Daily WHUFC News - 2nd October 2016

Payet wonder goal secures a point
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet scored another wonder goal as West Ham managed to end their
losing streak and secure a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at London Stadium.
Following a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats, Slaven Bilic was
looking for a reaction from his players and they were thankful once to their
talisman Payet for coming away with a point. The omens didn't look good for
the Hammers after Cristhian Stuani had headed Middlesbrough into the lead
early in the second half. But Payet showed his class once again as he weaved
his way past four Middlesbrough players before striking the ball past Victor
Valdes. It was another moment of genius from the Frenchman but the Hammers
had to settle for a draw as they now head into the international break.
Bilic revealed that the players had been working even harder in training
during the week as they looked to turn their season around. But he was
forced to change his team around after just four minute following another
injury setback. Sam Byram was carried off on a stretcher after he fell
awkwardly following a headed clearance and was replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.
Middlesbrough looked to capitalise on the early change and could have broken
the deadlock on 12 minutes when Viktor Fischer made space inside the box and
fired a shot inches past the post. The home side also came to opening the
scoring on 18 minutes when Payet saw an opening when weaved his way into the
penalty area and saw his low shot superbly blocked by Calum Chambers. Payet
was involved in the heart of the again once again on 20 minutes as he cut in
from the left hand side and curled his shot inches wide of the goal. This
was much better from the Hammers who had another golden opportunity to open
the scoring on 39 minutes when they caught Middlesbrough on the counter
attack as Antonio raced towards goal before picking out Mark Noble who
drilled a low shot from the edge of the box and his effort flew just wide of
the goal. The woodwork then denied the Hammers skipper on the stroke of
half-time as he found himself unmarked inside the box and saw his curling
shot hit the bar.

Despite the missed opportunities, Middlesbrough still looked dangerous on
the break and Adrian came to the home side's rescue on 50 minutes when he
raced out of his goal to block Jordan Rhodes close-range shot. The London
Stadium was then silenced when Middesbrough took the lead on 52 minutes.
Fischer's corner picked out Stuani who rose above Michail Antonio and
powered a header past Adrian. Noble attempted to clear his header, but
replays showed the ball had crossed the line. The Hammers were looking for
an immediate response and no guessing who to the home side's rescue as Payet
scored a contender for goal of the season on 57 minutes. The Frenchman has
already scored some spectacular goals during his time in east London, but
this was up there with the very best of them Payet picked up the ball on the
left hand side and then produced an incredible piece of skill as he raced
past four defenders before striking the ball into the corner of the net. It
was a run that was reminiscent of Diego Maradona and lifted the 56,945 who
were present to see it inside London Stadium. The goal ignited the home fans
and they were now desperate to see the Hammers clinch a winner. Payet was
involved once again on 64 minutes when the home side were awarded a
free-kick on the edge of the box. The French winger saw his set-piece strike
the wall. The rebound fell to Arbeloa who struck his shot inches past the
post. Despite introducing Manuel Lanzini into the action, West Ham couldn't
find the crucial second goal and had to settle for a point. Bilic will be
hoping the point will be the start of a positive run for the Club as they
now prepare for the next Premier League game against Crystal Palace on 15
October.

West Ham: Adrian, Byram (Arbeloa 4), Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Noble
(c) (Lanzini 73), Kouyate, Tore (Zaza 46), Payet, Antonio
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Feghouli, Fletcher, Fernandes
Bookings: Obiang, Arbeloa

Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Gibson, Chambers, Friend (c), Fischer
(Ramirez 59), de Roon, Forshaw, Downing, Rhodes (Negredo 67), Stuani
Subs not used: Guzan (GK), Ayala, Espinosa, Clayton, Traore
Bookings: Stuani, Barragan, De Roon

Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 56,945

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Bilic - We wanted three points
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic admitted a single point was not what he was looking for after
his West Ham United team drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough on Saturday. After four
Premier League defeats in a row, the visitors threatened to extend that run
when Cristhian Stuani headed them in front early in the second half. But
Dimitri Payet responded with an individual goal of the highest quality to
ensure the points were shared – a conclusion which left the boss with mixed
feelings. OK, we have stopped the losing streak with a point, but of course
we were looking for three points," he stated. "To be fair the guys showed
character, they showed the spirit and they showed quality. That's what I
asked, what I demanded from them, and they did it. "It was not enough to win
the game – at the moment we are not playing great football in terms of
creating lots of chances, but it was a game where we had to fight and work
hard. "Although we are not happy with the result, there were a lot of
positives were our performance."

