Daily WHUFC News - 15th August 2015

From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

What a fantastic week this has been for the football Club and I was so proud of how the team came away with a memorable 2-0 victory over Arsenal last weekend. We have not enjoyed the best of records at Emirates Stadium over the last few years so it was extra pleasing to get the victory against one of the best teams in the Premier League. I was delighted with how the team performed and everything came together on the day. The players were magnificent and you could see straight away the great team spirit and how everyone was working hard for each other throughout the ninety minutes. What more can I say about our magnificent away support. I know the players have been saying it felt like a home game at Arsenal because you were so loud and your support helped the team claim a memorable win. I have to pay special tribute to Slaven Bilic and the way he got his tactics spot on against one of the best managers in the game. We restricted the number of chances they created on goal and it was great to see people like James Tomkins, who was playing out of position at right back produce such a fantastic display.

Slaven must have enjoyed his first game back in the Premier League and we hope he can maintain that winning feeling as we prepare to play two consecutive home games at the Boleyn Ground. I know it is going to be a special final season as we prepare to leave our famous old stadium and we are planning to have a number of t hemed matches over the coming months. Saturday is 'Claret and Blue Day' and I hope you will get to the game early and enjoy all the festivities around the Stadium.

I saw that David Gold changed the colour of his car this week and I also got into the spirit wearing my claret and blue hat. I hope all the fans will make it a colourful afternoon in east London. We will have face painters, DJ's and number of events taking place and I would urge all the supporters to dress up in claret and blue and together we can make this season one to remember. I am expecting another tough game against Leicester and they showed the quality they have when they beat Sunderland 4-2 in the first game. The bookies give us a 50 per cent chance of winning, but if you really get behind the team I hope we can shorten those odds !

Like everyone, I am really looking forward to seeing Reece Oxford in action once again and it was amazing to see how well he performed on his Premier League debut last weekend. Reece doesn't seem fazed by anything and looked so comfortable playing against some of the best players in the top flight. It is hard to believe he is only 16, but I know that Slaven will manage him well and will continue to get the best out of him. Reece will be picking up the Doris Bell award for the Young Academy Player of the Year before kick-off and that is testament to how far he has come. Credit must go to Terry Westley and our Academy staff for the way they have nurtured Reece's development so well over the past few years.

We have been busy in the transfer market this summer and it was great to see two of our big arrivals Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet have such an immediate impact in the first-team. Ogbonna forged an impressive partnership with Winston Reid and produced a commanding display at the heart of the defence. I said when Payet came into the Club that he is a world class player and he showed straight away the quality that he is going to bring to the first-team this season. It was a fantastic free-kick that picked out Cheikhou Kouyate for the first goal and I'm sure that all the forwards will be relishing playing alongside him. We are still working hard behind the scenes to bring in another forward but we want to ensure we get the best possible deal for West Ham United. I want to assure you all I will be doing everything I can to bring in the right players to make the squad stronger.

I hope you enjoy the game on Saturday and we can maintain our impressive start to the campaign.

Come on you Irons.

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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,

Quite simply – an amazing week for everyone at West Ham United.

I have been to Arsenal a few times over the last few years and it is fair to say we have not enjoyed the best of results coming away from Emirates Stadium.

I remember when dad told me the team that Slaven had picked, I could not believe that Reece Oxford would be making his Premier League debut at just 16.

I actually thought we could come away with a 1-1 draw and when we took our seats for the game I could never have envisaged what was about to happen.

Kouyate scored a great header right on half-time and it was the perfect time for us to score a goal.

We came out for the second half and as always my older brother Dave was the last to take his seat as he is very superstitious.

But it definitely paid off as we then scored a second goal and I love Mauro Zarate. I know Petr Cech came under fire for the goal but Zarate's turn and shot was fantastic.

The whole team were just magnificent. James Tomkins was asked to play at right back and he stood his ground and never gave the Arsenal wingers any real opportunity to cause us a major threat.

Sakho worked so hard for the team and showed how much he is prepared to help his team-mates defensively as well.

Ogbonna was fantastic on his Premier League debut and he made several crucial blocks during the game. I like him a lot and and he looks very relaxed on the ball.

We worked much harder than Arsenal and now we move onto Leicester. We have to get a result and make it two out of two.

This is the start of our final ever season at the Boleyn Ground and we are marking our first home game with a 'Claret and Blue Day' on Saturday.

We had a similar thing at Birmingham where everything was turned blue and I hope the fans will turn up in their claret and blue colours.

There will be face painters outside and I'm sure the fans will make it a memorable final season.

If we are lucky with injuries and we continue to show the same kind of passion that was evident against Arsenal, I really feel this could be a special season for everyone at the Club.

It was great to meet up with a number of our fans at the Club Day that we held at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday.

I turned up as Bubbles and really enjoyed it. It is something that I have always wanted to do.

I wanted to actually do it in a league game, but I thought there would be too much pressure.

But Dad said to me it would be a good idea for me to do it at open training session and it was great to see so many people turn up and support the team.

I didn't realise how hot it was going to be inside the outfit and I was dripping with sweat when I came back into the changing room but it was well worth it.

Dave was telling me that people wanted me to sign autographs which I was more than happy to do. Days like that are all about the fans.

We did a penalty shoot-out at the end of the session and myself and Dave went to pick out people from the crowd. It was a dream come true for some of them.

We managed to get Raphael Spiegel in goal and I managed to score against him as I hammered the ball into the corner of the net.

I hope the fans enjoyed it just as much as we did.

Let's make it a special atmosphere against Leicester on Saturday and continue this amazing start to the campaign.

I look forward to speaking with you all again soon.


Jack

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Ogbonna - I made the right move
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna has no doubts that he made the right decision to join West Ham United during the summer and believes he can achieve big things with the east London Club this season. Ogbonna joined the Hammers from Italian giants Juventus and showed his quality straight away when he made a superb debut against Arsenal last Sunday. The Italy international forged an immediate partnership with Winston Reid at the heart of the defence and was commanding throughout the 90 minutes as he kept the Arsenal forwards at bay. Ogbonna is relishing the chance to make his first Premier League appearance at the Boleyn Ground against Leicester on Saturday and hopes to maintain the winning start to the campaign. Ogbonna said: "I talked with the coach and he explained to me what he wanted to do with this Club. "The manager sold me the story and I feel it is better for my career to come to West Ham now. I know I will play now and I don't think about last year. I have to think about this year. "I was very happy with my first match and we are now looking forward. We knew it would be a difficult game but we need to take it step by step. "I know the manager of Leicester and we will prepare everything for Saturday. I was so proud of Reece Oxford and it was a pleasure for me to play alongside him. He understands everybody and wants to learn."

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Put that chicken away, missus! Hammers' hubris still unjustified (for now)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: David Meagher

Without doubt Sunday's win at the Emirates was a delicious moment for Hammers fans who have long suffered at the hands of their neighbours from North London. Breaking a 15-game run without a win in the fixture has undoubtedly raised spirits, and expectations, at West Ham.

David Sullivan has been perhaps the most vocal, openly speaking in the Sunday Times of Champions League qualification and the likes, while gaffer Slaven Bilic has stated that a top four place is not beyond the reach of the club in the immediate future.

Such talk is patently unrealistic given that the club have already crashed out of the Europa League where they were forced to field a development squad in the last round in order to maintain a credible Premiers League starting XI for Sunday. As a result, they have exited Europe but perhaps more tellingly is the quality of the bench on Sunday. Nolan, Jarvis, Maiga...hardly the stuff of top half Premier League squads!

