Daily WHUFC News - 25th October 2016

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic says the 'cramp' which affected his team at the start of the
season is getting smaller with each win. The Hammers secured a second
consecutive victory thanks to Winston Reid's dramatic late winner against
Sunderland on Saturday – a result which took his team to within striking
distance of mid-table. Now, with a midweek EFL Cup tie against Chelsea to
focus on, the manager says they are in a much better place. "The cramp is
smaller now because we won," he explained. "That helps with healing that
cramp, as does your position in the table and clean sheets and everything.
"We are coming out of it, and it's a massive goal for us going into
Wednesday's game against Chelsea. "We can't say that it changes everything,
but in the situation that we were – even though we are talking early days –
to have six points now and two clean sheets is great. "Some of the players
are in much better shape after their injuries and especially getting a win
at the end of the game gives you an unbelievable boost. "We are going to be
less tired on Monday now than if it had been 0-0. They will be smiling and
happy and we can't wait for the game against Chelsea. It's a good position
to be in. "We got ourselves in a bad position and we got ourselves out into
a better position. We need to build on this and a few more of these before
we are completely out. "We are dreaming about progressing in that cup, so we
are going to try to beat Chelsea. We are very ambitious in every competition
that we are in – the cup is very interesting for us."

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Ogbonna – It's an important win
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna says West Ham United are getting closer to where they want to
be after Saturday's dramatic victory against Sunderland. Winston Reid struck
at the very end of the London Stadium contest to give the Hammers all three
points and make it back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
For Ogbonna, two clean sheets and two victories are an important boost and
now he wants to build on that further when he takes on his former boss
Antonio Conte in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night "The atmosphere is good in
the changing room, and it always has been," he said. "We knew that we had to
get back [to winning] so Saturday was an important result. "It was really
hard to get back, because Sunderland wanted to move away from the bottom of
the league and it was an important win. "If we keep this level of
performance it will be good for us. Step-by-step, the Premier League is a
really tough league, so we have to be focused. "I am looking forward to
playing Chelsea on Wednesday. We are playing in front of our fans, so the
expectation will be high and we will prepare well. "I have a really good
relationship with Antonio Conte, but this is football and I will put that to
one side on Wednesday. "Every game is tough. We played really well in the
first half, pressed, kept the ball, and sometimes you need a bit of luck.
"The most important thing is the performance. They weren't good at the
start, but now they are quite good."

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Winning start for new Ladies setup
WHUFC.com

Cheltenham Town Ladies 1-2 West Ham United Ladies

On a sunny October afternoon in the Cotswolds, West Ham United Ladies edged
past a gritty Cheltenham Town Ladies team to earn a place in the next round
draw for the Women's Premier League Plate trophy. The new management team of
Greg De Carnys, Josh Ewens and coach Karen Ray got off to a winning start at
Cheltenham's Petersfield Park thanks to an injury time wonder goal from
striker Chloe Burr. The game was billed as Cheltenham's biggest match in
their recent history and they dared to dream of causing a major upset
against their illustrious opponents, who have had a hectic week themselves.
There were the only two changes to the team that had lost 4-0 to Crystal
Palace Ladies the previous week, with Olivia Sammons and Kat Clifton
dropping to the bench to make way for Dayna Chong and Jasmine Auguste. West
Ham's first effort came after just six minutes when good work from Chloe
Burr put in Sasha Kelly but she pulled her shot wide. Burr was seeing a lot
of the ball and another great solo run was thwarted by a last ditch block by
the defender. West Ham were not having it all their own way though and in
the 14th minute, Aditi Chauhan had to dive bravely at the attacker's feet to
save a certain goal. A minute later West Ham were ahead. Katie Bottom broke
into the penalty area and was tripped. Befitting of the Cotswolds, West Ham
were awarded a stone-wall penalty, which Katie Bottom dispatched with
aplomb, sending the keeper the wrong way to make it 1-0.

