Daily WHUFC News - 21st November 2015

Preview - Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com

The background

West Ham United resume their Barclays Premier League campaign following the
international break on Sunday when they make the short trip to Tottenham
Hotspur.

The London derby represents an opportunity for Slaven Bilic's men to get
back to winning ways after a defeat to Watford and a draw against Everton in
their last two matches.

The Hammers sit a lofty sixth in the table after the first 12 matches of the
season, a place behind Sunday's opponents, who like West Ham have 21 points.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are undefeated since the opening day of the
campaign, winning five and drawing six of their subsequent matches.

They drew 1-1 with Arsenal last time out, but won the two matches before –
5-1 at Bournemouth and 3-1 against Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.

With a UEFA Europa League campaign also on their radar, Spurs will be
looking to make progress on a number of fronts this season.

Important information for supporters travelling to the game

With enhanced security checks taking place in and around the stadium on
Snnday, supporters are urged to arrive earlier than usual to allow
sufficient time to clear security – security will not be reduced in the
event that queues form

Please try to avoid bringing bags with you and be extra vigilant and alert
staff to anything unusual.

Tottenham Hotspur ask for your patience and understanding in this matter and
thank you in advance for your co-operation.

The history

The Hammers and Tottenham have met on 201 occasions in their history, with
that first meeting coming back in 1898 when West Ham were still Thames
Ironworks.

That ended as a 3-0 win for Spurs and it is the north Londoners who have the
advantage in the head-to-head record, having won 90 times to West Ham's 60.

However, the Hammers have enjoyed a good run of results at Spurs' White Hart
Lane ground in recent years, winning 3-0 in the league and 2-1 in the
Capital One Cup in the 2012/13 season, before drawing 2-2 there last term.

Senegalese duo Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho looked to have given the
visitors all three points, but late goals from Danny Rose and Harry Kane
pegged Sam Allardyce's men back and ensured the points would be shared.

The match

Team news

West Ham United

Diafra Sakho (thigh), Alex Song (ankle) and Pedro Obiang (thigh) have all
recovered from their injuries and are available for selection for the trip
to White Hart Lane.

However, Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia are both out after suffering ankle
injuries in the Hammers' last outing against Everton.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs forward Heung-Min Son could make his first start for the north
Londoners in almost two months, coming in for the suspended Erik Lamela.

Andros Townsend may return for the hosts, but Nabil Bentaleb and Nacer
Chadli are out.

Match info

Sunday's referee in Manchester's Anthony Taylor, who has dished out 54
yellow and one red – to West Ham's Adrian – cards in 14 matches this season.
He will be assisted by Simon Long and Andy Garratt, with Roger East as the
fourth official.
West Ham have only lost once to Tottenham in their last five meetings (W3
D1).
There have been three red cards in the last three Premier League meetings
between the clubs.
West Ham are enjoying their best-ever start to a Premier League season, with
21 points from their first 12 games.
They have only lost one of their last nine league games (W5 D3).
The Hammers have scored 12 away goals this season – a tally bettered only by
Arsenal this term.
Andy Carroll has scored in two of his three Premier League appearances for
the Hammers against Tottenham.
Three of Tottenham's last four goals against the Hammers have been scored in
the 90th minute or later.
Tottenham can equal their Premier League record of 12 matches without defeat
on Sunday.
Harry Kane has scored five goals in his last three league matches, after a
run of three in his previous 17.
Coverage, travel, ticketing and other info

Tickets for this match have SOLD OUT.
Hammers fans travelling to the game on Sunday should take note of some
closures on the TfL network. Replacement buses will be running on the
District line between Upminster and Aldgate East, with the Hammersmith &
City line also affected. The London Overground line between Gospel Oak and
Barking is also closed. Full information is available here.
A chilly, but bright day is expected on Sunday. The temperature is only set
to reach 5C (41F) at kick-off.
If you're not heading to the game, make sure you follow all the action on
our digital channels. Our live match centre has audio commentary, live text
updates, in-running stats and all the best photos, while you can get
involved with the conversation on social using #TOTWHU

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Tactically speaking - Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com

Mauricio Pocchetino has opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation in all 12 Barclays
Premier League fixtures played by Tottenham Hotspur this season.

