Daily WHUFC News - 10th December 2016

Antonio and Cresswell back for Liverpool clash
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell fit to return in Sunday's game at Liverpool
Slaven Bilic says players have redoubled their efforts in training this week
Manager says he feels the support of the Board and is determined to turn things around

Slaven Bilic will welcome Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell back into his squad for Sunday's Premier League trip to Anfield. The pair have returned to full training this week after recovering from groin injuries and are set to give West Ham United a lift as they seek a confidence-boosting win over Liverpool.

Speaking to the press ahead of this weekend's clash with the Reds, Bilic also said his squad have redoubled their efforts in training as they seek to bounce back from last weekend's 5-1 home defeat by Arsenal. "From the three players who got injured in the EFL Cup game, a couple of them should be back. Antonio and Cresswell are training with us today after the press conference and according to the medical reports they are fit and they are OK. "With Cheikhou Kouyate, it is a little bit different. We were hoping he would be OK for Sunday's game, but unfortunately he will have to miss it. It's not a big [groin] injury, but he has a great chance to make it for the Burnley game in midweek. "Diafra Sakho is out. We hoped until the scan came out that it would be one week or more like a cramp, but unfortunately it wasn't to be and it'll be five or six weeks. If the medical team do a great job and his body responds it will be four weeks but not for now."

The return of Cresswell and Antonio will add solidity and firepower to a West Ham side desperate to end a run of seven matches without a clean sheet in all competitions, conceding 17 goals and scoring just eight. With those statistics in mind, Bilic called on his players to give their all in training leading up to Sunday's live-televised game, and the manager has been pleased with what he has seen at Rush Green this week. "I have told the players we have got to be positive and I've had a great reaction from them this week in training," he confirmed. "We all felt bad last Saturday. We were one-down after 70 minutes so to lose 5-1 left us disappointed, frustrated and angry but you have to get over it, which we have done and we have a big game on Sunday."

Bilic was again asked about his own position and he responded by dismissing erroneous reports of a meeting he had supposedly held with the Board this week. "We didn't have a meeting, we had a conversation like we normally have," he said. "Since I've been here, I speak to the Chairman a couple of days after every game. After Saturday's game we spoke on Monday and had a good conversation, but not a meeting. "I feel the support and have said that so many times and I felt that support in our conversation this week. I believe in myself and my staff and look at what we achieved last year and I believe there is time to turn it around."

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Bilic - We can hurt Liverpool
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic believes West Ham United can exploit Liverpool's attacking style at Anfield
Reds conceded four goals in losing at AFC Bournemouth last weekend
Hammers manager also says Club is active ahead of January transfer window

Slaven Bilic believes West Ham United can take advantage of Liverpool's attacking approach at Anfield on Sunday. The Hammers boss believes the Reds are genuine Premier League title contenders, but says their 4-3 defeat at AFC Bournemouth last weekend exposed their 'risky' style of football. Bilic was full of praise for Liverpool's attacking prowess, but feels his team can exploit spaces in their defensive areas, as they did in winning 3-0 at the same venue last season. "They are definitely one of the contenders for the Premier League title – some of their football is great and most of their football is quite consistent this season," the manager observed. "Obviously last week was not great, because they were winning 3-1 and lost 4-3, but they are obviously one of the title contenders. "Of course that result gives us heart because they are conceding goals. OK, they are an attack-minded side, but first of all you have to be solid and stop them creating and scoring and even coming into those positions where they are very dangerous. "But of course because they attack with such numbers they leave the back open and there is a lot of space that, although they have good offensive and defensive transitions, you can use. "The Bournemouth game was a great comeback from them, to be fair, and they deserved it if you watch the second half. It's much easier to do those kind of comebacks at home, when you have the crowd, but they showed that you can beat Liverpool in an opposite way. They went at them and caused Liverpool problems. "In a 90-minute game you have all sorts of situations, but the way Liverpool play at Anfield, the opponent has to be solid first of all, compact behind the ball with numbers to stop them creating. Then, when you have the ball, you can hurt them."

While Liverpool did concede four times to the Cherries last Sunday, Jurgen Klopp's side had kept clean sheets in their preceding three matches – two in the Premier League against Sunderland and Southampton and one in the EFL Cup against Leeds United. In 14 Premier League fixtures, the Reds have scored 35 times and conceded 18 – the highest number of any club in the top nine. For their part, West Have have conceded 29, a number only Swansea City have exceeded with 31.
With those statistics in mind, Bilic was asked if he has already made firm plans for the January transfer window, perhaps looking to strengthen his defence.
While he did admit the Club are active, the manager dismissed reports of a deal being reached for Vfl Wolfsburg's Turkish teenage midfielder Murat Saglam.
"We're going to see about that, but first we're going to concentrate on these five games before the end of the year, then we're going to see how active we're going to be," he said. "We monitoring, we are following and we are controlling the situation but no, it's not true about Saglam."

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U12s prepare for Truce Tournament finals
HUFC.com

Our U12s will take part in the Truce Tournament finals this weekend
The finals take place in Ypres, Belgium to mark the Christmas Day truce between English and German soldiers
Coach Dave Johnson said qualification was a massive achievement for the team

West Ham United's U12s will compete in the finals of the Truce Tournament, which takes place this weekend in Ypres, Belgium. The tournament forms part of the Premier League's 'Football Remembers' initiative and will mark the Christmas Day truce between English and German soldiers who famously played football in no man's land during the First World War. The young Hammers made it through to the finals by virtue of qualifying from the regional qualifiers that took place at Aldershot Army Garrison on Remembrance Sunday.
"The day for us was an educational experience. Before the tournament, the players were educated on why the tournament was taking place and who were we remembering," said U12 coach Dave Johnson. "Some of our players were born in 2004 and were remembering players from a long time ago. It was really important that they had an understanding of what Remembrance Sunday was and how it affected our club. The remembrance of the players was very important to us."

