Daily WHUFC News - 24th September 2015

Carroll's pleased to be back
WHUFC.com

West Ham United may have exited the Capital One Cup at the third round stage
on Tuesday night, but one positive was the sight of Andy Carroll starting a
game again. The striker made his first appearance from the off since
injuring his knee in February and played over an hour as Slaven Bilic's men
were defeated 2-1 by Leicester City for the second time this season. While
Carroll was naturally disappointed with the end result, he was pleased to
take another big step forward in his return to the fold. "Obviously we're
disappointed with the result, but to get 60 minutes under my belt was good,"
he explained. "I didn't get on against Manchester City and only had two
minutes against Newcastle, so an hour is good and I feel fantastic. "I felt
good before I went out there. I've been training well and trying to get as
fit as I can. I've been raring to start and was itching to get on last week
as well, so it was pleasing to start at Leicester."

Having watched from the sidelines as the Hammers scored 13 goals in their
opening six Barclays Premier League games, Carroll is thrilled to be joining
such a talented attacking unit. He continued: "We're a great team at the
minute and the lads are playing well. They've got some great results apart
from on Tuesday and as an attacking force they've been fantastic. It's good
to be a part of it. "I've been looking forward since the start of the season
to be back and now I am. "That's what I've wanted and what I've worked hard
for. So now I'm trying to get in the starting eleven and stay there."

As for the defeat to Leicester, Carroll admitted he thought the momentum was
with the Hammers when they brought it back to 1-1 through Mauro Zarate. He
added: "When it went to 1-1, I think all the lads felt we'd go on to win it,
especially with the way we've been playing. "They got at us after half time
and we were on the back foot for a lot of the second half. We did try to
counter attack and had a couple of chances, but at the end of the day they
scored a great header at the end of extra time and we're out. "The Premier
League is the most important thing. Obviously we didn't go to Leicester to
get beaten, but we've just got to focus on the Premier League and make sure
we carry on from the Man City game."

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The Big Interview - James Collins
WHUFC.com

James Collins was disappointed that his first start of the season ended in
defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday. The centre back was happy to have his
chance in the starting XI, but was frustrated that the Hammers could not go
on to make progress after cancelling out Joe Dodoo's opener. As it was, Andy
King scored in extra time to seal it for Leicester, leaving Collins to look
forward to his next opportunity.

James, back in the starting line-up on Tuesday but a defeat in the end. What
was your view of the game?

JC: "We're disappointed to lose. I thought we played alright in patches.
We're disappointed with the goals obviously and it was one of those games
that could have gone either way. Unfortunately it's gone for them."

You've had to wait for your chance to start and it must be difficult because
the people who have been in have done well…

JC: "It's the same as any club, if you get in the team and you play well
you're going to keep the shirt. I'm experienced enough to know that I'm
going to have to wait for my chance. I got one on Tuesday, but clearly we're
disappointed with the result.

"I'm fit as a fiddle, and I knew I was going to have to keep myself in shape
to be ready when the Gaffer calls upon me. I feel ready and I've got a
couple of games coming up for Wales as well so I'm looking forward to
those."

It's a big season for Wales, isn't it?

JC: "I've got to think about France at the end of the season as I'd be
bitterly disappointed if I missed out on that. It's a long time away yet and
there's a lot of football to be played, so I'll recover from the Leicester
game and go again in training.

"We've got Bosnia away and Andorra at home, so if we don't qualify it will
be our own doing. It's an exciting time, the Welsh team are flying and it's
great to be part of it.

Leicester was a set-back, but is it important we don't dwell on it given how
well we've started the season?

JC: "It's a setback, but as the Gaffer said in there we've done tremendously
well in the league. We performed well in patches on Tuesday, kept the ball
nicely but probably didn't create too many clear cut chances to win it. It
could have gone either way, but they scored a quality goal to win it.

"The goalkeeper was great for us. He was there when he was called upon, he's
paid to make saves and that's what he did on Tuesday."

