Daily WHUFC News - 17th June 2016

Payet scores again at Euro 2016
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet made the whole of Europe understand yet again with another
impressive goalscoring Man of the Match-winning performance for France at
UEFA Euro 2016. The West Ham United midfielder had his manager Slaven Bilic
climbing on an ITV studio desk to celebrate as he put the finishing touch to
a 2-0 Group A win over Albania in Marseille – a city he played successful
club football in for two years prior to joining the Hammers. While France
were not at their fluent best against a well-drilled Albania, Payet was
again at the centre of most of their best play, with his cleared cross
falling to Adil Rami, who crossed for substitute Antoine Griezmann to break
the resistance in the 90th minute. With the eastern Europeans throwing men
forward late on, replacement Paul Pogba flicked the ball into Payet's path,
he cut inside a defender and curled a shot past the goalkeeper with the last
kick of the game at the Stade Velodrome. France's victory means they are the
first team through to the round of 16 on home turf, while Payet is the joint
top-goalscorer in the competition after netting in the opening-night win
over Romania last Friday evening.

While fans, pundits and players alike continue to purr over the Hammers
midfielder's performances in a national-team shirt, Bilic was not in the
slightest bit surprised by Payet's continued brilliance for Les Bleus. "He
knows what he is doing and you all see it, but I've seen it every day in
training," said the West Ham boss, whose punditry is also drawing admiring
reviews. "He has got a plan. He can go left, but if he moves the defender a
little bit he can cut in, he knows what he is doing because he is doing that
every day with ease."

Payet has now scored four and assisted another two goals in his last five
appearances for France and now has five goals in 21 caps overall. France can
wrap up Group A by beating Switzerland in Lyon on Sunday evening at 20.00
BST.

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Dimi eager to 'stop the crazy scenarios'
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet says France will try not to leave it late in every Euro 2016
match they play, but said their ability to score last-gasp goals is a good
habit to have. The West Ham United midfielder netted for the second Group A
fixture in succession on Wednesday, adding a 96th-minute strike to complete
a 2-0 win over Albania to his 89th-minute winner against Romania last Friday
evening. Payet's goal at his old Marseille stamping ground came minutes
after substitute Antoine Griezmann had finally broken Albania's stubborn
resistance with a 90th-minute header – a goal welcomed with huge joy and
relief. "We will try to stop the crazy scenarios like this!" said Payet,
referring to the fact that France have scored three of their four tournament
goals in the 89th minute or later. "If you enter the game as we did in the
second period, we can score earlier and be calmer in the closing stages. "In
the first period, they were fresh and grouped in front of their own goal and
I had less possession and time on the ball than usual. Then, with the entry
of Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann it was different, as the game became
more spread and open."

Payet's run and finish in the sixth minute of added time was the latest
'normal time' goal ever scored in a UEFA European Championship finals, and
continued France's recent run of scoring late goals. Didier Deschamps' side
beat both the Netherlands and Cameroon – the latter courtesy of Payet's
last-minute free-kick – in the closing moments of warm-up matches, before
their late shows against Romania and Albania. "What is good is that this is
not new," said the Hammers star, whose goals mean France are through to the
round of 16 with a game to spare. "In March against the Netherlands, it was
already shown we could get those victories there at the end. "We said before
the match that we should be patient. In the first half, maybe we passed the
ball through the middle a bit too much. But in the second have, we used more
width. "The [first two matches] show we can be present throughout the length
of a match."

While Payet has taken centre-stage, France's strong squad depth make them
many people's favourites for the trophy. On Wednesday, it was the
introduction of Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann from the bench that made
all the difference as he deftly glanced home Adil Rami's cross to break the
deadlock. "It's a special feeling because we were told last week that
everyone was important in this group," Payet revealed. "Many people doubted
but, again, we have shown that to be true. This is the most beautiful way to
show it. The words union and cohesion were highlighted."