On the up side, although many fans have expressed concern that the change of leadership and/or European commitments during this season could end in relegation tears, the quality of the Hammers back five is way too strong for such nonsense.

Moreover, when you add the deep midfield pairing (perm any two from Noble, Kouyate, Song and Obiang) included in Bilic's favoured 4-2-3-1 system, we will be tough to beat and it's hard to see us not picking up enough results to guarantee safety.

On the flip side, a lack of true striking firepower will undermine our efforts to win enough games to really challenge up top of the league. Two offensive signings and some good luck with injuries could change that picture considerably.

Last season the club maintained an excellent run all the way until Christmas at which point their lack of squad depth undermined their charge.

This season they are already creaking with news that their (only?) available striker has been arrested and charged with a variety of alleged offences, while Morgan Amalfitano has been banished to train with the kids, thus reducing the threadbare options on the wing.

The farcical media circus over the past few days regarding the potential signing of Joey Barton has conveniently deflected attention from the fact that we need a right back, another wide player and at least one striker before we can even consider mounting a challenge for top half status.

All of this presumes that we will also sign Alex Song, along the way.

At present, we are (joint) top of the league, but talk of Champions League places is frankly foolish. These are good times at the club with a new stadium and a host of exciting young players coming through.

The new management appears astute and clearly has the backing of the fans. In Dimitri Payet we appear to have captured a player who may be the most naturally talented that we have had since Di Canio.

Big Sam raised us from a club in Championship disarray to comfortable Premier League status over four years. Bilic and his team hope to achieve a similar level of elevation to top six status, but may well need a similar time frame.

It's worth reminding ourselves that after half-an-hour on Sunday we had held Arsenal goalless but picked up three key bookings along the way. It's hard to imagine that we would have emerged with very much if we had gone down to ten men?

Patience folks, we are on an ascending curve. Last Sunday was a notable peak, but the central tendency is one of slow but sustained growth.

A top half finish this season would be more than acceptable, and let the increased income from the final Boleyn season (yes, prices have gotten awful expensive!) and increased capacity of the OS drive a push for a squad that is truly Champions League in quality and depth.

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Bilic: Reece Oxford reminds me of a young Rio Ferdinand
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has told the BBC that Reece Oxford reminds him of former team mate Rio Ferdinand. Bilic played alongside the now former England international when he was emerging through the ranks at the Boleyn Gournd in the mid 1990s. And 20 years on, West Ham manager told BBC's Football Focus says the 16-year-old Oxford is the closest thing he's seen to Ferdinand since those days. The full interview may be seen on Football Focus on BBC1, Saturday lunchtime.

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Allardyce: Europe a step too far
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce believes that West Ham will struggle to qualify for Europe this season - despite last weekend's breathtaking start to the campaign. Slaven Bilic's new-look West Ham got their Premier League campaign off to the perfect start at the Emirates last weekend with a 2-0 win over London rivals Arsenal. However Allardyce maintains that Bilic and his squad will still have their work cut out to emulate his team's qualification - albeit via the fair play table. "If David Sullivan and David Gold have told Slaven Bilic that they expect to get into Europe this year then I think it's way beyond the capabilities of the squad at this moment in time," he told Bein Sports. "I told them that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they didn't renew my contract in the end. "

Allardyce, who remains out of work also admitted that he had fallen out with his employers towards the end of his tenure due to their changing demands."I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them," he complained. "West Ham was a case of building a broken football club back up again. [Achieving promotion] was the biggest job I had done in one season. "Ultimately, my biggest problem was finishing tenth in the first year; I would have been much better off finishing fourth from bottom."

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Slaven Bilic's vision sold Angelo Ogbonna on West Ham move
Last Updated: 14/08/15 11:20am
SSN

Angelo Ogbonna admits Slaven Bilic's vision for West Ham was what sold him on a move there from Champions League finalists Juventus. The Italian international was the second eight-figure signing of the summer at Upton Park after Dimitri Payet when he moved to England last month. Leaving the team which has won the last four Serie A titles for a side which was 12th in the Premier League last term might be seen by some as a surprise move by Ogbonna. The 27-year-old admits Bilic's words convinced him his future lay in London, however, and he is relishing the chance to play regularly after being in and out of Juventus' first XI last term. Now Ogbonna is looking to build on last week's impressive win over Arsenal and he said: "I talked with the manager and he explained to me what he wants to do with this club.
"The manager sold me the story and I feel it is better for my career to come to West Ham now. I know I will play now and I don't think about last year. I have to think about this year. "I am very happy but it (the Arsenal win) was only the first match so we are looking forward and not just thinking about what we did in the first match. "We knew it was a difficult game but there are a lot of difficult games so we have to concentrate on the next game and take things step by step." Ogbonna's team-mate Reece Oxford was praised for his display against Arsenal last week and the defender admits he is learning from the 16-year-old as much as he is taking tips from others.
He added: "It's not just me giving him my experience but also our experience together. He helps me and I help him. "We are only one group and we follow what our coach teaches us and maybe, step by step, everything will be good for us. It's a pleasure to play with someone as young as him. "He's a very quiet boy and I'm very proud of him because he understands everybody and wants to learn everything. He wants to learn all the tactics and methods. I'm very happy for him."

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Slaven Bilic vows to restore West Ham's famous 'Football Academy' to its former glory
0 COMMENTS22:30, 14 AUGUST 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Hammers churned out homegrown heroes including Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard and boss is optimistic a new breed of stars is on the way
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic hopes Reece Oxford will be the first of a new batch of West Ham wonderkids. The Hammers lived up to their Academy of Football nickname in the 1990s when the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick came through the ranks. Bilic remembers those days well having been a player at the club at the time and a team-mate of Lampard and Ferdinand as they started out. The Upton Park boss gave 16-year-old Oxford his Premier League debut in West Ham's 2-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday. "In all of the best teams over the last 20 to 30 years, the core of the team were homegrown players, plus four or five foreigners were really top class and who added quality," said Bilic. "You can't buy that, you can't beat that harmony when it happens. "Nowadays in football, it's very hard to do that as you want instant success. "But West Ham have to make a balance. West Ham was always known for producing really good players.
"In the last 15 to 20 years maybe the best academy in England, if you take Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and many, many more. "We will try to do it again. "We have a few very good youngsters, not only Reece, a few more. We have to be careful with them. "Of course, some of them will go on loan, some of them we will keep. And if the possibility occurs, we will give them a chance."

The spotlight has been on defender Oxford since his starring role at Arsenal last week but Bilic wants to keep a lid on the hype as the Hammers prepare for Saturday's home match against Leicester. He said: "He's just normal. He's just the same Reece Oxford. I haven't known him for ages so I can't notice some changes but I think it's more us that are thinking about it rather than him. "But it would be best for ­everyone to stop talking about Reece Oxford. For him definitely and also for us at the football club, to concentrate not just on Oxford but on all the players."

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West Ham unimpressed with Sam Allardyce over claim they were 'ungrateful' not to give him new deal
0 COMMENTS22:07, 14 AUGUST 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Big Sam claimed that he did "everything they asked for and wanted more" and believes that he warranted a new contract at Upton Park
The Mirror

West Ham are unimpressed at Sam Allardyce's claim that they are "ungrateful" for not giving him a new contract. It is understood that the club feel that they backed him substantially in the transfer market during his time at Upton Park and gave him every chance to earn a prolonged stay. Big Sam, succeeded by Slaven Bilic, led the Irons back into the Premier League three years ago. He left, however, at the end of last season when his deal expired. Speaking to beIN Sports this week he said: "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more. I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them. 'The West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do! "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them.

