Daily WHUFC News - 26th January 2016

Antonio - We have the belief to beat anyone
WHUFC.com

West Ham United winger Michail Antonio admits his side have the belief to beat any team in the country and was disappointed they could only take a point from the Manchester City game.
Having recorded a memorable double over Liverpool and securing big wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, the Hammers winger says they were confident of coming away with another famous victory. The signs looked even better after Enner Valencia had fired the Hammers back into the lead at the start of the second half and Antonio was confident they would go on and secure all three points. But Sergio Aguero stole the headlines once again with a late equaliser and the players had to settle for a draw. With the club still in the top six and a big Emirates FA Cup tie against Liverpool on Saturday, Antonio says they are confident of enjoying a successful end to the campaign. Antonio said: "We are definitely heading in the right direction. It says a lot when we are disappointed to have only come away with a point against Manchester City. "We have got that belief that we can beat the top teams. We are just taking it game by game and trying to play well in every game that we play to help us come away with the three points. "We are quite disappointed that we could not come away with three points as we had enough opportunities to win the game. "They didn't have many chances and obviously had a penalty for the first goal and a scrappy for the second, so we feel it is two points dropped. "It was one of those days where it started a bit hectic. We scored an early goal and then they scored a penalty. "The game evened out a bit and then we managed to get a second. I thought we were going to hold out and then they got a ricochet goal which is disappointing but we have to move on."

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West Ham United 3 Cambridge United 1
WHUFC.com


West Ham United 3 Cambridge United 1
Stewart 47, Pearson 61, Neighbour 70 Biley 36

Friday 21 December 1979, Football League Division Two

West Ham United: Phil Parkes, Ray Stewart, Frank Lampard, Billy Bonds, Alvin Martin, Alan Devonshire, Paul Allen, Stuart Pearson, David Cross (Geoff Pike), Trevor Brooking, Jimmy Neighbour

Cambridge United: Malcolm Webster, Dave Stringer, Derrick Christie (Chris Turner), Jimmy Calderwood, Steve Fallon, John O'Neill, Alan Biley, Steve Spriggs, George Reilly, Roger Gibbins, James Murray

For decades, football clubs all over the world have been devising new and innovative ways to tempt more supporters to attend their matches. West Ham United are no different, with a wide variety of memberships and ticket offers being utilised to attract fans to the Boleyn Ground. At various times of the season, crowds dwindle due to external circumstances – summer holidays in August and the pre-Christmas period to name but two. In December 1979, the Board took drastic action to try to avoid the loss of supporters to the shops by moving the Division Two fixture with Cambridge United forward from the traditional Saturday afternoon to Friday evening. In an editorial entitled 'Experiment Night' the matchday programme, the Club explained the move, while also alluding to the changing social trends of the time. "Tonight's match is part of an experiment that has been suggested to combat the 'Saturday before Christmas' decline in attendance at League matches. "For many years it has been a fact that during this weekend the demands of Christmas shopping have often outweighed the ability of some regular fans to attend League games on the Saturday afternoon. "In what were known as the 'good old days' the local High Street shops remained open at this time for much longer on pre-Christmas evenings."

It was not just the opening hours which had encouraged the Club to take action, though, as the editorial explained: "Nowadays, many more wives go to soccer, and other demands (such as part-time jobs) have also changed former habits. "So, to use a traditional English expression, 'if the mountain won't come to Mahomet, then Mohamet must go to the mountain'. In other words, soccer is having to accommodate itself to modern times."

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From the Terraces - Tony McDonald
WHUFC.com

EX Magazine editor Tony McDonald has penned an emotional new book entitled Upton Park Memories...

As first-time experiences go, my first visit to Upton Park will take some beating. It was Monday, August 26, 1968 and we brushed aside Burnley, 5-2, under the lights with goals from Geoff Hurst (2), Trevor Brooking (2) and Martin Peters. I watched with my dad Terry, a West Ham youth team product in the mid-50s, from our wooden seats quite close to the front of 'A' Block in the upper West Stand. But I remember very little of the game itself, except two teams wearing different combinations of the same colours. Even at the tender age of eight, I should have realised then that it was typical of West Ham to whack Burnley for five just a week after slumping to a 4-1 home defeat by Everton. After battering Burnley, we then walloped West Brom 4-0 in the next home game. It was all downhill from there!

Seriously, though, how lucky was I to begin my indoctrination watching Bobby Moore, Hurst and Peters on a regular basis, plus the emergence of Brooking, Billy Bonds and Frank Lampard – six Hammers legends playing together in one season, not forgetting steady Ron Boyce. No wonder I'm so difficult to please these days. That side didn't win any trophies but, under Ron Greenwood, it always attempted to play in an attacking, enterprising style that was easy on the eye. The 'West Ham Way', we called it.

Us little kids had to be at the ground by around lunch-time on Saturdays to guarantee a place on the wall at the front of the South Bank terrace, the vantage point from where I watched most games in that first starry-eyed 1968/69 season. The crowd was so close to the pitch, you could actually pat goalkeeper Bobby Ferguson on the back when he started his run-up before taking a goal-kick.

It was at that end of the ground that Hurst and Peters delivered pinpoint crosses for each other to head the goals that gave us a 2-0 lead in 15 minutes against Manchester City in November '68 (Francis Lee converted a late consolation penalty for the visitors). To think, the then new £170,000 East Stand had still not been fully opened – only the terraced area on the lower tier was ready – and in just a few months from now no-one will watch matches from there or anywhere else in this stadium again.

Author: Tony McDonald
From 1987 until 2005 it became my great privilege to interview or write about all the greats mentioned earlier, and countless others who have worn the shirt or managed West Ham, in my role as editor of the Club's official monthly magazine and match day programme; and now for our retro EX-Hammers mag that it still going strong after 13 years.

Players and managers come and go but fans remain constant. That's why it has been such a pleasure to put together and self-publish our brand new book, Upton Park Memories – a 372-page, full colour hardback tome crammed with stories and anecdotes as told by 200-plus supporters whose devotion to all things Claret and Blue spans every decade the Hammers have spent here at the Boleyn Ground.

