Daily WHUFC News - I I 13th January 2016

AFC Bournemouth 1 West Ham United 3
WHUFC.com

Barclays Premier League, The Vitality Stadium, Tuesday 12 January 2016,
7.45pm

West Ham United's extended their Barclays Premier League unbeaten run to a
record-equalling eight matches with a sensational 3-1 come-from-behind win
at AFC Bournemouth. After falling behind to Harry Arter's first-half strike
at a blustery Vitality Stadium, Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia took
centre-stage as the Hammers turned the game on its head in the last 23
minutes. First, the France midfielder curling in a magnificent free-kick
before providing a cross for Valencia to volley in a second with 16 minutes
to go. The Ecuador forward then capped an unforgettable final quarter of the
game by sending a dipping set piece of his own arrowing past Artur Boruc
with six minutes remaining. On a cold evening on the south coast, West Ham
were frozen out for much of the first half, particularly when midfielder
Arter sent a dipping right-foot shot past Adrian after 17 minutes. That goal
came minutes after centre forward Andy Carroll was forced off with a
hamstring injury which will require further investigation on Wednesday.
Carroll's injury added to the frustration felt after West Ham had passed up
two decent chances to open the scoring within 15 seconds of the kick-off. A
long ball forward was headed into no-man's land by Simon Francis, allowing
Michail Antonio to pounce, but his poked effort was saved by the legs of
Artur Boruc. The ball rebounded into the path of Mark Noble, but the Hammers
captain could only side-foot over the top from 25 yards. Before he went off,
Carroll also beat two home defenders and raced down the left flank before
crossing low for Antonio, only for a Francis to clear over his own crossbar
– a run which led to his early withdrawal.
From then on, Bournemouth took control, with Arter collecting a pass from
Andrew Surman before losing the attentions of Pedro Obiang and beating
Adrian with a dipping right-foot shot from 22 yards – the sixth time
Bournemouth have scored from outside the penalty area this season. Having
gone ahead, and roared on by a vociferous home crowd, Eddie Howe's side went
in search of a second goal, and could easily have got one. First, new
signing Benik Afobe headed right-back Adam Smith's cross over when it looked
easier to score, Arter's pass was dummied by former Hammer Junior Stanislas,
and left-back Charlie Daniels was denied by Adrian's left hand. As half-time
approached, Bilic altered the shape of his team, West Ham finally warmed up
and went close on three occasions. Substitute Nikica Jelavic was denied when
his cross was deflected and Boruc clawed wide, before James Tomkins hooked
James Collins' header over from the resulting Dimitri Payet corner. Payet
himself then went closest when his rising, rasping left-foot shot was tipped
over the crossbar by the Poland goalkeeper.

Into the second half and, with the wind at their backs and roared on by
1,400 vociferous travelling fans, West Ham kept up the pressure on the
Bournemouth goal, but initially could not find a way past the giant Boruc.
Then, another surging Antonio run was ended by Adam Smith's foul tackle, and
Payet stepped up to curl an unstoppable 30-yard free-kick into the top
left-hand corner. The only sour note came when the No27 was booked for
celebrating with the peerless Claret and Blue Army. Seven minutes later,
West Ham were ahead. Payet wriggled free on the right side of the
Bournemouth penalty area before crossing for Valencia to emphatically volley
in from ten yards. With Bournemouth seemingly devoid of ideas of how to make
a comeback of his own, the comeback was completed when Antonio was again
fouled six minutes from full-time and Valencia stepped up by curling home
another sensational set piece. At the final whistle, the players went to the
Hammers supporters and celebrated another hard-earned by fully-deserved away
victory. With five wins and just two defeats from eleven away league
matches, West Ham rose to fifth in the table ahead of Saturday's trip to St
James' Park to face Newcastle United.