Of Payet's 57th minute solo effort, Bilic says it was the kind of moment
which can lift the entire team. He continued: "It was an unbelievable goal,
and it's only a shame that it was not a winning goal. The response from the
whole team, and especially from him with his goal, was good. "It was
positive, and that's one of the things that we have to take out of this
game. We were looking for three points, and we're not happy with a draw at
home, with the greatest respect for Middlesbrough, but we got a point and
every point in the Premier League can be crucial. "The goal stands out.
First of all it was a goal that brought us back in the game and second the
way he scored the goal is quite amazing. "In this situation you need that
moment of class from the best players to lift the whole team up. That's why
they are the best players."

One negative from the afternoon was an injury suffered by Sam Byram, which
forced the defender off inside the first seven minutes. Bilic added: "Sam is
a brilliant lad. He's a great player, a young prospect with great talent. He
didn't even kick the ball, he didn't stretch – it was like a header. "It's a
hamstring injury and it's a shame that it happened to him at the start of
the game when he had a chance. But he will be back."

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Collins - We've stopped the rot
WHUFC.com

James Collins says West Ham United were happy to 'stop the rot' after ending
a run of four straight Premier League defeats with a 1-1 draw with
Middlesbrough.
The Hammers fell behind to Cristhian Stuani's header early in the second
half, but Dimitri Payet lifted the roof off London Stadium with a
sensational individual equaliser six minutes later. While Collins felt West
Ham deserved to beat Boro on the day, the No19 said a draw would give Slaven
Bilic's squad something to build upon when they return to action at Crystal
Palace after the international break. "I think we knew we had to stop the
rot," said the Wales defender. "Obviously it's been terrible the last four
or five weeks so we knew we had to stop conceding goals and a point is what
we needed. "I thought we played better than that and deserved the three
points, if I'm honest, but it stops the rot and we've got a break now and
can get our heads on for the next game."

West Ham outshot Aitor Karanka's visitors 19 to nine, but only two of those
goal attempts were on target, including Payet's incredible leveller. At the
other end, Boro had just three shots on target themselves, including
Stuani's header, which Mark Noble just failed to clear before the ball
crossed the line . Reflecting on the opening goal, Collins was disappointed
and frustrated to see the Hammers concede from something as basic as a set
piece. "It's always disappointing to concede, especially after the position
we had got ourselves in and from something as straightforward as a corner,"
he reflected. "We've each got a man and we've got to do better than that and
we haven't done that, and it's probably cost us three points, but it's a
step in the right direction."

On a positive note, Payet again showed why he is one of the world's best
attackers 12 minutes after half-time. There looked little direct threat when
he collected Winston Reid's long pass on the left touchline, but he thought
otherwise, beating Antonio Barragan and then four other Middlesbrough
players as he cut across the penalty area before shooting low past Victor
Valdes. The goal deserved to be a winner, and Collins says the Hammers need
to do more to support the No27. "It's a great goal and Dimi is a world-class
player, but we can't depend on him," said the centre-half. "We can't depend
on him to keep making goals like this, we need to be better defensively and
better going forward and take our chances. "It's a lot to keep asking Dimi
to come up with goals like that, so it's something we need to work on."

