Daily WHUFC News -

Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Diego Poyet played the full game as MK Dons were held to a 1-1 draw with
Fulham. The hosts led when Josh Murphy crossed to Dean Bowditch, who drilled
in a half-volleyed effort from long range. Fulham restored parity on the
stroke of half-time when Dembele tapped home Ross McCormack's cross.
The draw sees the Dons slip into the relegation zone having secured 15
points from their opening 17 league games. However, should they win their
next game, away at Wolves next weekend, they could climb to 17th.
Young goalkeeper Clarke Bogard continued his impressive form for Tilbury
with a 3-1 win over Harlow Town. The Ryman Football League Division North
side secured the three points thanks to a Danny Glozier penalty and goals
from Matt Game and Kurt Smith. Tilbury have won 16 of the 27 games Bogard
has featured in, including being named man-of-the-match once.

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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

It was an extremely disappointing result against Tottenham on Sunday and I
know that Slaven and the players will be working even harder this week to
put things right and help us get straight back on the winning trail when we
face West Brom.

After getting just one point from the last three games we know the
importance of the game at the Boleyn Ground next weekend.

Without doubt we came up against a Tottenham side at the top of their game
at White Hart Lane, but we were simply not good enough.

Considering the amazing start to the season we had away from home, our last
two performances against Watford and Spurs have been poor in comparison.

We know we need to do better in the coming weeks, starting against West
Brom.

I have to also say that I was very shocked and surprised at Match of the Day
2 on Sunday night featuring photos of myself and Daniel Levy saying our
relationship was frosty.

I would like to say publicly that both myself and David Gold have an
excellent relationship with Daniel and we greatly admire the job he has done
at his club.

We were competitors for the Olympic Stadium and both clubs had a different
vision for the stadium, but the competition closed and we've moved on.

We are moving to our new ground, situated in our Borough of Newham next
Summer and Spurs are moving to their new stadium the year after and it is
being built in their borough.

We have all moved on and there is no animosity and unpleasantness between
us. Life is really too short for all of that and the events in Paris two
weeks ago maybe puts everything into perspective.

I would urge all West Ham fans to treat rival supporters with the respect
they deserve as they, like us, are supporters of this fabulous game that we
ALL love.

That's not to say we won't be doing all we can to right the wrongs of
yesterday's defeat when we play them next year, but our approach will be in
a sporting and professional manner.

Thank you for continued excellent support and let's hope we can get back to
winning ways on Sunday.

David Sullivan

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Kouyate - It was a huge disappointment
WHUFC.com

Cheikhou Kouyate had no excuses for his side's disappointing display against
Tottenham on Sunday but says the players are already focusing on putting
things right against West Brom and getting straight back on the winning
trail. It could have been a different story for the Hammers if Kouyate's
scissor kick had not struck the crossbar minutes after Harry Kane had fired
Spurs into the lead. But the Hammers fell further behind when Toby
Alderweireld scored from a corner and the game was essentially over when
Kane added his second of the game shortly after half-time. Kyle Walker
compounded the misery when he made it four for the home side and not even a
late strike from Manuel Lanzini could help salvage anything from the London
derby. Kouyate says the players will be determined to put things right in
front of the televised cameras once again on Sunday and hopes to be
celebrating all three points at the Boleyn Ground. Kouyate said: "We gifted
Tottenham their goals on Sunday. We were up against a big team and we have
given them presents. We know that they are a good side and they have
punished us. What's done is done and they deserved it. "We know that this
sort of thing happens from time to time, but with it being a derby, it's a
huge disappointment for us and particularly for the supporters. "We started
the match poorly but when they scored the first we came back into the game,
started playing, and had a few chances of our own. But when they scored the
second, it was obviously an uphill battle. "You can't lay the blame at the
defence, because we're a team and we defend with eleven and on Sunday it
wasn't easy. We have to try to take the positives and look ahead to next
weekend. "Their intensity was no surprise. We're away from home, at
Tottenham, and plus it's a derby as well. We know that from the first 15
minutes it's going to be difficult, we'd been warned and we were prepared,
but didn't do what was needed. "We've got to regroup and really try to take
the three points on Sunday against West Brom."

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FT- Dev Squad 3-2 Derby County
WHUFC.com

FT: There goes the full time whistle. The Hammers have held on to a deserved
victory at Rush Green. Elliot Lee led the way magnificently, scoring twice
and setting up the other. It was a real team performance tonight. We'll have
reaction for you shortly.

90: Final moments now. Hang on!

89: Towering header from Onariase relieves some pressure, the Hammers hoof
it downfield yet Browne is penalised for a heavy challenge, he's booked too.


87: Spiegel clears his lines in the knick of time. Makasi is going to get
booked for handball. Wastes some valuable seconds if nothing else.

