Daily WHUFC News - 11th December 2016

Captain's blog
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone,

Before talking about football, I want to pass on my condolences to the
family and friends of young Jack Howard, who passed away last weekend.

As a father myself and having known, greatly liked and trained alongside
Dylan Tombides before his sad passing, I know cancer is a disease which is
unforgiving.

I am told Jack fought bravely until the end, like a true Hammer. Rest in
peace.

Mark NobleWe are all looking forward to Sunday's trip to Liverpool, where we
can make some history if we can win, as we'd be the first West Ham United
team to win back-to-back games at Anfield.

We won't be the bookies' favourites, but it's the Premier League and you
never know what's going to happen. Last weekend, they were 3-1 up against
Bournemouth and managed to lose 4-3.

I know Liverpool have been away warm-weather training in Barcelona, which
was nice for them and will have helped them clear their minds.

They'll be hoping to come back to Anfield and get themselves a result, but
anything can happen in football.

To be honest Anfield hasn't been the greatest place for us, but last season
we managed to make history by becoming the first West Ham team to win there
in 52 years, which was fantastic.

I had an eventful game myself, scoring and then getting sent-off, although
my red card was later overturned, which was nice.

We were in the lead, but you knew how quickly they can score goals at
Anfield, then I made a perfectly good tackle and got sent-off for it. If
Liverpool had come back and we hadn't got a result there, it could have been
a different story, but we defended well and Diafra scored a really good goal
at the end.

That's the sort of rub of the green we need. We know it's going to be a
tough game but we've got to try our best.

Hopefully we can go there and get a result at the weekend because we need
something to change for us at the minute and hopefully that can be it.

That sort of performance which we put in at Liverpool last season has to be
the blueprint for every game, because you can't pick and choose when you
want to play. The really successful teams manage to get up for it every week
and that's what we need to do.

It's a great place to play, it's live on TV, so it's a great platform for
everyone to try and get a result.

Finally, I'd like to wish everyone travelling to Anfield a safe journey.

Come on you Irons!

Nobes

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Slaven Speaks - Liverpool
WHUFC.com

Slaven BIlic wants his West Ham United team to develop a 'clean sheet
mentality'
Hammers have kept just three clean sheets in their opening 14 Premier League
matches
Bilic's side tackle free-scoring Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon

Slaven Bilic says his team need to develop a 'clean sheet mentality' if they
are to turn their season around.

West Ham United have kept just three clean sheets in their opening 14
Premier League matches, conceding 29 goals in the process.

The Hammers head to free-scoring Liverpool on Sunday and Bilic knows they
will need to tighten up if they are to leave Anfield with a point or three.

"We've had three clean sheets, against Bournemouth, against Sunderland and
at Crystal Palace," the manager confirmed. "You can't be guaranteed a clean
sheet but you have to have a clean sheet mentality.

"No team can guarantee they aren't going to concede a goal, no matter who
you are playing against, but you have to have a hunger and mentality that
I'm calling 'clean sheet', no matter what the result it. With that, it can
be 2-0 against Arsenal. It doesn't have to be 5-1.

"It's my responsibility, because we can't crumble. For me, 'clean sheet' is
more about mentality because their guy can score from a free-kick or a great
action, so 1-0 can't be a clean sheet but you know what I'm talking about."

Defending is not only down to defenders, of course, and Bilic is hopeful
that Andy Carroll will be available to play an important role this weekend –
and in next week's home matches with Burnley and Hull City.

Carroll not only defends from the front, but is also an important figure in
his own penalty area when dealing with opposition set pieces.

However, with a busy fixture list to contend with, the manager admitted he
has to 'manage' the centre forward following his recent return from
three-and-a-half months out with a knee injury.

At the other end, the No9 netted on his comeback against Arsenal, and Bilic
knows his presence will be vital this coming week.

"It's a good question and one I've thought a lot about in the last few days,
because we have to manage him," he explained. "It doesn't mean he isn't
going to start against Liverpool, I'm not saying that, but the last game he
played before the Arsenal game was in Romania in the first week of the
season.

