Daily WHUFC News - 21st September 2016

Preview - Accrington Stanley
WHUFC.com

When and where?
West Ham United v Accrington Stanley
EFL Cup Third Round
London Stadium
Wednesday 21 September 2016, 7.45pm BST

What's the story?
West Ham United face their first domestic cup tie under the lights at London
Stadium on Wednesday night, when they welcome Accrington Stanley of Sky Bet
League Two to east London for an EFL Cup tie.

The Hammers enter this competition at the third round stage after
participating in European competition this season, but Accrington have
already had to see off two higher division clubs to make their way through.

After beating Bradford City in an epic first round penalty shootout, they
then took the biggest scalp in their history by ousting Premier League
Burnley from the competition.

Matty Pearson's goal in the 120th minute sealed a 1-0 win, their first-ever
triumph against top-flight opposition and a trip to London Stadium.

In the league, a record of three wins, two draws and three defeats has left
last season's beaten play-off semi finalists in eleventh place, with
consecutive victories over Notts County and Portsmouth pushing them up the
table.

For the Hammers, Slaven Bilic will be looking to arrest a run of four
straight defeats in league and cup, with his team suffering reverses against
Astra Giurgiu, Manchester City, Watford and West Bromwich Albion.

Twice semi-finalists in the last six years, the east Londoners will want to
better last year's EFL Cup run, when they lost at this stage to Leicester
City.

Team news
Bilic confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he will field a mixed
team against the Lancashire club.

Changes will be made, with some players deserving of a chance, according to
the boss.

Alvaro Arbeloa and Edimilson Fernandes could make their debuts after signing
for the Club in August, while Darren Randolph is expected to play in goal,
as he did in the UEFA Europa League earlier in the season.

Andy Carroll, Aaron Cresswell, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho remain out
injured.

Any links between the two?
A couple of tenuous ones! Stanley manager John Coleman's son-in-law is a
Hammers fan, while their midfielder Chris Eagles scored at the Boleyn Ground
in a 5-3 defeat for Burnley in the 2009/10 campaign.

Accrington striker Terry Gornell, meanwhile, played against West Ham for
Cheltenham Town in a League Cup tie in August 2013.

How do I get to the game?
Click here for all the information on how to get to London Stadium. The
latest news on the Tubes and roads can be found here. Click here for the
latest travel news on the trains.

How can I watch the game?
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, you can follow
the action with audio commentary on whufc.com, as well as in-running match
updates, live stats, photos and more. Get involved with the conversation on
social using the hashtag #WHUACC

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Westley pleased with battling performance
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 left it late to beat Norwich City 2-0 at Carrow Road
Toni Martinez and Marcus Browne scored the goals
Westley was happy with the way his players battled for the three points

Terry Westley admitted his side weren't at their best against Norwich City,
but was delighted with the way they grinded out the three points at Carrow
Road. West Ham United PL2 left it late against the Canaries but managed to
break the deadlock after Toni Martinez scored a rebound after his initial
penalty was saved. Marcus Browne made sure of the points in stoppage time
after a delicate cut back by Noha Sylvestre to ensure the Hammers travelled
back to London with the three points. "I don't think we were at our best
tonight but we managed to grind it out in the end," said Westley. "I think
we were more powerful than them, created more opportunities and in the end,
albeit in the dying minutes, got a deserved win. "Early on, we had the
momentum. We had one or two opportunities but we weren't as sharp as what we
have been."

There were four changes overall to the side which drew with Wolverhampton
Wanderers over a week ago, as Alex Pike, Tunji Akinola, Grady Diangana and
Jaanai Gordon came into Westley's starting eleven. There were also places on
the bench for Dan Kemp and Alfie Lewis, who came on with twenty minutes to
play and made an impact. Kemp was fouled for the penalty and Westley was
full of praise for his two young substitutes. "The two changes gave us a
little bit of what we hadn't had. We didn't move the ball around quick
enough but those two came on and suddenly stretched the game," Westley
added. The game subsequently opened up and we got the winning goals."

Westley was full of admiration for the way his side adapted to the physical
nature of the match at Carrow Road. Norwich had two men sent off; Louis
Ramsay was sent for an early bath after two bookings and then substitute
Toby Syme was given his marching orders for the foul on Kemp which lead to
the penalty. "It's what you tend to do as coach when you play a team that
isn't as good as you are. You say "one-on-one, let's match them" and that's
a complement to our team. "The pitch was excellent tonight but I felt we
should have passed and moved it a bit more. Overall though, we're very happy
with our start and long may it continue."

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Slaven Speaks - Accrington Stanley
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic faced the media ahead of the EFL Cup third round game against
Accrington Stanley and was asked about the importance of seeing his team get
straight back on the winning trail following disappointing results against
Watford and West Brom.

The Hammers boss provided the latest team-news and shared his views on
wanting a good run in the cup competitions....

With the results the Club have faced in recent games, would you rather not
have a game and stay on the training ground to address some of the issues
you have faced?

SB: "In one way yes, but this game is good for us and the competition is
very interesting for us. "We don't have to travel the day before the game
and we have a good opposition. We have some players who have trained really
well during pre-season and have not played as much. "It is good for us to
have a game, especially as we play on Sunday against Southampton."

What kind of team will you play against Accrington Stanley?

SB: "We are going to play a mixed team. It is not that we are
under-estimating the competition or the opposition, but we need some
changes. "As I said previously some of the players deserve to get a chance."

In terms of the last three league results, how concerned are you by the
amount of goals the team are conceding?