Collins will now pack his bags for FIFA World Cup qualifying duty, while a
number of his teammates will jet off to represent their countries, and he
believes the Hammers will continue to improve after the international
hiatus. "We can come back stronger after the break," he insisted. "We needed
that. We had a good week's training and a couple of meetings as it's not
been going great over the last few games. "We've stopped conceding goals,
defended reasonably well apart from their goal and got a point."

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Manning – We were terrific from start to finish
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 defeated Leicester City 2-0 as they began the defence of
their Premier League Cup title
Marcus Browne and Domingos Quina, with an outrageous 50-yard lobbed effort,
scored the goals
Assistant manager Liam Manning was full of praise for his team

West Ham United PL2's 2-0 victory over Leicester City in the opening round
of fixtures of the 2016/17 Premier League Cup was their best performance in
a long, long time according to assistant manager Liam Manning.

The young Hammers were in scintillating form in the Group E match held at
Loughborough University, outfoxing the Foxes from minute one.

Marcus Browne gave them the lead just before the hour mark with a delicate
flick from a Vashon Neufville cross before Domingos Quina produced a moment
of pure magic from 50 yards to seal the win.

'We were terrific start to finish. Their [Leicester's] coaches were very
complimentary to our players and that speaks volumes for how we played
today,' said Manning.

'It's the best I've seen a West Ham group since I've been at the club that's
for sure.

'I think if you look in previous games we've created lots of chances but at
times not got it in the box quick enough or been clinical with the finish.

'Every day we work on these things and today it showed the extra work we've
been doing has paid off.'

The Hammers won this competition in dramatic style last season after a
thrilling penalty shootout victory over Hull City and they picked up where
they left off in some style.

Terry Westley welcomed back Reece Oxford at the heart of the defence,
partnering Declan Rice, and Jaanai Gordon came in for the injured Toni
Martinez. Dan Kemp also made the Hammers starting eleven after impressing
from the substitutes bench over recent weeks.

The opening 20 minutes followed a similar pattern from the Hammers' previous
fixture – the 0-0 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in Premier League 2 –
lots of possession and ball retention but little in the way of goalmouth
action.

Alex Pike almost netted on half an hour after wonderful build-up play by
Browne and Kemp and this proved the catalyst for Westley's men to completely
dominate the rest of proceedings.

Gordon and Djair Parfitt-Williams both went close before half-time and the
Hammers carried on into the second half with added cutting edge.
They took the lead just before the hour mark – Browne sprayed the ball wide
to Neufville who returned the ball with a delightful cross. The Hammers No10
managed to flick the ball past Foxes keeper Daniel Iversen to cause
rapturous celebrations amongst the visiting players.

Then a moment that would deserve to win any football match – Domingos Quina
spotted Iversen off his line and from 50 yards produced a stunning lob which
dropped just underneath the crossbar and into the top corner.

It gave the Hammers a two goal cushion and they could have easily made the
result more comfortable with a host of chances in the final twenty minutes.

Terry Westley's players were well worth the three points and they open their
Premier League Cup account with three points thanks to Browne and Quina's
stunning piece of skill.

'The fact that he's seen it with his vision and awareness is amazing. He's
still only 16 and he's still got lots to work on but today he produced a
moment of magic to get people out of their seat,' added Manning.

'In U23 football, you need to see players that make you think "Wow"; he's
got that. Now he needs to work on other things and push on.'

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SAT, 01 OCT 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport

A wonderful Dimitri Payet equaliser ensured West Ham ended a run of four
successive league defeats by drawing with Middlesbrough. Payet took
possession on the left, turned past Antonio Barragan and weaved his way
across goal, past four defenders, before angling in a shot. His effort
cancelled out Cristhian Stuani's opener for Boro, the Uruguayan heading home
from a Viktor Fischer corner. Hammers captain Mark Noble had earlier gone
closest to breaking the deadlock when his curling shot hit the crossbar.
Neither side threatened a winner in the latter stages as Boro secured a
point after three defeats in a row.

Did West Ham's night out work?