AFC Bournemouth: Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Surman (c), Gosling,
Arter (Murray 80), Ritchie (Iturbe 50), Stanislas, Afobe (Grabban 72)
Subs not used: Federici (GK), Distin, Pugh, O'Kane
Goal: Arter 17
Booked: Smith

West Ham United: Adrian, Tomkins (Jenkinson 61), Collins, Ogbonna,
Cresswell, Obiang, Noble (c), Antonio, Payet (Song 78), Valencia, Carroll
(Jelavic 14)
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Reid, Oxford, Cullen
Goals: Payet 67, E Valencia 74, 84
Booked: Payet

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 11,071 (1,393 Away)

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Payet - I want to thank the fans
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet wanted to repay the fans for their magnificent support towards
him and stole the show once again as he scored a wonder goal and showed a
great piece of skill to help set up Enner Valencia for the second goal.
Payet was starting his first game since the 1-1 draw with Everton back in
November after spending two months on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
But the French star looked like he had never been away with another
outstanding display and immediately paid tribute to the fantastic support he
has received from the Hammers fans while he made a return to full fitness.
Payet continued his recovery from injury with another superb display at
Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium tonight, as he helped West Ham United recover
from a goal down to secure a crucial 3-1 victory, and move up to fifth in
the Barclays Premier League. "These fans are very, very good with me", he
said, "and very, very important to me, and [I want to say] thank you very
much."

Payet equalised with an outstanding free kick which curled into the top left
hand corner, after Michail Antonio was brought down just outside the area.
He revealed he was encouraged to go for goal by Aaron Cresswell, who was
standing with him over the ball. "Cress said to me 'Shoot!' so I shoot." he
said modestly, with the team-mates who see him score similar free kicks in
training every day. The Frenchman's appreciation of the Hammers fans was
even more evident after his goal, as he rushed to celebrate with the
travelling supporters, slapping the West Ham crest on his shirt, a
celebration considered worthy of a yellow card by referee Martin Atkinson.
That only seemed to get Payet more fired up. Seven minutes later, he jinked
past two Bournemouth defenders with a brilliant piece of skill on the right
hand side of the area, and squared the ball across the six yard box for
Enner Valencia to fire the ball into the roof of the net. But Payet could be
well satisfied with his night's work, having recorded his sixth goal and
fourth assist of what is already a superb debut season with West Ham. "I'm
very happy because I don't play for two months", he said. "I'm very happy I
can play, and [get a] good goal, good assist. It's my job. I'm very happy."

With West Ham recording their fourth consecutive win and more players coming
back from injury, Payet is confident that the team can grow even stronger in
the second half of the season.
"I'm happy [to] play for the team", he said, "because [it's] a good team,
good mentality, [we] work very hard and I continue work hard for win lots of
games."

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Bilic thrilled with Bournemouth turnaround
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic was full of praise for his West Ham United team after they came
from behind to secure a 3-1 victory at AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday. The
Hammers stretched their unbeaten Barclays Premier League run to eight games,
secured a third straight win and moved up to fifth in the process – much to
the delight of the boss. He was pleased with the way they turned the game on
its head after a difficult first half and ended up winning in style. He
said: "It was a fantastic second half performance and I want to congratulate
the guys because they came back after being 1-0 down and that's very
difficult. "To be fair we started the game really well and were on the front
foot, but unfortunately Andy got injured. Then they scored the goal which
shocked us a bit and gave them confidence. "We were getting rid of the ball
too early, but then in the last seven or eight minutes of the first half we
showed that when we passed with bravery we could harm them. "Before half
time we changed the shape of the team a little, and we were really good in
the second half, scored three wonderful goals and basically dominated. We
deserved it big time."

The leveller came from Dimitri Payet, back in the starting line-up for the
first time since his injury lay-off, and his virtuoso display was one which
drew plenty of plaudits. He was heavily involved in the second goal for
Enner Valencia too, and the boss was thrilled for the pair of them. He
added: "You need the goal, because it is not easy to score, and the danger
is always that Bournemouth will get a second one. "After the goal we
continued, we even put it one gear up and Dimi did a magical move to set up
the second. "The third one was basically a magnificent one again from Enner
and it's very important for him to score two goals after a long absence. "We
ended the game like the dominant side and that's important for us, because
it was a tough away game after being 1-0 down and we won with style."

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Carroll sidelined by new hamstring injury
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

Andy Carroll is facing the prospect of several more weeks on the sidelines
after pulling a hamstring during tonight's 3-1 at Bournemouth. The big
striker has begun to reproduce some of his best form at West Ham in recent
outings but is facing yet more time in the treatment room after sustaining
the injury during a sprint just 12 minutes into tonight's Premier League
clash.
Slaven Bilic, speaking to the club's website after the game revealed that
the news was not good. "Andy was a shame because he started off great," he
said. "He was dominant, he was quick, he was sharp and he was winning every
ball. He was covering a big pitch - and then with one sprint, he got
injured. "It's a big blow because he's really back in shape. It's still too
early [to say] but it's a hamstring and we can only hope that it isn't going
to be for very long."