SB: "I said after the West Brom game that we played a really good second
half and against Watford we played a good first half until the final four
minutes. "But we have had a couple of poor results after the international
break and have conceded eight goals in two games. Those results have taken
us into a situation which is not very pleasant. "We got ourselves in a
problem in two weeks and it is that kind of a league. We have to act and
very soon you can get out of a problem. We have to do it starting on
Wednesday. "We have three mega games and three cup finals before the break.
We have Southampton and Middlesbrough after the Accrington game and it is a
good opportunity to come out of trouble."

How disappointed have you been with the recent results against Watford and
West Brom?

SB: "The boys know I am not happy. We spoke about it after the West Brom
game and I want to see a reaction from the guys. We have to do it in games."


Is there an issue with the time it takes for the players to gel together
considering the number of new players who arrived during the summer?

SB: "We have some new players and a lot of them were injured. A few of them
came from different leagues and some were not regulars in their team. "It is
about time we gel together and start playing as a team for ninety minutes.
The last two results have got us into trouble and we are not happy with the
performances and results. "We need to start being consistent as a team
week-in week-out and then everything will be okay."

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Midfielder adamant of future improvements
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 ran out 2-0 winners over Norwich City at Carrow Road on
Monday
The Hammers burst into life in the final ten minutes to take the victory
Noha Sylvestre believes his side will continue to improve

Noha Sylvestre insists West Ham United PL2 will continue to work hard on the
training ground as they bid to mount a serious title challenge this year.
The Hammers' 2-0 win over Norwich City left them second in Premier League 2,
Division 2 but their performance was not up to their usual high standards
according to Sylvestre and boss Terry Westley. Late goals from Toni Martinez
and Marcus Browne ensured the Hammers of the three points but the Swiss
midfielder believes there is still work to do. "We're very pleased to get
the win because we need that win. We needed it for our confidence," he said.
"We should have done better, should have played better and we didn't find
our usual style to play. That wasn't our style out there tonight but we're
happy with the win."

It was a tight game but Terry Westley's men always looked the more likely to
take the victory. They left it very late, until two minutes remaining in
fact, after Dan Kemp was pulled down in the penalty area, leaving
Constantine Hatzidakis with no choice but to point to the spot. Norwich's
Toby Syme was sent off as a result and left the Canaries with nine men after
Louis Ramsay was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence
just minutes later. Toni Martinez stepped up but his penalty was saved by
keeper Ben Killip, only for the Spaniard to slot in the rebound for his
seventh goal in just six matches. Marcus Browne capped off a brilliant
individual display with West Ham's second after an unselfish cutback by
Sylvestre. "There's a great atmosphere between everyone, you can see that on
the pitch but football wise we have to do a lot better so we keep on
winning," added Sylvestre. "To have a striker like Toni in your team is very
good because it's easy to play with him. He can hold the ball, score
whenever he wants from everywhere. He's a fantastic player. "We need to find
a way to put the margins into the game and hopefully improve for next week.
I'm sure we'll be on it against Brighton."

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The Big Interview - Ashley Fletcher
WHUFC.com

Ashley Fletcher has caught the eye since joining West Ham United from
Manchester United in the summer. The Yorkshire-born, Lancashire-raised
striker has taken the opportunities he has earned, showing glimpses of his
undoubted talent and potential in the UEFA Europa League and Premier League.
On Wednesday, the 20-year-old is expected to be handed another chance to
impress in the EFL Cup third-round tie with Accrington Stanley – a club
where he made his reserve-team debut for the Red Devils.

Ashley, things have gone well for you since you arrived at London Stadium,
but have they gone better than you expected?

"I'm loving it at the moment. Starting against Manchester City and getting
on in the other games were great for me. I've settled in well and want to
keep progressing under the new manager and doing well.

"I've definitely had more first-team chances than I expected. Obviously
those opportunities were down to injuries, but I hope I've done enough to
stay in and around the squad and I want to keep coming off the bench, if
that's what it is, and doing well.

"I didn't expect to be involved so quickly, but I'm happy with how it's gone
so far. I think I've put in some decent performances. Unfortunately, the
results haven't gone with them, but now all I can keep doing is impressing
people and the manager and hopefully keep playing."

Slaven Bilic went on record by saying he had planned to send you out on
loan, but your performances convinced him to keep you here with the
first-team squad – that must have given you a real boost?

"Yes, it was a huge confidence booster for me, knowing that the manager
wants to keep me here [rather than send me out on loan]. I appreciate his
support and that can only benefit me going forward and hopefully I'll get
more chances."

Your early appearances in Claret and Blue have shown your full range of
skills as a striker – running with the ball at your feet, holding up play,
running in behind – but would you consider yourself to be a certain 'type'
of centre forward?

"I definitely don't want to be known as a certain type of striker. I think
I've got a lot of strings to my bow and have got decent pace for someone
quite tall, and I've got good feet as well.

"I couldn't really put a finger on what type of striker I am, because I've
got variations of different types, which benefits me and benefits the team.

"I prefer having the ball at my feet and driving at the defence. I look at
players like Romelu Lukaku and Thierry Henry, back in his day, as the type
of players who I base my game on.

"Having Andy Carroll here, who is one of the best headers of the ball in the
game, is great and I'll try to bring that into my game too."

We face Accrington Stanley on Wednesday evening in the EFL Cup third round.
Coming from Lancashire, are they a club which are familiar to you?

"I remember playing at Accrington Stanley in an Under-21s game – I made my
U21s debut for Manchester United there, so it's a memorable place for me,
even though I didn't score!"

