 minutes West Ham made no fewer than seven substitutions. I was a little mystified by this because you'd have thought the likes of Nolan, Valencia and Payet in particular would be saved for Thursday's Europa League game. Bilic clearly decided they needed the minutes on the pitch. Valencia, wearing the number 11 showed some nice touches and had a lot of possession, Zarate too, looked sharp and could have easily notched a goal.
The substitutions really made a difference to the game. The pace increased, the passing was better and Dimitri Payet grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. He looks the real deal. He's quite chunky and has some real strength. He shows some lovely skill and his cross which gave Reece Oxford the chance to glance the ball past John Ruddy was sublime. You can see why he got more assists than Lionel Messi last season. Every poisitve move West Ham made came through him, and he seemed to pop up everywhere.
It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination a great game, but it was a good run-out and Slaven Bilic will have learnt quite a bit. I left Carrow Road looking forward to the new season even more than I already was.
UPDATE: Hugh Southon of Claret & Hugh has an altogether more positive take on the game HERE? I'll have some of whatever he's been drinking!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham keep tabs on Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante as Alex Song deal stutters
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:44, 28 July 2015 | UPDATED: 00:23, 29 July 2015
West Ham have enquired about Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante. Kante joined Caen from Boulogne in 2013 and has made more than 80 appearances for the French club since. Paris-born midfielder Kante is valued at around £5million and has been likened to former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele. West Ham have enquired about Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante (right) who joined the club from Boulogne in 2013 The move comes as their deal for Alex Song stalls over his length of contract. Song has floating bone in his ankle which means he is out for three months and West Ham want to offer him a one year deal until he proves his fitness. The former Cameroon international made 28 appearances for the east London outfit last season, but ended the campaign disappointingly.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer news: Bilic confirms Hammers are still in the hunt for Alex Song
Evening Standard
NICK PUREWAL
Published: 29 July 2015 Updated: 15:13, 29 July 2015
Slaven Bilic insists West Ham have not given up on completing a permanent deal for Barcelona midfielder Alex Song. Former Arsenal star Song will miss three months with ankle trouble, leaving the ex-Cameroon midfielder haggling with the Hammers over the length of a permanent contract. Song spent last season on loan at Upton Park, and Barcelona are ready to let him return on a free transfer - but new West Ham boss Bilic admitted talks are ongoing with the 27-year-ol d. "We are in contact but it's not for the media yet," he said. West Ham will face Romanian outfit Astra Giurgiu at Upton Park on Thursday as their marathon pre-season continues apace. Hammers manager Bilic again admitted frustration with the packed schedule brought about by an unexpected Europa League qualification bid. "We are not panicking, we are good: if we can find a player, or maximum two, who are going to make us better then we definitely want to do it," he said. "We have to like the player, and the player has to be free, or payable and a good investment for the club. "I'm happy with my squad, the transfer window is still very open and there's a possibility some players will come and some will go."
West Ham face their 10th game of the pre-season already on Thursday - with two more to follow after that before they start their Premier League campaign with a testing trip to Arsenal on August 9. Former Hammers defender Bilic vowed he will not allow his side's lengthy run-up to the league season to account for any fatigue. "It's not ideal, but there's no point moaning or saying it again, we just have to cope with the situation and that's it - no excuses," he said. "I would have had to learn quickly here anyway, because I'm new here. "I've done my homework but these European nights we've had so far, they are not ideal, but at the same time they give you the best pictures from your players. "The negative side of that was that we had so many games because the club had to arrange friendly matches because we didn't know we'd compete in European qualification."
Bilic hopes West Ham can take control of their two-leg battle with Astra Giurgiu on Thursday - to allow him to mix up selection for the return clash in Romania a week later.