For the West Ham man, his performances are making French fans happy, both on
the mainland and in his homeland on the faraway Indian Ocean island of
Reunion. "I have known for quite some time that my island supports me," he
smiled. "There is a special fervor there for Les Bleus. I felt that on
Wednesday night and I know that they are happy that the France team has
qualified for the knockout stages."

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Valencia ready for quarter-final clash
WHUFC.com

Enner Valencia is hoping to continue his impressive goalscoring record for
Ecuador when they face the USA in the Copa America quarter finals on
Thursday night. Valencia has been one of the star performers for Ecuador in
the group stages and took his tally to 16 goals in just 28 appearances when
he scored the opening goal in the crucial final game against Haiti and set
up two more as Ecuador cruised to a 4-0 victory.
The victory, combined with Brazil's shock 1-0 defeat by Peru, saw the
Hammers forward and his Ecuador team-mates finish second behind the
Peruvians in Group B and qualify for the last-eight where they will now face
the tournament hosts. The game will be played at Seattle's CenturyLink Field
in front of some of the most passionate fans in the United States. West Ham
United know all about the venue as they will be heading to Seattle at the
start of July for their pre-season tour of America. Valencia knows his team
face a tough task against Jurgen Klinsmann's side who needed victories over
Costa Rica and Paraguay to reach the last eight of the competition.
Klinsmann was able to name an unchanged line-up for the three group games,
but he will be forced into a change for the Ecuador game with DeAndre Yedlin
ruled out through suspension. Valencia will be hoping to capitalise on his
absence and continue his prolific run for his country as they look to reach
the last four of the competition. The game will go straight to penalties if
the scores are level at the end of normal time and the winners will face
either Argentina or Venezuela in the semi-finals.

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues an update – in
association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone,

We are getting closer to the start of pre-season training on 1 July and, as
you may have seen on social media this week, the players have started their
personal programmes.

These programmes will enable them to reach a level of fitness before they
step back onto the training pitch and into the gym and pool with their
teammates next month.

We will return for one day in England before we fly to the United States for
a 12-day tour which will include a training camp and two matches.

From a Medical and Sports Science point of view I have been over there and
seen everything, as we – myself and our commercial director Felicity Croft –
had a very thorough reconnaissance trip just after the end of the Premier
League season.

In both Seattle, where we will train for a week either side of our game
against the Sounders, and North Carolina, the facilities are amazing and I
think it is going to be very good preparation for 2016/17.

We are training first at VMAC (Virginia Mason Athletic Center), which are
the facilities of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and they have everything we
could wish for – great pitches, great gymnasiums, great swimming pools and
so on.

They have three outdoor grass pitches and one indoor pitch, changing rooms,
weight rooms and meeting rooms, so we will be able to work very well there.

For the second part of our trip, we will be in North Carolina for our game
with the Carolina RailHawks and again the facilities at WakeMed Soccer Park
are very good. There, they have two floodlit outdoor pitches and four other
pitches.

Now we are starting our UEFA Europa League campaign in the third qualifying
round at the end of July, it makes it slightly more challenging with the
time difference and the distance we are traveling, but I am sure we will
plan and execute everything well.

The players are used to travelling to train and play matches with their
national teams and in European competition, so I do not anticipate any
issues.

The squad and the staff are very excited about starting our pre-season in a
fast-growing football market in the United States.

Before I go, I would like to welcome Sofiane Feghouli to the Club. He came
through his medical at Spire Roding Hospital this week and will join us for
pre-season training.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Balague - 'Feghouli could be great'
WHUFC.com

Sky Sports regular Guillem Balague is a respected UK-based Spanish football
journalist and is more than aware of the potential shown by West Ham
United's latest signing Sofiane Feghouli for Valencia during the last few
seasons...

Sofiane Feghouli is a player with a lot of potential. He has the ability to
dribble in wide areas and can equally play through the middle, but he is
definitely stronger as a winger.

It hasn't been the easiest year for him at Valencia, but if he can rekindle
his love for football with the help of the passionate West Ham fans, then
you have a great player, because on his day, he is the type that you don't
see very often.

He has the experience of playing in La Liga and so he isn't just about going
forward. As so many players learn to do in Spain, he is able to use his
experience defensively as well.