Accrington are in League Two, but have already beaten Premier League side
Burnley and League One club Bradford City to reach the third round for the
first time in their history. What do we expect from them?

"I'm sure they'll be a decent side, they'll come here with nothing to lose,
so they're the teams you have to watch, but I'd hope we'll have enough to
beat them."

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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com

Fan blogger Joe Difford looks back at the weekend's game...

Not for the first time this season, it is difficult to immediately find a
positive in the weekend's game, as West Brom stunned Slaven Bilic's men to
take all three points.

After a comfortable 3-0 victory in the same fixture last year, we travelled
hoping to dominate once more and end a run, albeit a short run, without a
win.

However, after an early and unfortunate penalty was conceded when the ball
looped over Arthur Masuaku and landed on his arm, the hosts grew in
confidence and took every chance they got.

Our injury problems this season have been significant and widely reported,
with Havard Nordtveit having to fill in at right back. Although he does have
some experience there, this coupled with the absence of Winston Reid meant
that again we were unable to keep the same back four.

Keeping a tight back line and forming a strong relationship in defence is
key in the Premier League, but when injury prevents you from doing so, the
only outcome is conceding goals, four in our case.

Credit to West Brom, they were clinical and fired up, having not picked up a
win themselves since the opening day of the season.

It is crazy that we are currently 18th in the league when you consider that
the division's top goalscorer and assister play in Claret and Blue. The duo
combined again at the Hawthorns, as Dimitri Payet found Michail Antonio with
a cross and the winger headed home once again.

Antonio has now scored five headers this season, which is more than any
other team collectively, and this partnership is becoming a very exciting
one indeed.

Okay, so the result was not what the fans wanted, far from it in fact, but
the good thing is that the problems we are currently facing come from
injuries and a bad run of form, something every team suffers at some point
during the long season.

We had over 70 per cent possession on Saturday and created enough chances to
win the game, but having brought in over ten new faces, it is understandable
that it will take time to gel.

Next up for Bilic's men is a League Cup clash against Accrington Stanley on
Wednesday evening, and although a number of changes are likely to be made,
it is a great opportunity to gain some confidence, galvanise the fans and
give game time to more new signings who will likely be integrated into the
squad soon.

The opening five games haven't exactly gone as expected, but when you have
such a magnificent season as we did last time around, it is unrealistic to
expect another year of the same.

These words have been used before this season, but the Premier League is a
marathon, not a sprint, and perhaps a defeat like this is what we needed to
push us on to a win in the cup and a victory over Southampton on Sunday.

For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United

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Slaven will put things right
WHUFC.com

Daily Mail football reporter Sam Cunningham is confident Slaven Bilic will
turn the Club's fortunes around following a disappointing start to the
campaign.

Cunningham has covered the Hammers both home and abroad this season and
feels the situation could look a lot different by the time the next
international break comes around.....


It was another interesting press conference with Slaven Bilic on Tuesday in
the build-up to the Accrington Stanley game and he was honest as always when
probed about the current situation at the Club.

He admitted that things are not going right at the moment and said there was
a problem that they need to address quickly.

He has held a meeting with the players and has made his feelings known and I
am sure he will be looking for an immediate reaction when they play on
Wednesday night.

They obviously need to make the situation better.

I have been fortunate enough to deal a lot with Slaven in recent weeks
following the Europa League campaign and at one point he even joked with me
that he was seeing me more than his wife!

I have always found him really good to deal with and always gives you a
straight answer, no matter what the question is.

One of his major soundbites to come out of the press conference was the
three mega games and cup finals his team are now facing and you have to say
they are games that are all winnable.

In two-weeks time the Club can be much in a much rosier position if they
manage to win all of them and then all of a sudden the whole atmosphere has
changed and the season has completely turned around.

There have been reports that Slaven's future could come into question and
that his contract talks have been put on hold.

I really don't believe that West Ham would consider letting him go as he has
done a great job since he got there and there is enough quality in the squad
to turn things around.

Slaven made it clear he is not worried about the contract talks and is
focused solely on putting things right on the pitch.

He revealed that he will play a mixed team against Accrington and it is the
chance for him to see a few of the players who have not been given a chance
and this is a real opportunity for them to play their way into the
first-team.

The injury situation is slowly clearing up and they have still got a very
good squad. A victory in the cup can give you back a lot of confidence and
it will set them up nicely for the Southampton game on Sunday.

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West Ham United v Accrington Stanley
WED, 21 SEPT 2016EFL CUP - THIRD ROUND
19:45
Venue: London Stadium
BBC

How to follow:
Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC
Sport website

West Ham could hand debuts to summer signings Alvaro Arbeloa and Edimilson
Fernandes for Wednesday's EFL Cup match against League Two club Accrington.
Darren Randolph is expected to come in for first-choice goalkeeper Adrian.
Accrington midfielder Scott Brown has recovered from illness and could
feature. Forward Shay McCartan also missed Saturday's win over Portsmouth
because of a persistent dead leg, and will be assessed prior to the trip
south.

MATCH STATS

This is the first ever meeting between the two sides.
This is the first time Accrington Stanley have got to the third round of the
League Cup in their history, having been eliminated in the second round four
times.
This match will be the first domestic cup match at the London Stadium.
West Ham have won seven of their last nine League Cup ties against
fourth-tier opponents. The one loss was a 2-1 home defeat against Aldershot
in 2011.
Accrington's win over Burnley in the last round was their first ever victory
against top-flight opposition in all competitions.

