Daily WHUFC News - 28th November 2015

Preview - WBA
WHUFC.com

The background

West Ham United will look to get back to winning ways this Sunday when they
play host to West Bromwich Albion in the Barclays Premier League.

The Hammers were defeated 4-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing so
will be wanting to put that heavy defeat behind them as soon as possible.

In fact, since defeating Chelsea in late October, they have picked up just
one point from their last three games – in their last home match against
Everton – a run that manager Slaven Bilic knows needs to end.

West Brom, meanwhile, are six places below the Hammers in 12th, four points
worse off having won five, drawn two and lost six of their 13 league games
to date.

The Baggies secured the notable scalp of Arsenal in their last match, as a
goal from James Morrison and Mikel Arteta's own goal gave them a 2-1
success.

That ended a run of two straight defeats for Tony Pulis' men, who had been
beaten by Leicester City and Manchester United in their previous matches.

Remember Sunday is our Cult Heroes day, so make sure you are in your seats
at half time to welcome back a whole host of iconic figures back to the
Boleyn Ground.

Important security information

With enhanced security checks taking place around the Boleyn Ground for
Sunday's game against West Bromwich Albion, supporters are advised to arrive
earlier in order to allow time to clear security.

As every bag will be checked thoroughly, supporters are therefore advised
not to bring any large bags or rucksacks where possible as this will delay
their entry.

The Stadium will be opening earlier than usual to accommodate these extra
checks ahead of the 2.05pm kick off, but the Club would like to stress that
security will not be reduced in the event that queues form.

So please arrive earlier than normal to ensure you do not miss kick-off
against the Baggies.

The history

This will be the 100th meeting between West Ham and the Baggies, with West
Brom just leading the head-to-head record 39-38.

West Ham will hope to bring that back to level pegging having lost out in
their last encounter – in the FA Cup fifth round in February.

In the league meetings last term, goals from Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins
secured a 2-1 win at the Hawthorns, before Saido Berahino cancelled out
Diafra Sakho's opener for a 1-1 Boleyn Ground draw.

The match

Team news

West Ham United

The Hammers will be without the suspended pair of Mark Noble and James
Collins for Sunday's match. Noble is out having picked up five yellow cards
this term, while Collins serves the final game of his three-match ban for a
sending off in the 2-0 defeat at Watford.

Slaven Bilic will choose between Alex Song and the fit-again Pedro Obiang
for the right to replace Noble in the Hammers midfield.

West Bromwich Albion

Chris Brunt is suspended for the Baggies, but as one player starts a ban,
another finishes with defender Gareth McAuley available for selection again.

Baggies head coach Tony Pulis was keeping his cards close to his chest when
he admitted he had a number of injury worries, but Jonas Olsson could
continue at the back, while Salomon Rondon has been leading the line with
Saido Berahino on the bench.

Match info

Match facts

Sunday's referee is Martin Atkinson, with Mike Mullarkey and Stephen Child
running the line. Kevin Friend is the fourth official
Six of the last nine Barclays Premier League meetings between West Ham and
West Brom have ended as draws (West Ham two wins, West Brom one victory).
Four of the last five at Upton Park have ended all square (one West Ham
win).
Saido Berahino has scored in four of his five appearances against West Ham
in all competitions.
West Ham have used 26 players in the Premier League this season, a figure
only Manchester United can match.
65% of the goals West Ham have conceded have come in the first half, the
highest proportion in the top division (13 out of 20).
The Hammers have gone eight games without a clean sheet and won just two of
their last seven Premier League games (W2 D3 L2).
Only Aston Villa (34) have fired in fewer shots on target than West Brom
this season (39).
The Baggies have won five of their last 10 Premier League away games, losing
just three (D2).
Manuel Lanzini has scored in each of the last three Premier League matches
where he has played the full 90 minutes.

Tickets, coverage, travel and other info

Tickets for this fixture have SOLD OUT.
A rainy Sunday is expected, with temperatures of 12C (54F) at kick-off.
There will be no Hammersmith & City line services to Upton Park on Sunday,
but the District line is set to run as normal. Supporters who use the London
Overground line between Barking-Gospel Oak should note that rail replacement
buses will be running on that route. Click here for the latest info on the
TfL network and here for National Rail.
If you're not heading to the game make sure you keep up to date with all the
action on our digital channels. Our live match centre has audio commentary,
text updates, in-running stats and the best pictures, and you can get
involved with the conversation on social using the hashtag #WHUWBA.