Their shared experiences form a unique legacy and the typical characteristics of being a Hammer – loyalty, fighting spirit and self-deprecating Cockney humour – leap from every page of what is, just like supporting our team, an emotional rollercoaster.

To order Upton Park Memories direct from the publisher for £20 (£5 off the RRP and with free P&P in the UK), phone 01708 744 333 or go online at www.ex-hammers.com. Alternatively send cheque for £20 (payable to Football World) to: Football World (Upton Park Memories), 103 Douglas Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1AW.

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Fans' forum with DG, Ginge, Dicks and Antonio
WHUFC.com

Do you have a burning question for Joint-Chairman David Gold, Julian Dicks, James Collins or Michail Antonio?

If you are a Season Ticket Holder, Academy Member, Corporate Seasonal Member or New Stadium Season Ticket Priority List member, you could ask them in person at an exclusive free fans' forum bought to you by Betway on Wednesday 3 February at the Boleyn Ground.

The trio will appear at the Legends Lounge to answer questions on a whole manner of subjects, dictated by you. Arrival is from 6.30pm and the event starts at 7pm, with a brief opportunity for photos with the players from 6.45pm.

Tickets will be allocated on a strictly first-come, first-served basis at a rate of one per successful applicant. Please note, Under-16s must be accompanied by an Adult Season Ticket Holder.

To secure one of the places available for this exclusive event, please call the Ticket Office on 0871 529 1966 and select Option 3*. The Club will announce, via whufc.com, as and when all spaces are filled.

Supporters can pick up their free tickets at the Betway Stand Ticket Office too.

Supporters who have secured tickets for the event can submit questions for consideration by emailing supporterservices@westhamunited.co.uk, clearly stating if it is for Mr Gold, Julian Dicks, James Collins or Michail Antonio.

Please ensure you include 'Fans' Form' in the subject of the email otherwise we cannot guarantee your question will be received.

If your question is selected we will then come to you on the night so please ensure you remember what you send in! The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Monday 1 February so please make sure your email reaches us by then.

*Calls are charged at 13p/min plus your phone company's access charge

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U18s secure Saints success
WHUFC.com

A last-minute winner from Jahmal Hector-Ingram saw West Ham United score a fine 2-1 Barclays U18 Premier League Southern Division victory over Southampton on Saturday. The Hammers had fallen behind before half-time, but produced a superb second-half comeback to make it back-to-back victories following a win at Reading the previous weekend. Southampton started the better of the two sides at Little Heath and Latvian goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics had already saved from Yan Valery before Ollie Cook scored nine minutes before half-time. West Ham hit back after the break and levelled on the hour-mark when impressive winger Dan Kemp switched flanks to good effect and hit a shot which took a wicked deflection to loop over Jake Hallett and level the scores. The hosts applied plenty of pressure after their equaliser, though the Saints seemed to stem the tide and even created chances of their own, with Thomas O'Connor striking an effort narrowly wide. With time running out, a long ball forward was seized upon by England youth international Hector-Ingram, who got free of the last defender before slotting the ball in under Hallett for the match-winner. While Southampton slipped to a seventh consecutive defeat and remain second-bottom, West Ham's second straight win lifted them to fifth in the table.

U18s: Matrevics, Eggleton (Madden 74), Borg, Carter (c), Akinola, Rice, Kanu, Lewis (Coventry 46), Hector-Ingram, Ford (Diangana 55), Kemp
Subs not used: Jake Leonard, Ben Johnson

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ExWHUEmployee Column: Forward situation-lots of ifs and buts
January 25, 2016
The WestHamWay.co.uk
ExWHUEmployee

So what a performance that was against Manchester City. We played really well and there were some brilliant performances. I know people find this hard to admit but I thought Mark Noble was superb, he won the ball countless times and started the attacks as well. He was everywhere and I am glad that some people in the press picked up on this. I thought his performance was also alongside Alex Song's best game for us in a long time. He finally seemed to be up to match fitness and again Kouyate played well too. I really thought he had scored at the end and it took me a long time to take my head out of my hands. I felt really sorry for Obiang being dropped as he had played really well but the performances of the other three made that look the correct decision.

I really thought Sam Bryam played really well after his unexpected early start to his West Ham career, he showed confidence and composure considering this was his first ever game for the club and in the Premier League. Martinez comments that he didn't really want him were just bitter and as I had said since November he was always our top target and he always wanted to join us and not Everton. The deal was in place for him to join Everton but he held on to our offer and until we could get it spot on. This leads me nicely onto transfers and the common theme here is that it is a domino effect.

We didn't want to sign Byram now, we wanted to sign him in the summer so we originally looked to loan him back to Leeds but they didn't want that and wanted the cash. We couldn't afford to bring him in/keep him this January unless a player moved on. We have secured him on a deal worth an initial wage of £25k a week going to £30k on clauses. As I have reported this window the players that we considered moving on were Jelavic, Song and Zarate. Jelavic had a move lined up to China where they would pay big money, but the club involved were going to offset that by trying to sign him on a free transfer. We paid approximately £3m for him at the end of the summer window so wanted some cash back for the player and wouldn't agree the move until this happened so this has ruled out his move so far.

Alex Song's agent had been in contact with other clubs and there was some interest being shown in him which we had considered. Song hadn't been on form at all and had looked a shadow of this former self. The interest appears to have died down and his performance against Manchester City probably means he is staying for the rest of the window.

This leads onto Zarate. Some initial interest was shown from Spanish clubs but again they didn't want to offer a huge amount in transfer fees so we had to take a slightly lower asking price than we would have liked to Zarate from Fiorentina but we wanted to move him on quickly. This has therefore freed up cash now because Zarate was on a lot more than Byram is now on. This has released some cash for us to sign another forward depending on what can be agreed with their club.

The number one target was Emineke as I reported last week. He would join on loan with a view to move in the summer. There are however issues with securing the deal with his club because they are demanding more of a fee than we expected plus a greater percentage of wages than we originally thought. There is also some baggage that he needs to sort out. We are currently locked into negotiations with his club and we are "close ish" to securing a move.

