Lanzini ready to showcase his talents at Old Trafford
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini believes his team-mates should draw inspiration from playing
at Old Trafford on Sunday and hopes they can get their season back on track
with another famous win against Manchester United. Few could forget Winston
Reid's dramatic late winner in the final ever game at the Boleyn Ground back
in May and the Hammers would settle for a similar outcome as they look to
move clear of the bottom three. The West Ham players are determined to make
amends for the heartbreaking defeat against Tottenham last weekend and show
they have the quality to challenge in the top half of the table. Despite the
disappointing result at White Hart Lane, Lanzini certainly impressed while
filling in for the suspended Mark Noble, and the Argentinian capped off a
fine performance with a coolly taken penalty – his third strike of the
campaign. Now, with attention turning to tackling Jose Mourinho's United,
the Argentine midfielder is under no illusions about the task in hand, but
rather than be overawed by the occasion, Lanzini, dubbed 'The Jewel',
insists he and his teammates should be looking forward to Sunday's showdown.
Lanzini said: "It will be a very difficult game, Manchester United are a big
team, so we know it will be difficult but we are confident that the result
is going to be positive. "There are a lot of difficult grounds to go to –
Old Trafford is definitely one of the more mystical places to go to. It is
world famous, it can be challenging but also inspiring, it is up to us. "I
am really looking forward to the game, as a player you always want to play
against the biggest teams and test yourself – our game on Sunday is
definitely one of those games."
Another reason why the Hammers have every reason to feel confident is the
fact they took an impressive four points against Manchester United in last
season's league fixtures. However, Lanzini is well aware of the dangers that
a somewhat resurgent United pose. In particular, the Argentine continued to
highlight an area that the Hammers will have to focus on: "It is very
important that we cut the supply between Pogba, Mata and Rooney, we need to
do that well, then concentrate on our own objectives of playing well and
trying to win. "The most important thing is to get points. Once the wins
start coming in, we can concentrate on league positions and aiming specific
targets."
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Scully - Reading is a massive game
WHUFC.com
Anthony Scully has called the U18s' match with Reading a "massive game"
The young Hammers are looking to bounce back from their FA Youth Cup exit in
midweek
Their match with Reading kicks off at 11am from Little Heath Sports Ground
Anthony Scully has declared this weekend's league clash with Reading as a
massive game, as the U18s aim to move on from their Youth Cup
disappointment. It's been a tough week for the Hammers after a last-minute
defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday followed by being knocked out on
penalties at Stoke City in the FA Youth Cup 3rd round on Tuesday. But Scully
is backing the team to bounce back this weekend in what will be a crucial
match considering that both sides are in the thick of the top four battle.
"All the lads are disappointed with going out of the Youth Cup because we
were seen as a group that could have gone on and won it," said Scully. "To
be knocked out already is very disappointing but in football there's always
another game round the corner to put what went wrong, right. That's what
we're looking to do on Saturday against Reading. "We need a good performance
against Reading because it'll put us back on track. We need to put the Stoke
game behind us and move on."
Despite their difficult week, the Hammers are still well on course to finish
in the top four spots of the U18 Premier League South.
With Reading just a place behind them in the league in third, the game holds
extra significance, but Scully is full of confidence that the Hammers can
put on a positive display. "It's a massive game this weekend. We beat them
2-0 earlier on in the season but they're not an easy side to play against,"
he added. "They're on a good run of form but if we match our performance of
the first match against them, we should have no problem."
Scully missed the majority of October through illness but returned for the
home draw with Arsenal and has since had a positive impact on the side. His
performances were rewarded with yet another call up to the Republic of
Ireland U18s, where he played 90 minutes twice in a draw against the
Netherlands and defeat to Germany. "I love going away to play with Ireland.
There's always a buzz among the players and that showed on the pitch
recently when we had two good performances against Germany and Holland."
Our U18s match with Reading takes place on Saturday 25 November at 11am at
Little Heath Sports Ground. Parking and admission are both free.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Speaks - Manchester United
WHUFC.com
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic sat down with the media to preview the first
of his side's two matches against Manchester United in the space of four
days. The Hammers take on Jose Mourinho's outfit at Old Trafford in the
Premier League on Sunday afternoon and the boss was keen for his squad to
move on from last weekend's defeat to Spurs. The Croatian also gave an
update on Pedro Obiang, spoke about Winston Reid as well as discussing his
relationship with the Club's owners.
Morning Slaven. Could we start off with some team news for Sunday's game?
Good morning. From the Spurs game, we had Pedro [Obiang] who has been
playing with an ankle injury since Everton. He didn't train for a couple of
days but he's back and training with us today and hopefully he'll be OK.
Apart from that, it's all good.
Winston Reid, who is suspended, has been central to your system. What are
the plans for Sunday?
He has been instrumental. He has been really good since we changed the
system. He was suspended for the game against Stoke and we have players we
can put in without changing the system, or we can change it.
There has been speculation about your future, what have the owners said to
you?
There isn't much to say. I'm doing my job. I speak to the owners regularly
after every game and if inbetween, there is something to talk about, I have
that support. I'm concentrated on my job and our next game and that's
basically it.
Are you fearful?
No – I feel the pressure of course, because we are not delivering and
performing enough to get points to feel happy. But I see the improvement, I
see the team that is hungry and alive and the points were there for us in a
very difficult away game. That's what I'm concentrated on and not to make
mistakes like we did against Spurs.
How important is the support you feel from the owners?
That is important but it's not the crucial thing. I have told you many times
– you are concentrated on your next few games that can change things from
bad to good or good to bad. Let's say, when we were doing really good, I
didn't think about a chance for a new contract, because I have a contract.
If we are looking at our position in the table, I am just concentrated on
improving the team and winning and how to lift the team up.
Do you feel the league position is reflective of the performances?
It's still very tight. With a win against Tottenham we would have been 12th
or eleventh, but we are in the position we are. You can stay it's still
early days, but we have to start picking up the points. We can say we were
unlucky or we deserve more, but the table doesn't lie.
It hasn't worked out for Simone Zaza yet. Are you still comfortable he will
still be here when the window shuts?
I believe in him. He's our player and it's not only him but we need him to,
with the help of teammates, to start producing and doing what we got him
for. If he starts or doesn't start games, it has nothing to do with the
clause but only on his training performances and performances in games.
Man United seem to be picking up of late – do you think you are playing a
team that are contending for the title this season?
The gap is not small but it's also not big and of course they are showing
two faces. They played well last night and they're Man United. But they need
points in the Premier League and it's gonna be a big game for us and for
them in a great stadium. It will be difficult but you can't expect any less
in the Premier League, especially as you're playing Man United away.
Jose Mourinho's home record as a manager is unbelievable, but do you feel
like you've lost a little bit of that aura?
He is one of the greatest. Statistically, he's probably the best in the last
ten years in home percentages, titles, Champions League, whatever. But it's
impossible to stay at that standard and maybe that percentage has dropped
now. It's impossible to maintain that for such a long period. It is a
miracle he was doing that for ten years. If you didn't know about his record
from history, his current record would still be great.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Claret Commentary - Adrian's winning penalty
WHUFC.com
In the second part of our exciting new feature on West Ham TV, we ask former
and current players to take hold of the mic and provide commentary on a
famous game in the Club's history. In part one, former skipper Kevin Nolan
and Carlton Cole took a trip down memory lane as they reminisced over the
famous Play-Off Final win over Blackpool at Wembley that saw the Hammers
gain promotion back into the Premier League. Cole enjoyed it so much that he
took to the mic once again and joined current club captain Mark Noble for an
amusing look back at the memorable FA Cup win over Everton at the Boleyn
Ground. It proved to be another unforgettable night of cup action under the
lights after Enner Valencia had fired the Hammers into the lead. Everton
drew level late in the game following a free-kick from Kevin Mirallas and
then scored early in extra-time through Romelu Lukaku. Cole brought the
Hammers back into the game with the crucial equaliser which then saw the
game result in a penalty shoot-out. Few could forget the moment Adrian took
off his gloves and scored the winning penalty which saw the Hammers win 9-8
on aggregate. Watch as Cole and Noble describe the events of the night in
the only way they know possible and make this a must-watch for every West
Ham United supporter.
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Bilic - Carroll could return
WHUFC.com
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic revealed Andy Carroll could return to Sunday's
matchday squad
The striker has been out with a knee injury since the opening day of the
Premier League season
Bilic revealed Carroll is close to selection and could make the trip to Old
Trafford
Slaven Bilic has revealed the Hammers could be on course for a huge boost on
Sunday with the potential return of Andy Carroll to the first team squad.
