Daily WHUFC News - II 12th January 2016

LEEDS HIJACK HAMMERS DEAL FOR SCOTTISH DUO
ROSS WILLIAMS
readwestham.com

The Yorkshire Evening Post report that a deal struck with Doncaster to bring
promising twins Jack and Paul McKay to the Boleyn Ground has been hijacked
by Rovers' local rivals, Leeds United.
The 19-year-old Glaswegians have been tipped for a successful future, and
this sparked interest from the Irons. West Ham reportedly formed an
agreement with Doncaster to bring the youngsters to London, so the double
move seemed inevitable, but Phil Hay of the YEP reported on Monday evening
that the pair had each signed two-and-a-half year deals at Elland Road. The
sons of agent Willie McKay, the twins play at either end of the field and
each have senior appearances to their name. Paul, who plays predominantly at
centre back, faced Burton Albion in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy this
season, whilst striker Jack has started for the Doncaster first team, taking
on Notts County in League One action during the last campaign. Although the
McKay twins are raw prospects and only regarded as potential players for the
future by Leeds, losing out to Championship opposition, despite an agreement
apparently being in place, is a bitter pill to swallow for the Hammers. If
West Ham are going to be amongst the top names in English football year on
year, their ability to pull in the best young talent is vital.

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Exclusive: Sullivan's FA Cup draw reaction
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 11, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham chairman David Sullivan wants Exeter in the fourth round of the FA
Cup but fears the Hammers will again be pitched in to action against
Liverpool on the weekend of January 29.
The Irons were drawn against one or the other of the two teams in the Fourth
Round draw earlier this evening and speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh,
the chairman immediately made his preferences clear. He said: "Liverpool
away is not ideal but it's certainly not impossible. I'd love Exeter but the
odds have to be stacked very much in the Premier League team's favour."
However the chairman made a very important point which could work in the
Hammers' favour if a second trip to Anfield is required. He said: "Liverpool
have a very tough Capital One Cup semi-final on January 26 which isn't great
from their point of view and there may be a chance they will play an
under-strength team!"

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Lawro "nothing against us" but tips another loss
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

BBC Pundit Mark Lawrenson says he has nothing against West Ham before
tipping us to lose against Bournemouth tonight. He agrees he has been wrong
with many of his predictions where he reckoned on 14 occasions we'd lose
before going for a 15th against Bournemouth tonight. He said: "I have been
getting some stick from some of my West Ham predictions, because Slaven
Bilic's side would be in the bottom three if they had actually happened" "I
certainly don't have anything against West Ham, though. In fact I almost
joined them as a teenager – they offered me an apprenticeship before I
joined my home town team Preston." "I have been wrong about them a lot this
season so I am sure their fans will not mind that I am tipping them to lose
again this week." "The Hammers have had some great results away from home
under Bilic, but most of them have been against bigger clubs and I have a
feeling Bournemouth will edge this one, just like they did at Upton Park
last August"

Lawro's prediction: 2-1
SAM's Computer prediction: 1-1

Lawrenson had some problems pronouncing Pienaar on BBC Match of the day at
the weekend much to the amusement of former Hammer and co-presenter Trevor
Sinclair who tried to keep a straight face.

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Hammers interest in Chelsea right back
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have been linked to a move for young Chelsea right back Ola Aina in
the Summer. The Hammers are thought to be tracking the promising England
Under-21 defender and considering trying to exploit his contract expiring
with the Blues this summer. The 19 year old has refused to sign a new deal
so far and has been demoted from Chelsea's first-team set-up to their U21s,
edging him closer to an exit. Arsenal, Everton,Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund,
Bayer Leverkusen and Napoli have all been linked with the young man. There
remains a possibility the player could sign a pre-contract this winter. Aina
has been at Chelsea since he was 11, progressing through the club's youth
sides while working his way up the ranks with England, too. He was born in
Southwark, south London and has captained his country at Under 19 level as
well as playing in two successive FA Youth Cup winning sides. He is
described as a pacey right back who can also play in the centre of defence,
on the left, or in a more advanced position on the right wing.