This has meant we have turned our attention elsewhere and revisited the previous target of Yilmaz. It hasn't been as close as had been reported previously and claims by some ITKs that both deals would be completed today (Sunday) were very far from the mark and guesses. This is not to say that we are not interested in Yilmaz, we are. A number of things need to be sorted before then. If Jelavic has a transfer fee in for him we could sign both players and as I said it is like dominos but if he doesn't then it changes things. Needless to say the chairman is working long and hard again.

Originally Emineke was first choice if that can't be sorted then we may look elsewhere. At the moment a number of things need to happen and this means the transfer situation could change very quickly, all of a sudden or not at all. I know this sounds vague but this is where it stands. There is also the dilemma that Valencia is now scoring, Jelavic has chipped in and Carroll and Sakho are not that far off returning from injury so do we need another forward?

There should be an announcement soon on the company who has won the rights to the Olympic stadiums naming rights and licensing. This announcement could come tomorrow and there has been some big name players involved. The company that has won is a major global force and this will be great for the club. The naming rights of the stadium will go to a poll of supporters and will be something that is the fans decision. I cannot say who it is because of the media implications but it shouldn't disappoint.

As far as the site goes we will have some videos to upload tomorrow with interviews from the Sullivan's, The Rib man and Jonjo Heuerman and his dad! We are hoping to do a bit more things like this but time will tell. I will try to update the transfer situation tomorrow should it change.

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LLDC veto West Ham's veto
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

The London Legacy Development Corporation has told an Olympic Stadium appeal hearing that West Ham United do NOT have the power to prevent other clubs from using the Olympic Stadium. West Ham have long insisted that the club has the power to prevent any other football club from sharing the Olympic Stadium. However that view is set to be challenged following a tribunal held in London this morning to determine whether the club and the LLDC were within their rights to withhold details pertaining to United's lease of the stadium. According to reports, the LLDC are understood to have told the hearing that West Ham do not have a veto on ground-sharing - and that both Tottenham and Chelsea could be offered a temporary home in Stratford whilst the redevelopment of White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge takes place. Back in September 2014, West Ham vice chair Karren Brady insisted that the club had the power to veto any potential ground-share. "In reality they [Tottenham] probably could [ground share the Olympic Stadium] – but only with our permission," she said. "No one has asked us for our permission and, if they did, we would probably say no, depending on who it is – if you get my drift. "We are the anchor tenant for the winter matches and nothing else can happen in that time without our permission and our football matches take priority over everything else."

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Yilmaz on but Emenike deal stalls
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has admitted that the move to sign Emmanuel Emenike is in the balance - but insists he has other irons in the fire ahead of next week's transfer deadline. Bilic, speaking to Turkish sports outlet Fanatik confirmed that the move to sign the Fenerbahce striker was far from complete. "There is no clear agreement about Emenike," he said. "He is an important player but Fenerbahçe may need another striker first, so it's by no means certain that they will release him."
However there was somewhat better news with regards to fellow forward Burak Yilmaz, who KUMB revealed last week was being monitored by West Ham. "Yilmaz is a very good footballer," added Bilic. "He's an excellent striker and among the fittest of players. I know him very well and I admit that he is one of the names in our list. "But he is not the only player on our list. If we decide to take one striker, then we can take action."
Yilmaz, who has been linked with a €10million move to east London was spotted waving to Gala fans at the end of their 3-2 defeat at Osmanlispor on Saturday - a clear indication that he is set to leave the club, according to some Turkish supporters.

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Monday musings: a team to be reckoned with
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th January 2016
By: Graeme Howlett

That he and thousands of Irons supporters were left hugely frustrated by West Ham's 2-2 draw with title-chasing Manchester City at the Boleyn on Saturday afternoon was a mark of the steady progression the club has made under Slaven Bilic since he succeeded Sam Allardyce last summer. Despite having taken the lead twice, and initially within the opening 60 seconds, West Ham were pegged back on both occasions and ultimately forced to settle for a point against the Premier League title favourites. And although most Hammers fans will be happy at having taken four points from City this season, it could quite easily have been six out of six. Illustrating that the 2-1 win at the City of Manchester Stadium last September was no fluke, Bilic's side were more than a match for one of the world's most expensively-assembled football teams as the Boleyn Ground, whose time is nigh, was treated to at least one more fantastic game of football.
Enner Valencia, criticised in months gone by but answering his critics - myself included - in the perfect way was West Ham's hero, scoring either side of the interval. Unfortunately the in-form and ever-dangerous Sergio Aguero matched the Ecuador international every step of the way, grabbing a brace for the visitors, hitting the post and virtually saving them a point single-handedly.

But it wasn't just Valencia's goals that gave Hammers fans cause for further hope and optimism. Dimitri Payet - probably playing at his creative zenith at the age of 28 - dished up a stunning performance for his adoring public, who lapped up his repertoire of tricks with which he bamboozled City's superstars. Meanwhile Alex Song - the choice of many for Man of the Match - was back to his very best, whilst 22-year-old Sam Byram produced a thoroughly impressive debut for a youngster who was facing former Hammer Freddie Sears - rather than the likes of Aguero and David SIlva - in his last competitive outing (for Leeds at Ipswich in the Championship). Whereas a win against the Citizens would have kept West Ham hot on the heels of fourth-placed Tottenham, a Champions League place is looking less likely now as a result of the two points dropped - although Europa League qualification is still an achievable target, with Manchester United floundering in fifth place (one place and one point above the Hammers). However it's to the FA Cup that eyes turn next, as West Ham attempt to beat Liverpool for a third time this season when the two sides meet this coming Saturday. Even though West Ham's 3-0 win on Merseyside back in August was their first at Anfield since 1963, it'll take a brave man to bet against one of the most exciting United teams produced in the last 30 years.

*An abridged version of this article first appeared in the Echo newspaper.

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Frustrated Hammers look at options
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H


West Ham have still had no answers from Fenerbache on their ambitions to bring Emmanuel Emenike to the club on loan. And the club's negotiators are continuing use Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz as ther 'back stop ' position should the they get no change on the Emenike situation. However, Burak Yilmaz was described as nd more than "a consideration" when we spoke to our sources inside the club late this afternoon (Mon). Interestingly – as this is not usually the case – the Hammers are quite strong on waning to sign Emenike to a permanent deal at the end of the three month loan period if they get the chance. But as ClaretandHugh explained a few days ago, the signing is complicated by neither his parent club, Fenerbahce, or the UAE club Al Ain, where he is on loan, seemingly want to talk. Slaven Bilic likes the player a lot and intends to pursue the deal for as long as possible before possibly turning to Yilmaz although we were told this evening that the club have a third "scenario we are following."
However, our source refused to give a name declaring that it really was a top secret operation at this stage.