The east Londoners take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier
League and star striker Carroll – who has not played since the opening game
against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in August – could be in line for
selection. The 27-year-old damaged his knee in the side's away UEFA Europa
League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu and, having played at Stamford
Bridge, has been on the road to recovery since. And Bilic, speaking ahead of
the first of two matches in the space of four days against the Red Devils,
revealed the forward could play a part in the north west. He said: "Andy is
training with us, and he's come back from a long injury, so we are going to
see. He's very close. "He could be in the squad. We are going to see,
depending on how he progresses. He's done individual training, has trained
with the U23 squad, and now he is training with the first team. "He's back
doing that this week, and that's why two days is very important. But is he
very close? Yes, definitely."
Carroll made 36 appearances in claret and blue last season – including four
against Sunday's opponents – notching nine goals, second to only Dimitri
Payet in the Club's scoring charts. Boss Bilic says his return will be
extremely welcome given the qualities the striker can bring to the team.
"The things he gives us are great," the manager continued. "When he is fit,
he makes an impact on a game, no matter who you play against. It's very hard
to play against him. "I'm hoping for the rest of the season with Andy. We
have been talking about this since I came to West Ham and it's a shame
because you don't see these things coming. "You can only see it coming when
you look at his record on paper. You don't see it training or in games, but
unfortunately it has happened a few times."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic: West Ham manager 'not fearful' of losing job & has owners'
support
BBC.co.uk
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says he is not worried he might lose his job as
he has the support of the club's owners. The Hammers, beaten at Tottenham
last Saturday, are currently one place above the Premier League relegation
zone having won only three games out of 12. Bilic's side visit Manchester
United on Sunday and again in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, followed by league
games against Arsenal and Liverpool. He said he is "not fearful" and will
carry on "in good times and bad times".
Bilic added: "I feel pressure, of course, as at the moment we are not
producing and do not have enough points to feel happy and safe.
"I speak to the owners regularly after every game and I feel support. I'm
concentrating on my job and our next game." The former Croatia international
is confident West Ham can get a result against Jose Mourinho's Manchester
United at Old Trafford. "Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest," he added.
"Statistically at home, there is probably no-one better. But it's hard to
stay at that standard and maybe that has dropped now. "I'm confident, if we
can cut out the mistakes, and with a bit of luck, we can pick up a result on
Sunday."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: I understand why there has been speculation
over my future
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard
The defeat at Tottenham was hard to take. In five years' time, the memory
will still be painful for me. We knew how much this game meant to the fans,
as it did for us at the club, and we came so close but in the end we lost.
Had we held out and won we would have pulled away from the bottom of the
Premier League but, as it is, we are just one place above the bottom three
with a tough schedule ahead. Following the 3-2 defeat at White Hart Lane,
there has been speculation about my future. I understand that will happen.
I am not a newcomer to this game and neither am I stupid. I know you are
judged on the table and the number of points you have.
There is nothing I can do about that except work hard and look for us to win
games. It is not as if we have dropped our performance level. We were a
confident team at Spurs. All I am thinking about is how to improve things,
to keep our concentration up until the last second and to eliminate those
silly mistakes. In the corresponding match last season we went to White Hart
Lane in a good run of form and lost 4-1. Some people have suggested that
last weekend's 3-2 defeat was even worse. I think that what they mean is
that this one hurts more and it is taking longer to get over it.
Would we rather get hammered? No. This defeat is very painful because we
should have won but we can - and we will - take many positives from it. When
you are beaten 4-1 there can't be too many plus points. This one really
hurts - and for longer - but when we analyse the display, then for almost
all of the game we did well, both individually and as a team. The mistakes
cost us dearly but I can take positives from 80 per cent of that game. For
the next couple of days, the players were low and you could see it hurt them
but now we are approaching a new game - admittedly another tough one at
Manchester United - and we know if we do the majority of things as well as
we did at Spurs, then we have a good chance.
We now face two matches at Old Trafford within the space of four days. I
certainly won't look at Sunday's League match, though, with one eye on the
EFL Cup quarter-final the following Wednesday. We will go there with our
strongest team this weekend and see what happens. As for United, they
haven't yet hit their best form but they were looking better against Arsenal
last weekend and certainly looked the part last night in their Europa League
clash with Feyenoord. They played well against Leicester, Fenerbahce and
even against Burnley, they were so unlucky not to win. Of course, I have
great respect for them and it is one of the toughest fixtures of the season
but now even more, we have to concentrate on ourselves.
Our captain, Mark Noble, is available again after suspension and we missed
his character against Spurs, especially towards the end when Tottenham were
taking risks and bombing forward. You always need leaders. It is worrying
that, as at Spurs, we've had real trouble killing games off after being in
front. We must do better. I also came in for criticism for the substitutions
at Spurs and, straight after the match and in view of what happened, I knew
it would have been better had I not changed certain things. For me, though,
it was an absolutely logical thing to do at the time. I was happy with the
first two substitutions, with Andre Ayew, who is still coming back to full
fitness, and Diafra Sakho, who was playing his first game of the season,
coming off after an hour.
For many, though, it was the last one - Havard Nordtveit for Dimitri Payet -
which ultimately changed the game. Before the game I was asked if the team I
had picked was too attacking but it wasn't like that. An important part of
defending is how good you are when you have the ball. After we scored our
second I didn't expect us to be holding on for half an hour. We wanted to
kill the game off and had three opportunities to do that. But they were
putting us under more and more pressure and with just over five minutes left
I wasn't thinking any more about scoring another goal but rather that we
just needed to hold on. So that is why I made the substitution, I felt we
needed an extra body in a midfield holding position with Pedro Obiang but it
didn't work out well. As I said, if someone reminds me about this game in
five years, the hurt will still be there - it's one of those. Having said
that, I'd recovered by the following day. As a manager, you have to do that.
You have to set an example, you dust yourself down, clap your hands and say:
"Okay, let's go again!"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manchester United v West Ham United
SUN, 27 NOV 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
16:30
Venue: Old Trafford
TEAM NEWS
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to return for Manchester United after completing a
one-match domestic suspension. Wayne Rooney and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could
also start after impressing against Feyenoord, but Eric Bailly and Chris
Smalling remain injured.
West Ham captain Mark Noble is available after serving a ban but defender
Winston Reid misses out because of his red card at Tottenham. Pedro Obiang
is expected to be fit despite an ankle injury.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Guy Mowbray: "I can't be alone in having casually thought that West Ham tend
to do well at Old Trafford, only to be proved wrong when looking back at
results.
"Maybe it's because all three of their only wins there since 1986 were
famous ones, with winning goals scored by famous players - Jermain Defoe,
Carlos Tevez and Paolo Di Canio (with a little help from Fabien Barthez -
taxiiiii!). "Making a case for them this time got tougher with Manchester
United's impressive win against Feyenoord on Thursday, following another
'one that got away' performance versus Arsenal last week. "Everything points
to a home win. A famous one? Over to you Wayne Rooney…"
Twitter: @Guymowbray
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Henrikh Mkhitaryan's display
against Feyenoord: "He just needs now to try to replicate this kind of
performance in the Premier League. "The Premier League is different. He
needs one more step. Obviously now confidence levels are higher. "This
performance gives him the right to believe that he can play the next match
again and he needs to replicate this kind of performance in the Premier
League, with more physicality, more aggression.
"We know that we were buying a player with a high level of technical
quality, very intelligent, very bright, the way he reads the game."
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "I speak to the owners, mostly Mr Sullivan,
regularly after every game and in between if something needs talking about.
"I feel supported...I'm not fearful. I feel pressure, of course, because we
are not producing, we're not delivering and we don't have enough points to
feel happy and to feel safe. "But I see the improvement. Against Spurs I saw
a team hungry and alive, the points were there for us in a difficult away
game, so that's what I'm confident about."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
West Ham caved in late on at White Hart Lane last weekend, and they are just
not as good defensively as they were last season. Manchester United have
issues too, especially in attack, but although they might make hard work of
it, I think they will find a way through.
Prediction: 2-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham drew twice away to United last season (0-0 in the league, 1-1 in
the FA Cup), ending a run of eight consecutive defeats at Old Trafford in
all competitions.
The Hammers have won just two of their last 23 league games at Old Trafford
(D1, L20).
