Daily WHUFC News - II 30th November 2016

Preview - Man Utd
WHUFC.com

When and where?

Manchester United v West Ham United
EFL Cup Quarter-Final
Wednesday 30 November 2016, 8pm GMT
Old Trafford

What's the story?

West Ham United head to Old Trafford for the second time in four days on
Wednesday, when they complete their Manchester United double header with an
EFL Cup Quarter-Final. A date at Wembley is coming into view for these two
sides, with a result on the night guaranteed following Old Trafford draws in
their last three meetings. Sunday's match-up produced a 1-1 scoreline, as
Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed home to cancel out Diafra Sakho's early opener.
Darren Randolph made excellent saves to deny Jesse Lingard, Henrikh
Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba, while Ashley Fletcher also went close as honours
ended even.
In this competition, the Red Devils have defeated Northampton Town and
Manchester City to reach this stage of the competition, having joined at the
same third round stage as the Hammers. Slaven Bilic's men have battled past
Accrington Stanley and London rivals Chelsea on their cup run, and are
looking to reach the semi finals for the third time in seven seasons.
Manchester United are four time League Cup winners, while the Hammers are
aiming to lift the trophy for the first time in their history, having twice
finished as runners-up.

Team news

The Hammers will be without Diafra Sakho, who suffered a hamstring injury
during Sunday's game at Old Trafford. The likes of Ashley Fletcher, Simone
Zaza and Andre Ayew will be in line to replace him up-front, while Andy
Carroll is also close to a return. Winston Reid is available again following
suspension, and Slaven Bilic may select Adrian in goal after Darren Randolph
took over between the posts for the last two Premier League games.

For Manchester United, midfielders Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini are both
suspended after collecting their fifth bookings of the season on Sunday.
Former Hammer Michael Carrick could return.

Any links between the two?

Each side features an Academy graduate from the other in their squads. For
the Red Devils that place is taken by Carrick, while Ashley Fletcher made
the move south from Old Trafford in the summer.

The last three games between West Ham and Man Utd at Old Trafford have ended
all-square. A 0-0 draw in the league last season was followed by a 1-1 FA
Cup draw, with Dimitri Payet scoring the Hammers' goal.

The trilogy of draws was completed by Sunday's stalemate.

How do I get to the game?

Click here for the latest news on the trains and here for information on
road travel.

How can I watch the game?

Wednesday's match is being broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports. You can
also follow all the action as it happens on whufc.com, with audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more.

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Manager on Matchday
WHUFC.com

Good morning everyone,

We are preparing for another big night in the EFL Cup quarter-final against
Manchester United and we are approaching this game with big ambitions. We
had a great run in the FA Cup last season when we got to the quarter-finals
and we want to do well once again.
It's a great thing for us and for the clubs not likely to win the league.
You have more chances to be successful in the cup competitions and that is
why the game is massive for us. I said I will make a few changes but it will
still be a strong team. I have a decision to make on which goalkeeper will
play. I told Adrian it was nothing personal when I changed the keepers
around for the Tottenham game. He was the number one goalkeeper in all my
time here, so when I made the change he was obviously disappointed. But he
is a great professional and said he is going to work even harder to get back
his shirt.
I know the next game against Arsenal could be a little bit easier if it was
being played on Sunday and it's a little bit tight between the games. This
is a chance for some of the other players who have not been involved in the
first-team in recent games to show what they can do.
Unfortunately nowadays you have to judge the players not long term, but
based on one game. Some signings got injured, two of them did, and they came
back. Some got a chance, some didn't, because we had a team and a system.
You can't give all the players a chance at the same time. We are going to
try for the ones that showed a good mentality, good training, good quality,
good fitness to one or two, without negative pressure that you have to score
a hat-trick. It is a big chance for them against Manchester United.

I am looking forward to coming up against Jose Mourinho once again. I like
Jose and have a good relationship with him. I like him and I don't hide it.
I am very proud to have a very good relationship with him. I want to wish
all the fans a safe journey up to Old Trafford and hopefully we can come
away with a memorable result.

