Daily WHUFC News - 15th July 2016

Spiegel sets 'game-time' target
WHUFC.com

Raphael Spiegel says West Ham United's US Tour was a fantastic experience on
and off the pitch. The young Swiss goalkeeper trained intensively with
goalkeeper coach Chris Woods and fellow stopper Adrian, initially at the
Seattle Seahawks' stunning VMAC training complex, then in hot and humid
conditions at Carolina RailHawks' WakeMed Soccer Park. Spiegel played the
full second half of both pre-season fixtures, making a number of fine saves
against Seattle Sounders and conceding just a penalty to the RailHawks. The
23-year-old also enjoyed the cultural aspects of the Tour, taking a trip to
downtown Seattle to view the historic Space Needle, Pike Place Market and
first-ever Starbucks Coffee House. "It's always nice to go away in
pre-season and the further you go, the more exciting it is," he confirmed.
"It has been really good in America and I enjoyed every day and every
training. It was a good experience and we came together as a squad. "In
training, it's a bit harder when you have only two goalkeepers, but at this
stage of the pre-season it's perfect because you get very fit. I'm happy to
have played two halves and got them under my belt. "I didn't really have a
chance with the goals I conceded. I made one or two good saves in the first
game and had a solid game in the second one, but didn't really have much to
do. Obviously I can't control the game, so I just try to do my best when I
have something to do and try to help the team. "In the other pre-season
games ahead, I'm sure I'll have more work and I can show what I'm about."

Spiegel particularly enjoyed visiting Seattle, where his love of discovering
new cultures and sightseeing were fulfilled with a visit to the Emerald
City's iconic landmarks.
"Seattle was amazing – it was an unbelievable experience to train where the
NFL team [Seattle Seahawks] train," he said. "It was a nice city and the
weather was good to train in, as it wasn't too hot. "In North Carolina,
again the facilities and pitches were good, but the weather was really hot
and challenging. Overall, it was a good experience and I enjoyed it."

The US Tour squad enjoyed a well-earned day or two off at the end of the
week before packing their bags again for a training camp and three further
pre-season matches in Austria.
With Darren Randolph granted time off after his Euro 2016 heroics with
Ireland, Spiegel is again set to enjoy plenty of match action there – and
potentially during a loan spell next season. "I will work every day with
Chris to get better and the games I get, I will give my best and see what
happens," he continued. "For my development, I need to get more game-time,
wherever that is. That's my main goal. "It's been a very good year. I had a
good season last season, helping the team to win the U21 Premier League Cup
and making a lot of progress with Chris as well. Now, I feel I am ready to
play and ready for more."

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Tore and Valencia put through their paces
WHUFC.com

New signing Gokhan Tore was joined in the gym by Enner Valencia as both
players went through a rigorous session to build up their fitness ahead of
the new season. Tore has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings
following his season-long loan from Besiktas last week and has been working
hard at the training ground while the rest of the first-team squad finish
their pre-season tour in America. The Turkey international was joined by
Valencia who returned slightly later to training after playing for Ecuador
in the Copa America where he reached the quarter-final stage. Both players
have been working hard with fitness coach Eamon Swift on the training ground
and also in the gym where they worked on building up their core strength.
West Ham TV went behind the scenes to see Tore and Valencia put through
their paces.

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Hurst - It's a brilliant time for the Club
WHUFC.com

West Ham United legend Sir Geoff Hurst has nothing but praise for the way
his former Club have managed to sell out the new Stadium and feels they can
become an even stronger force over the next few years. Hurst will never
forget his memorable spell with the east London Club where he came through
the ranks at the Boleyn Ground and became one of the best strikers of his
generation. He will always be remembered for his famous hat-trick against
West Germany in the World Cup Final back in 1966 which helped England lift
the Jules Rimet trophy. Hurst, who made 503 appearances and scored 249 goals
during his 14-year association with the Hammers, will never forget the
atmosphere that was created inside the Boleyn Ground. But the 74-year-old
completely understands why the Club are making a historic move to the new
Stadium and believes it will now take them onto another level.
Hurst is thrilled the new Stadium will be sold out every week and that West
Ham will now boast the highest number of Season Ticket Holders in London,
and the highest percentage of Season Ticket Holders in the whole of the
Premier League. Hurst said: "For us it's brilliant, great season last year,
52,000 season tickets we've sold, absolutely unbelievable.
"The big issue initially two years ago was whether we were going to fill the
stadium. "We're now looking to extend it before we've even kicked a ball
there. "It's a brilliant time for the club and I think selling 52,000
(season tickets) from an average gate at the Boleyn in the past of 35,000,
is astonishing. "The way they've marketed it is brilliant and giving kids
the chance to buy a season ticket for £99, that is developing you new fans,
it's a great move."