The Irons have scored 10 goals in 20 Premier League games at Old Trafford
and never more than once in a single game.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have claimed 19 points from their opening 12 league games.
The only Premier League season in which they made a worse start was 2004-05,
when they had 18 points at this stage.
They have drawn three consecutive home league games for the first time since
a similar sequence between February and April 1992. The last time they drew
four in a row at Old Trafford was between November and December 1980 (a
five-match streak).
United have attempted 203 Premier League shots - 80 more than at this point
last season.
Anthony Martial has scored with all three of his shots on target for
Manchester United against West Ham in all competitions.
Wayne Rooney has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 13 league
and cup appearances against West Ham (11 goals, three assists).
He needs one goal to equal Sir Bobby Charlton as Manchester United's
all-time top scorer with 249 goals in all competitions.
West Ham
The Hammers have lost five of their six top-flight away games this term
(W1). Burnley and Leicester are the only sides with poorer away records.
They used 26 different players in their opening 12 Premier League games, the
joint-highest total in the top flight with Sunderland.
West Ham have received seven Premier League red cards since the start of
last season, more than any other side.
Michail Antonio has equalled the Premier League record for headed goals in a
calendar year (11, shared with Tim Cahill in 2010). His last six top-flight
goals have come with his head.
Dimitri Payet has created a league-high 43 goalscoring chances this season
in the Premier League, but only four of these chances have been converted by
the Hammers.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-0 Probability of draw: 24%
Probability of home win: 58% Probability of away win: 18%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football
matches.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: CALLERI ON HIS WAY OUT? CARROLL RETURNS!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 25 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 9:46PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
So the site is a year old today and it seemed fitting to write a column.
Firstly I want to take some time to thank many people who have contributed
to the success. There are way too many to go into detail about but it has
been a pleasure to work with so many people who are dedicated to the cause.
The likes of Katie S, BK Hammer, Ben Cooper, Angelic Upstars, The Scouts
(Chris and Rocky) have contributed regularly throughout the year and their
work is much appreciated. We have the likes of Evan, Baz and George who
bring a public face to the YouTube channel. The bloggers, including the
ex-players, who have all contributed great articles. Jack and Dave Sullivan
with their continued support to the site and Dave and Kev from SDCC who I
love producing the weekly radio show with. Dave and I have also moved into
producing events for matches as I am sure you have seen advertised and it
has been this collaboration with SDCC that has been one of the most
rewarding things this year. SDCC came with us to the football blogging
awards where we were delighted to be nominated for best new blog. They are
both great mates of mine now and we have continued to grow together and this
is something we hoped to do with others.
When The West Ham Way first started we wanted to work with a number of West
Ham channels to produce high quality content for West Ham fans. I had plans
to work with a number of sites, some of which we did do for a while. The
problem seemed to be the more we tried and the more we grew, the more
resentful other sites became and unfortunately became quite strange in their
treatment of us. Anyway the majority of the West Ham sites are brilliant and
all have their own strengths that we try to support and work with as they do
with us. I hope as the years go by you will see a lot more collaboration and
teamwork but whether this will happen I do not know.
It has taken me a while to recover from the Spurs game and I am not sure
that I fully have. It will be interesting to see whether Bilic changes the
keepers again. I personally do not think he should and I believe Randolph
deserves a run like Adrian has been given the chance to do. Should Mark
Noble get his place back in the team following his suspension? This is
another interesting question. With Reid suspended I think we have to bring
in Collins into the back line but it does mean without Reid there is neither
the Captain nor Vice-Captain on the pitch. I personally think Ginge would
make a great captain but I think Bilic will feel he needs to bring his
captain back.
There is interesting news on the forward front. Andy Carroll is back in
training this week and the club have targeted the Liverpool game for a
return to first team action. Whether he stays fit for the rest of the season
is so important to our season's success now. On the flip side I do not think
we will be seeing Calleri again. The club are already preparing for him to
leave the club in January and the speculation is that he hasn't been in
training this week and has been back in South America. Although this has not
been confirmed by my "top source" it would appear that his career at the
club is now over, which I suspect could be the same for our other loan
signings. If you want to hear more about our potential transfers, please
listen to this week's radio show here:
http://www.phoenixfm.com/2016/11/23/the-west-ham-way-show-18/
I personally would rather we won in the cup game than the league against
Manchester United now. Usually I would have said the league but I think our
league campaign is looking relatively uneventful now (assuming we are not in
a relegation battle) whereas reaching the semi-final of a cup competition is
exciting and would give us a great opportunity to get to Wembley.
I am pleased to announce that tickets to our first West Ham Way Pre Match
event are selling really well. We hope to see a lot of you there. We are
aware that there may be some teething problems as this is our first event
but we are determined to make this the number one pre match venue to go to!
You can get your tickets here:
https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/73284/chk/1001
Here's to a good performance at Old Trafford!!
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BILIC, LANZINI AND COTTEE SPEAK ABOUT UPCOMING MANCHESTER UNITED GAMES.
BY 337HAMMER ON 25 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 8:25PM
TheWestHamWay,co.uk
Evening news round-up for Friday 25/11/16 by 337hammer.
Slaven Speaks – Manchester United.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic sat down with the media to preview the first
of his side's two matches against Manchester United in the space of four
days. The Hammers take on Jose Mourinho's outfit at Old Trafford in the
Premier League on Sunday afternoon and the boss was keen for his squad to
move on from last weekend's defeat to Spurs.
The Croatian also gave an update on Pedro Obiang, spoke about Winston Reid
as well as discussing his relationship with the Club's owners. whufc.com
Slaven Bilic hints at ditching back three in Winston Reid's absence.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has hinted that he may change his system to
cover for the absent Winston Reid in Sunday's trip to Manchester United. The
New Zealand centre-back received a second suspension of the season when he
was sent off in injury time during West Ham's 3-2 defeat to Tottenham.
Recent weeks have seen Bilic resort to the back three he employed to some
success last season, partnering midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate with Reid and
Angelo Ogbonna. Whilst James Collins would make a like-for-like switch the
West Ham boss suggested that the absence of his vice-captain may prompt a
change in system. standard.co.uk
How do you think Reid's absence will affect the team? How big a miss will he
be? Will Collins come in for Reid in a straight swap? Håvard Nordtveit? Or
will we change formation?
Mourinho's standards have dropped – Bilic.
Bilic takes his side to Old Trafford twice in the next five days, in the
Premier League on Sunday and the EFL Cup quarter-finals next Wednesday, and
is likely to be afforded a hot reception after his assertion that Mourinho
is not achieving the success he once was.
"Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest," Bilic told the BBC. "Statistically
at home, there is probably no-one better. But it's hard to stay at that
standard and maybe that has dropped now." fourfourtwo.com
Is Bilic correct in saying that Mourinho is not as good a manager now as he
was? Is he still good enough to put out a team to beat us though? What are
your thoughts on 'the special one'?
Bilic: I understand why there has been speculation over my future.
"The defeat at Tottenham was hard to take. In five years' time, the memory
will still be painful for me. We knew how much this game meant to the fans,
as it did for us at the club, and we came so close but in the end we lost.
Had we held out and won we would have pulled away from the bottom of the
Premier League but, as it is, we are just one place above the bottom three
with a tough schedule ahead.
Following the 3-2 defeat at White Hart Lane, there has been speculation
about my future. I understand that will happen. I am not a newcomer to this
game and neither am I stupid. I know you are judged on the table and the
number of points you have. All I am thinking about is how to improve things,
to keep our concentration up until the last second and to eliminate those
silly mistakes." standard.co.uk
A fair assessment by Bilic, but as much as we may like him, does he have
what it takes to turn things around when we are so under pressure? Do you
still have the faith? How much of what has happened this season is our
managers fault?
West Ham Tony Cottee: We have nothing to fear at Manchester United.
I know we are in 17th after the defeat, but there are no alarm bells ringing
for me and our performance at Tottenham should give us plenty of
encouragement ahead of visiting Manchester United twice this week and then
Liverpool next month. We'll go to those places with confidence and we showed
last year what we can do on the road. There is nothing for us to be worried
about at Old Trafford. We need to be positive like last season in the FA
Cup, a game we also should have won.
What will be interesting to see is what team Jose Mourinho puts out for both
matches. I'm sure Slaven Bilic will play his best side for the two games. I
don't think we have anything to fear at Old Trafford so I'm going for a 1-1
draw on Sunday and then a shock 2-0 win in the cup on Wednesday.
newhamrecorder.co.uk
Two massive games coming up at OT; should we be going there with no fear?