The manager also revealed that there was a minor injury concern regarding
Man of the Match Dimitri Payet, who Bilic revealed had experienced
tightening of the muscles during the second half. "He told me he had cramp
when it was 1-1 and we really didn't want to risk him," he revealed. "We had
already prepared Alex [Song] but then we scored a goal. "He would have come
off anyway. I didn't want to risk him as we didn't want to lose him
long-term."

Despite those worries, the manager had plenty of praise for his team after
they came from behind to secure a win that lifted West Ham above Manchester
United into fifth spot in the Premier League. "I want to congratulate the
guys because they came back from 1-0 behind which is very difficult -
especially in a Premier League away game," he said. "We started the game
very well; we were dominating and should have scored in the first minute.
Then, unfortunately Andy got injured and they scored, which shocked us a
bit. "We changed the shape of the team a little and told them they had to
match Bournemouth in the basics - things like closing down and winning
second balls - and add a bit more quality. And that's what we did. "We were
really good in the second half, scored three wonderful goals and dominated.
We deserved it big time."

Although careful to offer congratulations to every one of his players, Bilic
was delighted by each of West Ham's three stunning goals - two fantastic
free kicks from Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia, plus a third on which the
two contributed to devastating effect. "Dimi produced a magical move and
then we scored a great second goal," he said. "Again, the third was a
magnificent one from Enner. It's very important for him to score two goals
after a long absence."

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Andy Carroll: New injury worry for West Ham striker
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have a new injury worry after striker Andy Carroll was substituted
with a hamstring problem in the Hammers' 3-1 win at Bournemouth. Carroll was
forced off after 15 minutes and manager Slaven Bilic says the injury will be
assessed on Wednesday. "It's a big blow for us because he started this game
good," said Bilic. "I don't understand it because we're resting the players.
We're not training a lot. We can only hope it won't last that long." The
27-year-old has scored two goals in West Ham's past four games after
returning in September 2015 following seven months out for knee surgery. A
former Newcastle player, Carroll joined West Ham from Liverpool for a club
record £15m in June 2013.

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Take a bow, son
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

Dimitri Payet's virtuoso performance at Bournemouth tonight ended in a
display of mutual appreciation between himself and the West Ham supporters.
As the two teams left the field at the final whistle, the French midfielder
- who scored West Ham's equaliser and then set up Enner Valencia for his
first of a brace - was ushered towards the travelling fans by James Collins.
And after a fine rendition of the 'Payet' song, he reacted by thumping his
chest and bowing to the supporters in mock "I'm not worthy" fashion - before
being greeted by ecstatic club captain Mark Noble, who threw his arms around
his match-winning team mate. Talking after the game, Payet thanked the fans
for their continued support . "These fans are very, very good with me and
very important to me, and [I want to say] thank you very much," he said.
Bournemouth led 1-0 at the break in tonight's Premier League encounter
before being blitzed by a superb second half performance from Slaven Bilic's
team, who ran out 3-1 winners.

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Bournemouth 1 v West Ham 3
January 12, 2016
WestHamWay.co.uk
Charles West @WestHamAmerican


West Ham won at Bournemouth 3-1 tonight on a cold night at Vitality
Stadium. The Hammers, riding a seven-match unbeaten streak in the Premier
League, traveled to the Southern Coast with positive momentum; having won
two in the league and securing a fourth round victory in the FA cup against
Wolves on Saturday. The Cherries hadn't won a BPL match since Mid-December,
but had renewed enthusiasm since their side had gone on a recent spending
spree during the January transfer window.

West Ham opened up with Dimitri Payet making his first start since his
November 9 injury, and Andy Carroll riding a good scoring streak. The first
ten minutes saw West Ham controlling the tempo and possession. While
Bournemouth's keeper, Artur Boruc was under some duress, his defense
weathered the storm. At the ten minute mark, Carroll suffered some injury
away from play and left the match under his own power. Nikica Jelavic came
on in relief.

