Daily WHUFC News - 8th October 2015

From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

It is never easy against a team in the Premier League to go two goals down away from home, especially when they are struggling at the bottom and still get something from the game. So in that respect it was very satisfying to come away with a point against Sunderland. Of course we were all disappointed that we could not make the extra man count in the second half and go on to win the game, but I know that Slaven tried everything he could to help the team come away with a victory. I know he would have been disappointed with the early goals that we conceded and they were both individual mistakes that could have been avoided. There have been a few of those already this season and surely this will have to stop at some point and once it is sorted out, I am convinced we will win a lot more games. I was pleased to see Carl Jenkinson get his first goal for the Club and I'm sure all the fans who travelled up to the Stadium of Light would have been impressed once again with the performance by Manuel Lanzini. I know he is nicknamed 'The Jewell' and to say he is a gem is very appropriate at the moment! He has incredible skills, but has a lot more to his game as well. He can tackle, pass the ball and has already shown that he can score goals. We have an option on him at the end of the season and you need to see him over the whole year and see someone perform at this level on a consistent basis. But if he keeps putting in the displays that we are seeing at the moment, then the manager will keep picking him.

I said before the Sunderland game that we would have a much clearer reflection of how the team has fared when everyone in the league has played eight games – four at home and four away.
We are now sixth in the table and are ahead of other London Clubs like Tottenham so I'm sure the supporters will be extremely happy with how we have started the season. We have played three of the top teams in the top flight away from home and come away with three victories and our away form has been sensational. We are still unbeaten on our travels. We obviously need to improve our home form and I'm sure we will get things right at the Boleyn Ground.

I have said it before but these are exciting times for the football Club and when you look at our squad and see we have got the likes of Enner Valencia, Alex Song and Angelo Ogbonna to come back into the side, we are only going to get stronger in the coming weeks. These are serious players who will challenge for a starting place in the first-team. I am thrilled that the Club were able to announce that fans favourite Adrian has signed a new contract to stay with us. We are showing that we want to keep our best players and he is an exceptional goalkeeper.
He has a love for the game and is desperate to win. He shows so much passion and has a good grasp of English. The relationship he has with the Hammers fans is very special. How can we ever forget his winning penalty against Everton in the FA Cup last season? He would probably get into any other European national team, but Spain are blessed with quality keepers. However, if he keeps performing the way he has so far this season, he stands every chance of getting a late call-up for the Euro Finals.

I would like to finish by saying how saddened I was by the tragic airplane crash that took place at the weekend before the Sunderland game. We knew the pilot and it is very painful. Our hearts go out to their families and friends and we send our condolences to everyone at the LEA.

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Collins ready to make history
WHUFC.com

James Collins is hoping to be a part of history this week when Wales bid to end their 58-year wait for an appearance at a major championship. Wales last qualified for a tournament in 1958 when they made it to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, but now they are just a point away from putting that unwanted record to bed. With two games to play, they head up Group B of the European Qualifiers, having gone through their first eight games unbeaten and at the cost of just two goals conceded. Now, with an away game at Bosnia-Herzegovina and a Cardiff City Stadium meeting with Andorra to come, Wales stand on the brink of writing a new chapter for themselves. Hammers defender Collins is part of Chris Coleman's squad for the double header and is itching to do his bit – both in the week ahead and in France next summer should his country finish the job. He said: "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 before then. "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."

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Pedro learns the lingo
WHUFC.com

West Ham TV has gone behind the scenes with new signing Pedro Obiang and visited his riverside apartment as he looks to improve his English ahead of a busy first season at the Boleyn Ground. Obiang has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings in east London and has already shown why he arrived with such a big pedigree from Serie A with some outstanding performances at the heart of the Hammers midfield. The 23-year-old was brought up in Madrid and then moved to Genoa when he was just 16 when he signed for Sampdoria. Obiang jumped at the chance to sign for the Hammers during the summer and is now coming to terms with yet another new language, but he is relishing the chance to live in the capital. West Ham TV managed to get exclusive content with Obiang away from the training ground and find out how his English is coming along, just four months after his arrival in England.

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First and Last - James Collins
WHUFC.com

As West Ham United get their final season at the Boleyn Ground underway, we've asked our players for some memorable lasts from their careers and lives, as well as some firsts. James Collins is the latest name to go under the spotlight…

FIRSTS

What was the first car you ever owned?