After Sunday's defeat by Southampton, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic told Noble
to take the players out for dinner on Monday as a team-bonding exercise.
There were claims a couple were still out drinking the following day, but
the Londoners looked more of a team here, though they were still well short
of their impressive form of last season. Having seen his side concede 16
goals in six league games, Bilic went for a 4-5-1 formation. Despite
right-back Sam Byram going off injured early on, they looked more secure,
apart from a lapse of concentration for the goal. They let Boro have 60% of
possession, which affected their attacking play, but in Payet they have a
constant threat, and the Frenchman's first league goal of the season rescued
them. "It's been terrible the last four, five weeks," said centre-back
James Collins. "We knew we needed to stop conceding goals. It's a step in
the right direction. "We can't depend on Dimi. We need to be better
defensively and going forward as it is a lot to ask Dimi to keep coming up
with goals like this." Hammers keeper Adrian added: "Payet is like that in
training. He scored like a Lionel Messi goal at Barcelona. It is a massive
goal to us."

Capital gains for Boro

The draw gave Boro their first point from their past six Premier League
games in London and, while they had a high work ethic and more of the ball,
they lacked a creative spark. Jordan Rhodes, making his first top-flight
start, was a willing runner and caused some moments of concern for the West
Ham defence, but Boro rarely looked like scoring from open play. They did
have three shots on target to West Ham's two, but their ambition seemed
affected by recent results. Their goal came from a set-piece - referee Neil
Swarbrick alerted by the goal decision system after Stuani's effort was
cleared by Noble.

Man of the match - Dimitri Payet

Dimitr Payet
Payet scored for the first time in 11 top-flight games, having netted nine
in his previous 24

What they said

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "I feel pressure because I am not happy with
our position in the table and because we lost four matches on the trot. It
is below my standards. "But I believe in my team and I'm a hard worker.
Although we didn't win, we showed that the team is alive. We are together.
We have to show it more often."

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: "It is a good point, especially after
three defeats. It is important that our attitude has been good. "West Ham
have not been in the best moment but they have amazing players. So I'm
pleased to add one more point and play with that intensity."

The stats you need to know

This is West Ham's worst start to a top-flight campaign after seven games
(four points) since 1988-89, when the Hammers were relegated.
Middlesbrough have lost a league-high seven points from leading positions in
the Premier League this season.
Cristhian Stuani has scored three goals in three Premier League away games
this season.
Middlesbrough have won just one of their past 17 Premier League away games
(D3 L13).
What next?

Both teams return to Premier League action following the international
break, with West Ham facing a trip to London rivals Crystal Palace on
Saturday, 15 October at 17:30 BST, and Middlesbrough hosting Watford at
13:30 BST the following day.

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West Ham: More fan trouble at London Stadium after Middlesbrough game
BBC.co.uk

Police had to separate West Ham and Middlesbrough fans after they clashed
during disturbances outside the Hammers' new London Stadium. Officers had to
intervene when violence flared in the Olympic Park following Saturday's 1-1
draw between the two Premier League clubs. Police escorted Middlesbrough
fans away from the stadium while cordoning off some West Ham supporters. The
trouble followed recent crowd disturbances inside the stadium. At the first
Premier League match at the venue - against Bournemouth on 21 August - some
fans arrived with tickets for seats that did not exist, while fighting broke
out between rival supporters outside the stadium. West Ham confirmed that 10
fans were ejected from the stadium during the 4-2 defeat by Watford last
month. Some of the disturbances inside the ground are believed to be over
persistent standing during matches. The club asked E20, which owns the
club's London Stadium home, to ensure there is a police presence in the
ground after recent trouble. But the Metropolitan Police turned down the
request because the £700m ground does not have a "satisfactory" radio
system.

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WEST HAM 1-1 MIDDLESBROUGH – MATCH REPORT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 1 OCTOBER 2016 AT 7:57PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Dimitri Payet scored another world class goal as the Hammers managed to end
their losing streak this afternoon and secure a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough
at London Stadium and end a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats.