David Gold and the Hammers were not happy with Allardyce's claims. "They thought we could get into Europe [West Ham did play for Europe via the Fair Play table] and thought they might be able to get to a cup final. That wasn't in the format of the job description when I started. "I don't take kindly to people who don't appreciate what you do for them."

Allardyce sealed his own fate with the club's poor run of form under him during the second half of the campaign, a period during which he managed to win just three League games after Boxing Day. There was also frustration that £15.7million striker Andy Carroll was unavailable for much of the last two years. The Hammers turned down the chance to bring in cheaper strikers such as Wilfried Bony, who has since impressed for Swansea and been sold to Manchester City, because of Big Sam's faith in Carroll.

Striker Modibo Maiga, who cost £6million, managed six goals in 42 appearances and has twice been loaned out while £8.5million Matt Jarvis and £5.5million Kevin Nolan are surplus to requirements. West Ham received far better for money once they took a more hands-on role regarding transfers last summer. Left-back Aaron Cresswell, brought in for £3.5million from Ipswich, has since been coveted by Chelsea and Manchester City. Striker Diafra Sakho, not initially wanted by Allardyce, cost an initial £2.5million and scored in eight of his first ten matches with a total of 12 goals in an injury-affected season. And free transfer Mauro Zarate, frozen out by Allardyce last season, is back in the fold and has returned to form with goals in each of his last two games, the latest against Arsenal last weekend.

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Transfer news: Bilic nails the Irons striker dilemma
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News
C AND H

Earlier today Slaven Bilic spoke of the difficulties of signing strikers . It was a timely intervention in the debate – or perhaps more accurately – a chorus of disapproval that has been doing the rounds on social media. Among the many songs being sung are two which are so familiar they hardly need putting into words: " The f…ing board wants to get its so and so finger out " and "give him what he f…ing wants."

If only life was so simple and thankfully the manager has a more realistic attitude and better understanding of the way things work.
He's been quoted today as saying it's not easy, that it's frustrating even for clubs that have no limit whatsoever budget-wise – ESPECIALLY with front men.

If you don't believe him take a look at Manchester United who are being baulked at every turn in their striker search – just one major reason why we can't prise Javier Hernandez away.

Beyond that there are personal terms to settle, last minute overnight changes of mind as was the case with Raul Jimenez, clubs holding out on fees, agents' commissions and late bids from rival clubs. Then there re hidden issues of which the public never become aware such as injury and fitness problems – it can be one dilemma on top of another.

Accusing a board of not getting their fingers out is just silly and leaves the impression that for reasons which are never made clear, the board don't want to do business. Slav has a talent for putting his finger on key issues at the right time. Yes it's annoying and frustrating amd social media is like the old public bars where we can all let loose with a volley of abuse if we want.

Sadly it won't make one iota of difference ( although it may make us feel better). The best way forward I politely suggest is to exercise a little patience. After all there's still over two weeks to go until the window closes and we all know the real business is done at the end anyway.

Oh yes, you MAY NOW GO TO BED!

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EXCLUSIVE: Irons dismiss links to Turkish striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Reports that Turkish goal ace Burak Yilmaz is lined up for a move to West Ham are well wide of the mark.

Claims coming out of Turkey tonight suggest the deal is all but done – which is surprising news to the West Ham power brokers!

The 30-year-old remains at the centre of rumours claiming the Hammers are set to complete a deal at between £9-10 million.

But ClaretandHugh was told exclusively: "That's all news to us!

"We know about the player, but the chances of him joining us are no more than 10 per cent!"

Turkish media had claimed the striker was set to sign a three-year deal worth around £48,000-a-week.

But that is way wide of the mark, according to senior executives at the Boleyn.

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EXCLUSIVE: Zarate making a big impression on Bilic
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Mauro Zarate's rebirth at West Ham looks to have secured his future under Slaven Bilic. The Argentine striker looked set to leave Upton Park at the end of last season, but despite a troubled period in London he has found an admirer in the new manager. And a well placed West Ham source told ClaretandHugh: "Everybody is delighted for him after the events of last season when it looked as though he would be on his way. "His loan to Queens Park Rangers was not easy for him when there was all the publicity about his fitness doing the rounds."

He was even have fined two weeks' wages for throwing a tantrum before the game against Liverpool after storming out after failing to make the matchday squad at Anfield and returned to the capital on his own The Upton Park hierarchy, however, are delighted at the way he has settled down under the new manager who has given him plenty of match time and been rewarded with two goals in five appearances – including the opener in the League game at Arsenal. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively: "Mauro has worked so hard in pre-season and made a great start in European games and last weekend. The manager is very pleased and the player's future looks more and more secure."

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EXCLUSIVE: Fans vent fury over Allardyce outburst
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

So the cat is out of the bag and now we really know what Sam Allardyce thinks about our team – and the club's owners.And, surprise, surprise, the results have gone down like a lead balloon with Irons fans! Since we published the news that Big Sam had broken his silence on his Irons departure, ClaretandHugh readers have been telling us what they think of our former manager.

And the stark reality is they're not impressed!

Fan comments

Here's a sample reaction to Allardyce's outburst from infuriated Hammers fans:

oldiron: "Really, what did he expect, 3 wins between Christmas and the seasons end, god he is pathetic if that is a criteria to keep your job. Go away Sam we don't want to listen to you, you are only making yourself look pathetic . Go and find a team to manage and leave West Ham alone, we will be fine. The more you go on and the more people look at your last 4 months of management you will be lucky to get a job. Be gone and be silent."

rugbyirons: "I've changed my mind. Keep talking Allardyce. The more you say the more you can be seen for what you were. Pathetic."

RayStewartsRightPeg: "Apparently the Natural History musuem is making space for when the bones of the newly discovered Egosaurus is dug up – although they do suspect it'll lack a backbone."

essexclarets: "West Ham being ungrateful? Really? They paid him £3m a year and dared to ask for the team to win…. he knew that he wasn't going to stay for a long long time. No sh*t Sherlock! Watching the crap dished up since last xmas you could see he didn't give a toss anymore."

Michael Miller: "It just reinforces what I always thought of BFS – a nasty bit of work, no class, out of touch, self-obsessed, egotistical, hypocritical, – I could go on…"

HamburgHammer: "Hard to find a more self-promoting, egotistical, deluded, arrogant and bitter manager out there. Things are never his fault, it's always other people or circumstances. Why did he leave Bolton ? Well, he told us because that club didn't match his ambition. So now his latest club had ambition, but failed to put that in his job description apparently and didn't buy Messi for him to achieve that ambition.
Last year we were reminded by those defending and supporting Allardyce that we should be grateful for him helping to stabilise our club.
Which I did in the end despite me still feeling very relieved he's gone. After reading all that stuff even my sense of gratitude stats to dissolve.
No matter what happens at our club, even after leaving our club Allardyce will continue to linger: If we do well this season, it'll all be because of his fantastic groundwork he did in the last four years, leaving Bilic such a brilliant team.
If things don't go so well, it'll be because Allardyce is no longer with us."

RayStewartsRightPeg: "I get tired of him banging on about he got promoted as asked. Actually, despite arguably the best squad in the Championship and one of the best transfer budgets, he only managed to luckily scrape through via the Play Offs. Look at the two managers who did better than him in the Championship that sacked – both sacked within months in the PL, one now out of work and the other plying his talents in League 1. Lets not even mention Holloway and Blackpool. I bet none of that is included on his CV!"

essexclarets: "If he wants to see someone who is ungrateful, he should look in a mirror. He was paid £12 million in the 4 years he was manager, what did he really think paying him that amount of money was for..? We were the worst team in the PL since xmas last season & only because we had a 4 game winning run the year before that we didn't get relegated then."