Hurst will certainly feel part of the new Stadium after he became the latest
legend to have a stone installed on Champions Place. Academy starlet Dylan
Tombides and former World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore have already had
stones placed on the specially-designed walkway at the north entrance of
London Stadium, which enables supporters to see their very own tributes
immortalised alongside Hammers legends. Hurst has been joined this week by
former managers John Lyall and Billy Bonds, the 1980 FA Cup-winning team and
the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winners.

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Cullen set for Clarets' test
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio and Ashley Fletcher are likely to feature in the Dev Squad's
friendly with Chelmsford City on Friday 15 July, KO 7.45pm

West Ham United's Development Squad get their pre-season preparations under
way on Friday night with a local friendly against Vanarama National League
South side Chelmsford City. One player likely to feature is ever-present
midfielder Josh Cullen who will pull on his beloved West Ham jersey for the
first time since returning from a successful loan spell at Bradford City.
Having missed the Hammers' pre-season tour of the US through injury, the
20-year-old is eager to impress before the start of the competitive season.
Speaking ahead of the Dev Squad's friendly with the Clarets, Cullen said:
"It was gutting not to be in America. I was really looking forward to the
trip. "I missed it by a week or so, and it's unfortunate but there's no time
to dwell on it. I need to be ready to have a good season."

Alongside Cullen, Michail Antonio is likely to feature for the Hammers, as
well as new striker Ashley Fletcher, who will make his Hammers' debut having
signed from Manchester United. With the Club entering a new era at the
fantastic London Stadium, Cullen is excited about the direction in which the
Club is heading. "It's exciting times for West Ham at the moment," he
continued. "You can see, with the players pledging their futures to the
Club, they're quality players, so it's important that the squad we've got is
as strong as it can be It's as strong as I can remember. We're attracting
players and locking our players down to long term deals.
"With the new Stadium as well; it would be incredible to be a part of the
Juventus game, and it shows how much the Club is developing, to attract a
team like Juventus who were only in the Champions League final so recently.
"It shows the direction the Club is heading in. It will be a great day for
the Club, the players and staff and everyone involved. We're itching to go
when that comes around."

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com

Declan Rice blogs for whufc.com following the US Tour

Hello everyone,

If you had told me a couple of weeks ago that I would have travelled with
the first-team squad on their pre-season US Tour and played in both matches,
I would have been very surprised.

It's definitely been an amazing experience to come out with the first team
to America for nearly two weeks.

Seattle and North Carolina were fantastic places to train and play and I've
learnt a lot from all of the players I've trained alongside and from playing
in the games themselves.

I was shocked when I was told I was coming out to the US. I was sitting with
my Mum and Dad when we got a call and literally I had two days to prepare
and get ready.

We got straight into things, training on the first day on arrival in
Seattle, but it's been a great experience.

I've played in both games and I thought I did well. I felt confident because
you can't go into those games with any fear.

The likes of Mark Noble and Winston Reid really helped me on the field and
it was good to get 45 minutes in the first game and half-an-hour in the
second.

When you come away with the first team, you can't be acting like a child any
more. You have to act your age and be more mature about things.

I am still young and relatively inexperienced, but if I keep training and
playing well, there is no reason to think that I can't show that the Club
doesn't need to go out and spend money on a new centre-half. We'll see what
the future brings.

I have trained alongside Reece Burke in the US and I think I could benefit a
lot from a loan deal like the one he had at Bradford City last season, where
he did really well and won the Player of the Year award.

I think I need a year with the Development Squad first, though, and see how
that goes. Then, hopefully I'll get a good loan move.

The best thing about the Tour has been just being around the senior players,
really. The training, the facilities and the sessions and games have been
really good.

The manager has spoken to me and he said he was pleased with the way I
played, that I looked composed and he hopes I will take that with me going
forward.

