Simply Slaven
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says his staff and family have helped him turn things around at West Ham United
Hammers have picked up seven points in their last three Premier League matches
Manager also delighted that Reece Oxford has pledged his future to the Club
Slaven Bilic says his staff and family have helped him turn West Ham United's season in a positive direction. The Hammers were struggling inside the Premier League's bottom three less than a fortnight ago, before a run of seven points from three matches saw them rise five places and five points above the relegation zone. Bilic had found himself under external pressure for the first time in his east London reign, but he says a combination of his own self-belief and the support of those closest to him have helped him set West Ham up for a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. "I didn't predict this situation, me and my staff, but this was an option, unfortunately," he told West Ham TV. "I am always optimistic and everything and you look positive and all that, but this is the Premier League and this is not the first time it has happened to a club. Every year a few clubs are in this kind of situation.
"That's why we were ready for it and we tried to stop it and hopefully now we are stopping it and we are going to move up the table, but it's not a shock. "How am I feeling personally? I don't know, because I'm under pressure the whole of my life. OK, it's a different pressure as a manager to when you are a player, but I don't feel it in a negative way and I can cope with it, not easily, but totally in the zone and totally stable. "Why? Because I feel I am a strong character. More than that, you can't do it by yourself and if you have a good staff and a good and stable situation at home with your family, kids, relatives and all that, then it's much easier to cope with it."
West Ham travel to 19th-place Swansea City on Boxing Day – Tickets are still available to purchase here for our trip to Liberty Stadium – before heading to 15th-place Leicester City on New Year's Eve. The New Year kicks-off with the mouth-watering visit of Manchester United to London Stadium on Monday 2 January 2017.
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Players spread Christmas cheer at local hospital
WHUFC.com
Members of West Ham United's first team squad visited Newham General Hospital this week
As Christmas approaches, they were therehand over some gifts to poorly children
Winston Reid and Ashley Fletcher both stressed how important visits like this are
West Ham United's first team players took a break from their busy festive schedule to spread the Christmas cheer at a local hospital this week.
Winston Reid, Adrian, Simone Zaza, Michail Antonio, Ashley Fletcher and Pedro Obiang visited the children's ward at Newham General Hospital to meet youngsters and hand over some claret and blue gifts.
It continues the Club's yearly tradition of visiting the hospital just before Christmas begins and the visit, once again, brought smiles to face of the young children currently under the care of doctors and nurses.
"It's tough when it's kids and you can see them struggling. It's nice that we can put a smile on their face by coming into the room and giving them a gift. It's very important for them," said defender Reid.
"The kids are going through a tough period and we all hope that their stay is smooth as possible.
"It's something we (the Club) have always been good at and this is a tradition. Being a father myself, I know how important it is for children."
The visit this year was extra special, as the players were also able to receive a sneak-peek of the new Rainbow Unit at the hospital which will considerably improve the care of young people when it opens early next year.
Most importantly though, the players spent the majority of their time chatting, posing for photographs and handing over lots of Christmas presents to the youngsters.
"It's been very nice. We wanted to come here and make their Christmas in a way. They're going through a tough time and it's nice to able to give them some gifts so they can enjoy their Christmas a little bit more," said striker Fletcher.
"It's very important to do things like because the relationship we have with the fans is very strong. We need to keep that up and doing things like this can only benefit us.
"It doesn't take anything out of our day. We're their heroes so it's very special for us to do things like this."
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Stadium receives Strachan approval
WHUFC.com
Scotland manager Gordon Strachan described London Stadium as 'a wonderful arena' after visiting West Ham United's new home for the first time on Saturday.
The former Aberdeen, Manchester United and Leeds star was in town for our 1-0 win over Hull City, whose squad contains several Scottish internationals, and revealed to whufc.com that he had been eager to see the stadium at first hand.
"It's my first time here and I've been very impressed," said Strachan. "When I arrived I was having a cup of tea and Trevor Brooking's wife said I looked a bit nervous. I said: 'I just want to get out and look around!'
"It's a wonderful arena and fantastic for West Ham."
Strachan, who was appointed national team boss north of the border in January 2013 following a 14-year club managerial career with Coventry, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough, also spoke from experience when he insisted the Hammers can look forward to a bright future in their new surroundings.