The first car I owned was a Peugeot 309 Calypso. I would have been 17 at the time so I bought it 15-years ago.

What was the first CD you ever bought?

I have no idea what CD I bought first, but I remember the first tape was Michael Jackson's Bad!

Tell us about your first goal in professional football?

It was for Cardiff City when I played as a striker against Colchester United in November 2001. I remember we drew 1-1 and I scored the first goal. We were 1-0 up until the final few minutes and they equalised right at the death at Ninian Park. I played upfront with Leo Fortune-West.

Who would be the first person you would call up for a pub quiz?

I would be struggling with the squad we have got here now! But I would have to say Joey O'Brien, as he is a very knowledgeable man.

Who would be the first player voted off the X-Factor?

There are a few and it could actually be all of us. I would have to say Mark Noble. He has a go at singing but he is not the best.

LASTS

What was the last concert you went to?

The Irish band The Coronas about three months ago. It was a very good concert.

Which of your team-mates is the last you would want to be stuck in a lift with?

It is going to have be James Tomkins with his breath. You would not want to be stuck in a lift with him for a long time.

Who is the last player you would take fashion advice from?

Again there is a few of them in dressing room I could consider, but I would have to go with Adrian who wears typical Spanish gear.

Tell us about the last goal you scored?

It was against Everton in the FA Cup last season at Goodison Park. We were 1-0 up and should have won it but Lukaku scored late on to take us to a replay and then Adrian scored the winning penalty.

Who is the last out of the dressing room?

Alex Song. We all have seen what he wears so it takes him a while to get into it.

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West Ham Ladies: Stacey Little 'quits' over 'disgusting' treatment
BBC.co.uk

West Ham Ladies captain Stacey Little says she has left the club after being "treated disgustingly". The 28-year-old midfielder claimed on Twitter that she was suspended for "having an opinion as captain" and had decided to leave. However, chairman Stephen Hunt said manager Marc Nurse had deemed Little "surplus to requirements".

Nurse replaced former West Ham defender Julian Dicks as manager of the Women's Premier League South side in July. Little added: "Tonight I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken to be leaving the club I love and have done so much for. "When they say blood, sweat and tears that's exactly what I have given and so much more."

Hunt told BBC Sport: "A meeting was called by the manager for Tuesday evening to announce his decision to release a number of senior players, including Stacey Little, whom he deemed surplus to requirements. "The club is focusing its future on its main players such as Aditi Chauhan, the Indian international, and Giulia Ferrandi from Italy. "We also have a number of new signings being discussed, including players from Women's Super League teams."

Kelley Blanchflower, Lily Mellors, Emma Sherwood, Kerry Stimson and Kayleigh Xidhas are also leaving West Ham. Forward Blanchflower, 22, tweeted: "No words will ever explain what happened today, still in shock". Midfielder Mellors, 23, said: "Clueless clueless clueless people! All I can do is laugh!"

West Ham, who finished sixth in Premier League South - the level below Women's Super League - last season before Dicks took a coaching role with the men's first team, are set to make a further statement on Wednesday. Nurse told the BBC in August that he was aiming to win the division within two years.

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Cole ban stands despite plea of innocence
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

Former West Ham striker Carlton Cole has lost his fight against a two-year driving ban.

Cole, who left West Ham after nine years at the club last May was banned from driving for two years in September after failing to attend court - a decision that was upheld today.

In a fresh hearing this afternoon, his barrister claimed that Cole - who is currently on trial with reigning Scottish Premier League champions Celtic - failed to attend court as he was unaware he had been summoned to appear.

Asam Khan, representing the former England international told City of London Magistrates: "When someone does not know the date they were to turn up, it is in the interests of justice for that person to be given the opportunity for the bench to hear their circumstances.

"One question I asked Mr Cole today was what education he has. Someone who does not have GCSEs would not be as au fait with dealing with letters as someone who has had a university education."

Khan - who insisted that his client has a right to a fair trial under Article Six of the Human Rights Act - claimed Cole had requested that his former representative write to the court to seek an adjournment of the case as he was in the USA at the time of the trial.

Annie Allum, Chair of the bench told Cole: "You pleaded not guilty by post and due to your disorganisation or an inability to deal with your affairs, were unable to attend a hearing.