"They are a club that's investing money, has a lot of good players," he said. "Last year they knocked out Lyon so it's going to be a good test for us. "I'm hoping for that (a commanding victory) and it would be nice, and we're going to try for that, but to be fair we're not expecting an easy ride."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic hopeful of securing Song deal
setanta.co.uk
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is hopeful the club can reach a deal for Alex Song. The defender spent last season on loan at Upton Park, making 31 appearances in all competitions, but he returned to Barcelona at the start of the summer. He is facing a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, but the Hammers are in talks with Barcelona over a possible deal for the 27-year-old. "We are in contact but it's not for the media yet," Bilic told reporters. "We are not trying to get many [players]. But if we can find a player or a couple who will make us better then we definitely want to do it. "We have to like the player. The player has to be available, but if they are available for a reasonable amount of money and are good investment then why not. "I am happy with my squad, but the transfer window is very open and it is possible players will come and go."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham co-owner David Gold lauds Slaven Bilic for 'sensible' approach to chaotic pre-season
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United co-owner David Gold has been singing the praises of new boss Slaven Bilic for the way he has been handling the club's hectic schedule. West Ham were the first Premier League side to be back in competitive action this season way back on July 2nd after making it into the qualifying stages for the Europa League through the FIFA Fair Play rankings. The early return to action meant the shortest summer break for any Premier League side in history and has made for a somewhat chaotic pre-season schedule with friendlies and competitive European matches coming thick and fast. The early qualifying rounds of the competition were always going to throw up some unknown opponents and interesting trips across the continent which have added to the exertions.
Strain starting to show?
It looked like the strain was beginning to show as Bilic's side toiled in the heat against Maltese minnows Birkirkara in the last round. They lost the second leg match 1-0 to draw 1-1 on aggregate and after the added burden of 30 minutes extra time had to hold their nerve in a penalty shootout to progress. But Hammers co-owner Gold has told the club's official website that Bilic has taken it all in his stride and has hailed his 'sensible' approach to the club's predicament. "The games are certainly coming thick and fast for the lub and I have never experienced such congestion when it comes to pre-season action," Gold told whufc.com. "But I have to say that Slaven Bilic is dealing with the amount of games in a very sensible manner and is providing the right balance when it comes to playing the senior and young players."
Will fitness levels help shoot down Gunners?
Gold said he had been particularly impressed with the way Bilic was mixing and matching his squad for each game and making sure players are getting the right amount of game time under their belts before the Premier League season gets under way in just over a week. They don't come much harder either. The Hammers will travel to London rivals and last season's Premier League runners-up Arsenal on August 9th, just three days after a long trip to Romania for the second leg of their third qualifying round match against FC Astra. But one consolation for Bilic is that his players will be sharp and fit with six competitive games already under their belt so may have a slight edge on Arsene Wenger's side in that respect.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM CONTEMPLATE ADDING THIRD SENEGALESE TO FIRST TEAM
Ladbrokes.com
This Fenerbahce forward could join Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho at the Boleyn
29 July 2015
West Ham incurred the wrath of the Senegalese FA when withholding 'injured' striker Diafra Sakho from January's Africa Cup of Nations, but the incident hasn't put the Irons off targeting a third Lions of Teranga star. The Express believes Fenerbahce's Moussa Sow is the centre-forward new Boleyn Ground boss Slaven Bilic wants heading into the new campaign, with a £12m bid in the offing for the 29-year-old. Sow has a fine Super Lig strike rate with last season's Turkish title runners-up, having bagged 51 goals in 106 matches since signing on at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium four years ago, and started for Fener on their return to Europe after a two-term match-fixing ban against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. However, the arrival of former Manchester United and Arsenal hotshot Robin van Persie will put huge pressure on Sow's place in the side, so a move could well be on the cards. During his 18 months with French outfit Lille between 2010-2012, Sow notched a superb tally of 31 goals in 54 league fixtures, top scoring in Ligue 1 en route to Les Dogues taking the title for the first time in 57 years during the Senegalese's only full campaign at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. A move to east London would see Sow link up with international teammates Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate, who were signed last summer for combined fees totaling more than £10m. Sunderland are also thought to be in the hunt for Sow though, having been touted as a potential home for the striker during the last transfer window in January. With the Black Cats' forward ranks in need of refreshing, and the futures of striking trio Steven Fletcher, Danny Graham and Connor Wickham far from assured, the France-born hitman may see a simpler route to first-team action in the north east. On the other hand, he may not fancy Sunderland's annual battle against relegation, with Dick Advocaat's side priced up at 7/4 to go down next spring.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report: West Ham weighing up move for exciting striker with fearsome scoring record, Moussa Sow
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United are reportedly weighing up a £12 million move for exciting Fenerbache striker Moussa Sow, but what would he bring to the Hammers? According to the likes of the Express, Slaven Bilic is returning to Turkey in the hunt for a new striker with Fenerbache's Senegal star Moussa Sow the latest name being linked. The French born 29-year-old is an international teammate of West Ham hero Diafra Sakho and boasts an astonishing scoring record of more than a goal every other game at his last two clubs. Reports claim Bilic, who used to manage Fenerbache's rivals Besiktas, is keen on Sow who only has a year left to run on his contract and faces new competition from former Manchester United star Robin van Persie. With Mauro Zarate and Modibo Maiga failing to impress, Carlton Cole having left and the injury-prone Andy Carroll out until at least September, West Ham are left with just Sakho and Enner Valencia up front. Signing a striker is the club's number one priority before the start of the season. And the Hammers have been linked with a host of forwards this summer including Queens Park Rangers' Charlie Austin, Chelsea's Loic Remy and Manchester United's Javier Hernandez. But with no sign of any movement on potential deals for those players, Bilic looks to be moving on to other targets.