The qualifiers were hotly contested, with the Hammers drawn in the same group as Chelsea, Everton, Reading and Derby County. The young Irons made light work of their opponents though and eased through to the final by winning all of their matches. That set up a final with Swansea City but the Hammers yet again showed their quality by beating their Welsh opponents and in the process, set up the trip to Belgium this weekend. The tournament begins on December 9 and West Ham are one of just four English sides making the trip, along with Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Blackburn Rovers. They'll be coming up against the likes of Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Schalke and Paris Saint-Germain. "It was a really good achievement and we only conceded two goals across the regional qualification tournament," continued Johnson. "It's a massive achievement for the boys. All the Premier League clubs take part in qualifying for this tournament so to be one of four clubs to qualifying for the finals is huge. "We run over 40 tournaments for our Academy players so they can get different European experience so the event will supplement our tour programme."

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Hector-Ingram - We will finish on a high
WHUFC.com

Jahmal Hector-Ingram believes the U18 Hammers will end their year on a high at Leicester on Saturday
The Hammers No9 has scored 13 goals in all competitions this year
Steve Potts' men take on the Foxes at the Leicester City training ground (12pm)

In-form Jahmal Hector-Ingram believes he and his U18 teammates will end the calendar year on a high when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday. The Hammers travel to the east Midlands looking to end a run of five games without a win, but go into the match still occupying the final spot in the top four of the U18 Premier League South. Hector-Ingram says their difficult spell has been tough to deal with, but he insists the team has lots of confidence after their morale-boosting comeback draw against Fulham last weekend. "I was very disappointed because the score line didn't reflect how we played. I reckon that if we did take our chances in the first half, the game would have been different," he said. "We didn't take our chances but we did well to get something from the game in the end. It was a bit of mixed emotions at the end but at least we didn't lose. "It happens; it's the way things go in football sometimes. The point was really needed for us, psychologically as well. We got something from the game and hopefully we can build on it."

Hector-Ingram has enjoyed a terrific first part of the season. He's scored 11 goals in 12 matches for the U18s, and also netted twice for the U23s. He scored both Hammers' goals in the 2-2 draw with Fulham last Saturday, including a last minute header to earn a point, and he hopes to continue his good form as the season progresses and get even better. "This season has been very good for me in terms of goals and I've been very hungry. I've got into a mentality where no matter how bad I'm playing or if the team are struggling a little, I've made sure when a chance comes I put it in the back of the net," Hector-Ingram added. "With that mentality and my family around me, it's been very positive so far. Hopefully I can keep playing and scoring as the season progresses."

A visit to Leicester beckons this Saturday (12pm kick-off) and Hector-Ingram is expecting a tough contest despite the Foxes' inferior league position. "Any game is tough, no matter who we play and we all expect Leicester to be a tough match. But we all expect to get something out of the game. We'd probably want to get nothing less than a win really especially after the way we've been playing."

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Liverpool v West Ham United
SUN, 11 DEC 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
16:30 Venue: Anfield

TEAM NEWS

Sadio Mane is set to be available for Liverpool despite limping off in the second half of the defeat at Bournemouth. Daniel Sturridge remains out with a calf problem but Joel Matip is expected to return from an ankle injury.

West Ham, who were missing nine players last weekend, will have Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio back at Anfield after groin strains. The Hammers had hoped to have Cheikhou Kouyate fit but he remains sidelined.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Steve Wilson: "It's worth remembering that West Ham's win at Anfield last season ended one of the longest sequences of failure in the game - it had been 52 years since the Hammers had won at Liverpool. "However, West Ham look a much diminished side now and Liverpool look a much better one - despite their collapse at Bournemouth. "West Ham recruited badly in the summer: Tore, Calleri, Zaza, Feghouli and Nordtveit have contributed next to nothing since their arrival.
"Unleashing a nearly fit Andy Carroll against his former club in the hope of bullying Liverpool's flaky back five is probably Bilic's best bet of repeating last season's landmark result."

Twitter: @SteveWilson1967

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on learning from the defeat by Bournemouth: "You don't always win these games, sometimes you lose them. "More important is how we played. We played good enough to win the game until it slipped through our fingers. "This game helped us to understand what's wrong with our protection sometimes."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "I spoke to the chairman on Monday like I did after every game. It was a normal conversation rather than a meeting. "The only way to get out of this situation is by working hard, and we have had good training sessions this week. "The four games after Liverpool are a good chance for us, but we are focused on Sunday's game for now."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Liverpool's defeat by Bournemouth last week was a blow but I think it will just be a hiccup. The Reds are still a good side, and are still well placed at the top of the table.

Prediction: 2-0

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

West Ham secured their first league double over Liverpool last season since 1963-64, scoring five goals without reply.
The Hammers' 3-0 victory at Anfield in August 2015 ended a run of 42 league visits without a win.
They scored as many goals in that game as they had in their previous 13 league fixtures at Anfield.
Liverpool

Liverpool's defeat against Bournemouth last weekend ended their 11-match unbeaten run in the league.
They have yet to lose successive Premier League matches under Jurgen Klopp.
The previous three Premier League games to involve Liverpool on a Sunday this campaign have all produced seven goals (21 in total).
Klopp's side have scored 13 league goals from set pieces this season, the most in the division prior to this weekend's matches.
Sadio Mane has scored 11 goals in his last 10 Premier League home appearances for Southampton and Liverpool.