The tide of the match turned against the Hammers after Carroll's injury, as
the Cherries maintained control for the balance of the first half. In the
17th Harry Arter struck from the boundary of the penalty area and found the
net, putting the ball past a hesitating Adrian. With the momentum on their
side, Eddie Howe's team continued to attack. Charlie Daniels had a shot in
the 19th. Benik Afobe had a dangerous one-on-one situation with Adrian in
the 32nd, in which the Bournemouth forward overran the ball and Adrain was
able to gather it up.
In the later moments of the first half, West Ham did have some
opportunities. In the 37th Payet had a masterful cross to Jelavic whose
shot was saved by a left handed swipe by Boruc. Boruc also cleared a
left-footed strike by Payet in the 44th over the bar, which kept the
Cherries in the lead.

Bilic elected not to make any halftime changes, and once play resumed it was
a fairly even possession battle between the two sides. At the 60 minute
mark Jenkinson was brought on to relieve James Tomkins. Finally in the 67th
minute Dimitri Payet showed his signature form by sinking a free kick from
just beyond the 18 yard line into the top left corner of the goal. The
strike, which lightly skidded off the crossbar, was the equalizer that West
Ham needed. Strangely, Payet was booked by the center referee for excessive
celebration after that goal.
Seven minutes later Payet was at it again. Receiving a throw-in deep in
Bournemouth territory, he drove the ball through traffic towards the goal,
crossed to Valencia, who struck the ball into the back of the net.

With the lead and dwindling time on the clock, Bilic decided to rest his
star player after that. (Plus Payet had already been booked once) Alex Song
was brought on for Payet and West Ham looked to hang on to a one goal lead
for the final 12 minutes of regulation.

Enner Valencia, showing his own free kick form, padded the Hammers lead with
his own free kick strike in the 84th and West Ham was able to play out the
remainder of regulation and the four minutes of added time and secure their
third BPL win in a row, in the windy seaside stadium.
Once again, Collins and the back four were world-class, and once again
Payet showed what a special player he is. Watching him move with the ball,
his decisions in tight traffic, and the accuracy of his passes, Payet truly
is a gifted footballer.

Saturday West Ham heads to St. James Park to face a relegation-threatened
Newcastle side brimming with newfound confidence after a comeback 3-3 draw
against Manchester United today. Hopefully Andy Carroll and Cheikhou
Kouyaté are not long-term injuries. The Hammers find themselves solidly at
5th in the table heading into the weekend. Depending on Tottenham's result
at Leicester tomorrow, there is a chance Bilic's side can continue to climb.

As 2016 unfolds, it is obvious that there is a lot to play for in the final
season at Upton Park. A top four finish, an FA cup finals, and plenty of
other opportunities and possibilities await this club. If the injuries stay
manageable, then the next few months could be very memorable to some
supporters are very long overdue a great season finish.

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Collison's close up Samuelsen verdict
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Exclusive

Former Hammers hero Jack Collison has been taking a close-up look at Martin
Samuelsen and reckons the Hammers have a "genuine superstar" in the making
on their hands. And he doesn't believe director of football Barry Fry –
sometimes prone to exaggeration – is in any way out of order to dub the
Norwegian teenager a £20 million player in the making. Collison – who is
headed for managerial roles at The Posh should be be forced into retirement
with a knee injury -declared: "That's perfectly reasonable. Indeed it may be
considerably more. Speaking to ClaretandHugh exclusively he said: "Some of
the stuff Martin is doing is totally sensational – it really does take my
breath away at times. martinsamuelsen726"The lad's amazing. He is doing
really really well here because we are a club who like to play it on the
ground and that's where all his strengths are. "I've seen a lot of very good
young players coming through the game but Martin is incredibly exciting and
we all love watching him here at London Road. He's a very special talent."
Jack is still putting a retirement decision on hold saying: "It's not one
you make easily. I'll take my time." And he's delighted to see the Hammers
in such great form declaring: "Slaven has them flying – and it's absolutely
brilliant to watch

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Bournemouth 1 West Ham 3, match report: Dimitri Payet magic inspires
comeback
Telegraph.co.uk
Jeremy Wilson By Jeremy Wilson, Vitality Stadium
11:20PM GMT 12 Jan 2016