The system sees Spurs play a high-tempo game where they press high,
aggressively and often when out of possession, and pass the ball quickly and
accurately when they have it.

Spurs are a young, energetic team who do not give their opponents a moment's
peace when in possession. They press from the front, with England centre
forward Harry Kane being supported by three attacking midfielders and two
deeper players, who act as a screen in front of the back four.

Defensively, Spurs are very disciplined and will drop into position quickly
and effectively, with both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen being strong
in the air and quick across the ground.

The two deep-lying midfielders Eric Dier and Dele Alli receive decent
support from Mousa Dembele, who drops in when Tottenham do not have the
ball.

When they have the ball, Tottenham pass out from the back, with both
deep-lying centre midfielders receiving the ball, either from centre-halves
or directly from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Both the France captain and Belgian
centre-backs Alderweireld and Vertonghen are comfortable with the ball at
their feet and can distribute accurately over any distance.

Dier, who has successful converted from a defender to a central midfielder
this season, is most likely to drop deep to receive the ball, albeit facing
his own goal.

Alongside him, fellow England new boy Alli has been a revelation as an
all-action central midfield player. The former MK Dons man can tackle and
pass and has an exemplary work-rate.

Going forward, Alli and Dembele both have the ability to bring the ball
forward through the heart of the pitch, pulling opposition players out of
position and creating space for their teammates.

Spurs' front four are talented and versatile. Christian Eriksen is
Tottenham's chief creator, coming in off the left and linking with his
teammates with little give-and-goes and through balls. He is also a threat
with his delivery from set piece situations.

With Kane also preferring to drift out to the left and cut in on his
stronger right foot, Spurs are statistically more likely to attack down that
side of the pitch than anywhere else.

On the right, the left-footed Erik Lamela is suspended. Pochettino will have
to decide who to bring in, with Belgian Nacer Chadli, South Korean Son
Hueng-min and England winger Andros Townsend among the candidates.

Whoever plays, the wide midfielders have a tendency to drift inside,
creating space for Tottenham's attacking full-backs Kyle Walker and Danny
Rose to advance into.

Spurs are also not afraid to go long when the situation demands, with the
left-footed Vertonghen hitting accurate balls in the direction of Harry
Kane. The England striker is comfortable receiving the ball to feet, or to
his chest, allowing him to bring midfield runners into play.

Possible team: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Alli,
Son, Dembele, Eriksen, Kane

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Dicks - Slaven settled in straight away
WHUFC.com

Julian Dicks has fond memories of playing at White Hart Lane and hopes to be
celebrating another famous win over London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

The West Ham United coaching assistant was part of the side that came away
with a 1-0 win back in February 1996 when a new Croatian defender called
Slaven Bilic made his debut for the Hammers in north London.

Dicks played his part in the winning goal which was scored by Portuguese
forward Dani and they went on to enjoy a top half finish in the Premier
League.

The big London derby against Spurs is always one of the major highlights for
supporters and Dicks will be hoping for similar celebrations in the away
dressing room when the final whistle blows on Sunday.

Dicks said: "It was a great night for us when we beat them 1-0 and I can
still remember the goal and Slaven making his debut. He played well that
night.

"Danny Williamson played a corner into the box and I volleyed the ball which
Ian Walker could only parry. The rebound hit Dani on the head and the ball
went in.

"As you can imagine we went ballistic because beating Tottenham is always
good, but beating them at White Hart Lane is even better.

"I didn't know anything about Slaven when he first arrived. He trained for a
few days and wasn't anything special !! I am only joking. He fitted in
straight away and you could see his quality.

"It helped that he could speak English. Back then we had a laugh and a joke
in training and he settled in straight away. We had some great characters in
the dressing room at the time and that is what got us through a lot of
games. We had a good team spirit and if you watch the old clips we
pressurised people.

"We were fit enough to do that and that is how the goal came about. We kept
pressurising and that is what led to Dean Austin giving the ball away for a
corner and the goal came from that. We had some good players and it was a
special night.