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Leroy: "I really do fancy us tonight"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
Leroy Rosenior

I don't see the Irons getting beaten at Bournemouth tonight. Some people are
making a big deal out of the Cherries run of form which has seen them only
beaten once in nine games and taking some decent scalps along the way. But
come on, we have won our last three games and are unbeaten in eight so that
argument does not work at all especially given we have dragged ourselves
through some terrible injury issues. Bournemouth are okay and Eddie Howe is
doing a good job but with Dimi Payet likely to start according to Slav we
have a player who is at a totally different level and a team whose
confidence is growing with every match. I don't think Bournemouth are that
great at the back and Simon Francis can make mistakes. With Andy Carroll
hitting top form he could cause a lot of problems. Winston Reid incredibly
has to fight for his place, and in general we are looking really really
good. I don't see the Cherries stopping us.
I really do fancy us tonight and believe we can stride on towards that 38
points. This season has been remarkable and I, like you, am looking forward
to another top game.

COYI

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Irons update Zaza interest
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are no closer to bring in Juventus striker Simone Zaza. The player
was named as a possible loan target on the official site last week by the
club's amusingly dubbed 'Boleyn Insider.' And given that if the club itself
doesn't know whois on the radar it can be taken as read that this particular
ITK had it right when putting him up as a target. At the time he wrote: "My
understanding is that Zaza is a player the club greatly admire and they
tried to sign him last summer. He scored again on Wednesday night and the
Club might try something again this month." However, this morning our top
source inside the club made it clear the club are still some distance from
making the deal happen. He said: "We are no closer. The position is as it
has been all year – somebody has to go in order to release wages for the
player." There had been some crazy rumours doing the rounds that Juve were
ready to pay the player's wages in order for him to get game time. But
ClaretandHugh was told: "In our dreams. That simply isn't going to happen –
a player will need to leave for the deal to happen."

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Bournemouth's £12m striker Benik Afobe can be Premier League success says
Slaven Bilic
22:30, 11 JAN 2016 UPDATED 23:18, 11 JAN 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
However the West Ham boss is confident his side can stop the former Wolves
star on Tuesday, having done plenty of homework on him for the FA Cup
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic reckons Benik Afobe can follow in the footsteps of the likes of
Leicester star Jamie Vardy and make the step up from the Championship. But
he is confident his West Ham side can stop Bournemouth's new £12million
striker, having done plenty of homework on the former Arsenal youngster.
West Ham were preparing to face Afobe on Saturday when they met Wolves in
the FA Cup before he was pulled out of the game ahead of his Cherries
switch. He is now in line to make his Bournemouth debut against West Ham on
Tuesday night. Boss Bilic said: "My philosophy is, if a player can cope with
pace and physical strength, then there's no difference. "If he plays well in
Turkey, he'll play well in the Premier League too. It works the same with
players such as Vardy, or now Afobe. "Of course you have the players who are
not coping physically and still scoring goals in the lower leagues, but the
pace and the physicality of the Premier League are the problem. "But that
wasn't the case with Jamie Vardy or Afobe. There's no reason not to take
these players. "Look at Michail Antonio (bought from Nottingham Forest) in
our team. Okay, sometimes they need time to adjust, to click, but if they
are good they are good. "Afobe is a good striker. I watched him in three
Wolves games. He has enough pace, is very strong and good on the ball."

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Manchester City to rival Liverpool for West Ham's Aaron Cresswell this
summer - Tuesday's top transfer stories
SAM LONG 2 hours ago0 comments
Evening Standard

The January transfer window has entered its third week but the majority of
the Premier League's elite are yet to conduct any business. West Ham may
have only scraped into the fourth round of the FA Cup courtesy of a slender
victory over Wolves but Slaven Bilic's side are still in an enviable
position in England's top tier. The east Londoners occupy sixth place ahead
of tonight's trip to Bournemouth and could even leapfrog Manchester United
by the end of the day - if Louis van Gaal's strugglers fail to beat
Newcastle. Yet while things may look rosy in the Hammers' garden at present,
the form of their key players has not gone unnoticed elsewhere.

Aaron Cresswell has started all but one of West Ham's top-flight fixtures
this term and his individual performances have attracted interest from both
Manchester City and Liverpool, according to new reports. Manuel Pellegrini's
side are in the market for Englishman in order to boost their home-grown
quote while the Merseysiders are believed to have monitored the full-back's
situation too. City are considering a summer move for the defender despite
the fact the 26-year-old signed a new five-year deal in June after his debut
season at Upton Park earned him the Hammers' player of the year award.
Cresswell's contract is set to expire in 2020 but has the option of a
further two-year extension and would certainly not leave Bilic's side on the
cheap.