I am a West Ham fan and the new Stadium is going to keep attracting top
players to our Club and getting big-name opponents like Juventus, who we
face on 7 August, to play against us.

I just want to be in and around the squad for those matches!

Declan

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DON'T PANIC!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 10:15AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

It seems that there was a bit of a Twitter meltdown last night. With many
West Ham fans, and popular fan pages, calling for Gold and Sullivan to just
"pay up" for Bacca. However, I personally do not feel as though this
meltdown is justified.

We had similar tantrum's thrown last summer, with people complaining that we
had been too tight fisted in the transfer window. We then went on to sign
Jelavic, Moses and Antonio on deadline day. Jelavic got game time until
January, Moses was a regular squad player, both on and off the bench, and
Antonio went on to play a key part in our Top 7 finish that season. As well
as this, all the prior signings (Payet, Lanzini, Ogbonna etc.) were all
fantastic, one of them even world class. Just a little reminder… For those
of you with short memories.

This also isn't just a case of money, and our owners being "tight". To just
lob 165k a week at Bacca could destroy the whole team morale. How would
players like Kouyate, Cresswell, Reid-all of which have been top class for
us for at least a couple of seasons-feel if Bacca was automatically on over
100k a week more than them, just because he plays a fancier position? There
is more to it than money, we must respect our current wage structure to
ensure players don't feel looked down on and under-appreciated by the West
Ham hierarchy.

People have also been mentioning the offer to Tevez to try and justify their
point, but there may also be more than meets the eye with this. How do we
know that the 150k a week offered to Tevez was 150k up-front? David Sullivan
didn't actually mention the structure of the offer he made to Carlos Tevez.
It could have been a contract similar to the one Dimitri Payet is on. For
example, it may have been an offer of:

Admittedly, I could very well be wrong. It may have been 150k lumped all at
once; but what I'm saying is keep an open mind, there is always more than
meets the eye, especially in Football!

The board have rarely let us down before, and Bilic has already proven he
can get the best out of the players he brings into the club. I would urge
all my fellow Hammers to just be patient, as well as optimistic, we will get
our man eventually!.

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14/07/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 11:03AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Zaza slipping away…

West Ham target and Italian international forward Simone Zaza has held
contract talks with Wolfsburg, according to Di Marzio. They are also
reporting that the talks went very well, and Wolfsburg are now odds on
favourites to sign the Italian forward.

Valencia to leave if Bacca signs?

I believe I have mentioned this before, but again, it is being reported by
Sky Italia that Enner Valencia will join Lazio for 10-12 million pounds if
Carlos Bacca does make a move from Milan to Stratford.

Premier League Champions to poach West Ham target?

The Express are reporting that Leicester City are leading the race for
highly rated Rico Henry. The 19-year old left-back is very highly rated, and
would make a great understudy to Aaron Cresswell. However, the foxes are
currently leading the race.

Again it is another quiet morning on the transfer front, with all the
rumours and tension revolving around the Carlos Bacca saga. But keep an eye
out for my afternoon round-up.

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WEST HAM IN THE OLD SOUTH: LIKE A VERY, VERY STRANGE DREAM
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 11:36AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By @WestHamAmerican

My excitement at the announcement of a two-coast USA tour for West Ham was
great when I bought my tickets and made my travel plans. It dropped when the
reality of taking two trips in the middle of the summer while running my
business and raising three children all occurred to me. But not wanting to
miss the match closest to my home, I flew a King Air small turboprop plane
my company co-owns to Raleigh so I could arrive right before the match and
return home immediately after the match. (Right now I am starting the
rumour that Ex lets his staff fly private charter to the matches, just so
all the other rival West Ham fan site reporters can give their publishers a
lot of grief.)

This mode of travel, while convenient didn't allow me to spend time with
West Ham supporters at the local pubs, get a feel for life in Raleigh, and
possibly interact with the team during their training sessions. Basically,
it was a very short and direct trip. But since I had room on the plane, I
brought my 11 year old daughter and four of her U12 academy ladies
teammates; to brainwash them into the West Ham family. Two girls brought
their own fathers to help out, and I figured I could make this an
educational trip for my own U12 Hammers.