As you can imagine, there's a lot more vitriol from where these came from. So please take a look at the comments section of our news and whispers articles.

And remember, if you've got a view on Allardyce, or anything else to do with West Ham, please share it with the Claretand Hugh community.

We'd love to know what you think.

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EXCLUSIVE: Bilic gives green light to new Song deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic has told the club's owners to pursue the Alex Song deal. ClaretandHugh has reported that the club had been keen to get the defensive midfielder on board since before former Croatia boss, Bilic, arrived in east London. Some fans believed these ambitions may have changed due to Slav's arrival – but we have learned Bilic is an admirer of the Barcelona player and would love to include him in his plans for the new season. A highly placed Hammers source confirmed that the club are monitoring the player's rehab programme since he underwent an ankle operation. He told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "The plan would be to bring him in ahead of the window closing. "He may not be ready for anything up to six weeks after that, but better that than have to wait until the January window. Slaven is an admirer of the player and is happy for the deal to go ahead."

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West Ham won't allow Reece Oxford to get big-headed, says Slaven Bilic after teenage wonderkid's dream debut
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:29, 14 August 2015 | UPDATED: 22:29, 14 August 2015

Slaven Bilic has told wonderkid Reece Oxford he will not tolerate any arrogance following the 16-year-old's league debut. The midfielder excelled as he started last weekend's 2-0 win at Arsenal, underlining his status as one of the country's best talents. However, Bilic has urged his youngster to stay grounded or face the consequences. 'If he goes a little bit down or big-headed then you have to react, of course,' said the Croat. 'I think that in every situation where suddenly something happens it changes the daily routine of the player.
'It doesn't matter if he's 20 or 30. It can happen to any person and we just have to be aware to monitor that sort of situation.'
Meanwhile, Angelo Ogbonna has revealed Bilic sold him on his vision for West Ham. The Italian defender picked up two Serie A titles during his time with Juventus but said he had been lured to east London with the promise of regular first-team football. 'The manager sold me the story and I feel it is better for my career to come to West Ham now,' he said. 'I know I will play now and I don't think about last year.'

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Report: West Ham once again interested in Carlos Vela, despite £21m release clause
HITC
Mathew Nash

The Hammers are on the look out for a forward and the Mexican appears to be back on the radar. West Ham's pursuit of a striker in recent weeks has certainly been a major topic of discussion. With Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia both out with injury the club are short in the attacking department. Up to now the players linked with West Ham have been those not wanted by their current clubs. The likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Alvaro Negredo and Raul Jimenez spring to mind. Now they are once again being linked with a move for former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela. Vela now plays for David Moyes' Real Sociedad outfit in Spain and has a release clause of £21 million, as reported by The Mirror. The Mexican has been linked with a move to the club by Shoot and the Brentwood Gazette this week as West Ham continue their pursuit for a new striker. It certainly appears odd to see this story rocking up now. West Ham are certainly not likely to meet Vela's massive release clause anytime soon. In fact, it is just over a month since it was heavily reported that Vela had rejected the opportunity to head back to London with West Ham, as reported by The Express. So West Ham fans would do well to pay little attention to talk of Vela's imminent arrival.

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Sam Allardyce: West Ham owners were 'ungrateful'
Last Updated: 14/08/15 11:32am
SSN

Sam Allardyce has launched a scathing attack on West Ham's owners, branding them "ungrateful". The former Hammers boss does not believe the club will qualify for Europe this season and admits his lack of faith in the squad may have ended his chances of getting a new contract. Allardyce, who left in the summer after four years in charge at Upton Park, believes he did everything that co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold had demanded. He said: "The 'West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do. "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them. "They thought we could get into and thought they might be able to get to a cup final, and that wasn't in the format of the job description when I started.
"I don't take kindly to people who don't appreciate what you do for them."

The 60-year-old, who is taking a break from management, told beIN Sports: "We both decided to part company in quite an amicable way in the end, but I certainly wasn't going to stay, in my mind, for a long, long time. "If David Sullivan and David Gold have told Slaven Bilic that they expect to get into Europe this year then I think it's way beyond the capabilities of the squad at this moment in time. "I told them that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they didn't renew my contract in the end? "Ultimately, my biggest problem was finishing 10th in the first year [back in the Premier League] - I would have been much better off finishing fourth from bottom."

Allardyce was replaced by former Hammers player Slaven Bilic, who began his Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win at Arsenal last Sunday.
Bilic's side are at home to Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City on Saturday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Ungrateful" West Ham slammed by Sam Allardyce as he lifts lid on his Hammers reign
22:30, 13 August 2015
By Adrian Kajumba
"'The West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do! I did everything they asked for and they wanted more" says ex-boss
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has branded West Ham's owners "ungrateful". He has also dismissed his former employers' chances of qualifying for Europe this season but admits his own lack of faith in the squad may have dashed his chances of getting a new Hammers contract.

Allardyce, 60, has lifted the lid on his summer exit after four seasons in charge at Upton Park, telling beIN Sports: "'The West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do! "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them. "They thought we could get into Europe [West Ham DID play in Europe this season but only after winning a place in the first qualifying round of the Europa League via the Fair Play Table] and thought they might be able to get to a cup final, and that wasn't in the format of the job description when I started. "I don't take kindly to people who don't appreciate what you do for them. "We both decided to part company in quite an amicable way in the end, but I certainly wasn't going to stay, in my mind, for a long, long time. "If [West Ham co-owners] David Sullivan and David Gold have told [new manager] Slaven Bilic that they expect to get into Europe this year then I think it's way beyond the capabilities of the squad at this moment in time. "I told them that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they didn't renew my contract in the end? "West Ham was a case of building a broken football club back up again. [Getting West Ham promoted] was the biggest job I had done in one season. "Ultimately, my biggest problem was finishing tenth in the first year [back in the Premier League] — I would have been much better off finishing fourth from bottom!"

Allardyce's West Ham reign has left him convinced the days of managers ruling a club from top to bottom are over. He added: "A manager today is fast becoming something owners don't want. They [owners] are in charge of the football club and want to see it flourish and the days of the manager being the almighty, dominant power like they used to be are long, long gone and you must build a relationship and understand."

Meanwhile, Bilic has confirmed midfielder Morgan Amalfitano HAS been axed from the first team-fold after a pre-season bust-up with him — as we exclusively revealed on Tuesday. Bilic said: "My first job is to protect the team. To keep the team as a unit, in the best possible way. If I feel that someone is damaging it in a way, I have to react. I had to do it, to keep the harmony, to keep everything in place."
Striker Diafra Sakho remains in contention to face Leicester on Saturday, despite his recent arrest on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend.

* WEST HAM and Charlton have made their moves as the race for in-demand Dagenham & Redbridge starlet Jodi Jones hots up. The Hammers are understood to have tabled a £250,000 bid for the 17-year-old forward. Championship Charlton have offered £100,000 plus defender Ayo Obileye, who has already spent last season as a teammate of Jones' on loan with the League Two club. Almost 50 scouts attended the Daggers' pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace to watch Jones in action. Charlton's second-tier rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Reading were among the clubs represented and both want to take Jones on trial.

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Daily WHUFC News - West Ham v Leicester City

Preview - Leicester City
WHUFC.com

Background

West Ham United get their home slate of Barclays Premier League matches
underway on Saturday with the visit of Leicester City.

The 3pm kick-off is an early-season top of the table clash, with Leicester's
4-2 victory over Sunderland last weekend leaving them second in the
embryonic table. West Ham are fourth after defeating Arsenal 2-0.