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Irons confident FA Cup allocation will sell out
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are struggling to sell their allocation of 3,000 tickets for the FA Cup encounter with Liverpool at Anfield this weekend.

This morning at 9am when the tickets went on sale to Academy members only 2,536 tickets had been sold from the 3,000 allocation.

A source close to the ticket office told ClaretandHugh "We will comfortably reach general sale tomorrow so it would suggest, despite the outrage online, the demand is being satisfied by the allocation we have taken as we know the most dedicated and committed fans are the paying Season ticket holders or Academy Members.

We naturally had the right to the 15% and kept this option until after the priority point deadline had passed to help us gauge demand and at that stage it showed, as the above sales figures supports, there was not the need to commit to 6000 tickets on a sale only policy."

liverpoolThere was outrage on social media last week when it was revealed that West Ham had only taken an allocation of 3,000. Exeter City took an initial allocation of 4,000 which they later increased to 6,000. On this occasion, taking into account it will be broadcast live on BT Sport, it appears the club got it right.

Our source added: "As always, the board will take the highest away allocation wherever possible, and at times we must point out there is only so much the club can do to keep the fans happy while maintaining the board's policy of keeping the club solvent and having to pay for unsold/unrequired away tickets."

lanziniAn email reply sent to fans who complained to ticket office about the Anfield allocation read:

"Thank you for your time and email I understand you are aggrieved at the potential allocation for Liverpool but I just wanted to briefly explain this is based on several factors; not only the lack of transport options on the return journey, the TV selection impact this has on attendance, January being a difficult month for many fans post-Christmas and this historically impacting ticket sales but also recent demand.

For our visit to Anfield which was a 3pm kick off in August this season out of the 3,000 allocation we only actually sold and took 2,345 fans.

For this tie we naturally still hold the right to take the full 15% allocation and have discussed this with Liverpool ahead of this allocation informing them that if demand surpasses expectations and we need more then we will react accordingly but as expected early indications show that this fixture will reach general sale comfortably as it did earlier in the season."

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Brady confident on £20m striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in News
C and H

Karren Brady believes David Sullivan's track record in the transfer market will ensure that we grab the £20 million "twenty goals a season striker" he has regularly discussed over recent days. Brady – in a recent column – declared that having landed No 1 target Dimi Payet in 48 hours "I am sure he will demonstrate that nous again this summer, with plans to spend £20m plus on a proven forward. She said: "Dimitri Payet, for instance, had long been a player David admired.so, when Slaven Bilic cited him as his No¿1 target, David secured his signature within 48 hours." She claimed that the midfielder had been "plucked from under the noses of so-called bigger clubs for just over .and said: "Signing of the summer, they call him. "David has revamped our transfer strategy and scouting set-up and is heavily involved in the Academy. Effectively, he is the director of football It is no coincidence that formerly unheralded Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho, Adrian, Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell have been a revelation. And I am sure he will demonstrate that nous again this summer, with plans to spend £20m plus on a proven forward."

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Leroy puts huge fee on Hammers star
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in Leroy's Blogs, News, Whispers
C and H

We were magnificent against Manchester City and should have won. Without that pest Aguero we would have done. But Saturday evening should have finally convinced the manager and the players that they are now a top six side and the confidence factor has set them up brilliantly for the rest of the season. We have yet to be beaten by Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea – how long is it since we've been able to say such a thing. Dimitri Payet was the man of the match but Cheik Kouyate had another powerhouse game in the middle of the park – he is an outstanding player and is everything that the very disappointing Yaya Toure was a few years back. His runs and storming approach to the game had City at full stretch throughout and frankly I believe he is now a £40 million player. There's not a club in England or Europe who wouldn't want the guy in his team. I love him and his approach to the game. He's brilliant.
He can play in midfield at the back and if he was asked to would go and do a job at centre forward. It was a brilliant piece of work by the chairman to bring him in for £7 million. I will discuss Payet and why I believe he is a Hammer for a good long time in a column later today. This is the best West Ham squad for years and years and I think we can stop talking about joining the big clubs – we have arrived this season and there's so much more to come. If you feel I'm a bit OTT today fair enough. I don't agree. This really is a great Hammers squad and the sky truly is the limit.

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Hammers wait on loan striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham still have Emmanuel Emenike as their No 1 loan striker prospect but are still waiting to get answers from Fenerbache. We reported over the weekend there were problems in reaching the Fenerbache negotiating team and we understand that there have still been no meaningful discussions on a possible switch. The Hammers want to do a loan until the end of the season with an option to buy although with a 20 goals a season striker on their minds at around £20 million that only has a 50/50 chance of happening. Meanwhile the club continues to be linked with a move for Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz although that has never been confirmed by club insiders. And Slaven Bilic publicly declared recently: ""At the moment it is only rumours. He is a very important player for Galatasary and we are well covered in those positions. "We are still expecting all our strikers to come back from injury in a couple of weeks time. Players like Yilmaz are always linked with clubs, not just West Ham." Yilmaz is 31 in July and could not be seen as a permanent signing on that basis alone – at best he may be a last ditch option were the Emenike loan hopes to crash. Bilic now has to decide whether he is ready to take on anther striker or stick with what he's got as Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll approach fitness.

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Song on Byram
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in News
C and H

Alex Song was back to his best against Manchester City and picked up the man of the match award. All the majestic poise and composure was in place as he showed the club he is ready to fight until the end of the season for the long term deal he is desperate to land. But he was as concerned and pleased with another Iron's performance as his own and was fulsome in his praise for new boy Sam Byram. He said: "Jenks was injured, but we have a young player who came in for his first game, it was brilliant." Song told West Ham TV. "He shows he's not scared of anything. It was a very good start for him and I told him 'good luck, you have a very good future." And on the performance generally he added: "We're doing very good things when we start and at the end of the game. Maybe sometimes we lose a bit, maybe one second, we lose concentration and they scored again, but sometimes this happens. We have to keep focused to look forward to the next step. "But it's good as well that we didn't lose, we have to look forward, we have to produce the same performance when we play away like we did on Saturday."