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Bonds: it's not a football ground but we'll embrace it
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th September 2016
By: AR

Billy Bonds believes fans will eventually get used to the "strange" new
surroundings of the Olympic Stadium. Speaking at Southend's Cliffs Pavilion
on Friday, the club's record appearance holder - who celebrated his 70th
Birthday earlier this week – criticised the stadium as being "not a football
ground", but insisted that fans will embrace their new home in time. "I went
to the Bournemouth game and I was sat behind the media," he said. "It just
seemed miles away from the pitch and you couldn't get the atmosphere up
there. "Personally speaking, I don't think it's a football ground. I can
honestly say that. That's not to say I didn't moan about it when we were
moving, but I didn't share a lot of opinions about it because we were going
to move anyway, so it didn't matter. "And it doesn't matter that it's not a
football ground because we're going to be there for a long, long time. It's
still our home. We don't own the place and there are a lot of problems with
that going on as we all know, but it's still where our team are going to
play and if you're a West Ham supporter then you're going to embrace it.
"But I don't think it's a football ground. It seems strange... It's like an
island out in the middle. Slaven has to walk 20-odd yards to get to the edge
of pitch and when you're sitting up high you can see a big trench where
they've moved the seats... It just feels strange to me. Arsenal built a new
stadium but they're two yards away from the playing surface." "There's
plenty of noise there. I'm not saying the fans weren't making noise - there
was loads of noise there. It just lacks that little bit of atmosphere of a
football ground I think. But I'll get used to it and we'll get used to it."

Bonds, whose famous number 4 shirt adorns the concourse of the London
Stadium, shared further concerns about how long it will take the Hammers'
playing staff to get used to the move on the pitch. "I think teams will come
to [the Olympic Stadium] and they'll relish it - they'll play with freedom
there because they won't have the pressure of fans slaughtering them from
the Chicken Run," he said. "I think they'll enjoy it and I think our team
needs to learn to play there."

Speaking at the same event, Bonzo's former teammate Sir Trevor Brooking said
that he believes the club regime will eventually resolve the teething
problems that have plagued early matches at the Olympic Stadium, including
the much-discussed issue of persistent standing. "In the first year it's a
bit like, 'where are you allowed to stand and where are you not?'" he said.
"I think by this time next season everyone will know where they need to be
going if they want to stand in the seated areas. That's probably what we
would've liked it to have been like at the start of the season. "What
they're left with now is a lot of issues that I think will get sorted out
this first season. But at the moment it's uncomfortable for quite a few
people and that's not great. "To go from 35,000 to 60,000 is an amazing
reflection of the fans... New people are coming to support West Ham now
because suddenly Premier League football is there and it's so accessible at
Stratford. "There are going to be changes during the season but I think
they'll get there."

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Changes ahead, says Bilic
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th September 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic says he will field a changed team for tomorrow's League Cup
clash with Accrington Stanley - but insists that he'll be taking the
competition seriously. Having been knocked out of the Europa League at the
qualifying stage by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu, for the second
successive season, the domestic Cup competitions have taken on added
importance for West Ham. And Bilic, addressing the media this morning
insisted that he'll be treating the League Two side - and the re-named 'EFL
Cup' competition - with the utmost respect. "This game is a good opportunity
for us and the competition is very interesting," he said. "We don't have to
travel the day before the game and we have a good opposition. "We also have
some players who have trained really well during pre-season and who may have
not played as much. So it's good that we have a game as we play Southampton
on Sunday, not Saturday. "We are going to play a mixed team. We're not
under-estimating the competition or the opposition, but basically we need
some changes. Some of the players deserve to get a chance."

Meanwhile, Stanley boss John Coleman has told his team to go out and enjoy
tomorrow's match at the Olympic Stadium. Having overcome League One Bradford
City and Premier League Burnley in the last round, the League Two side are
already used to taking major scalps. And given West Ham's current poor form,
the 53-year-old believes yet another may be on the cards. "The players have
earned the right to play there with their wins over Bradford and Burnley
which were two tough games," said Coleman. "They have earned the right to
enjoy this and the best way to properly enjoy it, is to win. "We will be
going out there to win. It is hard to prepare for this one as we don't know
what team they will put out but we do know their style of play. "It will be
a good side whoever we play as they are Premier League players. We will not
be going there to park the bus, we will be going there to attack and score
goals and if that means we get beat 7-0 so be it. "We believe in our own
ability and it's a chance for the players to play in a big stadium in front
of a big crowd."

Coleman - who revealed that his son-in-law is a Dubai-based West Ham fan -
expects around 600 supporters to make the long and arduous trip south from
Lancashire. And despite being heavily outnumbered, he expects them to make
plenty of noise. "We have had away trips where we have taken 500 or 600 fans
and they have drowned out the 10-20,000 fans of the opposing team" he said.
"Let's hope we can serve up a treat and a performance they can be proud of."

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Slaven Bilic says West Ham are facing 'three cup finals'
By Stephen Turner
Last Updated: 20/09/16 11:07am
SSN

Slaven Bilic says West Ham are facing three "mega games" as they aim to
kick-start their season following four straight defeats. Bilic's side have
shipped 11 goals in their past three Premier League games, while a 1-0 home
defeat to Astra Giurgiu saw them eliminated from the Europa league by the
same Romanian opponents for the second year running. Wednesday night's EFL
Cup tie against Accrington is the first of three straight home games leading
up to the international break and, while the move to Stratford has been
marred by in-fighting among sections of the Hammers' support, Bilic sees the
run as an opportunity to get going. "I'm not happy," he said on the eve of
the Accrington game. "The boys know that, we spoke after every game. The
boys have to show a reaction. "We've had a couple of poor results after the
international break, conceded eight goals in two games. It's put us in a
situation that isn't pleasant. "You can get in trouble quickly but can get
out of it quickly. We have three mega games before the break now, three cup
finals."