Things did not look good for the Hammers after Boro's Uruguayan striker,
Cristhian Stuani had headed the visitors into the lead early in the second
half.

It was another moment of genius from Dimitri to level the game for the Irons
but they had to settle for a draw as they now head into the international
break.

Bilic revealed that the players had been working even harder in training
during the week as they looked to turn their season around.



But he was forced to change his team around after just four minutes
following another injury setback as Sam Byram was stretchered off with what
looked like a hamstring injury and was replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.

Boro could have broken the deadlock on 12 minutes when Viktor Fischer made
space inside the box and fired a shot inches past the post.

The home side also came close to opening the scoring on 18 minutes when
Payet saw an opening then weaved his way into the penalty area and saw his
low shot superbly blocked by Calum Chambers.

Payet was involved in the heart of the game again 2 minutes later as he cut
in from the left hand side and curled his shot just inches wide of the goal.

The Hammers had another golden opportunity to open the scoring on 39 minutes
when they caught Middlesbrough on the counter attack as Antonio raced
towards goal before picking out Mark Noble who drilled a low shot from the
edge of the box and his effort flew just wide of the goal.

The woodwork then denied the Hammers skipper on the stroke of half-time as
he found himself unmarked inside the box and saw his curling shot beat
Victor Valdes but crash against the bar.



The home faithful were then silenced 7 minutes after the break when
Middesbrough took the lead through Stuani as he rose above Michail Antonio
to power a header past Adrian from Viktor Fischer's corner.

Noble attempted in vain to clear his header, but replays showed the ball had
clearly crossed the line.

Then came that moment of brilliance from Dimiti Payet, as he picked up the
ball on the left hand side and then produced an incredible piece of skill as
he raced past four defenders before striking the ball into the corner of the
net.

The goal ignited the home fans and they were now desperate to see the
Hammers clinch a winner but unfortunately it did not ignite the rest of the
players to rise to the challenge and gain the much needed 3 points.

Payet was involved once again on 64 minutes when the home side were awarded
a free-kick on the edge of the box but the French winger saw his set-piece
effort the wall. The rebound fell to Arbeloa who struck his shot inches past
the post.

Despite introducing Manuel Lanzini into the action, West Ham couldn't find
the crucial second goal and had to settle for a point as Simone Zaza and
Antonio both missed chances near the end of the game .

Bilic will be hoping the point will be a building block for the club as they
now prepare for the next Premier League game against Crystal Palace in two
weeks time. He will also be hoping that the likes of Diafra Sakho, Aaron
Cresswell and Andy Carroll will be at his disposal for that game given the
glaring issues up front and in the fullback positions.



West Ham: Adrian, Byram (Arbeloa 4), Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Noble
(c) (Lanzini 73), Kouyate, Tore (Zaza 46), Payet, Antonio

Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Feghouli, Fletcher, Fernandes

Bookings: Obiang, Arbeloa

Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Gibson, Chambers, Friend (c), Fischer
(Ramirez 59), de Roon, Forshaw, Downing, Rhodes (Negredo 67), Stuani

Subs not used: Guzan (GK), Ayala, Espinosa, Clayton, Traore

Bookings: Stuani, Barragan, De Roon

Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Attendance: 56,945


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West Ham Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough

Filed: Saturday, 1st October 2016
By: Staff Writer

Goal of the Season? You may as well end the competition now.

If ever there was a moment of individual skill and brilliance that was
categorically "worth the entrance fee alone", then Dimitri Payet's sizzling
solo effort in the second half of this afternoon's Premier League meeting
with Middlesbrough was it.

The French international spent the summer wowing fans across the world at
Euro 16 but scored what may prove to be the goal for which he becomes best
known in years to come - just as Paolo DI Canio is always associated with
THAT goal against Wimbledon.

Having collected the ball wide on the left, with the Hammers trailing 1-0,
Payet turned one opponent inside out before heading into the penalty box.
From there, he twisted and turned, leaving four more 'Boro players in his
wake before passing the ball beyond 'keeper Valdés.