The game turned into a midfield battle, with Amy Cooper and Dayna Chong
stroking the ball around for the West Ham Ladies whilst Cheltenham Ladies
worked tirelessly closing them down to protect their back four. The last
chance of the half fell to Burr, who after a mazy solo run blasted the ball
high and wide. The longer the second half went on, there was a sense that
if there was a next goal it would go to Cheltenham. And that proved to be
the case. Cheltenham were awarded a soft free-kick which was launched into
West Ham's penalty area, and the industrious Louise Fensome hammered it past
the diving Chauhan. A minute later Cheltenham nearly took the lead when a
30-yard Sophie Wyatt free-kick flew just over the bar. With the prospect of
extra time looming, Burr weaved her way down the right-hand-side and from
what seemed like an impossible angle, rifled a curling shot into the top
corner of the net. Manager Greg De Carnys said after the match: "I'm really
happy about the way the girls have taken to how we want to play. It was an
encouraging start and certainly some of the things we have worked on in
training were there to see. "Now we can take that performance and hopefully
keep adding to it week on week. It will take time but I am confident we will
keep progressing.
"Josh, Karen and I are keen to get back out on the training field and I get
the sense the girls are too. They seem to enjoy solving the problems we
throw at them in training and there's an appetite to keep improving which
will take them far. "It's also been great to see the girls looked after so
well by the club and I'm sure they'll remember their day on the pitch at
Upton Park and the reception they got from the fans for a very long time."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle returned to the Wigan squad this weekend for
their clash against Brighton
Josh Cullen was involved in a six-goal thriller for Bradford City
Lewis Page helped Coventry City pick up their fourth win in five

Reece Burke made his return to the Wigan Athletic starting lineup on
Saturday, though the Latics were frustrated by visitors Brighton and Hove
Albion who grabbed their second consecutive victory. The West Ham defender,
on loan at the DW Stadium, had been out of action since September but he and
fit again fellow Hammer Kyle Knoyle were both included in Gary Caldwell's
squad in the Championship. Burke could not prevent Dale Stephens scoring the
game's only goal with 68 minutes on the clock however, as the midfielder
fired past Adam Bogdan to break the deadlock. The centre-half completed his
first senior 90 minutes since 10 September, while Knoyle was an unused
substitute. The defeat meant Wigan remain in the relegation zone, three
points from safety, though Burke and Knoyle will hope their return to
fitness provides a boost for the Greater Manchester outfit.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Martin Samuelsen was on the bench as
Blackburn Rovers suffered a late defeat at Bristol City, conceding veteran
forward Aaron Wilbraham's 88th minute goal.

In League One, Josh Cullen was involved in a six-goal thriller for loan club
Bradford City, as the Bantams and Sheffield United shared the points at
Valley Parade. Billy Sharp opened the scoring for the Blades on 18 minutes,
connecting well with Mark Duffy's cross to head into the top corner, but
Bradford levelled through Billy Clarke 17 minutes later. Six minutes into
the second period, a quick Sheffield United free-kick caught Bradford out,
with Sharp notching again, but City dusted themselves off and equalised for
the second time.
Irons midfielder Cullen, who has played 12 times in the third tier already
this season, played a major part in the goal, delivering a cross into the
box which eventually found its way to Jordy Hiwula to finish. And with the
momentum behind them, Stuart McCall's men thought they had won it through
Tim Dieng with 22 minutes remaining, however Chris Basham was on hand to end
the hosts' celebrations four minutes later, making it 3-3 and snatching a
draw.

Lewis Page's Coventry City continued their resurgence under temporary boss
Mark Venus, grabbing a 2-0 home win over Rochdale on Saturday to lift them
within a point of safety in League One. The Hammers left-back played the
full 90 minutes for the Sky Blues, who secured all three points thanks Dan
Agyei and Andre Wright strikes.

Meanwhile, George Dobson and Josh Pask were both unused substitutes for
their loan sides – Walsall and Gillingham respectively.

The Saddlers were 2-0 winners away at Swindon, while the Gills conceded a
late penalty to see a 1-0 lead slip at home to Charlton.

Finally, in Denmark, Canadian defender Doneil Henry played his first full 90
minutes on loan at AC Horsens, as the side were 1-0 winners over Randers on
Sunday. The victory moves them into the top six in the Danish Superliga.

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#WHUAREYA - Sam Howes
WHUFC.com

Young goalkeeper Sam Howes is the next Academy man to sit down for this
season's #WHUAREYA feature, discussing his goalkeeping influences and what
gives him the most enjoyment on the pitch. With Adrian, Darren Randolph and
Raphael Spiegel all to look up to when training with the first team, England
U19 goalkeeper Howes has no shortage of teammates to pick up tips from.
Having kept a clean sheet for the Premier League 2 side on Friday in
Middlesbrough, Howes will be hoping to continue his good form as the season
continues into the winter.