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Song told 'one swallow doesn't make a summer'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 25, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Alex Song will need to maintain the level of performance he he displayed in his man of the match display against Manchester City on Saturday evening if he is to cash in with a permanent deal at the end of the season. Song looked to be returning to his best although some were surprised he picked up the award ahead of goalscorer Enner Valencia and inspirational Dimi Payet.
The club are monitoring Song's performances carefully indeed but one insider said to us this afternoon "One swallow doesn't make a summer does it?" The Hammers have the option to buy at the end of the season and it was made clear he will need to stay at this level or better to get his deal. Our source said: "It's obvious the club would love to get him on a permanent deal if he can keep things going – he likes us. We like him. It's while we even signed him to a loan deal whilst he was injured. However, the pressure is truly on Alex and every other player as we are slowly developing into a very good top six team and in those circumstances every player has to be on his game all the time. "We have no reason to make a decision at this stage – we will watch him, assess him and make our decision in the summer."

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WHAT NEXT FOR CARL JENKINSON?
By Iain Dale 25 Jan 2016 at 18:00 305 comments
WTID

Guest Post by East Coast Claret

Jenks, what now?

I, like most others on here, am enjoying our current season and the future it holds, what with an honest and exciting manager, great players wanting to play for our shirt and the move to the OS.However all is not well for everybody, and so I am drawn to write my first ever article for the WHTID faithful. Be gentle guys as I bruise like a peach….

After doing so well, Jenkinsons footballing life seems to have hit the proverbial brick wall. Owned by Arsenal and with no chance of first team football West Ham took him on loan. Used extensively and with a first team place pretty much guaranteed,life was looking good, the fans spoke highly of him, his play improved, staff at the club liked him and he seemed to have a good attitude. Then at the end of last season,it all appeared to go wrong.

Whilst most of us thought at the end of his loan deal, his own contract running down and no real interest from Arsenal he would make moves towards a more permanent place with us. The attraction for him to sign permanently,for us, seemed obvious, New manager with a different,exciting outlook to the way we play, an outstanding brand new stadium on the horizon, and new exciting players on the way in. However, the gunners draw must have been strong for Jenks as the Arsenal boy went and signed a long contract with them on improved money. I don't blame him as I'm sure his advisors would have helped in his decision, but I do wonder if he considered where it would place him in the grand scheme of things. Again, with no hope of first team football at his parent club, a decision was made to resign for West Ham on loan, but things have changed at West Ham. In my view, his adopted home resented him for not looking more favourably towards us. He is costing us more money whilst we drive up his value to the Arsenal. Something had to change so we started looking for a replacement, and horror of horrors his form dropped. Suddenly, I feel, he realised his mistake. His wages are so high and with a laughable price tag put up by Wenger, no one will buy him, Arsenal don't want him, and West Ham are done with him at the end of the season.

Tomkins, a centre-back, is played instead of him at every opportunity and his confidence is shot to pieces. Then to compound the problem, Byram comes up six months early and is snapped up from under Everton's nose. Pressure builds up to the Man City game, Tonks can't play, time to step up and prove his worth and his place and then, in nine minutes, it all comes crashing down by him giving away a penalty and in doing so injures himself. His body language tells me he is but a shadow of himself and cannot wait to get off the pitch. To further crush his already shattered confidence, he then watches Byram play a blinding debut.

So what happens now? It seems such a shame I think his season with us is all but limited to a peripheral role, at best third choice. I really cannot see Arsenal including him in their plans, and his financial arrangements make him a very expensive loan deal. I still think he is a good player and with his confidence built back up could be of use to us, but what of next season? How can he resurrect his career and with which club? Could he, if a more realistic price tag is attached, be a permanent hammer?

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Richard Keys reluctantly dedicates two words to West Ham in his blog
HITC
Tim Poole

The presenter has been discussing West Ham's Premier League season so far. Richard Keys believes West Ham United were 'very good' this weekend, according to his personal blog. But that's all the presenter said as he reluctantly dedicated two words to the east London club. Keys wrote: "Leicester. Terrific. Keep it going lads. West Ham - very good." Now, a line like that normally isn't headline stuff. But Keys praising the Hammers is almost as big of a shock as Mark Lawrenson doing so. And the fact West Ham only get two words during a blog that's far longer than usual from Keys probably bares significance. Indeed, Keys has spent all season sticking to his 'prediction' that the east London side will fall down the table and, ultimately, regret letting Sam Allardyce go and replacing him with current head coach Slaven Bilic. It's only natural, then, that the presenter says less and less about West Ham until their next bad result comes along. That weekend, there will be a whole article dedicated to them. When they win again, likely silence...

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West Ham United tracking Marseille winger Georges-Kevin N'Koudou
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United are apparently keen to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window. According to the Guardian, West Ham United are scouting Marseille winger Georges-Kevin N'Koudou.
The Hammers had scouts at Marseille's most recent match, with the 20-year-old believed to be the player they had their eyes on. N'Koudou has been one of the most dangerous attacking threats in France this season, despite playing for a Marseille side who have struggled to live up to expectations. The youngster has scored eight times and claimed four assists in just 21 appearances in domestic and European competition. West Ham already have some excellent wing options at the club, but Slaven Bilic is keen to strengthen his squad even further. The Hammers realise that they have an opportunity to make it into Europe this season, and are prepared to invest to try to put themselves in the best position to establish a place in the top six.
West Ham have already signed Sam Byram from Leeds United, while Sky Sports suggests that they want Emmanuel Emenike.