84: Amos Nasha is on for Stephen Hendrie to help and try and bolster the
midfield. Not too long to go now. Can the Hammers hold on?

81: GOAL for Derby County. Striker Ivan Calero strikes from close range to
ensure a nervy final few minutes. 3-2.

76: Spell of the pressure from the Rams. This is their third consecutive
corner, the hosts eventually clear through Parfitt-Williams.

73: Derby desperately trying to claw their way back into the game. The game
is getting a tad scrappy as the Hammers try and slow the proceedings down.
Excellent game management from the hosts, showing a great deal of maturity.

68: Leo Chambers has been superb this evening, he's taken off for a well
earnen rest. Manny Onariase is on in his place.

64: That goal was slightly against the run of play as Derby had started the
second half very strongly. However, conceding their third goal has somewhat
knocked the wind out of their sails.

58: GOOOOAL! 3-1! Elliot Lee scores his second of the evening with a fine
glancing header from Parfitt-Williams' cross. That Derby miss looks even
more costly now.

57: Huge let off! Mason Bennett is free, onside and unmarked, yet heads his
effort at point-black range into Spiegel's arms.

54: Foot race between Zanzala and Spiegel. The striker gets there first and
the goalkeeper clatters him, the referee thankfully gives a corner. You've
seen them given!

51: Excellent ball from Chambers sets Parfitt-Williams flying down the wing.
He Cryuff-turns majestically past two players but is eventually holted. The
crowd loved that!

47: GOAL for Derby! Callum Guy shoots from the edge of the box, through a
packed penalty area and pulls a goal back. Just the start the visitors
needed. 2-1.

46: We're back under way here at Rush Green. Alex Pike is on in place of
Reece Oxford.

45: Final exchanges of the half, Spiegel boots it high upfield and that's
the half-time whistle. Plenty left in this game you feel.

43: Nasty challenge by Jamie Hanson on Josh Cullen who absolutely plows
through the back of him. Cullen is left in a heap and clearly unhappy with
the challenge. Hanson goes into the book, with some fans calling for a
straight red.

41: The Hammers are really in the ascendancy here. Lee tries his luck from
distance but he gets too much on it.

37: GOOOOAL to the Hammers! Josh Cullen runs on to Marcus Browne's parried
effort following superb work by Elliot Lee. He got to byline, twisted and
turned his man before laying it on a plate for Browne. 2-0!!

36: There's a real edge to this game now. Jake Buxton goes into the book for
a foul on Browne.

34: Brief handbags between Leo Chambers and Zanzala. There was contact but
nothing major yet it takes several moments to calm things down. As ever,
Oxford is chief peacemaker.

31: Super play by Josh Cullen who twists out of a tight corner before
spreading it 40-yards to Kyle Knoyle. Xabi Alonso-esqe from the midfielder.

30: Jamie Hanson tries his luck from the edge of the box but it flies
harmlessly over.

29: Marcus Browne is adjudged to have fouled Callum Guy. He and his
teammates are disgusted at the decision but Derby have a free-kick in a
dangerous position...

27: Ivan Calero twists and turn before aiming for the top corner. It isn't
miles away but Spiegel was watching it closely.

24: Excellent save by Raphael Spiegel to deny Zanzala from close range.
Excellent goalkeeping.

21: Oxford shepherds Zanzala out of play as the winger was one-on-one.
Page's throw in is finally cleared.

19: Free kick to Derby as Zanzala's pace is too much for Knoyle who cuts him
down mid-sprint. The Hammers clear the delievery without too much fuss.

17: The game is just settling into a more steady rhythm after a frantic
start. Just the final ball missing for the Hammers as Page overhits his
through ball.

15: Teasing ball in by Page but Koos comes to collect with Lee lurking.

13: Oxford showing his evident class tonight. Commanding at the back, he's
orchestrating everything. As silky as you like on the ball. His confidence
is spreading through the team.

11: Fast and furious tempo to this game so far, both teams zipping it around
nicely. The hosts have enjoyed more territory and possession so far, the
Rams are getting frustrated.

7: GOOOOOAL!! Elliot Lee makes no mistake from the spot. He steps uf
confidently and sends Kelle Roos the wrong way. 1-0! Just the start the
Hammers needed.

7: Lee bares down on goal again and tries to feed Parfitt-Williams. It has
just too much on it yet the Hammers force a corner. From the corner Reece
Oxford is hauled down and it's a penalty!!

5: End to end stuff here! Leo Chambers does well to block Ivan Calero on the
edge of the box. Down the other end Browne's through ball almost finds Lee.

3: Free-kick by Josh Cullen headed away, the Hammers have possession back
and are using it well. Stephen Hendrie is playing further than usual at
left-wing with Lewis Page behind him.