Enjoy the game.
Slaven

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Sakho out for six weeks
WHUFC.com

Hammers striker Diafra Sakho will be out for six weeks after sustaining a
thigh injury during Sunday's draw with Manchester United.
Sakho scored the opener at Old Trafford with just two minutes on the clock,
but was withdrawn in the 66th minute through injury. A scan on Tuesday
revealed that the injury will keep him out of contention for up to six
weeks. Everyone at West Ham United wishes him a speedy recovery and quick
return to action.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fletcher wants Wembley return
WHUFC.com

Ashley Fletcher certainly enjoys playing at Wembley Stadium and would love
the chance to reach another major final playing for West Ham United.
Fletcher was fortunate enough to play in two finals at Wembley last season
and scored in both games while he was on loan at Barnsley. The talented
forward got his name on the scoresheet in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final
against Oxford and returned a month later when he scored the opening goal in
the League One Play-Off Final win over Millwall which saw his side gain
promotion into the Championship. With the Hammers facing a big EFL Cup
quarter-final tie against Fletcher's former club Manchester United on
Wednesday night, the 21-year-old is now hoping play to his part once again
and win another piece of silverware. Fletcher said: "I have got special
memories of playing at Wembley. For me to get there a third time, especially
for West Ham in such a big game, would just be unbelievable. "If we play
like we did on Sunday then we have a big chance of winning the game. "Any
cup run is important because if you win the competition, the confidence can
only help you in other games. "We had a similar thing at Barnsley last
season after winning the Johnstone's Paint Trophy because we then went back
for the Play-Off Final and it wasn't a problem for us because we had been
there before and didn't have any nerves. "It gives you the platform to move
forward in the season and do well."

Fletcher will be making another emotional return to Old Trafford on
Wednesday night after coming through the youth ranks at Manchester United.
The Hammers striker will once again have a number of friends and family
watching from the stands and he hopes to go one better after having a great
chance to win the game for West Ham on Sunday, but fired his shot straight
at David de Gea during the 1-1 draw. With Diafra Sakho ruled out for six
weeks with a thigh injury, Fletcher says he is ready to take his chance if
Slaven Bilic names him in the starting line-up. Fletcher added: "It was one
of those chances that if I had hit the ball either side of De Gea, the ball
would have gone in, but the angle I found myself in, I could only strike the
ball straight at him. "I will have a lot of family and friends watching once
again so hopefully I can put a chance away in this game! "I couldn't have
asked for anything better since I joined West Gam. I came thinking that I
would hopefully be a player for the future but that if I impressed I would
get my chance. "I scored a few goals in pre-season and the manager, Slaven
Bilic said, 'You're not going anywhere. I want you to stay with us and be
part of the senior squad.' "That was a huge confidence booster for me and
since then I believe I've been involved in every match-day squad except the
first one against Chelsea."

Tickets are still available for the game on Wednesday night. Fans should
visit the ticketing and membership services office at Old Trafford which is
open from 8am on Wednesday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manchester United v West Ham United - Again
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th November 2016
By: Preview Percy

Manchester United previews are a bit like buses -nothing for ages then two
come along at once. Preview Percy is the driver who will pull away just as
you get to the bus stop.....

Next up it's…, hang on didn't I just do this? What? Really? Oh alright then.

So it's Man Utd away again. League Cup this time. With a kick-off at 8pm to
give their supporters time to get there from their heartland of Surrey and
extra time and penalties available to settle things on the night, or in the
early hours of the morning, it's probably best to book a morning off then.

Well usually about this time I would send the work experience girl wearing a
t-shirt of a band of whom she has never heard out to do some ferreting round
for some stats and figures but if I do that now she's only going to come
back with exactly the same stuff she brought back last week and want paying
again for it. At her age the extra £2.50 could easily spoil her. So I've
given her the day off and told her to come back later this week with a
different t-shirt and some details about Arsenal for the weekend. So if
you're that interested in their new signings have a look at the last preview
"wot I wrote". The down side of all that is that this preview will be
shorter than usual. (That's NOT a down side – ed)

So Sunday then. Well all the headlines were about the Special Needs One
getting sent to the stands for his protest at Pogba getting found out. Now
given that over the years they have probably gotten away with just about as
many episodes of "simulation" as their chums from the western end of the M62
at Anfield, the fact that one of the least able referees in the league was
not only able to spot the dive but also thought it worthy of actually meting
out the statutory yellow card should tell you exactly how bad a dive it was.
So kicking a bottle of water along the touchline seems a bit daft. Unless,
of course, Mourinho's frustration was more directed at Pogba for executing
such a poor quality dive. Pogba, incidentally will miss this tie through
suspension alongside serial offender Marouanne Fellaini who, despite having
a haircut that is a red card offence in its own right, only picked up his
5th yellow of the season in Sunday's substitute appearance. The cynic
amongst us might suspect that there might have been an element of
deliberation about Fellaini's yellow, clearing the decks as it does for the
forthcoming league campaign. If that is the case they messed up with Rooney
who is one booking away from his own ban, though since he seems to be
peripheral to things on Premier League days at the moment. That being the
case if they go for a specialist League Cup team I'd expect the chubber to
start.