"There is no denial of notice, but due to disorganisation you didn't follow through. We do not think this gives us significant grounds to set aside or reopen the case."

Cole's latest ban is the third he has received in the last three years. He was also arrested in 2008 after failing a breath test when stopped for driving erratically on the Victoria Embankment at 4am.

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SIX quit in West Ham Ladies manager row
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham Ladies captain Stacey Little and five fellow players have walked out of the club following a row over new manager Mark Nurse. The six first players declared their intention to quit the team via social media tonight after Little revealed she had been suspended in the wake of comments she expressed over the suitability of current manager Nurse to the role. The other five players - Emma Sherwood, Lily Mellors, Kelley Blanchflower, Kayleigh Xidhas and Kerry Stimson - are believed to have announced their intention to join Little in support of the popular captain, who had helped raise the profile of the club in recent months. Announcing her decision to leave West Ham via twitter tonight, Little - who has guested on the KUMB Podcast on two occasions - wrote: "I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken to be leaving the club I love and have done so much for. "When they say blood, sweat and tears, that's exactly what I have given and so much more! I was the proudest captain and would have run through brick walls for my team. It was a very hard decision to make but there's only so much you can take. "I have been driven out of this club by two individuals for having a voice! I can't thank everyone enough for the support you have given me every single week and how you continue to do so tonight. It means so much. "You truly are THE BEST fans in the world and will always be my #westhamfamily."

The joint chairmen of the ladies - brothers Stephen and John Hunt - have promised to release a statement clarifying the situation tomorrow (Wednesday). However a claim on the West Ham Ladies twitter account that suggested Little and her fellow players have been released by the club was dismissed by Little, who countered: "We walked!!! We did not get released!" The players are understood to have turned on Nurse, who replaced Julian Dicks as manager in the summer, after the team's dreadful start to the 2015/16 campaign that saw them lose four of their opening five league matches.

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One million Hammers can't be wrong
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

David Gold insists West Ham United will have one million followers on Twitter within twelve months' time. West Ham's co-owner, who was speaking at the Leaders Sports Business Summit in London this morning made the bold claim in a speech focusing on the club's impending move to Stratford. West Ham's twitter account currently boasts approximately 500,000 followers - a figure Gold believes will be doubled by the time the 2016/17 season commences at the Olympic Stadium, largely as a result of the move. The 79-year-old also insisted that many of the new supporters attending matches at the Olympic Stadium from next season will be female - although his reasoning has already caused something of a stir. "We're right on the edge of a shopping centre," he said. "So we hope that's going to increase the female fanbase." During his speech, Gold also suggested that America's Major League Soccer could overtake the Premier League with regards to wages offered to top players in the near future. "I can see where America could start to pay more money to these players," he said. "I could see it usurping the Premier League."

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A TALE OF TWO MIDFIELDERS!
By S J Chandos 7 Oct 2015 at 10:00
WTID

It has been reported that the club have parted company with French midfielder Morgan Amalfitano by mutual consent. This development has occurred after Amalfitano had a well publicised spat with Slaven Bilic over some internal disciplinary issue(s), the midfielder being relegated to train with the U-21 squad in the interests of 'squad unity.' There had been some hope that a resolution of the situation was possible, when Bilic subsequently named Amalfitano in his 25 player squad for the 2015-16 season.

However, that obviously was not the case and it appears that the club have now reached a financial settlement with the player to leave. These events are something of a surprise when one considers the positive role that Amalfitano played last season, in Sam Allardyce's squad, and the club's subsequent offer of a new two year contract. Nevertheless, this settlement sees Amalfitano leave as a free agent and there will presumably be no shortage of Bosman offers forthcoming as a result. And it does demonstrate that Slaven Bilic has an aspect of iron to his management and appears not to be a coach to be crossed.

Elsewhere, it has been widely reported that former midfielder, Ravel Morrison, has stated his regrets at leaving Man Utd to join West Ham Utd in the 2011 January transfer window. Perhaps, but it ignores the fact that Morrison was effectively off-loaded by Man Utd, a club that had run out of patience with the player's alleged indiscipline. In that sense, the move to West Ham was a new chapter and an opportunity to make a fresh start. An opportunity that Morrison briefly looked like grasping, but ultimately let slip through the advent of a number of widely reported further disciplinary issues.