With the increased money in the Premier League, its clubs now have the
potential to attract this type of player. This signing is a sign that West
Ham don't just want strong and physical players, but also technical players
of the highest quality.

Sofiane is able to make the difference in games and that can be so important
for a team. I think that if he can maintain consistency, he will become a
great signing for the Club.

He is at that point in his career that he needs to kick on and take the next
step to further his career and I think that West Ham can offer him the right
conditions to do that.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily the opinions held
by West Ham United

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Only the best for the Best
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 16th June 2016
By: Staff Writer

A London-based West Ham fan had a surprise gift for former Hammer Clyde
Best, who lives some 3,500 miles away in Bermuda earlier this week. William
Stevens, who hails from Forest Gate sought out Best, who represented the
Hammers between 1968 and 1976 when arriving in Bermuda as part of a
Carribbean cruise earlier this week. And following a pleasant lunch with the
former striker, which had been previously arranged by the island's Royal
Gazette, Stevens presented Best with a commemorative t-shirt from the final
fixture to be stages at the Boleyn Ground as a memnto of his time at the
club. "The island was always a place I wanted to visit because of Clyde,"
Stevens told the newspaper. "Every fan was given a commemorative shirt and I
wanted to present Clyde with one. "My biggest memory of Clyde was when he
played in goal against Leeds United in a 1-1 draw in the early 1970s. He let
in the goal, by the way!"

Best - who gave Stevens and his wife Pauline a mini-tour of the island
following their meal - said that the gesture was typical of West Ham
supporters, who continue to recognise him wherever he goes. "What I really
liked about the place was the people," said Best, referrring to his time in
east London. "I tell people here one thing about the East End of London, if
you've got a friend you've got a friend for life. "It's nice to get people
coming over from England. Before last season started I met 30 guys here from
England, all West Ham fans."

* Clyde Best's autobiography, 'The Acid Test' is released next month.

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HAMMERS TO BID £8M FOR MATT RITCHIE?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 16 JUNE 2016 AT 6:19PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

According to The Telegraph, West Ham are set to lodge a further £8m bid for
Bournemouth's Scottish international midfielder Matt Ritchie. This is
following on from a substancial joint proposal for both Callum Wilson and
Ritchie which was tabled hours before Bournemouth's rearranged trip to
Manchester United at the end of last season and Eddie Howe insisted the club
had no intention of selling either player. West Ham are now poised to make
another offer of £8m rising to £10m for Ritchie, 26, who impressed in
Bournemouth's first season in the Premier League. It is understood that West
Ham contacted Bournemouth on Wednesday in an attempt to reopen negotiations
but were warned not to make another bid. However, Ritchie is believed to
have met with the Bournemouth Manager shortly after the end of the season
and expressed an interest to hold talks with West Ham, who are also
preparing for the Europa League after finishing seventh. Signed for just
£350,000 from Swindon in January 2013, Ritchie played a key role in
Bournemouth's climb up the leagues and scored four goals last season and had
six assists in the top flight. Ritchie recently played for Scotland in one
of Italy's warm-up games prior to Euro 2016 and did not look out of place
against the Azzuri.