1: Marcus Browne and Elliot Lee get us under way in the first half, the
Hammers are kicking left-to-right in the first half.

18.59: Here we go! Both teams are out on the field, pre-match handshakes are
underway and we're all set. COYI!

18.45: Just 15 minutes to go until kick off. Rush Green statdium is filling
up nicely, fantastic support for youth football. Here's hoping they're
rewarded with a decent match!

18.35: It's a chilly evening here at Rush Green, both sets of players are
out extra early to make sure they've warmed up properly. They're going to
need tonight, could well come down to whoever wants it more.

18.20: One of the stand out performers for the U21s this season has
undoubtedly been Marcus Browne. The 17-year-old midfielder has gone from
strength-to-strength since making the step up from the U18s. Read what he
had to say about his break-through season here.

18.10: Terry Westley has named a strong team for tonight's game, and they'll
need to be at their best as visitors Derby are currently top of the league
with 19 points from their opening nine games. They are also the League's top
scorers with 21 goals so far.

West Ham United U21: Spiegel, Knoyle, Page, Makasi, Chambers (Onariase 68),
Oxford (c) (Pike 46), Parfitt-Williams, Cullen, Lee, Browne, Hendrie (Nasha
84)

Subs: Brown, Brown (GK)

Derby County U21: Roos, Santos, Ssewankambo, Hanson, Buxton, Cover, Guy,
Vernam, Zanzala, Bennett, Kalero

Subs: Elsnik, Mackay (GK), Stabana, Bunjaku, McDonald

Referee: Andrew Laver

6pm: Hello and welcome to tonight's coverage live from the Academy of
Football! Kick off here at Rush Green is 7pm and Terry Westley has named a
strong line up to face his former side Derby County.

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From the Newsroom - Matty Lawless
WHUFC.com

Mail Online Deputy Sports Editor Matty Lawless looks back at yesterday's
game at Spurs...

Losing to Tottenham is never nice. On the school run this morning I was
reminded of the score by quite a few, rightfully, smug Spurs fans. Payback
for my smarting two years ago.

And that's why it hurts West Ham supporters so much. Win and you claim
bragging rights at work, in the pub, or even on the school run.

Lose? Then it's probably best to keep your head down for a few days because
you know the score... you've been reminded of it at 15 times already today!

So, who do I blame: The players? The manager? No. The kit man...

Surely someone should have reminded him that our amazing away wins over
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Crystal Palace all coincided with
wearing our alternative strips? We even came back from two goals down to
earn a draw at Sunderland. All thanks to the power of the away kit.

Just what was he thinking when he packed the home claret and blue shirts
into that big aluminum container for the trip to White Hart Lane? Did
anybody not tell him that they failed to inspire at Watford?

In all seriousness though, it was purely a bad day at the office. It
happens. It's just not nice when it happens against your arch-rivals.

I'm certain the players would have shared the disappointment of the
supporters and, indeed, their manager Slaven Bilic after the game.

Spurs - who are on an magnificent run of late, losing only once in the
Premier League this season - were helped by a catalogue of West Ham errors.
But they did play extremely well too. They deserved to win.

Tactically speaking, I would have considered a similar approach to our last
visit to north London, when we beat Arsenal, playing young Reece Oxford in
that holding midfield role to protect the back four. In doing so, Oxford may
have nullified the threat of Harry Kane, who often plays as a deep lying
striker. And it might have countered the attacking threat of Moussa Dembele
and Dele Alli surging through the middle.

I would have also liked to see Diafro Sakho play as the focal point in
attack, at the top, with Mauro Zarate playing in behind. Maybe Andy Carroll
would have been a great impact option to call upon. He would be the last
person any tired defender would want to see.

Nikica Jelavic deserves credit for his role in creating Manuel Lanzini's
superb consolation goal. Is it time to give the Croatian a chance to shine
from the start this weekend?

So, Slaven Bilic has now matched Sam Allardyce's performance after 13 games
last season with 21 points.

'Has the bubble burst?' read one tweet. We'll find out next Sunday in what
will be a tough test against a West Brom side who upset Arsenal at the
weekend.

The key thing is not to use injuries as an excuse. Dimitri Payet is a huge
loss, we all know. But there are very capable players in Bilic's squad. The
bench at White Hart Lane illustrated that, in my opinion. If he wants to
change it up for West Brom, he has plenty of options. I expect Alex Song
will be pushing hard for a start in training this week.

Let's hope we see the real West Ham next Sunday, for a match when we
celebrate some of the great cult heroes who we've marveled at over the years
at the Boleyn Ground.

And in the meantime, try to avoid any of those tormenting Tottenham
supporters...

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Westley - It was a real team effort
WHUFC.com

Academy Manager Terry Westley praised his side for the manner in which they
overcame top-of-the-table Derby County 3-1 at Rush Green on Monday evening.