"That's a long break and we have three games and we need him in all three of
them, but we can't be that greedy. I would call it 'naïve' to expect him to
last three full 90-minute games in one week, that would be crazy, but he
feels good and he is fit.

"We're going to use him, most definitely, in all three of them, because we
need him in all three of them. Is he gonna start on Sunday? I don't know!"

West Ham kick-off against Liverpool at 4.30pm on Sunday, with the Premier
League fixture being screened live on Sky Sports 1 and across the world.

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The Insider is back!
WHUFC.com

The Insider is back to bring you the very latest news and views on
speculation surrounding the Hammers!

Hello everyone,

As the January transfer window fast approaches, I will be dusting off my
Filofax and keeping my ear to the ground to bring West Ham supporters the
most reliable information on all the potential comings and goings at London
Stadium.

It has been a difficult season so far for Slaven and his side, but the Board
are certainly confident that their manager can turn this season's form on
its head and steer the side into a more than respectable Premier League
position.

I am told that the Club's activity in the transfer window is highly likely
to depend on the side's results between now and the New Year, with five
games and a potential 15 points to play for.

Injuries will of course play a part as well, and both the Board and the
manager will both be hoping for a busy Christmas period free from fresh
casualties, a factor that has no doubt played a part in the side's recent
form.

However, the African Cup of Nations will also leave the squad depleted with
three or four players set to represent their countries in Gabon, so it is
likely that we will see some activity in the transfer window either way.

I am reliably informed that we will be concentrating on domestic signings
during this window, as they will be more likely to hit the ground running
and make an immediate impact to the side.

It is, of course, never easy to capture your prime targets, especially not
in January, but we hope to see two or three new faces to help complement
Slaven's already talented squad.

At this moment in time we cannot even speculate on the identities of these
targets as we want to make sure we don't alert other club's or leave
ourselves open to being held to ransom by the selling club.

Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to bust some myths that
have been reported in the press over the last few days.

There have been reports that Dimitri Payet has a £15million buy-out clause
upon relegation from the Premier League. My source assures me that there is
absolutely no truth in this rumour at all, and that this was never even
considered when the Club renegotiated Payet's contract last season.

It has also been reported that the club have agreed a five-year-contract
with Wolfsburg's teenage midfielder Murat Saglam. Once again, this is a
rumour being presented as a done deal, and my source tells me it is well
wide-of-the-mark.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not
necessarily the views of West Ham United

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U18s end calendar year with victory
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's U18s won for the first time in five matches with victory
over Leicester City
Joe Powell and Korrey Henry (pen) scored the goals
Assistant boss Mark Phillips praised his team's first half display

Mark Phillips praised his side's excellent first half display, which set up
a comfortable 2-0 victory over Leicester City in the U18 Premier League
South.

The Hammers dominated the first 45 and were two up by half-time after Joe
Powell's free-kick and Korrey Henry's penalty.

Leicester saw more of the ball in the second half but the Hammers defence
was rarely breached as they picked up their first win in five matches.

"I thought we were excellent in the first half. Second half was slightly
disappointing but that's being negative. We played some terrific football
throughout," said Phillips.

"On the whole it was a good performance and there were some excellent
individual performances out there today. Everyone played very well
throughout."

Manager Steve Potts made three changes from the side which drew with Fulham
last weekend with Bernardo Rosa, Reece Hannam and Ben Johnson coming in for
Malyk Hamilton, the suspended Conor Coventry and Jeremy Ngakia. Anthony
Scully was still missing through injury.

The Hammers were in control from the off and almost went in front with
barely ten minutes on the clock. Alfie Lewis's free-kick was sidefooted just
over the cross by Jake Eggleton.

The breakthrough came on 14 minutes after a period of patient build-up play.
Rosaire Longelo was fouled just on the edge of the penalty area, and up
stepped Joe Powell to notch his first of the season with a wonderful
free-kick.

Powell could have added a second five minutes later after a long-range
effort went just over, but the Hammers soon added to their lead as the game
edged towards half-time.

Top scorer Jahmal Hector-Ingram weaved his way through a number of
challenges and was eventually tumbled over in the area. Korrey Henry coolly
placed the ball into the bottom corner from the spot to put the away side in
cruise control.