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PAYET AND BILIC – WHAT A PAIRING
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 15 JUNE 2016 AT 11:37PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Whilst Dimitri is treating the fans of Euro 2016 to a festival of football
skill on the field, Slaven Bilic is tantalising football fans across the
globe with his football knowledge and his charisma on our TV screens in the
studio. Payet has had a sensational start to the Championships, scoring two
late goals in either opening victory and creating nearly as many chances
(14) for his team mates in the those games than Zidane did in the entirety
of the 2004 Championship (15). Whilst Payet was settling the game against
Albania with another adept right-footed finish into the corner of the net
his Manager jumped onto his knees on the ITV studio table, arms raised in
the air to celebrate his talisman's finish.
Slaven explained after the game that he knew exactly what Payet was going to
do once he got that ball. "Once he cut inside it was only going in one
place. I see him do that every day in training. He always has a plan."
The game itself much like their encounter against Romania was a dire affair
with France constantly missing chances created by the Hammers' attacking
midfielder. Giroud, Koscielny and Ramis all guilty of missing excellent
opportunities laid on a plate by France's new hero. Both teams had hit the
woodwork before the Pierre Andre Gignac substitution seemed to change the
tide. Antoine Griezmann scored with a header in the 90th minute to ease the
French nerves and then Dimitri popped up with the 2nd, six minutes into
injury time to give the hosts a 2-0 victory.
The win means that France have already qualified for the 2nd round of the
tournament and the game against Switzerland will be for 1st place in the
Group. Most Hammers won't have expected too much from these Championships
what with the likes of Mark Noble and our other English contingent left at
home but Dimitri and Slaven have made this tournament another bright spark
after such an excellent season in 2015/16 and give us a lot more to look
forward to next year.

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Payet is now really better than Zidane
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

As the now famous Payet song goes "We've got Payet, Dimitri Payet! I just
don't think you understand. He's Super Slavs man, he's better than Zidane.
We've got Dimtri Payet!"
Well it turns out the song is true and he is now better than French legend
Zinedine Zidane! Payet has already had a hand in three goals in the Euro
2016 competition (two goals, one assist) after just two opening games, this
is the most for a French player in the Euro finals since Zinedine Zidane in
2004 (also three). Payet created eight chances against Romania in the
opening game, every other French player on the pitch combined created nine
in total. Only 3 players had created more chances in a Euro final game
(Ozil & Sneijder in the 2012 finals & McAllister in 1992 finals). Dimitri
Payet has now scored or assisted 6 goals in his last 5 appearances for
France (4 goals, 2 assists) No wonder he is being hailed as the player of
the tourament by UEFA and has two man of the matches to his name from two
appearances! Not bad for a player who couldn't get into the French team when
he first joined West Ham.

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How brief encounter with Bielsa turned Payet into superstar
By The Daily Telegraph #
Published: 15th June 2016 08:39 AM
Last Updated: 15th June 2016 10:09 AM

Sometimes, just like they tell you in the rap videos, it really does come
down to one shot. A chance to be seized, a moment to be captured. For
Dimitri Payet, that moment came in the 89th minute against Romania on Friday
night. For a split second, a gap opened up in yellow wall before him. And so
he took a chance.

It was not so much a winning goal as a firework, writing Payet's name in
lights far above the Stade de France. Payet himself left the pitch in tears,
overcome with emotion. Elsewhere, the tributes were flooding in.

'Payet president' was the headline on the front page of Le Quotidien in
Reunion, the tiny French island in the Indian Ocean, where he was born.

Five days after the shot heard around the world, the host nation are still
beaming in its glow. Tonight, if they beat Albania in Marseille, France will
become the first team to qualify for the last 16. For Payet, and France, it
is a timely reminder of fate's fleetness of foot.

A year ago, he was dragged off at half-time in a listless 1-0 friendly
defeat against Albania. For many it was the final straw for a player whose
short fuse and chronic inconsistency had both frustrated and fascinated the
French public. At his worst, he can cut a sullen, temperamental figure: a
powder keg on legs. "When I want to p--- everyone off, I'm good at it," he
said recently. It helps explain why, at 29, he has represented nine clubs
and won just 20 international caps.

The beginnings of the Payet story are well-known: the childhood in Reunion,
the three abortive years at Le Havre, the trauma of being sent home at 16.

So is the end: the late blossoming, the spectacular season at West Ham, the
awards and acclaim. Less well known, in England at least, is what happened
in between: specifically, his last season in France, under the unique
tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa at Marseille.

It was an unlikely meeting of minds: the ageing Argentine tactical ideologue
with a reputation for stubbornness and ruthless discipline, and the wayward
winger with a short fuse and a penchant for clashing with team-mates. But
Payet credits that 2014-15 season with transforming his career. "I clicked
with him," he told L'Equipe. "He made me more mature and consistent. He put
order into my game. I still have his advice in my head."

