Daily WHUFC News - 9th February 2016

Preview - Liverpool
WHUFC.com

Background

West Ham United take on Liverpool for the fourth time this season when the
Reds travel to the Boleyn Ground for an Emirates FA Cup fourth round replay
on Tuesday night.

Following a 0-0 draw at Anfield two Saturdays ago, the teams do battle again
for the right to face Blackburn Rovers in the last 16, with West Ham
protecting an excellent record against Liverpool this term.

Following 3-0 and 2-0 victories in the league, the initial cup meeting gave
the Hammers a third clean sheet in a row against the Merseysiders.

Since then, both teams have played two league games, West Ham defeating
Aston Villa 2-0 and losing to Southampton 1-0 – results which have kept them
sixth in the Barclays Premier League with 39 points from 24 games.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are four points back in ninth, having lost 2-0 at
Leicester and drawn 2-2 with Sunderland in the past week.
The history

West Ham's wait for success at Anfield was legendary in its length. 52 long
years had passed since Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst secured a 2-1 West Ham
win before Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho repeated the feat –
but by 3-0 this time.

West Ham completed a league double over Liverpool that term, and have
achieved that for the first time since this. Another good omen was that
double success over the Reds coincided with West Ham's first glorious FA Cup
campaign.

This will be the 133rd meeting between the Clubs, with Liverpool having won
70 of them, West Ham 27 and 35 ending in draws.

No Hammer will need reminding of the last FA Cup tie between the two, when
east London hearts were broken by the Reds in the 2006 final.

The teams have been drawn together five times in this competition before,
Liverpool progressing each time.
The match

Team news

West Ham United

The Hammers will be without James Tomkins for the visit of Liverpool after
he suffered a calf injury in Saturday's defeat at Southampton.

With Sam Byram cup tied, that could give an opportunity for Joey O'Brien to
start for the first time since the Club's UEFA Europa League campaign in the
summer.

Elsewhere Emmanuel Emenike is ineligible having signed after the first
running of the tie, but Andy Carroll returned to the fold at the weekend.
Liverpool

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will take charge after missing Saturday's 2-2 draw
with Sunderland with appendicitis.

Philippe Coutinho, Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge are all in contention
after returning from injuries.
Match info

Tuesday's match referee is Roger East. He will be assisted by Harry Lennard
and David Bryan. The fourth official is Charles Breakspear
West Ham are yet to beat Liverpool in seven FA Cup meetings (D3 L4), with
the most recent encounter prior to the 0-0 draw at Anfield coming in the
2006 final, when the Reds won on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
However, the Hammers have won three of their last five meetings with
Liverpool, including two league victories this season - a 3-0 win at Anfield
back in August and a 2-0 victory at home in January.
Liverpool are yet to score in three matches in all competitions against West
Ham this season (270 minutes), while the Hammers are looking to keep a
fourth clean sheet against the Reds for the first time in a single campaign.
West Ham have lost just one of their last 10 FA Cup games at home (W5 D4) -
a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal in January 2010.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other info

Tickets for Tuesday's game have SOLD OUT.
The District and Hammersmith & City lines are set to serve Upton Park
station as normal on Tuesday night.
There is a chance of light rain in east London on Tuesday evening, with
temperatures falling to a chilly 4C (39F).
If you're not heading to the game, make sure you follow all the action on
our digital channels. The whufc.com Match Centre has live audio commentary
and text updates, in-running stats, pictures and more. You can get involved
with the conversation on social using #WHULIV

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Slaven Speaks - Liverpool
WHUFC.com

Ahead of Tuesday's FA Cup fourth round replay with Liverpool, under the
lights at the Boleyn Ground, Slaven Bilic faced the media. During the
briefing, the manager fielded questions on team news, Daniel Sturridge and
Jurgen Klopp.

Morning Slaven, what team news do you have for us?

SB: "James Tomkins got injured in the Southampton game, he felt it before
during the warm up but he said he was OK. At half-time he said he was OK but
shortly after that it went, it's a calf injury. He has a scan this morning,
so after that we'll know more. It's probably a few weeks if we are lucky,
maybe more. It'll be two to four weeks."

What will you do at right-back with Sam Byram cup-tied?

SB: "We are OK, Sam is OK for the Premier League and also Joey O'Brien is
back after a long absence. Of course he is a good player, his quality was
never in doubt. Losing Tomkins is a big blow for us but we have options.
It's good we got Sam after what happened to Carl Jenkinson and with Joey we
are well covered."

Is tomorrow night particularly difficult to plan for given you don't know
who you might come up against. Daniel Sturridge might be back tomorrow
night?

SB: "He is a great player of course, he has been injured for a long time. We
have played Liverpool many, many times, this is the third in a short space
of time. They were different line ups every time. Whoever they play, they
have good players, they are all Liverpool players. We are well prepared for
whatever team they come with. I don't see it as a big problem."