The Hammers seemed content to settle on their lead in the second half and
restricted the Leicester to virtually nothing in the way of chances on goal.

Rihards Matrevics was forced into action with five minutes to play, making a
great save from point blank range, but the Hammers were still a threat on
the counter attack.

Substitute Jeremy Ngakia hit the side netting before Hector-Ingram almost
added another to his collection, smashing the post when through one-on-one
with the goalkeeper.

But the final scoreline of 2-0 was probably a little less comfortable than
the performance suggested for Potts and his players, as they picked up a
much needed victory in the last match before the Christmas break.

Hammers XI: Matrevics; Johnson, Eggleton (Ngakia, 73), Akinola, Hannam;
Henry, Lewis; Powell, Rosa (Hamilton, 73), Longelo, Hector-Ingram.

Subs: Forde, Hudson, Constantinou.

Goals: Powell 14, Henry (pen) 31.

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Carroll - It's a massive game
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll eager to return to the starting XI against former club
Liverpool
West Ham United face the Reds at Anfield on Sunday afternoon at 4.30pm
Centre forward spent 18 months on Merseyside between 2011-12

Andy Carroll has plenty of reasons for wanting to impress on his latest
return to Liverpool on Sunday.

West Ham United's No9 became the most-expensive English player ever when he
signed for the Reds from Newcastle United in January 2011. He spent 18
rollercoaster months at Anfield, climaxing in a goal in an FA Cup final
defeat by Chelsea at Wembley.

The feeling persisted that Carroll was never given a real chance in a
Liverpool shirt, despite his undoubted ability, and he reminded them of what
they were missing by scoring in West Ham's 2-0 win at the Boleyn Ground in
January this year.

Nearly twelve months on and the Hammers desperately need the 27-year-old to
fire them to a win which will take them back out of the Premier League
relegation zone.

"It's a massive game," he began. "They're a great team playing in a massive
stadium with good fans, so it's going to be tough for us.

"It would be nice to go there and get the win and, for me, to get a win
against one of my old clubs would be even better.

"We just need to go up there, concentrate and get the result. Obviously they
are a tough team to beat, especially at Anfield, so it's going to be even
harder."

Carroll returned from a three-and-a-half month injury lay-off with a goal
against Arsenal last weekend, when he played for around 20 minutes as a
substitute.

Slaven Bilic has refused to say whether the England man will start against
his former club, but the No9 feels ready to contribute, whatever role he is
given.

"The aim is to get more minutes on the pitch on Sunday," he confirmed. "I've
been training hard and I'm fit so hopefully I'll get longer on the pitch
this weekend than I did against Arsenal last Saturday.

"I would like to think I could make a difference to any team. We've
obviously been lacking goals so I would like to get back in the team and get
those goals."

Having beaten Liverpool three times last season – twice in the Premier
League and once in an unforgettable FA Cup replay – Carroll says there is no
reason why the Hammers cannot do so again.

"We have got the quality to beat the top teams and Liverpool are obviously a
top team, so we can beat them," he said.

"We have to stick together and we've worked hard in training this week. All
the lads know what we need to do and hopefully we can put it together for
the weekend."

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Slaven Bilic eyes move for Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge
Last Updated: 10/12/16 11:53am
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he will be interested in signing Daniel
Sturridge if the Liverpool striker becomes available in January. The England
international will miss West Ham's visit to Anfield on Sunday because of a
calf problem, and Bilic believes the player's injury problems are a concern.
But should the 27-year-old leave Liverpool, the Hammers boss reckons there
will be much competition for his signature. Bilic said: "He's one of the
biggest talents, he's a great player. The talent is there, the touch, the
finishing, everything is great. "The only thing that has stopped him being a
regular for club and country are the injuries. "He's just a player that has
been linked with us, basically, and we've been linked with almost every
player. "We're always there in contention. Most of the time it's absolutely
not true, 95 per cent of the time. "But you're asking me about Sturridge
and I have no problem about that. All the clubs are thinking about him
because he is that kind of player. "I don't know his work rate, I don't know
his dedication to his job or whatever but unfortunately for England and for
Liverpool and especially for him he's injured. That's his problem."
Liverpool lost a two-goal advantage in their 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth last
weekend and will be aiming to bounce back against West Ham. Although the
Hammers sit just one point above the relegation zone, Bilic is confident his
side can exploit Liverpool's weaknesses on Merseyside. Bilic said: "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. "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. "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."