In the summer of 2014, Payet was at a crossroads. Having passed through
Nantes, St-Etienne and Lille, he was running out of chances. At Marseille he
had enjoyed a strained relationship with fellow midfielder Mathieu Valbuena.

This came to a head in a furious half-time confrontation during a match
against Sochaux over who should have taken a free-kick. That summer,
Valbuena left and Bielsa arrived, bringing his tactics book and world-famous
video collection with him.

"I compare Bielsa to a genius because I have never seen anyone structuring
football as he does," says Jan van Winckel, the Belgian who was Bielsa's
assistant that season. "You have 24 systems of play, 16 ways to take a
free-kick, 24 different passes from the back, et cetera. Your understanding
of the game improves working with him."

For Payet, it was a pivotal moment. That season, he topped the Ligue 1
assist charts. He made almost twice as many key passes as any other player.
The key, according to Van Winckel, was giving him the pivotal No 10 role,
making him the focal point of attacks, trusting him.

"Bielsa was the first to recognise that Dimitri is a playmaker and not a
winger," he says. "Dimi is probably the best player in the world, together
with Andres Iniesta, with his back to the goal. He is so technically gifted
and agile that it is almost impossible to get the ball from him. It is no
coincidence that Dimi scored [against Romania] when he was playing in a
central role."

Occasionally, sparks would fly. Payet remembers a training drill where he
was jogging around the pitch, half-interested. At one stage, he made a good
move, drawing Van Winckel's approval. "Why are you congratulating him?"
Bielsa stormed. "All he's done is mess about since the start!"

Payet was dropped for the next match. But it was only a temporary move, a
clipping of the wings, really a term of endearment. "It was the best thing
that could happen to Dimi," Van Winckel says. "Bielsa will never punish a
small player, but will only penalise the stars... especially the ones he
cares about."

Both went their separate ways the next summer: Bielsa resigned, while West
Ham's pounds 10.7 million offer for Payet was impossible for a club in
financial difficulties to resist.

And in the rough and tumble of the Premier League, Payet's game developed
further. In Slaven Bilic, he found another manager prepared to build a team
around him, and repaid him not only by scoring and creating spectacular
goals, but developing the defensive side of his game.

"You have to say thanks to West Ham," said France defender Patrice Evra at
the weekend. "You can see now that he takes responsibility. When he has to
shoot, he shoots."

The big question is whether West Ham can keep him. Real Madrid, Manchester
City and Chelsea have all been mentioned of late, even if Bilic insists the
player is happy where he is.

"Dimi has the potential to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid," says Van
Winckel, now the technical director of the Saudi Arabian FA. "I think he
will regret, after his career has ended, that he didn't invest more at an
earlier age. It's a shame he didn't meet Bielsa earlier."

It is doubtful, though, that Payet is feeling any regret right now. One goal
in an opening game does not instantly elevate him to greatness, but if he
can add the Euros to the only previous trophy of his career - the Reunion
Cup, more than a decade ago - his journey to the heart of French football
will finally be complete. This is Payet's time, this is Payet's moment and,
with bated breath, a continent awaits his next move.

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Dimitri Payet became the jewel in West Ham's crown... now the France star is
a household name and starring at Euro 2016
Dimitri Payet arrived at West Ham in a £10.7million move last summer
Upon signing for Premier League side, Payet was not a household name
But under Slaven Bilic, Payet became the jewel in West Ham's crown
The 29-year-old is taking Euro 2016 by storm, starring for hosts France
By KIERAN GILL FOR MAILONLINE and MATT MALTBY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:27, 16 June 2016 | UPDATED: 11:20, 16 June 2016