West Ham United

West Ham are winless in their last five league games, losing three and drawing two.
The Hammers have conceded 29 goals in their opening 14 matches this season, their worst tally at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1988-89.
Slaven Bilic's team have made a league-high six individual errors leading to opposition goals in 2016-17.
They have scored an unrivalled 23 headed goals in the Premier League since Bilic became manager at the beginning of last season.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 2-1 Probability of draw: 17%
Probability of home win: 70% Probability of away win: 13%
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.

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Sam Byram hoping to make West Ham return against Swansea on Boxing Day
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 09/12/16 7:50pm
SSN

West Ham defender Sam Byram is hoping to make his comeback from a hamstring injury before the end of the year. The right-back has not featured since suffering a significant hamstring tear in the 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough on October 1. But Byram, who underwent surgery to repair the damage, is back running again and hopes to be available to make his first-team return against Swansea on Boxing Day. "I'd like to think in two weeks I'll be ready and available for selection," the 23-year-old told Sky Sports. "But it's a case of seeing how the rehab goes and not pushing too early because with muscle injuries if you do it again, you're back to square one and then I've got another two months out. "We're taking it steady, but doing all the right things. As a player, you're always pushing the physio, asking when I'll be back, but you've got to tick the boxes each day. "I've got to hit 85 per cent speed, then 90 per cent, I've got to fulfil certain strength requirements and on each day, you make progressions. "Some days, it might be a bit sore, so you back off and then you push on again, so it's more a case of ticking the boxes."

Byram, who spent a week away in Paphos in Cyprus after undergoing surgery, also revealed an unusual method used by club physio, Eamon Swift, to prevent his rehabilitation programme becoming mundane. "To keep me enjoying it, we've been out in the forest running with his dog instead of just plodding around the pitch," he said. "It certainly kept it different, I always look forward to doing that, so it's been good. "It's the longest injury I've had, I've never been out for more than two months, so it was a bit hard to take at first. Obviously, I am not used to not playing for so long. "I have had to try and keep myself occupied, throw myself into the rehab and the physio staff have been brilliant with me, they've kept me smiling and they've made it fun along the way."

Byram has been restricted to just 13 appearances for West Ham since completing his move from Sky Bet Championship side Leeds United in January, with injury, suspension and cup ineligibility all playing a part. However, Byram is optimistic, with more than half a season remaining, he can stay injury-free and secure a consistent run of matches under manager Slaven Bilic. "It's a massive club and I am unbelievably excited to be here, but it's been a bit stop start," he said.
"When I came last season, I suffered a bit of an injury, I got banned after picking up 10 yellow cards and I was also cup-tied, so I was in and out. "This season, I thought I was doing well, I was playing in 85, 90 per cent of the matches, and then a freak accident against Middlesbrough and it's back to frustration. "I've tried to stay positive, there are lots of games to come, more than half a season left, so if I can get involved and try to help the team as best I can, all that will be put in the past."

West Ham take on Liverpool at Anfield on Nissan Super Sunday - live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 4.15pm - aiming to bounce-back from the humiliating 5-1 home defeat they suffered to Arsenal last Saturday. Bilic's side sit in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone, in what is a far cry from their performance last season, when they challenged for a Champions League place before ultimately finishing in seventh spot. Following the trip to Merseyside, West Ham face fellow strugglers Burnley, Hull, Swansea and Leicester and Byram is confident the quality within the Hammers' squad will help them move clear of trouble. "Every game coming up is very important, but I don't think the next five matches will shape how we'll finish," he said. "We need three points each week, the team know that, everyone around the club knows that, so that's the main priority. "Obviously we're not in an ideal situation, but the players and I have every confidence in each other and the manager. We know we've got the quality to get out of this situation."

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Slaven Bilic: West Ham have to help Dimitri Payet recover last season's form
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

When things are not going well it is normal that everyone is open to criticism — even Dimitri Payet. Of course, the expectations of him are high — mine are also — but even the best players have their ups and downs. They are not robots and we have to help him to come back in training to the level he was last season. There was also some speculation about Rio Ferdinand coming to help us on the coaching side. Rio and I are really good friends but I am happy with my staff.

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Slaven Bilic: I didn't make excuses after West Ham's 5-1 defeat to Arsenal but the injuries have hit us hard
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