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West Ham won't miss Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll with Enner Valencia hitting form
GiveMeFootball.com

Last season, West Ham fell away in the second half of the season with both Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll spending time out injured. This time out, the pair are out injured at the same time again, but after Enner Valencia looked at his best in scoring twice against Manchester City, it could be a different story this time around. So far this season, West Ham have been superb. Slaven Bilic has bought a new attacking brand of football to Upton Park and they are flying high in the Premier League. If they can keep this form up in the second half of the campaign, they could be in with an outside shot of the Champions League places.
In terms of goals, Carroll and Sakho have only got six between them this season. However, they both offer different things to their side. Sakho works well with the side's fellow attacking players, as he fits well with the style alongside the likes of Dimitri Payet and Victor Moses. His pace and ability to run in behind means he can get involved with the link-up play in the team. Carroll is a totally different animal. He plays the role as a target man as well as almost any other striker in the league. This was abundantly clear against Chelsea earlier on this season, where he rose highest to head home the winner.

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Slaven Bilic confirms Burak Yilmaz is on West Ham transfer list
Posted by Emre Sarigul January 25, 2016
turkishfootball.com

Slaven Bilic has responded to transfer speculation regarding West Ham making an offer for Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz confirming that the Turkish international is on his transfer list.
Bilic told Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik: "Burak Yilmaz is one of the players currently on our transfer list." The West Ham boss also revealed that he is a fan of the Galatasaray striker and has been since working in Turkey as Besiktas manager. Bilic spent two seasons coaching the Black Eagles during his time in Turkey. "Burak Yilmaz is a very good player he is a great forward and has been in excellent form I know him very well," he added. West Ham are reported to have made a €7 million bid for the prolific striker according to the Hurriyet.
Yilmaz has a prolific goal scoring record hitting the back of the net 81 times in 140 games for Galatasaray winning two league titles and years of Champions League experience. The 30-year-old striker also had an impressive goal record at Trabzonspor scoreing 58 times in 93 games for the Black Sea Storm. Yilmaz also has 19 international goals in 42 games for the Turkish national team.

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West Ham's Winston returns for a 'ding dong' clash with Manchester City
Newham Recorder
13:30 25 January 2016 Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent

West Ham defender Winston Reid had battled with Sergio Aguero for 90 minutes on Saturday evening, seen him score two goals as the Hammers were pegged back twice, but surprisingly it was not the little Argentinian striker that had really troubled him most. "I think he is dangerous from the point of view that when he gets the ball in your half, you need to be tight to him, but for me it was more the second wave that comes at you from midfield," explained the 27-year-old, who has played over 150 games in claret and blue. "You have to watch where the runs are coming from and with the second goal, it is trying to get the blocks in. Aaron (Cresswell) tried to get a block in and it went straight to Aguero and sometimes that is the luck of the draw."
It certainly is, but despite that late equaliser, Reid thought that it was an excellent game and a good performance. Manchester City's Sergio Aguero scores his side's second goal of the game during the Barclays Premier League match at Upton Park, London.Manchester City's Sergio Aguero scores his side's second goal of the game during the Barclays Premier League match at Upton Park, London. "It was a bit of a ding dong game and they are a tough team to play against," he said. "We had other chances too and it showed what a class keeper Joe Hart is that he saved Dimi's (Payet's) free kick. It was right in the top corner. "At the end we had a chance with Cheikhou Kouyate, but it wasn't to be. It was a good performance and we needed to bounce back from the disappointment against Newcastle. "It was a great game for the fans and it shows how far we have come as a team to be disappointed in not winning against a team like Man City."

He is absolutely right and it shows just how good team spirit is in the camp, that someone with the quality of Reid can be left out for a couple of games and not be banging on the manager's door demanding to be reinstated. "I haven't been frustrated, no," insisted Reid. "I spoke to the manager and he told me how the situation was. The defence has been doing really well since I have been out and I said to him that it is not a problem, when I am needed he can call upon me to play. "Everyone wants to play of course, but I know the situation. I trained hard and it gave me a couple of extra weeks to get my fitness back up."

It was Angelo Ogbonna who was the unlucky one who dropped out for this game, but now Reid is back in the starting line-up, it will be difficult to remove him. "It has been a little while since I played against Wolves, but I felt ok after the City game," he said. "It did help me that I trained fully for a couple of weeks, but I know I can get better and will do over the coming games." Few would doubt that and with Ogbonna, James Collins and James Tomkins all vying for two places, it seems that West Ham have never had it so good for central defenders.

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Mario Balotelli set for shock Liverpool return with West Ham and West Brom keen
MARIO BALOTELLI is close to a return to Liverpool as AC Milan consider terminating his loan deal.
By UCHE AMAKO
PUBLISHED: 11:43, Mon, Jan 25, 2016 | UPDATED: 12:14, Mon, Jan 25, 2016
Express

Mario Balotelli could be on his way back to Liverpool. The Italian joined the Reds in the summer of 2014 for £16m but failed to impress and was sent back on a season-long loan to Milan.
On Saturday, the 25-year-old came on as a second-half substitute for Milan in a 2-2 draw with Empoli after missing the last few months through injury. But according to reports in Italy, the Serie A side are ready to end the loan move early. Italian website Calciomercato say Balotelli's representatives are pushing for a return to England with West Ham and West Brom among the clubs interested in taking the player before the end of the transfer window. Earlier this month Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked as Liverpool boss in last October, admitted he was forced to sign Balotelli after they missed out on Alexis Sanchez to Arsenal. He said: "We needed a player who could press at the top of the pitch; it wasn't just a goalscorer we were after because Luis Suárez was giving us so much more than that. "After a friendly against Milan I was asked the question and I felt Mario wasn't someone who suited the profile of what we were after. But come the end of the summer when we were struggling to get in the type of player we wanted, the ownership thought this was perhaps a player I could develop. "He's a wonderful talent, there's no doubt about that; you see him on the training ground every day – tall, strong, great touch. They were thinking this is a £50m player we could maybe get for £16m.
"When the owners are wanting you to go down that route and there's no other option, you give it a go."

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DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART (AGAIN)
By Mike Ireson 25 Jan 2016 at 12:00
WTID

Ok Exeter City, you had your chance, in fact you had 2. But you blew it, and in to my little black book you go. You join in the little black book of irrational hatred the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Kevin Costner, James Nesbitt and Bono to name but a few. And the reason for your entry? Well I'm afraid that is because you failed to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup. A little harsh? Absolutely not. Because now West Ham must play Liverpool in the cup with live TV coverage, and that means 'it' will be dragged up and raked over. Again and again. 'It' still upsets me, 'it' gives me a horrible feeling in my stomach. 'It' is the day my footballing heart was broken.