There is also a doubt about our old chum Michael Carrick who is said to have
a "slight knock" and Morgan Schneiderlin who didn't make the squad for the
weekend but mysteriously doesn't appear on any of the usual injury lists. We
might see the re-emergence of midfielder in residence in the shop window
Bastian Schweinsteiger, who appeared as if by magic on their bench at the
weekend having been successful in winning the world's biggest game of "hide
and seek".

Overall it looked like a decent performance from us up there on Saturday –
certainly a lot less one-sided than Match Of The Day made it look anyway,
even if Randolph was the busier of the two 'keepers. Ginge was a worry of
course. Although throughout his career with us he's always been liable to
the odd "whoops" moment, they're becoming more and more prevalent. He lost
Ibrahimovic completely for the equaliser at the weekend and as for his
attempted header back to Randolph, well let's just say that if Kouyate
enjoys an occasional drink Ginge owes him a bottle of the finest possible
vintage for the rescue job he did. If, as is widely assumed, we are out
there looking for strikers, it may be time to take a detour through the
central defender section of the store (neatly sidestepping the Spurs
supporters drooling at the lingerie section), especially as we can obviously
not rely on keeping everyone fit or for referees to behave honestly.

Injuries? Well just as Sakho was beginning to show us what we'd been missing
with his goal he seems to have picked up a hamstring strain which means that
he'll be missing again. If our injury record hadn't always been this bad at
the old place I'd begin to start wondering whether the Olympic Stadium
hadn't been built over an Indian Burial Ground rather than toxic waste.

There was some talk about the possibility of Carroll being available for
last Sunday. That seems to have been put back to the weekend with even that
being labelled as "slight doubt". Oxford, Tore and Masuaku are all slated to
be available though leaving Byram to sit alongside Sakho in the hamstring
unit. We have an African Cuppa Soup coming up in January – you may recall
that we picked up a fine because Sakho's back problem got better a week
before the end of the tournament last time. It'll be interesting to see what
happens this time around as there's little enough love lost between the
club's medical staff and the Senegalese Football Federation as it is.

Incidentally has anyone worked out why they play that tournament every other
year instead of the more usual 4 years for major tournaments? In a day and
age when it is often claimed that there is too much football, surely it is
in the players' interests to avoid burnout wherever possible? This is
especially the case with Africa where the top players are mainly
European-based so you have to factor in often-lengthy flight times for all
but the most Northern states. Just a thought.

Prediction? Well it's a difficult one. I expect us to put out a strong side,
well as strong as is available anyway. We may do the usual 'keeper swap of
course. However, I haven't a clue what sort of side they'll put out.
Traditionally they have used the kids in the earlier rounds but they may
well want to use the League Cup as a fall back to qualify for next season's
Thursday Night League should they not make it by virtue of their league
exploits.

So anything could happen. Having seen the identity of the ref his record
with quarter finals is not good and I have little hope that he will play a
straight game. However, it is a Cup so I'm going to go all optimistic and
hope that the spot of luck that we are well overdue will finally rear its
head. I'll be sticking the £2.50 that I would have been paying the work
experience girl wearing a t-shirt of a band of whom she has never heard on
an away win. The betting slip at Winstones The Turf Accountants will show
"West Ham To Win" 2-1 though it wouldn't surprise me to see this result take
place AET.

Enjoy the game!

When last we met in Salford: You really do have a short term memory problem
don't you?

Danger Man: Wayne Rooney – more likely to start given that this is the
League Cup and still has a decent scoring record against us even if you take
out the large number of goals scored with the benign assistance of his mates
at PGMOL.

Referee: Mike Jones. Described by one of his linesmen of my acquaintance as
an "arrogant prick" this idiot is one of the "look at me" brigade. The last
time he took charge of a quarter final involving us he single-handedly
handed the match to Stoke with a performance of such dishonesty that even
the placid Avram Grant was moved to suggest that all was not well and that
the referee's second half performance might have been a reaction to Pulis
getting in his ear and moaning about a decision that he had in fact got
right. Certainly the award of a penalty for Etherington's dive (worse than
Pogba's) the denial of a stonewaller up the other end when Tomkins was rugby
tackled to the ground was suggestive of someone who didn't want one side to
win. Grant's comments were treated by the authorities with their usual
"shoot the messenger" policy which cost Grant £20k for a breach of the
Official Secrets Act. Jones owes us big time but it's a live game on the box
so all we can hope is that when he does goes off piste it's in our favour. I
wouldn't bank on it though.