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Ladies routed by Rovers
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies were knocked out of the FA Women's Cup Third Round by
Blackburn Rovers after a 7-0 defeat on Sunday 7 February. Having suffered
penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital
Women's Cup Quarter Final a week earlier, manager Marc Nurse would have
hoped for a better response however Sophie Jones, Lynda Shepherd and a brace
from Saffron Jordan had the visitors 4-0 up at the break. The scoreline went
from bad to worse when Shepherd added two further goals to seal a hat-trick,
before Alica Johnson's lobbed effort sealed a spot in the fourth round.
Nurse kept faith in the same team that suffered at the hands of the penalty
jackpot, with French winger Cindy Ferreria again forming at attacking
partnership with Italian Romina Pinna and the speedy Whitney Locke. In the
opening quarter of an hour, the Hammers looked good in possession as they
went on the hunt for an early goal.
Unfortunately though, it was Blackburn midfielder Jones that got the opening
goal of the game when a stray ball to the edge of the penalty area was
headed over Irons' keeper Lauren Picton and into the back of the net. It
went from bad to worse in the next nine minutes when two further crosses
into the penalty area were headed home by Jordan and Shepherd. Nurse made a
quick substitution and replaced New Zealand-born midfielder Rosie Missen
with former Millwall Lionesses player Shirvae Edwards, however the onslaught
continued as Jordan made it four with a volleyed effort from the edge of the
box on the stroke of half time. During the break, Nurse made his second
change with Olivia Sammons being replaced by Chelsea Hinz and the Hammers
started the second half brightly. That was until Shepherd popped up with an
outstanding long-ranged effort that gave Picton no chance of keeping out.
The Hammers heads dropped and a third substitution was made when Ferreira
was replaced in midfield by Sasha Kelly, who had earned a first team
appearance with a number of standout performances at Development Squad level
this season. In the final ten minutes, two lapses in the home defence
allowed Rovers to extend their lead to seven when Shepherd headed home from
close range to complete her hat-trick, before Johnson's come-cum-shot caught
out Picton in the goal and finished up just entering the net underneath the
crossbar.

The Hammers next FA Women's Premier League South fixture is the visit of
Charlton Athletic Women to AFC Hornchurch on Sunday 14 February at 2pm.

LADIES: Picton, Sammons (Hinz), Ritson, Bottom, Wheeler, Missen (Edwards),
Abela, Camesi, Pinna, Ferreira (Kelly), Locke
Subs not used: Bradley, Smith.

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Randolph - This will be another special night
WHUFC.com

West Ham United keeper Darren Randolph admits the players are bracing
themselves for another special evening under the lights at the Boleyn Ground
and hopes home advantage will work in their favour. Randolph is expecting
another big atmosphere when Liverpool arrive in east London for the Emirates
FA Cup Fourth Round replay on Tuesday night. With the Club preparing for an
historic move to the new Stadium during the summer, the end of the season is
fast approaching and this could be the last ever cup tie to be played at the
Boleyn Ground. Having come away with a well earned draw at Anfield ten-days
ago, the Republic of Ireland international is now hoping to see the Hammers
reach the latter stages of the competition and make it a memorable end to
the season.

Randolph said: "I hope we can get the job finished on Tuesday night. We have
to fancy ourselves as we are playing at home and we can take confidence from
the performances and results we have had against them in the past. "In the
days leading up to the game it gets mentioned that it could be the last
every cup game at the Boleyn Ground so it makes it special and the fact that
we are playing Liverpool makes it even more special. "If we can get past
Liverpool, we would fancy ourselves again if we play Blackburn to progress
even further in the competition. We put out a strong team and hopefully we
will get a good result against Liverpool. "You look at any of the players
who have come into the team this season and they have all added something
and played their part. It is good to have a strong side in the cup like we
have. "We were on a good run, not only results but performances as well. We
had a bit of a slow start against Southampton which we were angry about. "If
we can put in a strong start against Liverpool than there is no reason why
we cannot put in a solid performance for the ninety minutes and get the
result that we want.
"Whatever team he (Jurgen Klopp) decides to put out is up to him. They have
a lot of games coming up, but it is down to us to put in a good performance.
We have got a lot of confidence so we should not worry too much about what
other teams are doing and focus on what we are doing.

Randolph is hoping to build on his man of the match display at Anfield and
hopes to continue his impressive form against Liverpool after keeping two
clean sheets in the two games he has played against them this season.
Randolph added: "I take heart from any game that I play in and especially
the performances I have put in over the last few games and hopefully I can
take that into the Liverpool tie. "I am just happy to play and get any game
time I can get. The Liverpool game is another chance for me to go out and
show what I can do."

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Liverpool betting preview with Betway
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are the 6/4 favourites with Betway to beat Liverpool on
Tuesday night at the Boleyn Ground. In the fourth meeting between the two
clubs this season, Liverpool are offered at 15/8 to register their first
win. A draw is priced at 23/10, and that would require extra-time and,
possibly, a penalty shoot-out. Prices to go through to the Fifth Round at
any time on the night are quoted as 3/4 West Ham and 21/20 Liverpool. The
Hammers are 20/1 to go on and lift the FA Cup, ahead of this replay.

Liverpool haven't scored a single goal against West Ham in 280 minutes of
football – since Daniel Sturridge secured a 2-0 victory at Anfield in the
Premier League back in January 2015. Darren Randolph (or Adrian) is priced
at 2/1 to keep another clean-sheet against the Reds. Our special markets for
the game also have Dimitri Payet to score in a home win at 5/1.

The 'Method of Victory' market is the only one that will apply after
90-minutes and we offer West Ham at 10/1 to win on penalties and the same
price to secure a tie at Blackburn in extra-time. On the 'Correct Score'
market the Hammers are 6/1 to win 1-0, it's 8/1 for another goalless game.
The 'First Goalscorer' odds have Enner Valencia and Andy Carroll both at 9/2
to break the deadlock (player's that do not get onto the pitch before the
first goal is scored are refunded, as always).

At Betway we have over 100 markets on Tuesday's game and those throughout
the midweek match list.

Remember you can access a whole host of Hammers exclusive Betway seasonal
bets by clicking here. Our enhanced sign-up bonus for West Ham United fans
is right here.