Westley's side started the game the stronger and secured a valuable three
points thanks to an Elliot Lee brace and a second goal in as many games for
Josh Cullen.

Reflecting on a determined performance, Westley surmised: "It was a good
performance and a good result. In terms of getting three points that was the
most pleasing result we've had all season, because it was a proper match.

Some people will tell you that U21 football isn't competitive, well that
certainly was. I've watched a lot of League One football this season, from
the firstt to the 95th minute that was a proper competition game. That was
up there with anything I've seen in League One."

Prolific striker Lee broke the deadlock after just seven minutes. Reece
Oxford, captaining the side, was hauled down at a corner, upstepped Lee to
send Kelle Roos the wrong way.

Half an hour later, Cullen doubled the advantage as he ran onto Marcus
Browne's parried shot, following further great work from Lee to get past his
man at the byline.

In the second half the hosts rallied as Callum Guy pulled one back, yet Lee
was on hand to restore their advantage with delightfully cushioned header
from Djair Parfitt-Williams searching cross.

Ivan Calero netted late on to ensure a nervy final few moments yet the
Hammers held on to secure their second consecutive win.

Westley continued: "It was a tough game, tackles were coming in thick and
fast. You have to accept that as part of the game and stay calm and be
resolute and I thought we did that well particularly in the second half. It
was a test to see if we were going to see it through or if we were going to
cave in and thankfully we stood firm.

"I've said it several times, West Brom away, Stoke away and Blackburn away
we really should have got something from these games. So tonight was
particularly pleasing that we got what we deserved."

In an all-round impressive display by everyone wearing claret and blue,
Westley reserved special mention to his star striker Lee, whose brace saw
him double his tally for the season with four goals.

"The third goal was a peach of a goal where he ran, got in a good cross and
Elliot did ever so well to get a good header on it. I'm pleased for because
he's on his way back, he's had a few injuries and that's as good as I've
seen him all season.

"It was certainly an all-round team performance, everyone, even the subs had
a massive contribution to the tempo of the game. Their centre forward was as
good as I've seen all season, he's a young boy but he was a threat down the
sides, Chambers and Oxford did well to keep him quite first half and then
Manny came on and Kyle Knoyle changed position but they all coped very
well."

After a difficult start, the Hammers now have three wins out of the last
four games, scoring nine goals in the process.

Westley continued: "That's two on the bounce, three out of the last four
which is great for confidence. We're heading in the right direction but more
importantly it's how we are playing.

"We should have made more passes than we did, but we beat the team top of
the league. It's certainly a good confidence boost.

"We've got two tough games coming up, tough because they're both away. One
against Swansea in the league and then straight away in the cup at Exeter.
It would be nice to go through a few rounds and make it interesting, it'll
be a good challenge for the 16 players who play both games."

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Atkinson appointed for Baggies clash
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd November 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's clash with West Bromwich Albion will be officiated by
Martin Atkinson.

The 44-year-old referee will take West Ham for the second time in the
Premier League this season - and Hammers fans will be hoping he can bring
them luck again, having previously overseen West Ham's 2-0 win at Arsenal on
the opening day of the campaign.

In fact Bradford-born Atkinson has been something of a lucky charm for West
Ham in recent months, having also refereed United's wins over Hull City,
Manchester City and Leicester City last season.

This season he has taken more Premier League games than any other official -
11 along with Mike Dean, Mark Clattenburg and Anthony Taylor - issuing 47
yellow cards and no reds at an average of 4.3 cautions per game.

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Guy completes United switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd November 2015
By: Staff Writer

Former West Ham defender Guy Demel has joined Dundee United on a short-term
deal. Now 34, popular right-back Demel spent four years at the Boleyn Ground
before being released on a free transfer at the end of last season. It was
confirmed this afternoon that he has joined former team mate Carlton Cole
(now at Celtic) in the Scottish Premiership, having signed for The Terrors
until the end of the 2015/16 season. "Once I spoke to the head coach, I was
excited by the challenge of Dundee United and the role he has planned for
me," said the former Ivory Coast international. "I want to identify myself
with the club. "I have many years of experience in football and if I can use
my knowledge to help the younger players here that is what I will do.I have
been training hard and I can't wait to play for Dundee United. I am ready as
soon as the head coach needs me."

United manager Mixu Paatelainen welcomed the arrival of the experience
defender, adding: "Guy comes with a lot experience and fantastic pedigree.
He can add a lot to our squad. "He is a powerful player but above all a good
footballer. He will be a strong character in our dressing room and I am
delighted to start working with him."

Demel made 76 appearances in the Championship and Premier League for West
Ham between 2011 and 2015, scoring just once in a 2-1 home defeat against
Liverpool back in April 2014.