As a result, Morrison wasted the opportunity offered by West Ham, ended up on a secession of pointless loan moves and ultimately got off-loaded yet again. It does beg the question whether Slaven Bilic could have had more success than Sam Allardyce in getting the best out of Morrison? Perhaps, but the Amalfitano incident shows that Bilic does not mess around on the disciplinary front! Maybe the truth is that Big Sam was probably more patient with the player than Bilic would have been? I guess we will never know now?

Regardless, Morrison is well advised to stop 'racking over the coals' of lost opportunities and concentrate on being a success at Lazio. He has yet another great opportunity and he should ensure that he does not waste this one. Or there will inevitably be a conclusion drawn that there is something of a recurring pattern of indiscipline and wasted talent undermining his promising career.

SJ. Chandos.

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Song return brings dilemma closer
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Well if David Gold is tight there's a big decision looming for Slaven Bilic. The co chairman has been predicting regularly that Alex Song is on his way back and the Chelsea match at the Boleyn on October 24 is his target. Speaking through his Twitter account DG declared: "Alex Song is targeting a return to first-team duties against Chelsea on the 24 October. dg " Many have been awaiting the calm and creative presence of Song in front of the back four as precisely what the team require at this moment. However, it brings with it a big 'but' and that refers to who makes way for the Cameroonian . It's a discussion that has been held on and off since the season started and the prime candidate in many people's mind is the skipper Mark Noble. It's a difficult one for the manager but demonstrated just how far we have come over the summer and the various options that are now available to the manager. Cheik Kouyate looks impossible to drop so that appears to limit to the options down to the captain and one souce said: "The situation looks clear cut when Alex is fully match fit but it's a sign of the new 'rotatable' West Ham this year!

Interesting times ahead

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Spurs & Orient prevented Irons from owning OS
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham Chairman David Gold is speaking on a panel at the Leaders 15 event at Stamford Bridge today. At The Sport Business Summit in London David Gold recalls his earliest memories bunking into Upton Park for free aged 7. 'Karren Brady actually wants me to pay for those tickets.' Gold told delegates. Gold speaking about Olympic Stadium move. Says he was initially against the switch like "80%" of fans. 'We won the bid to purchase it. The government had to reneige on the sale deal and pursue a lease deal.'

Gold blames Spurs & Leyton Orient for preventing West Ham buying the Olympic Stadium outright. 'Issues were raised by Spurs & Barry Hearn.' Gold thinks more women will watch them play at the Olympic Stadium "as it's next door to a shopping centre" Gold also said how great the Olympic stadium is now with retractable seats David Gold believes the club's official twitter account will have 'a million' followers on Twitter in a year's time. He also says 'Way to become a millionaire is become a billionaire then own a football club – you quickly become a millionaire.'

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Former Hammer opens pie & mash shop
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 7, 2015 in News
C and H

Former Hammer Paul Konchesky has opened his own pie-and-mash shop in Brentwood, Essex. Konchesky talked mum Carol into running Konch's Kafe. She has worked in catering for 30 years and agreed to leave the Royal Oak in nearby Stapleford Abbotts to take control in her son's kitchen. West Ham and pie and mash were two threads of East End culture embraced by the Konchesky family when Paul's grandfather settled in London after arriving from Poland during the Second World War. In Konch's Kafe, Paul helps out making the tea and coffee. Adorning the walls are a West Ham No 3 shirt, once worn by the proprietor, a signed sketch of his boyhood hero Julian Dicks, a framed England shirt and a photograph of Konchesky in action with Teddy Sheringham. There are also a pair of boxing gloves signed by Nicky Cook, an old school friend from Dagenham who became a WBO featherweight champion. 'We'll put a few more things up,' said Konchesky. The 34 year is currently playing for QPR but made 112 appearances for West Ham between 2005-2007 scoring two goals.

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Davids back tough guy Slav on pay-off
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 6, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham tonight showed their total support for Hammers boss Slaven Bilic when paying off Morgan Amalfitano's contract and waving the Frenchman goodbye. The Irons board acted quickly this evening to back their boss after Bilic made it clear there was no way back into the club for the player under his management. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively by a high level source: "The club decided to pay him an undisclosed sum which whilst costing them has released cash off the wage bill for deals in the January window." Bilic banished Amalfitano to the Development Squad soon after the squad returned from the summer break after the player had missed a team meeting. Bilic later claimed the player had given him "attitude." With the stand-off continuing between the pair, ClaretandHugh was told: "There was no way back for him. Slaven wanted him out and that was that. He would not back off and the board supported him
"Amalfitano was paid off. There is no other club involved. Slav was not budging on it."