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Rio Ferdinand: I've 'turned down coaching roles' since retiring
JAMES BENGE 1 hour ago0 comments
Evening STandard

Rio Ferdinand has revealed he has rejected several opportunities to move
into coaching since his retirement in May of last year. The 37-year-old has
split his time since departing Queens Park Rangers between charity work,
including that of his Rio Ferdinand Foundation, and his role as a pundit on
BT Sport. His visit to Cumberland School in Newham, as part of an event
organised by the NBA and London charity Greenhouse Sports to support young
people from disadvantaged areas is typical of the post-football Ferdinand.
But it is as a pundit that he is making his name. A path from pitch to
television studio has become an increasingly well-worn one for England's
'golden generation', with Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard regularly joining
the former Manchester United and West Ham defender in the BT Sport studios.
Gary Neville was the trailblazer for the newly-retired for the ex-pros,
earning huge plaudits for his work Sky Sports. His success on the box may
have convinced Valencia he was the man to take on the notoriously fraught
job at the Mestalla.

Ferdinand, though, is not keen to follow his former team-mate to the dugout.
"I've had some calls, not for first team jobs," he told Standard Sport.
"I've had quite a few calls from different areas in football. "There was
nothing that I was ready for now. I'm committed to BT and my charity work."
He did, though, praise the work of Neville, and suggested that there could
be more former players who follow his journey to management. "Gary's done it
the right way, remaining involved with coaching here and there and doing the
punditry, keeping your eyes open in European and English football,"
Ferdinand added. "It's a great way to stay involved and learn, without being
under the microscope or pressure [of management]. If you come across like
you're quite educated, and you've got an idea about the game there's going
to be chairman that watch BT and think 'he seems to have an understanding of
it, like he could take my club on'. "I'd like to think this could be a
platform for me if and when I choose to get involved."

For the graduate of the West Ham youth academy there is far too much to be
thinking of before he returns to the game on a full-time basis. He has
proven himself to be an eloquent, insightful pundit, particularly when it
comes to the woes of Louis van Gaal's Manchester United side. And with the
thrill of the big match no longer an option for the 37-year-old his
television work is the closest he can get. "It's what I'd be doing anyway,
in the pub, in my front room or my mate's. I'd be sitting talking about
football. "It's something I enjoy; I needed something else to supplement
that buzz at 3pm on a Saturday or a Wednesday night. It's not going to be
anywhere near what it was but it's something similar. It's being involved in
something I love doing."

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Bournemouth vs West Ham: Mark Noble promises club won't throw season away
like last year
KEN DYER 43 minutes ago0 comments
Evening Standard

Just over halfway through the season, sixth in the table and unbeaten in
eight matches, it all looks good for West Ham as they go to Bournemouth
tonight. Rewind 12 months and there was a similar air of optimism at Upton
Park, with Sam Allardyce's West Ham on 33 points, one more than this term.
But it was at this point last season that the wheels fell off. In the
remaining 18 matches, Allardyce's team managed just three more wins to
finish 12th. So, the question to West Ham captain Mark Noble is why
shouldn't the same thing happen this time?

"One of the main factors last year was that the manager and his staff's
contracts were up at the end of last season, as was also the case with some
of the players," said Noble. "There were a lot of rumours that Sam wasn't
going to be given another contract. "We obviously knew we were safe as well
and if I'm honest, we took our foot off the gas. Also, with the games we had
played and the effort we had put in to reach that position last season, I
don't think our squad was strong enough to maintain that momentum. "It was
an accumulation of all those things which resulted in us having a poor
second half of the season. The main aim had been to have a solid Premier
League season and we knew by Christmas we had virtually done that. "This
season is different. First of all we have a bigger and better squad. There
is also a different feeling around the club and especially with the fans. I
was the first one to say, when I knew Sam wasn't staying, that what he did
for this club was phenomenal. "We had been relegated when Sam arrived and we
know from previous experience that if you don't get back into the Premier
League straight away, it becomes a massive ask. "Now, with the impending
move to the new stadium and the players we're signing, I think that worry
has receded."