My comments after the Arsenal match, about us losing our intensity in training, have provoked some reaction, as I expected. I spoke honestly, as I always try to do — and I am not one for making excuses, because the fans can always see through that. I would take this opportunity for the first time since then to make one thing clear, though: when I talked about the loss of intensity, some people thought I was pointing a finger at my staff. That was wrong. I think I said, four or five times, that it is me and it is my job to take responsibility. Believe me, we're not having a jolly-up in training... no, no, no, it's not like that. The main reason why we lost that intensity is that we have had so many injuries all in a small space of time. Then, because we had three games in a week, we had to balance things, not walk on egg-shells exactly, but to be careful in training. I would like to clarify this now. I was not criticising my staff. My reason was not to moan because we had lost to Arsenal but to provoke a reaction so we can get back that intensity.
Have I see that reaction? We have had a good few days training but, rather, I want and expect to see a good reaction in the long-term.
The bottom line is yes, it is my job to get the best out of my players — and I said just that, a few times, straight after the Arsenal match. I am not in the blame game because that achieves nothing. I was very disappointed after that match and what I said was from the heart. Now, almost a week later, I just want to make it clear that it is because of the disruption to our squad caused by so many injuries.
Maybe I should have made more of the effect of those injuries after the game and I know many would have done. Maybe that was my mistake, but I have always hated to say something following a defeat which sounds like excuses. To be honest, following a 5-1 defeat, almost anything is going to sound that way but perhaps, in hindsight, I should have made more of the injuries because they were a significant factor.
Okay, we let in four against Manchester United in the EFL Cup and five against Arsenal, but prior to that we were beginning to look solid, sharp and really good against top sides like Spurs and Manchester United in the Premier League. Then, suddenly, bang! You are without four of your players, three of whom are probably among the best in terms of physicality in Michail Antonio, Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho, plus Aaron Cresswell, who is also very important to us. Missing those players can only adversely affect your game, no matter who you are playing against — and you can add to that, an injury to James Collins early in the game which meant we had to change things around. Even with all that — and I admit they were better than us in the first half — it was only 1-0 for 70 minutes and we were looking more likely to equalise when they scored their second. When that happened, though, we basically crumbled and that shouldn't happen. Okay, it is 2-0, but so what? Maybe we can pull a goal back or even make it 2-2, but that didn't happen.

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Slaven Bilic: I will field my strongest West Ham team at Liverpool
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

We have a big week coming up. It has been a tough recent schedule and it doesn't get any easier with a trip to Anfield this weekend.
Then we have home matches against Burnley on Wednesday and Hull next Saturday, but if we think they will be any easier that would be making a big mistake. I am hoping that some of the injured players will be back for the match at Liverpool on Sunday and that is a big boost. There will be some who might advocate holding back the players who are returning for the two home matches, but I don't agree. Every game is of equal importance and if we can play as well as I know we can, then we have a good chance at Anfield. Don't forget, we earned a point at Old Trafford recently. With some, it is not possible to expect them to play three games in a week because of their injury situation, but we're not going to rest half the team just because it's Liverpool. It was good especially to see Andy Carroll back on the pitch and hopefully he will be fit for some part of the game this weekend — but we have to be careful with him. I still have faith in my players to emerge from this difficult period. We did have a meeting at the beginning of the week, but it was not a big one. It wasn't a full post-mortem kind of meeting — we've had a few of them already this season — but we did get together on the pitch just before training.
My philosophy hasn't changed, though. I want my team firstly to be solid but then, when we have the ball, to express themselves, hurt and harm the opposition. Last year, we were solid and compact, especially against the big teams. Against Arsenal last weekend, though, you can't be solid if you give the ball away in a bad area, as we did for the first goal. If that happens, it doesn't matter where you park the bus, or even how many buses there are!

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Liverpool v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th December 2016
By: Preview Percy

..You know all that stuff about "peace and goodwill to all men?" Preview Percy doesn't. Here's his look at Sunday's visit to Anfield. There will be some useful statistical input from www.kickoff.co.uk just to sweeten the pill. And boy does it need sweetening....

Next up we travel to Liverpool where kick-off on Sunday is 4:30pm. What's with the extra half hour guys? There's no engineering work en route out of Euston, though if you're making an early start from Essex have a gander at the lines in and out of Liverpool Street where replacement buses will be the order of the day first thing in the morning. They'll probably reopen the lines five minutes after the last train that would have been any use has departed. They are like that.

So Liverpool then. The BBC's favourite city and club. For some reason. They currently sit in third place on 30 points, four behind Chelsea and one behind Arsenal. Latest result was the hilarious 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth which they somehow contrived to lose despite the referee turning down the most stonewall of penalties for the home side, an error compounded by the astonishing number of times he "forgot" about the advantage law whenever Bournemouth drew a foul in promising territory.

The Work Experience Girl wearing a Paul McCartney & Wings t-shirt without knowing who they were ("only the band the Beatles could have been" – A. Partridge) tells me that they spent their summer in traditional style by nipping down to the south coast to pinch a player off Southampton. This time round it was Sadio Mane who took their fancy with £34m going in the opposite direction. With add-ons that could rise to £36m.

The Senegalese attacker/winger depending on mood started his football career at the Senegalese football academy "Academie Generation Foot" whose wonderful name wouldn't be out of place in that Fast Show Channel 9 results section alongside FC Bombo Chipolata. As a citizen of Francophone West Africa, France was always the most likely route into the European game for the player and so it was he ended up at Metz. It wasn't long before Austrian moneybags Red Bull Salzburg picked him up and, finding that he wasn't much of a driver, they stuck him in their football team instead. 31 goals in 63 league appearances was enough to attract attention from elsewhere in Europe though Red Bull appeared disinclined to let the player go. That wasn't a problem for Mane who simply didn't turn up for training and missed out on a so-called Champions League qualifier. Southampton won the race and shelled out £11.8m. His spell in Hampshire was not entirely without incident – he was once dropped from the starting line-up for a match against Liverpool as punishment for turning up late. After his move to Merseyside he soon fell into "the Liverpool way" by picking up a reputation for what is euphemistically referred to as "simulation" by the newspapers and "bloody diabolical cheating" by most football supporters outside those in attendance at Anfield, Old Trafford, White Hart Lane, Stamford Bridge and the Etihad. The usual site has listed Mane as doubtful for this match with that mystery ailment "a knock".