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West Ham's summer signings will find form, says Slaven Bilic
By Michael Hincks
Last Updated: 10/12/16 2:03pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic is confident West Ham's summer signings will find their form
after failing to impress in the early stages of the season. West Ham
currently sit one point above the relegation zone and could drop into the
Premier League's bottom three before they head to Liverpool on Sunday, live
on Sky Sports 1 HD. Some of West Ham's new players have been criticised for
their poor starts in England, with Simone Zaza failing to find the net in 11
appearances since joining from Juventus on loan. Meanwhile, Sofiane Feghouli
suffered a hamstring injury after arriving on a free transfer from Valencia,
and is yet to score in the league upon his return to full fitness. Bilic
insisted his latest recruits - which also includes Alvaro Arbeloa and Havard
Nordtveit - have the quality to compete in the top-tier. "With some of the
new players, we can say they didn't hit the ground running straight away or
they are not showing what we wanted or why we bought them in the first
place," Bilic told Sky Sports. "But they came to a new league, this is the
Premier League, I'm not saying it's better but it's definitely different to
the leagues they were in before.
"Most of them were hit by injuries when they signed for us, which is another
reason why that period is longer than we thought it was going to be. "They
[new signings] are good enough. At the end of the day you are questioning
and judging the performances of the players on the pitch in whatever role
they play, but they are good players. I'm sure it's about time for some of
them to hit form."
BIlic refused to point the finger at any player specifically, but admitted
his frustration that injuries to key players has hampered their progress
after such an impressive 2015/16 campaign which saw them finish seventh.
Striker Diafra Sakho remains out until the New Year with a hamstring injury,
while Michail Antonio has missed three matches with a groin strain after
scoring six goals in 13 leagues games. "I took responsibility on myself, I
didn't blame anyone, I said it's my responsibility. Why I said it is mainly
because of the injuries," Bilic added. "Basically it stopped some very
important players for us, and right from the beginning of the season.
Whether it's short-term injuries or long-term, they can't get a rhythm in
training. "They come back to training two or three days before a game and in
that time you can't push them really hard because there's a game ahead."
West Ham have struggled in front of goal this season and have been linked
with a move for Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge in January. Bilic
revealed he would be interested in signing the England international if he
were to become available, but the West Ham boss also believes the current
squad can turn their form around.
"We are looking for some positions and maybe we are going to get someone,
but I believe in this team," Bilic added. "I know that within this team we
have enough quality to turn things around."

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Slaven Bilic assured of West Ham future in House of Lords tea date with
Karren Brady
Bilic and Brady met earlier this week after the Hammers were handed their
heaviest defeat of the season at home to Arsenal last weekend
BYLIAM CORLESS
16:31, 10 DEC 2016UPDATED16:48, 10 DEC 2016
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic was assured of his West Ham future when he met Karren Brady for
tea at the House of Lords on Wednesday. The Hammers have endured a dreadful
start to the season, winning just three of their 14 Premier League matches
so far this season. Their heaviest defeat of the campaign came last weekend
as Arsenal thrashed them 5-1 at the London Stadium. The result put West Ham
just one point clear of the relegation zone and left huge question marks
surrounding Bilic's future at the club. However, Hammers vice-chairman Brady
revealed to The Sun that she met with Bilic in midweek and the Croat assured
her he will turn the club's fortunes around. "Slaven and I have tea at the
House of Lords. For a catch up," Brady wrote, chronicling her activity on
Wednesday, December 7. "Three things he is — decent, passionate, determined.
When he says results will turn round, I 100 per cent believe him. We talk
January window and leave feeling optimistic." Brady revealed she was
"horrified" by the defeat to West Ham but added that "In 23 years in
football, my two chairman [David Gold and David Sullivan and I have sacked
four managers". "The best clubs pull together," she said. "That's exactly
what we are going to do."

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