"You should not have to lift the players for a game like this. They just
need to listen to what the fans are saying and they are special games. For
West Ham it is a big derby and the players know what it means."

Dicks is hoping the team will show their quality once again having recorded
memorable away wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City this season.

The Club suffered a blow when Dimitri Payet was ruled out for three months
with an ankle injury, but the Hammers coach believes this is the chance for
another player to show the management team they should be playing on a
regular basis.

Dicks added: "Losing Dimitri is a massive blow for us. He has been fantastic
for us but these things happen in football and the players who come in have
to do a job.

"There is positive news with Diafra Sakho and Alex Song back in action
because he has been missing for quite a while. He has been back in training
for the last few weeks so we are getting players back.

"We want to stay in the top six and that is the aim for the coaches and
players. It is important that we keep the players fit."

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

I know all the fans are excited and looking forward to the London derby at
White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Every season this is a big fixture for everyone connected with the Club and
we always have a special game when we play Tottenham.

It is quite clear that we have closed the gap and I know all the fans will
have special memories of our big results over them in the last couple of
years.

We were unlucky when we played Spurs last season, especially the game at
White Hart Lane when we went two goals in front and then conceded a penalty
with the last kick of the game deep into injury time.

It shows how far we have come that we are disappointed not to get anything
from these big games and we go there once again with even more confidence
having recorded such memorable away wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and
Manchester City.

The away victory over Crystal Palace was also a big result for Slaven and
the players because that is not an easy place to go and it shows the quality
we have now got in the squad. We will be hoping for a similar outcome on
Sunday.

We are certainly showing our credentials this season and our job was to
build a squad of players that could compete and make the top four look over
their shoulders.

We are of course saddened by the news that Dimitri Payet will be ruled out
of action for three months and we wish him well in his recovery.

We have talented players who are desperate to get into the squad and I know
we will have another strong line-up and another strong bench for the game
this weekend.

It will not be easy against a Tottenham side who have performed well this
season and have a good squad of players and a good manager. But we got there
full of optimism and confident that we can come away with a positive result.

We have players like Alex Song and Diafra Sakho who are ready to come back
into the squad and that is a big boost for Slaven.

Sakho is an exceptional player and I don't think there is another striker in
the Premier League who covers as much ground as he does. He is not just a
goalscorer and works so hard for the team.

I hope all the fans have a safe trip to Tottenham on Sunday and their
support has been amazing this season. They have exceeded all my
expectations, especially away from home when they have travelled around the
country.

I am sure on Sunday they will be magnificent once again.

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Howes eyeing further successes
WHUFC.com

Highly rated goalkeeper Sam Howes has enjoyed a week to remember, first
celebrating his 18th birthday before playing for the England U19s against
their Dutch counterparts.

Howes put in an assured display in Holland, which saw the Young Lions
recover from a 2-0 deficit to secure a draw thanks to goals from Ryan Ledson
and Tammy Abraham.

Speaking about the positive experience, Howes said: "It was a good test
against Holland, we've played them several times recently and they are
always good games.

"It was a good test for us, one that I think we did well in and passed.

"The team spirit in the squad is really good, it always has been. We know
each other's games inside out and that definitely helps when coming to
playing games. To come back from 2-0 down, away in Holland, is clearly a big
achievement."

Alongside Howes in the England squad was teammate Reece Oxford who made his
U19s' debut in a 5-1 win over Japan.

Looking across the England teams it has clearly been a good time for young
players, from Dele Alli's wonderstrike at Wembley to Duncan Watmore's
heroics in the U21s.

Howes continued to speak of his pride at being part of a new wave of English
talent: "It's very exciting to be involved. There's a lot of talent in the
England youth teams. There are a lot of players doing well in the Premier
League or out on loan in the lower leagues in the U21, U20 and U19 so you
can see the quality.

"In the U19s, there's a lot of talent. And we're being pushed as hard as we
can, it's tough but that's the best way to learn and develop. If we continue
on this path, then hopefully we'll all be successful.

"The whole squad is full of top class players, there's a reason why they are
the best in England and we all jel together well. All the boys are doing
well for their clubs, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets so it's looking
positive for English football really.