The next biggest fee was the £23m paid to Newcastle for Georginio Wijnaldum. Seems a a lot, though one suspects that the Liverpool negotiating team have toughened up a bit since the days of Ashley continually raising the fee for Andy Carroll out of curiosity to see how far they would go. According to well-connected sources close to Preview Alastair (the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home for the Bewildered's resident Geordie) the £35m paid for Carroll was something like double what Ashley was willing to take for the player. In Wijnaldum's case the fee was moderated by Newcastle's relegation. In the end Wijnaldum had to chose between Liverpool and Spurs or to put it another way, between the Tottenham of the North and the Liverpool of the South. Merseyside it was then. As a kid born in Rotterdam he showed little interest in football, preferring to concentrate on gymnastics. Presumably including tumbling then. A Damascene conversion to "the beautiful game" occurred at the age of 6 and he started to play for the age group sides for Sparta up to the age of 14 when he figured his development would be better suited up the road at Feyenoord. He became Feyenoord's youngest ever player making his debut as a 16 year-old. He racked up over 100 league appearances for Feyenoord before throwing his lot in with the electric razor works team at PSV. He made his debut for the senior Netherlands national team at this point, having represented his country at various age group levels. Wait for it….. to date he has 36 Dutch Caps (hurrah!). £14m saw him cross the North Sea to Newcastle – a fee that, much to Preview Alastair's disgust, is still the largest fee paid out since Ashley took over. The demise of the Geordies into the Championship meant that "Gini" (as his chums call him) wasn't going to hang about and having made the all too easy decision that there wasn't a barge pole long enough to get him to N17 he hopped across the Pennines to scouseland.

They brought in a new 'keeper during the close season. Klopp decided to stick with what he knows best and went back home to Deutschland. In return for £4.7m the good people of Mainz handed over Loris Karius. Karius had spent a while as a kid as part of the Man City youth system but returned home at the age of 18 without having troubled the first XI statisticians. Coming on as a sub for Mainz he became the Bundesliga's youngest ever custodian of the onion bag at the age of 19. Although he was voted "second-best 'keeper in the Bundesliga" last season, and Klopp announced that he was henceforth to be considered Liverpool's no.1, I have to say that even before he spilled the shot that gave Bournemouth their deserved win there was an element of shakiness about him last weekend – I distinctly recall his handling looking a bit iffy on one shot that ended up going over the bar but could have gone anywhere.

In truth it's not an area of strength for them. Mignolet has had his moments over the years after all. Which may be why they brought in veteran shot-stopper Alex Manninger on a free from Augsburg. At 39 the former Arsenal man looks to be there as cover, especially as Bogdan is out for the long term with knee ligament problems. Bogdan has the brightest red hair known to exist out of photoshop and I will forever remember the sight of him turning out for Bolton in a fluorescent pink shirt that clashed so violently with his hair matron had to turn the tv down to black & white to avoid inflicting further damage on the retinas of those of us in the rest home who still have them.

Aside from Mane, whose status isn't certain at the time of writing, the biggest injury miss will be Coutinho, whose ankle will keep him away until the new year. Another useful player who lets himself down with the tumbling antics that the club has become so noted for. In fact one of his efforts against Spurs last season was being slated as the "worst dive ever" by some sources. It's hard to argue with that – if even Jonathan Moss spots it it's got to be pretty special.

In midfield they are will field Jordan Henderson who, inexplicably, has not only been capped by England but has also skippered the side. There was an intriguing headline online the other day which ran "Carragher slams Henderson for copying Gerrard's hated habit". This turned out to refer to Henderson's retreating to centre back after conceding a goal, rather than anything more lurid. Henderson's reaction wasn't recorded though if he had any presence of mind he might have pointed out that Carragher is probably about as good a pundit as he was a player.

Joining Coutinho on the sick list will be Daniel Surridge. He always seems to come back from long-term injury against us to score. But not this week. Liverpool have denied that the player will be off in January but given that his current calf injury is listed as "no return date" it's no real surprise we've been linked with him is it.

Ok I can't put this off any longer. Us. What a shambles. I complained about the lack of backbone in the League Cup match up at Old Trafford. At least there was that underlying feeling of "it's only the League Cup" to fall back on. However Saturday evening's debacle eclipsed anything we've seen this season. Then if things weren't bad enough at 4-1 the officials decided to give them a fifth. Yes lovely finish and all that but when there is daylight between the scorer and the last defender I think we're entitled to some sort of explanation.

Few came out of it with any credit. Fletcher looked interested. Lanzini could, nay ought to have scored or at least fed a team-mate in the first half. Carroll's return was marked by a poacher's finish and he may be looking at a start this weekend if he's managed to get through the week uninjured.

However, the defence. Oh dear. Ok I understand losing a player vital to our usual system in Kouyate was gong to cause problems. I also understand that losing Collins after three minutes was never going to be anything other than disruptive. However, even allowing for that, if Arbeola had the slightest idea of where he was supposed to be playing he hid it bloody well. The injury situation doesn't look like improving any either. Cresswell and Antonio, who are key to playing with three at the back, both seem to have had their returns put back until midweek, though some sources suggest that both are possibles. I guess that extra half-hour might come in handy after all. With Masuaku and Arbeola the only wide defenders available we may have to start with a flat back four for this one. That might cheer up Payet, who has been as miserable as sin since we've been playing with a three. Other than the injury doubts the team pretty much picks itself really given that we have so many injuries they will have to start clearing space in the Indian Burial Ground our new stadium seems to have been built on. I guess the main questions are whether to start Carroll and whether Zaza will be involved (only if they rotate the pitch through 90 degrees I'd suggest). Assuming he's trained ok this week I'd give Carroll a start myself and let Fletcher provide the fresh legs later on.

