Daily WHUFC News - 11th August

Noble - It's a competitive league - WHUFC Official Site

Mark Noble says the Hammers can lay down a marker ahead of what promises to be the most competitive of Premier League seasons when they travel to Chelsea on Monday evening.

With plenty of change in terms of personnel, both managerial and playing-wise at the teams chasing league glory – not to mention last year's top two Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur looking to mount challenges again – the level of intrigue has been ramped up to the max as the new season get underway.

The Hammers face one of those sides to change bosses, and with Antonio Conte in the dugout for the first time, Noble is looking forward to the challenge, both on Monday and all season long.

He said: "We've got seven or eight of the best ten or eleven managers in Europe in the Premier League now. We've got some of the best players too – Paul Pogba's just come here for £100m, Ibrahimovic, the players who Man City have signed and I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot more to come from the top clubs.

"Do I think this is going to be the toughest season I've played in? Probably yes. When people talk about the top teams, they talk about Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea. They don't even talk about Spurs, who are a top team.

"They were probably the toughest team we played last year. It's going to be a really tough league.

"We know we can compete with the big boys, we did that last year. We haven't got the same spending power or maybe as big a squad, but we have got a great bunch of lads who enjoy playing together.

"Of course it's important to get off to a good start and Chelsea will be saying the same thing, at home to West Ham. First game of the season, new manager, a lot of millions of pounds worth of new signings, and a lot of new hope at Chelsea.

"To be honest I'm looking forward to it, getting the pre-season games out of the way and getting back down to business with proper football matches."

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Joe Cole in America Update
by Brian Knox on 9 August 2016 at 10:25pm

Joe Cole: This Week

By @WestHamAmerican

For those of you wondering "Where is Joe Cole?" he has taken is scoring skills to the sunny coast of Florida in the United States. The 34-year old former England midfielder currently plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, a club in the second tier of American soccer. The Rowdies were formed in 2008 and currently play in the same league as recent West Ham opponents Carolina Railhawks.

Cole signed with Tampa Bay in May of 2016 and immediately brought his pace and attacking style to the US gulf coast.

Most recently Tampa Bay hosted fellow Florida club, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, on Saturday evening. After a scoreless first half, the second half broke open when Cole's cross found Keith Savage in the box to take a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute of play.

Moments later, Cole added to the score sheet when he took a cross from his own forward, Georgi Hristov, on a counterattack and scored a goal of his own. It would be Joe Cole's 4th goal of his short time with the Rowdies. He also has 4 assists in only ten appearances. Tampa Bay took the win 2-1 despite a late goal from striker Jose Angulo.

Having an experienced professional on the pitch, surrounded by a team of young American footballers must be an asset for this ambitious club. Cole brings an 82.2% passing accuracy through the first ten matches of his career. Tampa Bay currently sits 6th in the table of 12. Their next fixture is against the New York Cosmos on Saturday.

From time to time, The West Ham Way will update you on Cole's time on the Florida Gulf Coast.
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West Ham want to finalise deal to sign Carlos Bacca for £20m as AC Milan striker looks to double his wages
By Simon Jones for MailOnline

Published: 00:52 GMT, 9 August 2016 | Updated: 12:32 GMT, 9 August 2016


West Ham are looking to get a £20m deal for Carlos Bacca done too following the arrival of Andre Ayew and Arthur Masuaku.

Bacca currently earns £60,000 at AC Milan and is in talks with the club over doubling his wages to £120,000 per week if he is to sign for them.

If he was to complete a move to the Olympic Stadium and have his demands met, it would put him alongside Dimitri Payet as West Ham's best paid player.
Carlos Bacca is demanding £120,000 per week if he is to join West Ham this summer
Andre Ayew left Swansea after one season to join West Ham for £20.5m - a club record

Former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie was offered to West Ham, but they turned down the chance to have the Fenerbahce forward.

A club record fee of £20.5m saw Ghana forward Ayew leave Swansea and become the Hammers' ninth summer signing, eclipsing the £15m paid to Liverpool to buy Andy Carroll in 2013.

French left-back Masuaku joins on a four-year contract after completing his move from Olympiakos, where he played more than a 100 times for the Greek club.

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West Ham new boy Andre Ayew vows to make Dimitri Payet even better
16:58, 9 Aug 2016
Updated 17:08, 9 Aug 2016
By Adrian Kajumba

The striker joined the Hammers for £20.5m from Swansea and can't wait to link up again with his former Marseille teammate Payet
Andre Ayew reckons he can help Dimitri Payet get even better following his club record move to West Ham.

The striker joined the Hammers for £20.5m from Swansea and can't wait to link up again with his former Marseille teammate Payet.

Playmaker Payet made a £10.7m move to West Ham from the French club last season and enjoyed a stunning debut campaign in England.