Find the latest Betway odds on West Ham United v Liverpool, and a
comprehensive range of weekend Football markets at www.betway.com

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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

I agree with everything Slaven Bilic said about our performance against
Southampton on Saturday. We did have a slow start to the game and
unfortunately we lacked the quality that was needed in the final third to
break them down. Although we had a lot of the possession (67 per cent) and
had a lot of shots (18) we cannot kid ourselves as we only had a few on
target and we didn't make their keeper work enough. Once Wanyama was sent
off we all anticipated getting something out of the game, but we could not
find the breakthrough. On a positive note it was great to see Andy Carroll
back out on the pitch. It might take him a few games to get back to his
best, but I hope he he has a real impact against Liverpool and Norwich this
week.

It is looking more promising on the injury front and once we get Diafra
Sakho and Manuel Lanzini back in action, I believe we will start to score a
lot more goals. I hope both players will be back in action within the next
two weeks.

We are now preparing for another big game under the lights when we play
Liverpool at the Boleyn ground. It is a huge game for us as a victory would
take us to a winnable match at Blackburn in the Fifth Round. A victory there
would take us to within 90 minutes of a Wembley semi-final so there is
everything to play for.

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U18 duo delighted with strong finish
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18 coach Mark Phillips said his side deserved their 2-0
away win at Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the regular season.
Former Chelsea winger Dan Kemp netted his fourth goal in as many games from
the penalty spot, before Grady Diangana netted an audacious 30 yard lob to
seal victory. Speaking to whufc.com after the game, Phillips said his side
deserved the three points despite not being the best performance of the
season: "I think we just shaded it to be honest. It wasn't our best
performance of the season but I still feel like we did enough to deserve the
win. "It was a clear penalty in the first half, then a fantastic goal in the
second half to confirm the win so I'm delighted. "We've played much better
in other games this season and come away with nothing, so it's nice to put
in a decent performance and take the points."

Since the turn of the year, the Hammers have won four from five games, and
Phillips continued to describe his optimism at finishing in the top four.
"I'm always an optimist and I was confident that we'd get the four wins we
needed. Some of those wins over the past few weeks have been very hard work
but I did fancy us for the win against Brighton from the start. "Now all we
can do is sit and wait for the rest of the results to come through."

During the second half, midfielder Diangana netted yet another goal with an
audacious effort from 30 yards after intercepting a clearance from the edge
of the box, which the 18 year-old described as one of the best goals of his
career to date. "We are all very delighted with the result against Brighton
because that now puts us in the top four and hopefully, if other results go
our way now, we can stay there," added Diangana. "Every player has given
100% from the goalkeeper, through the defence and the midfield to the
strikers so we've all worked hard for the results recently. "It was a very
good performance against Brighton, especially in the second half when my
legs were tired and we all stuck together to get to the end and get the win.
I saw the Brighton goalkeeper come to the edge of his box and try to play
the ball out, but I intercepted it and remembered that he was on the edge of
his box so I hit it first time and the ball went in. "It's definitely one of
the better goals I've scored in my career so far."

The Hammers have now concluded their regular season fixture list, ending
their 22 games with eleven victories, four draws and only seven defeats,
giving them 37 points from the season. Once the other teams in the league
have completed their fixtures in both the Northern and Southern league, the
two leagues will split into three four-team groups based on league position.
Each team will then enter the end-of-season play-off stage against the
matching teams in the Northern division.

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Dev Squad set for Swans' test
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that the Development Squad's game
with Swansea City on Wednesday 10 February is free admission for all fans.
The young Hammers are in fine form of late, currently 11 games unbeaten in
all competitions. During that run, Terry Westley's men have netted an
impressive 24 goals. Their rich vein of form has also seen them rise up the
league table to a spot in the play off positions as well as reaching the
semi-final of the U21 Premier League Cup. Wednesday's Barclays U21 Premier
League match sees the Irons host the Swans who are currently ninth, seven
points behind the Hammers. Earlier in the season the Hammers recorded a hard
fought 1-0 in victory and Wednesday's encounter at Rush Green promises to be
a fascinating rematch.

Kick off at Rush Green Stadium is 7pm, admission and parking is free for
all fans.

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West Ham United v Liverpool
TUE, 09 FEB 2016
FA CUP - FOURTH ROUND - REPLAY
19:45
Venue: Boleyn Ground

TEAM NEWS

West Ham defender James Tomkins has a calf injury and misses Tuesday's FA
Cup fourth round replay with Liverpool. Joey O'Brien will make his first
start since July at right-back because new signing Sam Byram is cup-tied and
Carl Jenkinson is out for the season.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will take charge after missing Saturday's 2-2
draw with Sunderland with appendicitis. Philippe Coutinho, Divock Origi and
Daniel Sturridge are all in contention after returning from injuries.

The clubs drew 0-0 in their first meeting at Anfield. The winners of the
replay will visit Blackburn in the fifth round on Sunday 21 February.

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We've played Liverpool many times this season,
twice recently with different line-ups. "We played their strongest team and
then a team with five or six regular starters, so we are well prepared for
whatever team they come with. "They are a big club. They've had ups and
downs this season but make no mistake, whenever a team is facing them, you
have to have a complete game. "You can't give them time and space because
they will harm you, they have quality. We have to be good, brave, direct and
skilful, which we showed in two out of the three games we played against
them."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: "I feel good and I am back in the race. "I
figured if I feel bad I should stay at home but I feel good and I am
thankful for our doctor, because he said we should go to hospital - I was
not too sure. The surgeon was great, a season ticket holder who told me we
both didn't want to see the game. "I had the best nurses and everything was
OK. I feel really good so that is the only reason why I am here. If I'm not
fit then I cannot help here and I would be at home."