Arriving on the grounds I was struck by how the cars were parked in a very
large and grassy area. Other than the main stadium, the grounds also
featured four or five other nice pitches, and plenty of parking on a nicely
manicured grass car park. Prior to any game of any sport, a great American
tradition is tailgating: basically picnicking, drinking, hanging out near
your car before you head into the stadium. Since most London stadiums are
in dense, urban areas, that's a part of sporting life England misses out on
(Unless anyone tried bringing a bar-b-que grill to the Upton Park
underground station.)

I was surprised to see the large number of claret clad fans walking about
the tailgate area. I spoke with a few from the UK, but most were just
American supporters like me. It seemed most of the English visitors were
older. Not as many 20-30 year old fans like I saw in Seattle. I was also
surprised to see what kits people actually wore to this match. Since North
Carolina is far from any MLS team, anyone who had any love of world football
came to this match. I saw a number of Manchester United shirts, Barcelona,
one older gent in a Tottenham jersey. The most absurd was the car full of
young men, all wearing Newcastle tops. The lads were all American. I'm not
sure how that happened.

Equally surprising were the American West Ham Supporters' kits. There were
a few wearing Andy Carroll, Dimitri Payet, and even a sharp-looking Jack
Collison jersey. But I saw one guy in an Alex Song and another wearing
Zarate's jersey. I don't know that I would have thought to pick Zarate when
ordering from the West Ham club store.

The weather at the opening kickoff was miserable. It was 90 degrees (32
Celsius) and the sun had yet to set at 8 PM. My seats were in the shade of
the West stands, but I was a sweaty miserable mess. Unlike Seattle, I
didn't have big, frightening-looking East Enders sitting near me. While
there were a lot of West Ham fans, they were mainly Americans.
Unfortunately, some mouthy young Railhawks fans sat immediately behind me.
I was filled with regret that there were no intimidating Brits to deal with
them. Also, I had five children with me, so I really couldn't get into
drunken banter with them, so I was stuck.

"You have 3,000 people watching your periscope?!? You're a god!"

"You have a strange concept of divinity."

Early into the match my Twitter was blowing up with people in London upset
because there was no live stream. I took it upon myself to be the savior to
my late night friends in Essex. Alas, after a half a day my office, a short
flight listening to music, and a lot of photos, my iPhone was already on a
weak battery. Even though I had thousands of people tuning in to watch the
match, by the 30 minute mark my phone was down to 15%. Knowing I wouldn't
make it to the halftime break, I worried if my Periscope died, the entire UK
would fall into chaos. Like they might leave Europe or sack their Prime
Minister. I looked to my daughter. Her iPhone was on 80% and my plan was
to resume my broadcast after the break on her phone.

Once the ref sounded the half, I looked over and my daughter was gone. She
and her friend Sarah had gone for a walk, according to the other girls. As
I waited through halftime, I called and texted her on my dying phone but no
response. Once the second half began, and I couldn't find my 11 year old, I
turned into Liam Neeson, running through the dark streets of Paris looking
for my child. Finally after a few minutes, she texted me to say that she
and Sarah were in a long queue for popcorn. After reuniting with them, then
the sky opened up. A driving rain came down and the lightning came
dangerously close to the pitch.

Standing under a stadium with five 11-year old girls, waiting 40 minutes on
a severe thunderstorm to pass isn't the best way to spend a Tuesday night.
Once play resumed and the Hammers surrendered that late penalty kick and
gave away the win, we were ready to fly in our little plane through the
storm clouds back home. The next obstacle was finding our rental car in the
dark of a large open field. It isn't like Disney World where they tell you
to remember you parked your car in the Donald Duck section. But after some
aimless searching we loaded up and left the grounds: wet and tired but at
least I think I brought a few new converts into the West Ham family.

When people question the merits of playing these worthless matches far from
East London, I think of the new West Ham supporters that we have made
because they were able to attend the games. That, after all, is the best
purpose of the USA tour, in my humble opinion. I have to wonder though, if
these new young fans are going to spend the week worrying about Bacca's
transfer options like the rest of us?

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14/07/16 AFTERNOON NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 4:22PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Bacca blow…

Carlos Bacca has personally stated at a sponsorship event that it is his
"dream" to play in the Champions League. This seems to be a huge blow for
the Hammers, and with Athletico Madrid lurking, is he just inviting a bid
from the Spanish club?

Europa League Draw

Just a quick bit of information; the Europa League draw is tomorrow at 12pm
BST. I would suggest following the Europa League Twitter page for links to a
stream and for updates.