Percy's Poser: We asked how Manchester United were linked with the poisoning
of Manchester schoolchildren? Well back in the 60's the club was effectively
run by a bit of a charlatan by the name of Louis Edwards. He had gained
control by befriending the widows of the club's shareholders and buying
their late departed's shares from them, usually at well under their actual
market value. A butcher by trade, Edwards had the contract to supply the
schools of Greater Manchester with meat for the school dinners. With a few
civic officials kept onside with the aid of transactions involving cash and
brown envelopes, the meat actually supplied was largely comprised of the
stuff stamped as unfit for human consumption. There were also allegations of
bribery and illegal payments by the club all of which were exposed by the TV
programme World In Action. FA charges seemed likely but were quietly dropped
when, a month after the programme aired, Edwards conveniently passed away.
Mrs Mavis Llewellyn-McZappa supplied the first correct answer to pop out of
the digital hat. Mavis wins a copy of Alex Ferguson's "Socialist Hypocrite's
Guide to Tax Evasion" which she may want to keep handy in order to help with
this week's poser.

Which is: "Why does the blood drain from Alex Ferguson's face at the mention
of the word "Eclipse"? The first correct answer out of the digital hat will
receive Paul Pogba's (clearly unread) copy of Steve Gerrard's seminal work
"How To Dive Convincingly".

Good luck!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic impressed with Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho's bottle-kicking
technique
By Allan Valente
Last Updated: 29/11/16 11:39pm
SSN

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic reckons Jose Mourinho was only charged by the
Football Association because the Manchester United manager kicked the water
bottle too well. Mourinho was sent to the stands during United's 1-1 draw
with the Hammers on Sunday, after showing his frustration at the decision to
book Paul Pogba for a dive. Bilic joked that Mourinho's flawless technique
in launching the plastic bottle along the touchline at Old Trafford may have
helped to get him into trouble with the FA. Bilic said: "The problem is that
he hit that bottle like - well it was a great volley, to be fair. He should
have mis-kicked it! He hit it too good."

Pogba went down after a challenge by West Ham captain Mark Noble, with
replays appearing to show that no contact was made between the two players.
However, Bilic added: "Why I have sympathy with him is that situation with
Pogba, it really looked from our angle - and he was close to me - that it
didn't look like a dive. "It was obvious, and it was a great decision from
the referee. But from our point it did not look like a dive."

Bilic cuts a far more placid figure on the touchline than the likes of
Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp or Antonio Conte, but he has still fallen foul of
officials in the past. "I was sent off once in a game against Arsenal when I
managed Besiktas, in the last minute of the game," he added. "I gesticulated
too much, but the referee was Serbian so he understood me. I apologised
after the game."

He is set to make changes to his side and hand a chance to some of his
summer signings, such as Sofiane Feghouli, Havard Nordtveit and Ashley
Fletcher. "We are going to try the ones who showed a good mentality, good
training, good quality and good fitness," Bilic said. "It's a big chance for
them."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diafra Sakho out for six weeks and could put West Ham on a collision course
with the Senegalese FA
The striker has a thigh problem which is set to keep him out until
mid-January - just in time for the Africa Cup of Nations
BYALEX RICHARDS
13:53, 30 NOV 2016UPDATED13:58, 30 NOV 2016
The Mirror

West Ham United will be without Diafra Sakho for six weeks, due to a thigh
injury - and could now be on a collision course with the Senegal FA. Sakho,
scored just two minutes into the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday,
but was withdrawn just after the hour mark through injury. The draw at Old
Trafford was only the 26-year-old's second appearance of the season, having
missed the opening three months of the season with a back injury. The
striker underwent a scan on Tuesday, which revealed the extent of the
problem, and a club statement has now confirmed that he will be out until
the New Year. "The injury will keep him out of contention for up to six
weeks, revealed the Hammers. "Everyone at West Ham United wishes him a
speedy recovery and quick return to action."