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Fernandes - I hope to play a big part in the future
WHUFC.com

There were a number of positives to take from Saturday's dramatic 1-0 win
over Sunderland – none more so than the impressive Premier League debut by
highly-rated youngster Edimilson Fernandes. Fernandes was one of the star
performers for Slaven Bilic's side even though he was asked to play out of
position at left wing-back. The Switzerland U21 international arrived at the
Club during the summer with a big pedigree from FC Sion and Slaven Bilic had
no hesitation in handing the talented midfielder a first-team start on
Saturday. Fernandes repaid his faith with a superb display and could have
even got his name on the scoresheet. The 20-year-old says he will never
forget the experience of performing in front of 57,000 fans inside London
Stadium and hopes this is just the start of a memorable career in east
London. Fernandes said: "It was fantastic for me to make debut in such a
great team and we played a great game. I was very happy to win and it was
very important for the team. I am now looking forward to the next one! "The
London Stadium is a brilliant Stadium and to play in front of 57,000 fans
who push you forward is an unbelievable feeling and I hope to play a big
part in the future. "I feel very confident when I play and work very hard in
training. The management train me hard and explained to me what they
expected from me playing in this position so I felt confident. I try and
take that confidence onto the pitch. "I would love to be involved in the
next game against Chelsea on Wednesday night."

Fernandes admits the Chelsea game in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night is one
of the biggest of his career and says the derby games in England are a lot
different to the ones he has encountered in Switzerland. The Swiss
midfielder says he will have no problems playing out of position once again
if Bilic needs him to and hopes he can keep producing his best form for the
east London Club. Fernandes added: "I felt a bit of pressure going into the
match but I thought I had a good game playing my first game in the Premier
League. "I don't normally get nervous before games as I have quite a lot
experience, but I felt the pressure this time because I was playing in a
different position. However, I was just happy to play. "I train very hard
and want to play in every game. My preferred position is central midfield
but I will play in any position – except for goalkeeper!"

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Highlights - West Ham United U18s 3-2 Swansea City
WHUFC.com

West Ham United stormed to the top of the U18 Premier League South table
after battling to a 3-2 victory over Swansea City on Saturday. It is the
first time this season the young Hammers have reached the summit, as they
overhauled previous leaders Arsenal thanks to Korrey Henry's late winner.
Coach Mark Phillips was understandably delighted with the win and hopes they
can consolidate their position at the top of the league in the coming weeks.
"It's a great achievement for the boys but now we're there to be shot at and
we have to be prepared for it," he said. "Swansea came out to match us and
were on top at the start of the second half and we have to expect teams to
come at us now we are top. "We all expect Villa to be a tough match at the
weekend but the boys are full of confidence."

Head coach Steve Potts welcomed back Conor Coventry to the starting eleven
after he helped the Republic of Ireland U17s make it through to the elite
phase of UEFA European Championships Qualifying during the week. The Hammers
were still without winger Anthony Scully though through illness. The home
side started the contest on the front foot and took the lead inside ten
minutes. Joe Powell's fantastic delivery was headed home by Rosaire Longelo
for his first of the season.

Swansea equalised shortly after when keeper Rihards Matrevics's clearance
cannoned off Liam Cullen and into the net. Visitors' keeper Alex Lang was
forced into three superb saves as West Ham searched for the lead for the
second time, before Powell turned architect once again with another inviting
cross being headed in, this time, by Jake Eggleton. The away side hit back
just after half-time after Cullen fired home his second but Henry snatched
the three points in the dying embers, finishing brilliantly from a Ben
Johnson free-kick "We started off very well and shouldn't have conceded
straight after scoring but we showed great resolve to come back," added
Phillips. "Swansea obviously scored within minutes of half-time and were
then on top. We changed our system and went to a 3-5-2 formation and it
worked. "Korrey has done really well in the last two games and hopefully he
can continue scoring and help us stay at the top."

West Ham: Matrevics; Eggleton, Akinola (c), Wells, Hannam; Coventry, Lewis;
Johnson, Powell, Longelo; Henry.

Subs not used: Barrett, Forde, Constantinou, Hamilton, Alese.

Goals: Longelo, Eggleton, Henry.

Swansea: Lang, Davies, Blake, Price, Cabango, Cooper, Fox (Darame, 54),
Jones, Cullen (c), Dulca (Berry, 66), Edwards (Roberts, 75).

Subs not used: Williams, Treacy.

Goals: Cullen (2)

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Stoke Ticket Exchange now open
WHUFC.com

Tickets available on Ticket Exchange for 5 November game against Stoke City
Stoke game is a sell-out but some Season Ticket Holders have made their
seats available to purchase
Scheme will enable supporters to attend otherwise sold out London Stadium
matches

You can be there for the sell-out Premier League clash with Stoke City on
Saturday 5 November, as tickets become available on our Ticket Exchange.

The visit of the Potters sold out to the Claret Members' ballot - as all
Premier League games at London Stadium have - but Season Ticket Holders can
relist theirs and Claret Members have first priority until 5pm on Wednesday
2 November.

After the priority window for Claret Members, all supporters will be able to
buy tickets made available on the Ticket Exchange.