Mandragora bid rejected…

According to Italian publication, Gazza Mercato, Juventus have rejected a
loan bid from West Ham for the Italian starlet. It is believed in Italy that
the young midfielder is so talented that Juventus are planning to keep hold
of him for the season ahead.

Stoke and Irons to battle it out?

TuttoMercatoWeb are reporting that Stoke and West Ham will battle it out for
Napoli striker Gabbiadini. The striker has scored 20 goals in 60 games for
the Italian side, and apparently the Italian is looking for a fresh start at
a new club. Could he be our man if Bacca ends up elsewhere?

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 10:38PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Bacca Deal

So everyone is still talking about the Bacca deal and as one of my followers
pointed out I was repeating the same thing a lot about Payet last year. The
situation has not really changed. It does appear that Bacca is trying to
play difficult with any deal in order to increase his wages. In a published
interview Bacca claimed to have interest from many leagues. He may believe
there is all this interest but the bottom line is none of the clubs seem as
determined to follow up on their interest as we are. The offer for him is
on the table from us. The club believe he is waiting to see if any other
offers come in so that he can evaluate those and use them to get more out of
the deal. So when accounts claim, "just give him the money", it really
isn't as simple as that. Any bids coming in for Bacca depend on a domino
reaction over Europe with certain clubs signing other targets instead of
him. I think we should just sit back and not stress about it and trust that
the board will get it right with either Bacca or other targets.

Bacca situation helping with our deals

As I have said in my last few reports the Bacca deal is actually taking the
spotlight off other deals that we aim to push through. One of those top
targets who I have often spoke about is Calleri. We have had a loan offer
in for him for a long time as those who have followed me for a while will
remember reading about. There was talk that Spurs were in for him after his
dad said so but you will recall I reported that Spurs had no interest. It
appears that his club have accepted that he will leave and it just leaves
Calleri to decide out of the options which club he prefers. He is a target
that we hope to complete. We have seven other offers in for forwards.. We
expect to get answers from their clubs soon and as we have said for over a
month now that player will not be Benteke (to the relief of most fans).

Henry to join the coaching staff

When I asked my top source this he said he hadn't heard anything at the
start of the week. That situation was still the same yesterday and I don't
think it is something we will do. Whilst I think some members of the
coaching staff like the idea, there has been no such offer at this point.

Kit Launch

The club are keeping the kit launch on Saturday very secretive. I am lead
to believe there will be a number of top players there and there will be
some exciting events including a live band and the revealing of stadium
features. Everyone involved has had to sign a non disclosure form, so the
club obviously believe that it is big.

Thanks to all those getting involved with our forum. It is great to read
all your opinions and I hope to join with it all soon.

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Who could West Ham face in the Europa League third qualifying round?
By Michael Hincks
Last Updated: 14/07/16 12:20pm
SSN

A trip to Wales or Azerbaijan could await West Ham in the Europa League
third qualifying round, with the draw set to take place at 1pm on Friday.
The Hammers secured European football after finishing seventh in the Premier
League, and will be looking to join Manchester United and Southampton in the
group stage this season. Slaven Bilic's side must progress beyond the third
qualifying round and play-off stage to reach the groups, which start in
mid-September. The third round takes place on July 29 and August 4, while
the first leg of the play-offs is on August 18, three days after West Ham
begin their Premier League campaign against Chelsea. This means one of the
Europa League legs will be the first West Ham game to be played at the
Olympic Stadium, with their friendly against Juventus scheduled for August
7.

How does the draw work?

Friday's draw in Nyon takes place just one day after the second qualifying
round first leg, meaning the fixtures cannot be finalised until after the
second-leg games on July 21.
The 33 winners from the second round will be joined by 25 sides, including
West Ham, who officially enter qualifying at the third round stage. The
teams will then be split into five groups, all containing an equal number of
seeded and unseeded teams. The winners will then make the pot for the
play-off stage, which will also feature 15 losers from the Champions League
third qualifying round.

To Wales, Scotland, or Azerbaijan?