Hammers chief Bilic admitted that Sakho's loss was "a big blow." But now
West Ham may face a fight with the Senegalese Football Federation ahead of
the 2017 African Cup of Nations. Sakho is expected to return to action in
early January - with the tournament kicking off in Gabon on January 14.
Sakho and his country have had an on-again, off-again relationship since his
debut in 2014, with the striker angering the SFF after pulling out of the
2015 tournament with an injury - only to then play for West Ham while the
competition was going on. The Hammers were fined £71,000 and reprimanded by
FIFA after Sakho appeared in the FA Cup win over Bristol City, Sakho scoring
the only goal. But with coach Aliou Cisse keen on the Lions of Teranga
making a splash at the finals - having been paired with Tunisia, Zimbabwe
and Algeria in their group - Cisse is set to name as strong a squad as
possible. And that includes Sakho, despite him not being a regular for his
country in the last two years, if he can prove his fitness before the 23-man
squad for the finals has to be announced.

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West Ham keen to bring in Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic - sources
ESPN

Asmir Begovic has made only three Chelsea appearances this season. West Ham
United are lining up a move for Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, sources
close to the Hammers have told ESPN FC. Manager Slaven Bilic wants to
bolster his goalkeeping options after dropping No. 1 Adrian following a
number of errors in recent weeks. Republic of Ireland international Darren
Randolph has started the last two games as Bilic looks to solve the
defensive problems that have left the east Londoners perilously close to the
relegation zone. Sources have told ESPN FC that Bosnia international Begovic
tops West Ham's wanted list. Begovic has been backup to Thibaut Courtois
since his arrival at Chelsea from Stoke last summer, but has made 28
appearances in the first team. The 29-year-old has only started three games
in the EFL Cup this season and would be interested in a move in search of
regular football. However, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will
consider letting him go out on loan.

Peter O'Rourke is ESPN FC's transfer news correspondent. Follow him on
Twitter @SportsPeteO.

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic insists starting Andy Carroll against Manchester
United would be 'suicidal'
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

Throwing West Ham striker Andy Carroll in for 90 minutes against Manchester
United in tonight's EFL Cup quarter-final would be "suicidal", according to
Slaven Bilic. Carroll has struggled with a knee injury throughout the season
and has not featured for the Hammers since August's Europa League clash
against Astra Giurgiu. The 27-year-old is no stranger to extended spells on
the sidelines, having suffered a succession of long-term injuries since
joining West Ham on a permanent basis in 2013. Carroll is in contention for
tonight's trip to Old Trafford but Bilic is keen to manage the England
international's workload with an upcoming Premier League game at Arsenal to
also consider. "We are talking about a player who hasn't played since the
game in Romania. "For Andy Carroll, it should be good to play 20 minutes or
half an hour for Saturday. "For Andy and every player in that condition it
would be great to play a part, but if you are talking about 90 minutes on
Wednesday and 90 minutes on Saturday, it is suicidal," he added. Carroll's
return would be a timely boost as the Hammers have recently lost Diafra
Sakho to a hamstring injury which could rule the Senegal international out
for several weeks. But Bilic has stressed that Carroll should not be
expected to hit the ground running after such a lengthy period out of the
side. "You can't keep the players in the fridge and then throw them in and
expect them to score again or score a hat-trick like he did at Upton Park.
"He wants to play every game, he's that kind of person. He likes to train,
to play. It's about his knee. "You have a scan, the opinion of the medical
team and then we see how he feels."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ashley Fletcher wants to make his mark on Manchester United return after
being transformed by Slaven Bilic at West Ham
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

Old Trafford may universally be known as the Theatre of Dreams but for
Ashley Fletcher, Manchester United's iconic home almost turned into never,
never land. Fletcher spent more than six years as a player at United from
the age of 13 but should he start for West Ham tonight in their EFL Cup
quarter-final, it will be just his third match experience at Old Trafford.
The big striker, who celebrated his 21st birthday last month, looks certain
to be involved tonight, following the hamstring injury to Diafra Sakho — and
is relishing this opportunity to perform on arguably the biggest stage in
English football. Fletcher , who left United to join West Ham on a
four-year deal last summer, was a second-half substitute at his former home
last Sunday, almost scoring the winner in a 1-1 draw when his shot was
blocked by goalkeeper David de Gea. "That was only my second proper game at
Old Trafford, my first being for the Under-21s against Manchester City two
years ago. "I came on in the 70th minute and scored," he revealed. "I could
have followed that with another goal on Sunday. It was one of those where,
had it been either side of him I would have scored but unfortunately it was
straight at him. "Hopefully, if I get another chance, maybe tonight, I will
put the next one away."