MATCH FACTS

West Ham are yet to beat Liverpool in seven FA Cup meetings (D3 L4), with
the most recent encounter prior to the 0-0 draw at Anfield coming in the
2006 final, when the Reds won on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
However, the Hammers have won three of their last five meetings with
Liverpool, including two league victories this season - a 3-0 win at Anfield
back in August and a 2-0 victory at home in January.
Liverpool are yet to score in three matches in all competitions against West
Ham this season (270 minutes), while the Hammers are looking to keep a
fourth clean sheet against the Reds for the first time in a single campaign.
West Ham have lost just one of their last 10 FA Cup games at home (W5 D4) -
a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal in January 2010.
The Reds are unbeaten in five away FA Cup games (W4 D1), but the 2-1 victory
over Crystal Palace last year ended a run of three defeats away to Premier
League sides in the competition.
West Ham United mustered just one shot on target in the 0-0 draw at Anfield.

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Sullivan: everything to play for
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th February 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan says he is looking forward to tomorrow's
big FA Cup tie against Liverpool. With the first tie having ended goalless
at Anfield a fortnight ago, all eyes turn towards the Boleyn Ground for
Tuesday's night's replay. The match has generated huge interest amongst
Hammers fans with the game potentially being the last ever FA Cup tie in
Upton Park, leading to it being virtually sold out. And Sullivan is just one
of thousands of Hammers eagerly anticipating what promises to be an
absorbing tie under the lights. "It's a huge game for us as a victory would
take us to a winnable match at Blackburn in the Fifth Round," the chairman
told whufc.com. "A victory there would take us to within 90 minutes of a
Wembley semi-final so there is everything to play for." And one man he hopes
will have a major impact both tomorrow and this weekend is striker Andy
Carroll, who at £35million - when moving from Newcastle United in January
2011 - remains LIverpool's record signing.
"It was great to see Andy Carroll back out on the pitch," he added. "It
might take him a few games to get back to his best, but I hope he he has a
real impact against Liverpool and Norwich this week."

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Groundhog Day for Slav's slow starters
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th February 2016
By: Graeme Howlett

Back in 1993 Bill Murray was the star of a film entitled Groundhog Day
(based upon an annual American festival of the same name that takes place
every February in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania) in which the protagonist, a
weatherman tasked with covering the event found himself living the same day
over and over again.

Over in London E6, Slaven Bilic could be forgiven for thinking he too has
been cursed by a similar affliction in the same week as Murray's fictional
Phil Connors after his West Ham team fell to defeat at Southampton, having
conceding yet another early goal.

A thorn in the side of an otherwise excellent season, West Ham's propensity
for meekly handing over the initiative has been a constant and frustrating
feature of their campaign so far.

From a total of 28 league and cup fixtures the Hammers have conceded the
opening goal, within the opening third of the game, on TEN occasions. Of
those ten games, only two have ended in victory - whilst six have resulted
in defeat, including Saturday's clash at St Mary's.

Despite suffering another early blow, West Ham went on to dominate Saturday
afternoon's late kick-off - especially once Victor Wanyama had been
dismissed for a wild lunge at Dimitri Payet, who has already missed a large
chunk of the season having been the victim of a similar challenge from
Everton's James McCarthy.

Although Bilic's side managed to triumph under similar circumstances against
Aston VIlla earlier in the week, Southampton proved to be a rather more
difficult proposition and despite enjoying around 80 per cent of possession
for much of the second half, West Ham failed to seriously test Saints
'keeper Fraser Forster.

And whilst Mark Clattenburg's decision not to award a first half spot kick
to West Ham when Enner Valencia was clearly tripped by Southampton
goalscorer Maya Yoshida was the subject of much consternation on the
KUMB.com Forums both during and after the game, the Hammers just didn't
quite do enough to deserve something from it.

The five-point cushion West Ham had previously enjoyed over Southampton
following the Villa win has consequently been reduced to just two, although
Bilic's side remain sixth in the Premier League.

Meanwhile the games continue to come thick and fast as we look forward to
welcoming Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round replay on Tuesday night -
possibly the last ever big FA Cup night under the lights at the Boleyn
Ground - with a trip to relegation-threatened Norwich CIty this coming
weekend to follow.

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

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West Ham manager Slaven Bilic wary of Liverpool's attacking threat
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 08/02/16 3:27pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic has warned West Ham they must be aware of Liverpool's attacking
threat ahead of their FA Cup fourth-round replay. The Hammers are yet to
lose to Liverpool this season, having completed a Premier League double over
the Reds and gained a battling goalless draw at Anfield on January 30 to
earn a replay at the Boleyn Ground. Daniel Sturridge is in line to make his
return from injury against West Ham on Tuesday night, but Bilic says his
side must be "prepared" to deal with Liverpool's offensive options. "Daniel
Sturridge is a great player and has been injured. This is the third time we
have played Liverpool and they have had different line-ups," the West Ham
manager said. "We are well prepared for whatever team they come with. We
will know that one hour before the game and it is not a big problem. "If it
is not Sturridge, it will be (Christian) Benteke. They have a lot of good
strikers and the difference is the midfield. "Liverpool are a big club and
have had their ups and downs this season. Make no mistake you have to close
them down and can't give them time."

Jurgen Klopp missed Liverpool's 2-2 home draw with Sunderland after falling
ill prior to the match and then undergoing a successful operation to remove
his appendix. The result left Liverpool ninth in the Premier League table,
12 points adrift of Manchester City in the fourth and final Champions League
position. Klopp has won just 12 of his 28 matches since replacing Brendan
Rodgers as Liverpool manager in October. The German has confirmed he will
be back in the dugout at Upton Park, and Bilic was asked if he felt Klopp
was rushing his return because of increasing pressure. Bilic said: "I don't
think Klopp will be back because of the pressure. He will be back because he
is like that. "He is the leader. He is Jurgen Klopp and is a successful man.
He likes to work. For him this is natural and he wants to be back."