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New West Ham hero Dimitri Payet has "magic in his boots" gushes Hammers
keeper Adrian
0 COMMENTS 22:30, 23 SEP 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Shot-stopper says France international signed this summer for what already
looks a bargain £10m pulls off passes other players cannot even The Mirror

West Ham keeper Adrian believes Dimitri Payet will push the club back into
European contention insisting: "He has magic in his boots".
Despite the club's exit from the Capital One Cup at Leicester on Tuesday,
the Irons are third in the Premier League having won four of their six games
so far. Those victories have been upset victories away to big guns Arsenal,
Liverpool and Manchester City, plus a home success against Newcastle. France
international playmaker Payet has been inspirational since his £10million
arrival from Marseille this summer. The 28-year-old was the most creative
player in Europe's top five leagues last season, and Adrian, whose team host
Norwich on Saturday, said: "He's spectacular."He has magic in his boots and
has incredible quality. He pulls off passes that no one even sees in the
first place." Payet has admitted even he is surprised at the flying start
that his new club have made. "I might have been a little sceptical if you
told me where we'd be, but we've shown that our position has not happened by
chance," he told the club website. "We continue to take points, that's the
important thing." West Ham became the first team this season not only to
beat City in the league but the only Prem opponents so far to score against
Manuel Pellegrini's men. Payet added: "I wouldn't necessarily say we're
winning away with ease, but it's true that we've got a defensive unit that's
tough to budge. "We've sprung a few surprises - we've beaten City, so people
are beginning to speak a lot more about us. Naturally, victories bring
confidence."

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Carlton puts fun before finances at Celtic
Posted by Hammers Newshound on September 23, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Pictures have emerged today of the 31 year old former Hammers on a week's
trial with Celtic. However not all Celtic fans are happy with the addition
of Carlton Cole as a potential signing.

One Celtic fan called Marc Moore wrote on twitter "I'm sick of Celtic
targeting washed up has-beens out for a final pay day generally. Nothing
personal against Carlton Cole." Another wrote "Ian Wright was a disaster as
was Ljunberg, but Dion Dublin was a cult hero. As for Carlton Cole I know we
can do better."

But Celtic manager Ronny Deila insists Carlton Cole is not interested in the
money and is putting football and fun first above a final pay day.

Deila was quoted in the Irish Mirror as saying "Carlton Cole's not at
Celtic for the money – he's putting fun before finances. The wage structure
here is not a surprise to him. Every agent knows about our structure and its
limits. It says a lot about him. He has earned his money and it's not as if
he would earn nothing here – the money is quite okay. However, it shows he
wants to enjoy the last years of his career in football. He's a lovely guy
and at his age you start to think the bank account doesn't always make you
happy.When you don't have money you think it's the only thing in the world.
Then, when you have it, you realise it doesn't make you happy. Money gives
you freedom – and he now has the freedom to come here and play for less
money, but to have more fun"

"He's watching us and we're watching him to see if it is a good match or
not. He's a lovely guy and you can see he's a good player. He will be here
at least this week and although we haven't set a deadline we won't let it go
a long, long time.

"If he goes for it, the contract should be beyond the summer"

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Furious Bilic in Noble outburst
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 23, 2015 in News
C and H

Outraged Slaven Bilic has slammed referee Peter Bankes decision to book Mark
Noble for 'diving' when he should have been awarded a penalty in last night'
Capital One Cup clash as "nonsense."
The 2-1 defeat was singularly harsh on hero Adrian who had made top class
saves throught the 120 minutes bur things could have been so different had
Bankes been to Specsavers! Bilic was furious that Noble was booked for
simulation in extra time when he was cleaned out by Leicester's defender
Danny Simpson in the box. The West Ham manager growled: "I have not seen a
replay, but I don't need to see any replays to know it was a penalty. It was
a crucial moment of the game. "It's a cup tie, it's 1-1 in extra time, it
was a good move and he gets booked for that…it makes no sense to me. "We
are very disappointed, because we approached this competition with the aim
of going a long way."

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Sullivan gives reasons for defeat
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 23, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Sullivan has already put the Leicester City defeat behind him
declaring: "We move on." And he clearly has some sympathy for the squad who
whilst being second best for most of the 120 minutes gave the match their
all last night Now we return to the League programme with Sullivan
describing the match against Norwich as "our next Cup Final." The Canaries
will be without Matt Jarvis as part of the terms of his loan deal and are
currently sitting in 11th place with two wins, two draws and two defeats.
The will certainly be no pushovers but with tired legs recovered it's
certainly a game the irons would hope and expect to win. Sullivan told
ClaretandHugh: " Sadly we probably lost last night's game at Man City, there
were a lot of tired legs and/or minds, a lot of passes fell short and we
didn't do enough running. It's disappointing, but we move on. Saturday
becomes our next Cup Final."