Can the players be positive? Are you positive? What do you think the results
of the next 2 games will be?
Lanzini ready to showcase his talents at Old Trafford.
Manuel Lanzini believes his team-mates should draw inspiration from playing
at Old Trafford on Sunday and hopes they can get their season back on track
with another famous win against Manchester United. Lanzini said: "It will be
a very difficult game, Manchester United are a big team, so we know it will
be difficult but we are confident that the result is going to be positive.
"There are a lot of difficult grounds to go to – Old Trafford is definitely
one of the more mystical places to go to. It is world famous, it can be
challenging but also inspiring, it is up to us. "I am really looking forward
to the game, as a player you always want to play against the biggest teams
and test yourself – our game on Sunday is definitely one of those games."
Another reason why the Hammers have every reason to feel confident is the
fact they took an impressive four points against Manchester United in last
season's league fixtures. However, Lanzini is well aware of the dangers that
a somewhat resurgent United pose. In particular, the Argentine continued to
highlight an area that the Hammers will have to focus on: "It is very
important that we cut the supply between Pogba, Mata and Rooney, we need to
do that well, then concentrate on our own objectives of playing well and
trying to win. "The most important thing is to get points. Once the wins
start coming in, we can concentrate on league positions and aiming specific
targets." whufc.com
Can the 'jewel' lead the way at Old Trafford and help us secure something
from this game? What would your team be? Same as against Tottenham but with
Ginge in defence replacing suspended Reid? Or would you find a starting
place for Captain Mark Noble?
West Ham's tough run may be a blessing.
"This is an incredibly tough run of fixtures for West Ham. Tottenham last
weekend, Manchester United this. United again in the EFL Cup, then Arsenal,
then Liverpool. But sometimes, this can allow you to play with a bit more
freedom. Nobody expects you to win the games, so it can make you lose your
inhibitions as a team. If West Ham can keep the score level at half-time,
you can be sure that sections of the Old Trafford crowd will turn against
their team." standard.co.uk
Is our tough run a blessing? How do you see our chances over the next 4
games? What would be the minimum realistic amount of points you think we
will get? What about the cup, will we progress any further?
Michail Antonio on gangs, goals and grabbing life by the balls.
Michail Antonio's non-league career came to an abrupt end. Eight years ago,
the powerful West Ham winger was a raw 18-year-old, playing for local side
Tooting & Mitcham in the Isthmian League, part of the seventh tier of
English football. His performances had caught the eye of Reading, however,
and the Royals had signed Antonio and loaned him back to south London as a
much-improved player. Training daily with the Championship team, not just
Tuesdays and Thursdays, worked wonders with his touch and decision-making.
But the presence of a professional in the amateur and semi-pro ranks
attracted some hostile attention.
"It was the last game I played," says Antonio, recalling a 2-2 draw with
Hendon, and a sequence that plays out a bit like Cameroon's famous assault
on Claudio Caniggia at the 1990 World Cup. He claps his hands together to
mark out the beat of each missed tackle, his voice incredulous. "I've picked
it up in the middle, someone has chopped me in half, and then I've got it
back again because, to be honest, I was used to those tackles anyway. Got it
again – I've beat one, I've knocked it down the line. The ball is 10 yards
ahead of me, the guy has come for me! He's tried to scissor me in half, so
I've hurdled over him, run down the line, I've cut inside another person.
The ball is two yards ahead of me, he's come for my body – I've hurdled him
and scored.
"At the end of the game, I've got a phone call from Reading: 'You're coming
back. One of our scouts was at the game, and we can't let you stay there.
You're going to get seriously hurt.'" sport-magazine.co.uk
Owen Coyle reveals reason for Martin Samuelsen's Blackburn Rovers exit.
The 19-year-old played just 70 minutes of Championship football for Rovers,
and an hour in the EFL Cup defeat to Leeds, before Coyle took the decision
to end the loan spell following a chat with the winger. Coyle said
Samuelsen, and his family, felt he should be playing more regularly for the
club, with the manager stating that no-one has a guaranteed place in his
starting line-up.
"I cut the loan short," Coyle revealed. "It's very simple, Martin is a
lovely young man, a talented man, but I think there was pressure from his
family through to Martin who felt he should he starting every week in our
team. "We had a really good chat about it, I told him very honestly that I
can't guarantee with any player that they are going to start every week.
"We both felt that it would be in his interests to go back to West Ham, play
some games for the under-23s, which he can do until January, and then kick
on from there. "I do believe that in time Martin will have a very good
career, he's a talented player. " lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
What happens with Samuelsen now? Is it realistic to expect a club to loan
him and guarantee him a starting spot every week? We wouldn't do the same
with our loan players!
West Ham rival Lazio for Polish international Grosicki.
Lazio have competition for Polish international Kamil Grosicki, if a report
from Poland is to be trusted. It appears that West Ham have joined the race
for the Stade Rennais star according to Polish paper PS, (via
Sportowefakty). The 28-year-old came very close to agreeing terms with
Burnley in summer, only for the move to crash and burn at the end of the
window. calciomercato.com
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BILIC'S ACHILLES HEEL
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 25 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 7:38PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This article is written by Mark Scott @markscott2512
There is much to admire in both Bilic the man and Bilic the manager and yet
one thing seems to consistently stand out as a weakness, his choice and
timing of substitutions. The Premier League today is a 14 man game. Where
once a subs bench was more of an array of second choice players, awaiting on
an injury to a first eleven star for their chance, the modern game dictates
the need to change a game with tactical substitutions. A managers ability to
read a game, react to on field events and turn a game on its head is what
separates the great coaches from the good or average. Sadly, on the evidence
of this season, Bilic would seem to fall into the later category. Our
performances of last season, where we seemed adept at clawing a game back
having gone a goal behind have been sharply exposed this term. Whilst it is
true to say that we are suffering due to our mis-firing strike force, our
cause does not seem to be advanced by Bilic's lack of desire to react or his
choice of replacements. This was never more evident than in the recent
defeat to Spurs when, having taken Payet off, our opponents found their
freedom and went on steal all three points. Whilst Payet may not have been
enjoying his most eloquent of performances, he gave Spurs something to think
about and be wary off. Once that threat was removed, our opponents focused
more on their own game plan rather than nullifying ours and that cost us the
game and three invaluable points. The introduction of Nordveit rather than
Collins was also questionable at best. Whilst no fan of Big Sam, this would
not have been a change he would have made and he would surely have opted for
the experienced and proven defender.
We can cite our injury list of this season as one of the reasons for our
disjointed performances but we do seem to be trying to fit round pegs into
square holes. Players played out of position rarely perform to their best,
as we all saw to our cost with the ill fated Antonio experiment. It feels
very much as though Bilic has yet to find his preferred eleven and more
importantly their most effective positions. This is a huge concern a third
of the way into his second season at the Club. He has stumbled across the
'back five' which, whilst it has improved upon our early season
performances, still doesn't seem to be a natural fit for our tactics or our
players.
Given the season that Bilic delivered us in our final season at The Boleyn,
he deserves time to turn this one around but we cannot allow ourselves to go
much further into this campaign without picking up points, especially in
games that we should be winning. It is commendable for Bilic to praise our
spirit and performance against Spurs away, however it is against the Stoke
City's of this league that we need to be taking points. We need to recognise
where we are in the league and adjust our ambitions accordingly. Regardless
of what our owners and The Board promised us in the summer, this is now
reality and only with the right man at the helm will we secure survival,
which has to be our priority. My hope is that Bilic is the right man, my
suspicion is that he may not be."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO WEST HAM?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 25 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 4:43PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This article is written by Lee – @lee_wilko_12
It all looked so good going into the 2016/2017 season for West Ham fans,
after what can only be described as a great season in 2015/2016 it all
looked great. A manager who was getting the best from the players, a team
that worked so well together and so hard for one another and a brand new
stadium to push us to that next level. A level we had always aspired to be
at, a big club, one well known and that can compete with the big boys and
attract those star players in world football. After finishing the previous
season 7th and on a record number of 62 points it all looked very promising,
we had some outstanding results that season and outplayed the big teams on
pretty much every occasion.
