Daily WHUFC News II - 29th October 2016

Fernandes hails London Stadium roar
WHUFC.com

Hammers hero Edimilson Fernandes says the London Stadium roar gave him 'goosebumps' after his unforgettable EFL Cup winner.

The rising 20-years-old star described how important the Claret and Blue Army's vociferous support has been in inspiring West Ham United to vital victories over Sunderland and Chelsea.

On Wednesday, he heard the loudest roar yet when he curled home the winning goal in the 2-1 EFL Cup fourth-round victory over the Blues.

He explained: "The stadium is magnificent, I really enjoy playing there, as do all the players. When you play in-front of 57,000 fans it gives you goosebumps, it's an amazing feeling and it helps you to play to your best.

"It is a brilliant Stadium and to play in front of 57,000 fans who push you forward is an unbelievable feeling."

Reflecting on his maiden goal in English football, the Switzerland U21 international said he was delighted to get off the mark against a club he watched from afar while growing up in the city of Sion.

Speaking at a half-term soccer school at the Club's Foundation Beckton base, he said: "When I was younger, I watched a lot of Chelsea matches. They are one of the best teams in England so there's nothing better than scoring against them, it was a dream come true!

"I didn't expect my time at West Ham to start so well, but at the moment it is going really, really well."
Having signed for the Hammers in late August, Fernandes was the tenth of eleven new signings during a busy summer.

After impressing in games against Accrington Stanley, Southampton and Crystal Palace, Fernandes excelled in his full home Premier League debut against Sunderland, another hugely memorable moment.

He reflected: "Playing in our magnificent stadium is something I'll never forget, and to win as well was something very special.

"I wasn't expecting to make my full debut so quickly, but I am delighted that I did. It was a very special moment for me, and also a very important game for the team."

Having hit the ground running in east London since joining from FC Sion in August, particularly playing in more unfamiliar wing-back positions, the midfielder by trade has seemingly taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.

Now, looking ahead to Sunday's enticing encounter away at Everton – a club his cousin Manuel played for a decade ago –Fernandes said the Hammers are determined to make it four victories on the trot.

"We are all delighted to have won three games in a row, the confidence and the atmosphere (among the squad) is good," he confirmed.

"We have to make sure we keep working hard every day in training and keep at this level. When you have confidence, it helps you win matches so it is very important.

"Everton are a very big club, so it will be a difficult game. They are strong all over the pitch, but we also have good players."

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues his latest update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone.

We will start this week with the positive news of Andre Ayew's return to first-team action as a substitute in the EFL Cup win over Chelsea on Wednesday.

It was a very intense and physical demanding game in which we gave a great performance, and a few of the boys got some bumps and bruises.

We are happy that Andre has made a quick recovery, but when a player returns from injury he is always a work in progress.

We have to keep doing things in the right way at the right time and the congested schedule this week is a challenge for the whole team, especially players coming back from injury.

Andre spent some time in France during his rehab, where he played previously, and we worked closely with the medical department at Olympique Marseille. It was nice to have that cooperation.

At the end of the day, though, it is down to the player to put in the hard work, not just in training and rehab but 24/7, work hard and recover hard.

The most crucial phase is the next few games and training weeks. Finding a balance between training, progressive 'game time' and recovery is crucial in completing the work in progress.

The next positive is that Aaron Cresswell keeps improving and progressing well.

It's not easy to re-introduce a defender from injury, because it is not often that you can play a defender
for 30 minutes and re-introduce him gradually, but once again the key is finding the good balance between games, training and recovery.

Diafra Sakho has been training all week with the Under-23s in controlled but hard sessions. Diaf is in the final stages of his own pre-season training schedule and he will join the first-team squad next week.
He will train for several weeks with the first team before he will be re-introduced gradually into games.

Arthur Masuaku is a natural athlete and is strong. He is making great progress in his rehab from the knee injury he suffered against Accrington Stanley in August. We expect Arthur to return to training some time in November.

Sam Byram was given a few days off between the phases of his rehab from his hamstring injury. He has returned and is working well in the gym at Rush Green, but it will be a while until he is available for selection again.

Andy Carroll and Gokhan Tore continue to work on their rehabilitation at Rush Green.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Foundation launches Loughborough partnership
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Foundation and Loughborough University London are delighted to announce a new innovative research partnership.

This ground-breaking collaboration is one of the first of its kind in the country, and will see the Foundation provide research opportunities and support to post-graduate students from Loughborough University London – based just a long ball away from London Stadium at Here East Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Projects will see the students will take part in a wide range of the Foundation's 40-plus schemes currently in delivery across east London and Essex, with the first brief giving students the opportunity to work directly with Foundation programme managers to identify areas of improvement and provide detailed methods of growth.