"The main difference between club football and international is the
preparation. Obviously, with England you don't get the same amount of time
to prepare, with clubs you can prepare for weeks and even months. Against
Holland, we only had three days to prepare and organise a structure."

Having returned to his beloved Hammers, Howes has gone straight back into
training with the first team at Chadwell Heath.

While the shot-stopper has been involved with the senior side for some time
now, the novelty of training alongside Adrian and Darren Randolph clearly
has not worn off yet.

"It's really good, I'm really enjoying it. To be training regularly with the
likes of Adrian, Daz (Randolph) and Rafa (Spiegel) is fantastic.

"To work with Chris Woods all the time is also fantastic, he's a great
mentor, of course having played for England himself he's a role model and
his advice will benefit me in the long term.

"There are little areas where he has helped me to tighten up my game; I've
definitely improved under him."

Howes' concentration is now fully focused of the U18's encounter with
Norwich City on Saturday 21 November at Little Heath.

The young Hammers have been in superb recently, winning eight of their last
ten games.

Looking ahead to the game with the Canaries, Howes said: "The boys are on a
good run at the moment; hopefully we can string a few results together, the
best is yet to come from us as a team but also individually."

West Ham United U18s host Norwich City U18 at Little Heath on Saturday 21
November. Kick off is 11am, admission is FREE.

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Early bird Manu set for Spurs
WHUFC.com

If West Ham United net an early goal in Sunday's Barclays Premier League
derby at Tottenham Hotspur, the man most likely to score it is Manuel
Lanzini.

The Argentine has form in that department, making a habit of scoring big
goals in the opening minutes of big matches.

Lanzini, after all, is the man who needed just three minutes of his first
Barclays Premier League start to score the opening goal in West Ham United's
stunning 3-0 victory at Liverpool in August, reacting smartly to stab in an
Aaron Cresswell cross-shot.

The 22-year-old certainly hit the ground running that afternoon at Anfield,
just as he did on his debut for the Club against UEFA Europa League rivals
Astra Giurgiu in Romania at the start of August, when he found the net in
the fourth minute.

When it comes to lightning starts, though, he has managed even better. To be
precise, in May 2013, he hit the fastest goal in the history of Argentinian
football's biggest fixture – the 'Superclásico' between Buenos Aires rivals
River Plate and Boca Juniors.

He has the details imprinted in his memory, and they come out one by one:
"At the Bombonera. Forty-three seconds. It was a header."

Lanzini was 20 at the time he struck that historic goal in an eventual 1-1
draw at Boca's stadium and he adds: "It was magical. It was my first
official goal against Boca and to go into the history books in such a big
game is really magical. Scoring the quickest goal in history of the
'Superclásico' at the Bombonera is something you dream about and luckily it
actually happened to me.

"The next year we went back there and won 2-1 and I scored again," he
continues. "There were only Boca fans in the stadium as away fans can't go
to games in Argentina and to witness that silence was lovely."

So, if you are heading to White Hart Lane or planning to watch Sunday's game
on television, make sure you take your seat for kick-off, or else you might
well miss another magical moment from the Hammers' early bird!

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Tottenham V West Ham
KO 16:00
20 November 2015
Last updated at 13:10

Barclays Premier League
Venue: White Hart Lane Date: Sunday, 22 November

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son is set to make his first start in nearly two
months after a foot injury, replacing the suspended Erik Lamela.
Andros Townsend could return but Nabil Bentaleb and Nacer Chadli are out.
West Ham are without long-term absentees Dmitri Payet and Enner Valencia
because of ankle injuries.
However, the Hammers are optimistic that Diafra Sakho and Alex Song will be
fit to play, and Michail Antonio could make his first start for the club.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Ian Dennis: "Both Dele Alli and Eric Dier will be on a high after their fine
midweek displays for England. Alli's man-of-the-match display reminded me of
a young Steven Gerrard. "It has been a good week for Tottenham youngsters
with England as Harry Winks and Shayon Harrison also trained with the senior
squad. "You have to admire Tottenham's stance and Mauricio Pochettino's
attitude - young English talent is certainly not stifled. "They will be
mindful of a West Ham side who have produced some excellent results and are
a real threat on their travels. "However, although Dmitri Payet doesn't
require surgery, his envisaged three-month absence is a major blow."
Twitter: @Iandennisbbc