The Foxes are in their second season back in the top flight, after
completing a remarkable escape last season with a fine run of form,
kick-started by their 2-1 victory over the Hammers in April.

Since then Leicester have changed managers, with former Chelsea boss Claudio
Ranieri the man now in the King Power Stadium hotseat.

Last year's top performer Esteban Cambiasso has left the Club, but the likes
of Mainz striker Shinji Okazaki, Stoke defender Robert Huth and Caen
midfielder N'Golo Kante have all signed up over the summer.

The history

West Ham and Leicester have met on 123 occasions in competitive action, the
Hammers winning 51 and losing 43 of those matches.

Leicester's victory over West Ham in April was their first in eight attempts
against West Ham, with the Londoners enjoying the better of the head-to-head
in recent times.

The Hammers have won the last two Boleyn Ground meetings, 2-0 last season
and 3-2 back in October 2011.

The Foxes have spent all of their history – apart from one season – in the
top two divisions, and are now in their fourth stint in the Premier League,
having lifted the Championship title in 2013/14.

Match info

Team news

West Ham United

The Hammers could call upon midfielder Pedro Obiang after the summer signing
returned to training this week following injury.

Carl Jenkinson is also available after being ineligible to face parent club
Arsenal last week, so Slaven Bilic could be tempted to make a change to his
backline.

Joey O'Brien (hamstring), Enner Valencia (leg) and Andy Carroll (knee) are
all out.

Leicester City

Matty James is out with a knee injury, but otherwise Claudio Ranieri has a
fully fit squad to choose from.

Shinji Okazaki was the only one of Leicester's new signings to start last
week so could feature again alongside Jamie Vardy.

Match facts

The Hammers have won seven of their eight home Premier League games against
Leicester, while the Foxes lost all six of their matches in London last
term.
West Ham are looking to win consecutive games in the Premier League for the
first time in 2015.
Leicester City have won 25 points since the start of April 2015, which is
four more than any other Premier League side.
Both West Ham and Leicester are looking to win their opening two games of a
Premier League season for the first time since 1997-98.
Tickets, coverage, travel and weather news

Tickets for Saturday's game have sold out. However, they may become
available online as Season Ticket Holders relist.
Saturday is Claret and Blue day, so wear your colours to the game, tweet
your pictures using #ClaretAndBlueDay and look out for our celebrations.
Follow the game with live updates and audio on whufc.com, and get involved
in the conversation on social using #WHULEI
There are no closures on the District and Hammersmith & City lines serving
Upton Park on Saturday. Click here for Tube updates and here for National
Rail.
Sunny intervals are predicted on Saturday with a maximum temperature of 20C
(68F).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Terraces - Ollie Hirst
WHUFC.com

Fan blogger Ollie Hirst looks ahead to Saturday's game...

Not even the most ardent of Hammers fans saw Sunday's result coming - not
least the unfortunate bloke who had the result and scorers tattooed onto his
backside. It had been eight years since we got a result there and what a win
it was. It was the classic away performance; we defended resolutely,
attacked with flair and purpose and ultimately, took our chances.

It was unexpected because Arsenal are one of the title favourites, because
of what happened to us in Europe and perhaps, also because we had a player
younger than the £2 coin holding our midfield together. Reece Oxford was
outstanding, though, as was Dimitri Payet (among others) and the problem now
is that uncertainty soon turns to expectation.

At home to Leicester City, who are many people's pick to be down there come
the end of the season, we will be expected to build on Sunday and win. I
guarantee that when each one of us first looked at this season's fixture
list we all thought: two games, three points.

Now, heading into our clash with the Foxes having already reached that
tally, we're hungry for more and quite rightly, too. In many ways, though,
Leicester will be a tougher test than Arsenal.

The way we set up at the Emirates was designed first to absorb pressure and
only then to punish the hosts whenever the opportunity arose. At home, the
impetus will be on us to attack and perhaps things won't be so compact at
the other end as a result - with Leicester looking to be as devastating as
we were on the break.

They'll be full of confidence, having stunned Sunderland with a 4-2 win at
the King Power which, in all honesty, flattered Dick Advocaat's side and are
clearly still buoyed by the form that kept them up against the odds last
season.

This is not me trying to get my excuses in early or anything - quite the
contrary. I'm still expecting the three points I promised myself upon that
first glance at the fixtures two months ago. But nothing's a given even
after last weekend's success and it will be a different game entirely.

Still, the remit this year is clearly to entertain, especially at home. It's
why we appointed Slaven Bilic ahead of others and why we were quick to make
Payet, who created more chances than any other player in Europe's top
leagues last term, a West Ham player. We will be expected to attack.

Football is as much mental as it is physical and there's no question there's
less pressure involved in a trip to the Emirates than there is in your first
home game of the season against favourable opponents.

But we've plenty of reason to be confident and hopefully the fact we already
got those three points on Sunday will allow the players to be a bit more
relaxed. There's also a bit of a buzz around the place at the minute and
that should translate when the lads emerge from the tunnel on Saturday.

Fingers crossed we'll have Diafra Sakho available and Mauro Zarate is in the
form of his life at present, so we've every reason to believe it'll be six
points from six by the time we tune into Match of the Day.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Speaks - Leicester City
WHUFC.com

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic faced the media ahead of the Hammers'
first Premier League home game of the season against Leicester City this
Saturday. The boss was quizzed on a wide range of subjects, from Diafra
Sakho, Joey Barton, Morgan Amalfitano to the Foxes, Claudio Ranieri and even
Kasabian. Read what he had to say here...

Good morning Slaven, will you continue to play Diafra Sakho, what
conversations have you had with him?

SB: "He is training, we don't feel it at the training ground. He's been here
every day, he played well against Arsenal. He looks happy, he's not worried
and he's available. For all those reasons I'm happy. You have to talk to
Diafra for all other aspects of the situation."

Are you happy to clarify the situation with Morgan Amalfitano?

SB: "I said when I came in to the players that we need to pull together,
work hard, fight for each other. It's my job to keep the squad together, and
keep together as a unit in the best possible way. If I, along with my staff,
feel like someone is detracting from that atmosphere then we have to react.
It was nowhere near what was in the papers, there was no brawling, it was a
conversation between the two of us and I had to do it. He is not part of the
first team anymore."

What exactly happened with Joey Baron, why isn't he a West Ham player?

SB: "We were thinking about Joey, I like him as a player. We had some talks
and ideas about him but we decided in the end not to do it. It wasn't the
best timing. Joey is a great player and a good lad."

Did it have anything to do with the fans' reaction?

SB: "No, it's the manager's decision and if I wanted to sign someone, I
would have done it."

Are you any closer to signing any new players, can you say anything on Rob
Green or Javier Hernandez?

SB: "There's not a lot to say unfortunately, I can only repeat what I said a
few days ago. We are trying to sign one or two players, not five. It is
hard, it's not easy, it can be frustrating when you see other club's that
have absolutely no limit whatsoever budget wise, even they are struggling,
especially to find strikers. "But we are confident we will get one, and even
if we don't we have a good team. Of course we will have to be lucky with
injuries, that's normal."

First home game of the season in the Premier League, is that a special
moment for you?

SB: "Yes, it is a bit special. It's the first home game against Leicester
who had a great first game last week. They got three points, they played
very well. They are on fire, I watched that game twice, they were quick and
aggressive, at set-pieces, everything. "So they are confident, but also we
are confident after a good result last week. We are playing at home, we know
it will be hard, because every Premier League team is hard. But we will try
to win again, of course."

Their new manager, Claudio Ranieri is known as 'the tinkerman', you can
never predict his side, does that make it more difficult for you?