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This Iron's rating is so wrong
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Ok it's the international break and these are relatively slow news days but I can't allow this to pass. Normally I really wouldn't bother to comment on a set of ratings but I was incensed when I opened my eyes and saw this one. The usually vry reliable London24.com has rated the Irons summer signings on their site this morning with, unsurprisingly, Dimi Payet at the top with nine. Fair enough of course. Manuel Lanzini gets an eight, Angelo Ogbonna a five and amazingly, despite not making a Premier League start, Michail Antonio rates one point above him. Not sure what that's all about. Victor Moses gets an eight, Carl Jenkinson a six, Nikicia Jelavic a five and Pedro Obiang a five, all of which seems about right. However, they then hand Darren Randolph – despite three fine games in Adrian's absence a FOUR – justified by the claim that he looked dodgy on numerous occasion. He looked more like a seven to me. Surely there's not many who would argue that the keeper did a fine job in the No 1's absence despite some reservations over the Europa Cup clashes. I know that ratings are a very subjective business but that really does seem ….well, just WRONG!

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West Ham tried to buy Olympic Stadium outright until Tottenham and Leyton Orient forced us to rent, insists David Gold
West Ham agreed a 99-year lease with government to rent Olympic Stadium
Critics have said taxpayers will have to foot running costs at new venue
David Gold insists his side were keen on purchasing stadium outright
By SAM CUNNINGHAM FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 16:22, 7 October 2015 | UPDATED: 16:24, 7 October 2015

David Gold insists that West Ham initially tried to buy the Olympic Stadium outright — and blames Tottenham and Leyton Orient for forcing the government to agree to rent it out instead. West Ham and the government have been widely criticised for negotiating a 99-year lease, with detractors arguing that the taxpayers will foot the majority of the running costs. But West Ham's co-chairman defended his club and argued that they were on the verge of buying the stadium until their rivals Tottenham and Leyton Orient complained. 'It was a difficult process as a lot of people are aware of,' Gold said, at the Leaders in Sport conference. 'When it became available it became available for sale, the idea was with Newham Council we were going to purchase it, we won that bid. 'But because the government wanted to guarantee the stadium for the Rugby World Cup and some athletics, because there were issues raised by other football clubs, Tottenham Hotspur and of course Barry Hearn from Leyton Orient, the government had to renege on a sale deal and pursue a lease deal.' The majority of West Ham supporters were opposed to the move away from their beloved Boleyn Stadium — still fondly known as Upton Park — to the Olympic Park. But Gold is confident they have slowly turned the fans to favour the move. 'Slowly but surely, over the last two, two-and-a-half-years, we've won those fans over, with promising to make the stadium like the home of West Ham,' he added. 'It was very important for the fans, it was important they knew it was their home and not a rented facility. They were worried about the running tracking — a running track around football stadium doesn't work — but we've got retractable seating in. 'The fans were absolutely against, 80 per cent were totally against it, including me to some extent. I'm thinking, "I don't want to leave my beloved Upton Park, it's where my earliest memories are of bunking in to West Ham when no-one was looking, at seven-years-of-age. Karren Brady actually wants me to pay for those tickets.'

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Mark Noble & the curiosity of his England absence
By Seb Stafford-Bloor
Posted on October 7, 2015
swquaka.com

It's a common complaint that England caps are handed out too easily. As the physical requirement of the sport has grown, so has the need for bigger squads and so, with the decline of the traditional "starting XI", has come a determination from international managers to be more broadly aware of their options than ever before. England exemplify this as well as any side. As recently as the 1990s, there was something special about watching a player make his debut. He would leave that set-back substitutes' bench, walk to the side of the Wembley pitch and, as a spectator, it would feel as if you were watching the elevation of a career.

Now, not so much. England selection seems more like a process than ever before, and like something which just happens once a player reaches an arbitrary club appearance landmark. Beyond a certain point, a domestic player featuring in the Premier League will just default to the international level. It's determined by a culture of needing to "find out what someone can do" rather than the product of a genuine merit system. Leave a player in the wilderness for long enough and, through our curiosity and because of our perpetual need to find a solution to a long-standing problem, someone will ask: "What about him – why isn't he given a chance?"