West Ham will be one of 29 seeds for the draw, which also features Danish
side FC Midtjylland, who famously beat Man United 2-1 in their Europa League
last-32 first leg in February.
Possible opponents for the Hammers include the unseeded Scottish trio of
Hibernian, Hearts and Aberdeen, who are also featuring in the second round.
Meanwhile, Welsh Premier League outfit Connah's Quay must overcome Serbian
side Vojvodina to reach the third round in their first ever season in
Europe. Further from home, three Azerbaijani teams - Neftçi PFK, Käpäz and
Gabala - are all unseeded, meaning West Ham could clock up some serious air
miles before their league campaign begins. Gabala, who were once managed by
Arsenal legend Tony Adams, finished bottom in a Europa League group last
season which featured Borussia Dortmund.

Other potential opponents for the Hammers include Swiss side Grasshoppers
and Greek club AEK Athens.

Hammers beware

West Ham will be sure not to underestimate any challenge, having fallen 4-3
on aggregate to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the third qualifying round
last season.

West Ham lost 4-3 on aggregate against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the
third qualifying round last season
West Ham lost 4-3 on aggregate against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the
third qualifying round last season
The Hammers led 2-0 in their first leg at home last year, but slipped to a
2-2 draw before losing the return leg 2-1 in Romania.

That defeat came as Bilic was just getting started as West Ham manager, but
after a successful season at the helm, fans will be hoping the Croatian can
guide them on a Europa League journey running long into 2017

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Carlos Bacca to West Ham: Colombian striker 'dreams' of Champions League
football amid Atletico Madrid interest
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Carlos Bacca has expressed his desire to play in the Champions League as
West Ham and Atletico Madrid lead the clubs battling for the Colombian
striker's signature. West Ham expect to have an answer from Bacca over
whether he intends to move to the Olympic Stadium in the coming days, having
had a £26million offer accepted by AC Milan. Bacca scored 18 goals in 38
Serie A matches for one of the fallen giants of Italian football last season
but was unable to fire the Rossoneri any higher than seventh, meaning
Vincenzo Montella's side will be out of European competition for the third
season in a row. Whilst the offer of some form of European football may
stand in West Ham's favour – Slaven Bilic's side are due to begin their
Europa League qualification campaign later this month – but Bacca made clear
his "dream" was to play in the Champions League. Atletico Madrid have also
targeted Bacca and the 29-year-old suggested the Champions League football
they could offer him this season would be a key consideration when he
decides where he will play his football in the coming months. "My future is
in God's hands," he said. "I have 4 years on my contract with Milan, but I
know of the interest of English, Spanish, German, French and Italian teams.
It's not a simple decision, but we are calm because there is time and my
agent is in contact with these clubs and Milan. "The Champions League with
Atletico? It's my dream to play in it and I work for it. "Unfortunately the
struggles at Milan is one of the reasons for the discussions with the club.
Now Berlusconi has sold to new investors and based on the project and the
new purchases I'll decide."

Co-owner David Sullivan has made clear that his side are at least targeting
a Champions League berth in their first season at their new stadium and said
in June that he saw no reason why West Ham could not replicate Leicester's
title triumph in May. West Ham have already seen several striking targets
fall by the wayside. The club have had bids rejected for Alexandre
Lacazette, saw Michy Batshuayi join Chelsea and refused to pay the
£250,000-a-week that Carlos Tevez demanded to return to east London.

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West Ham transfer news: West Brom could capitalise on Diafra Sakho
uncertainty as Sam Allardyce talks over England job
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Brom have emerged as an alternative for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho
following the uncertainty regarding his proposed move to Sunderland. The
Senegal striker looked likely to link up again with former West Ham manager
Sam Allardyce at the Stadium of Light but the move would be in jeopardy if
England decide to make Allardyce, 61, head coach. West Ham have rejected an
£11million offer from Sunderland but would be prepared to let the former
Metz man, 26, go if and when they find a replacement. Sakho lodged a
transfer request last week, and West Brom have now also shown an interest in
the player. Standard Sport understands that West Ham were looking to bring a
new forward before sanctioning Sakho's exit.
Allardyce, meanwhile, has returned to Sunderland following talks with the FA
this week. The formers Hammers boss flew back from Sunderland's pre-season
tour of Austria to meet with Football Association officials.

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Slaven Bilic ready to offload Enner Valencia as Italian giants Lazio make
approach
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, July 14, 2016

Lazio have made West Ham forward Enner Valencia their No.1 transfer target
this summer, according to reports in Italy. West Ham are desperately
searching for a striker this summer, meaning the Ecuadorian is unlikely to
be first choice at the Olympic Stadium next season. Slaven Bilic has
reportedly given Valencia permission to speak to other clubs but he may have
to wait until his current side finally land a forward. According to Sky
Italia, Lazio are at the front of the queue in the chase for Valencia and
have been in contact with the Premier League side on numerous occasions to
seek talks.