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Chadwell Chatter - Alex Song
WHUFC.com

Hello,

I am very happy to be back on the pitch because I have been ruled out of
action for a long time. I was happy to play the last 10 minutes against
Tottenham and now I am looking to come back slowly, step-by-step and then we
will see what happens in the future. When I am 100 per cent fit I will be
ready to play. Last Sunday was very disappointing against Tottenham. We
don't want to lose a derby, but we have to move forward and put the game
behind us. We have a very big game on Sunday and it is a game that we want
to win. We need to work hard in training and show a different kind of
performance against West Brom. It is very important for us to show the fans
that we have a good character and that we want to put things right after
what happened last weekend. At home we need to show the fans what they want
to see. They expect us to play football and it will be a different game. We
have to score more goals and we need to be the boss at home. The way we
played against Spurs was not good and we want to get back playing how we
performed at the start of the season when we had some great results –
especially away from home. We want to show something different on Sunday. I
have played against West Brom a couple of times and I remember the 1-1 draw
against them last season. We have to dominate the game and show them how we
want to play from the opening part of the game. I know we have some Cult
Heroes returning to West Ham United this weekend. My heroes growing up were
Rigobert Song and Claude Makelele. It is always good that West Ham have
players who the fans look up to. We have to give them a very good welcome.
It is always a pleasure to see the people who have done so well.

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Slaven Speaks - West Bromwich Albion
WHUFC.com

Ahead of the Hammers' game with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, Slaven Bilic
held his pre-match press conference.

The manager answered a range of questions from bouncing back from the defeat
to Tottenham Hotspur and Alex Song's fitness ahead of facing the Baggies...

Slaven, you haven't won in three games, how do you turn that around?

"We've only got one point from the last three games which is below our
expectations. Every game in the Premier League is tough, but it is still
below what we wanted to achieve. We have a home game on Sunday against a
very good team, but are plan, of course, is to win it. We need to win it
because we haven't got enough recently."

After a defeat like last weekend, how do you react in the dressing room?

"Sometime you have to show your emotions, but the feelings were all the same
from the staff and the players, we didn't feel any different. Like the fans,
we were hugely disappointed and we were angry to represent West Ham like
that.

"Sometimes you can be satisfied with your performance even when you lose,
but not last weekend. We had only ourselves to blame, and we all knew that
straight away, which was good because we didn't hide or make any excuses. We
will do everything we can do bounce back on Sunday."

Is Alex Song near to coming back?

"Alex is a great player, we also have Pedro Obiang coming back too. The
situations are a little bit different given the length of injuries they had.
Pedro was only out for four weeks, now he is back and looking good in
training.

"Alex is back in full training, he played ten minutes against Spurs and in
training he is also looking very good. We have to be patient because his
break was a lot longer, he hasn't played for almost half a year, so we will
have to make a decision between the two."

What have you been doing differently from this week to last?

"We haven't done anything differently, after a game like Spurs you want to
put it to bed as quickly as possible because you don't want to let it affect
confidence too much. We always analyse our performances after every game,
and that's no different win or lose. We already knew mainly where we went
wrong anyway."

How confident are you that you can bounce back on Sunday?

"I am very confident, I am very optimistic generally. I believe in our
players, I know what we are capable of doing. We haven't dropped in form
because it is only a few games, but we have dropped points. I am also
confident because in our last two home games, against Everton and Chelsea we
played really good so we shouldn't allow our confidence to go down."

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Diangana aiming to inspire Hammers
WHUFC.com

After his hat-trick scoring heroics last weekend, explosive winger is
looking forward to facing Arsenal's U18s at Little Heath on Saturday 28
November.
The 17-year-old flair player has been in outstanding form for the young
Hammers this season, netting six times in eleven starts. Reflecting on his
man-of-the-match display last weekend, he said: "I was very happy to score a
hat-trick last weekend, but obviously it was disappointing to lose to
Norwich, that's the main thing. "I think my first goal was definitely the
best, I've scored a few goals so far which I'm happy with. I haven't set
myself a target but I'd like to score as many as possible, and create as
many as possible too."

Diangana's creative influence has had a notable impact on the U18s this
season who after a difficult start, have won an impressive eight matches out
of the last 12 games. Despite Diangana's best efforts, the Hammers slipped
to a 4-3 defeat to Norwich City thanks to a last minute winner. This weekend
Steve Potts' side will be looking to bounce back against a skilful Arsenal
side. Looking ahead to the London derby, Diangana continued: "Arsenal are
always a passing side, they like to dominate possession, they're usually a
very good side and hard to beat. "I think everyone has been good this
season, which is why we've been doing so well lately. We're all in good
form, working hard for each other and it's paying off. "It's good to see
younger players get given opportunities, it's very important. "I really
enjoy working with Steve and Mark, it's a lot of fun. Obviously, it's
serious when it has to be and they push you to be the best you can be but I
really enjoy working with them. "A top four finish is the aim, and then
hopefully we can do well in the next phase. I'm confident in myself, my
teammates and the staff that that is something we can achieve."