The send off we gave to Upton Park was memorable, that game gave me
goosebumps and even being bed ridden and very ill you can bet I was jumping
around and running around my house like a raging lunatic. The show
afterwards was very fitting for such a legendary ground, having been a fan
all of my life it felt like saying goodbye to a dearly loved family member,
I only wish I could have been there for that one final goodbye. Such great
memories and such a great atmosphere the fans created week in and week out,
didn't matter if we were winning or losing you knew those fans would not
stop shouting and singing right until the final whistle. Everything was
looking up for us Hammers fans, if you had asked any of us where we thought
the club was heading 99% of us would have said 16/17 would be a top 7 finish
a cup run and give Europa League a good shot. How wrong we were……..
Fast forward to the Summer transfer window, a window we were all waiting
for and expecting big things and some good transfers. We were promised a £30
million goal scoring striker which I think was stupid to announce as clubs
know we were willing to splash the cash, I don't and never will agree with
owners talking about what we want to do in a transfer window. This was our
big chance, European football, a great base of a team to build upon and a
new stadium, if there was ever a time to spend big and get an even better
squad this was it. The fans were promised so much for this window and we did
not get anything close to the promises made by our owners.
As we have all seen now this is not how any of it panned out, I am going to
run through the transfers and give my opinion on the players and what they
have brought to the team and what should happen with those players.
Andre Ayew – £20 million from Swansea – We all know he is a very good player
and proved that in the previous season, he knows where the goal is and we
even went for him on a free the season before but couldn't match the wages
Swansea were offering. He was unlucky to get injured in his first game for
us, I have seen fans write him off already and I don't agree at all. I
really think Ayew will turn out a good signing for us and he will soon start
paying back that transfer fee.
Arthur Masuaku – £6 million from Olympiacos – If I am being honest I had
not heard of him before he signed and didn't expect too much as he was cover
for Aaron Cresswell. Yet again I have seen a lot of fans saying he is not
good enough due to one bad game against West Brom. In previous games he
showed he is a solid player, great work rate and willingness to get forward,
he needs to work on his defending and positioning a bit more but as a back
up player I am more than happy for him to be with the club.
Edmilson Fernandes – £5 million from FC Sion – Yet again another player I
knew little about after we signed him, so far I have been very impressed
with the youngster. He is clearly talented and I hope he stays with us for a
long time, he has pace, vision and great footwork. He is still young and can
learn a lot from players such as Dimitri Payet. He has proved he is
versatile and fits great into the team. Lets hope we keep him and he starts
to feature more in the team.
Simone Zaza – Loan from Juventus – Where do I start here? We are promised
all Summer long a goal scoring £30 million forward and we are given Simone
Zaza. I had seen Zaza play a few times before for Juventus and he looked
like he knew where the goal was and on a loan I thought well lets see what
we are getting. It is now nearly December and I would be happy to never see
him in a West Ham shirt again. He shows passion which I love from
footballers but in terms of footballing ability and finishing he lacks an
awful lot of it. His decision making is sub par and every time he has the
ball at his feet he makes the wrong decision. Has never looked like scoring
despite a good display against Crystal Palace which really just consisted of
a lot of running and pressing the ball. I think he was a pure panic buy, we
went for a lot of forwards and he was a last resort. Send him back to Italy
in January and lets all forget this ever happened.
Jonathan Calleri – Loan from Maldonado – I had heard a lot of good things
about this guy, he was alleged to be a natural goalscorer and a real young
talent. If you were to tell me that now I would laugh at you. This guy
couldn't score if there wasn't a keeper there, he hasn't had a great deal of
game time and there is a reason for that. He seems to lack a decent first
touch and just does not have that cutting edge in front of goal, which
showed in the one on one against Bournemouth. Another forward to add to the
two David's list of West Ham's forwards that just are not good enough. Send
him back in January.
Gokhan Tore – Loan from Besiktas – This was a player I really wanted at West
Ham, Bilic's golden boy and had done so well in Turkey, young player who was
very quick and direct, he isn't afraid to run at defenders and take them on.
He was such a good player for Besiktas and when Bilic got his man that is
what we thought we were getting. We got the opposite to that, pre season he
looked out of shape and out of sorts, he looked clumsy and didn't look
anything we were promised. But it was only pre season so who cares. After
then seeing him in competitive games I along with every fan knew he was
nowhere near the Premier League level. Minus one assist against Bournemouth
he has done nothing for us. Waste of a few million quid loan fee and should
be sent back in January.
Ashley Fletcher – Free from Manchester United – A young player with great
potential and an eye for goal was what I had read and being honest had seen
him once or twice while on loan at Barnsley. I really like him, I think he
is one for the future and if I am being completely truthful should have a
shot in the first team, against Man City he played well and has great hold
up play and for someone so young is calm and is happy to close players down.
I would prefer him to start upfront instead of Zaza and he deserves a
chance, worst case scenario he doesn't score but at the moment none of our
forwards can. Keep him and start giving him some more game time.
Havard Nordtveit – Free from Borussia Monchengladbach – A past captain for
the German team, a Norway international and a leader of men, it seemed like
we were getting an absolute steal here. To get an ex captain on a free from
a good team in Germany seemed to good to be true and it clearly was. He just
has not adjusted to the Premier League, he looks clumsy and misplaces passes
every game, he has been played as a CDM, CB and a RB. None of those
positions have worked, RB is understandable as its not his position but the
other two he should be comfortable for him. He has struggled in every game
I've watched him in, the penalty he gave away against Tottenham was the
final straw for me. He is not good enough for the first team and should be
sold in January and replaced with a much better player.
Sofiane Feghouli – Free from Valencia CF – An Algerian winger who I had seen
play many times in La Liga and had seen he was good, quick and direct also a
regular starter for the Spanish side. On a free transfer it is still a good
deal. He has had limited game time due to injuries and the system we play, I
really think he will come good for us as I know he is a good player and
needs to get a run of games under his belt. I want to keep Feghouli and hope
Bilic starts playing him more often.
Alvaro Arbeloa – Free from Real Madrid – Who hasn't heard of Arbeloa? He
spent time at Liverpool and at one time was a regular at Madrid. Yes he is
33 but he was that right back and experience we were looking for at the
time, I thought he would be a good signing and would teach Sam Bryam a thing
or two. For some reason this transfer just has not worked at all. The games
he has played he didn't stand out at all, solid at best to be honest. I
think we should sell him or release him in January and replace him.
For so many reasons these transfers didn't work out and all in all the whole
window was a disaster from start to finish, if you look at our current
starting 11 there is one or two signings from the Summer that play and that
speaks volumes if you ask me. I really think we did not strengthen at all
and we most certainly did not get the right type of players in.
We should have gone domestic and signed proven players, we were crying out
for a new right back and we went cheap and got Arbeloa, a poor decision on
the owners/Bilic's shoulders. We sold Tomkins who I still think was a
ridiculous decision (Yes he wanted first team football) but he was a better
right back than Arbeloa is. We sold Tomkins and didn't replace him, Reece
Oxford should be given a chance now and let us see how he plays in the
Premier League if given a run of games.
The £30 million striker was nowhere to be found and look what has happened,
not a single or assist from a striker this season, last one I believe was
Diafra Sakho against Man United in the final game at Upton Park. After
failing to sign this £30 million man we panicked and brought in two unproven
strikers on loan and it has shown how bad this decision was, Zaza and
Calleri could play every minute of every game from now until January and
would not score.
In my opinion the reason summer 2016 was such a failure was because Summer
2015 we got good players for cheap and on loan such as Payet, Lanzini,
Ogbonna and Obiang. And the owners thought they would be able to replicate
this again the following summer, it massively backfired and apart from Andre
Ayew signing and signing Manuel Lanzini permanently for £10 million we
didn't really splash out. What made it worse was missing out on Carlos
Bacca, Christian Benteke, Michy Batshuayi (now playing in Chelsea Reserves),
Alexandre Lacazette and turning down Wissam Ben Yedder for being to small to
play in the Premier League, in my opinion the fact we turned him down was a
bloody joke, he is a brilliant player and would have been an amazing
signing. That was just a handful of forwards we were linked with.
Yes the two David's have been doing this for years but football now is
different, prices are over inflated and you have to spend over the odds 99%
of the time to get the quality you need. I have the utmost respect for the
owners and I know they saved us from going under but they have to take the
blame for a poor Summer window and they have to now make it up to us in
January and open their cheque books and get in the quality needed to ensure
we survive in the Premier League and push ourselves up the table. If I was
in charge my top priority would be ship off the dead weight and replace with
quality players, we need 2 strikers minimum, another winger, a first team
right back and maybe another midfielder for strength in depth. I really
think we should go for Michy Batshuayi on loan, he is not playing at Chelsea
and I think he would score goals without a doubt. I do think the owners have
their work cut out in January and only time will tell what they are going to
do to try and save our season.