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TAKE A STEP BACK, BREATHE DEEP AND RELAX
By Benjamin Cronin 23 Nov 2015 at 18:00
WTID

Losing to Tottenham hurts. Leaving White Hart Lane, feeling like 4-1 was a
lucky escape is just embarrassing. There's not much that can be said about
yesterday afternoon's performance. In fact, the less said, the better. After
looking forward to the fixture all day, I sat down with my notepad in hand,
eagerly anticipating a decent game of football. In what was a dull, yet
satisfactory opening twenty minutes, I'd only managed to scribble a few
lines. After fifty minutes, both my pen and notepad were thrown across the
room and my fingers were itching towards the remote to turn the TV off and
end the misery. I'm not going to deny that it was an incredibly frustrating
game to watch but it's one we need to learn from, not moan about.

Yes, Bilic got the tactics wrong. Leaving Andy Carroll up top, when trying
to soak up pressure and hit them on the break was never going to work. We
can all have our say and pick holes in the performance, but it's in the
past. It may well be that the system and tactics implemented under Sam
Allardyce would have made for a different game but I'm quite happy to take
the losses that will inevitably come in our transition away from the
previous approach that many were so unhappy with. Some will say we should
pick and choose when to use such a style of play but unfortunately, we can't
have the best of both worlds. We've now got an important fixture against
West Bromwich Albion to look forward to and a chance to see just what the
squad and staff our made of.

I've previously spoken about how big an impact a disappointing result can
have on the week that follows a West Ham fixture and this one is no
different. Well, it being our worst performance of the season and against
our bitter rivals does perhaps make it slightly different, but you know what
I mean. Although it's an incredibly bitter pill to swallow, it's one that
comes with an antidote. An antidote that can be provided with a return to
winning ways against West Brom next week. We only need to remind ourselves
of the dire performance against Bournemouth to see how quickly things can
change. With criticism flying in from left, right and centre, we went
unbeaten in seven league games, beating Liverpool, Manchester City and
Chelsea along the way.

I'm fully aware that if the team and tactics used on Sunday were to be used
for the next seven games, we could see ourselves tumbling down the table at
a rate of knots. I'm sure (and hope) there are many that share my faith in
Slaven Bilic and the squad at our disposal having the ability to figure out
a way to right the wrongs we all had to witness yesterday afternoon. I
appreciate that after such a shocking display as the one we saw against
Spurs, sometimes a good vent of frustration is needed. The time for that has
now passed. The club is still in a very good position (if I was offered 6th
place in the table and 21 points after 13 games, I'd have taken it without a
moment's hesitation) and we should be looking up, rather than down, forwards
instead back.

I'd like to think the majority are like myself and let optimism prevail over
disappointment. From some, the negativity will stream forth until they have
no other option but to be positive and that really doesn't bother me. What I
can't understand is the onslaught of criticism for players who are part of
the club we all love so much. It was hard to watch Andy Carroll practically
walk around the pitch and struggle to have any input, I know. For me, he
still doesn't seem fit. He doesn't move in the same way. He doesn't play
with the intensity we all know he can but does that really mean he should be
shipped out and forgotten about? I might be in the minority but I truly
believe he can still do a job for the club. We may have paid over the odds
for what could now be considered an 'impact sub' but he's still an impact
sub that can really make a difference in games when we're running out of
options, one that I think would be sorely missed later in the season if we
were to let him go.

Mark Noble is a fan favourite in more ways than one. The local lad, adored
by so many, is often the first port of call for those looking to dish out
some criticism. There's no room for sentiment in football, I know that. I
might have grown up watching Mark Noble play, hearing of the potential
transfers that have never materialised due to his commitment to the club but
that isn't why I like him as a player, it's because of his ability. He might
not be as nippy as some fans think is necessary for his role but he does
what is asked of him and to a standard I believe has a positive influence on
the team. I know they'll be a stream of comments that counter that claim and
feel free to do so, I'll just have to save the full scope of my opinion for
an article in the future.

They'll be people out there that have to deal with the aftermath of
yesterday's result for the remainder of the week and unfortunately, I'm in
the same boat. At least the boat we're in isn't sinking. It's one that can
be patched up and prove the doubters wrong next week. We have the
opportunity to show that we can perform without the likes of Payet and
Valencia and I firmly believe it's an opportunity that will be taken.