Click here to purchase your tickets on the Ticket Exchange now

Once a Season Ticket Holder's ticket has been exchanged, his or her Season
Card will be disabled for the game, while the buyer's Claret Membership Card
will be activated. If you are not a Claret Member, you will be able to print
your ticket at home.

The credit for the ticket sale will be made available in the seller's Season
Ticket Holder account, minus a 10% administrative charge.

For full details of how to release your seat to the Ticket Exchange, and for
terms and conditions, please click here to view our helpful User Guide.

Season Ticket Holder seats which become available on the Ticket Exchange
will be available to purchase online here.

If you are a Season Ticket Holder unable to attend this game, please relist
your ticket to allow another fan to experience the Hammers at London Stadium
and you will benefit with ticket credit in your account which you can use
towards a future game.

Supporters who are successful in the Stoke ticket ballot will have received
a confirmation email by 6pm on Monday 24 October.

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West Ham impose pre-match booze ban to prevent trouble for Chelsea EFL Cup
clash
22:30, 24 OCT 2016
BY PAUL ABDALE
Fans from both sides have been urged to arrive early because of increased
security at the biggest match at the club's new home
The Mirrror

West Ham have imposed a pre-match booze ban outside the London Stadium to
prevent trouble at the powderkeg EFL Cup clash with Chelsea Wednesday night.
Fans from both sides have been urged to arrive early in Stratford because of
increased security at the biggest match at the club's new home. And police
will be deployed inside the former Olympic Stadium to keep order between the
two London rivals. West Ham do not own the stadium which has been dogged by
crowd issues this season. But the London Stadium Partners insisted there
were "categorically not" any safety problems and there will increased
security, stewarding and segregation for the London derby. A spokesperson
for London Stadium partners West Ham United, E20 Stadium LLP and London
Stadium 185 said: "There will be no pre-match alcohol sales from the mobile
bars outside the Stadium, but bars will be open as normal inside the ground.
All bottled alcoholic beverages will be decanted into plastic cups. Bars
will close at the full-time whistle. "All supporters have been asked to
arrive early for Wednesday's fixture to allow sufficient time for enhanced
pre-entry security checks. "Ahead of the game, home and away supporters will
mix freely around the stadium island, however there will be post-match
segregation. "There will be an appropriate and visible police presence
outside London Stadium for the game against Chelsea, as there has been for
every game this season."
A Metropolitan Police Statement said: "The MPS has a tactical solution for
matches being held at the London Stadium which will allow the safe
deployment of officers into the stadium, if required, to deal with any crime
or disorder." Winston Reid wants "revenge" against Chelsea for West Ham's
opening Premier League defeat when Diego Costa scored the late winner after
escaping a red card earlier in the match. The Kiwi defender said: "It is a
massive game for us. We conceded a goal at their place late in the Premier
League game so it would be nice to get some revenge. The move to the new
stadium is not an excuse any more, though. We have played here a number of
times now and the players have got used to it."

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West Ham eyeing £1.5million move for Millwall starlet Mahlon Romeo
22:01, 24 OCT 2016 UPDATED 22:02, 24 OCT 2016
BY DARREN WITCOOP
The Antigua and Barbuda right-back, 21, began his career with Arsenal before
dropping down the divisions to play first-team football
The Mirror

West Ham are preparing a £1.5million move for Millwall defender Mahlon
Romeo. The Hammers sent scouts to run the rule over Romeo in Millwall's 2-1
victory over Fleetwood on Saturday. It was the third time Romeo has been
watched by their east London rivals this season. The Antigua and Barbuda
right-back, 21, began his career with Arsenal before dropping down the
divisions to play first-team football. Now West Ham are keen to hand Romeo a
route back to the top in January.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Sam Byram and Michail Antoniou have featured at right-back
for Slaven Bilic's side this season.

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West Ham star Dimitri Payet nominated for 2016 Ballon d'Or award
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard

West Ham forward Dimitri Payet has been nominated for the 2016 Ballon d'Or
awards after his superb breakthrough year in the Premier League. The
Frenchman has impressed for the Hammers ever since arriving from Marseille
last summer, and he ended his debut season in England having scored nine
league goals and creating another eight for Slaven Bilic's men, which earned
him a place in the PFA Team of the Year. Payet, who also won West Ham's
Hammer of the Year award and the Player of the Year gong at the London
Football Awards last season, was so impressive for his club side that he
forced his way into Didier Deschamps' France squad ahead of Euro 2016, where
he netted three times as the hosts reached the final. Payet now joins
fellow Premier League stars Hugo Lloris, Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne,
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Paul Pogba on the Ballon
d'Or nominees. Lionel Messi, who has won the award five of the last seven
years, has also been nominated while three-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo has
made the cut after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid and Euro
2016 with his nation Portugal. This will be the first year that the Ballon
d'Or will go back to being given out just by French magazine France Football
after Fifa ended its association with the award. France Football has given
the best player in the world the gong every year since 1956 but, for the
last six years, they handed out a Fifa Ballon d'Or gong alongside world
football's governing body.