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino on Andros Townsend's return:
"Andros started training with the group again on Tuesday. "For me, it was a
problem for which he has apologised. He is still young, needs to improve.
For me, forget the past, if he deserves to be in the squad, it is not a
problem.
"We need to forget that and we need to give him the possibility to be part
of the team."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on Dmitri Payet's absence: "Payet is our best
player and our most important player, especially when it comes to scoring
goals, assists or keeping the ball, so we are going to miss him and it is a
big blow for us. "We are not going to play with 10 players but he is
irreplaceable. He is one of those players who make your team better by 10,
20 or 50 per cent. "The others have to step up and do more for us to make us
feel his absence less than huge."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Spurs are playing with real confidence and they don't look like conceding
many goals, which means they don't have to play well to win. Most of the
stand-out Hammers wins have come away from home but I just think Spurs will
have too much nous for them.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Spurs have only beaten West Ham once in their last five attempts in league
and cup (D1, L3).
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last three trips to White Hart Lane in all
competitions (W2, D1).
Three of the last four Spurs goals against the West Ham have been scored in
the 90th minute or later.
There have been three red cards in the last three Premier League meetings
between the clubs.

Tottenham
Spurs can equal their club record of 12 successive Premier League matches
without defeat.
They have not lost since a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on the opening
day.
Tottenham have scored nine goals in their last three matches, having only
managed 11 goals in their opening nine games.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are four points and five places better off than
they were after 12 matches of last season.
Harry Kane has scored five goals in his last three league appearances,
following a run of three in his previous 17 league matches.

West Ham
West Ham are enjoying their best ever start to a Premier League season with
21 points from 12 matches.
They have only lost one of their last nine league games (W5, D3).
West Ham have won all three London derbies so far this season: Arsenal (a),
Crystal Palace (a), Chelsea (h).
The Hammers have scored 12 away goals, a tally only bettered prior to the
weekend by Arsenal.
Andy Carroll has scored in two of his three Premier League appearances for
West Ham against Tottenham.

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West Ham confidence high despite Dimitri Payet absence, says James Tomkins
Last Updated: 20/11/15 11:39am
SSN

James Tomkins believes West Ham can still keep up their scoring form without
Dimitri Payet against Tottenham on Super Sunday. Payet has made an instant
impact since moving to the Premier League, scoring five times so far, but is
ruled out for the trip to White Hart Lane after picking up an ankle injury
against Everton on November 7 that will keep him out for three months, while
Enner Valencia is also out. West Ham have scored 23 times in 12 Premier
League games this term, only failing to score in one match, and Hammers
defender Tomkins believes the squad is strong enough to cope without two of
their key players, citing Manuel Lanzini as another key contributor this
season. "It's unfortunate Enner and Dimi have got injured because they're
two important players for us - they're game changers," he told Sky Sports.
"Manu has done brilliantly for us already this year, and he looks a real
spark on the pitch. He can change the game in a minute - you saw what he did
against Everton, and that's what he does every day in training. "There's
people like him, Mauro [Zarate], and Andy [Carroll] who offers a completely
different threat.

The Payet problem
We look at how much of a blow Dimitri Payet's injury is for West Ham and how
they might replace him. "I still think there are goals in abundance, but
it's a massive loss." West Ham go into Sunday's clash level on points with
Tottenham, only behind Mauricio Pochettino's men on goal difference. After
their victory at Arsenal on the opening day, the Hammers have gone on to win
at Liverpool and Manchester City, and Tomkins is aiming for another big win
away to one of the league's big sides. "That first win gave us the
confidence to go and beat the likes of Liverpool and City. I think it set
the stall out, and the big teams are starting to fear us. "We're still
getting confidence from that. We know we've beaten teams of that stature, so
on our day I think we can beat anyone in the league. It's just a matter of
consistency, really. "When we get the fixtures at the start of the year, I'd
be lying if I said it's (Tottenham) not the first one you look for. They're
big games, and massive for the fans. "With the away wins we've had so far,
to top it off with a win against Spurs, it wouldn't get much better than
that. "Everyone knows, on our day, we can do it, but it's just a matter of
putting it into practice and doing it on the day.
"City was a massive one after the two we'd had before, but I think from the
fans' point of view it would be the best one yet."