Bilic also confirmed he expects to be without James Tomkins for a few weeks,
with the defender set to undergo a scan on the calf injury he suffered in
the 1-0 defeat at Southampton on Saturday. With January signing Sam Bryam
cup-tied, having played for Leeds in the third round against Rotherham,
Bilic is set to hand Joey O'Brien his first start since July. He added:
"Joey is a good player. It is a big blow that Tomkins is out now. It is a
good thing that we have Sam and Joey back. We are well covered."

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West Ham v Liverpool preview: Daniel Sturridge in line for return
By Sam Drury
Last Updated: 08/02/16 6:20pm
SSN

Daniel Sturridge could be in line to make his comeback from injury when
Liverpool travel to West Ham for their FA Cup fourth-round replay.
Sturridge has been out of action since the beginning of December with a
hamstring problem picked up against Newcastle, but was an unused substitute
as Liverpool drew with Sunderland on Saturday. Liverpool manager Jurgen
Klopp could also be back on the touchline for Liverpool, having discharged
himself from hospital after missing the weekend draw at Anfield to undergo
surgery to remove his appendix. West Ham come into the game off the back of
a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Southampton on Saturday Night Football. Slaven Bilic
will be hoping for a repeat of the league meeting between the sides last
month as goals from Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll gave the Hammers a 2-0
win. The winners face a trip to Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the
fifth round.

Team news

West Ham will be without defender James Tomkins after he limped out of the
game at Southampton with a calf injury and with right-back Sam Byram
cup-tied, Joey O'Brien is expected to deputise. Diafro Sakho (thigh) and
Manuel Lanzini (muscular) are closing in on returns from injury, but
Tuesday's clash could come just too soon for them.

For Liverpool, Sturridge is back in contention and could be handed his first
start since their 6-1 Capital One Cup win away at Southampton in December.
Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi also returned to training last week and
will be considered for selection. However, the Reds are likely to be without
both Dejan Lovren and Joe Allen after injuries forced the pair off during
the first half against Sunderland. Cameron Brannagan misses out through
illness and Martin Skrtel is also out having suffered a setback in his
recovery from a hamstring injury.

Opta stats

West Ham are yet to beat Liverpool in seven FA Cup meetings (D3 L4), with
the most recent encounter prior to the goalless draw at Anfield coming in
the 2006 final, when the Reds won on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

However, the Hammers have won three of their last five meetings with
Liverpool, including two league victories this season - a 3-0 win at Anfield
back in August and a 2-0 victory at home in January.

Liverpool are yet to score in three matches in all competitions against West
Ham this season (270 minutes), while the Hammers are looking to keep a
fourth clean sheet against the Reds for the first time in a single campaign.

West Ham have lost just one of their last 10 FA Cup games at home (W5 D4) -
a 1-2 defeat to Arsenal in January 2010.

The Reds are unbeaten in five away FA Cup games (W4 D1), but the 2-1 victory
over Crystal Palace last year ended a run of three defeats away to Premier
League sides in the competition.

West Ham mustered just one shot on target in the original match in this tie
at Anfield.

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Farewell Boleyn: Ince beats Liverpool
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in Farewell Boleyn, News,
Whispers
C and H

Liverpool v west ham in Cup clashes don't leave may happy mmories – 2006
remains particularly raw! I can remember being at the 1981 League Cup Final
games, where yet again we payed above ourselves but again came up short.
Howev, on a November night back in 1988 West Ham faced Liverpool in a league
cup tie in what was become one of the great Boleyn nights under the stars.
The Hammers had started the season poorly in the League but in the League
Cup it was a different matter. We had only won two league games before that
night yet had defeated Sunderland both home and away and Derby in a 5-0
mauling to progress to the fourth round against a top of the table
Liverpool. The star that night was undoubtedly Paul Ince, a boy from the
Academy who just 21 and had already appeared 50 times for the Hammers
before that night. His heroics and two goals powered the Hammers past a
stunned Liverpool to send us through to the next round after a 4-1 victory –
our only victory against Liverpool in any competition between 1982 and 1995.
The other Hammers goals were courtesy of a bizarre Steve Staunton headed own
goal and a Tony Gale top corner free kick, but the night belonged to Ince.
After defeating Villa in the Quarter Final the Hammers ran out of steam in
the semis against Luton Town losing 3-0 at home and 2-0 away. The season
ended in more despair as we were relegated at the end of the season
following with a 5-1 defeat at Anfield, it signalled the end of an era as
John Lyall left the club following our demise, and perhaps West Ham have
never been the same again. Words by ClaretandHugh historian Nigel Kahn

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Why we needn't worry about Payet leaving!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

It was always going to kick off wasn't it? Thankfully, however,the story it
was only in The Sun and repeated a little later by The Star.
According to Flreet Street's 'not so finest,' Chelsea and Manchester United
are interested in Dimi Payet just as Man City were in Aaron Cresswell and
Chelsea (again) were in Enner Valencia. Remember those? Now the truth of it
is of course that if we have to rely on those particular media outlets for
our 'news' then we really are in trouble and let me explain why… beyond the
obvious. Chelsea have an interim manager and Manchester United have one
unofficially so any idea that either club will be making any sort of move
before they have settled on their next bosses is more than slightly
ludicrous. I sometimes think that there are people out there who have the
template for every transfer story written with only the names changing:
Valencia, Cresswell – now Payet.