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West Ham United interested in Jai Quitongo
HITC
Shane Callaghan

West Ham United have been linked with the Scottish-born starlet. The Mail
have reported that West Ham United are the latest Premier League side to
express an interest in Morton younger Jai Quitongo. A number of top-flight
English sides - including Southampton and Crystal Palace - have been
credited with an interest in the 19-year-old forward, whose contract with
the Scottish club expires in the summer. The Scottish Sun reported last week
that Southampton were keen, but that Crystal Palace were preparing a
£300,000 offer for the Scottish teenager, who will be allowed to speak to
other clubs in January. That being said, The Mail have now claimed that West
Ham will throw their hats in the ring and rival their Premier League rivals
for his signature. The report goes on to suggest that Doncaster Rovers had a
£100,000 bid knocked back in the summer, while claiming that a host of
Championship sides are also interested. West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic
is no stranger to investing in young talent and has already signed a host of
youngsters in the three transfer windows he has had as Irons manager. In the
summer, the Croat brought highly-rated youngsters Domingos Quina and Ashley
Fletcher to the East London club, and has previously signed Sam Byram and
Martin Samuelsen, though none of those four have had a major impact on the
first team as yet.

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West Ham vs Chelsea: Why London derby could make or break Hammers' season
TONY EVANS
Evening Standard

Some games are bigger than others. For West Ham United and Slaven Bilic, the
fourth-round League Cup tie against Chelsea on Wednesday is massive. West
Ham are on a knife edge. This is the sort of match that could determine the
direction of their season. The campaign has started disappointingly in the
East End. Bilic's side were expected to kick on after finishing seventh in
the Premier League last season. One win in the first seven matches was not
the start they expected after the move to the Olympic Stadium. Saturday's
last-gasp 1-0 victory over Sunderland means that Bilic's team have won two
in a row and kept a couple of clean sheets but this is a team struggling
with confidence. A poor result in this London derby could send them into a
tailspin. Bilic acknowledged his team's fragility after the Sunderland game.
West Ham had been at their most incisive in the first 20 minutes, slicing
apart their opponents at will. Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini were at
their beguiling best but when the goals failed to come a creeping, lack of
conviction took the impetus out of the Hammers. Belief drained away rapidly
on the pitch and in the stands.

The Croat talked at length about the mindset. Even though West Ham had shown
the sort of impressive verve, invention and organisation that characterised
last season's heroics, all it took was a good spell by Sunderland to disturb
their equilibrium. The away side did not have to impress for long. "A
minute… two…" Bilic said. He was right. The tipping point between dominance
and doubt arrived with shocking haste. Better teams than Sunderland will
take advantage of this weakness unless the 48-year-old manager can solve the
problem.

Some of the team even appeared to have lost faith in their own ability. In
the second half, Payet released Simone Zaza 35 yards out with a ball that
sprung the offside trap. The Italian had a clear run towards goal and the
choices for the trailing defender seemed simple: foul or hope for
goalkeeping heroics. Zaza looked like a man who did not relish the
opportunity, though. He slowed down, got his body in the wrong position and
allowed his opponent to ease him off the ball. Some have questioned whether
the 25-year-old on loan from Juventus is good enough to lead the line in the
Premier League. On that evidence, Zaza is among those doubters. Goals and
victories solve most of football's problems. The late winner on Saturday
from Winston Reid turned a frustrating afternoon into a platform for the
team's renaissance. Bilic thinks there is a simple equation to changing West
Ham's mentality. "To delete that you need things like this [Reid's goal],"
he said. "You need one more win." If that victory is against Chelsea, it
could transform West Ham's season.

Antonio Conte can afford to take the League Cup less seriously than Bilic,
especially after Chelsea's rampant performance against Manchester United.
They will be thinking top four and titles at Stamford Bridge after their 4-0
rout of United. Expectations in the East End are considerably lower. A cup
run would be a massive boost. There are also bigger issues than results at
stake on Wednesday. West Ham need this game to pass off peacefully. This
match-up brings out the worst in sections of both clubs' support and the
stewarding and policing problems that came in the wake of the move to
Stratford have at times overshadowed the issues on the pitch.