The findings from this research will then be directly applied to the Foundation's delivery methods, enabling growth and improvement.

Loughborough University London is Loughborough University's second campus, whose Stratford base is located just a few hundred metres from West Ham's new home.

As part of the partnership, students at Loughborough University London will also benefit from industry-led teaching, delivered by highly-skilled and experienced West Ham United guest lecturers.

The partnership will look to expand in the coming years, aiming to incorporate further work streams and projects, thus providing more opportunities for students within a Premier League environment.

Professor Mike Caine, Loughborough University London Dean, said: "We are delighted to be establishing an official partnership with West Ham United Foundation, and look forward to nurturing a dynamic and collaborative relationship which will benefit our students and the local community".

Joseph Lyons, West Ham United Foundation CEO, said of the partnership: "The growth of West Ham United Foundation has been considerable over the past three years, providing an ever-increasing number of opportunities to the communities surrounding the Club's old and new homes.

"As our delivery grows, so does our resource. In order to keep reaching our targets, we have a need for dedicated, thorough research that can help us create, develop and improve new initiatives, as well as expanding our current programmes.

"Our new partnership with Loughborough University London will enable us to focus on the impact the work of West Ham United Foundation has made in its communities which will equip us with the key information needed to optimise our life-changing work."

The collaboration sees Loughborough University London become the first post-graduate partners of West Ham United Foundation, alongside the undergraduate partnership with University of East London, where the WHU Foundation degree is currently in its second year of delivery.

In September 2015, Loughborough University opened an additional academic campus inside Here East, London's new innovation quarter. There, the institution offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

Loughborough University has an international reputation for research and teaching, with strong links with industry and unrivalled achievement in sport.

Among its many famous sporting alumni are West Ham United Ladies goalkeeper and 2015 Asian Footballer of the Year award in England winner Aditi Chauhan.

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Date set for EFL Cup quarter-final
WHUFC.com

West Ham United will travel to Manchester United in the EFL Cup fifth round on Wednesday 30 November 2016 at 8pm.

The Hammers are awaiting confirmation of the Club's ticket allocation for the Old Trafford tie, which will also be screened live by Sky Sports.

Slaven Bilic's side have beaten League Two club Accrington Stanley and Premier League side Chelsea to reach the last-eight, while Jose Mourinho's Red Devils have overcome League One outfit Northampton Town and local rivals Manchester City to set up their meeting with the Hammers.

West Ham and Manchester United have met twice previously in the League Cup, with each side progressing on one occasion.

Norman Whiteside's goal settled matters at Old Trafford in the third round in November 1985, while two goals apiece from Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole saw off Sir Alex Ferguson's visitors 4-0 at a snowbound Boleyn Ground in a fifth-round tie in November 2010.

The two clubs met as recently as last season in the FA Cup quarter-finals, when a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford was followed by a 2-1 victory for Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground.

Ticket details will be published on whufc.com and the Club's social media channels as soon as they are confirmed.

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Sakho: pre-season over but still absent for weeks
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 28th October 2016
By: Staff Writer

One of the longest pre-seasons in history is finally scheduled to end next week when Diafra Sakho returns to training with the first team.

According to club doctor Stijn Vandenbroucke, and despite having begun pre-season training with the first team squad back in July, Sakho is reported to be "in the final stages of his own pre-season" and on the verge of joining up with the first team squad once again.

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"Sakho has been training all week with the Under-23s in controlled but hard sessions," said Vandenbroucke. "Diaf is in the final stages of his own pre-season training schedule and he will join the first-team squad next week."

However Sakho, possibly uniquely for a professional footballer, will remain absent from the first team picture for a while longer, according to Vandenbroucke. "He will train for several weeks with the first team before he will be re-introduced gradually into games," he added.

Meanwhile there was no new news regarding the progress of Andy Carroll, who was ruled out of action for "4-6 weeks" back in August. Both he and Gokhan Tore will "continue to work on their rehabilitation at Rush Green" with no return date set for either.

Finally both Arthur Masuaka and Sam Byram are continuing their own personal programmes of rehabilitation, with the latter expected to return to the first team sometime next month.

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West Ham reveal security plans to prevent further crowd trouble at London Stadium
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 28/10/16 8:39pm
SSN

West Ham have announced new stringent security measures, including relocating some supporters and increasing the use of segregation netting inside London Stadium, in a bid to avoid further crowd trouble.

Clashes between rival supporters marred West Ham's 2-1 EFL Cup victory over Chelsea on Wednesday, with several missiles thrown across a segregated area of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.