On Sunday, following the Premier League draw between the two clubs, Fletcher
found the time to catch up with two good friends from his time at United —
England pair Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard. "We all grew up together. I
have a lot of friends there but those two especially are doing unbelievably
well at the moment," he said. "I spoke to both of them for 15 minutes after
Sunday's match. We were just catching up and it was good to see them. "In
the case of Marcus I could see from a young age that he was going to be a
top player. "He always had enough ability but surprisingly, looking at him
now, he used to be quite small. "To be fair I didn't expect him to burst
upon the scene as quickly as he did but — as every footballer knows — when
that chance comes along you have to take it. "As for Jesse, I watched a
programme about him on MUTV earlier this week and he talked about how he had
grown up from being a boy to an FA Cup winner. He's almost three years older
than me — I looked up to him when I was at United and he has always looked
out for me. "When his chance came under Louis van Gaal, he took it and now
he's reaping the rewards. "The three of us have now all played on the
biggest stage in the Premier League. Not everyone can say that. A lot of
players come through the academies and never have the chance to play at
somewhere like Old Trafford. For both of them to do that at United and me at
West Ham is a huge achievement."

Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, where his father, a police officer, was
stationed, Fletcher's family moved back to their roots in Bolton when he was
three years old. He joined Bolton Wanderers at nine but it wasn't only on
the football pitch that the young Fletcher excelled, having left secondary
school with 12 GCSEs at A or B level. "I went to one of the best schools in
Bolton, Canon Slade Church of England Secondary School — and managed to get
good grades. "My dad is still in the police, he trains new officers these
days while my mum was a hairdresser but now works at Marks & Spencer. She's
sacrificed a lot to give myself, my brother and sister our opportunities."

The decision to leave United and come to London and West Ham must have been
a difficult one for Fletcher. "I could have stayed there and maybe I would
have got a chance," he explained. "I decided instead to go out on loan to
Barnsley and once I had the taste of first-team football, I didn't want to
go back to United because they couldn't promise me that. "The decision for
me was to either go back to United, play for their Under-23s and wait for an
opportunity which sometimes never comes — or go to a club where you are
going to be in and around the first team. "I chose the latter, which is why
I'm at West Ham. "I couldn't have asked for anything better. I came thinking
that I would hopefully be a player for the future but that if I impressed I
would get my chance. "I scored a few goals in pre-season and the manager,
Slaven Bilic said, 'You're not going anywhere. I want you to stay with us
and be part of the senior squad.' "That was a huge confidence booster for me
and since then I believe I've been involved in every match-day squad except
the first one against Chelsea. "I had about 15 family and friends at Old
Trafford on Sunday and they'll be there again for this game.
"I get back up to Bolton when I can but I'm happy down in London. "I have a
good friendship with West Ham players Michail Antonio and Sam Byram, who
live near me. "Those two particularly — and Darren Randolph — have taken me
in and made me feel welcome."

Fletcher already has good memories of Wembley finals, having played — and
scored — for Barnsley in their Football League Trophy and Play-off Final
victories there last season. "For me to get there a third time, especially
for West Ham, would just be unbelievable," he said.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll set to return from injury as West Ham travel to Manchester
United in EFL Cup
Manchester United meet West Ham in EFL Cup last eight on Wednesday
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic has hinted Andy Carroll may make return
Striker has been out since August with serious knee injury
Carroll may come off bench at Old Trafford and have further involvement
against Arsenal in Premier League on Saturday
By Riath Al-Samarrai for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 07:54, 30 November 2016 | UPDATED: 07:54, 30 November 2016

Slaven Bilic has strongly hinted Andy Carroll will finally end his latest
injury nightmare by featuring for West Ham against Manchester United on
Wednesday night. The striker has not played for more than three months since
damaging his knee in the Europa League clash with Romanian side Astra
Giurgiu in August. But Bilic is leaning towards including the 27-year-old in
some capacity in the EFL Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford, ahead of a
fuller involvement against Arsenal on Saturday.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Romero; Valencia, Jones, Blind, Shaw; Carrick,
Herrera; Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Martial; Ibrahimovic

West Ham (3-4-2-1) Adrian; Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna; Fernandes, Nordtveit,
Obiang, Cresswell; Ayew, Payet; Fletcher

The Serbian admitted it would be 'suicidal' given Carroll' s wretched
history with injuries to field him for 90 minutes in each fixture, but
indicated he would feature for around half an hour at Old Trafford. Bilic is
determined to tread with caution, given Carroll's running tally of days
missed through injury currently stands at 990 across his career and a
staggering 129 games. But with this cup run offering a chance to change the
outlook of what has been a dire season, and with his striking options
diminished by the injury-enforced absence of striker Diafra Sakho, Bilic is
keen to call on Carroll. He said: 'For Andy Carroll it should be good to
play 20 minutes or half an hour, and then Saturday. That is crucial. You
can't keep the players in the fridge and then throw them in and expect them
to score again or score a hat-trick like he did at Upton Park last time
against Arsenal. 'So for Andy, and every player in that condition, it would
be great to be a part of the game, but if you are talking about 90 minutes
on Wednesday and 90 minutes on Saturday it is suicidal. But nobody is
talking about that. But 15, 20, half an hour should be good. 'The Arsenal
game is more important, ok, but this one is also important for us.'