The season didn't start in great fashion, yet again being knocked out early
in Europe by Astra Giurgiu (ASTRA GOO GOO) was awful, we underperformed
badly in both games and it was very hard to watch us be beaten by a team
formed of mainly part time footballers, it was the worst possible start to
the season we could have asked for. Injuries at the club were ridiculous at
the beginning of the season and it seems to be a recurring theme, I don't
understand why so many of our players get injured? I cannot figure it out at
all, call it a curse if you want but I would love a run of a couple of
months even where none of players end up picking up an injury.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll could make shock return at Manchester United, West Ham boss
Slaven Bilic says
Last Updated: 25/11/16 10:35pm
SSN
Andy Carroll could feature against Manchester United this weekend after just
three days' training, says West Ham boss Slaven Bilic. The England striker
has spent the last three months recovering from a knee injury and was only
able to resume full training this week. However, Bilic has not ruled out
including Carroll in his squad for Old Trafford on Sunday as he aims to
improve a record of 13 goals in 12 league games. "He's been training with us
for three days," said Bilic. "He came back after a long injury and he's very
close. "He could be in the squad. We're going to see, because we are not
talking about two weeks of training. It has been this week, so we'll see." A
run of six goals in five league games in the spring was a reminder of the
menace Carroll possesses, but he has missed 83 games since making a £15m
move from Liverpool in 2013. "Last year, before he got injured, when he was
fit he makes an impact on a game, no matter who you play against," Bilic
added. "It's very hard to play against him. The things he is giving us are
great. But we've been talking about this since I came to West Ham. "It's a
shame because you don't see it coming, only when you look at his record on
paper. You don't see in training and in games that he has got problems, but
unfortunately it has happened a few times."
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Manchester United v West Ham preview: Zlatan Ibrahimovic to return from ban
Last Updated: 25/11/16 8:32pm
SSN
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to return from his ban when Manchester United host
struggling West Ham on Sunday. The 35-year-old missed the 1-1 draw with
Arsenal having been booked five times but played in the Red Devils' 4-0
Europa League win against Feyenoord on Thursday, while the likes of Henrikh
Mkhitaryan and Wayne Rooney may have impressed Jose Mourinho enough to keep
their starting roles. West Ham's struggles have been well documented this
season and are currently 17th in the Premier League table after a 3-2 loss
to Tottenham. However, a win could send them as high as 11th. The Hammers'
last away win came against Crystal Palace on October 15. Mourinho, who is
expected to recall goalkeeper David de Gea but remains without Eric Bailly
(knee) and Chris Smalling (toe), must determine whether Michael Carrick can
make a third start in nine days.
West Ham captain Mark Noble returns from suspension but defender Winston
Reid serves a one-match ban. Midfielder Pedro Obiang is expected to be
available despite missing training earlier this week due to an ankle injury.
Long-term absentee Andy Carroll has resumed training after his ankle injury
but Reece Oxford, Sam Byram, Gokhan Tore and Arthur Masuaku are still
sidelined.
Manchester United have lost just two of their last 23 league games against
West Ham at Old Trafford, winning 20 (D1). West Ham haven't won at Old
Trafford since their 1-0 victory in May 2007, in which Carlos Tevez found
the net to help the Hammers avoid relegation. They've lost eight of their 10
meetings in all competitions since there. Mourinho has won seven of his
previous nine Premier League matches against West Ham (D1 L1), losing 1-2 at
Upton Park to Slaven Bilic's Hammers. In each of his five full Premier
League seasons as a manager, Mourinho's league placing after 12 games has
been his final league placing that season. Manchester United are currently
sixth in 2016-17 after 12 games. Anthony Martial has scored with all three
of his shots on target for Manchester United against West Ham in all
competitions. Rooney has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 13
appearances against West Ham in all competitions (11 goals, three assists),
but hasn't scored or assisted in his last three. Michail Antonio equalled
the Premier League record for headed goals in a calendar year in his last
appearance (11, joint with Tim Cahill in 2010). Antonio's last six Premier
League goals have all been headers, but he's still some way off the Premier
League record of consecutive headed goals set by David Wetherall (12 in a
row). Dimitri Payet has created a league-high 43 goalscoring chances this
season in the Premier League, but only four of these chances have been
converted by the Hammers. Manchester United have attempted 203 shots in
total this season in the Premier League. After 12 league games last season,
United had attempted 80 shots fewer (123).
Merson's prediction
Well, Manchester United have to win this and I thought they played well last
week against Arsenal - in fact, they should have won. West Ham were 2-1 up
with a minute to go against Tottenham, but still managed to go and get
beaten 3-2. Along with where they are in the league, I'm going for United to
win.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 7/1)
Betting
Mourinho's Man United are 4/9 favourites at home to West Ham, with the
Hammers 11/2 to leave Old Trafford with all three points.
The draw is an 18/5 chance, with 1-1, 2-2 or 3-3 priced at 9/2 in the
correct score group betting.
Ibrahimovic is the 100/30 market leader to score first, with Diafra Sakho
considered most likely for the visitors at 9/1.
Set-piece specialist Payet is 11/1 to score the opener and 3/1 to hit the
back of the net any time.
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Manager Slaven Bilic says West Ham are improving and can start to climb the
table
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 25/11/16 12:12pm
SSN
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says he is not 'fearful' for his job, despite the
club's slow start to the season. The East Londoners looked on course for a
win at Tottenham on Saturday but conceded two late goals to lose 3-2 instead
and lie just a point and a place above the Premier League drop zone.
However, Bilic remains confident he has the support of joint-chairmen David
Sullivan and David Gold, and feels the Hammers have been improving in recent
games. Speaking ahead of Sunday's trip to Manchester United, Bilic said:
"There is not much to say, I am doing my job. "I speak to the owners, mostly
Mr Sullivan, regularly after every game, and in between if something needs
talking about. "I feel supported and, as I have said so many times, I
concentrate on my job and our next game, and that's basically it. "I'm not
fearful. I feel pressure, of course, because we are not producing, we're not
delivering, and we don't have enough points to feel happy and to feel safe.
"But I see the improvement. Against Spurs I saw a team hungry and alive. The
points were there for us in a difficult away game, so that's what I'm
confident about. "I take my job in good times and bad times. How I look at
my job, or any manager's job, is that the next few games can change
everything from good times to bad times, and bad times to good. "When we
were doing well, I wasn't thinking about getting a new contract. All I
concentrate on is how to improve the team, to lift them after a defeat or
improve after a good run. That's how I look at my job."
With all the sides having played just 12 games, the middle of the table is
congested and West Ham are only four points behind mid-table Bournemouth.
"If we had won at Spurs we'd have been about 12th," Bilic added. "We can say
it's still early days but we have to start picking up the points. We can say
we deserved more or were unlucky, but the table doesn't lie. "We know it
will be hard, starting on Sunday, and then Arsenal and Liverpool, but also
against Burnley after that. "If we play like we played Saturday and avoid
those mistakes, and with a little bit of luck, we can pick up results in any
game."
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Ashley Fletcher interview: West Ham man discusses Man Utd exit
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 24/11/16 9:39pm
SSN
West Ham forward Ashley Fletcher speaks to Sky Sports about his new life in
London, leaving Manchester United and the upcoming double-header at Old
Trafford… Ashley Fletcher is enjoying his new surroundings and getting used
to the hustle and bustle of London life. The forward left the security of
the Manchester United academy in the summer, turning down a two-year
contract to stay at Old Trafford, for a new challenge with West Ham. Born in
Keighley in West Yorkshire, Fletcher had spent all of his life in the north
of England and had previously only ventured south when football dictated a
brief trip to the capital. The flat he now shares with his girlfriend is
situated in the very heart of the Docklands, overlooking The O2 as well as
the new financial district and River Thames. The iconic setting has provided
him with the perfect backdrop to view the city in all its grandeur. It is a
way of life he is adjusting to, and the 21-year-old is quick to point out
that he still feels like a "wide-eyed northern boy" in the big city. "I've
gone to see Big Ben and the London Eye, the Parliament buildings as well,
it's great to look around," he said. "I've always been up for seeing new
sights, travelling and seeing the world. Now I'm living in the capital, it's
certainly a different way of life, but I love it down here. "I've used the
tube a couple of times, it was definitely different, a lot busier and a lot
more frantic than it is in Manchester with the Metrolink. It's a great way
to get around. But I don't think I'll be using it during rush hour!"