As for Diangana himself, the teenager is hoping to maintain his sparkling
form for the rest of the campaign and try and force his way into the U21
side.
"I've been quite consistent this season, I'm pleased about that because
that's something I've been working on. "I've played a couple of times for
the U21s this season, the aim is definitely to play more regularly for them
and try and impress at that level. "I'd describe myself as a skillful,
attack-minded and a creative player, I like to make things happen. I really
like Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini, away from West Ham I really like
Philippe Coutinho at Liverpool too."

The West Ham United U18s host Arsenal at Little Heath on Saturday 28
November at Little Heath. Kick off is 11am, FREE admission for all fans.

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

There is no question that we are looking to bounce straight back against
West Brom on Sunday following the defeat against Spurs. I am sure we will
see a much improved performance. We have to find a way to be at our best
without Dimitri Payet and it is about finding a formation that works without
him. I am sure that Slaven would have worked that out. We looked very
comfortable before Tottenham scored their opener and you could easily argue
that it was a bit of luck that led to the first goal with a ricochet that
fell perfectly for Harry Kane. The ball bounced around in the box and on
another day it would have fallen nicely for one of our players to clear. You
could feel the disappointment among the players and we need to bounce back
quickly.
I still felt at 2-0 down that we could get back into it but the third goal
just minutes after the break killed the game. But we have a new game to
prepare for on Sunday and we will have great determination to get straight
back on the winning trail. It will not be easy as West Brom had a good
result against Arsenal last weekend and we know how Tony Pulis makes his
side hard to beat. But we have enough talented players to break them down
and we want to make the Boleyn Ground a fortress again and make us hard to
beat. We also want to attack teams and have an attacking formation. You can
see the quality from players like Zarate, Song, Lanzini who can unlock a
defence.

It is a great boost for us to see Alex Song back in first-team action and on
his day he is unplayable. I don't think anyone doubts his quality. He is as
fit as can be, but just needs more game time as he has not had a lot of
match fitness over the last six months. But I would not bet against a man of
his experience coming straight back into the team as if he has never been
away.

I know we are welcoming back some of our Cult Heroes to the Boleyn Ground on
Sunday. There is no doubt of the fondness and the relationship that fans
have with former players and it is great that there is a platform for them
to experience coming back to the stadium and sharing some of their memories
once again with the fans. My Cult Heroes go back a long way, but I will
never forget looking up to people like Eric Parsons, who was nicknamed 'The
Rabbit' and Ken Tucker who was a left winger. He was someone who I tried to
emulate. In recent times my heroes would be Sir Trevor Brooking and Alan
Devonshire. Like many supporters I will never forget Sir Trevor's winning
goal against Arsenal in the Cup Final. I hope everyone has a great day on
Sunday and we can come away celebrating another victory.

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West Ham v WBA
KO 14:05
27 November 2015

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Upton Park Date: Sunday, 29 November
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (0) & SUBSTITUTIONS (0)

TEAM NEWS

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed either Pedro Obiang or Alex Song
will start against West Brom in place of suspended captain Mark Noble.
Obiang has been out for a month with a thigh injury, while fit-again Song
made his first appearance of the season as a substitute last weekend.
Chris Brunt must serve a suspension for West Brom but Gareth McAuley is
available after a ban. Head coach Tony Pulis admits he has several players
nursing injuries.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

John Roder: "On New Year's Day, Tony Pulis was at Upton Park ahead of his
appointment as West Bromwich Albion's head coach. "The Baggies were in
trouble and had turned to the man who has never been relegated in his
managerial career to keep them in the Premier League. "Almost 11 months on,
West Brom travel to London on the back of victory over Arsenal, but Slaven
Bilic has given West Ham a fresh perspective and they come into this match
unbeaten in their last four at home. "Back on 1 January it was a 1-1 draw;
don't be surprised if it ends the same way this weekend."

Twitter: @johnrodercomm
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "The players, like the whole staff, were
hugely disappointed after the game on Sunday and angry with the way we
played [against Tottenham]. "In the last three games we have got only one
point and that is not what we want. We have a home game now and our plan is
to try to win. "We will do everything we can to bounce back on Sunday."

West Brom head coach Tony Pulis compares the club to Crystal Palace, who he
managed previously: "They are clubs who have potential to be top 10 and
better Premier League clubs, and ones which can win cup competitions.
"That's what you have to strive for but you need time. "There's a big job on
at this football club. I haven't been in the job a year yet. There are
things which can be changed and improved but that doesn't happen for a
period of time. "You have to win games to have a chance and opportunity to
change things."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

West Ham were taken apart by Spurs, and were very poor. However, the Hammers
might chuck Andy Carroll up front because they are at home on Sunday, and I
think they will pose much more of a threat this time.