SB: "No, he's a great manager, with a lot of experience and success. That
isn't going to change the way they are playing. They can change 10%, he can
change the formations, he can tell them to wait a little bit or press us
even higher than they did against Sunderland. But he cannot change the DNA
of the players; he cannot change their qualities or weakness, no matter how
much he tinks."

You said Leicester had a good game last weekend, what are you expecting from
them this Saturday?

SB: "They are on fire, they scored four goals, they just continue to play
the way they finished the end of last season. They are very good at
pressing, they react well when they win the ball. They have a good delivery
from both sides and look dangerous from set pieces. You don't have to be
sloppy for them to punish you, but if you are then you have absolutely no
chance against them. We have to be prepared and stop them."

There's been a lot of talk about Reece Oxford this week; do you anticipate
him becoming a regular in the side?

SB: "It's early days, he played against Arsenal, he's only sixteen, no
matter how mature he is. I don't know whether he'll be a regular but he is a
first team squad player, he will have ups and downs and we will protect him
like any other player, we have to be more aware with him."

Claudio Ranieri said he used Kasabian to help motivate the players against
Sunderland, how do you inspire your team?

SB: "It's a good choice, I don't mind that. He brought a lot of energy to
the team last week, if that's to do with Kasabian then I will leave the
training pitch, go to a music shop and buy all their CDs. I leave it to the
players to decide what they listen to."

Any other injury or team news ahead of Saturday?

SB: "No, Pedro Obiang is back with his injury. There is nothing new from the
Arsenal game. Joey O'Brien, who is still injured, will start to train with
the team after the Leicester game. Andy Carroll is longer of course, but he
is also injury free now. He's only not fit because of the long break, but he
will join us very soon. Of course, Valencia you know the situation with him,
he all hope he will be back with us as soon as possible."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
View on the Visitors - Leicester City
WHUFC.com

Leicester Mercury's Chief Football writer Rob Tanner gives us the lowdown on
Saturday's visitors.

Few may have predicted this, but we've got a top of the table clash to enjoy
this Saturday!

"They certainly didn't, but last Saturday was a fantastic start for
Leicester. You have to put it into context by saying Sunderland were
terrible but despite the managerial upheaval over the summer with Nigel
Pearson leaving and Claudio Ranieri coming in, they seem to have picked up
from where they left off.

"They finished last season off with a 5-1 win over QPR and carried it on by
despatching Sunderland last weekend in emphatic fashion."

It's always good to start the season off with a win, what have you made of
Claudio Ranieri so far?

"I've been very impressed with him. It's early days of course but the way he
handles the media and goes about his business is very impressive. The
performance last weekend said it all really.

"He hasn't changed too much; he's recognised that Nigel Pearson had put in
place some solid foundations and a certain way of playing. Particularly in
the last nine games of last season they had a lot of pace, speed and width.
He has tinkered with it a little bit, as you'd expect from 'the Tinkerman'
but only one of the new signings, Shinji Okazaki, started on Saturday."

Who are Leicester's key men this season?

"Riyad Mahrez was outstanding last Saturday. He was playing out wide whereas
Pearson played him just behind the striker in a more central area. He is
very effective when he's got the ball, he likes to run at people and he was
very influential. Marc Albrighton's deliveries from out wide and set pieces
were outstanding. Every time he puts it into the box it looks like they
might score."

Do you expect much more transfer business before the window shuts?

"Oh yes, I'm sure there will be. They'll try and bring in a midfielder
following Esteban Cambiasso's departure. Ranieri has said he wants a
high-profile champion from somewhere around the world. I think there might
be a striker on the way too."

What are your hopes for the season?

"The great escape was very exciting and a fantastic experience but I'm sure
City fans are hoping they won't go through that again. I think Leicester
will finish mid-table, possible even top half if all goes well. Having said
that, the priority is staying in the division, especially with the new TV
deal coming in, Premier League survival is crucial."

This is probably the last time Leicester will come to the Boleyn Ground,
what are your stand out memories?

"To be honest, it's not a particular game, I've covered several teams in the
Midlands and been many times but it's the atmosphere before a game that
sticks in the mind most. When Bubbles comes on, that's unique. A few years
ago I remember covering a Birmingham City game, and the bus driver scraped
the bus against the railings, much to the delight of the West Ham fans!"

What is your prediction for Saturday's score?

"West Ham played unbelievably well against Arsenal last week so it'll be
tough but I'm going for a draw, 1-1."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Merson's Predictions.
SSN

West Ham v Leicester (Saturday, 3pm)

A top of the table clash! Both these sides had phenomenal results at the
weekend, but I worry for West Ham in this one. Did West Ham get it right the
other day or were Arsenal poor? Leicester have bundles of pace... West Ham
are going to have to bomb on at home, and the visitors are going to pick
them off. People have been sceptical of Claudio Ranieri's arrival, but they
have some very good footballers at the club already. He is not attempting to
build them from nothing.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

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Preview: if we're sloppy, Leicester will punish us
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 13, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Leicester will arrive at Upton Park full of confidence after an "on fire"
performance against Sunderland last weekend.

Boss Slaven Bilic watched their 4-2 victory over Sunderland and believes
the Hammers have the firepower to derail the Foxes at the Boleyn. He said:
"They are confident, but also we are confident after a good result last
week.

"We are playing at home, we know it will be hard, because every Premier
League team is hard. But we will try to win again, of course."

Describing Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri as a great manager, Bilic added: "He
has a lot of experience and success. That isn't going to change the way they
are playing.

"They can change 10%, he can change the formations, he can tell them to wait
a little bit or press us even higher than they did against Sunderland. But
he cannot change the DNA of the players; he cannot change their qualities or
weakness, no matter how much he tinkers.

"They are on fire, they scored four goals, they just continue to play the
way they finished the end of last season. They are very good at pressing,
they react well when they win the ball.

"They have a good delivery from both sides and look dangerous from set
pieces. You don't have to be sloppy for them to punish you, but if you are
then you have absolutely no chance against them. We have to be prepared and
stop them."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match preview: Tomkins set to be the odd man out
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 13, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham look all set to make just one change to the team that beat Arsenal
last Sunday, when Slaven Bilic's outfit face an in-form Leicester City at
the Boleyn on Saturday. Carl Jenkinson is all set to make his first
appearance of the season and James Tomkins – who was impressive at right
back last week – looks likely to be the player who'll start proceedings on
the bench. That means 16-year-old Reece Oxford will make his second Premier
League appearance, with the previously injured Pedro Obiang joining the
squad.