Though he may not be rushing to join the rat race anytime soon, Fletcher is
keen to hop on the Premier League gravy train. While on loan at Barnsley
last season, he watched from afar as academy pal Marcus Rashford made the
most of a striking injury crisis at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal.
It was a chance that may have been afforded to Fletcher had he not been at
Oakwell. Not being one to dwell on what could have been, Fletcher kept his
focus on Barnsley and helped spearhead their promotion push to the Sky Bet
Championship, scoring nine times in 27 appearances, including the first goal
in the 3-1 play-off final victory over Millwall in May.
The success achieved at Barnsley, as well as Rashford's rise to first-team
stardom, did however leave Fletcher with a burning desire to make a name for
himself higher up the footballing chain and ultimately led to his permanent
departure from Manchester United, the club he considers as the "biggest in
the world".
Even the arrival of Jose Mourinho in June did little to alter his thoughts
on staying at Manchester United. "The decision to leave was probably made
more or less before Jose had come in," he said. "I had obviously spoken with
Nicky Butt, who was the head of the academy at the time, Warren Joyce and
people who were above in the board, John Alexander and Ed Woodward. I just
thought the decision was right for me and for my family; it was time for me
to go and make a career for myself. "Manchester United offered me a new
contract, but in terms of what I wanted, it was not right. It wasn't about
anything financial, it was just about my career and my progress. What they
were offering and their ambitions for me did not match mine. "Because I was
out of contract, there were a few teams already aware of my situation and
they were coming with bigger contracts and bigger promises for me to
progress my career. I would say a two-year contract was not what I was
expecting. It was difficult to turn Manchester United down, but you've got
to think of your career."
It represented the end of a seven-year association between Fletcher and
Manchester United, but also signified a new beginning for the former England
U20 international. It was the persuasive powers of West Ham co-chairman
David Sullivan and a long-term plan outlined by manager Slaven Bilic that
convinced Fletcher his future lay with the Hammers, who were themselves
preparing to enter a new era in the club's history at the London Stadium.
He has since featured nine times for the first-team and, though he is yet to
break his goal scoring duck for the club, he has shown flashes of his
undoubted potential. Big, strong and quick, Fletcher has all the attributes
needed to succeed in the top-flight. But with record signing Andre Ayew and
Diafra Sakho back to full fitness, and Andy Carroll also nearing a return to
action, Fletcher is under no illusions that he faces a real fight to force
himself into starting contention as West Ham look to improve on their slow
start to the season, which has left them languishing in 17th place. He
remains undeterred though, and is convinced his decision to leave Manchester
United for West Ham has already been vindicated. "I've made nine appearances
and I don't personally think that would have happened to me this year if I
would have stayed at Manchester United," he said. "The experiences I am
getting at West Ham and the way I am progressing as a player, and as a
person, I feel I have really benefited. So, I think it was the right
decision to leave."
Fletcher is currently preparing to meet his old club at Old Trafford twice
in the space of a week, firstly in the Premier League on Sunday and then in
EFL Cup on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm. It will be the
first time the sides have played one another since West Ham's memorable
victory in the final ever match to be played at the Boleyn Ground in May.
Fletcher was then an interested television spectator in his flat in
Manchester, but hopes to make an impact over the coming week in front of a
host of familiar faces and family members. "It was such a big game at the
Boleyn and the atmosphere was unbelievable, it was a fitting end to an
unbelievable stadium," he said. "Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to
play there, I wish I could have done, but that game really sticks in my
mind. "I always knew the passion of West Ham fans. When they played away
from home at Old Trafford or when I had seen them on TV, the passion the
fans have is a different level in my eyes because they live and breathe
football. "It obviously hurts when we get beat, but when we win, you can see
the joy in people's faces. I would say that was a major factor in me joining
West Ham so, that being said, I am really excited to be going back to Old
Trafford as it should be a magnificent occasion. "People at United know
what I am about, so hopefully I'll get the opportunity to put on a good
performance for the West Ham fans. There's no bad blood or jealously with
United. I am really proud of my time at United and I know it made me the
player, and person, I am today. However, my full focus is on West Ham and
hopefully getting two good results."
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West Ham news: Michail Antonio on his rise from non-league, turning down
Tottenham and the Olympic Stadium
Antonio celebrates a goal at the Olympic Stadium
By Amit Katwala - @amitkatwala
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Michail Antonio's non-league career came to an abrupt end. Eight years ago,
the powerful West Ham winger was a raw 18-year-old, playing for local side
Tooting & Mitcham in the Isthmian League, part of the seventh tier of
English football. His performances had caught the eye of Reading, however,
and the Royals had signed Antonio and loaned him back to south London as a
much-improved player.
Training daily with the Championship team, not just Tuesdays and Thursdays,
worked wonders with his touch and decision-making. But the presence of a
professional in the amateur and semi-pro ranks attracted some hostile
attention. "It was the last game I played," says Antonio, recalling a 2-2
draw with Hendon, and a sequence that plays out a bit like Cameroon's famous
assault on Claudio Caniggia at the 1990 World Cup. He claps his hands
together to mark out the beat of each missed tackle, his voice incredulous.
"I've picked it up in the middle, someone has chopped me in half, and then
I've got it back again because, to be honest, I was used to those tackles
anyway. Got it again – I've beat one, I've knocked it down the line. The
ball is 10 yards ahead of me, the guy has come for me! He's tried to scissor
me in half, so I've hurdled over him, run down the line, I've cut inside
another person. The ball is two yards ahead of me, he's come for my body –
I've hurdled him and scored. "At the end of the game, I've got a phone call
from Reading: 'You're coming back. One of our scouts was at the game, and we
can't let you stay there. You're going to get seriously hurt.'"
They needn't have worried. Antonio had already demonstrated an instinct for
staying out of trouble, and an aptitude for hurdling challenges as he
sidestepped the teenage gangs of south London and picked out a winding path
to the Premier League. "It was the norm," says the 26-year-old, who
remembers schoolmates with stab wounds, and uneasy coalitions and turf wars
between rival groups. "People joining gangs, getting stabbed, going to
prison. It was all I knew growing up."
Life-changing choices
When he was 15, Antonio lost two friends in a mass brawl between two gangs
armed with knives and broken pieces of furniture. "Loads of my friends made
the other choice," he says. "I played football with one guy, and another
went to my school. They were all good friends and then they fell out, so
they met up, had a big fight. One of my friends got stabbed to death by
another. So one died, one went to prison for seven years."
There had been an allure to the gangs – the girls, the money – but a settled
family life helped Antonio steer clear. His mum was a carer for the elderly,
his dad a mini-cab driver. Antonio says he was sheltered from the worst of
it. The threebed terraced house in Earlsfield, where his parents still live,
is a 10-minute bike ride away from the estates of Battersea, Wandsworth and
Tooting. "I could always escape and go home," he says. "I was lucky."
Instead, Antonio filled his time with football – at community programmes and
youth clubs all over south London. "I didn't support a team," he says. "I
never watched football, I didn't go to the games – I always just wanted to
play it. Any opportunity to play, I would play."
He played at Providence House – a youth club near Clapham Junction – on
Thursdays and Saturday afternoons, for Tooting & Mitcham on Tuesdays,
Saturday mornings and Sundays, and at Chelsea Kicks on Mondays. The latter
landed him a trip to Moscow, paid for by Roman Abramovich, to play in a
youth tournament.
We ask Antonio, who has now seen both sides of London's stark divide,
whether people should be doing more to help steer kids in the right
direction.
"People are trying," he says. "You can't stop it, full stop. And, to be
honest, half the people in the gangs, they were coming to the youth centres.
It's just Providence House wasn't open every day – it hasn't got the
manpower. Sometimes people can't change, and sometimes they've grown up in
it, and they've adapted to it, and don't know anything different. For
someone to change, for the cycle to be broken, you have to change the
person's outlook on life and probably their environment."
Individual route
Tottenham offered Antonio a place in their academy when he was 14. His mum
refused, fearful of the impact the long, nightly commute across London would
have on her son's education.
"Devastating," he says. "As a young boy, all I wanted to do was become a
footballer, and my mum said: 'No, education comes first.' "It was probably
the right thing, and I got over it eventually."