This is the first flashpoint fixture at the Olympic Stadium and, for those
bent on causing havoc, the surrounds of the Queen Elizabeth Park offer ample
opportunity. There are too many entries and exits into the area to police
with any degree of comfort. Most security will be centred on Stratford
Underground station, where the majority of fans will arrive, but the streets
around Hackney Wick and Pudding Mill Lane stations and the banks of the
River Lea need to be monitored carefully. West Ham and the Met cannot afford
the stadium to gain a reputation as being unpoliceable.

Wednesday will be a huge night for West Ham. They need conviction on the
pitch and no behaviour by supporters that will lead to convictions off it.
It will be a big test for the club on both counts.

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West Ham vs Chelsea: Winston Reid plots 'revenge' after Diego Costa's
controversial Stamford Bridge winner
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham defender Winston Reid believes Wednesday's League Cup clash against
Chelsea provides a great opportunity for revenge. Reid's late winner against
Sunderland on Saturday was the perfect boost for West Ham ahead of the home
fourth-round tie against their West London rivals and the New Zealand
international admits the Premier League defeat by Chelsea earlier this
season still rankles with him. Diego Costa scored a late winner at Stamford
Bridge in the opening match of the Premier League season but West Ham
believed the Chelsea striker should have been sent off earlier in the match
for a foul on goalkeeper Adrian. "It is a massive game for us," said Reid.
"We needed the boost of a win over Sunderland and now we can go into the
game really looking forward to it. "We conceded a goal at their place late
in the Premier League game, so it would be nice to get some revenge. A cup
run would be good. It was a disappointment for us to go out of the Europa
League so early."

Saturday's 1-0 win over Sunderland was only West Ham's second in the Premier
League at their new home but Reid feels it is time to stop making excuses
about the club's summer move from Upton Park. "It does help when you win
your games at home," he said. "We have given the fans something to cheer
about. "The move to a new stadium is not an excuse any more, though. We
have played here a number of times now and the players have got used to it.
We just need to do better but even when things haven't been going our way,
we have always stuck together as a group."
Successive Premier League wins have also relieved the pressure on manager
Slaven Bilic, who is also relishing the visit of their London rivals. "I
can't say the win over Sunderland changes everything," he said. "But in the
situation we were in, to have six points from the last two games and two
clean sheets is massive. "If you win two games, especially when you get them
like this, at the end of the game, it gives you an unbelievable boost.
"We're going to be less tired than if it finished 0-0. The players are going
to be smiling, happy and they can't wait for a game against Chelsea. It's a
very important game for us. We are dreaming about going very far in this
cup."

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Angelo Ogbonna warns Diego Costa that West Ham know all about him now ahead
of fiery cup tie
22:30, 23 OCT 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers picked up a vital victory over Sunderland to enter their League
Cup tie against Chelsea at the London Stadium with much-needed confidence
The Mirror

Back in form and backing themselves to come out on top against Diego Costa.
Angelo Ogbonna says he and his West Ham team-mates have learned from the
opening game of the season in which the Chelsea striker wound them up then
watched them go to pieces. Now with the two teams set to meet again in
Wednesday's EFL Cup showdown, Ogbonna is warning Costa he will find it far
harder to get under the Hammers' skin. "We know Costa," said the Italy
international. "Every time we play him we have to be careful. "Sometimes if
we do something as defenders, it's bigger than it is if a striker does it. A
striker can do whatever he wants. A defender has to be careful, maybe
clever. This is the game. I think whoever is more clever can win! "We've
played him already. Everybody knows Costa. He has a high behaviour. On the
pitch he tries to make something to change the game."
Following a run of four defeats in five league games, West Ham have now won
their last two to move up to 15th in the table. Saturday's winner from
Winston Reid kept Sunderland rooted to the bottom and clinched the Hammers'
first victory at the Olympic Stadium since August. To be fair to David
Moyes, at least two West Ham players looked offside when Reid blasted home
in stoppage time. But Sam Allardyce's re-emergence, following his sacking
from the England job, will pile the pressure on the Scot. For Slaven Bilic,
that pressure has eased. Versatile Edimilson Fernandes looks a fine buy
judging by his performance at left wing-back in place of the suspended Aaron
Cresswell. Dimitri Payet once again ran the game. The switch to a back three
appears to have stopped the rot. Of course, Wednesday night will be a step
up in class with Chelsea a far tougher proposition than the winless Black
Cats. With some big cup casualties anticipated in midweek, Ogbonna is
expecting Antonio Conte, his former boss at Juventus, to field a strong
side. But he believes the Irons have some matchwinners of their own.
He added: "Costa is an international player, a good player. They have Hazard
as well, we shouldn't talk just about Costa. They also have Willian. Kante
as well. "Maybe they are going to change it a bit because they are playing
in the cup and they have a lot of games. But we have to prepare like it's
the last game of the season. "We have good players too. The expectation is
high. Everyone knows Dimi can change the match sometimes, but not just Dimi.
"Today Reidy changed the match. Maybe Pedro Obiang. Maybe Manuel Lanzini. We
are expecting Simone Zaza too. It is his turn. "I have a really good
relationship with Conte, but I have to put it to one side."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland boss David Moyes facing FA charge after confronting referee Bobby
Madley at West Ham
22:30, 23 OCT 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Scot vented his fury at the official, claiming two Hammers players were
offside as Winston Reid netted a stoppage-time winner
The Mirror