Mark Noble scored two goals in 28 Premier League appearances last season. It's strange then that West Ham's Mark Noble has never ridden that movement, and is still yet to win an international cap. Detractors may scoff and query what the Londoner would really have been able to add to a generation which has boasted, amongst others, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick, Jordan Henderson, Jack Wilshere and Gareth Barry, but beneath that headline talent lies an underbelly of players who are, at best, Noble's equals. Tottenham's Ryan Mason was immediately elevated into Roy Hodgson's squad after half a season of top-flight football, Jack Colback was initially included last year before having to withdraw, Jake Livermore was capped in 2012 and Tom Huddlestone's obvious defensive shortcomings were ignored to indulge his passing range between 2009 and 2012.

It's peculiar. Noble may be a superficially unremarkable footballer, but – having been capped by every England age-group team from the U16s upwards – his repeated omission from the senior squad is a mild anomaly. He's a very rounded player. While not equipped with any outstanding individual attributes, his basic skill package has an obvious value to an international side who have lacked proper balance for the best part of a decade.

Currently, Roy Hodgson appears to prefer a midfield three comprising – when possible – Fabian Delph, Henderson and Wilshere. Statistically, Noble compares very favourably to all of them.
In the 2014/15 Premier League season, he averaged more successful tackles-per-90 minutes than any of those players, and also made more interceptions. Additionally, while often bracketed as a sideways passing, high-percentage midfielder, he made more key passes-per-90 minutes than either Henderson or Delph, whilst still maintaining a superior completion rate to all three.

That sounds like the beginning of something fanciful and the start of a contrary argument which claims that Noble should be starting for England. It's not. But on the basis that the national team have repeatedly struggled to retain possession and control the temperament of games, and because they're without a traditional ball-winner, it's peculiar that Noble – a player who repeatedly scores so highly in those specific areas – hasn't even been given as much as a training session to show that he could have some theoretical international merit.
His club supporters are equally baffled, as West Ham blogger Liam Spencer – from IronViews.com – describes: "All fans believe their team should be given greater international representation for England, and West Ham fans aren't working under the premise that he should be a regular international, but for him not to have a single cap is ridiculous. He was captain of the U21 side, has more Premier League appearances than any other player in our club's history, and is a model of consistency. For him to at least have parity with players like Jack Colback and Jake Livermore – who wouldn't displace Noble in the West Ham starting eleven – is very hard to justify."

It's easy to attribute that to the blurring forces of tribalism, but it's really a fair assessment. Hodgson's coaching style is predicated on organisation and disciplined positioning within the defensive zones. Noble is a stylistic fit for that approach, at least as a secondary or tertiary option, and yet he's repeatedly been slapped away – particularly galling given that, in March against Italy, Hodgson chose to plug Phil Jones into the holding-midfield role in Turin.

A friendly game against an elite opponent in front of an away crowd: that kind of fixture exists for the sake of useful experimentation. Imagine being Noble and watching that game on television – what would you think? It was a borderline form of disrespect and, as such, it's of little wonder that he's contemplating making himself available to Martin O'Neil and the Republic of Ireland. There's no definitive conclusion here. There's no magic answer which explains why, at 28, a seasoned Premier League performer is still kicking his heels in the international wilderness. Maybe he's suffered by association with the sometimes flimsy Upton Park cast? Maybe he's been a victim of the tactical anachronisms that Sam Allardyce surrounded him with? Or maybe his omission is symptomatic of that old, familiar problem which continues to linger around the England side. Maybe Noble has always been too creative a solution to a chemistry problem which is always plastered over with names and reputations? It would be contrary to claim this as a significant reason behind England's repeated failure, because that's just not true. What it does – alarmingly – suggest however, is that there's still an absence of creativity within the England selection process, and there continues to be a reticence towards any solution which isn't safe and obvious.