Head-to-head
MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
This is the 100th meeting between the clubs in all competitions. West Brom
have registered 39 wins, one more than West Ham.
The Hammers have gone six home matches without defeat in this fixture since
a 4-3 loss in the second tier in November 2003. Albion also won at Upton
Park in the Premier League the previous year.
Six of the last nine Premier League meetings have been drawn.

West Ham
The Hammers are winless in three matches (D1, L2), their worst run under
Slaven Bilic.
They have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last eight league
games, conceding 14 goals. It's the longest current such streak in the
division.
West Ham have won just five of their last 16 Premier League games at home
(W5, D5, L6).
Bilic's side have scored in all but one game this season, a record only
bettered by Leicester.

West Bromwich Albion
Albion's five wins this season have all come by the odd goal.
West Brom's first-half record is only bettered by Manchester United. The
Baggies have been ahead in five games at half-time and behind in only two.
Four of their six clean sheets have come away - only Manchester City (5)
have more.
Saido Berahino has scored in four of his five appearances against West Ham
in all competitions.

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Slaven Bilic column: West Ham boss talks Tony Pulis, Jamie Vardy, Alex Song
and more
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

Tony Pulis gets criticised for his brand of football but he doesn't hide it,
like others. There are a lot of clubs playing exactly the same way in many
parts of the game. In England, they all sit back when opponents have a
direct attacking style. He is a great coach and a very honest man. I have
been a TV pundit with him and he called me a few times when I was at
Besiktas to ask about a few players in Turkey. He is very passionate and
understands football in many different leagues across Europe. I respect him
also because he never tells lies, even though you can bend the truth in
football when the result allows you to. His West Brom team, who we face at
Upton Park on Sunday, achieved a big win against Arsenal but he said they
were lucky and needed to defend very well. He is pragmatic. He uses what he
has to achieve reasonable objectives. When critics put a label on you, it
sticks — even if your teams are not like that week in, week out. I watched
Albion against Everton in September when they lost 3-2 at home. They were
winning 2-0 and scored the second goal after 54 minutes. They played good
football which was enjoyable to watch. They weren't 2-0 up because of
set-pieces alone or negative tactics.

Of course, Pulis's teams are very well organised. And every team in the
Premier League have quality now. They have Saido Berahino, Salomon Rondon,
Rickie Lambert and Stephane Sessegnon — all players who give them pace,
goals and a physical presence. That is the strength of this League. It has
always been the most demanding in the world. Look at the results. Crystal
Palace losing against Sunderland, Liverpool beating Manchester City — in any
other country people would think it was match-fixing!

The league that produces the Champions League winners in any given year is
usually heralded as the best but the Premier League is always the toughest.
And the greater financial income for all clubs means the smaller ones can be
stronger when it comes to the possibility of losing their best players.

Clubs have more options. They might agree to sell a player but can hold out
for a high price because they, too, have money and do not have to accept a
cheap price. Or, and this is a big difference, a club such as West Brom may
not sell at all and could still add another player to their squad.

What West Brom did with Berahino was brilliant. It is very hard to be that
resilient. It was like the situation with John Stones at Everton, who
rejected big money from Chelsea but still bought Ramiro Funes Mori for
£9.5million.

West Brom resisted Tottenham over Berahino but paid £15m for Rondon.Okay,
Berahino might go in January but if so West Brom will do it on their terms.
That is the best way to show to everybody that you are a serious, big club.

It should be like that because many 18-21-year-olds think they are bigger
than the clubs. I'm not saying that is the case with Berahino but so many
kids earn big money very young and believe they have made it.

For us, we need to get back to winning ways. We are a really good team and
have showed that on a lot of occasions this season. But we are only good if
we are totally focused, moving and thinking as a unit. We can't continue to
make individual mistakes that are leading directly to goals. The statistics
show we are by far the worst team in the League for that. Firstly, we must
stop those errors but also we have to react quicker as a team when they are
made.

We can make a mistake but it doesn't have to automatically mean a goal
against us. Take the third goal against Tottenham last weekend. James
Tomkins gave the ball away but it was not in the middle of our box. Harry
Kane scored but it was avoidable if we reacted faster to the danger from 35
yards out. Our recoveries in those situations are not good enough.

Going forward, coaches often talk about transitions and even for Barcelona
they are the most important part of the game because if you do it quickly,
your best players have the space to play. We were second best in that
aspect, too, against Spurs.

If we improve our transitions and tighten up defensively, we can get the
positive result we want.