On the 7th January 2006 I and my sons had a pleasant drive in to Norfolk to see West Ham beat Norwich 2-1 at Carrow Road in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. From what I remember it wasn't a bad affair and it was just a routine away game. In the words of every rubbish horror movie tag line you have ever seen – little did we know what it would lead to. Fast forward 3 and a bit months and my boys and I were at Villa Park. The FA Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough. I had a tear in my eye.

Nothing to do with the football, that was because of the tenner I had had to fork out to park my car at the front of a small industrial unit half a mile from the ground. If you've ever driven to Villa Park you'll know all about the parking rackets there. I digress, anyway, 78 minutes, Marlon Harewood, thank you very much. The joy, the excitement. I can vividly remember faces from that day. At the final whistle the explosion of delight was something truly amazing.

And personally I had my 3 sons aged between 11 and 15 with me. As a Dad you dream of moments like this when you can give your kids footballing memories they will never forget. Mine were at the right ages to soak it all up and be in wonder at it all. So, we were in the FA Cup final. I was 11 the last time we were there and now I was going to get to take my own children of that age. Getting tickets for the game at the Millennium Stadium was an online affair for season ticket holders and I was excitedly trying to get tickets when they were released. The tickets that were offered to me were up in the gods somewhere. Not happy. But I noticed a 'reselect seats' button. So I hit it. The next tickets were slightly better but not brilliant, so I hit the button again. I soon worked out the online system was offering tickets row by row, block by block. If I had the nerve to persist I might end up with really decent seats. After an hour I was offered row B of the upper tier. I was getting cocky now, I knew the system. I rejected them and ploughed on. After 5 minutes regretting the decision as I got worried I may have blown my chance of the best tickets available. But, after two and a half hours of tension up came row A, upper tier. Thank you kindly I'll have those. It had been nerve racking and I had repetitive strain injury of the mouse hand but it had been worth it.

On the day of the final as we made our way to the seats I gave myself an imaginary pat on the back. The view from our front row seats was astonishing and completely unobstructed.
I spoke last week about not letting expectation in to your footballing life because of its pant pulling, bottom smacking tendencies. And on that day I kept it well at bay. I played up the whole making a day of it vibe for my kids. Just to lower the blow of any defeat. Even at 2-0 up I refused to let any thoughts of lifting the trophy in to my head. There was still a long way to go. In the 88th minute I cracked. 3-2 up, I looked at my kids and thought 'my god we're actually going to win it and they will have memories money can't buy. I thought of their faces as we lifted the trophy.'

A couple of minutes later I watched the fourth official hold up 4 minutes on his board. Then of course SG (I refuse to write his name) scored that goal. We were directly in line with him. As it left his foot we could see it was going it. I'm getting the sick, bottom of the stomach feeling I had then as I remember it and write this. I don't have to go through what happened after that. That game though affected me like no other. For the first half of the next season I just couldn't get in to it like I had done before. I remember many a time in my seat at Upton Park just not 'feeling it'. My footballing heart had not just been broken it had been kicked around and stomped on. So Exeter now you know why you must go in the book.

COYI

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€8m West Ham target hints at Galatasaray exit after missing training
Posted by Emre Sarigul January 25, 2016

West Ham have made a €7 million bid for Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz according to the Hurriyet. The report claims that the Hammers have made a bid that will see the east London based side pay €6 million upfront and a further €1 million instalment if the club ensure Europa League football. Yilmaz added further fuel to the transfer speculation when he missed training yesterday. The Turkish international striker also caused a media storm after he waved to fans following his goal in the 3-2 defeat against Osmanlıspor yesterday. Yılmaz scored a stunning goal against the Ankara based side but his goal celebration raised the question of whether he was bidding farewell to Galatasaray supporters. Galatasaray are currently facing up to two years out of UEFA competition football for failing to meet Financial Fair Play regulations and could be tempted to sell in order to comply with the rules. Yılmaz has been one of the most prolific strikers in the league over recent years and has scored 81 times in 140 games for the Lions. The 30-year-old striker also has won the league title twice and has years of Champions League experience.

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West Ham chief provides striker transfer update and discusses Sam Bryam debut
London 24
07:29 25 January 2016 Pete Evans

David Sullivan says West Ham are working on 'a very complicated deal' to bring a striker into Upton Park before the window closes. Following Mauro Zarate's move to Fiorentina the Hammers have been linked with a string of forwards including £5.2m rated Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz and Nigerian Emmanuel Emenike. And speaking on Sunday night Sullivan revealed that the deal may fall through but they are trying their best to add a new attacking recruit with a week until the window closes. "We may look to bring another forward in," he told the club's official website. "We're working on a very complicated deal at the moment, which may or may not come off, so we will have to see how that progresses." Saturday evening saw West Ham earn a credible 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Upton Park, a match which saw Sam Bryam thrown in for his debut. The signing from Leeds began the match on the bench with Carl Jenkinson having been given the nod. But the Arsenal loanee suffered an early injury and Bryam was sent on. And Sullivan liked what he saw. "I thought Sam Byram, who wasn't expected to play, did very well on his debut," he added. "He had cramp at the end as he'd missed a few days of training. It's a big jump and he's got to adapt but I think he did well."

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West Ham tie up deal for bruising midfield talent after Sam Byram addition
London 24
07:45 25 January 2016 Pete Evans

West Ham have taken 17-year-old powerful midfielder Sander Berge on trial for a week with a deal expected to be done for the Valerenga man. The Hammers are still in the hunt for a new striker before the transfer window ends, having already added Leeds United's Sam Bryam to their squad, but they are also likely to snap up Berge. The 17-year-old has arrived for a week-long trial, revealed on Valerenga's official website. It makes Berge the second Norwegian at Upton Park with Martin Samuelsen currently impressing out on loan with League One Peterborough and shows Slaven Bilic certainly has one eye on the future of West Ham.