See the full interview with James Tomkins on Soccer Saturday, live from 12pm
on Sky Sports News HQ

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West Ham's Enner Valencia facing another four weeks on the sidelines
Last Updated: 20/11/15 11:54am
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says Enner Valencia is facing another four
weeks on the sidelines as his injury problems continue. Valencia has already
missed three months of the season after suffering an ankle injury against
Astra in the Europa League qualifier in July. He returned in October against
Watford but suffered another ankle injury after coming on as a substitute in
the 1-1 draw with Everton prior to the international break. Dimitri Payet
has already been ruled out for three months, although surgery has been ruled
out for the French playmaker, and Bilic admits Valencia now faces another
spell on the sidelines. Bilic said: "We had another blow with Enner
Valencia. We were without him since Astra and he came on against Everton and
was really good. "To be without him again is a massive blow. His injury
looks like four weeks, which is not that long, but long enough."

West Ham have surprised many with their enterprising start to the season and
are in sixth place after only one defeat in their last nine. Speaking ahead
of Sunday's game against Tottenham, which you can see live on Sky Sports,
Bilic is keen to curb expectations, saying: "It's November and December
when things can change around, but we are approaching this period with our
eyes wide open. "We are in a good position, but it's only a start. It's good
to have a good amount of points and you are confident."

Bilic is also without another star man - Dimitri Payet - for the trip to
White Hart Lane but Diafra Sakho returns to the squad this weekend. The
manager said: "You don't have to be West Ham manager to say he is really
important. Dimitri Payet is our best player. "His impact on not only us but
the Premier League is huge. He is very important in terms of scoring goals,
assets or keeping the ball. We are going to miss him. It was simply a very
bad tackle. He is irreplaceable. "That is why he is Payet, he is one of
those players making the team better 50 per cent. It is a question mark to
me to see how we will look without him. "We have a lot of quality players
and the players have to step up and do more for us to feel his absence less
than huge. It is a big blow. It'll be nine, 10 or 12 weeks. I have spoken to
him a few times and he is a very strong character."

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WHO SHOULD REPLACE PAYET?
By Iain Dale 20 Nov 2015 at 10:WTID

So, our midfield maestro won't be with us for three months. Somehow we'll
have to learn to do without him, which is going to be difficult bearing in
mind the number of goals he scores and the number of assists he has to his
name. It's a bitter blow. It will also be a test of Slaven Bilic's
management because it's not obvious how to deal with Payet's absence. Does
he move Lanzini to Payet's position? That would be the most obvious thing to
do, but for a player at the top of his game, might it affect him too much?
Should Alex Song be brought into the starting line-up, thereby giving
Kouyate the opportunity to move forward more, or should Michail Antonio
finally get his chance, either in Payet's position or replacing Lanzini if
he should replace Payet? I don't know if Moses has ever played the Payet
role, but that might also be worth looking at.

So many options, and I suppose that's something to be grateful for, but what
would you do? I think I'd take the risk and bring in Antonio. He must be
chomping at the bit. Let's hope he is a revelation!

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic insists he wouldn't even let his dogs support
Spurs
22:30, 20 NOV 2015
BY IAN BAKER
The Croat hopes his team will be top dogs on Sunday and give Hammers fans
the bragging rights over their London rivals
The Mirror

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says he does not hate Spurs – but joked he would
not even let his dogs support them. The Croat is already a legend at Upton
Park following a career that has seen him star as a player and now manager.
But he insists he will not be placing any particular importance on Sunday's
trip to White Hart Lane, even though he will be checking whether his pet
dogs are still wearing their claret and blue collars. He barked: "I don't
feel any dislike towards Spurs. No. "But they are a London club. It means a
lot to the fans because you have all West Ham fans working with Spurs fans.
"It is a good thing when you win because you can't wait to go to work and
tease them or whatever. If you lose, it's not very pleasant. "In my
apartment, we are all West Ham. I don't think my dogs are Spurs fans, but I
will check it. This morning they looked at me a little bit differently!"