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West Ham join race for £15m Arsenal target
Posted by Emre Sarigul October 7, 2015
TurkishFootball.com

West Ham have joined the race for Beşiktaş midfielder Oğuzhan Özyakup according to Fanatik. The report claims that the Hammers have joined an ever growing number of clubs keeping close tabs on the Turkish international. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is of course more familiar than most with the 22-year-old having coached him for two-years during his time at Beşiktaş. Bilic maintains close ties with Özyakup but could face competition from another club that knows the midfielder all too well. Arsenal have shown an interest in their former rising star according to Talksport and Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik report that the Gunners have been keeping close tabs on the their former youth player. The Turkish international played a major role in Arsenal's Under-18s side that won the Premier Academy League title in 2009 and made a few appearances in cup competitions for the Gunners before joining Beşiktaş in 2012 for a fee of €500,000.

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Disappointment for West Ham defender Carl Jenkinson as England boss calls up Tottenham man Kyle Walker
HITC
Damien Luca

West Ham United defender Carl Jenkinson, on loan from Arsenal, is not even England's fifth choice right back. That's based on Roy Hodgson's latest decision to call up Tottenham Hotspur right back Kyle Walker to his latest England squad as a replacement for the injured John Stones, as confirmed by the FA's official website. Walker has not played for England since the 1-1 draw in Italy in March and joins Spurs teammate Andros Townsend in earning a recall to the national side. The decision comes as a real slap in the face for Jenkinson who now faces the reality that, in Hodgson's eyes at least, he is not even England's fifth choice right back. That is despite playing a starring role for West Ham all of last season and turning in a man of the match performance at Sunderland on Saturday where he also scored a fine goal. He has represented England Under 17s and Under 21s and earned a senior cap while playing for the Gunners, but Jenkinson was recently demoted back to the Under 21s and finds himself behind Nathaniel Clyne, Walker, Callum Chambers and even centre backs who can also operate at right back like Stones, Chris Smailing and Phil Jones. The decision is made all the more difficult to take for Jenkinson as England have already qualified for the Euro 2016 tournament in France after winning all eight of their matches so far and take on Estonia and Lithuania in dead rubber games. But while many might see it as the perfect time to experiment and give players like Jenkinson – who was clocked as the fastest player in the Premier League last season – a chance to show what they can do, Hodgson clearly has his favourite clubs. It will not come as a shock in East London, though. Players, staff and fans at West Ham are long since used to the fact Hodgson seemingly does not pick West Ham players for the national side. West Ham and England have always enjoyed a special relationship. Indeed whenever England play away matches, West Ham fans have historically made up a large section of the support. Hammers fans' patience has been well and truly tested by Hodgson, though, who since taking over has been reluctant to include players plying their trade in the famous claret and blue. The 68-year-old has been in charge since 2012 and since that time has only ever called up two players from West Ham - Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing. He has again ignored West Ham's core of Englishmen this season with not a single call-up between them despite Slaven Bilic's side impressing everyone with their fantastic start to the season that sees them sitting in sixth place after eight games.

Why Jenkinson has been ignored by England since making his debut is something of a mystery and must surely be making the player regret choosing to represent the Three Lions over Finland, the country of his mother. He is a classy defender who gets up and down like a wing-back and offers superb supply to the strikers from the flank and playing week in, week out. And it is not as if Jenkinson has been loaned out by Arsenal because Arsene Wenger does not rate him. The club offered him a new long-term deal which he signed before rejoining the Hammers on loan for a second season. But it looks like he and his Hammers teammates still have it all to do to prove to the England boss they can cut it at international level.

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I'm not trouble, just misunderstood, insists Ravel Morrison as former Manchester United youngster admits Sir Alex Ferguson gave him too many chances
Ravel Morrison is looking to rebuild his career with Serie A side Lazio
Morrison has bad boy reputation but wants people to focus on his game
The midfielder admits Manchester United gave him a number of chances
Morrison left Old Trafford for West Ham before leaving for Italy
By ELLIOTT BRETLAND FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:20, 7 October 2015 | UPDATED: 07:20, 7 October 2015