Likely team: Adrian; Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Kouyate,
Oxford; Payet, Zarate, Sakho.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Leicester City
KO 15:00
14 August 2015
Last updated at 12:49

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 15 August

TEAM NEWS

West Ham defender Carl Jenkinson is available to face Leicester after being
ineligible to play against parent club Arsenal last weekend.
Pedro Obiang could make his league debut but Joey O'Brien, Andy Carroll and
Enner Valencia remain sidelined.
Leicester's Matty James is out with a knee injury but otherwise Claudio
Ranieri has a fully fit squad.vForward Jamie Vardy is expected to start
despite being fined by the club for making an alleged racial slur.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Jonathan Pearce: "Both clubs are looking to win their opening two games of a
Premier League season for the first time since 1997-98 but there was a major
difference in the manner of their victories last weekend. "West Ham were
happy to let Arsenal have the ball but always looked capable of keeping a
clean sheet. Leicester allowed Sunderland to boss possession but looked far
more susceptible at the back.
"The Hammers have won seven of their last eight home Premier League games
against Leicester, who haven't won in 20 top-flight visits to London. "So
I'll go for a home win in a thriller."
Twitter: @jpearcefootball

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic on Claudio Ranieri's reputation: "He's
a great manager, with a lot of experience and success. They can change 10%,
he can change the formations but he cannot change the DNA of the players, he
cannot change their qualities or weakness, no matter how much he tinkers."
"He brought a lot of energy to the team last week - if that's to do with
Kasabian then I will leave the training pitch, go to a music shop and buy
all their CDs."
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri: "Every match is different. The
manager must choose the best solution to help his players. I hope I choose
the best plan. More important than a killer instinct for my players is
concentration. I've shown them the mistakes and they'll get better. "West
Ham had a fantastic result and performance against Arsenal. They were
outstanding. It'll be an open game. West Ham can win and Leicester can win."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

These two teams both got great results over the opening weekend but it is
Leicester I fancy to pick up another one on Saturday. The Foxes have a lot
of pace and energy in wide areas and, if they keep on playing this attacking
style they used against Sunderland, they will win a lot more games than they
lose. West Ham were brilliant when they beat Arsenal but I am going for a
shock result against them here.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
West Ham have won seven of their last eight Premier League home games
against Leicester City.
The Foxes lost all six of their Premier League games last season played in
London.
Both West Ham and Leicester are looking to win their opening two games of a
Premier League season for the first time since 1997-98.

West Ham United
West Ham are looking to win successive Premier League games for the first
time in 2015.
Reece Oxford, aged 16 years and 236 days, became the seventh youngest
Premier League debutant last weekend, and the second youngest player to
start in the division (after Jose Baxter for Everton).
Oxford completed 20 of his 21 attempted passes against Arsenal for a
match-high completion rate of 95%.
No Premier League player is currently on a longer run of starts for one side
than West Ham goalkeeper Adrian, who has played in 57 consecutive Premier
League games.

Leicester City
Leicester City have won 25 points since the start of April 2015, which is
four more than any other Premier League side.
The Foxes have won eight of their last 10 Premier League fixtures - one more
than they managed in their previous 55 top-flight games.
Jamie Vardy has scored five goals and provided four assists in his last 11
league appearances.
Claudio Ranieri has lost three of his last four Premier League games as a
manager against West Ham.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Leicester preview: Slaven Bilic's Upton Park return
Last Updated: 14/08/15 4:50pm
SSN

Eighteen years after leaving West Ham as a player, Slaven Bilic returns to
Upton Park for his first home league game in charge of the Hammers. After
his Premier League tenure got off to a flying start with an impressive – and
rare – away victory at Arsenal, Bilic's side now host Leicester, who made
their own eye-catching start to life under a new manager on the opening
weekend. Claudio Ranieri's side won 4-2 against Sunderland, with winger
Riyad Mahrez on the scoresheet twice, to extend a sensational run which has
seen Leicester win seven of their last 10 games in the Premier League going
back to last season. However, the Foxes' Premier League run in the capital
is rather more infamous - their winless run in London stretches to 20
matches. Striker Diafra Sakho is under consideration for West Ham despite
his arrest last week, according to Bilic. On-loan right-back Carl Jenkinson
returns to the squad after being ineligible to play against his parent club
Arsenal, with Pedro Obiang also fit to make his debut if called upon.
However, forwards Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia (both knee) remain
sidelined, as does defender Joey O'Brien (hamstring). Midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano is not in contention having been made to train with the youth
team following a disagreement with Bilic. For Leicester, Jamie Vardy will be
involved after being handed a 'substantial fine' for his alleged use of
racist language in a casino. Midfielder Matty James remains Leicester's only
absentee due to the knee problem he picked up at the end of last season.

Stats

West Ham have won seven of their previous eight home Premier League games
against Leicester.
Leicester lost all six of their Premier League games last season in London.
Leicester have gone 20 Premier League games without a victory in the capital
(D3 L17).
Both sides are looking to win their opening two games of a Premier League
season for the first time since 1997/98.
Leicester City have won 25 Premier League points since April 1st 2015; four
more than any other side.
Claudio Ranieri has lost three of his last four Premier League games as a
manager versus West Ham.

Merson's prediction

A top of the table clash! Both these sides had phenomenal results at the
weekend, but I worry for West Ham in this one. Did West Ham get it right the
other day or were Arsenal poor?

Leicester have bundles of pace... West Ham are going to have to bomb on at
home, and the visitors are going to pick them off. People have been
sceptical of Claudio Ranieri's arrival, but they have some very good
footballers at the club already. He is not attempting to build them from
nothing.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

West Ham are Sky Bet's 5/4 favourites to Leicester's price of 21/10 as both
sides look to build on impressive opening-day wins. The Hammers were cut to
11/10 for a top-half finish following their Emirates triumph, while their
visitors are out to 100/30 in the relegation betting.

Diafra Sakho is the 11/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting, while
Shinji Okazaki, Leonardo Ulloa and Jamie Vardy as tied at the head of the
market for the Foxes at 13/2 apiece, while Riyad Mahrez is 25/1 for another
brace.

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West Ham United v Leicester City
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: Preview Percy

Last Sunday's season-opener ended an 8-year wait for a win over Arsenal. The
wait for Preview Percy to get a round in on the other hand goes on.......

Next up we have our first home game of the final season at the Boleyn where
we will play host to Leicester City. Kick-off is the traditional 3:00pm on
Saturday, something we will now be seeing more of than we might have
anticipated.

Transport-wise the only problems on the tube are on the end of the Victoria
line nearest to Tottenham so nobody is particularly bothered. Check before
you travel though in case there are any problems somewhere that matters.

It's been a summer of change on the banks of the River Soar. The rather odd
Nigel Pearson was always walking a bit of a tightrope after a second spell
at the club that included his receiving a fine for telling a supporter to
"f*** off and die". Other crimes and misdemeanours included a pitchside
altercation with Palace's James Macarthur that wasn't quite as light-hearted
as Pearson wanted to make out and an exchange with a journo in which Pearson
called the offending scribe an "ostrich". The already fragile relationship
between Pearson and the club's owners was finally stretched beyond breaking
point in the wake of the publicising of a video made by three of the club's
players whilst on a tour to Thailand. The trio – including the manager's son
- were sacked and the club's owners – who were rumoured to have already
sacked and reinstated the manager over the Mcarthurgate affair – issued
Pearson Sr. with his P45, citing "fundamental differences of perspective"
between them and Pearson and stating that the working relationship was "no
longer viable". They stopped short of saying that it had "ceased to be" and
that it was an "ex-working relationship" probably because Monty Python isn't
a major cultural reference point for the club's Thai owners.

After a spell when everyone thought that the job might go to one Allardyce,
S. the surprise announcement was that they had appointed Claudio Ranieri.
This did not go down too well with their celebrity support, who, in a break
during his day job of filming those dreadfully unfunny crisp commercials,
was heard to describe the appointment as "uninspiring". Well if anyone knows
the meaning of that word it should be him.

For all that, Ranieri got off to a decent start and his team arrives in
second place in the league (at the time of writing) courtesy of their 4-2
defeat of Sunderland last weekend. Long-term readers (sufferers, shurely? –
ed) of this column will be aware that we at the Avram Grant Olympic Rest
Home For The Bewildered don't have much truck with this idea of publishing
the league tables after one match. Things used to be better when they used
to publish it for the first time on the second Saturday, by which time
everyone had played three games. It was a bit like the start of a swimming
race when the lead becomes apparent after the start only when the swimmers
surface for the first time after diving in. Still that's the way things are
these days. I expect it's the fault of us supporters – we usually get the
blame.