Every player starting out should look up to Vardy

I didn't know a lot about Jamie Vardy until I began watching a DVD of
Leicester's opening game of the season against Sunderland because we were
playing them in week two. They were already well ahead in the match when he
got the ball from a throw-in just inside Sunderland's half. He sprinted all
the way down the wing, cut inside and hit the post. I called my assistants
and said: "Who is this guy?" This was in the first game of the season and he
hasn't stopped sprinting since. His story is great. He should be the example
for every kid who starts in football or is already playing in a lower
division in any country, anywhere in the world. Vardy has probably been
assessed many times by coaches, directors or agents and told he is not good
enough. He made it to the top regardless and still at a great age. He shows
you should never take the criticism as a final verdict and, equally, he is
in such good form because he has not been carried away by a lot of praise. I
hope he scores for the 11th successive Premier League game against
Manchester United to break that record.

Alex is back on song but we must still tread carefully

It is important to have Alex Song back but we have to remember he has been
out for six months and don't want to jeopardise the long-term quality of his
performances by rushing him into action. He is physically ready but short
of match fitness. We are not in pre-season so we need to find the right
opportunities for him to get some game time. We will be without our captain
Mark Noble on Sunday after he picked up five bookings and that is a blow
but, to be fair, we have a couple of options. Alex is there but we also
missed Pedro Obiang, too. He is available and has looked good in training.
Unless we change the system, it will be one of those two who replaces Mark.
Olsson's tactic is really a foul… let's not be caught out by it
We saw West Brom's set-piece tactic which helped them turn the game against
Arsenal and must be ready if they try it again on Sunday. For their
equalising goal, Jonas Olsson stood in an offside position to block off Per
Mertesacker, allowing James Morrison to run into space and volley home Chris
Brunt's free-kick. All football coaches are clever lawyers trying to find an
angle — and that's what West Brom have done here. A lot of teams do it. In
football, you have a rule about passive or active offside. It is a grey
zone. For me, offside should be offside and that is it. There is too much of
that grey zone. This tactic is a problem. Olsson is not just in an active
position — it is his assist! It should be a foul but the referee cannot see
it. And according to the rule book, he is not offside. You can stop it in a
couple of ways. Firstly, you talk to the referee to make him aware of what
is happening. Your team can also avoid it with a different type of marking.
But when you prepare players properly, they are so concentrated on the
moment, they are in a trance. They don't remember all the tactical details
you tell them. At set-pieces, they recall who to mark or what runs to make
when we have the ball and maybe they remember one combination play you told
them. But midway through the second half, when they are tired, the game is
moving at a fast pace and the crowd are up, they aren't going to remember
that Olsson is there to block off a specific player. That's why you need
your leaders on the pitch. It is impossible for all 11 to remember but your
two or three leaders must do the thinking for the rest. They have to be able
to stay calm in key moments and say, "Hey, remember what Olsson does" and
mark him differently.

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West Ham v West Brom preview: Hammers aiming to end winless run
Last Updated: 27/11/15 9:26pm
SSN

West Ham are looking to end their worst run of form this season when they
welcome West Brom to Upton Park on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. The Hammers
are without a win in three games following their defeat by Tottenham at
White Hart Lane last Sunday, and they face a West Brom side buoyed by their
recent 2-1 victory over Arsenal. After a strong start to the Premier League
season, Slaven Bilic's side have now gone eight games without a clean sheet,
a run that includes just two wins from their last seven league games,
although the form of Manuel Lanzini has been a positive.
As for the Baggies, manager Tony Pulis has them tough to beat on their
travels, and they have only lost three of their last 10 league games away
from The Hawthorns. Three wins from their last five matches has lifted West
Brom into mid-table, but they face challenging tests on the horizon with
games at Liverpool and home to Spurs to come.

Team news

Chris Brunt is suspended with Pulis also admitting he has several injury
worries. The former Stoke boss refused to name those who are doubtful, but
Gareth McAuley is available after missing the win over Arsenal through
suspension. Jonas Olsson replaced McAuley against the Gunners and impressed,
while Saido Berahino may continue on the bench with Salomon Rondon leading
the line.

Bilic has a decision to make as to who will replace suspended captain Mark
Noble. The midfielder received his fifth yellow card of the campaign in the
Hammers' loss to Tottenham, and Bilic has confirmed either Pedro Obiang or
Alex Song will start in his place. Both have been struggling with injury
this season but are available for selection, while Dimitri Payet (ankle),
Enner Valencia (ankle/foot) and Darren Randolph (knee) are all still out.

Opta stats

Six of the last nine league meetings between the two clubs have ended as
draws (West Ham two wins, West Brom one victory).

Berahino has scored in four of his five appearances against West Ham in all
competitions.

Bilic has used 26 players in the league this season, a figure only
Manchester United can match.

Only Aston Villa (34) have fired in fewer shots on target than West Brom
this season (39).