West Ham to reap what they Sow
If the former Croatia boss does manage to get Sow, he will quite literally be buying goals. The former France youth international has scored 82 goals in just 164 games for Fenerbache and before that Lille. In fact during his time with Lille he fired in 25 Ligue 1 goals to lead his side to the title. A final day hat-trick against his former club Stade Rennes sealed the league crown and also persuaded Fenerbache to splash out £7 million to bring him to Turkey. Known for some acrobatic goals, including his trademark bicycle kicks, he actually scored a last gasp goal in a 1-0 win over Bilic's Besiktas side on his debut and has clearly left an impression on the Hammers manager. West Ham fans should be excited at the potential partnership between Sakho and Sow who would be amongst the most feared pairings in the Premier League.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham reignite interest in Dynamo Moscow defender
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Wednesday, July 29, 2015
West Ham are ready to rekindle their long-standing interest in Brazil-born defender Douglas but will face competition to land him from Galatasaray. The Hammers were keen on the centre-back back in 2013 when he was at Twente but he decided to join Dynamo Moscow instead. He has racked up 43 league outings since his arrival but has been heavily linked with a move away this summer. Newcastle and Liverpool have also tracked the 27-year-old, who is entering the final year of his contract in Moscow, although it appeared that Inter Milan were set to enter the race to sign him. But, according to sources in Italy, Inter have fallen behind the Hammers and Galatasaray who are now the frontrunners. Galatasaray were interested in Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches but now he looks set for Napoli, the Turkish club could switch their attention to Douglas. And that could entice new Hammers boss Slaven Bilic to make his move.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham chief provides double injury update ahead of Hammers' Europa League clash
London 24
09:58 29 July 2015 Jack Green
West Ham co-owner David Gold has revealed that two Hammers stars will miss Thursday night's game against Astra Giurgiu. Both players have been struggling with injuries in the pre-season and will not feature in the first leg of the club's Europa League Third Qualifying Round tie. Obiang was West Ham's first major signing of the summer as he moved to Upton Park from Sampdoria early in the transfer window. The Spanish midfielder made his first appearance for the Hammers in a friendly against Peterborough but has not been match fit since then. Gold has revealed that the 23-year-old will be back in training next week. Defender Reid will also not be available to face Astra. The New Zealand international is recovering from a minor injury and he will be held out of action until he returns to full fitness.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Archdeacon Elwin Cockett is a fan of West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
Newham Recorder
09:50 29 July 2015
I am a big fan of West Ham United's new manager, Slaven Bilic. Many years ago, I found myself in the same room as him, both of us having arrived early before a game. Knowing where he was from, I asked him about the war in Bosnia that was raging at the time. To my surprise, Slaven then spent the best part of an hour with me, explaining in depth the complexities underlying that conflict, and putting forward his ideas for a peaceful future for the Balkans. He showed a remarkable knowledge of the relevant history, law and politics, and I came away hugely impressed.
Now, I would be the first to say that you don't need a university degree in international law to be a footballer, but I am very glad that my football club has a new manager of such intelligence, wit and learning. It can only help. I'm also a big fan of our local MPs in Newham. Whatever our politics (and no, I am not a member of the Labour party or any other party, for that matter), it seems to me that we are particularly well-served by our Members of Parliament . It was no surprise to me that Stephen Timms was elected with the biggest majority in the country. Like the best of his colleagues, Stephen is a dedicated and able MP, respected by colleagues of all political hues.