And although the Hammers were unable to capitalise on Payet's moment of
brilliance, fans were heartened by a far better team (and far more
defensively-minded) performance than in recent weeks.

Key to West Ham's more effective performance was the introduction of Pedro
Obiang, who screened the back four superbly. On the odd occasion that 'Boro
managed to break through James Collins and Winston Reid were back to
somewhere near their best.


At the other end Michail Antonio was a surprise selection as a lone forward
in a hybrid 451/False 9-style formation, which allowed the re-introduction
of Gokhan Tore wide on the right. Neither excelled; indeed Tore was so poor
that he was replaced ay half time by (the equally ineffective) Simone Zaza.

Whilst the team still appeared disjointed at times, with little of last
season's free-flowing attacking football in evidence (due largely to a lack
of movement furthest up the field) the Hammers still managed to create 19
efforts at goal.

That only two were on target however illustrates how badly Slaven Bilic is
missing an effective target man - a role that Diafra Sakho has performed
admirably in the past, although the Senegal striker's return appears to be
no closer than before.

That West Ham found themselves behind and needing a moment of Payet's magic
to salvage something from the game came as a result of 'Boro's goal scored
just six minutes before the Frenchman struck.

A fairly standard corner was nodded home at the near post by Cristhian
Stuani, connecting strongly enough with Viktor Fischer's corner to force it
over the line - so much so that even West Ham's players failed to wait for
video evidence.

ALthough there were no goals before the break, Mark Noble was millimetres
away from giving West Ham the lead when his curling shot clipped the corner
of the post and crossbar.

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic insists striker Simone Zaza will come good
Last Updated: 01/10/16 9:48am
SSN

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic insists patience is the key for Italy
international Simone Zaza. The striker, who signed on loan from Juventus
with a view to a permanent club-record £24m transfer next year, has yet to
score for the Hammers. He has struggled so much that reports in Italy have
claimed the Hammers could cancel his loan deal and send him back to Turin.
But Bilic insists Zaza, famed for skying his penalty after a stuttered
run-up against Germany at Euro 2016, will come good and compared his slow
start in England to that of Arsenal icon Dennis Bergkamp "He is definitely a
good player who came from a big club to a new country," said Bilic. "New
players need time. If we go back and think about Bergkamp, who needed - I
don't know - a year? "The problem now is, and it is quite common with even
the best players from abroad, they need time. "Plus he wasn't a regular at
Juventus and didn't have match fitness. It takes time sometimes, and
unfortunately we don't have that time."
Zaza's struggles have mirrored those of his new club, who have lost five of
their six Premier League matches so far to lie in the relegation zone. And
Bilic concedes his immediate task is turning their season around, starting
with Saturday's visit of Middlesbrough. "I am concerned. It's a very bad
start," Bilic said. "It's not only about football then. If it's like that
then people start talking about non-football things that are happening.
"It's not only that. We are talking about the last five Premier League
games, and it's simply not the way we expected it to be. "It's definitely no
good and that's why the only thing we are thinking about is the game on
Saturday against Middlesbrough."

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Three arrests made after disturbance following West Ham's draw with
Middlesbrough
Last Updated: 01/10/16 9:31pm
SSN

Three men have been arrested following a disturbance outside the London
Stadium after West Ham's draw with Middlesbrough. Two men were arrested on
suspicion of affray and the third was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a
police officer. All three currently remain in custody pending further
enquires. During the match, officers were also deployed inside the stadium
following a separate disturbance; the matter was quickly dealt with and no
arrests were made. "More than 40,000 people attended today's match, the vast
majority of who were good natured, with only a small minority intent on
causing disruption," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. There were
no reported injuries following the disturbances and enquiries continue.
Stewards confirmed that police had to separate home and away supporters
after clashes on the loop road though the Olympic Park. Police escorted
Middlesbrough fans away from the stadium while cordoning off some West Ham
supporters. The trouble followed incidents of crowd disturbances inside the
London Stadium during the recent matches against Bournemouth and Watford.