The Hammers have won just five of their last 16 top flight games at Upton
Park. (W5 D5 L6).

Lanzini has scored in each of the last three league matches when he has
played the full 90 minutes.

Merson's prediction

West Ham need to get moving. They need to win. They're starting to all of a
sudden become the team we expected them to be at the start of the season.
I know they miss Payet, but you can't rely on one player, and that's
disrespectful to the rest of the players too. West Brom had a phenomenal
result last week against Arsenal. For them to go and win was just amazing,
nobody gave them a chance. I've watched them away from home, and I know how
they play. They'll turn up, stick 10 behind the ball and frustrate West Ham.
If West Ham don't score first they're in trouble, but I think you'll see a
reaction here from the hosts.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (8/1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

Sky Bet make West Ham even-money favourites against 11/4 shots West Brom.
Four of the last five meetings have seen both teams find the net and it's
5/6 for that trend to continue.

This season the Baggies have seen only seven goals scored in their six away
matches and they are 4/1 to win by exactly one goal. It's 6/1 for a Baggies'
win and under 2.5 goals in the match.

Diafra Sakho scored the opener last season and is 11/2 to net first on
Sunday with Rondon a 9/4 shot to get his name of the scoresheet. Check out
the Sky Bet tips from pundits Jamie Redknapp, Charlie Nicholas, Matt Le
Tissier and Phil Thompson here.

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West Ham manager Slaven Bilic to be patient with Alex Song
Last Updated: 27/11/15 4:09pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic admits he will need to treat Alex Song's
return to action with caution. Song made his long-awaited comeback from an
ankle injury in last Sunday's 4-1 defeat against Tottenham, playing the
final 10 minutes at White Hart Lane following six months out. Song, on a
second season-long loan from Barcelona, is in contention to make his first
start of the season against West Bromwich Albion at the Boleyn Ground on
Sunday with captain Mark Noble ruled out because of a suspension.
Midfielder Pedro Obiang is also back in full training following four weeks
out with a thigh problem and Bilic says both players will come into his
thinking for the visit of Tony Pulis' side. "Alex [Song] is a great player,
we also have Pedro Obiang coming back too. The situations are a little bit
different given the length of injuries they had. Pedro was only out for four
weeks, now he is back and looking good in training," Bilic said. "Alex is
back in full training, he played ten minutes against Spurs and in training
he is also looking very good. We have to be patient because his break was a
lot longer, he hasn't played for almost half a year, so we will have to make
a decision between the two."

Having enjoyed a superb start to the season - winning six of their opening
10 matches - West Ham are now without a victory in their previous three
games. Despite the recent slump in results, Bilic is confident his side can
rediscover their best form and claim their first home league victory over
the Baggies since March 2013. "We've only got one point from the last three
games which is below our expectations. Every game in the Premier League is
tough, but it is still below what we wanted to achieve," he said. "We have
a home game on Sunday against a very good team, but are plan, of course, is
to win it. We need to win it because we haven't got enough recently."

Bilic added: "I am very confident, I am very optimistic generally. I believe
in our players, I know what we are capable of doing. "We haven't dropped in
form because it is only a few games, but we have dropped points. I am also
confident because in our last two home games, against Everton and Chelsea we
played really good so we shouldn't allow our confidence to go down."

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Everton, Aston Villa and West Ham eye transfer of £15m-rated Burnley striker
Andre Gray
22:30, 27 NOV 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The 24-year-old has 11 goals this season but has played for two clubs
already in the campaign so a summer move is more likely than a January one
The Mirror

Burnley hotshot Andre Gray is a wanted man again – after just three months
at Turf Moor. Everton and Aston Villa are monitoring striker Gray following
his blistering start to his Clarets career. Meanwhile West Ham are also
continuing to keep tabs on the 24 year-old, having considered a move for
Gray before he joined Burnley from Brentford. Gray has scored nine times in
just 12 starts for Sean Dyche's side this season. Gray was at the centre of
another scramble in the summer when Burnley beat Hull and Bristol City to
sign him for £9m. Gray's valuation has rocketed towards the £15m mark though
his suitors will almost certainly have to wait until next summer to make
their move. While players can be registered with three clubs in one season,
FIFA rules state they can only play for two. Gray played two games for
Brentford at the start of the campaign, scoring twice, before sealing his
switch to Turf Moor.