Prediction? Do I have to? Ok yes we got something up there last time and we did turn them over three times last season. However, that involved a team that looked interested. The chances of lightning striking twice with our paper thin resources look slim to non-existent from this angle.

Well as they used to say on "Through The KeyHole" (particularly in the days before before the "so unfunny he could be scouse" Keith ****ing Lemon took it over) let's look at the evidence. A side low on confidence that has a habit of folding quicker than a rubbish poker player. Currently doing a good impersonation of one of the lower orders of invertebrates. Against a side that will be stung by its defeat to a side who played last weekend in exactly the same way as we didn't and, apparently, can't and, despite the hint, almost certainly won't this weekend. At a ground where the assistance given by referees to the home side is criminally embarrassing (see Noble's sending off last season). With a notoriously untrustworthy referee involved.

This is only going to go one way isn't it? The usual £2.50, which this week I was going to not give to any carol singers still stupid enough to pitch up at the rest home after all these years of abuse, will therefore be delivered to Dolores behind the counter at Winstones the Turf Accountants with a betting slip containing the words 3-0 home win.

Enjoy the game!

When last we met at Anfield: Drew 0-0 (FA Cup 4th Round January 2016): They will point out how good a game Randolph had as goalkeeper. We will point out how good a game Stephen Caulker had as goalkeeper. Without actually being one. Yes it's another example of the away side getting nothing from the officials at Anfield as the most blatant of penalty appeals was turned down by, yup Martin Atkinson. Justice prevailed in the replay as we went on to win 2-1 at the Boleyn. Unfortunately Atkinson was there again in the quarter final..

Referee: Mark Clattenburg. One of the self-styled celeb referees. PGMOL once tried to get shot of him due to debt problems he had relating to his electrical business. They failed. Which turned out to be a shame. If only they would put that sort of effort into ousting bad referees rather than the ones they just don't like.

Danger Man: Divok Origi – making the most of the opportunities afforded to him by the absence of Coutinho. Also Mark Clattenburg. Not the sharpest tool in the box he couldn't tell a dive from a plate of chips and will almost certainly fall for every piece of "simulation" in the book.

Percy's Poser: Last week we asked what prompted the mysterious and sudden disappearance of several Arsenal players either on loan or full transfer to European clubs back in 2001? The first correct answer out of the digital hat came from Mrs Hetty Cordwainer of Stifford Clays who said: "Those players all disappeared during the great fake passport scandal of 2001. Players from outside the EU had been playing within the EU based on passports either obtained from EU countries or, quite often obtained from people good at forging such documents. The Arsenal contingent disappeared shortly before the FA turned up for an unannounced inspection of documents. Which, I am sure was pure coincidence and had nothing to do with the fact that David Dein, the then Vice-Chairman of the club was also quite high up the FA pecking order at the time". Hetty wins a copy of Arsene Wenger's book "Improve Your Eyesight The Natural Way" Well done Hetty!

For this week's Poser we have the biggest prize we have ever offered. An all expenses* return trip to the International Space Station! With such a big prize at stake we've had to make the question a toughie so, for your chance to follow in the steps of Helen Sharman, Tim Peake and Chris Waddle's penalty in the 1990 World Cup, all you have to do is name a Liverpudlian "comedian" who is actually funny. Good luck!

*Winners must pay their own transport costs and be available for travel on 20 December 2026. Oyster cards are not valid for on Soyuz spacecraft. As travel date is a Sunday a replacement bus service may be in operation.

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.

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Bobby Zamora retires from football and thanks West Ham, Fulham, QPR and Tottenham for 'amazing memories'
TOM DOYLE
Evening Standard

Bobby Zamora has confirmed that he has retired from professional football, thanking clubs including West Ham, Tottenham, Fulham and QPR for the "amazing memories" during a 17-year career. Zamora, who turns 36 next month, has been without a club since his release by Brighton at the end of the 2015-16 season after succumbing to a hip problem that required surgery. The former forward took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to confirm speculation regarding his future, tweeting: "Thanks for all the amazing messages. Yes retired. Will miss the great lads clubs & fans. Thank you all for your support over the years".
Zamora also posted a tribute to the clubs he has played for during his career, with four London clubs thanked along with Brighton and England.

Bobby Zamora ? @RobertZamora25
What amazing memories @OfficialBHAFC @WestHamUtd @FulhamFC @QPRFC @England @SpursOfficial
12:16 PM - 9 Dec 2016
94 94 Retweets 274 274 likes

In an interview with his former Brighton team-mate Adam Virgo published on the Championship club's website, Zamora had said: "I think so, yes [his football career is over]. It was a frustrating time last year. "My hip decided to let me down at the final hurdle. It resulted in just training on a Thursday and being in pain. "It came to the end and I needed an op. I had the operation before the end of the season. It was frustrating but it was something I needed to do. I certainly couldn't play." Zamora scored 84 goals in 156 matches in two spells with Brighton, and also earned two international caps for the England.