COYI

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West Ham to seal Manuel Lanzini permanent signing despite ''honour'' of
Liverpool interest in playmaker
19:12, 23 NOV 2015 UPDATED 19:38, 23 NOV 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
The option to keep him was agreed during the summer ahead of his season-long
loan spell and he has netted four times in 11 league games since
The Mirror

Playmaker Manuel Lanzini will make his loan deal permanent with West Ham to
end speculation that he could be poached by Liverpool. The Hammers have
already agreed pre-arranged terms with the 22-year-old who scored a superb
consolation on Sunday in the 4-1 defeat to Spurs. His performances had
attracted admiring glances from Merseyside, but the option to keep him was
agreed during the summer ahead of his season-long loan spell. Lanzini has
netted four times in 11 Premier League appearances so far this season and is
set for an extended run in the side with Dmitri Payet injured. Lanzini said
last week: "It's an absolute honour that a team like Liverpool has put an
eye on me. "But I heard the president say that the club wants me to stay. I
am fine here."

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Unhappy Sullivan wants peace to break out
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 23, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Sullivan has made it clear that one point from the last three games is
unacceptable and declares: "We know we need to do better in the coming
weeks, starting against West Brom. "

Commenting to the official site at www.whufc.com he said: "Without doubt we
came up against a Tottenham side at the top of their game at White Hart
Lane, but we were simply not good enough. Considering the amazing start to
the season we had away from home, our last two performances against Watford
and Spurs have been poor in comparison."

He is equally unhappy with comments he picked up on Match of the Day 2
declaring himself "very shocked and surprised" at photos featuring himself
and Daniel Levy saying their relationship was frosty. He said: "I would like
to say publicly that both myself and David Gold have an excellent
relationship with Daniel and we greatly admire the job he has done at his
club. We were competitors for the Olympic Stadium and both clubs had a
different vision for the stadium, but the competition closed and we've moved
on. We are moving to our new ground, situated in our Borough of Newham next
Summer and Spurs are moving to their new stadium the year after and it is
being built in their borough. We have all moved on and there is no animosity
and unpleasantness between us. Life is really too short for all of that and
the events in Paris two weeks ago maybe puts everything into perspective. I
would urge all West Ham fans to treat rival supporters with the respect they
deserve as they, like us, are supporters of this fabulous game that we ALL
love. "

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It's all about how we get up after this KO

Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 23, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Rich Sprent casts his eye over the chaos of Tottenham and comes to many
conclusions whilst also getting something very painful out of the way.

But there are no easy answers with Dimitri Payet sidelined and Rich reckons
this weekend's game is just about as big as it gets.

A dozen lessons learned and hiding in a long shadow

There are several ways this blog could be written. A six-parter serial in
what went wrong. An attack on the players and coach for the poor showing.
Endless complaint about Andy Carroll. Even a whine about the Everton
midfielder who's robbed us of our talisman for the next few months.

I prefer to quote Vince Lombardi, "It's not whether you get knocked down,
it's whether you get back up".

Let's get something painful out of the way. Sp*rs are a good side. Their
coach got it right by pressing us high, isolating each forward player in
turn whilst winning the midfield. We sat too deep; were too linear in our
play; Failed to support the forwards enough and again made elementary
errors.

We got it wrong on the day. Kouyate had a decent game. Lanzini was decent on
the ball. Adrian made EIGHT saves. Reid showed passion after it had all gone
belly up. Collectively they were poor and the result didn't flatter the
North London side.

The only thing that really concerned me however was an apparent lack of
bottle out there. We allowed their arrogant players to lord it. Danny Rose,
Dele Alli, Kyle Walker? Do me a favour. They were strutting around like
pimped up cocks in a farmyard. It should never have been allowed to happen
against us. We failed to impose ourselves whatsoever.

Andy Carroll? He's the easy target for many. However there are many good
sides in the world today that have a similar forward and produce good
football. In fact, Besiktas, in Mario Gomez, are not so strangely, VERY
similar in style to West Ham.

They compensate for his lack of pace and movement by having a very fluid
midfield with three waspish attackers. It's interesting that since AC has
started, Kouyate has dropped deeper with Noble pushed more forward of him.
The effort is there to not isolate the forward and keep the ball moving.
Yesterday, we were too deep however, out-thought and sadly outfought
everywhere.

Slav would have learned loads from yesterday. Sadly English teams are rarely
quick at adapting to change in tactics.

After yesterday's shambles where practically everything went wrong there
comes a week on the training pitches to put it right. West Brom this coming
Sunday is now a huge game. If we are serious in our ambition to compete for
European football then this game is what it's all about. We flopped against
a team who are not only our closest rivals in distance but in the table
also.

There will be many crying out for Sakho through the middle and Zarate to
come in at #10 or out wide. There's also Song, Antonio and Ogbonna to
consider.

Tomkins at fullback will also be cried out for but this will restrict the
midfield further as he is very defensive and doesn't overlap.

All these potential changes will still require a change in play. It's not as
easy as just replacing a player. Neither Manuel Lanzini or Mauro Zarate are
the same player as Dimitri Payet. There is no doubt that with Sakho's
running and Payet's genius we have been irresistible at times. Slav needs to
find the formula to play successfully without the Frenchman.