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Pulis on threat of Irons front man
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Brom boss Tony Pulis won't be taking Andy Carroll lightly should he
appear at any point tomorrow. The West Brom boss holds a healthy respect
both for the striker and the Hammers manager Slaven Bilic who has refused to
bow to criticism of the striker. Carroll has a fifty/fifty chance of making
the line up tomorrow but the odds are obviously high of him making an
appearance at some stage. And such is his respect for Bilic the West Brom
boss admitted: "He has been phenominally successful and it is a long haul
for a new manager at a club, however well he knows it, as Slaven does West
Ham
Of Carroll Pulis declares: "The game has evolved and it goes in circles but
Carroll's a good player whatever your ideas are. "I'm not sure if that sort
of player is dying out but he is still a useful acquisition. If you play him
the right way, he'll definitely get goals. "Whether you start with him or
bring him on, he can be effective — I really do rate him."

Bilic is under pressure to play Diafra Sakho in a central role and leave
Carroll on the bench but against a well organised and strong tackling
defence may defy expectations by choosing to go with the big man's aerial
power. He has a big call to make after gleaning just one point from three
games.

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Bilic breaks Antonio silence
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in Hugh's Blogs, News,
Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic appears to be sending out mixed messages on the future of
Michail Antonio. The manager's attitude towards the £7 million signing has
been closely examined over recent weeks and he has now broken his silence on
the player. He is reported in The Wharf as saying: " "We were short of
players in that position when we brought him to the club, then we got a few
more players in at the end of the transfer window. "He hasn't had the chance
because of the number of players we had. We were playing good and we didn't
change a lot." "I've had a few chats with him and he's working hard and is a
good player – that's why we brought him. Now we've had a few injuries that
we didn't want I've told him that his chance will come. Like any other
player he has to prove himself in training and to convince me and the member
of my staff. He's working hard and his chance will probably come soon."

It's an interesting explanation and appears to cover all ends against the
middle by declaring on the one hand his chance "will probably come soon" (my
italics) whilst at the same time saying "he has to prove he is a member of
his staff." ClaretandHugh revealed earlier today however, that the manager
had resisted the advances of five Championship clubs who had wanted to take
him in the emergency loan market so that will offer the player some hope
that he will soon be used. Michail – it would seem from that – is in the
manager's mind although at £7 million – a substantial amount of money in
West Ham terms – to still be having to prove himself is something of an
eyebrow raiser!

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Bilic plays a game of bluff with Pulis
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic and Alex Song appear to playing a game of bluff and double
bluff with West Brom over Sunday's team selection. Song has declared this
morning that he will take things slowly and on first appearances appears to
have been joined by the manager. Bilic – assessing the situation said: "It
is important to have Alex Song back but we have to remember he has been out
for six months and don't want to jeopardise the long-term quality of his
performances by rushing him into action. He is physically ready but short
of match fitness. We are not in pre-season so we need to find the right
opportunities for him to get some game time. We will be without our captain
Mark Noble on Sunday after he picked up five bookings and that is a blow
but, to be fair, we have a couple of options.

Alex is there but we also missed Pedro Obiang, too. He is available and has
looked good in training." Then comes the sting in the tail, designed of
course to keep Baggies boss Tony Pulis on the back foot when he says:
"Unless we change the system, it will be one of those two who replaces
Mark."

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FIVE clubs chase unhappy Antonio
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
EXCLUSIVE

Michail Antonio is becoming increasingly unhappy after ClaretandHugh
learned that the 25 year old has been refused the opportunity of a loan
move. ClaretandHugh revealed last night that doubts continue to grow around
his West Ham future and that the £7 million wideman could eventually be
forced into showdown talks with boss Slaven Bilic. We have learned
exclusively that no less that FIVE Championship approached the club
"desperate " to take the player on loan. But manager Bilic mad it clear
that he would not allow him to go as "he needs him" despite not having
given him a first team outing apart from a brief appearance at Manchester
City. It was described as "a strange situation" by one top insider who said:
" The manager wouldn't let him go on loan, as he said he needs him, yet he
never gives him a chance. It's strange. Five Championship clubs came in
desperate to borrow him so we wait with interest to see if he gets on
against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Obviously he's not entirely
happy!"

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Big player missing for WBA at Boleyn
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News
C and H

Influential West Brom winger/attacking Chris Brunt midfielder is banned for
Sunday's clash with the Irons at the Boleyn. And although he chose not to
name them, Tony Pulis admits he has several injury worries for the trip to
East London. Gareth McAuley is available after missing the 2-1 win over
Arsenal through suspension while Saido Berahino may continue to be benched
with Salomon Rondon leading the line.
Provisional squad: Myhill, Lindegaard, Chester, Dawson, Olsson, McAuley,
Evans, Pocognoli, Gamboa, McManaman, Gardner, Fletcher, Yacob, McClean,
Morrison, Rondon, Sessegnon, Berahino, Lambert.