Bournemouth have spent £18 million on three players during the past week but
this game was ultimately decided by surely the best £10 million investment
throughout the whole of last summer.
With West Ham United trailing 1-0 until the 67th minute, the creative
wizardry of Dimitri Payet was the unmistakeable catalyst for an emphatic
comeback. Not only did Payet score a quite breathtaking free-kick to
equalise but he then created West Ham's second for Enner Valencia before the
Ecuadorian himself produced an equally memorable set-piece to seal a 3-1
victory.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe simply described the two free-kicks as "world
class". Slaven Bilic said that it was a performance from the very finest
West Ham traditions. It had been Payet's first start since suffering his
ankle injury in October and, in his joyous celebrations with the away fans,
it was clear that West Ham have found a new cult hero. "He cost big money
but when I see some of the players who were much more than him it is a
bargain," said Bilic. "West Ham always used to love those kind of players
with a bit of magic. He has more than a bit. You can win and win with style
- this was more than three points."

It also extends West Ham's unbeaten run to nine games and takes them into
the top five of the Premier League, although the sight of Andy Carroll
limping off here after only 15 minutes took some shine off the wider
performance. The extent of the hamstring damage is unclear, with Bilic
estimating another three week lay-off. It follows the knee ligament surgery
that sidelined him for seven months of last year. "It's a really bad
situation for us because he was back looking sharp, strong, covering the
full pitch," said Bilic. Carroll had certainly begun well here by leading
West Ham's attack with his usual vast physical presence, but his injury
initially had a tangible impact on the rest of the team and, within two
minutes of his departure, Bournemouth took the lead. Andrew Surman passed to
Harry Arter who, having shown quick feet to cut inside Pedro Obiang,
unleashed a low, dipping shot that was badly misjudged by Adrian.
Bournemouth then created a flurry of opportunities to potentially put the
game beyond West Ham.

Adam Smith's precise cross delivered new signing Benik Afobe with a free
header from the edge of the six-yard box but he directed the ball over.
Afobe then had a second clear chance to extend Bournemouth's lead but his
hesitation when one-on-one with Adrian suggested some debut nerves. West Ham
also started the second half with purpose, although Michail Antonio's
outstanding run past several Bournemouth players was not matched by a finish
that he dragged well wide. Bournemouth then themselves lost one of their key
attacking players when Matt Ritchie limped off with a dead leg and was
replaced by Juan Iturbe, their new loan signing from Roma.

If West ham were to equalise, it soon became evident that Payet would
himself have to deliver the decisive touch and he did so spectacularly.
Smith had fouled Antonio 30 yards from Artur Boruc's goal, with Payet
stepping up to curl a wonderful free-kick that sailed above the Bournemouth
wall before grazing off the bottom of the cross-bar and then nestling into
the top corner. Payet was not finished and evaded challenges from both
Iturbe and Charlie Daniels before crossing for Valencia to volley West Ham
into the lead. Valencia then settled the match with a brilliantly
instinctive free-kick to surprise Boruc and beat the Bournemouth goalkeeper
at his near-post.

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'Magic' Dimitri Payet makes the entire West Ham squad better - Slaven Bilic
ESPNFC.com

West Ham United's Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble discuss their
come-from-behind victory over AFC Bournemouth. Slaven Bilic hailed a magical
display by Dimitri Payet after the France international inspired West Ham's
comeback victory at Bournemouth on Tuesday night. The Hammers were trailing
at the interval after Harry Arter scored his first Premier League goal. But
Payet, making his first start for West Ham in more than two months following
a knee injury, pulled his side level after 67 minutes with a magnificent
free kick. Seven minutes later he teed up Enner Valencia before the
Ecuadorian scored a brilliant free kick of his own to secure West Ham's
third league win in as many games. "It was a team win but Payet made the
difference," said Bilic. "West Ham fans love that kind of player with a bit
of magic and he has got more than a bit. "What I admire most is his
character, because that is what all true champions have got. When he makes a
mistake -- and I am talking about training here -- he is crazy and angry at
himself and that is what is makes him a leader."

Payet joined West Ham from Marseille in an £11 million move in the summer
and immediately impressed before sustaining a knee injury at Everton on Nov.
7. "I don't know why people are that surprised because he came from
Marseille, and Marseille is one of the biggest clubs in Europe and he was
doing similar things there," Bilic added. "Maybe we give him more
responsibility and more confidence and he is enjoying it and we are enjoying
him big time. "But it is not only about his quality. He is deciding games,
he is keeping the ball and he is doing the things which are very hard in
football. "He is taking the whole team 20 yards up the pitch without kicking
the ball and that is important. He is also making all the players around him
better."