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How Bilic can make new home a fortress
thepremierleague.com
Adrian Clarke on what West Ham must do to scale even greater heights this
season

Slaven Bilic did an outstanding job in his first campaign at West Ham United
and the club's final one at the Boleyn Ground, transforming his team into a
tactically unpredictable, yet consistent outfit. His task now is not only to
maintain standards but raise them higher as they move to a new stadium. To
do so, I believe the club need a front-line striker who can score 15-20
goals per season. No player in Bilic's squad topped nine goals in 2015/16,
with Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia all scoring far too
sporadically.

West Ham top PL scorers 2015/16 Goals
Dimitri Payet 9
Andy Carroll 9
Michail Antonio 8
Mark Noble 7
Manuel Lanzini 6

Carroll is a great tactical weapon, but you sense Bilic is looking for a
striker with pace and movement to be his first choice in the long term. With
Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Mark Noble providing the chances,
attracting a forward of quality should not be too difficult. Indeed, the
summer acquisitions of players such as Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore
paints a promising picture for the weeks ahead. Defensively there was a weak
link at right-back for much of the previous campaign. James Tomkins and
Michail Antonio were played out of position, so a full-time specialist is
needed. Youngster Sam Byram, drafted in from Leeds United in January, could
fill that void if he stays injury-free. The departure of Tomkins to Crystal
Palace also leaves a hole in the defence. I expect a footballing centre-back
to come on board, one who is comfortable operating in a back three or back
four. It's hard to be critical of West Ham after their exploits of last
season, but one other aspect that may be playing on Bilic's mind is the way
his side started so slowly in front of their own fans. Only two Premier
League teams conceded more early goals at home in 2015/16 than West Ham.

Home goals conceded inside 30mins in 2015/16 Goals conceded
AFC Bournemouth
14
Aston Villa
11
West Ham United
9
Everton
9
Manchester City
9
Norwich City
9

Too many sloppy errors gifted early goals to opponents at the Boleyn Ground,
and that habit has to be eradicated in the unfamiliar surroundings of the
new stadium. Constantly changing formations (seven were used throughout the
campaign) may not have helped, but Bilic is more likely to see it as an
issue of mentality. Clawing back deficits is not sustainable and the club's
slow starts need to be addressed. Major surgery is not required at West Ham
this summer. With one or tweaks the Hammers can continue their upward curve.
They took maximum points from visits to Emirates Stadium and Anfield last
August, so trips to Chelsea and Manchester City next month won't fill them
with fear. They will be dangerous early-season opponents for any PL side.
The schedule set for them at their new stadium is not as intimidating as it
might have been. Southampton, Stoke City and Arsenal are the only top-half
teams from 2015/16 to play them on home turf before the New Year. Bilic's
men have an opportunity to make it a fortress.

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West Ham to wait for Carlos Bacca deal before agreeing £11m Enner Valencia
sale
Enner Valencia is set to hold talks over a proposed £11m move to Lazio
Ecuadorian winger will meet with West Ham to discuss the transfer
Hammers want to sign Carlos Bacca before releasing Valencia
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:34, 14 July 2016 | UPDATED: 00:34, 14 July 2016

Enner Valencia is expected to hold talks with West Ham today about his
proposed move to Lazio. West Ham want to make progress on their deal for
Carlos Bacca before allowing Valencia and Diafra Sakho to leave. Talks are
ongoing with Bacca's representatives over his personal terms. Lazio have
made an offer to take Valencia on loan with a fee plus a view to an
£11million permanent deal. The Hammers signed the Valencia from Mexican side
Pachuca for £12million in the summer of 2014. The Ecuadorian scored five
goals in each of his first two seasons at Upton Park but only played a
peripheral role under Slaven Bilic last season. Valencia isn't the only West
Ham star who could be on his way out, with Manchester United interested in
highly-rated youngster Reece Oxford. Jose Mourinho has arranged to have the
17-year-old scouted at the Under 19 European Championships. Valencia was a
bit-part player under new manager Slaven Bilic during last season's
campaign.

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