Twelve months ago, Dimitri Payet was still a week away from signing for West
Ham in a £10.7million move that was clear to everyone by Christmas time was
a steal. June last year also saw a straight shootout between Marcelo Bielsa
or Slaven Bilic to become the club's next boss. West Ham went with the
latter but got the former's main man from Marseille anyway. Under Bilic,
Payet became the jewel in West Ham's crown, and the 29-year-old is taking
Euro 2016 by storm, too, as he proves to be the tournament's best player so
far for France. It's all about taking chances. One came in the 89th minute
against Romania, and he took it. Another came in stoppage time against
Albania, and he took it. He took a chance by moving to England last year,
too, but hit the ground running and it's no wonder Real Madrid, Chelsea and
Manchester City are among those looking his way.
It was no wonder either that his manager celebrated the way he did on
Wednesday night, as he climbed on the ITV studio table in excitement. Bilic
could not contain his happiness as Payet followed up his match-winning
display against Romania with the winner against Albania, though he may not
be jumping for joy once the offers start coming in. As a teenager, French
football experts were writing that Payet could be the next Zinedine Zidane.

PAYET'S DREAM SEASON: 2015-16 STATS FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
Team Games Played Mins Played Goals Total Shots
Shots on Target Assists Chances created Free Kick
Goals
West Ham 38 3221 12
64 36 15
142 4
France 6 432
4 9 6
2 31 2
Combined 44 3653 16
73 42 17
173 6

It didn't quite work out like that but, at 29, he's developed into a player
who can take the Premier League by the scruff of the neck, not unlike Jamie
Vardy at Leicester City.
Upon signing, Payet was not a household name but the attacker was well known
by those who follow Ligue 1 football after playing for Nantes,
Saint-Etienne, Lille and Marseille.
West Ham boasted on their website how he had made more successful
through-balls than any other player in Europe's top five leagues last
season, except for Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
They also bragged about how he had 17 assists in 36 appearances for
Marseille, and his 134 chances created was more than anyone else too. Payet
scored 12 goals in all competitions for the Hammers as they capped off their
final season at Upton Park in style. And his stunning set-piece goals
against Bournemouth, Blackburn, Manchester United and Crystal Palace during
the 2015-16 season have seen him become established as one of the best in
the business at the dead ball. In fact, you'd struggle to find better
free-kicks than the one against Palace - which proved to be his final goal
in an exceptional debut season in England. Undeterred by a seven-man wall,
he left keeper Wayne Hennessey motionless as he whipped a free-kick into the
top corner, a goal of such quality it deserved to be a match winner - though
the game finished 2-2. He has done it on the international stage, too.
Free-kicks for France against Russia and Cameroon gave the French fans a
taste of what West Ham's supporters had been enjoying all season. There was
no mention of him being a free-kick king as the club flexed their financial
muscles to seal the deal but that came as a bonus. Yet by the end of the
season, the secret was out and everybody was raving about this 29-year-old
French magician.
Payet has now scored 16 goals for France and West Ham since he sealed his
move to the Premier League, with six coming directly from free-kicks. The
average speed of those free-kicks is 53.6mph with his fastest recorded
(62.9mph) coming against Russia in March's 4-2 friendly win. The average
distance of his deadballs, meanwhile, is 30.5 yards. On his strike against
Cameroon, scored at the home of his former club Nantes, Payet added: 'It was
special for me to come back here to this stadium, where I spent two
beautiful seasons. And I was happy to feel the fans get behind us.' Fans
have certainly got behind him. He was a No 10 at Marseille, the main man,
the star who sparked them to life. Bielsa built a team around him and Bilic
did the same last season, too.
The east London club certainly reaped the rewards as Payet announced himself
in the Premier League with aplomb - and now his country have followed suit.
In June 2015, Payet was hauled off by France manager Didier Deschamps at
half-time in a 1-0 friendly loss to Albania. A year and two days later, he's
sealing the win to make them the first team to reach the Euro 2016 knockout
stage. After signing for West Ham last summer, Payet said: 'I'm an attacking
footballer and they're counting on me to help achieve. That gives me a sense
of responsibility.' If he really was carrying lots of responsibility on his
shoulders last season and again now at Euro 2016, you could be forgiven for
not realising.