Dimitri Payet has notched up six goals and four assists in 14 Premier League
appearances for West Ham this season. West Ham's comeback victory, which
sees them move above Manchester United into fifth in the table, was dampened
by yet another injury to Andy Carroll. The 27-year-old limped off after just
12 minutes with a hamstring problem, but Bilic hopes the injury is not too
bad. "It is a really bad situation for us," Bilic added. "After the
Liverpool win I said that he is back, he looked sharp, he looked strong and
he was covering the whole pitch and terrorising the difference. "So, it is a
blow but he has been working really hard. Maybe or hopefully it is not that
long. Maybe it is going to be a couple of weeks but we need him. "He is
disappointed because he knows he is back but if we have to choose between a
knee and hamstring injury it is better to have a hamstring injury."

Meanwhile, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe rued a poor display by his team. "It
was not our best performance, especially in the second half," he said. "It
is disappointing because we had enough chances in the first half to be more
than one goal up and the quality of the free-kicks has changed the
complexion of the game."

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BOURNEMOUTH 1, WEST HAM 3. WINNING IS FUN, ISN'T IT?
By David Hautzig 13 Jan 2016 at 03:53
WTID

Unfortunately, hate often plays a part in football. And it is rarely
rational. For example, I still hate Bolton because of what Sam Allardyce (oh
the irony) said about West Ham and Yossi Benayoun when he chose us over them
despite them hoofing their way into Europe. I also hate Spurs
because….well….because. And I've added a deep hatred for Everton this year
because they employ one James McCarthy. And in 25 years that wretched
Neanderthal will likely be out of football but my hatred will remain. But
there is no way I think I could ever hate Bournemouth. They represent a lot
of what we all love about this game, and I hope like hell they stay up.
That's all I ever really wanted and expected for us. Just stay up. But today
that might have changed. Something about today felt very, very different.

From the Hammers point of view, the opening forty-five minutes started very
well and ended very well. Add those two periods of time together and you'd
barely have enough time to sing Bubbles. Everything in between belonged to
the Cherries.

Straight off the opening kick, Collins sent a long ball into the Bournemouth
box that Francis tried to head it back to Boruc. But he barely touched it
and the freight train we call Antonio got a toe on it but Boruc was able to
make a save before Noble sent the rebound over the bar.

In the 10th minute, Carroll got away from Daniels down the right and sent a
low cross into the box that Antonio couldn't reach, mostly due to good
defending by Cook. The announcers lauded Carroll for his play and commented
on his fitness, how it seemed to be his time to shine. Famous last words for
the day, I guess. Carroll went down near the top of the area right after his
run, most likely from the run that was being complimented, and that was
that. Enter Jelavic.

Bournemouth started to take control, although for all of their buildup they
couldn't get behind the West Ham defense. In the end, they really didn't
need to. In the 17th minute, Surman slid a pass to Arter twenty yards out.
Arter faked a shot with his left, and Obiang took the bait going past him.
Arter shifted to his right and let a low shot go. Adrian probably should
have done better with it, but the shot was right off the ground and dipped
as it approached the net and into the bottom right hand corner.

Bournemouth 1, West Ham 0.

The Cherries had chances to increase their lead, the first of which came two
minutes after the goal. After a short corner, the ball came to Surman near
the top of the West Ham penalty area. He sent a looping cross into the box
that Afobe got to after getting the better of Ogbanna. If he had made good
contact and put it on target the lead would have been two. Instead it went
over the bar. Moments later, Arter sent a pass towards Stanislas near the
top of the area that the former Hammer dummied and let slide to Daniels on
the left. The left back let fly with a hard shot that Adrian was able to
palm away.

West Ham were then able to settle things down and catch their breath by
stringing some passes together. While it didn't amount to anything for the
Hammers, it did neutralize the Bournemouth forward momentum a bit. In the
32nd minute, however, Bournemouth had a great chance to double their lead
when Stanislas sent a wonderful through ball to Afobe that he should have
controlled and buried into the back of the net. But his first touch betrayed
him and Adrian was able to gather the ball up.