What do Slaven Bilic and Stephen Timms have in common? You don't have to be a West Ham fan or a Labour party supporter to recognise that they are both bright, dedicated people. What they also are is men of faith. Both of them have a faith in God, and neither of them is ashamed to say so. It doesn't stop them being competitive, nor does it require them to leave their intellect behind. But at a time when the new Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is under fire for admitting that he prays, it affirms that it is perfectly possible to excel at things and believe in God. Thank God for that!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Payet looks like the real deal… but I'd love to see Charlie Austin or Javier Hernandez join' - West Ham Till I Die preview the 2015/16 season
Evening STandard
TOM DUTTON
Published: 29 July 2015 Updated: 09:21, 29 July 2015
It's been a summer of upheaval at West Ham, and by jove the fans are loving it thus far! The arrival of Slaven Bilic has filled Upton Park with renewed optimism, as have the signings that have arrived at the club. Dimitri Payet, for one, has certainly excited the Hammers faithful, while Europa League football in East London has seen the club start their season earlier than their Premier League rivals. And Standard Sport spoke to West Ham Till I Die editor Iain Dale to get the Hammers fans' perspective ahead of the new campaign.
What's your target for the club's forthcoming season?
Any club with a new manager always has high expectations. Last season, after a fantastic start we under-performed dramatically and finished 12th. This season the aim has to be to finish in the top half and I think 8th is a realistic target as a springboard into the Olympic Stadium. We have the players to do it. Prediction: 8th
Who would you like to sign before the window closes?
Our weakness over the last two years has been that our main strikers have been injured too often. Our main priority has to be to sign a goalscorer, and that man is Charlie Austin. He's similar in style to Diafra Sakho and vaguely like Andy Carroll. He's proved himself at all levels. The Davids need to get their checkbook out. And if it isn't him, let's go for Chicarito!
Who's in your Starting XI?
4-2-3-1
Which fixture are you most looking forward to?
Perhaps somewhat strangely, the fixture I look forward to is playing Norwich, as they are my second team and I have written a history of Norwich City. Alex Neil has done a fantastic job and I really hope they survive this time. Having said that, I hope we take six points off them.
Which signing are you most excited about?
There is only one answer to that question. Dimitri Payet. In his debut in a friendly at Southend he scored two goals from outside the penalty area, laid on the third and put in a performance that was awe-inspiring, so much so that Southend manager Phil Brown asked Bilic to sub him. We love a playmaker with an eye for goal and Payet seems to be the real deal. He cost £14 million, our second highest ever fee. So far he looks worth it, but he now needs to prove himself in the Premier League.
Which young player excites you the most?
We have quite a few young players coming through. Diego Poyet has looked excellent and could well replace Kevin Nolan, while 16 year old Reece Oxford looks a real prospect. He's a tall, gangly central defender but has played in central midfield in the Europa League. He's got the languid style of a young Rio Ferdinand and I expect him to get quite a few substitute appearances under his belt this year, or to be sent out on loan to get some experience. An England player of the future.
Who's your most important star?
Whoever plays at centre forward is the most crucial player. And the most crucial thing is they stay fit and score goals. Diafra Sahko will certainly be in that position for the first couple of months, and when Andy Carroll gets fit (no, don't laugh) they can duke it out. Sakho scored ten in 23 games last season. I have no doubt he'd have scored double that if he'd been fit throughout the season. That has to be his aim this time.
Who's the weak link?
I could repeat what I wrote above for goalscoring has always been our problem under the last few managers. Dean Ashton was our last semi-prolific goalscorer, and if we don't have someone in that position who can hit the back of the net regularly, that will be our downfall this season. Otherwise it's Kevin Nolan, who I'm afraid has reached his sell-by date. He will be replaced by Pedro Obiang or Diego Poyet.
Who will get booed at Upton Park?
Now that Frank Lampard has departed these shores, I suspect the most hated ex West Ham title is passed to Jermain Defoe, mainly because of the way he left us 12 years ago. Yes, we have long memories. Defoe and Lampard have one thing in common. They invariably score when they return to Upton Park. Perhaps we need to cheer Defoe when he comes back this season. That might put him off his stride.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carl Jenkinson praises the 'fantastic' changes made by Slaven Bilic
HITC
Lewis Doe
West Ham United defender Carl Jenkinson is confident that the future is looking bright for the club. West Ham United defender Carl Jenkinson has praised the signings made by manager Slaven Bilic as he spoke to the club's official website. The right-back has re-joined the club on loan for the coming season from Arsenal and he's suggested that there is plenty for supporters to be optimistic about, with the first game of the domestic season against Arsenal just around the corner. "There have been a lot of changes, but the change is for the positive. You look at the players who have been brought in and they are fantastic players," he told whufc.com. "There's a lot of reason to be optimistic for the season because I think we're shaping up really well."