Can Slaven Bilic, the man who replaced Allardyce, maintain that feel-good
atmosphere at West Ham? "I'm pretty sure, if you said to our chairmen, that
we would be sixth with 32 points, they would have been on their hands and
knees celebrating," says Noble, the club's longest-serving player, who has a
testimonial on March 28. "I said to the gaffer the hardest games will be
against teams from the bottom half of the table. Bournemouth, for example,
came to our place earlier in August and surprised us. We gave away some
silly goals and lost 4-3. "We're eight unbeaten now though and we've played
some top teams during that run so we go into the game with a lot of
confidence." Dimitri Payet, fit again following his ankle injury, is
expected to start tonight, as is Michail Antonio.

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THERE'S EXCITING TIMES AHEAD, ISN'T THERE?
By Benjamin Cronin 12 Jan 2016 at 08:00
WTID

I was unable to make it to the FA Cup fixture against Wolves this weekend
but having read numerous match reports and watched what has been scraped
together and labelled 'highlights', this is one of the rare occasions that I
wasn't too disappointed to miss a game. Having to rely on the perspective of
others means I can't comment on the game in too much depth but it would
appear the general consensus is that it wasn't the greatest spectacle. If
truth be told, to a point, I'm not too fussed. The moment I heard of our
late winner, I was a happy man and the fact that we will now face either
Liverpool or Exeter City in the 4th round is really all that matters.

We all love a thriller, winning an end-to-end goal fest and witnessing some
of the fabled 'magic of the FA Cup', of course we do. Sometimes, in order to
enjoy those sweet moments, you need to be in the competition long enough for
them to come around. I'd like to view Saturday as a case of getting the job
done. It may not have been pretty, it certainly wasn't the greatest 90
minutes of football, but we won. The majority of reports suggest we
dominated the game and although Wolves didn't offer much in attack, neither
did we. Ultimately, the quality of our squad shone through, with the
introduction of Payet and Carroll paying dividends.

There were several positives to take away from the game, even if the style
in which we went about gaining the victory isn't one. Jelavic getting his
first goal for the club is perhaps the most obvious one. There appears to be
a mix of opinion on his overall performance, with several outlets reporting
of a solid work-rate that deserved a goal, while a lot of fans claim his
decisive strike merely salvaged what was a below par effort in terms of his
contribution to proceedings. Having read the articles posted by Blind Hammer
and HamburgHammer, I have to agree that Jelavic is a useful asset. He is by
no means our main asset, but a useful one nonetheless. I always remember him
as a one touch finish kind of striker. He's there when you need him to be
and more often than not, will do what you need him to, if you give him the
chance. I'm glad he's off the mark and am sure it will boost his confidence
and hush the doubters (for a few days at least).

Secondly, the success in game management that allowed the likes of Payet and
Carroll to play only 20 minutes (and come out of it unscathed) is a major
plus. You'd like to think both will be fully rested and in the starting XI
against Bournemouth this evening which is obviously good news. Of course,
another clean sheet is a big positive to take from the game against Wolves.
As the weeks pass, our reputation of being a team that is incredibly hard to
beat is growing. Thanks to our solid defensive foundation, we are now one
game away from equalling our Premier League record of 8 matches unbeaten.

While Saturday's fixture was an important one in terms of the result, it has
now passed and tonight's game against Bournemouth is our sole focus. Aside
from equalling our best ever Premier League unbeaten run, tonight offers a
great opportunity to build on our promising start to the new year. Depending
on how Manchester United get on with an away trip to Newcastle, we could end
the night in fifth position in the league and just one point off fourth.
Payet looks likely to join two of our in-form (albeit not everyone's first
choice) attacking players, Carroll and Antonio, in the starting XI, with a
midfield and back four that will be full of confidence behind them.

The reverse fixture at Upton Park is one I was determined to erase from my
memory. Unfortunately, as hard as I try to forget about it, it still stands
out as one of our worst performances this season. A dismal defensive display
meant we managed to ship four goals against one of the league's newly
promoted sides and lose the game (despite the best efforts of fan favourite,
Modibo Maiga). While I was confident going into that game, I firmly believe
that if we are to cement ourselves as a real top six contender, these are
the kind of games we have to win.