Anyway it was an odd game at whatever their stadium is called at the moment.
The initial stages saw Schmeichel needing to be alert to make a triple save.
Then someone flicked a switch on the Sunderland team, altering their default
setting from adequate to bloody awful. This enabled the home side to race
into a 3-0 lead by half-time with goals from Vardy and Mahrez (2 – 1 pen).
Sunderland woke up a bit and Defoe pulled one back in the second half only
for Albrighton to restore the 3 goal advantage with an effort that was so
far offside it was embarrassing. Schmeichel then had a Cech moment to allow
Fletcher to make it 4-2 at the end.

Of the goalscorers last week Vardy is an interesting case. He was capped by
England last term, albeit it being one of those "summer caps" given to
players when more established pros find that the groin strains they've been
carrying need to be rested on a beach somewhere warm, with a medicinal
cocktail or two being part of the recuperation process. He's done rather
well for himself since arriving from Fleetwood a couple of years ago and is
one of their better-regarded players. He's currently in a spot of hot water
having been filmed in a casino apparently racially abusing a fellow
customer. The club announced the imposition of a hefty fine and a spot of
"diversity awareness training" whatever that means. Oddly these alternatives
weren't offered to the "Thailand Three", a fact that may or may not be
related to the size of fee that each of the parties might be expected to
fetch on the open market. As Groucho Marx once said – "these are my
principles. If you don't like them, well I have others".

Winger Riyad Mahrez looked a bit lively last weekend. This is the Algerian's
second full season with the Foxes having arrived in the January 2014
transfer window. The work experience kid with the Harry Potter spectacles
informs me that an undisclosed fee was paid to Le Havre for the winger's
services, adding that he started his pro career with a French club by the
name of Quimper. Which sounds like one of those definitions out of Viz's
Rogers Profanisaurus.

Although, as mentioned, Albrighton's goal involved a large assist from the
officials, on a human level it would be hard to begrudge him the moment. His
girlfriend's mum and her partner were amongst the tourists killed in the
recent Tunisian atrocity so it must have been a rough summer for the lad.
Something to bear in mind the next time you see the word "tragedy" used in a
football context by some lazy journo. And if you see me use it feel free to
chastise me very roughly.

In the window just gone the most high profile departure was that of Esteban
Cambiasso. He spent last season on a one year deal but left despite
reportedly being offered a new deal in the summer. He's gone to Olympiakos
where, given the state of the Greek economy, one hopes that he's managed to
get his salary paid up front. Also released was Matthew Upson who has gone
to Milton Keynes Dons who presumably think that they've signed Scott Parker.
Paul Konchesky has also gone, this time on loan to QPR where he's been
charged with helping repair the wreckage caused by the previous manager,
whoever that was.

Through the in-door has arrived Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki. Okazaki has
been capped over 90 times by the Japanese national side, scoring 43 goals in
the process. The work experience kid with the Harry Potter spectacles tells
me that this makes him the third highest goalscorer in Japanese
international football history, and top amongst those players still actually
playing. Okazaki came in for a reported fee of £7m from German outfit Mainz
for whom he scored 28 league goals over the course of his two seasons there.
He started last week on the bench against Sunderland.

Another new boy who started on the bench last week was midfielder N'Golo
Kante. Kante was a £5.7m capture from French outfit Caen, who he helped to
promotion to the top flight of French football in the 2013/14 season. He's
yet to be capped by either the country of his birth (France) or the country
of his forefathers (Mali), though qualification for a French passport means
that all that pesky work permit stuff was easily dispensed with.

They dipped into the Bundesliga again to bring in Christian Fuchs who came
in from our chums over at Schalke this summer. Fuchs had spent four years in
Gelsenkirchen before departing on a free this summer. The left-back has over
60 caps for Austria and managed 17 minutes of pitch time at the weekend
replacing Mahrez for the closing stages. Your correspondent would also like
some sort of acknowledgement that he has managed to write nearly 100 words
on this player without once resorting to any sort of wordplay involving his
surname.

And so to us. Who saw that one coming then? A win over there is always
sweet, obviously. To do it in decent style, which we did, made it even
sweeter. To put it simply the tactics worked like a dream. The last time I
saw a West Ham side win a match on tactics was probably the 3-0 at Spurs
when their back four couldn't cope with not having anyone to mark. In fact
if you go back to the stadium now you'll probably find Arsenal's midfield
still passing the ball across the pitch. A quick word about young Mr Oxford:
Superb. However, there were fine performances all over the pitch, of course.
So much so that the home support were even quieter than normal. I know it's
hard to be quieter than silent but if it is possible for sound meters to
register negative amounts then that's what they would have been doing on
Sunday. The aural equivalent of a black hole. I suppose it's too much to
hope that last week's Irritating Celebrity Supporter Of The Week will
disappear permanently, but England winning the Ashes without his mate
Pietersen and his team being outplayed by us will hopefully keep him quiet
for a while anyway.

It is understood that Pedro Obiang will be close to availability for this
match after his muscle problem, which would leave just near namesake
O'Brien, Carroll and Valencia in the treatment room. There may be an issue
with Amalfitano however, who blotted his copybook by missing a team meeting
and has allegedly been sent to train with the kids (though if there are any
more back there like Oxford that might be viewed as a promotion rather than
a punishment).

Another in hot water this week has been Sakho, with whom Tower Hamlets plod
had a word in his shell-like over a matter described as a "domestic issue".
Plod don't want to see him again until September so he will be ok for this
one.

One player who won't be about will be Joey Barton. There has been a load of
rubbish written about the collapse of this signing, with many sources citing
supporter unrest as the principal reason for the deal not being completed.
In fact, my spies suggest that the deal floundered on the thorny issue of
pay, specifically the method of payment. The club favoured a pay as you play
type of deal with Barton's salary being largely dependent on first XI
appearances. Barton, allegedly, wasn't happy with this proposed arrangement
and, with no assurances forthcoming that he would ever make a minimum number
of appearances the parties shook hands and went their separate ways. My own
view was that the player was wrong for the team from a football point of
view anyway whatever you think of him as a person (and for the record I am
most definitely NOT a fan of him personally).

Prediction? Well we have two teams that haven't had the joys of early season
victory knocked out of them by the passage of time so we could be in for a
cracker. As well as they played in spells last week though it should be
remembered that the win did come against Sunderland. There again it could be
said that ours was only against Arsenal I suppose. However, despite that, I
think we'll win so I shall be taking the £2.50 that came from the Avram
Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered's collection to chip in to buy
Chelsea a club doctor who doesn't hold with all that "Hippocratic Oath"
nonsense along to Winstones The Turf Accountant and placing the whole darn
lot on a 2-1 win for us.

Enjoy the game!

When last we met at the Boleyn: Won 2-0 (December 2014) Goals from Carroll
and Downing were enough to seal all three points before the post-Christmas
slump set in. One of the many of our matches refereed by Martin Atkinson
last season.

Referee: Anthony Taylor – To say he's prone to errors is a bit like saying
that Arsene Wenger is prone to myopia. Only in charge because someone forgot
to press the button marked "Martin Atkinson".

Danger Man: Riyad Mahrez Looked on the ball last week and can also turn
provider for Vardy.

Irritating Celebrity Supporter Of The Week: Gary Lineker. Celeb supporters
of Leicester City are a bit thin on the ground if truth be told. However,
their highest profile champion is, thankfully, genuinely irritating thus
ensuring the continuation of this new feature for another week at least. The
crisp salesman has a daft pseudo-satanic beard and, if rumour is to be
believed, is not without the odd skeleton in his cupboard either.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com




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