It's a story that is going to be written regardless of the facts because
it's an easy one and works from both ends. United want him…that looks after
the northern editions…Chelsea want him and the Hammers will improve his
contract which works for the London end. The truth is simple and here it is.
There has been no approaches or inquiries for Payet but there have been no
inquiries. Agents have indeed been banging on David Sullivan and Karren
Brady's door attempting to get a better deal but that is par for the course.
However, the knocks have not been so regular over the last couple of weeks
since his form took a dip we're told. With only two transfer windows
avaialable to them, agents spend the rest of their time trying to earn a few
bob by getting contracts improved. It's conceivable the Hammers will offer
an improved deal at some stage hence but with agents planting stories about
United and Chelsea everywhere via their favourite journos, it's not gonna
happen any time soon. I've lost count of the times agents have rung me and
told me so and so is interested in so and so – the story rarely happened by
the way.

Dimi is on a watertight deal. He's going nowhere.

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Sturridge in line for Liverpool replay
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in News
C and H

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Countinho and Divock Origi are all
set to travel to West Ham for the replay. The Scousers have made plenty of
team changes in previous rounds and boss Jurgen Klopp looks set shuffle the
pack again. He said: "We haven't decided on starting line up yet. Sturridge
was fit enough to be on bench on Saturday. He was very impressive in
Friday's session. "Coutinho and Origi will also be in the squad tomorrow if
they are fine today. Cameron Brannagan is ill which is a shame for him
because he played really well. "We have 38 players in our squad. We will
make a squad for the game but it won't be like Exeter because other players
can now play."

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"Outside FA Cup replay chance" for big pair
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Manu Lanzini and Diafra Sakho have "outside chances" of being included in
the squad for tomorrow evening's FA Cup replay against Liverpool. But it's
far more likely the top duo will return to the fray against Norwich at
Carrow Road on Saturday. Both players have been training with the first team
squad for several days but the manager is not a man to take a chance on
their fitness uness he is 100 per cent certain. And although it may happen
that one, the other, or both, could appear for 20 minutes against Liverpool
it's unlikely. We were told this morning that the pair were looking very
good in training and both are at the same stage of their various recoveries.
Our source said: "It would be great to have had them both ready for the
match because we are taking this competition very seriously indeed and we
need a reaction from a disappointing result at Southampton. "It's all down
to the manager but although there's an outside chance of them making it the
Norwich game looks far more possible."

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Payet new deal talk – Hammers respond
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have reacted to speculation that they are in negotiations with Dimi
Payet over a new deal. It's not true but as is the case whenever players
make big starts to their careers with a new clubs, agents can start buzzing
around as appears to be the case here. The rumours started over the weekend
but this morning ClaretandHugh was told exclusively: "This sort of thing is
entirely normal and although we are believers in rewards for excellence we
won't dig up money the moment it's demanded."
We also learned that Chiek Kouyate is another who has been at the centre of
such speculation and it wasn't denied by our sources. With both players
having been outstanding for the most part during a season of achievement
agents clearly see an opportunity to up the ante on clubs. We were told:
"Agents are continually playing the game of "you don't want an unhappy
player on your hands" but both midfielders are more than content at the
club. And our source told us: "Both players are locked into watertight
contracts as has been mentioned several times before. They won't be going
anywhere and we are used to the various negotiating tactics."

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CandH Exclusive: DS pledge after ticket chaos
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Sullivan has sent a personal apology to fans hit by the telephone
booking line chaos as they tried to buy tickets for the Liverpool FA Cup
replay. ClaretandHugh brought various issues to him – notably that one
person had spent nearly four hours on the phone and still hadn't managed to
buy a pair. @NeilTidd1969 had complained bitterly after his wife failed to
book his ticket despite spending four hours on the phone. The telephone bill
for his call is reproduced here.
Others were caught up in the problem and the chairman has reacted quickly to
make it clear he is moving fast to solve the problem. Speaking only to
ClaretandHugh he said: " We have to learn we realise the service to
supporter in this instance hasn't been good enough "Things will massively
increase in the Summer as we move to the OS with increased capacity re
buying tickets on line and over the phone."
The problem was caused largely by the prices being charged for the Liverpool
game and tje club has paid a heavy price, The booking facility on the phone
and on line couldn't cope as eight thousand people tried to book. The system
simply couldn't hadle. But Sullivan pledged: "It will be better at the OS
and we are sorry." Fans are advised that in future they will be better off
attempting to buy their tickets under the present system software by
landline.

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Tomkins may be out for a month
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

James Tomkins has been ruled out of tomorrow evening's clash with Liverpool
and could be out for up to a month. Speaking at his morning presser the
manager said: "James Tomkins got injured in the Southampton game, he felt it
before during the warm up but he said he was OK. "At half-time he said he
was OK but shortly after that it went, it's a calf injury. He has a scan
this morning, so after that we'll know more. It's probably a few weeks if we
are lucky, maybe more. It'll be two to four weeks."

And thatmeans Joey O'Brien is almost 100 per cent guaranteed to start and
suggested that Sam Byram could be involved in the League action.He said: "We
are OK, Sam is OK for the Premier League and also Joey O'Brien is back after
a long absence. Of course he is a good player, his quality was never in
doubt. "Losing Tomkins is a big blow for us but we have options. It's good
we got Sam after what happened to Carl Jenkinson and with Joey we are well
covered."On the replay he declared: "We have played Liverpool many, many
times, this is the third in a short space of time. They were different line
ups every time. Whoever they play, they have good players, they are all
Liverpool players. We are well prepared for whatever team they come with. I
don't see it as a big problem."