Bournemouth, like ourselves, have been incredibly unlucky with injuries this
season. I'd even go as far to say, they've been worse off than ourselves,
with not just key players being out injured, but missing the majority of the
season as well. Their previous club record signing (he was until a few days
ago), Tyrone Mings has barely had a game. Another summer singing, Max Gradel
has had a good few months on the treatment table and Callum Wilson (the man
who scored a hat-trick against us back in August) is still out until April.
However, one thing to take from the early, and normally quiet, part of the
January transfer window is that Bournemouth mean business. Juan Iturbe is
perhaps a shock move but one that will no doubt improve their team and
chances of survival. They've taken a risk (and a big one at that) on paying
just shy of a £20 million combined fee for former Arsenal (then Wolves) man
Benik Afobe and Lewis Grabban, a player who has apparently tripled in value
with limited game time at Norwich.

While Grabban is unlikely to feature, there is a chance Iturbe's paperwork
will be completed in time and Afobe will at least have a spot on the bench.
Although unproven at this level, Afobe will no doubt be champing at the bit
and eager to prove his worth, he'll certainly test our defenders given the
chance. Bournemouth haven't had a terrible season and will probably still
view their position of 16th as a success so far. They have, on the other
hand, been very inconsistent. They've beaten teams like Manchester United
and Chelsea, with deserved draws against Everton, Palace and Leicester in
recent months. They have also been on the receiving end of a few heavy
losses. The confidence I took into the corresponding fixture at the start of
the season is bubbling away again but this time I've learned, anything can
happen. I don't want to say I expect a win, but if we play to the level we
are capable of and maintain our recent defensive stability, there's no
reason why we shouldn't get all three points.

COYI!

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Mark Lawrenson sends message to West Ham, makes shock revelation and less
shocking prediction
HITC
Damien Lucas

Much maligned pundit Mark Lawrenson has sent a message to West Ham United
amid the controversy surrounding his predictions and made a shock
revelation. Hammers chief David Gold recently launched a scathing attack on
BBC pundit and Liverpool legend Lawrenson on Twitter. It comes after
Lawrenson predicted an FA Cup defeat for Slaven Bilic's side at home to
Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend. That proved to be the straw which
broke the camel's back for many West Ham fans and their co-owner Gold.
Writing in his column for BBC Sport, Lawro has predicted 14 losses and just
two wins for West Ham this season and after their 3-0 win over his former
club Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season he wrote in his Mirror column:
"West Ham are not a very good team."
It culminated in Gold lashing out on Twitter saying: "I'm not a fan of Mark
Lawrenson and I'm pleased that Alan Hansen has retired (dinosaurs)." The
pundit has been ridiculed on social media by legions of West Ham fans after
their side beat Wolves 1-0. 'I have been getting some stick' But now
Lawrenson has moved to try and appease the East Londoners with a message in
his latest set of predictions on BBC Sport and makes a shocking revelation
in the process. "I have been getting some stick for some of my West Ham
predictions, because Slaven Bilic's side would be in the bottom three if
they had actually happened," Lawrenson wrote on BBC Sport. "I certainly
don't have anything against West Ham, though. "In fact I almost joined them
as a teenager - they offered me an apprenticeship before I joined my
hometown team Preston." So there you have it Lawrenson could well have
played for the Hammers.

A less shocking prediction

The pundit made an altogether less shocking revelation when he offered his
latest prediction for Bilic's side as they travel to Bournemouth tonight,
though. Yes, you guessed it, he has predicted yet another defeat for the
Irons, the 15th time he has tipped them to lose this season and even he is
starting to see the funny side. "I have been wrong about them a lot this
season so I am sure their fans will not mind that I am tipping them to lose
again this week," he added. "The Hammers have had some great results away
from home under Bilic, but most of them have been against bigger clubs and I
have a feeling Bournemouth will edge this one, just like they did at Upton
Park in August."

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Bournemouth vs West Ham: Slaven Bilic does homework on Benik Afobe as Eddie
Howe strengthens his strike force
Benik Afobe may need 'time to settle' into Bournemouth's style, according to
Eddie Howe
Andy Sims
The Independent

Slaven Bilic does not need to swot up on Bournemouth new boy Benik Afobe, as
he was expecting to face him three days earlier. Striker Afobe was due to be
in the Wolves squad which travelled to Upton Park in the FA Cup on Saturday,
only to be withdrawn as transfer talks with Bournemouth progressed. The
former Arsenal youngster tied up the big-money switch on Sunday and is now
poised to make his Bournemouth debut on Monday night – against Bilic's
Hammers. "We were expecting him to play on Saturday, so I have already
watched him in a few games," said the West Ham manager. "He's a very good
player. They have also signed Juan Iturbe from Roma, who is a great winger.
Bournemouth had a lot of injuries and have done well to maintain good
results without those players, but they have probably been waiting for this
transfer window."