When skill and effort aren't enough to deliver what you need, sometimes luck
will do as a stand in. West Ham almost leveled due to pure dumb luck in the
37th minute when Payet sent a through ball into the Bournemouth area that
Jelavic chased down near the touchline. The much maligned Croatian sent a
cross that deflected off Cook and almost beat Boruc for an own goal but was
sent out for a corner. The set piece came to Tomkins but his effort went
over the bar.

In the final minute of the first half, Surman lost possession to Jelavic
near midfield, allowing Payet to run at the Bournemouth defense. When he
reached the top of the box, he cut to his left and fired a quick shot that
Boruc did well to send over the bar for a corner.

Halftime, or maybe the end of Game A. Bournemouth 1, West Ham 0.

As slow and sluggish as West Ham were for much of the first half, they came
out looking refreshed and recharged for the second half. Early on, after two
corners and a few throw ins, Antonio took possession on the left side and
managed to beat three players before sending a low shot that went through
Valencia on its way wide. Minutes later, Payet had the ball near the center
circle. For a normal player, that's the beginning of a possible buildup. For
a truly brilliant player like Payet, it's the beginning of just about
anything he wants. In this case, he wanted to send a perfectly weighted
through ball to Valencia. So he did, as Valencia was running into the area.
If I got paid based on bad Valencia first touches, I'd be loaded. Perfect
pass wasted.

West Ham continued to ask the questions, and in the 61st minute Bilic made a
substitution that seemingly threw defensive caution to the wind when he
removed Tomkins in favor of Jenkinson. While Twitter waited for West Ham to
concede the inevitable Jenks goal, the Hammers kept moving the ball forward.
The moves didn't bear fruit until the 66th minute when Antonio broke on the
counter after Adrian made a good stop on a long shot by Gosling. Smith
pulled down Antonio and saw yellow, giving West Ham a free kick from 25
yards. When Payet stepped up to take it, it was hard not to try to will it
over the wall and into the net. When it literally found the only possible
flight path past Boruc, the sounds of "We've Got Payet, Dimitri Payet" flew
through the radio and TV and into my car and home.

Bournemouth 1, West Ham 1.

There was an interesting chat online recently about Enner Valencia. The many
questions surrounding him were laid out on the table. He often looks too
weak for the Premier League. His dribbling skills left a lot to be desired,
particularly his first touch. He's never looked like a 15 million pound
player. Then one person chimed in. "Maybe, but whenever he plays we seem to
have a better chance to win". I'm paraphrasing, but you get the point. In
the 75th minute, after Jenkinson won an unlikely throw deep in Bournemouth
territory, Payet got the ball on the right side of the box. With Daniels and
Iturbe surrounding him, Payet cut through them like a light saber and sent a
cross into the box that Valencia slammed into the top of the net. As lovely
as the goal was, the group celebration afterwards was even better. Can you
say Group Hug? Yeah, this squad has spirit and then some.

Bournemouth 1, West Ham 2.

I admit when Payet came off right after the goal, I felt anxious. It
obviously made sense, and feeling anxious about Alex Song coming on should
be reason for treatment and medication. But all I saw in my minds eye was
West Ham falling back, inviting pressure, and giving up a late equalizer.
That would be the West Ham Way, right? In the 81st minute, on another day,
that nightmare might have come true. Stanislas fired a shot from outside the
West Ham penalty area. Ogbanna turned away from the shot and the ball
appeared to hit his arm. Stanislas wanted a penalty. Atkinson said no. I
agreed with the man in yellow, since the ball hit Ogbanna's arm that was
close to his body and in a perfectly natural position. Besides, we deserved
a spot kick at the end of the Villa match so god owed us one.

Two minutes later, Gosling fouled Antonio outside the Bournemouth 18 yard
box. Valencia had shown since he returned from injury that while his free
kicks may not be the laser guided cruise missiles Payet has, they can be
pretty lethal. Considering the angle, the fact that Boruc didn't even move
was as much down to the accuracy of the free kick as it was to his bad
decision making covering the set piece.

End of Game B. Bournemouth 0, West Ham 3.

Final Score. Bournemouth 1, West Ham 3.