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Gold sends a message after defeat
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 23, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has told the Hammers team they have to bounce back against
Norwich this weekend. The Irons looked jaded after last weekend's mammoth
effort against Manchester City but for long periods found themselves
subjected to the same sort of pressure at Leicester City. The full backs,
Carl Jenkinson and Aaron Cresswell again experienced dodgy games which
remains something of a worry but the team were denied a clear penalty in
extra time and instead saw captain Mark Noble yellow carded. But in truth
the Foxes were value for their second win over us this season and a clearly
disappointed Gold was quick to send a message to the team and fans. The
co-chairman tweeted his feelings to the fans and team declaring:"
Disappointed with the result at Leicester tonight but more disappointed for
our travelling fans, we must bounce back against Norwich. dg" Leicester had
taken the lead but we equalised via a deflected Mauro Zarate effort which
took the game into extra time but with four minutes left Andy King finally
beat the heroic Hammers stopper Adriabn who had made a series of fantastic
saves.

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Slav looks at the positives
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 23, 2015 in News
C and H

Slaven Bilic has given his in depth assessment of the Capital One Cup clash
as we move on to Norwixh at the weekend. The manager said:"It was a very
open game. To be fair they started well and were better than us in the first
20 minutes. We weren't aggressive enough and were second best and they
scored a goal very early. "Then we started playing a bit better and from the
20th minute until the end of the 90 minutes, we were good. We created but
unfortunately we didn't score. Then, in extra time, they created the chances
and we were a little bit tired.
"They could have scored earlier because of a couple of mistakes, and Adrian
made a couple of really good saves." He was pleased to see Andy Carroll make
his first team return adding: "That was really good to see, Andy coming back
from injury and starting the game after a long, long injury."

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Irons success message reaches Spain!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 23, 2015 in News
C and H

Adrian is spreading the Hammers message far and wide and has told the
Spanish Press: We aren't where we aree because of luck." Had it not been for
early defeats to Leicester and Bournemouth, West Ham could be topping the
table at this early stage but the keeper doesn't believe we are getting the
recognition we deserve. Speaking to Spanish daily newspaper Marca, he said:
"We're not third by chance or by luck. We're third because we deserve to be
and because we're doing well. " We won at Arsenal, Liverpool and now City.
We're a team that will always fight. "I think when we saw the schedule we
thought 'what did we do!?' "I don't think any team has ever won three
Premier League games in a row like that. We have to stay focused and improve
at home because we've lost two games. If we'd have won them, we'd be even
higher."

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West Ham United fan Katherine Alder questions whether or not Mark Noble is
the right choice as successor to Kevin Nolan as captain
Guardian Series

It's hard for me to remember a West Ham team without our current longest
serving player, Mark Noble. Love him or loathe him, he's a local boy done
good and is obviously very loyal to the club – a Hammers fan through and
through. But does this mean he should have been handed the captaincy when
Kevin Nolan left? I'm not so sure.

Personally, I believed Winston Reid was the best candidate for the club
captain role. He will be ever-present this season (touch wood) and has great
authority over the back four. Reid was absolutely immense in leading the
back line against Manchester City, earning plaudits for his solid
performance. He felt like our captain in that game. He's not unfamiliar to
the role, currently wearing the armband when he plays for New Zealand. I'm
not saying Noble is a bad candidate for the position by any means, but with
the depth of squad we have now, I wouldn't be so sure that he will be
playing every game. When Alex Song is back to full fitness, Slaven Bilic is
going to have a job on his hands to choose his optimum midfield. Song was
sensational at times last season and has the flicks, tricks and pinpoint
passes that made him a firm fan favourite early on. I can't see him staying
out of the team, and the competition for midfield places is fierce.

And so we come to my dilemma - how can you be made club captain if you could
be watching the games from the bench? How do you exude authority and keep
the rest of the team in check? You can't. Another potential issue for me is
that sometimes, Nobes seems to care too much, which could get him in trouble
if the passion bubbles over. That said, watching him pull Carl Jenkinson to
his feet on Saturday to keep the amount of injury time down was ace! Sure,
Mark Noble will be a great ambassador for the club at charity events and in
other off the field duties like giving updates for the new stadium. But if
he won't be ever-present on the pitch, I don't think he should be captain.
It seems to me that Bilic has made a decision with his heart rather than his
head.

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