David Moyes could face an FA charge after a tunnel confrontation with
referee Bobby Madley following Sunderland's defeat to West Ham. The Black
Cats boss vented his fury at the official, claiming two Hammers players were
offside as Winston Reid netted a stoppage-time winner. Moyes could find
himself in hot water if Madley includes the incident in his report to the FA
today. The Scot is already under pressure following the defeat which leaves
Sunderland five points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League. The Black
Cats are also the only team in the top four divisions without a league win
so far this season. Beaten just twice in their final 14 games of last season
under Sam Allardyce, Moyes' men have yet to keep a clean sheet this time.
Allardyce has been tipped to return to the Stadium of Light this season
should Moyes fail to stop the rot.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham win makes London Stadium a happier place to be
West Ham win makes London Stadium a happier place to be
Slaven Bilic said West Ham eased their "cramp" with this win CREDIT: REX
FEATURES
Jonathan Liew
23 OCTOBER 2016 • 10:30PM
Telegraph.co.uk

You can keep your safe standing. You can keep your lines of segregation. You
can keep your increased police presence. As an entirely pleasant afternoon
at the London Stadium demonstrated, the key to keeping West Ham fans happy
is simpler than it seems: three points does the trick every time.

It is not a trite observation. The spectator unrest that has plagued the
early games at West Ham's new home cannot be entirely unrelated to the
team's frustrating start to the season. How could it be? Here, Winston
Reid's unlikely winner four minutes into added time sent everyone home
happy. And with Chelsea visiting in the EFL Cup on Wednesday amid an
­unprecedented security operation, manager Slaven Bilic admitted that
another victory on the pitch would go a long way to keeping order off it.

"The fans are frustrated when we don't win home games," he said. "Then they
start arguing with each other. If we're talking about discipline in the
stands, it didn't help that we were not winning. We have to give everything
to continue like this, and then everything will be better, including the
security situation of the stadium."

Winning football games is pretty useful in its own right, of course, and
despite a performance that ­sizzled in the first 25 minutes and fizzled
thereafter, after two straight wins West Ham are finally beginning to ease
what Bilic describes as their "cramp" – the mental paralysis that has
prevented them from playing their best football.

"The opponent was defending for 25 minutes," Bilic said. "Because we didn't
score, we tried to force it. Then after they [Sunderland] had the ball for
one minute in our half of the pitch, it's that cramp – 'oh my God, we should
have scored two, and now they had a chance'. Now the cramp is smaller,
because we won."

If West Ham are beginning to overcome their mental block, then Sunderland's
appears to be worsening. That they competed for 93 minutes here will be
little consolation: with two points in nine games, they have made the worst
start to a Premier League season since Sheffield Wednesday in 1999.

"Look, we have to pick ourselves off the floor," said captain John O'Shea.
"I'm not going to lie, the dressing room was extremely disappointed
afterwards, but we have to realise for so long we frustrated West Ham. We
knew, coming away from home, that we had to stay in the game. That's what we
spoke about: stay in the game. Give yourself a chance. That's what we did."

Does anything there strike you as slightly strange? This was not Manchester
City or Arsenal that O'Shea was talking about, after all, but a West Ham
side low on confidence, who were in the bottom three before the
international break. Should a club the size of Sunderland not have ambitions
­beyond "staying in the game"? Should their long-suffering fans not expect
more than "giving themselves a chance"?

The temptation here is to point the finger at David Moyes, who made a
defensive substitution with 10 minutes remaining when a more proactive
manager might have gone for it. But that would not be fair. Stunted ambition
is a disease that has been afflicting the club for quite some time now.
Years of relegation scraps will do that to you. And in fact Moyes spoke very
well earlier in the week about the need to ­establish an organic "identity"
for the club, rooted in the region and its people.