Bournemouth's manager, Eddie Howe, is excited by the potential of Afobe, but
is determined not to place any pressure on the young striker. Afobe, 22, has
been a regular goalscorer in the lower leagues, including a prolific stint
with MK Dons last season, and Howe believes he has ability to do well in the
top flight as well. "You just look at him and know he is going to be a
handful, but he may need a little bit of time to settle, so we are not
placing huge expectation on his shoulders." Bournemouth have re-signed
striker Lewis Grabban from Norwich for around £7m on a three-and-a-half-year
deal.

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Bournemouth vs West Ham: Team news, kick-off time, probable line-ups, odds
and stats for the Premier League clash
Daily Mail
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 01:33, 12 January 2016 | UPDATED: 01:33, 12 January 2016

Ahead of this week's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you
with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional
squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need
for Bournemouth vs West Ham.

Team news
Bournemouth
Bournemouth's new signing Benik Afobe is expected to be part of Eddie Howe's
side which faces West Ham in the Premier League on Tuesday. Afobe signed
from Wolves for an undisclosed fee and is the second signing of the January
transfer window for the Cherries after signing Juan Iturbe from Roma earlier
in the month. Howe will be hoping Iturbe will be able to feature for the
home game as he awaits confirmation from the Premier League before he is
eligible but Tokelo Rantie (knock), Josh King (muscle injury), Callum
Wilson, Tommy Elphick and Max Gradel (all knee injuries) all remain out of
contention.

Provisional squad: Boruc, Federici, Francis, Distin, Cook, Smith, Daniels,
Surman, Gosling, Arter, Pugh, Ritchie, Stanislas, Tomlin, King, Iturbe,
Murray, Afobe.
Benik Afobe, who joined Bournemouth from Wolves last week, could make his
debut on Tuesday

West Ham
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic will check on Enner Valencia and Cheikhou Kouyate
ahead of the trip to Bournemouth. Winger Valencia and midfielder Kouyate
missed Saturday's FA Cup win over Wolves to rest minor knocks and will be
assessed ahead of kick-off. Victor Moses is back in training after a
hamstring injury but will not be involved while Manuel Lanzini and Diafra
Sakho (both thigh) are still out.

Provisional squad: Adrian, Randolph, Jenkinson, Hendrie, Tomkins, Collins,
Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Song, Obiang, Zarate, Payet,
Valencia, Carroll, Antonio, Cullen, Oxford, Jelavic, Parfitt-Williams.

BOURNEMOUTH VS WEST HAM
Kick-off: 19.45
Odds (subject to change):
Bournemouth - 11/10
Draw - 11/5
West Ham - 11/4

Head-to-head league record: 1 Bournemouth wins, 0 draws, 0 West Ham wins
Recent league form (latest result first):
Bournemouth - DLDWW
West Ham - WWDDD

Key match stats supplied by Opta
Bournemouth's 4-3 win over West Ham in August is their only competitive
victory in six attempts versus the Hammers (D2 L3).
West Ham have conceded just two goals in their last six Premier League
matches, keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Injured Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson scored three goals in their win
over West Ham in August – no other player has surpassed three goals for the
club in the season overall to date.
The Hammers are winless in their last five Premier League away games (L2 D3)
and have netted just twice in this run.
Dimitri Payet has created 49 goalscoring chances in the Premier League this
season and despite missing seven games through injury this is still 23 more
than any other West Ham player in 2015-16.
Andy Carroll has scored in his last two Premier League appearances for West
Ham – he's never scored in three successive apps in the competition.
51 per cent of Andy Carroll's Premier League goals have been headers – only
two strikers to have scored 20+ goals in the competition have scored a
higher proportion with their heads (Kenwyne Jones, 55 per cent and Duncan
Ferguson, 53 per cent).
Cherries' midfielder Andrew Surman has completed the most passes in the
Premier League this season (1107).
Four of the five furthest distances run in a Premier League game this season
have been by Bournemouth's Dan Gosling – one of which came in their last
match versus Leicester (13.8km).
West Ham United have blocked more opposition shots than any other Premier
League team this season (102).