The trick is on for Slav to get the sum of all parts right to be able to
deliver as close to the brilliance of the early results achieved. He's got a
wonderful array of players to choose from to get a team to play.

The obvious dilemma is the big Geordie. If he's fit then by not playing
Carroll it shows one or both of two things: That the team is failing to play
with him in the side. Or that he isn't performing. He hasn't been sparkling
since starting but then nor have any of the other players around him. That
these very good players are misfiring with him in the side is more an
indictment on them as what's being thrown at the big number 9.

If he's dropped then it's surely an admission that he has no role at West
Ham other than as a gamechanger sub. A very expensive sub at that.

Sakho is fit. With him up top the team would still need to make up for the
absence of Payet. There would be no hiding space in Andy's long shadow for
the players if they fail to shine without him in the line up.

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Two players came out of WHL with great credit
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 23, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Stats don't lie unless you are talking about possession which can prove
useless if you are doing nothing with the ball! I've been hunting hard to
find an upside - any upside - to the disaster of White Hart Lane and have
discovered that once again Manuel Lanzini comes out of a game with great
credit according to the stats. His goal, produced from a great flick from
Jelavic was something to shout about and in different match circumstances
would have been pored over time and time again. The flick recalled Payet at
his best in one outing at the Boleyn when Lanzini flashed his finish over
the top of the bar. But back to yesterday and the stats are showing that
Manu prodcued a pass accuracy of 93 per cent, scored the goal and provided
one key pass . He couldn't have done more in a very one sided game but
special mention too must go to the often unsung hero Cheik Kouyate who was
again at the heart of things for us. He was always playing his heart out and
hit the bar - albeit from an offside position - but with the flag staying
down, who knows what kind of game might have developed had he scored.
Onwards and upwards - HOPEFULLY and well done to the pair of them.

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Spurs fans ashamed of stabbing incident at WHL
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Spurs fans including former player Micky Hazard have taken to social media
to wish the stabbed West Ham fan a speedy recovery and show their disgust
that it happened in their manor close to White Hart Lane. Although the
attacker is unknown and at large, Tottenham fans have taken it among
themselves to speak out about the mindless act of violence perpetrated an
hour before kick off.

Jamie Francis ?@THFC_Francis
I get rivalries can get heated but stabbing another fan is a disgrace! Hope
the West Ham is ok and recovers alright

Daj Mangat ?@mangats
Disgusted to hear about the stabbing of a West Ham fan today. Whoever did
this. Get out of my club!

Micky Hazard @MickyHazard
Thoughts are with the West Ham fan stabbed today,there's no room whatsoever
in football for violence so whoever did it hang your head in shame

danny ?@dan_t81
To the West Ham fan who was stabbed I wish u well and a speedy recovery no
rivalry deserves this. Who ever did this is mindless filth

lucky ?@_1lucky
Hope the West Ham fan stabbed is ok. No place for that in football. Or ever

Tottenham Hotspur ?@THFC__Fans
Disgraceful if a Spurs fan has stabbed a West Ham fan. Disgraceful behaviour
hopefully he's given jail time and a lifetime ban

Mafs ?@Mafs42
You are no supporter of football if you revel in the stabbing of an opposing
fan - Get the f**k out of my club

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What an awful day at Spurs
November 22, 2015
ExWHUEmployee
thewesthamway.co.uk

So for those of you who follow my twitter account or have been reading the
West Ham way you would have seen I was quite excited about this game. I was
going with a close mate who I do not see as much as I would like to and was
meeting up with about three separate groups of friends. One of my mates
had a ticket for the game that was a senior ticket because his dad had not
been able to go to the game which he discovered that morning. He had tried
to call Tottenham Hotspur's ticket office and our very own to upgrade the
ticket. With it being Sunday he was unable to get in touch with either so
we decided to go down to the game early and pay for the upgrade either at
the ticket office or on the door.

We arrived at the ground very early and saw "The West Ham Way key
contributors" the Sullivan boys arrive looking very up for the game
themselves. As we walked to the ground the atmosphere felt a little
uncomfortable and on edge. In the wake of the atrocities that happened in
Paris just over a week ago there was a very visible police presence, many
carrying machine guns.

We arrived at the Upper Tier visitors section at about 2:45pm and tried to
get into the ground so that we could upgrade the ticket to a full adult. As
we walked past the first stewards we had our tickets checked-no problems and
then we walked past the sniffer dog (the most friendly character out of the
lot) we finally approached another two stewards. One steward took the
tickets and looked at me and my mates and said none of you are a senior
ticket I am having that. I tried to explain to him that we were going to
upgrade the ticket and he said they are not doing upgrades and it was now
his property. I argued that this is not right and that I will pay either on
the turnstiles or at the ticket office which was on the corner. He said no
we are not doing that today, you can't go in, you will have to go home in a
really aggressive and arrogant manner.