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Stoke City and West Brom join the race to sign West Ham United's James
Tomkins
James Tomkins is also on the wishlist of Crystal Palace and Sunderland
Tomkins signed a new five-year deal with West Ham United last summer
He is popular with West Ham supporters and they want him to stay
By SIMON JONES FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 23:48, 15 June 2016 | UPDATED: 23:52, 15 June 2016

Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion have joined the clubs showing interest
in West Ham defender James Tomkins. The 27-year-old, who can play
centre-back or right-back, is also on the wishlist of Crystal Palace and
Sunderland. Tomkins is popular among West Ham fans because of his
progression from the club's academy to the first team. He signed a new
five-year deal last summer but he didn't impose himself last season as much
as he has in previous years. The central defender made played 25 times for
the Hammers in the Premier League last season. Tomkins recently said the
feeling in the dressing room was what had helped West Ham to produce a
strong season. Slaven Bilic's side finished 7th in the league and secured
their place in the third qualifying round of next season's Europa League.
'Slaven is really good with man-management,' Tomkins said. 'He's somebody
who you can always go to if you feel like you need to talk to him about
anything be it about things on are off the field. He's very approachable.
'To be honest, you want to work for him and you want to do the best for him.
'You want to do everything the best you can anyway, but having a manager
like that gives you an extra incentive to try a little bit harder.'

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Slaven Bilic goes crazy after Dimitri Payet's late goal for France... after
saying the West Ham forward needed to play out-wide
Dimitri Payet scored a late second goal for France against Albania
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was delighted to see him score again
He jumped up onto the table in the ITV studio and celebrated wildly
Bilic had earlier questioned the decision to play Payet in the middle
By AMITAI WINEHOUSE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:16, 15 June 2016 | UPDATED: 01:25, 16 June 2016

Slaven Bilic could not contain his joy when Dimitri Payet scored another
late goal for France, and even climbed on the ITV studio table out of
excitement. Payet followed up his match-winning display against Romania with
a strike against Albania that confirmed victory for Didier Deschamps' side.
The West Ham manager was enthusiastic about his player, both in terms of his
reaction and the praise he heaped on him when speaking after the match.
Bilic said: 'He is brilliant at that. He knows what he's doing. 'You all see
it but I see it every day in training. He has a plan. I can go left, but if
the defender goes a little bit, he cuts in. 'He needed to perform, and he
has given them again another victory.'
Payet was deployed in a more central role in the first-half but was not
particularly effective in that position. He struggled to get involved in the
game, and often found himself floating about. Didier Deschamps moved him
onto the left wing in the second-half and he immediately improved his
performance. Bilic suggested that his player was far better when he is
selected to play on one of the flanks. Speaking at half-time, the former
Croatia manager said: 'He has all the attributes to play No 10, he's got it,
but he's the best when he sees the game, when his starting position is wide.
'As a No 10 you spend a lot of time with your back to the goal. 'Anyway
there are too many players there (in the central regions).'

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Dimitri Payet watch: West Ham United playmaker is France's key man again
Dimitri Payet scored for France against Albania on Wednesday night
The West Ham man bagged his second goal in Group A at Euro 2016
Didier Deschamps started Payet centrally behind striker Olivier Giroud
By JAMES RESTALL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 23:22, 15 June 2016 | UPDATED: 23:43, 15 June 2016

Dimitri Payet was once again France's most creative and purposeful outlet,
capping a superb display with another goal. After his decision to move the
West Ham United maestro into the middle paid off with a late wonder goal
against Romania, Didier Deschamps started Payet centrally behind Olivier
Giroud. Payet produced France's best chance of the first half — curling a
perfect delivery for Giroud, who headed over — but was given little room to
work his magic. He had just 36 touches in the first half as opposed to 52 in
the opening 45 minutes against Romania and Payet's club boss Slaven Bilic
said on ITV at half-time: 'He's the best when he sees the game, when his
starting position is wide.' Clearly Deschamps thought the same and moved
Payet out to the left after the break. It almost immediately paid off as the
29-year-old's cross was fired over by Paul Pogba, one of five chances he
created as France chased a second-half winner. All that was missing from him
was a goal — something he rectified in stoppage time!

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