He laughs, an infectious chuckle that comes out a few times – particularly
when we discuss his dislike for horror movies and his penchant for unusual
celebrations such as the Homer Simpson-inspired spin on the ground that went
viral.
"No one does crazy celebrations any more," Antonio laments. "I remember back
in the day when Ian Wright scored, he used to do crazy things. People barely
even do backflips any more." He has a couple of ideas, but is looking for
suggestions should his fine form continue. "I scored two against Watford,"
he grins. "The first, I did the worm; the second one, I did nothing!"
His mum's decision meant he explored careers outside football – Antonio
looked at becoming a PE teacher, and worked briefly as a lifeguard. It took
outside persuasion to get his career started.
"My mum made me go to church, and because Tooting & Mitcham played on a
Sunday, she's like: 'No – you're going to church.' So my manager had to come
down and speak to my mum and say: 'Look, your son has something.'"
It meant he developed in a different way to how he might had he joined an
academy: "Non-league made me physically stronger than a lot of others I've
played against in the pro game. I knew how to use my body. Especially with
some pro boys – when they go on loan and play against men, they're not used
to the physical challenge."
He had his own adjustments to make when he started training with Reading.
"It is very difficult," he explains. "The first day I've come in, and
they've put me straight with the first team – these boys are pushing for the
Premier League at the time, they're in the playoffs. Even though I was quick
over five or 10 yards, mentally I wasn't quick. We used to play circles,
boxes where we've just got to keep the ball. People were passing me the
ball, I was taking a touch and by the time I've looked up someone's nicked
the ball off me. I was one of those guys who no one really wanted on their
team!"
It took four years, and loan spells at Cheltenham, Southampton, Colchester
and Sheffield Wednesday in League One, before Antonio could hold his own in
the boxes. After one full season at Nottingham Forest he signed for West Ham
for £7m, five games into the 2015/16 campaign. He struggled for game time at
first, but the turning point is etched in his memory.
"I got my opportunity on December 5," says Antonio. "It was Manchester
United away – my first real minutes. I came on in the 37th minute and I've
not looked back."
No turning back
It's been a difficult start at their new home for West Ham, 17th in the
league, but Antonio says: "I'd just put it down to individual mistakes. If
you look at the stats, we've not been far off every game.
"It's just that each game, a different person is making a different mistake.
I can't put it down to the pitch, you can't put it down to the tools, you've
just got to put it down to people just not doing it right."
Antonio acknowledges that West Ham's switch to the Olympic Stadium means the
atmosphere "is very different".
"At Upton Park you had the fans on top of you, and you felt the buzz from
the fans constantly," he explains. "It seems like at the new stadium the
fans have not really taken to it that well; they are quite far away. [But]
we can't go back, and we've got to commit to it."
This season, Antonio has started every game aside from a League Cup win over
Accrington Stanley, and is his club's top scorer with six goals – five with
his head. He also scored the first Premier League goal at the new ground –
which, as he is keen to point out, also has it benefits: "It's amazing,
because you have double the fans, and the roar – the eruption – when the
ball hits the back of the net. It's just being able to get the fans buzzing
for the whole 90 minutes."
Antonio's form even earned him an England call-up, first under Sam Allardyce
and then for Gareth Southgate's first two fixtures. He was, however, left
out to face Scotland and Spain. "It just shows you've got to take life by
its balls," he says. "Because anything could happen."
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Fraudster jailed for Sam Allardyce and West Ham con
MARK CHANDLER
Evening Standard
A fraudster who conned West Ham players and Sam Allardyce out of more than
£60,000 through a Christmas hamper scam has been jailed for four years.
Stephen Ackerman targeted the east London club's staff, including then-boss
Mr Allardyce and England striker Andy Carroll, when he visited their
training ground to sell them luxury hampers. Ackerman used the pseudonym
Mark Kingston while selling the goods during a visit to the training ground
in December 2014. He took payment from a number of players and staff using a
hand-held chip-and-pin device. The luxury items were never delivered and in
the following weeks, some of the victims noticed unauthorised payments
running into the thousands charged to their bank accounts. They reported the
matter to police and Ackerman was arrested. He was caught after search
warrants were carried out at addresses linked to him in Essex and
Hertfordshire. The 48-year-old, of Hillcroft, Loughton, Essex, had
previously been found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court of 18 counts of
fraud.
On Friday, Judge David Radford described Ackerman as an "utterly deceitful
and dishonest man who has consistently, premeditatedly and shamelessly
defrauded others". He said he was a man with "no scruples whatsoever ...
telling lie after lie to try to deceive others".
"Your endemic dishonestly is plainly unremitting," he said. "You earn no
credit for your remorse, nor any credit for any pleads of guilt."
The judge said "many" of his victims were Premier League footballers,
adding: "This was not simply a fraud involving undelivered Christmas hampers
and wine or even simply the fraudulent use of a card chip-and-pin device.
"You used the bank account details perhaps in conjunction with others that
you had obtained when you visited the West Ham training ground and ...
obtained sizeable amounts of money from bank accounts." He said Ackerman was
introduced to them as a "trustworthy salesman". The judge said "significant
planning" had gone into the fraud and described Ackerman as "someone who has
got to learn". Ackerman had "numerous previous convictions for fraud", with
the most recent in 2013, prosecutor Samuel Trefgarne told the court. Defence
counsel Charles Royle said Ackerman "regrets" having the trial and would
have pleaded guilty if he had been instructed differently, but the judge
said this was "not the most compelling mitigation".
Ackerman, wearing a blue cardigan and checked shirt, remained composed as he
was sentenced and blew a kiss to a woman in the public gallery as he left
the dock. Acting Detective Sergeant Jamie Snell, from Newham CID, said after
the sentencing: "Ackerman preyed on the trust of people he approached and
essentially told an elaborate pack of lies in order to get them to part with
their cash. "He defrauded a total of £61,047 from his victims and thought
that due to their fame they would never report the matter to the police.
"He is a confident and accomplished fraudster and we are delighted with the
maximum sentence that was passed today."
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest - but his
home standards have dropped
SAM LONG
Evening Stadnard
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says Jose Mourinho is "one of the greatest" but
believes a drop in the Portuguese's home standards gives the Hammers hope
this weekend. West Ham travel to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon aiming to
claw themselves away from the relegation zone with a positive result.
Manchester United need to close a gap of their own, having slipped to sixth
place in the table and nine points off the title pace. Mourinho's home
record throughout his career has been superb but the Red Devils have won
just two of their opening six Premier League games on home turf this season.
Taking points off a Mourinho team on the road used to be a rarity but Bilic
believes that his side are capable of adding to their points tally at the
Theatre of Dreams. "Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest," he told the BBC.
"Statistically at home, there is probably no-one better. But it's hard to
stay at that standard and maybe that has dropped now. "I'm confident, if we
can cut out the mistakes, and with a bit of luck, we can pick up a result on
Sunday."
An underwhelming start to the season has seen pressure mount on Bilic's
shoulders in recent weeks. The east Londoners are significantly down on
expectations but Bilic is adamant he is not fearful of the sack due to his
good relationship with West Ham's owners. "I speak to the owners regularly
after every game and I feel support. I'm concentrating on my job and our
next game. "I'm not fearful. I feel pressure of course as at the moment we
are not producing and do not have enough points to feel happy and safe. "But
I do see the improvement. I take my job in good times and bad times."
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Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho 'doesn't like' prospect of facing West
Ham two games in a row
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hit out at the prospect of
facing West Ham twice in just four days. The Red Devils host Slaven Bilic's
side in a Premier League fixture on Sunday afternoon aiming to close the gap
to the top four. And the Hammers will then travel north to face United in an
EFL Cup quarter-final on Wednesday night. Facing the same opponent in quick
succession does not sit well with Mourinho, who is keen for his players to
focus solely on this weekend's encounter. "Honestly I don't like it, I never
like it," the Portuguese told United's official website. "It has happened to
me many times in my career and it's something that I think is not good. "But
we have to just forget the second game and focus on the first one and go
step by step," he added. Mourinho may not be relishing two quickfire
meetings with the Hammers but Ashley Fletcher is keen to return to his
former club. The striker joined West Ham from United on a permanent deal in
the summer and is determined to prove his worth in front of the Old Trafford
faithful. "I am looking forward to going back for the first time and it will
be great to meet up with a number of old friends," the 21-year-old told West
Ham's official website. "I spent the majority of my youth career at
Manchester United and learned a great deal during my time there so it will
be good go back and show what I can do."
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