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Antonio doubts grow
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Fears are growing for Michail Antonio's West Ham future with Slaven Bilic
still keeping an eye on Beskitas winger Gokhan Tore. And the one way the
Irons could move for the player would be to offload the former Forest star
who still has to make a first team debut. The Hammers have again been linked
with Everton's Kevin Miralles who was a serious target in the summer before
signing a new deal but Bilic has spoken in the past of his great admiration
for Tore. He is on the record as saying that they would love to have brought
him to Upton Park last summer but said "the timing was wrong."
But he too finds himself in the cold at Goodison and commented that he may
again have to look at his position if things haven't changed in January
after struggling to force his way into Roberto Martinez's plans. The Hammers
have repeatedly claimed they have no cash in the kitty for a transfer market
raid in January but possibly significantly have consistently refused to give
an explanation of Antonio's current position. A senior source, however,
talking to ClaretandHugh has admitted that the 25 year old is likely to have
to show to show a lot of patience before adding with heavy emphasis that
"anything is possible in this game."
And it is well known that several Premier League outfits were tracking
Antonio which acted as a spur for the Irons to move in on deadline day. Our
source said: "The lad is showing fantastic character and it can't be easy
for him. Anything is possible in this game . Many inside the club are
surprised that we haven't seen him in action at all for the first team apart
from as a sub at Manchester City. It would be good to see him get his
chance, perhaps even this weekend."

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Another Hammer goes out on loan
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News
C and H

Elliot Lee is off to Blackpool on loan. He follows Doneil Henry and Martin
Samuelsen who have joined Blackburn Rovers and Peterborough United on short
term deals. He will join up with boss Neil MacDonald has worked with the
striker before during his time at Upton Park and will be available for
Sunday's derby match with Fleetwood. The 20-year-old provides Blackpool with
another striking option after Kwame Thomas returned to Derby on Thursday.
Lee has played six times for the Hammers including competing over the summer
in the Europa League and it is hoped he will bring some goals to a side who
have lost their last seven games. He has previous Football League experience
from loan spells with Colchester, Southend and Luton.

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Midfielder plays down weekend hopes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Alex Song has dampened down hopes that he may be ready to play from the
start against West Brom on Sunday afternoon. The match – being shown live on
TV – may come to soon for the midfielder who has made it clear he won't be
rushed back into action. He played just ten minutes last week at White Hart
Lane and can expect to step up on that against Albion but is unlikely to
feature in the starting line up. Having been out of the frame for the first
three months of the season he is determined to protect himself against
further problems. And that will please Baggies boss Tont Pulis who had
commented to CaretandHugh: "He is a very very good player and one we will
eed to keep quiet should he play."
Once again Slaven Bilic has kept his team plans very much under wraps with
uncertainty surrounding possible involvement by Michail Antonio – as
reported elsewhere on the site. Son, meanwhile, taking to the official site
said: "I was happy to play the last 10 minutes against Tottenham and now I
am looking to come back slowly, step-by-step and then we will see what
happens in the future. "When I am 100 per cent fit I will be ready to play."

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Irons: "Morrison desperate to return"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have again been forced to knock back pleas that Ravel Morrison is
given another chance at the club. With the player due to leave Lazio in
January for "personal reasons" the club has elaborated on the position
surrounding the former player and England under 21 international. A top
level source revealed to ClaretandHugh that the player is desperate for the
opportunity of a second chance at the Boleyn. His enthusiasm to return has
been relayed the the club through third parties but the likelihood remains
remote after yet another failed attempt to settle into a club – this time in
Serie A. It follows well known problems at Manchester United and with the
Irons, QPR and Cardiff where he was loaned out under the former manager. Our
source explained: "He would love to return to West Ham. We have been made
very well aware of that but given his history and the fact that he is now 22
presents a problem. "We have a very settled squad and we can't afford to
take any sort of chance on it becoming unsettled."

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Zamora couldn't betray Irons roots
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News
C and H

Former Millwall boss Ian Holloway has revealed how he was unable to sign
Bobby Zamora while in charge of the club because the striker refused to
betray his West Ham roots! The 34 year old – now finding real form at
Brighton and thriving at the age of 34 – grew up as an avid Iron and remains
a Hammers favourite. Now he will go even higher in the fans' estimation
after Holloway revealed how his love of the club kept him out of Millwall.
Holloway said: "Brighton have been playing excellent football for the last
few years but they've added a couple of lethal strikers this season in Tomer
Hemed and Bobby Zamora to finish off the chances. "I signed Zamora in my
first job at Bristol Rovers when he was 17 and tried to sign him while I was
at Millwall, but he was worried about the West Ham link. "I'm glad it's
worked out for one of us! Perhaps if we got him, I'd still be Millwall
manager – but such is life. "What a fantastic player to have around the
place. He's a winner and it's always good to see a player go back to a club
where he's loved."

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