After the Liverpool game, I called Nigel Kahn to celebrate and talk a little
football, a little Bilic, a little more anti Sam, and a little life as a
Hammer. The gospel according to Nigel said "A manager can't do much to alter
the game after halftime. Maybe the substitutions to a degree, but halftime
is where they really can make a difference. We have only lost three second
halves all season. Watford, Villa, and Spurs." I knew exactly what he meant,
not to mention how much joy he and I were both getting from that fact. "And
against Watford it was a defensive error, while against Villa a possible bad
penalty call" I added. We are maturing as a club. We are growing into
ourselves. It feels solid. It feels it could be sustainable.

It feels good.

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Dimitri Payet earns a 9/10 on his return to the West Ham starting XI
ESPNFC.com

West Ham United's Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble discuss their
come-from-behind victory over AFC Bournemouth. West Ham came back from a
goal down to pull off an impressive 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality
stadium. With three goals in 17 second-half minutes, the Hammers stunned the
Cherries who had led the game when Harry Arter shot from outside the box
early on. The victory was orchestrated by returning midfielder Dimitri Payet
who looked dangerous throughout. When the Frenchman stepped up to curl a
wonderful free kick into the very top corner of Artur Boruc's goal after 67
minutes, the home side visibly wilted. It was then no surprise when Payet
laid on a tap-in for Enner Valencia seven minutes later, bamboozling the
home defence with some superlative ball skills. Slaven Bilic has often said
that Payet is a man who inspires others to play better and that was never
more evident than when Valencia himself showed what he could do from a
dead-ball situation, curling in superbly with only six minutes left.
Bournemouth may be rueing some missed chances in a first half that started
badly -- the Hammers had two good chances that Mark Noble and Valencia both
put over the bar -- but improved immensely after Arter's 17th minute strike.
The South Coast side's new signing Benik Afobe should have put Eddie Howe's
men two up perhaps, but the longer the game went on the more Bilic's men
improved. This win takes the Hammers up to fifth place in the Premier League
table and the only blot on the night was the sight of Andy Carroll again
limping off early. With Payet back however, the Hammers will fear no-one.

Lineups and Stats
Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no
rating)

GK Adrian, 7 -- Back after his FA Cup rest, Adrian wasn't quite as confident
as normal and seemed to misjudge Harry Arter's opening goal for Bournemouth.
However, the Spaniard also made two important saves.

DF James Tomkins, 7 -- A good defensive display and it shouldn't be thought
he was playing poorly when he was substituted after an hour. Bilic wanted a
more attacking option however and Carl Jenkinson provided the impetus.

DF James Collins, 5 -- An off day for Collins who struggled with Benik Afobe
at times. Stuck to the task though.

DF Angelo Ogbonna, 5 -- Struggled with the Bournemouth forwards in the first
half and the win masked some shortcomings.

DF Aaron Creswell, 6 -- Always looking to get forward.

MF Mark Noble, 7 -- Had a glorious chance to put the Hammers ahead before
Bournemouth scored and the miss could have been costly. Battled well
throughout however and made several good tackles.

MF Pedro Obiang, 5 -- Still doesn't control the central areas enough and
should count himself lucky that his teammates did enough to fashion a win.

MF Michail Antonio, 6 -- Always threatened Bournemouth's defence and
continues to impress.

MF Dimitri Payet, 9 -- A one-man team. Started for the first time since his
ankle injury in November and created several chances before scoring with a
wonderful free kick. The Frenchman then used his superlative skills to lay
on another goal for Valencia. With Payet in the side any game is winnable.

FW Enner Valencia, 8 -- Scored two goals -- one a superb free-kick --
providing what every Hammers fan expects from the Ecuadorian. It would be
churlish to point out Valencia did little else.

FW Andy Carroll, 4 -- Looked good early on but an 11th minute knee injury
will start the treatment room worries all over again.

Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet has notched up six goals and four assists in 14 Premier League
appearances for West Ham this season.
Substitutes

FW Nikica Jelavic, 4 -- Replaced Carroll only in terms of wearing the same
coloured shirt. One shot, zero impact.

DF Carl Jenkinson, 7 -- Came on for Tomkins after 61 minutes, adding some
pace and getting in more crosses that the man he replaced. Not directly
involved in any of the goals but Bilic's substitution signalled the Hammers
attacking intentions and it mentally seemed to upset Bournemouth.

MF Alex Song, N/R -- Replaced Payet after 78 minutes and did enough to see
out the game.

Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is the author of a regular
column at WestHamOnline.net and the East London Guardian.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com