West Ham have not lost in the last three visits to Tottenham. And Bilic, who
made his Hammers playing debut in a 1-0 White Hart Lane win in 1996, added:
"Spurs know we are a club that can harm them. It would not be the first
time. Last year, they got away with a draw. "It was a great game for West
Ham, 2-0 and then 2-2 in the last second. It means more for us, but not just
for the Spurs game. "We are confident now because we know whoever we play,
if we are good, we have a chance. "We will approach the game with that
knowledge that if we are on top of our game we have a good chance."
West Ham will miss star player Dimitri Payet, who is out for three months
after injuring his ankle against Everton in a challenge with James McCarthy.
Bilic said: "You don't have to be West Ham manager to say he is really
important. Dimitri is our best player. "His impact on not only us but the
Premier is huge. "He is very important in terms of scoring goals, assists or
keeping the ball. "We are going to miss him. It was simply a very bad
tackle. He is irreplaceable. "He is one of those players making the team
better 50 per cent. I question how we will look without him."

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West Ham goalkeeper Adrian vows to get his namesake beers in if Hammers beat
Tottenham
22:30, 20 NOV 2015
BY JOHN CROSS
Spanish shot-stopper shares surname with popular lager San Miguel and aims
to get a round in if Slaven Bilic's team keeps up their good record against
Spurs
The Mirror

Keeper Adrian has promised to get the drinks in if West Ham beat bitter
rivals Tottenham this weekend – and the beer will have his name on it. The
Spanish stopper's full name is Adrian San Miguel but he decided long ago to
kick the booze – off his shirt at least. "If you put San Miguel on the back
then it looks like you don't have a serious name to play football," he said.
"Everyone knows San Miguel for the beer. "I like my surname but Adrian is my
name on the pitch and on my shirt. "I can promise that if we beat Tottenham
– and it will be a difficult game because they are playing well at home –
then I will buy San Miguel for everyone."

Adrian bought a round of beers for the press after West Ham beat Spurs three
times in the 2013-14 season and is hopeful they can do it again at White
Hart Lane on Sunday. The Hammers are flying high under Slaven Bilic after
winning at Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City and beating Chelsea at
home so don't expect them to be­ ­intimidated by Spurs. Opponents are taking
West Ham and Adrian very ­seriously as they look to say goodbye to Upton
Park with a memorable final season at their spiritual home.

Adrian has been a major part of their start to the season and says he loves
his "special" connection with the fans. "We are enjoying our last season at
Upton Park, we need to have a really good final season," he said. "It's
really big for the players as well as the fans and the club. It's a really
big motivation. "We are starting to move to a big new stadium for a modern
West Ham United. "If anyone had looked at our fixtures at the start of the
season they would have said what a tough start it was away from home. "But
we have got amazing results against big teams and now we have their respect
as well as the respect of the people in England. "The fans have always been
super to me. It's difficult when you move from abroad to have a special
relationship with the fans. They like English players – it's like in Spain
where they like the Spanish players. "But I feel really proud because West
Ham fans have been amazing from the moment I arrived and they help me adapt
to the team. They have backed me and that gives you confidence on the pitch,
it makes you feel stronger and more powerful on the pitch."

Adrian insists the difference this season is that West Ham have a squad that
can cope with injuries to players like Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia.
"We have to look for the bench now because there are other players with
quality but with different names," said Adrian. "The squad is much stronger
this year." Adrian moved to West Ham in 2013 after taking advice from former
Liverpool No.1 Pepe Reina and, with David De Gea at Manchester United,
Spanish keepers are well represented in the Premier League. His wife Tamara
– who teaches English to foreign students – taught him the language and he
believes the whole experience has made him a better keeper even if he finds
some traditions difficult. Adrian added: "Everyone can see the Spanish
keepers are at a really good level. When you play games you get experience.
When you feel the No.1 for your team, you get more confidence and feel more
comfortable on the pitch. "Playing games over Christmas is normal here but
for a lot of foreign players it's hard. It might be their first season and
they bring their family over – and yet they're playing football. "I love
playing football but you also need a little break to enjoy with your family
and friends, especially when you are out of your country. "And the weather
here is very different!"