Credit to Bilic for addressing a problem
Credit has to go to the manager for addressing a key problem with the team's attack while adding quality players in other areas. One of the areas the side arguably struggled over the second half of last season is in terms of creativity and scoring in big games. Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini have come in to improve the options in terms of the creativity in midfield, which should mean more chances for the strikers in the side to attack. There is plenty for West Ham fans to be optimistic about because the early signs under his reign are very good.
The team has shown a resilience to grit through difficult games in Europa League qualifying and there is evidence that new signings haven't taken long to gel and adapt to the mentality and philosophy which is already in place at the club.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold: West Ham summer signing Pedro Obiang will return to training next week
HITC
Olly Dawes
David Gold says West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang will return to training next week. Following the 1-0 friendly win over Norwich City, West Ham United co-chairman David Gold took to Twitter to announce that midfielder Pedro Obiang will be back in training next week. The Hammers beat newly-promoted Norwich at Carrow Road thanks to a late Harry Toffolo own goal, and there was more good news for supporters as Gold revealed Obiang's scheduled return, as seen above. Obiang, 23, joined West Ham from Italian club Sampdoria earlier this summer, and it seen as a huge signing for the Hammers given his reputation in Serie A. The Spaniard is an athletic, box-to-box midfield player who starred on a regular basis for Sampdoria, and has earned comparisons to Yaya Toure in the process. Fans have yet to see much of Obiang this summer due to injury and fitness problems, but Gold's revelation that Obiang will return to training next week will be a big boost for Hammers fans.
How important can Obiang be this season?
West Ham have seen last season's loanee Alex Song return to Barcelona, leaving a vacancy for a physical midfielder in the Hammers line-up. Cheikhou Kouyate formed a great partnership with Song last season, and with Mark Noble sitting to dictate play, Obiang could step into the role that Song filled last term. With speed and strength, Obiang's athleticism could be a huge asset to West Ham, have a star both for now and the future in Obiang - and he should be a vital player for the club this coming season and beyond.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Agent of reported West Ham United target Veli Kavlak admits English interest
HITC
Mathew Nash
The Besiktas midfielder worked alongside Slaven Bilic in Turkey. The agent of Austrian international Veli Kavlak has been discussing the future of his client, who has been linked with a move to West Ham United this summer. He is quoted by Laola1 in Austria as claiming that Kavlak has both offers from England and Germany ahead of the new campaign: "There are requests from top clubs from England and Germany. "Our goal is that he is at the European Championships [with Austria]." It was reported by Hurriyet earlier this month that new West Ham boss Slaven Bilic was keen on midfielder Kavlak. The two worked together at Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas but with Bilic gone the future of Kavlak has reportedly been cast into doubt. Kavlak started his career at Austrian side Rapid Vienna and is an Austrian international. He has 30 caps for his country and has scored one goal, against Turkey. Kavlak's signing would certainly be impressive for West Ham. They have already strengthened their midfield area with the arrival of Pedro Obiang from Sampdoria. But the Spaniard is not enough and West Ham certainly could do with signing another central midfield player for the upcoming campaign. Kavlak could be the perfect man to join the likes of Mark Noble and Obiang in the heart of the West Ham midfield this season.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leyton Orient will not sign former Cardiff City and West Ham United defender Danny Gabbidon
Guardian Series
Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon has confirmed the club will not be offering a contract to Danny Gabbidon. The former Cardiff City and West Ham United defender played 45 minutes of the O's win at Colchester United on Saturday but was not involved in tonight's 4-0 victory at Woking. Orient completed the signing of experienced former Millwall defender Alan Dunne on Monday and he made his debut in their latest friendly. His arrival appears to have been a key factor in the decision over Gabbidon. Hendon said: "I've spoken to Danny's agent and that's not going to happen now. "Alan's not played much football over pre-season to be fair so he's playing a little bit of catch up. He's been training at Millwall doing some stuff over the summer but he's not played many minutes. I think you've seen what he's about in the first half. "He's very experienced, knows what to do when he's got the ball, organises and I was very pleased with what I saw in the first 45 minutes. That was the plan to give him 45 minutes and then come off so I was delighted with his first performance."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