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Brighton and Hove Albion legend Bobby Zamora confirms retirement
The Argus
Andy Naylor, Chief sports reporter

Albion legend Bobby Zamora is hanging up his boots after a glittering 17-year career. The ex-England striker has conceded defeat to the hip injury which cut short his second spell with the Seagulls last season. Zamora, 36 next month, has been without a club since Albion released him in the summer. He confirmed his retirement in an interview on the club website with former team-mate Adam Virgo.
Asked by Virgo is it the end, Zamora said: "I think so, yes. It was a frustrating time last year. "My hip decided to let me down at the final hurdle. It resulted in just training on a Thursday and being in pain. "It came to the end and I needed an op. I had the operation before the end of the season. It was frustrating but it was something I needed to do. I certainly couldn't play."

Zamora made the final appearance of his career in March at the Amex against Sheffield Wednesday, who knocked Albion out of the play-offs after Middlesbrough pipped them for automatic promotion. He said: "It was horrible and knowing now it went down to goal difference, I'd like to think I could have contributed a couple of goals which would have made the difference."

Zamora scored on his full senior debut in English football for Albion against Plymouth at Withdean in February 2000, five months after starting out with Bristol Rovers. He bagged 84 goals in 156 matches in his two stints with the Seagulls and 182 goals in a 565-game career which included a Europa League triumph with Fulham, promotions to the Premier League with West Ham and QPR, and England honours. The first goal of his return to Albion was a late winner against tonight's visitors Leeds United at Elland Road last October.

Zamora will now concentrate on his business projects, including a football holiday school and plans with ex-England captain Rio Ferdinand and West Ham skipper Mark Noble to build thousands of affordable houses across the country.

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Valencia chief hints at January attempt for West Ham flop Simone Zaza
Los Che already tried to sign the Italian in a summer swap deal with Andre Gomes
Portugal international decided to join Barcelona instead.
Eduardo Fernandez-Abascal By Eduardo Fernandez-Abascal
December 9, 2016 11:44 GMT
Simone Zaza
IB Times

Valencia sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has revealed that Andre Gomes's decision to move to Barcelona instead of Juventus blocked the arrival of Simone Zaza during the summer transfer window. However, the club chief suggests that Los Che could make a new attempt for the Italian striker in January, after he failed to make any impact during his current loan spell at West Ham United.

Andre Gomes was linked with Chelsea, Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid during the summer, before opting to join Barcelona instead in a deal worth €35m (£29.5, $37.1) deal plus €20m in add-ons – with the Catalans agreeing to pay an extra fee of €15m should the midfielder win the Ballon d'Or more than once.
The Portugal international revealed earlier this season that he turned down Real Madrid for the Catalans and now the Valencia sporting director has added that the Juventus interest in the player was also real.

Garcia Pitarch says Los Che were interested in a swap deal with the Serie A giants that would have seen Zaza moving to Valencia, but Gomes's decision to move to Barcelona hijacked that switch – and the striker instead joined West Ham.

"Zaza is a player that I tried to sign this summer at all costs but I couldn't achieve it because his arrival meant Andre joining Juventus," the Valencia chief admitted during an interview with Plaza Deportiva. "Andre wanted to go to Barcelona and hence our three negotiations with Juventus for their players [Mario] Lemina, Hernanes and Zaza ended."

West Ham took advantage of the situation to lure Zaza on loan to London later in the summer, keeping an option to make the move permanent for a further £20m if he made a set number of appearances for the club.

But the Italian forward has since struggled to adapt to the Premier League, failing to score a single goal for West Ham in 11 appearances.

Reports in recent days have claimed the Hammers are likely to part ways with him and Valencia's chief has now suggested that they could offer Zaza a escape route in January if the striker agrees to reduce his salary demands.

Asked whether Valencia would be still interested in the West Ham flop, Pitarch added: "Basically the biggest challenge is that the salary that he has at West Ham is absolutely exorbitant, but that could be negotiated. I don't know what the [new] coach [Cesare Prandelli] thinks about this, but if we could reduce his wages, he is a player that we can evaluate."

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Ex-West Ham and Crystal Palace star Mullins loving life working with Watford's U23s under Kewell
By Hertfordshire Mercury | Posted: December 09, 2016
By Oliver Harbord

Watford coach Hayden Mullins is helping bring through the next generation of Hornets and admitted he is loving life working under U23s head coach Harry Kewell. Former West Ham and Crystal Palace star Mullins joined Kewell's coaching staff in the summer from Reading, working with the Hornets' development side. The club have given just one minute to an English U21 player, Jerome Sinclair, in the top flight this season, with youngster Andrew Eleftheriou named on Walter Mazzarri's first team bench for the defeat at West Brom on Saturday. Michael Folivi and Rhyle Ovenden have both travelled with the matchday squad for Premier League games, and Mullins feels there is a good link between the academy and the senior side. Speaking to the Hertfordshire Mercury, the 37-year-old said: "I'm loving my time here, it's really good. Working with Harry and his passion and working with a group of boys that work hard every day. It's fantastic and I'm really enjoying it. "The first team are really good like that [getting the youngsters involved] and our boys regularly train with them. "They [academy] get to see them a lot. Andrew was on the bench on Saturday, Rhyle travelled and Michael Folivi has been in the squad. So it is fantastic."

Watford fielded their youth team for the Herts Senior Cup game at Bishop's Stortford on Tuesday night, with the youngsters enduring a tough evening. The Hornets were beaten 5-1 by the Blues, with several of the goals coming through Watford's own doing. But Mullins saw the game as a real test for his young squad and that they will take a lot of lessons away from the match against the Vanarama National South side. "It is a learning curve. One thing that we spoke about is taking the game home, analysing it, watching it and then learning from it," Europa League. "We spoke about the conditions and it is not what we are used to, but it is football. "That is football out there and it is not about training ground and nice surfaces, that is the game and if you can't handle that and the level then you need to go away and revaluate and look at it. Hopefully the boys can take a good lesson from it."