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Alex Song reveals Sam Byram advice after memorable Manchester City debut
London 24
08:49 25 January 2016 Pete Evans

Sam Bryam was 'brilliant' for West Ham on his surprise debut, says team-mate Alex Song. Song was named as the sponsors' man of the match for his display in a rare start at the heart of the Hammers' midfield but it was last week's signing from Leeds that caught Song's eye. Carl Jenkinson was recalled to the starting line-up at right-back but limped off shortly after conceding a penalty to help Manchester City draw level. Byram was then thrown into the action for his Premier League bow but produced an acomplished display and Song told the 22-year-old that his future is looking very bright indeed. "Jenks was injured, but we have a young player who came in for his first game, it was brilliant," Song told West Ham TV. "He shows he's not scared of anything. It was a very good start for him and I told him 'good luck, you have a very good future.'" Next up for Song and Byram is an FA Cup tie at Liverpool on Saturday evening.

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DON'T WAKE THE GERMAN - AND DON'T MENTION THE DRAW!
By HamburgHammer 25 Jan 2016 at 08:00
WTID

It's gonna happen any moment, just as I turn over on the other side in my bed, still smiling over that cheeky second goal of ours against City after outfoxing the most expensive backline in the Premier League with a simple quickly taken throw in, not long now, any minute the telephone will ring. Unless the alarm clock rings first to violently pull me away from this fantasy world. I'll wake up, rub my eyes, trudge past the telly on my way to the bathroom to check out teletext. I fully expect us having lost at home to Man City by a three goal margin, I expect to see the Premier League table and finding West Ham in another typical relegation scrap in 17th place with a one point lead over Leicester in 18th place.

But then I realise with glee it wasn't just a beautiful dream, indeed we drew 2:2 with Man City and they were the much luckier team, having to respect the point despite all their financial prowess. It was us who played like Champions, not them.

It really is West Ham in 5th place in touching distance to the promised land of the top four, well ahead of schedule. As for Leicester, well, their fairytale is even more amazing as they are on their way to guaranteed CL football next season taking the place reserved for Chelsea or Liverpool at the start of the season.

Embed from Getty Images

At some point those on here who write articles or post comments surely must run out of superlatives, praises and glowing observations about how fantastic Slaven Bilic is doing, how well the team is performing, how utterly breathtaking our brand of football has become in such a short space of time, despite numerous injuries to key players.

We more than matched City and their carefully assembled ensemble of star players, primadonnas and the perceived cream of the crop.

This is (yet another) dawn that promises a grand future for our beloved club, but could it be for real this time around ?

When I look at West Ham these days there's not a lot to be unhappy about. One actually feels a bit of a twat moaning about fairly minor stuff that is just part and parcel of being a sports team. Yes, even under Slaven Bilic certain things don't go as planned. Poor Carl Jenkinson being a prime example. After last season the issue looked straightforward enough: Bring him back in on another loan with an option to buy, let him repeat his performance levels, pay the fee and Bob's your uncle!

Alas, before he came he was forced to sign a long term deal at his favorite club Arsenal (to protect their investment) and while he got a wage rise West Ham didn't get an option to sign Jenkinson for West Ham on a permanent deal at the end of the season, plus Arsenal quoting a fairly optimistic transfer fee to put it mildly.

As we all know from this point it went downhill quickly for Jenkinson, despite scoring some vital goals (not in his job description) he made far too many and regular blunders (which were also not in his job description and often proved costly) and played himself out of contention really. Tomkins took his place and when James wasn't in the squad for the Man City game for whatever reason this was Jenkinson's big opportunity to put things right. Instead he felled Aguero with a clumsy and totally uncalled for challenge in the box, gifted them a penalty after ten minutes or so while injuring himself in the process to add said injury to the previously accumulated insult.

Embed from Getty Images

If even possible, this will have shot his confidence even further. At this point you wouldn't bet against him losing out against Sunday League opposition. There is quite a bit of skill buried deep inside the player still but it's all hidden under a massive heap of doubt, confusion and anxiety. I'm sure this injury now will make sure that Arsenal won't take him back from his loan with us and we now find ourselves in a lose-lose situation all around: Arsenal aren't happy that Jenkinson won't get much more gametime this season (especially with young Byram performing like a seasoned old trooper, pretty much taking Jenkinson's spot of challenging Tomkins for the RB spot) as they will see his market value plummet further. 15 million ? 1,5 million at this stage maybe.

West Ham obviously aren't happy about wasting a lot of loan fee money and wages on Jenkinson (luckily though I don't expect us having to pay many more appearance fees for him to Arsenal) and the player himself cannot be satisfied with how things are turning out for him

This article is turning far too glum at this point though, so let's finish off the Jenkinson issue and give a quick moan in passing about how poorly Moses performed when he came on against City. In hindsight it might have been wiser to bring on Jelavic first as he showed much more endeavour, passion and effort during his time on the pitch than the Chelsea loanee. That's my negativity done for this bit folks.

Back to a more pleasing topic: HOW good are we already with Bilic at the helm after just a little more than half a season ? We haven't even begun spending serious money on new arrivals. But we have so many pieces of the jigsaw in place already that this dawn looks unlikely to merge into dusk without so much as daylight or rays of sunshine.

We appear to have a proper scouting network for once, bringing in both experienced players like Payet (who bring great value for money) as well as promising starlets like Samuelsen, Lanzini , Oxford or Byram who hopefully will spend the best years of their careers at the Boleyn, sorry, the Olympic Stadium for West Ham.

If we are this good already, how good can we be with further player additions and less injuries ? We play football the way it should be played, we have a much more unified and happier fanbase…and we've got Payet, Dmitri Payet. And contrary to the lyrics in that ditty more and more people, rival fans and players as well as pundits DO begin to understand.

Embed from Getty Images

West Ham are on the verge of something truly beautiful for which the claret and blue faithful have been waiting for so many years. Some of us longer than others. We all deserve this so much. We are finally due a bit of good fortune, time to get it out of all those various hiding places it's been using throughout our history.

So please don't wake this German Hammer just yet, let him dream on for a few more minutes. Or a few years. Unless you can convince me it's not a dream after all.

And West Ham are indeed playing as well as we are under Bilic. I probably still won't quite believe it. But I may get used to all this goodness in time…COYI!

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