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: This is why Jurgen Klopp is a great leader for
Liverpool
SLAVEN BILIC says he is not surprised Jurgen Klopp intends to be in the away
dugout tomorrow just hours after an appendix operation.
By JON WEST
PUBLISHED: 11:33, Mon, Feb 8, 2016 | UPDATED: 11:46, Mon, Feb 8, 2016
Express.co.uk

Bilic's West Ham host Klopp's Liverpool in an FA Cup fourth round replay,
with the winners away to Blackburn. Klopp missed Saturday's 2-2 draw at home
to Sunderland but is expected to return to duty in east London. Bilic said:
"He will be back because he's like that, he would be back even if they were
top of the table and 10 points clear. "That's why he is the leader, why he
is Jurgen Klopp. He is successful at his job because he is like that not the
other way round. He is not trying to make a point. For him its natural."
Bilic has a problem at right-back with James Tomkins facing up to a month
out with a calf injury. Carl Jenkinson has suffered a season-ending injury
and new signing Sam Byram is cup-tied. Bilic said: "He will have a scan this
morning and after that we will know. If we are lucky it will be two weeks,
if not four." Fortunately the experienced Joey O'Brien is now fit and
looking for game time.
Bilic said: "He is a good player, his quality was never in doubt, the
problem was that he was not available."

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West Ham boss reveals tactics ahead of Liverpool game
SLAVEN BILIC says West Ham must be direct in their approach when up against
Liverpool in the FA Cup tomorrow night.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 11:42, Mon, Feb 8, 2016 | UPDATED: 12:34, Mon, Feb 8, 2016
Express.co.uk

The Hammers drew 0-0 with Liverpool in the original tie of this fourth-round
clash at Anfield last month. They are yet to lose to the Reds in three
meetings this season, having also completed the league double over Jurgen
Klopp's men. And manager Bilic, who has steered the club to sixth in the
Premier League table, admits he is wary of Liverpool's attacking strengths.
"Liverpool are a big club and have had their ups and downs this season,"
Bilic said. "Make no mistake you have to close them down and can't give them
time. "When you have the ball you need to be brave and direct and we have
showed that in two out of the three games we have played them." Jurgen Klopp
is expected to make changes for the replay, with Daniel Sturridge possibly
getting a run-out. On Liverpool, Bilic said: "This is the third time we have
played Liverpool and they have had different line-ups . "We are well
prepared for whatever team they come with. We will know that one hour before
the game and it is not a big problem. "Daniel is a great player and has been
injured. If it is not Sturridge, it will be (Christian) Benteke. "They have
a lot of good strikers and the difference is the midfield."

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West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic has promised his strongest XI will face
Liverpool in Tuesday's FA Cup fourth round replay
Guardian Series

West Ham United coach Slaven Bilic has promised to select a strong side for
tomorrow's FA Cup fourth round replay with Liverpool at Upton Park. The
Croatian sees no reason to weaken his side following the disappointing 1-0
defeat to ten-man Southampton on Saturday evening. West Ham face Norwich
City in the Premier League this Saturday in a game which will be important
in maintaining the Hammers' quest to finish in the European places. But that
doesn't mean Bilic will shuffle his pack. He said: "Definitely, it is a cup
game and we played a very strong team when we played them away and we will
do the same on Tuesday. "We are not thinking about the Norwich game, just
the Liverpool game, and there were a few chances in the away game." Jurgen
Klopp will make a swift return to the Liverpool dugout for that fixture
following surgery to have his appendix taken out. The German coach missed
this side's 2-2 draw against Sunderland on Saturday.

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Dimitri Payet enjoying West Ham life as he is 'anonymous' in busy London
West Ham star Dimitri Payet has been one of the signings of the season
The Hammers playmaker enjoyed not being recognised in London
Payet has scored six goals in 22 appearances for Slaven Bilic's side
By ELLIOTT BRETLAND FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:30, 8 February 2016 | UPDATED: 09:41, 8 February 2016

Dimitri Payet may be the star man at West Ham but admits he has enjoyed
going under the radar in London. The Hammers playmaker has been one of the
signings of the season after joining for £11.5million from Marseille in the
summer and revealed he was barely recognised when he first arrived in the
bustling capital. 'I don't know if I am classed as a star now, but people
have got to know me,' the 28-year-old told The Sun. 'When I arrived in
England I was anonymous. It's nice to be recognised for my football,
especially in a competition as strong as the Premier League. 'People
questioned my decision to join West Ham and said it was only for the money.
'But last season at Marseille I think I proved what I was capable of. I am
happy to show that I made the correct choice.' Payet's dazzling runs and
skill have made him a fan favourite at Upton Park and the Frenchman has
scored six goals in 22 appearances for the club.

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Man City to crash Man Utd and West Ham hopes over Premier League switch
MANCHESTER CITY are reportedly preparing a summer offer for Southampton
striker Sadio Mane in a move that could rock Manchester United's transfer
plans.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 07:37, Mon, Feb 8, 2016 | UPDATED: 07:51, Mon, Feb 8, 2016
Express.co.uk