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Paul Merson: Why I fear for West Ham against Liverpool
PAUL MERSON reckons West Ham could be in "real trouble" against Liverpool on Sunday.
Daily Star
By Jamie Styles / Published 9th December 2016

The Hammers have endured a torrid campaign so far and were stuffed 5-1 at home to Arsenal last time out. They currently sit 17th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone. And things don't get any easier for the east London outfit as up next is a trip to Anfield, where Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from a stunning 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth. That result saw Jurgen Klopp's side fall four points behind leaders Chelsea in the title race. However Merson is confident they will get back to winning ways against West Ham. Predicting a routine 3-0 victory for the Reds, he told Sky Sports: "The last 20 minutes against Arsenal was just terrible and I fear for West Ham. "The last 20 minutes against Arsenal was just terrible and I fear for West Ham. " "Another 10 minutes and it could have been eight. "They are shipping goals left, right and centre and could be in real trouble this weekend if Liverpool get on a roll.

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West Ham youngster Reece Oxford is similar in physique and playing style to former Hammers defender Rio Ferdinand... he could be a colossus
Hammers youngster Reece Oxford spots a pass early and plays with his head up
Oxford is right-footed but capable of playing on the left side in a defensive pair
The 17-year-old West Ham defender has been mostly used as a substitute
By The Secret Scout For The Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 8 December 2016 | UPDATED: 23:57, 8 December 2016

Our scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star. He brings you his verdict in Sportsmail.
This week it's West Ham defender Reece Oxford under the microscope...

WHAT HAS HE GOT?

West Ham are conceding goals and the manager has a classic dilemma. Can he introduce a big young hope into the cauldron of Premier League football? Oxford should be ready. He has huge potential and, although he has been injured recently, could thrive. Similar in physique and playing style to former Hammers defender Rio Ferdinand, Oxford loves to pass out from defence. He spots a pass early, plays with his head up and covers ground with a smooth, quick stride. Oxford is right-footed but capable of playing on the left side in a defensive pair, though one day he may move into central midfield.

REECE OXFORD
AGE: 17
CLUB: West Ham
POSITION: Centre back
VALUE: £4m
2016-17 APPEARANCES: 2
GOALS: 0

I liked his attitude in a game I saw where he was initially troubled by the physicality of a Derby academy striker but won his battle without resorting to fouls. He can tackle but knows it is better to stay on his feet and win the ball through an interception.

WHAT DOES HE NEED?

AT 6ft 4in, I'd expect him to be more dominant in the air. He could be a colossus — the likes of Ron Yeats and Mike England leap to mind. So far, he's been mostly used as a substitute but he has time. There was a worrying rumour of a breakdown in contract talks.
At 17 he should be thrilled just to help solve his team's problems.

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Josh Cullen fate in balance as Bradford City await news of window activity
Telegraph&Argus.co.uk
Simon Parker

TWENTY five days, five games and counting – that's the countdown for Josh Cullen. As City fans wait for what the next transfer window might bring in terms of new faces at Valley Parade, the fate of a familiar one will be scrutinised just as closely. Josh Cullen has become such a regular component of central midfield that his presence is almost taken for granted. City's impressive record since he first donned the claret and amber at Peterborough in February is no coincidence. Two defeats in the last three in the league does not diminish a points return that is due in no small part to the hugely-influential figure dictating the play. No wonder Cullen's return in August was greeted with universal delight from a fan-base that had expected West Ham to place him at Championship level instead.
They might still do so next month – hence the concern as we tick towards the deadline on his half-season loan. After tomorrow's clash with Charlton, Cullen is around to face Walsall, leaders Scunthorpe, Bury and Northampton. But then it's anyone's guess. "I don't know what will happen then," admitted Cullen. "But I'm sure all parties will sit down and decide which way is the best direction to go.
"I'm here initially until January 3 and up until then it's just a case of focusing on Bradford. That's all I'm concentrating on. "It's been brilliant being in the team and playing every week. "But I know I've got to keep my standards high because we've got a great squad here. Anyone can step in and do a job for the team. "Whatever team the gaffer chooses to pick, it's always going to be strong – that's the quality we've got."

Cullen has only missed out when away on international duty with Republic of Ireland under-21s. You can count his bad games on one finger – Wimbledon away. His commitment to the cause was shown when he haggled to be allowed to fly late to the recent Irish training break in La Manga so he could play against Rochdale. Stuart McCall is spoilt for choice in central midfield but Cullen's name tends to be first on the team sheet. Whoever he partners, whether it's Tim Dieng, Danny Devine or Nicky Law, you cannot see the join. "When I first came in, Tim was injured so I was playing with Danny and Lawsy was in there a bit as well," said Cullen. "I enjoyed that and then when Tim came back, I thought that we've bounced off each other really well. I've liked playing with them all. "It's been quite easy to settle in when you've got quality players alongside you. You can strike up a good relationship. "Tim gives us that physical presence and Lawsy has the technical ability coming in from the left. "The options are good and we're confident in each other."

Charlton are yet to justify pre-season predictions of a quick return to the Championship as off-field strife continues to wreak havoc.
But Cullen expects pumped-up visitors because of City's own lofty league position. "We're going to be a big scalp with the way we've started so far," he said. "Whenever a team are near the top, the opposition are going to raise their game to try to beat us."

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