Adrian reckons that, Joe Hart apart, the best keepers are all foreign. Joe
Hart is a good English keeper and in great form," he said. "But otherwise
Petr Cech is amazing and has had an amazing career. Keepers don't score
goals but they win you points. "Cech does that for Arsenal, he is fantastic.
Hugo Lloris is great, David De Gea too - for me they are surely the top
four."

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Hammers wait on offer for winger
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are waiting for Norwich City to make their feelings known on a
permanent Matt Jarvis switch to Carrow Road.

City boss Alex Neill is known to be keen to get a deal done but is holding
fire until the former Wolves man returns from a knee injury.

The £9 million Hammers signing has made a good start to life with Premier
League newcomers who currently sit in 15th position and should they remain
as a Premier League force a deal is likely to be done.

The Hammers are ready to cut their losses on the player and would accept
around £5 million but aren't expecting the Canaries to make a move in
January.

A well placed source inside Upton Park told us: " If they stay up and he
has a good season, they are bound to look at it but we would probably do any
business at the end of the season although he has done well so you never
know."

Jarvis was injured in the last match against Manchester City but is expected
back early next month.

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Carroll and the 'missus' well settled in Essex
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

In recent weeks Hammer Andy Carroll has been linked to a return to the North
East.

It has become the dullest repeat story for months that he could be on his
way back to his home town of Newcastle under different managers.

More recently it's been reported he could move to his home town's arch
rivals, Sunderland and rejoin Sam Allardyce.

In my personal view neither of these paper stories are true for the simple
reason that the player is very settled in Essex.

Mr Carroll seems to have put his wild partying days behind since meeting his
Billi Mucklow and getting engaged last November. The couple bought a house
together in Essex last December dubbed 'Carroll Castle' and Billi gave birth
to their first child Arlo in June this year.

Andy and Billi's new circle of friends and support network are Essex based
and Billi's Bikram Yoga studio business is also based in Loughton, Essex. I
am told the young family would be reluctant to move away from London.

After a £17m transfer fee and basic wages of £85,000 per week many will say
Andy Carroll owes us big time.

He will never be our number one striker while Sakho is fit and will need to
be content with sitting on the bench waiting for his chance as an impact sub
when Bilic's sees fit.

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French National Anthem at WHL
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham fans will join with Tottenham Hotspur supporters in singing the
French National Anthem at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

The Premier League has told all clubs to ensure that they play the anthem
before all games this weekend and it brought immediate support from inside
the club.

Manager Slaven Bilic immediately declared: "We are sorry for all the people
who died and for their families. We are proud that before every game the
Marseillaise will play."

ClaretandHugh is delighted that the PL have made the move at the end of a
week where all our minds are preoccupied with the Paris terrorist attack.

That West Ham should be involved ahead of a game involving our fiercest
rivals is great and gives us all the opportunity – wherever we are coming
from – to accept that some things are bigger than local rivalries.

We will all be joining in as we remember that horrendous night in Paris.

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Irons send a message to Serie A "target"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham sent a message to AC Milan's Keisuke Honda this morning after the
29 year old after he had made it clear he wouldn't leave the Italian outfit
unless told he wasn't wanted. Honda has been regularly linked with a move to
the Irons after struggling to land a place with the San Siro based Serie A
outfit. However, even should he be made available ClaretandHugh has learned
the Irons hold no interest in him and were told: "I think we are quite well
stocked in that area with Payet and Lanzini." A source added: "This player
has been regularly linked with us but there is little money available and
even if there were it would be used in other areas."

The Japanese international had told Nikkan Sports: "I won't leave Milan of
my own desire. "Unless they tell me they don't want me here, I'm not moving.
I'm certainly not going to be the one running away. Our source said: "He's a
decent player but not one we will be pursuing."

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