This cup fixture will pit West Ham against United for the second time in a
week following their 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday. Jose Mourinho
has since been charged for his behaviour after kicking a water bottle and he
has an ally in Bilic, who has felt a degree of sympathy with his counterpart
over his latest controversy. Bilic said: 'I like him and I have a good
relationship with him. I am very proud to have a very good relationship with
him. 'I would like the rules to be a little bit looser but I can understand
them totally - if we are asking the fans to behave good then we should be
the example for them.'

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West Ham's Mark Noble: Playing at Old Trafford is a 'dream' but Hammers want
to beat Manchester United
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard

Mark Noble has admitted playing Manchester United at Old Trafford in the
League Cup on Wednesday will be "special", but the West Ham captain insists
the Hammers are good enough to secure a result over Jose Mourinho's men.
West Ham managed to draw 1-1 with United in the Premier League on Sunday,
with the two teams now facing each other on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup
quarter-final clash. Noble was part of the last West Ham team to beat United
at Old Trafford in May 2007 when Carlos Tevez's injury-time strike secured a
narrow 1-0 win. Noble admits going back to Old Trafford to contest a League
Cup game tomorrow will be a dream come true - although the West Ham skipper
believes his side can knock United out of the competition especially after
the Hammers' showing on Sunday. "The Premier League is important to us
because of the position we find ourselves in and we need the points. We have
tough games coming up against Arsenal and Liverpool," Noble told West Ham's
official website. "But we can now look forward to a big game in the Cup
against Manchester United once again and going to play at Old Trafford is
everyone's dream so we hope for another good result. "It was a tough game on
Sunday, especially after we took the lead so early on. We knew they were
going to come at us and they did during the opening 45 minutes. "But in the
second half I thought it was more even and both teams had chances to win the
game. "Sometimes you just need that bit of luck and Darren made some great
saves for us. I thought the defence played really well and we were really
resilient as a team. "You need that when you come to a place like Old
Trafford and it is a special place to play but I thought we matched them man
for man."

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Andy Carroll ready to return for West Ham in time to beat up Arsenal defence
again
The Telegraph
Matt Law, football news correspondent
29 NOVEMBER 2016 • 10:30PM

Slaven Bilic believes a League Cup cameo against Manchester United could put
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll on course to beat up Arsenal's defence
for a second successive season.

Carroll has not played since the Europa League game against Astra Giurgiu in
August because of a knee injury, but the 27-year-old is close to making yet
another comeback.

West Ham manager Bilic is without Diafra Sakho for the League Cup
quarter-final trip to Old Trafford, with the Senegal international waiting
for the results of a scan on his injured hamstring, which could give a
chance to 21-year-old Ashley Fletcher.

Carroll is also pushing for a recall, but Bilic insists it would be
'suicidal' to try to start him against United and Arsenal, and thinks a
substitute appearance may give him the best chance of lining up against
Arsene Wenger's team in the Premier League on Saturday.

Arsenal failed to cope with Carroll last season, as the 27-year-old scored a
stunning nine-minute hat-trick either side of half-time in West Ham's 3-3
draw.

"We are talking about a player who hasn't played since the game in Romania,"
said Bilic. "For Andy Carroll, it should be good to play 20 minutes or half
an hour for Saturday.

"It should be crucial by the way, before you put him in from the start. You
can't keep the players in the fridge and then throw them in and expect them
to score again or score a hat-trick like he did at Upton Park.


"So for Andy and every player in that condition it would be great to play a
part, but if you are talking about 90 minutes on Wednesday and 90 minutes on
Saturday, it is suicidal. But nobody is talking about that. But 15, 20
minutes, half an hour should be good. Because he should be training anyway
and there is no better training than a game.

"There is no question over whether or not Andy wants to play. He wants to
play every game, he's that kind of person. He likes to train, to play. It's
about his knee. It's a decision for all of us. You have a scan, the opinion
of the medical team and then we see how he feels. That's the most important
thing, especially when you are on the border and it is not black and white."