There were further clashes along the walkway of the stand, with stewards struggling to keep fans apart before police in riot gear managed to quell the disorder.

West Ham confirmed on Thursday that they were close to finalising the identification of 200 individuals involved in the crowd disturbances and insisted they would issue seasonal or life bans, depending on the severity of the offence, to any fan found to have been involved in the trouble.

In a letter released to Sky Sports News HQ on Friday, West Ham have revealed a new robust plan to prevent any further violence inside their new home.

The plan includes:

▪ Creating more distance between opposing fans to prevent missile throwing. This will be achieved by widening the segregation line on both sides of the lower tier.

▪ Removing risk groups from the stadium permanently with our 'zero tolerance' banning policy as outlined above.

▪ Strengthening and widening the lines of segregation on the lower concourse walkway by creating higher barriers and a 10 metre wide sterile area. This is the area which became the pinch point at the Chelsea game, and despite the fact it wasn't actually breached, we feel it is a necessary step to prevent any similar scenes at future matches.

▪ Ensuring home/away fan egress is physically segregated upon exiting the Stadium to prevent clashes on the podium. This was in place and proved effective after the match against Chelsea. This consists of a physical barrier either side of the away supporter turnstiles, and prevents supporter integration after the game.

▪ Inside the stadium we will also be employing the enhanced tactic of issuing a group of stewards with handheld video cameras. Stewards currently have cameras attached to their armour but we believe this investment will act as a clear and visible deterrent.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic also condemned the behaviour of the supporters involved in the trouble at his media conference on Friday, stating their actions hurt the club, the players and the majority of fans inside the stadium.

Prior to the match against Chelsea, West Ham had already banned 23 supporters this season for crowd disturbances.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed three men have been charged following the trouble at London Stadium, with offences ranging from assault on a police officer to possession of class A drugs.

A further three men were arrested, but all were bailed pending further enquiries.

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Everton v West Ham preview: Leighton Baines and James McCarthy ruled out
By Patrick Surlis
Last Updated: 28/10/16 5:07pm
SSN

Everton will be without Leighton Baines and James McCarthy when West Ham visit Goodison Park on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

Baines has not been involved for five games due to a hamstring problem, while midfielder McCarthy, who sat out last Saturday's 2-1 loss to Burnley, has recently developed a similar issue.

Ronald Koeman's side are on a five-game winless run, most recently suffering a last-minute defeat to the Clarets at Turf Moor.

Meanwhile, West Ham are enjoying their best spell of the season. They recorded back-to-back Premier League wins over Crystal Palace and Sunderland before knocking Chelsea out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

And Hammers manager Slaven Bilic has pinned their recent upturn in form on his players' efforts, rather than any change in formation.

"We changed the system a bit," Bilic said. "OK, it's important, especially when the results come, but it's more about the players' movement.

"Cheikhou Kouyate helped to stabilise the defence and also helps us to create from the back."

Team news

Baines and McCarthy miss out through injury for Everton, while forward Enner Valencia, who is on loan from West Ham, is ineligible against his parent club.

For the Hammers, Bilic must decide whether Andre Ayew is fit enough to start after the £20.5m summer signing from Swansea made his comeback as a substitute against Chelsea in midweek.

He has recovered from the thigh injury he sustained on the opening day of the season but may not be able to play a full 90 minutes.

Arthur Masuaku, Sam Byram, Gokhan Tore, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho are still out through injury.

Opta stats

Everton's defeat to West Ham in March ended a run of 15 top-flight games without defeat against them (W10 D5).

West Ham haven't won back-to-back league games against Everton since March 1973.

Romelu Lukaku has found the net eight times in 10 games against West Ham in all competitions, his favourite opponent since moving to the Premier League.

Lukaku has scored in his last six Premier League games against West Ham. Only two players have scored in seven successive PL games v the same opponent (Hasselbaink v West Ham 7 and Robin van Persie v Stoke 8).

Dimitri Payet has created more chances in the Premier League this season than any other player (30), while no one has provided more assists than the Frenchman (4).

West Ham last won three Premier League games in a row in March, the third of which came against the Toffees.

The Hammers' last Premier League clean sheet against Everton came in April 2007, a run of 16 games without one against them.

Merson's prediction

The turning point for Everton was the Norwich defeat. They're not going down, they're not challenging for the title and they're not in Europe so a cup run would have been ideal. But the way Koeman treated that game was worrying and they haven't won since. West Ham have had three big results in a row and this game looks more difficult than it did a few weeks ago, but Lukaku loves a goal against the Hammers and I think he nets again.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet odds 8/1)

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