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How West Ham could line up at Bournemouth with returning duo handed starts
London 24
06:25 12 January 2016
Pete Evans

Dimitri Payet and Winston Reid could both return to West Ham's starting
line-up as they look to extend their unbeaten run to nine games. 0 The
Hammers edged past Wolves 1-0 on Saturday in the FA Cup to build on the 2-0
victory over Liverpool the previous week and Slaven Bilic will be forced
into at least one change from his last Premier League XI. Manuel Lanzini
went off injured in the first half of that match and his place is likely to
be taken by French international Payet, his first start since returning from
an ankle injury. Payet has stepped off the bench against Wolves and
Liverpool and is now ready for a start. He could be joined in the line up by
another returning injury victim in centre-back Reid who could replace James
Collins at Bournemouth. The likes of Carl Jenkinson, Darren Randolph and
Alex Song are likely to be back on the bench after their FA Cup run out.

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Dean Ashton says West Ham striker Andy Carroll is the 'world's best' in this
department
HITC
Damien Lucas

Former West Ham United hero Dean Ashton has given his emphatic backing to
striker Andy Carroll. Carroll was once again crucial for the Hammers as he
came of the bench to set up the crucial goal in a 1-0 FA Cup third round win
over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend. That came off the back of two
goals in back-to-back wins over Southampton and Carroll's former club
Liverpool. Slaven Bilic's side are unbeaten in eight games in all
competitions and Carroll has played a big part in it now he is match fit.
The big Geordie forward had struggled to make an impact on his return from
an eight-month lay-off this season and speculation has been rife West Ham
would be willing to sell their record signing, as reported by the likes of
The Mirror.
But another striker who knows all about suffering with injuries during his
time at West Ham is Dean Ashton. Ashton was forced to retire aged 26 just as
he was forging a reputation as one of the most feared strikers in the
Premier League with the Hammers.

'I felt sorry for Andy'

And Ashton sympathises with Carroll, telling West Ham's official webiste
they would be losing a world's best talent if they sold him. "Andy Carroll
has scored and played well in recent matches," Ashton told whufc.com. "Going
through injury problems myself, I felt sorry for Andy when people were
writing him off and saying he was injury-prone and seemed to never come
back.
"When he got fit, he had to be patient and wait for his chance, which was
difficult, but now he is in the side and match-fit, I don't think there is
anybody better at heading the ball in world football." Ashton makes a
salient point and that has been evidenced in the wins over Southampton and
Liverpool with two fantastic headers helping seal consecutive home wins.
Carroll has been seen as something of an expensive plan B for the Hammers,
but with star striker Diafra Sakho injured he is starting to prove he can
fit into Bilic's plans. Against Wolves, though, it was Carroll's ability
with the ball at his feet which took many by surprise. The ex Newcastle
United striker embarked on a number of swashbuckling runs and showed great
feet to lay a perfect ball into the path of striker partner Jelavic for the
winner.

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Michael Owen predicts Andy Carroll to score for West Ham against Bournemouth
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

Bournemouth will face West Ham United in the Premier League on Tuesday
evening. Former Manchester United and Liverpool striker Michael Owen has
predicted on Betvictor.com that Andy Carroll will score for West Ham United
against Bournemouth. West Ham will take on Bournemouth away from home at the
Vitality Stadium in the Premier League on Tuesday evening. "The Hammers have
conceded just twice in their last six PL games, but are without a win in
their last five on the road in the PL," Owen has written on Betvictor.com.
"Andy Carroll has scored in his last two PL games but has never found the
back of the net in three successive PL games; he might be the difference
between the sides in what should be a fascinating clash."

A footnote added: "Michael's recommendation: Andy Carroll to score anytime
at 5/2."

Carroll has scored three goals and created five chances in 12 Premier League
appearances for West Ham so far this season. The England international
striker has a pass accuracy of 63% and a shot accuracy of 61%, and has won
42 headers, two dribbles and one tackle. West Ham are sixth in the Premier
League table at the moment with 32 points from 20 matches. Slaven Bilic's
side are four points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who are currently fourth in
the standings and occupy the final Champions League spot. Meanwhile,
Bournemouth fans find themselves 16th in the Premier League table at the
moment with 21 points from 20 matches, four points above the relegation
zone. The Cherries are doing better than many expected them to and are
playing good football as well. While West Ham will be favourites to win on
Tuesday evening, an early goal for Eddie Howe's side could make a huge
difference.

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