Southampton and Middlesbrough visit east London in the next 10 days, and
Bilic is demanding more consistent displays despite the difficulty of
integrating nine summer signings from eight different leagues. "It's not an
excuse but it's a reason," he said. "The reality is we are not happy with
performances or results. We can't say we were unlucky. We need to start
being consistent."

West Ham finished seventh in Bilic's first season, and the boss has been
promised a new deal in January if he has proved by then he is "not a
one-season wonder". "I haven't spoken to the chairman about a new contract,"
he said on Tuesday. "I didn't in March when he mentioned I would be offered
a new one in January, not in April or May or the summer either. "I'm totally
concentrated on training and games. I don't like to talk about it, I look at
the job as though my contract is my next couple of games - that's the way
I've always been and that's the way I am now."

A new contract for teenage prospect Reece Oxford is a more pressing concern,
and Bilic is hopeful the England youth player will sign up. He said: "I
think he has a few examples of players who have had a great career starting
at West Ham: Rio Ferdinand is very similar to him, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole,
Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick - at his age they went on loan, then came
back and played and became regular players, then got to world-class status.
"I know he hasn't signed, his representatives are talking to the club and
hopefully it will be sorted soon in a good way."

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West Ham v Accrington preview
Last Updated: 20/09/16 12:17pm
SSN

Alvaro Arbeloa and Edimilson Fernandes could make their West Ham debuts
against Accrington in the EFL Cup. Former Spain and Real Madrid full-back
Arbeloa has been building up his fitness following his arrival on deadline
day, while 20-year-old Swiss midfielder Fernandes is set for his first
involvement since a £5.5million summer switch from FC Sion. Darren Randolph
is expected to come in for first-choice goalkeeper Adrian. Winston Reid,
Andy Carroll, Aaron Cresswell and Andre Ayew are still on the sidelines.

West Ham squad: Adrian, Randolph, Arbeloa, Byram, Masuaku, Collins, Ogbonna,
Oxford, Kouyate, Nordtveit, Obiang, Fernandes, Noble, Payet, Lanzini,
Antonio, Feghouli, Tore, Quina, Zaza, Fletcher, Calleri.

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Sofiane Feghouli urges West Ham to produce immediate response to West Brom
defeat in EFL Cup
SAM LONG
Evening STandard

Sofiane Feghouli has urged West Ham to produce an immediate response to
their 4-2 defeat against West Brom when the Hammers host Accrington Stanley
in the EFL Cup tomorrow night.

Optimism surrounded Slaven Bilic's side at the start of the season but
expectations have waned following a disappointing start to the season.

Some fans have grown disillusioned after moving to the London Stadium while
the Hammers' performances have done little to inspire a demanding east
London fanbase, who watched their side drop into the relegation zone at the
weekend.

Feghouli has been absent for most of the season with injury but is adamant
he and his teammates must kick start their campaign against the League Two
minnows.


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'West Ham's London Stadium is twice as good as the Boleyn Ground'
"We have another game on Wednesday and we need to react straight away and
get the win to take us forward," he told the club's official website.

"Each and every one of us will take a long look at ourselves and we all know
that we need to do more when we wear the West Ham colours.

"We are a good team with some great players, but we need more from everyone
in the squad, and I will be the first to try to give more," he added.

West Ham have produced encouraging play in bursts this season, but
individual errors have cost them dearly, with Bilic accusing his players of
straying from the basics that served them so well last season.


And Feghouli has called on the Hammers to cut out the mistakes ahead of
Wednesday's encounter with John Coleman's side.

"We can't afford to make any mistakes and as I said, we all need to evaluate
our performances and to do more.

"We can't just play one half of football, we need to give 100% and be fully
concentrated for ninety minutes in every game."
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West Ham's London Stadium is 'twice as good' as the Boleyn and fans must
show Dimitri Payet the love to repeat last season's heroics
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham's London Stadium is "twice as good" as the Boleyn Ground and the
club's fanbase must show Dimitri Payet the love in order for him to repeat
last season's heroics, according to Trevor Sinclair. Slaven Bilic's side
said farewell to their home of 112 years at the end of last season and moved
to their new Stratford base, boosting capacity to more than 55,000.
But some supporters are frustrated with the move while the Hammers' form on
the pitch has faltered and Saturday's 4-2 defeat to West Brom saw the east
Londoners drop into the relegation zone. Such a poor start has seen both
pressure and tension build around the club in recent weeks but Sinclair is
hopeful fans will start to settle in the London Stadium. "There are a lot of
people saying that the new stadium is not the same as the Boleyn Ground, but
for me it is twice as good," he told the club's official website. "It is
needed for the club to go forward. There is a fantastic atmosphere when the
fans get behind the players and they start producing. "Hopefully the stadium
will start growing on some of the fans who have yet to be won over."
Bilic has been reluctant to use a mounting injury list as an excuse for his
side's poor performances but they have certainly not helped the Croatian
manager's cause during the early stages of the campaign. But talisman Payet
has now returned to full fitness and Sinclair is adamant the Frenchman is
capable of giving Hammers fans plenty more memorable moments - if they get
behind him. "If the fans can show the same love towards him then I think the
club will get even more special things from him. "Is it football you are
striving for and being as good as you can or is it the finances and rewards?
"It is obviously about football because he has since gone onto another level
once again and gone to a different platform," he added.
The Hammers face Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup tomorrow night and have
an opportunity to kick start their campaign against the League Two minnows.