This will be the second time in four days that West Ham have faced United at
Old Trafford, having drawn in the Premier League at the weekend.

United manager Jose Mourinho is facing a touchline ban for kicking a water
bottle on Sunday and Bilic has some sympathy for his opposing manager.

"I don't know the rules but England is a country where they like to stick to
the rules and I saw that," said Bilic. "The problem is that Jose hit that
bottle like - it was a great volley to be fair. He should have miskicked it!
He hit it too good."

Asked if he thought managers were fully aware that kicking a bottle is an
offence, Bilic added: "But you know a lot of things and you still do them,
as it is a special kind of state during the game. You are not thinking 'can
I kick the ball?' You are fuming and you see the ball and you kick it.


"Many times, I see the bottles in front of me and many times I go like… I
will smash it and I stop in the last second. You are not sitting at home
having lunch with your family, your adrenaline is going and you are also in
the red zone.

"I am not the one who sits for 90 minutes, so everyone has his own way of
managing. You have Van Gaal who sits there and then managers like Conte or
Klopp.

"There is no proper way of managing. Sometimes if you are too calm you are
accused of not having an impact on your players and that you should be on
the touchline. But if you are on the touchline you get accused of making
them nervous. Everyone's got his own way."

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West Ham warned not to raise bar too high for Andy Carroll's comeback
Jacob Steinberg
The Guardian
Tuesday 29 November 2016 22.30 GMT

Although news of Andy Carroll's return will send a shiver down the spine of
Arsenal's defenders, Slaven Bilic is taking care to manage expectations
about a player who does not need anyone to show him round the treatment room
at West Ham.

The striker who scored a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Arsène Wenger's side
last season is back in full training and what a story it would be if he
bullies Arsenal again when they visit the London Stadium on Saturday. That
scenario is almost too good to be true for West Ham, which is why Bilic
erred on the side of caution before his side's EFL Cup quarter-final at
Manchester United.

The West Ham manager said he will not hold back Carroll from the Arsenal
game. Yet he has not played since suffering a knee injury in August and,
although Bilic has problems in attack with Diafra Sakho awaiting the results
of a scan on a hamstring injury, he knows it would be reckless to gamble on
a player with such a patchy fitness record.

West Ham are a point above the bottom three in the Premier League and their
team against United are likely to reflect their worrying position, with
Havard Nordtveit, Edimilson Fernandes, Sofiane Feghouli and André Ayew in
line for rare starts and Adrián likely to replace Darren Randolph in goal.

"I know this game on Saturday could be a little bit easier if it was on
Sunday," Bilic said. "It's a little bit tight between the games but I don't
approach it that way. We decide on Andy based on can he bring us something.
The Arsenal game is more important but this one is also important for us.
They are both important.

"Andy also has to train. We are talking about a player who hasn't played
since the game in Romania [in August]. For Andy Carroll it should be good to
play 20 minutes, half an hour here, for Saturday.

"It should be crucial. You can't keep the players in the fridge and then
throw them in and expect them to score again or score a hat-trick like he
did at Upton Park. For Andy and every player in that condition it would be
great to take part but, if you are talking about 90 minutes against United
and 90 minutes on Saturday, it is suicidal."

West Ham's need for greater potency in attack is clear, yet they have
already been burnt by Sakho's latest setback. Having seen a £15m move to
join West Brom in the summer fall through when his medical revealed a back
problem, Sakho worked his way back to fitness and into Bilic's plans, making
his first start since May in the 3-2 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on 19
November.

How West Ham had missed the Senegal international's speed, work rate and
poaching instincts was illustrated by his early goal in Sunday's 1-1 draw
with United. It was the first by one of Bilic's strikers this season, a
damning indictment of the club's summer signings. Yet Sakho limped off in
the second half and there are fears that he may be out for a month.

West Ham may not have had to rush him back if they had shown better judgment
during a summer that ended with the arrival of two disastrous loan signings
and Ashley Fletcher on a free transfer from United, leaving them short of
strikers ready for the Premier League.

Fletcher has shown promise despite his inexperience but Jonathan Calleri has
a hamstring injury and could return to Deportivo Maldonado in Uruguay in
January, while Simone Zaza has failed to impress on loan from Juventus.
Given that he has been forced to use Michail Antonio and Ayew as makeshift
strikers at times, Bilic needs Carroll fit and firing again even if the
slight whiff of desperation hanging over his return harks back to the Sam
Allardyce era.

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