Ravel Morrison admits Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United gave him too many chances but insists he is not trouble. The midfielder, who came through the ranks at Old Trafford, has developed a 'bad boy' reputation but, now attempting to rebuild his career in Italy with Lazio, claims he is simply misunderstood. Speaking to The Sun, the 22-year-old said: 'I'm not trouble. I'm just misunderstood. When people think of my name, they think, "He's young and trouble". That is what's labelled over my name - trouble.' Morrison, yet to start for the Lazio first-team, was convicted of intimidating two witnesses of a knife-point mugging at the age of 17 but is desperate for people to let him move on from his troubled past and focus on his football. 'I truly regret what I did but people won't let me move on. They don't talk about my football but focus on my past problems.' Morrison, who failed to make the grade with Manchester United before leaving the Red Devils for West Ham in 2012, admits he was handed plenty of chances by his first club. Asked if United let him leave too soon, Morrison admitted: 'No, I have to be honest about this. Manchester United and Alex Ferguson gave me too many chances. I don't think they would have given any other player the amount of opportunities they gave me. I can only blame myself and not look for excuses. The former England Under 21 international conceded he was not focused and dedicated enough to break into the first-team and said: 'A lot of the things I did wrong at United was silly stuff. It wasn't because I was involved in robberies. 'It was more messing about playing computer games and hanging out too much with my friends when I should have been more dedicated to training.'

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West Ham hero Paolo di Canio slams Chelsea trio after horror start
London 24
07:44 07 October 2015 Jack Green

Former West Ham striker Paolo di Canio has given his verdict on Chelsea's poor start to the season. 7 The Blues have failed to hit the heights they reached in their title-winning 2014/15 campaign, with four losses already this season from just eight games. Jose Mourinho's side were beaten at home by Southampton at the weekend, leaving them 16th in the table with eight points. Several of the club's most high-profile players have struggled with attacking stars like Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas all below par up to this point. But it is at the back that the Blues have looked truly out of sorts, and Di Cano believes it is not going to get any better for the likes of John Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic. "Terry and Cahill are done as players. Ivanovic seems stunned," Di Canio told Italian radio station Sports Radio 24. "I can not remember a decline as rapid as that of Chelsea under Mourinho. They play like a team in the relegation zone."

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Ravel Morrison claims Rene Meulensteen urged him to snub West Ham, regrets decision
HITC
Olly Dawes

Ravel Morrison claims Rene Meulensteen tried to convince him to reject a move to West Ham. Ravel Morrison has told The Sun that if he had the chance again, he would reject West Ham in order to stay at Manchester United. Morrison, 22, is currently playing in Italy with Lazio after a controversial time in England, with a move abroad seen as the way for him to rebuild his career. Whilst the playmaker was highly rated at Manchester United, a spate of off-field problems curtailed his career at Old Trafford, despite being tipped for stardom. In January 2012, after just three appearances for United, Morrison decided that his time under Sir Alex Ferguson was up, and he made the move to West Ham United. The Hammers were in the Championship at the time, and Morrison made just one appearance as Sam Allardyce guided the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking - and whilst Morrison impressed in the top flight at the start of the 2013-14 season, his great form eventually fizzled out, leading to that move to Lazio this summer. Now though, Morrison has admitted to The Sun that then-Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen urged him not to leave United for Upton Park, as he wouldn't be able to make it back to the level of United again - and admitted that if he could relive the scenario again, he wouldn't have signed for West Ham at all. "I remember my coach, Rene Meulensteen, trying to advise me not to leave when West Ham came in for me," said Morrison. "He said, 'If you leave the club, it'll be hard to get back'. But I was young and wanted to play football." "I would have done things differently if I was in that situation now. But it's done now and there's no going back. All I can do is look forward," he added. Morrison's time in Italy hasn't been a roaring success so far, and many assume that he will end up back in English football at some point soon - though it's unlikely to be with Manchester United or West Ham.

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Manager reveals why he snubbed West Ham star Dimitri Payet
London 24
08:56 07 October 2015 Jack Green

France manager Didier Deschamps says his options in the attacking positions led him to drop Dimitri Payet. 1 West Ham playmaker Payet has been in stunning form in his first season in English football. ADVERTISING The Frenchman has set the Premier League alight with four goals and three assists in his first eight games, leading the Hammers to an impressive sixth place in the table. Payet has 15 France caps to his name, but when his national team's most recent squad was announced his name was left off the list. Les Bleus manager Deschamps hopes Payet's form continues, but he says the strength of options in his squad meant the West Ham man had to be left out. "He scored last weekend, good, hope he continues," he said in a press conference. But there are also others who have scored and they are here. "At the moment, in the attacking sector of the pitch, I have a choice." While Payet is not in the squad, there was room for other players from London clubs. Arsenal's Olivier Giroud, Crystal Palace's Yohan Cabaye, Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Chelsea's Kurt Zouma were all selected.

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