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West Ham ban 20 fans who fought in the stands during defeat by Watford at
the London Stadium
Twenty fans have been issued with banning orders by West Ham
The individuals were involved in fighting at the London Stadium during the
Premier League game against Watford on September 10
Hammers say segregation will be improved in wake of the incident
By MEGAN WHITE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 16:16, 20 September 2016 | UPDATED: 16:16, 20 September 2016

West Ham have banned 20 fans after violence erupted in the stands during a
game. The Premier League club has revoked season tickets and issued bans
after fighting marred their match against Watford on September 10. Brawling
between supporters took place during and after the Hammers' 4-2 defeat.
Shocking footage captured fights between West Ham fans, which broke out in
front of terrified children. Parents could be seen cradling their young
children while men fought amongst them, with fans swearing and jostling,
around 50 minutes into the match.
The club used CCTV footage and collected evidence from supporters, security
and stewarding teams, to ban those involved in breaking the line of
segregation and abusing opposition fans and stewards. The Hammers, who moved
into their new home this season, say improved and increased segregation
lines will be introduced for future games at the London Stadium. A club
spokesman said: 'It is important that we recognise and address the isolated
issues which have arisen at our early games. 'However, we must stress that
the vast majority of the 250,000 plus fans who have attended our opening
fixtures have conducted themselves well. 'We cannot allow a small number of
individuals to damage the club's reputation and with the stakeholder
organisations, we will do all we can to ensure all supporters have a
wonderful match day experience.' The ruckus earlier this month followed
disorder at the club's final match at their old Upton Park ground in May,
when Manchester United's team bus was pelted with bottles and stones.

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West Ham fans devastated as Upton Park is blown up for Pierce Brosnan film
Max Miller for Metro.co.uk
Tuesday 20 Sep 2016 3:47 pm

West Ham fans were devastated by the news that the Boleyn Ground, otherwise
known as Upton Park, has been blown up as part of filming for an upcoming
film. The movie, called 'Fatal Score' and starring Pierce Brosnan and former
WWE star Dave Bautista, involves armed criminals holding fans hostage inside
a football stadium – which obviously takes some damage at one point. Irons
supporters, who are currently experiencing problems at their new home, the
Olympic Stadium, haven't reacted well to the news – which also makes it
unlikely that they will be able to return to the ground. It is also another
hit for current owners David Gold and David Sullivan, who haven't been in
supporters' good books recently after a poor transfer window, being knocked
out of the Europa League, and their insistence that the club needs to move
on.
This puts the final nail in the coffin for the historic ground, which had
been the home of the Hammers for 112 years before the east London club moved
out this summer. At the very least they're going to be hoping that the film
is worth the emotional damage, although Dave Bautista hasn't been known for
his acting prowess in the past.

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Slaven Bilic calls on Reece Oxford to sign new West Ham deal and follow Rio
Ferdinand and Frank Lampard in becoming 'world class'
Reece Oxford, 17, has 18 months remaining on his current contract
The teenager is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal
Discussions are ongoing, and Slaven Bilic is keen to tie down his starlet
Bilic says he can emulate other Hammers academy graduates
By SAM CUNNINGHAM FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:52, 20 September 2016 | UPDATED: 12:52, 20 September 2016

Slaven Bilic has urged Reece Oxford to stay at West Ham and follow the
example of the impressive alumni at the club to become a 'world class'
player. West Ham's manager cited the examples of Rio Ferdinand, Frank
Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick who all came through the academy and
built their foundations at the club before moving on to a higher level. All
of those went on to play for England and have won multiple club trophies
between them. Oxford, 17, has 18 months remaining on his current contract
and has been in discussions over improved terms, but the parties have not
been able to reach an agreement. Oxford has been valued at around £15million
and his representatives feel he should be offered a contract reflecting
that. Bilic insists it would be better for Oxford's career to stay at West
Ham and said: 'There are a good few examples of players who had a great
careers who started at West Ham — Rio Ferdinand, plays in his position, very
similar in stature. Lampard Cole, Jermain Defoe, Carrick. 'At his age they
went on loan short-term, came back and became regulars at West Ham and had
time to become world class players.' Jose Mourinho sent Manchester United
scouts to watch him playing for England at the Under 19 European
Championships during the summer and sees him as a key figure for the future.
Arsenal and Manchester City are also interested in the player, who can play
in central defence and as a midfielder. Talks took place with West Ham and
his representatives during the summer but they have reached something of an
impasse at the moment. Bilic added: 'I know his representatives are talking
to the club and hopefully it will be sorted soon, in a good way.'

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Alvaro Arbeloa and Edimilson Fernandes poised for West Ham United debuts
against Accrington Stanley

Alvaro Arbeloa and Edimilson Fernandes could make their West Ham debuts
against Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup tomorrow night. Former Spain and
Real Madrid full-back Arbeloa has been building up his fitness following his
arrival on deadline day, while 20-year-old Swiss midfielder Fernandes is set
for his first involvement since a £5.5 million summer switch from FC Sion.
Darren Randolph is expected to come in for first-choice goalkeeper Adrian in
the third round tie, but Winston Reid, Andy Carroll, Aaron Cresswell and
Andre Ayew are still on the sidelines.
Provisional squad: Adrian, Randolph, Arbeloa, Byram, Masuaku, Collins,
Ogbonna, Oxford, Kouyate, Nordtveit, Obiang, Fernandes, Noble, Payet,
Lanzini, Antonio, Feghouli, Tore, Quina, Zaza, Fletcher, Calleri.