Ayew said: "I know what he did last season and he can do even more, so now I'm back with him we're going to work together with the whole team and do everything possible to make things right.
Jan Kruger/Getty Player of the Year nominee Dimitri Payet
Player of the Year Dimitri Payet can get even better reckons Ayew

West Ham United via Getty West Ham United Unveil New Signing Andre Ayew
Ayew at the Olympic Stadium

"He's a friend of mine as we played two or three years together at Marseille.

"I know him and he knows me and I'm happy to be back playing with a great player like him, because I know what he is capable of doing.

"You have Dimitri, Sofiane Feghouli, Michail Antonio, Andy Carroll – the club is getting to another level and these are the players you need to get here.

"Hopefully we can keep the unity to make things work."
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Ayew - I can't wait to play here! - WHUFC Official Site
Andre Ayew told West Ham TV there were plenty of reasons behind his decision to become a Hammer.

The Ghana star became the Club's record signing when he completed a £20.5m move from Swansea City on Monday evening.

And in his first interview at London Stadium, the new No20 told of his respect for the Club, its big ambitions, manager Slaven Bilic, his former Marseille and now West Ham teammate Dimitri Payet and the strong squad being build to challenge on all fronts.

Andre Ayew, welcome to West Ham United! What's your initial reaction to becoming a Hammer?

"First of all, thanks a lot because I'm very proud and happy to be in this magnificent Club. It was long, but now it's done and I'm happy to be here and happy to play in this popular club with a lot of fans and I hope I can make everyone happy here.

"When I got to England, I could have come to West Ham last season too, but what is meant to happen happens every time because I am here now!

"I think it's the ambition of the Club, the great manager that the Club has and the thought of becoming a better Club every year. I can see West Ham has been growing for the past few years – the Stadium, the training ground, we can feel the Club is getting to another dimension and I want to be part of this project."

You have signed for a Club-record fee, so how does that feel?

"What is important is the field. I need to do my job, train hard and be ready to prove that I deserve to play for West Ham – that's what's important.

"The fee is talks between the clubs, not me. My issue is to make sure I give back the coach and the fans the confidence they have given to me and make the West Ham fans proud."
Here we are at our stunning new London Stadium. Did this magnificent arena play a part in your decision to join us?

"Honestly, I can't wait to play here and I hope it's soon! It's a great Stadium with great fans who we heard at the last two games in the Europa League and versus Juventus – it sounded fantastic.

"Hopefully we can keep playing well and getting results so there will be more and more people and joy in the stands."

Do you sense West Ham is a Club moving to the next level on and off the pitch?

"It's not by talking, but by proving it on the pitch and that's what is important and why we're going to work and concentrate very hard.

"With the season we had last season, everyone knows West Ham is a Club which is going to compete and we need to be ready for that.

"It's going to be a difficult season but we need to be ready physically and mentally to get the right performances and results to let the Stadium and everyone all go with it."
"He was a very big part of me joining the Club. He is a manager who has wanted me for the past few years and today I'm lucky to play under him.

"Hopefully I'll be able to satisfy him, because his words when I spoke to him were very important to me and made me think we have a lot of work to do to get where we want to get to. I'm very happy he has confidence in me and I want to give it back to him."

And of course your arrival also means a reunion with your old Marseille teammate Dimitri Payet!

"He's a friend of mine as we played two or three years together at Marseille. I know him and he knows me and I'm happy to be back playing with a great player like him, because I know what he is capable of doing.

"I know what he did last season and he can do even more, so now I'm back with him we're going to work together with the whole team and do everything possible to make things right.

"You have Dimitri, Sofiane, Antonio, Andy Carroll – the Club is getting to another level and these are the players you need to get here. Hopefully we can keep the unity to make things work.

"We can do all the signings and say what we want, but what's important is to prove it on the field and do everything we can do get the results on the pitch."

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West Ham to offer star attacker £4.3m per year - Forever West Ham
Date: 11th August 2016 at 6:30am
Written by: Gareth McKnight

West Ham United have entered the race to sign Napoli contract rebel Lorenzo Insigne and are willing to boost his wages in an attempt to lure him to the London Stadium, Il Mattino report.

The Italy international is a product of the youth system at the San Paolo club and a fans favourite after showcasing real skill and ability over a number of years in the first team.

However, Insigne is said to be stalling on signing a new contract in Naples, with his agent being vocal that the wages on offer from Maurizio Sarri's men were not enough for him to put pen to paper.

Napoli are desperate to keep a hold of the diminutive attacking midfielder but may well be tempted to sell him should the star refuse to extend his terms with the Serie A side.

The report suggests that West Ham would offer Insigne basic wages of around €5 million (£4.3 million) per year – which the Italian club would not match.

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