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Slaven Bilic says Dimitri Payet's strike was a 'Lionel Messi goal'
By Andrew Dickson
Last Updated: 01/10/16 8:23pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic believes Dimitri Payet scored a goal Lionel Messi would have
been proud of as he earned West Ham a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. Payet's
excellent individual effort cancelled out Christhian Stuani's header as both
clubs ended runs of defeats - four successively in West Ham's case. Bilic
was not happy to take just one point from a fixture but was at least
encouraged by the response he got after last week's 3-0 home defeat to
Southampton. In particular, he had praise for Payet's contribution after he
ran past five men before shooting beyond Victor Valdes. Bilic said: "It was
an unbelievable goal. It was a great goal which brought us back into the
game and it's only a shame it wasn't a winning goal. "It stands out. First
of all, it was a goal that brought us back into the game and the way he
scored the goal is quite amazing. "It was such an individual goal with the
highest class. I don't see those kinds of goals from many players. "You see
free-kicks, you see volleys, scissor kicks, all different types of goals,
but this was like Messi's goals. "In this situation, you need that class.
You need a moment of class from your best player to lift the whole team up.
"It was a brilliant, brilliant moment of magic. But we can't rely on him
doing that every week. "The response from the whole team, of course, - and
especially from him with his goal - was good and was positive. It's one of
the positive things we have to take out from this game."

Bilic conceded he was more heartened by his team's performance than their
result as they took their fourth point of the campaign. He added: "Okay, we
stopped that losing streak with a point but we were looking for three. To be
fair, the guys did everything. "They showed character, spirit and quality.
That's what I asked from them, it's what I demanded from them and they have
done it. "It was not enough to win the game and at the moment we are not
playing great football in terms of creating a lot of chances. "We were
looking for three points. We are not happy with a draw at home, with the
greatest of respect to Middlesbrough.
"But we showed a lot of positive things and every point in the Premier
League can be crucial in the end. "It was a fighting game, a working game
and although we are not happy with the result, there were a lot of positives
in our performance."

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Middlesbrough supporters slam West Ham fans after more violence breaks out
at London Stadium
20:36, 1 OCT 2016 UPDATED 21:57, 1 OCT 2016
BY DOMINIC SHAW
Boro's travelling fans described their fear as fights broke out around the
ground after the Premier League encounter
The Mirror

Middlesbrough's supporters have criticised the conduct of some West Ham fans
after more violent scenes unfolded at the London Stadium on Saturday. Boro's
travelling fans described their fear as fights broke out around the stadium
after the match, with one man describing supporters of the East London club
as a "disgrace to football". Other supporters of the North East club told
how bottles and coins were thrown into the away end by home fans during the
Premier League encounter, which finished 1-1, Gazzette Live report.

@YorkieBoro wrote on Twitter: "Absolutely terrifying. Stewards and police
contradicting each other. My son was in tears.

SmoggyOnTour added: "Where do I start, no sign of police until it was too
late, fans fighting on the main road near the away end. Chaos!".

@MichaelTG91 said: "West Ham fans jumped on our coach to kick off before the
driver pushed them away. I saw kids getting punched. Shocking."

Another Boro fan, @JamieMadden1989, tweeted: "Cornered us all. Started
punching anyone, parents who just took kids for a nice day out...disgrace to
football."

Blain Allinson, another fan who was at the game, tweeted: "They (West Ham
fans) were waiting outside. Stewards had a cordon in place and they broke
through and all hell broke loose."

Rob Munro, another supporter, added: "Had to dodge bottles after they
scored. One hit an old man on the head in front of us. Had to be taken away
for his injury."

Questions have been asked about the security in the stadium since fighting
broke out in the stands during West Ham's games against Bournemouth and
Watford earlier this season. West Ham have been pushing for a police
presence in the ground but the stadium operators, rather than the club, who
are the anchor tenants, would be required to meet the financial cost.

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