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Slaven Bilic cool over reports West Ham have shelved contract talks amid
current slump
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

Slaven Bilic said today he is unconcerned by reports suggesting West Ham are
stalling on offering him a new contract. Co-chairman David Sullivan said
last season he would wait until January or even the end of this campaign
before talking to Bilic about a new deal. West Ham's current plight,
however, accentuated by two successive heavy Premier League defeats has put
the Croatian under increased pressure. "I didn't talk about my situation
back in March and I am not going to start now," said Bilic, whose contract
runs until the summer of 2018. "I didn't discuss it with the chairman then
because I was totally concentrated on the team and things haven't changed.
"Back then all I said was I look at the next two games and that's all."
West Ham went into the season at their new home, the London Stadium, with
high hopes after finishing seventh last term. However, they are third from
bottom with their only win coming against Bournemouth last month. Tomorrow
they host Accrington in the League Cup and Bilic is urging his team to use
this match and the Premier League games against Southampton on Sunday and
Middlesbrough a week later to build some momentum. "Starting tomorrow we
have three mega games before the international break," he said. "We have a
good opportunity to come out of this. "The boys know I am not happy. We
spoke yesterday and we have to show a reaction straight away. We have to do
it in games."
Bilic confirmed he would play a "mixed team" in the third-round tie against
League Two Accrington. Former Real Madrid right-back Alvaro Arbeloa is
expected to be involved as is former Sion midfielder Edimilson Fernandes,
who has done well in training. Teenager Reece Oxford, who has still to sign
a new deal at the club, also looks certain to be in the squad and Bilic
hopes the defender's future will be settled soon. "I know his
representatives are talking to the club and I hope it ends in a good way,"
said Bilic. "In the past players such as Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe
Cole and Michael Carrick all developed here at West Ham and went on to have
great careers in the game."

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Slaven Bilic responds to talk over new West Ham contract
SLAVEN BILIC insists he has not held talks with the West ham owners over a
new contract.
By DAVID WRIGHT
PUBLISHED: 11:38, Tue, Sep 20, 2016 | UPDATED: 11:46, Tue, Sep 20, 2016
Express.co.uk

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan revealed in March that the club would offer
Bilic a new and improved contract in January if he carried over last
season's form. The Croatian manager guided the Hammers to a seventh-place
finish in his debut season at West Ham but his side currently linger in the
relegation zone after a poor start to the campaign. West Ham have lost four
of their opening five league games and failed to reach the Europa League
after losing to Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu in the play-offs. But Bilic
insists he has no plans to discuss a new contract with the club and is only
concentrating on ending his side's poor run of form against Accrington in
the EFL Cup third round tomorrow. The Hammers manager said: "I didn't speak
about [the new contract] in March, or April or May. Not publicly, not with
the chairman to be fair. We never discussed that I have a contract. I am
totally focused on training and games. I never like to talk about that. "I
said at the time that my contract is the next couple of games. It was then
like that and it is now like that. That's the way I work."

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Matthew Etherington discusses Olympic Stadium move, hints crowd trouble is
affecting players
HITC
Damien Lucas

Former West Ham United winger Matthew Etherington has been discussing the
club's move to the Olympic Stadium. Etherington, who was a fans' favourite
during his time in East London, was forced to retire due to persistent
injuries last year. But he still follows his old club with interest and
remains friends with a number of West Ham players from his time there
including defender James Collins and captain Mark Noble. A terrible start to
the season, infighting amongst fans, resentment towards owners and concerns
over safety have soured the Hammers' season so far. Slaven Bilic's side have
lost four of their opening five Premier League matches and scraped past
Bournemouth in their solitary victory. The Hammers were also embarrassingly
dumped out of the Europa League by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu for the
second season running.
Fans are at each other's throats over standing at their new 60,000 seater
Olympic Stadium home while Karren Brady - who spearheaded the club's move to
Stratford - was allegedly spat at by her own supporters as things turned
sour in a 4-2 home defeat to Watford recently. Matters haven't been helped
by a repeat score last time out against West Bromwich Albion and a toxic
atmosphere is starting to fester at West Ham with supporters beginning to
question some of Bilic's team selections and tactics. Speaking to TalkSport,
Etherington hinted the crowd problems at the Olympic Stadium could be having
a negative impact. I'll hopefully be going to the league cup game in midweek
(against Accrington Stanley)," Etherington told Alan Brazil's Sports
Breakfast. "Obviously there's been mixed reports (about the stadium). "I
think there's been a few teething problems within the ground which doesn't
help the players.
"But it was always going to be a big wrench leaving the Boleyn, I think it
was going to take a bit of time to get used to (but) I'm sure they'll be
fine."

While Hammers fans will be hoping Etherington is right with his prediction
'I'm sure they'll be fine' some may feel crowd problems is all too easy an
excuse for the players. The Olympic Stadium atmosphere cannot truly be
judged until the Hammers play a genuine rival - which won't happen until a
home game against Arsenal in December.

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WE'VE HEARD THE CASE FOR THE DEFENCE. NOW COURT IS ADJOURNED
By Benjamin Cronin 20 Sep 2016 at 08:00
WTID

Well, I don't really know where to start. I surround myself with words on a
daily basis, whether I'm reading or writing, even when I want to, I can't
quite escape them. Very rarely do I find myself in a position where I cannot
find the words to articulate how I feel or 'put things into perspective'.
Unfortunately, I now find myself in such a position and it is West Ham
United that has put me there. When I left for my holiday a couple of week
ago, I was looking forward to a break but what I was most looking forward to
was coming back to a rejuvenated West Ham side and the opportunity to wax
lyrical about how we'd put the Europa League demons to bed and got on with
our season. Alas, it wasn't to be.