Rivals United are thought to have put off plans to sign Mane in January with
the intention of landing him at the end of the season, while West Ham are
also eyeing a move. The Senegal international, 23, remained at St Mary's
after boss Ronald Koeman fought to keep his big-name stars. Shane Long and
Victor Wanyama were also reportedly targeted last month but the club fended
off respective interest from Liverpool and Arsenal. But Saints may struggle
to block City's attempts to land Mane if new manager Pep Guardiola gives the
green light for a move.
The Sun claim a £25million offer would be enough to secure the star, who has
scored seven goals this season. City director of football Txiki Begiristain
is thought to be working on the deal.
Former Red Bull Salzburg striker Mane would likely replace Wilfried Bony in
the City first team. And his arrival would be a sign of the times in
Manchester after United came close to signing the ace last summer. United
first showed interest in Mane when they failed to land Barcelona winger
Pedro at the end of the summer transfer window. Pedro ultimately went to
Chelsea, while Mane stayed put. An offer from the Red Devils was expected
last month but the club appear to have changed their strategy, with boss
Louis van Gaal not trusted with big money after spending £250m on players
over his first 18 months in charge. Van Gaal, 64, is not expected to remain
at Old Trafford post the end of the season and the club are understood to be
saving cash reserves for whoever takes over. As for West Ham, club bosses
have reportedly earmarked Mane as a possible big-name signing to mark their
move to the Olympic Stadium. Manager Slaven Bilic is likely to be trusted
with big money during the off-season as the Hammers look to kick on form a
successful first season with the boss in charge.

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SAINTS TEACH US THIS IS STILL WEST HAM, BUT ONLY JUST
By HamburgHammer 8 Feb 2016 at 08:00
WTID

I love games like this. Games that are influenced to some degree by the
elements, blustery winds, rain, hail, snow, mud, you name it. Who could
forget those fantastic NFL contests in freezing Green Bay, Wisconsin in
December. Some of those Rugby Union clashes played out in the mud when you
cannot tell at the end if a player is wearing a shirt for the home or the
away team. I'll never forget during "my" West Ham season in 1996/97 our home
game against Spurs (although I couldn't be there in person on the day),
wild, wet and windy night when Hartson, KItson and Dicks brought us a
thrilling win against our North London rivals.
I also (unfortunately) remember a similar evening in the Cup at Stockport
where Iain Dowie scored the most incredible headed goal I've ever seen,
unfortunately it was the goal guarded by his own custodian.

Those games are hard to predict and most anything can happen on the day.
I'll admit though, when Southampton found themselves down to ten men with
about 35 minutes to go I fancied our chances to get a point out of this,
maybe even the win. We had tons of possession, we passed the ball around
nicely, albeit mainly in a sideways or backwards direction, but we also
created some good scoring opportunities. Some of the stuff was comical
though while also being utterly frustrating at the same time:
Carroll blocking a shot from his teammate which curled beautifully towards
the zop corner, maybe preventing a great goal.
Valencia sending a freekick from a promising position into the rainswept
evening sky.
Emenike sending a bullet of a header after a perfect cross past the wrong
side of the post.
Let's face it: Saturday it simply wasn't meant to be. We might have played
for another 45 minutes and still the ball would not have found its way past
Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster (Shouldn't he be a boxer with that kind of
name ?).

It has been discussed at length why we have not managed to get maximum
points in recent games, most of the points are obvious: Missing key players
through injuries, other key players being tired after returning from injury,
lacking match fitness, a strange tendency to not quite perform in the first
half of games, bringing on Carroll while taking off the wingers who could
actually provide him with the crosses he'd crave in order to convert them
into goals or assists.

I was disappointed after losing this game, which West Ham fan wouldn't ? But
I wasn't down in the dumps for long. As my reminiscing about past West Ham
seasons made it clear to me that it is very rare for West Ham to win plenty
of games in succession. I was surprised when I had just arrived in Barking
to find at a local WHSmith a collection of West Ham videotapes (no DVDs back
in 1996) one of which particularly caught may eye: 5 in a row – a video
showing highlights of West Ham winning five games of football in succession.
I was puzzled about this: Why would a team celebrate something which in
itself may be a rare occurrence but nevertheless not a reason to celebrate
like a Cup win or a Championship. Later I learned of course that indeed it
is fairly special for West Ham to win five games in succession.
Most of our fans seem resigned to the fact that they may never see West Ham
win any silverware in their lifetime, so they celebrate special acievements
instead:
West Ham winning against Spúrs three times in one season. West Ham winning
at Liverpool for the first time in donkey's years. West Ham winning a Cup
game against lower league opposition. You get the picture.

My point is: We are not a team (yet) where we can expect to win five games
in a row on a regular basis. At this point we will still lose games we may
be expected to win, but then again wonderful West Ham will also do the
opposite and return with three points from games we go into as underdogs. Or
let me correct that: It is rare these days that we are actually underdogs
anymore. Expectation levels have risen, both among us fans but also among
the rest of the league.
Our league position alone tells us that we are unlikely to lose five games
in a row (something which used to happen fairly regularly in our past).
We are still unpredictable old West Ham, but at a different level of
unpredictability when comparing us with past teams.

Slaven Bilic will know better than anyone that we are nowhere near the
finished article. He needs to find a way to rotate players in order to keep
everybody fresh, healthy and happy, he needs to find a system that maximises
the Payet effect for us, we need to learn how to break teams down when we
cannot play our prefered counterattacking style.
The Southampton loss was a timely reminder that we are not Barcelona yet,
far from it.
But let's also not forget: Even teams like Barcelona, Real or Man City
(Leicester City anyone ?) occasionally lose games they are not supposed to
lose – still it happens.

I'm sure we'll see a different team tomorrow in the Cup against Liverpool,
with a different approach, a different body language with the Boleyn crowd
behind them, cheering the lads on under the lights at home. It may be wet,
it may be windy and Liverpool may be down to ten men at some point. What
happens next nobody can tell.
But that's why we love our football in general and our West Ham in
particular. Winning for us at this point still tastes sweeter than what I'd
expect it to taste for Arsenal or Barcelona fans who are used to winning
week in week out.
I'm quite happy with our lot these days. Sod that! I'm ecstatic about our
team this season. A defeat against Southampton away from home won't change
that. COYI!

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