Moyes will need time to remake the club, but it will not be given
unconditionally. This is the bind he is in: how do you build for the future
when you are scrapping for your life every week? After all, it is all very
well having a long-term plan. But unless Moyes manages to turn results
around fast, he could very well be heading for the short-term sack.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic hoping to avoid crowd trouble with EFL Cup win
over Chelsea
SLAVEN BILIC insists West Ham fans will behave at the London Stadium if the
team keep winning – and hopes a victory against Chelsea can lead to a dream
cup run.
By BRUCE ARCHER
PUBLISHED: 00:02, Mon, Oct 24, 2016 | UPDATED: 00:23, Mon, Oct 24, 2016
Express.co.uk

West Ham face Chelsea on Wednesday in the EFL Cup round of 16 coming off
back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Sunderland. Saturday's victory was
just their second league win at their new home and the first since August.
The crowd trouble which first surfaced during the defeat to Watford last
month appears to have died down, but there is nervousness ahead of Chelsea's
visit. Police will be deployed around the stadium for the first time with a
'tactical solution' allowing for entry into the stands if required. But
Bilic believes the best solution is to keep picking up wins. "The fans are
frustrated when we don't win home games," he said. "Now it's a much better
situation and we have to give everything to continue like this and then
everything will be better, including the security situation with the
stadium."
West Ham had gone five league games without a win before beating Crystal
Palace last week and following that up with Winston Reid's injury time
strike on Saturday has addressed some of the issues. Six points, two clean
sheets, and a more positive outlook. "It's massive to have these six
points, especially when you get them like this at the end of the game. It
gives you an unbelievable boost," Bilic added. "We're not thinking about
Everton away. We're dreaming about progressing in the cup so we're going to
try to beat Chelsea. We are very ambitious in every competition that we're
in. "This cup is very interesting for us. Chelsea are playing, and are out
of this small crisis, if you can call it a crisis, and this derby is going
to be a very competitive game. "All I want to say is that we are dreaming
about going very, very far in the cup."
Chelsea beat West Ham at Stamford Bridge in August with an 89th minute Diego
Costa strike. The Spain international has rediscovered his touch and looks
more focused this season under Antonio Conte. And West Ham defender Angelo
Ogbonna is looking forward to the challenge of taking him on again – if he's
selected. "Everybody knows Costa," Ogbonna said. "On the pitch he tries to
make something to change the game. Every time we have to be careful.
"Sometimes if we do something, as defenders, it's bigger than it is if a
striker does it. A striker can do whatever he wants. A defender has to be
careful, maybe clever. Whoever is more clever can win." For Sunderland,
meanwhile, this was the fourth time they have dropped points from conceding
after the 85th minute and it leaves them rooted to the bottom of the table
still searching for their first win of the season. David Moyes is already
under pressure and the players know they're in a dogfight. Wahbi Khazri
missed an excellent chance to break the deadlock just after half-time but
shot straight at Adrian. Moyes complained afterwards that Reid's goal should
have been ruled out with players in offside positions in Jordan Pickford's
eyeline but replays showed it was the correct call. "It does feel like
everything's going against us," Jack Rodwell said. "I'd like to say that
it's early in the season but we're getting to the point now where we need to
start getting wins. It's going to be a fight. It's going to go to the wire."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic predicts bubbly atmosphere in West Ham training after late
winner against Sunderland: 'It gives you an unbelievable boost'
West Ham beat Sunderland 1-0 at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon
Winston Reid scored the winner in the fourth minute of injury time
The Hammers face Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening
By SAM CUNNINGHAM FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 23 October 2016 | UPDATED: 00:32, 24 October 2016

A second can change everything in football and Winston Reid's winner against
Sunderland in the fourth minute of stoppage time has given West Ham's EFL
Cup derby against Chelsea on Wednesday a whole new complexion. The players
will arrive for training on Monday 'smiling and happy and probably can't
wait for the game', according to manager Slaven Bilic. 'We're not now
saying, 'Ugh, we have a game on Wednesday' we're like 'YES! We have a game
on Wednesday',' said Bilic after West Ham's second successive win. 'These
six points, especially if you get them like this at the end of the game, it
gives you an unbelievable boost. 'Can you imagine the atmosphere on Monday
in training? 'We're not going to be as tired as we would've been if it was
0-0 and they were feeling knackered.'How the London Stadium copes with the
5,200 Chelsea supporters will be a focal point. Bilic believes the home
fans' poor behaviour has been an embodiment of the side's struggles on the
pitch.'The fans are frustrated when we don't win home games,' he said. 'Then
they start arguing with each other. Sunderland are only the second
top-flight team, after Bury in 1905 and 1906, not to win in their first nine
league games in consecutive seasons. 'If we're talking about the discipline
in the stands it didn't help that we were not winning.' Against Sunderland,
West Ham dominated the first 30 minutes and Dimitri Payet struck the post,
yet one close free-kick from their opponents and they were straight on the
back foot. 'Because we didn't score we tried to force it,' Bilic explained.
But it's amazing the difference a second can make.

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