I didn't want that opening paragraph to be so negative but I just wrote down
whatever came into my mind. The truth is, things aren't actually that bad.
Okay, we've had an absolute stinker of a first five games and the three
points we've mustered thus far came in a match we probably didn't do enough
to earn them. It's important to analyse and acknowledge problems as a means
to progress and improve but I believe the players, and us fans, are in
danger of being consumed by this poor start.

There's no getting away from the fact that we've had an abysmal start to the
season but confidence can be key to a successful campaign. Yes the players
need to perform to help breed confidence but to a certain extent, the fans
can play their part. I'm not naive and I know that sometimes, the most
passionate fans singing the loudest of songs can still watch their team put
in a dire display, but we can try.

This is by no means an attack on those that feel like they've seen enough
already. We have every right to be frustrated and disappointed by what we've
seen, but trying to find that ounce of optimism, even if it is the
proverbial needle in a haystack, can go along way. We know we're better than
the performances against Astra Giurgiu, Manchester City, Watford and West
Brom, we just have to hope the team we saw last season turns up sooner
rather than later.

Five games into a season does represent some sort of milestone. But I've
always held the belief that ten games in is when you can really grasp a
team's prospects and what they can expect from the remainder of the season.
Before we get to that ten game mark, we face Southampton, Middlesbrough,
Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Everton. Teams that before this season begun,
we would have been confident in taken three points from. So what makes it
any different now?

I'm sure many of you have already pointed out that the defensive frailties
we've seen so far stem from much further back than the start of the season.
Throughout last year it felt like some games were used to get all of our
errors out of the way before putting a run together of solid performances.
Unfortunately, almost every game this season has felt like the home game
against Bournemouth, the trip to Tottenham and the match against Swansea
from last year. There's no reason why we can't reproduce the positives (the
wins against Liverpool, Chelsea, City and United) if we can quite obviously
reproduce the negatives.

When watching games, listening to the radio and sitting through the dreadful
punditry on Match of the Day, one question has continuously popped into my
head: Has everyone drastically improved in the summer and we've gone
backwards? Honestly, I really don't think so. I'm not a analyst, a
psychologist or anyone that can give a logical explanation for what we've
seen. I'm just a fan who likes to put down how I feel into words. We're in a
slump, it doesn't take a genius to work that one out but I am more than
hopeful that Slaven Bilic and the team that won so many admirers last season
can drag us out of it.

I'm quite happy to take the flack from my mates, I can read about how
Bilic's job is under threat and Payet will want out in January, it really
doesn't phase me. This is what being a football fan is being all about. I
don't mean watching a team incapable of defending, I mean watching the team
you love fight back and prove the doubters wrong. The players know
themselves they are capable of better and I'm sure it won't be long until we
see evidence of it.

COYI!

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Richard Keys criticises Karren Brady's pledge over West Ham's stadium
HITC
Dan Coombs

Richard Keys comments on West Ham's teething troubles. West Ham have had a
disappointing start to the season, with their off pitch struggle to adapt to
the Olympic Stadium mirrored by lacklustre performances on it. The Hammers
are in 18th place in the Premier League with one win and four losses to
date. Their home form, previously a strength at Upton Park, has dropped off,
also eliminated from the Europa League with a home defeat.
Television presenter and pundit Richard Keys has questioned vice-chairman
Karren Brady, who he accused of being over confident that the move to the
'London Stadium' would be an overwhelming success. Keys wrote on his
personal blog: "I genuinely believe that will be a factor for quite some
time yet. Other than Arsenal, I can't think of another team that's made a
trouble-fee move to a new stadium. "West Ham have already had their teething
problems and I suspect it'll be a while before things settle making Ms
Brady's ludicrous claims on July 25 this year look even more ridiculous.
"She said then 'The move has been a complete success on every level...be in
no doubt, we are part of the most successful migration in history'. Really
Karen? I don't think so, not by a long way."

Of course after five games is no time to judge such bold claims, but West
Ham have a big task ahead to win the hearts and minds of disgruntled fans
who do not yet feel at home with the new stadium. Yet the biggest change
this season is West Ham have forgotten how to win, and if the team can get
back on track, then visiting the Olympic Stadium each week might begin to
become a more enjoyable experience for the thousands of attending
supporters.

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PUNDIT SAYS ATTACKER TOO GOOD FOR WEST HAMFeatured Image
Date: 20th September 2016 at 8:15am
Written by: Gareth McKnight
ForeverWestHam

Football pundit Robbie Savage has stated that Dimitri Payet is too good for
West Ham United and may well be regretting signing a new contract with the
London club. The France international was a revelation in his first campaign
in the English game, making the PFA Player of the Year shortlist after
stunning individual performances for Slaven Bilic's men.
Payet committed to the Hammers earlier this year by putting pen-to-paper on
a new and improved contract with the Premier League club, much to the
supporters' delight. After more excellent showings for France in the summer,
the attacking midfielder's reputation was bolstered further. West Ham have
started the new season in dire fashion, with four defeats in the side's
first five Premier League games, despite Payet returning to the first-team
fold. Savage has given a damning verdict on the former Marseille man's
current situation, stating that if he was the playmaker he would be looking
towards the exit door. "If I was Payet, and it's my personal opinion, I
would be looking around and thinking, 'What have I done by signing that new
contract?'" said Savage on BBC Radio 5 live 606 on Saturday evening
(September 17, 2016). "Good luck to him, good luck to West Ham, but I think
Payet is better than West Ham."

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