We said that this was ridiculous and what were we meant to do as no one had
answered the phone and told us that you couldn't do an exchange and he just
muttered not my problem. I am not a particularly aggressive or
argumentative person and neither are my mates but his whole attitude stunk.
He seemed like he was deliberately trying to wind us up and luckily for him
I was with this group of mates rather than the ones I met in the ground.

As this was going on two ladies arrived who had also had the same problem
and they were at least consistent and refused them entry on the same
grounds. We continued to protest this was ridiculous and that we need the
ticket back to get a refund if we are going to and he imitated ripping up
the ticket to us and said no. Of course this behaviour infuriated us so I
spoke to his superior on his recommendation who said if it was him he would
have let us in but he couldn't undermine his steward. We obviously argued
that this was crazy whilst the other steward smirked at us.

The same steward then said to us "look lads it because of the Paris attacks
if you must know, I bet you feel bad now". We said bad for what? That this
was clearly not connected we wanted to go to a football game and you are
stopping us for no reason. His next response which is surely more illegal
than trying to upgrade a ticket, was to go and buy one from a tout and get
in. At this point we were admittedly getting quite wound up so the police
came over and had a word, we explained the situation and they agreed it was
wrong but they couldn't override the steward. So as we were faced with the
prospect of drawing lots as to who missed the game when we saw over our
shoulder the two ladies in the same situation being let in. We went over
and the senior steward finally said we could go in (who knows what had
changed their minds!) and as were the other one who had been a problem all
along muttered something about snitching to the police! His attitude quite
frankly was disgusting and he seemed hell bent on winding us up.

As we went in we could hear a load of noise on the corner and it seemed like
it was all kicking off. We went inside the ground and got a pint and bumped
into the ladies from earlier who had been let in. They were going to write
a complaint about the steward which I hope they do and we would support it.


My first set of mates arrived and told me how they had been outside on the
corner and it had all gone off. He said the West Ham fans were walking to
the ground chanting and some Spurs fans rushed them. A car pulled up and
some other people got out and joined the attack. He said he saw a man lying
on the floor and a few people holding their faces and then the police ran
in.

After this another mate entered about ten minutes later, who is unconnected
to the first mate. He described what he had seen and that there was an air
ambulance being called to a man who had been stabbed in the back by a man
who had jumped out of a car. A younger teenager who he knew had been hit in
the face by a man who said "You come round here shouting Irons, I am going
to teach you a lesson (censored version)" and punched him full on in the
face and then no surprise he ran off. These stories seemed to be confirmed
by other people who I overheard in the toilets too.

I am choosing not to talk about the match too much as it was a disaster.
The tactics were all wrong and at least Slaven has admitted that rather than
try and blame other things like most managers do. It is very hard to
defend any players performance in that game but the defence for me were
diabolical. So many errors at so many crucial times. It is now time to
bring in Ogbonna and at the moment I would shift Tomkins to right back and
give Jenko a rest for the next game. I would also be tempted to put AC back
to the bench and put Sakho up top for the WBA game. I am not writing off
either player like some have done but both are clearly not on form at the
moment. It is also surely time to give Antonio a chance too and perhaps
his time will come against WBA. I do not really want to write much more
than I have but please keep checking The West Ham Way this week for many
more exciting and exclusive articles.

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Hammers may opt to keep injured Bantams loan star Burke
Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter

CITY are waiting to find out if they will see Reece Burke again. But the
indications are that West Ham may decide to hang on to him after he has
recovered from his current injury. Under the terms of a youth loan, Burke's
temporary stay has to be extended each month. And with the England under-20
international back with the Premier League club for treatment for a medial
ligament strain, Phil Parkinson is facing up to the possibility of the
youngster not returning. The Hammers have been keeping a close eye on
Burke's progress at Valley Parade and see him very much in their plans.
Parkinson admitted: "We're just waiting to see what happens with that one
and whether they want to call him back. We'll have to see. "Reece's loan is
up and he is injured for a couple of weeks anyway. "If he comes back, it's
fantastic. But if he doesn't then we wish him all the best and he's made a
good contribution for us." Parkinson has been pleased with the growing form
of Nathan Clarke, who impressed in Saturday's 2-0 win at Scunthorpe - City's
sixth clean sheet in a row. "I thought he was brilliant," said the City
boss. "You've got to understand that three games in eight days after not
playing is tough. "But his calmness was there for all to see. He brings a
different quality to the team in terms of being a captain of clubs before.
"The winter months are coming and the tough conditions like Saturday suit a
player like Nathan. "The lads love him. The reason they've got so much
respect for him is that when he was out the team he was terrific with them
in the dressing room. "He never once moaned to me. He just got on with his
job and he's getting his rewards for that now."

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