"I took over at Southampton in their first season at St Mary's and they hadn't won a game there until October," he said. "It takes time to fully feel like home for everyone and I can see that is the case here.
"Players can find it difficult and have to get used to the little things that you only notice if you've played the game. Even things like a different type of grass on the pitch.
"At Southampton I had us training at the stadium twice a week when I started, just to make sure the players got a feel for the pitch.
"It does take a while for it to feel like home, but it will once you fill the stadium with new memories."
Strachan was present on Saturday to run the rule over some of his international charges – goalkeeper David Marshall, defender Andrew Robertson and midfielder Robert Snodgrass all started for Mike Phelan's team – ahead of their next 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in March, before the visit of England to Hampden Park in June.
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WAS THIS THE TURNING POINT FOR OUR SEASON?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 21 DECEMBER 2016 AT 9:17PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This is written by Richard Osis
I was at the game against Hull this weekend and I have to say that I'm quietly confident that our season has finally turned around.
Granted, the game was very poor and there are a lot of confidence issues running through the team at the moment. The same could be said about the performance against Burnley but to end up with two clean sheets and six points from those two games will have worked wonders for the morale.
On paper, this side looks amazing and should be challenging in the top six of the league. Quite what has gone wrong so far this season is beyond me as it is everyone else who has tried to figure it out. Some of it might be the bedding in to the new stadium and surroundings, some of it could be the dreaded second season syndrome which claims a lot of managerial victims.
Looking at the way the team were playing against Hull, there seems to be a fear of losing the ball. Every time West Ham had possession in a good position, I was expecting the likes of Antonio, Payet and Lanzini to run past their defender and put a ball in the box for big Andy to nod it home. However they kept hesitating and looking to ensure possesion was kept and opted for a side or backward pass.
There wasn't a trust in their own skill or talent, no risks were being taken to try and carve out an opportunity. This is all down to confidence. In the second half of the game against Hull, once they started making runs, taking on defenders and playing the riskier forward passes, it paid off. They were creating more chances and although it didn't always end up with an attempt on goal it did make them look like they could score and it wasn't long before it forced Hull's defence into the vital mistake that conceded the penalty.
After taking the lead, West Ham were playing with a little bit more freedom and continued to create a few more chances. Had they played like that from the first whistle we would have been discussing a 3-0 victory rather than how lucky that the post came to the rescue for the Hammers on a few occassions and how lucky they were to win the game.
Regardless of how bad the game was to watch, I still think that winning ugly when you have been in a scrap at the bottom of the table is a huge boost and I will continue to take those scrappy 1-0 victories all season long.
The team need to believe in themselves more than they do and use these last few games as a stepping stone to string together a couple more decent results against Swansea and Leicester. If they can do that and also start stringing some good football together as well, there is no reason why we shouldn't be looking at the Hammers in the top 10 of the table come the end of the season.
The new place will eventually become a fortress as well, and the manager is putting together a good squad (besides the fact that this summer's transfer window was a failure) that will eventually play to its full potential and challenge for honours, I'm sure of it.
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An open letter to the West Ham board of directors
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 21st December 2016
By: Staff Writer
Two lifelong West Ham fans have produced a video short calling for everyone associated with the club to reunite and "move forward together".
In a piece that will resonate with many West Ham supporters, Rob WIlliams and Jonny Madderson ask why many feel fans disenfranchised by the move to Stratford - before issuing a stark warning to the Board regarding their attempts to re-brand the club.
"The move hasn't been 'the most successful stadium migration in history' as the board say. Fans are unhappy," Williams (who attended his first match in 1962) and Madderson (a follower for some 25 years) told KUMB. "There is a bad atmosphere around the club.
"But rather than moaning or being negative, we felt it was time to issue a rallying cry to everyone associated with West Ham. Let's become united once more and move forward together, but not forget the things that make West Ham special.
"That's what the film is about."
During the video, which you may see above, the Board are warned against "turning the fans into consumers" - before being told "West Ham isn't a brand - it's about the things you CAN'T buy".
But Williams and Madderson also call upon David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady to enlist the help of the entire fan base - and not specifically those supporters who generally share their vision of a 'brand' new West Ham Utd FC - to make the Olympic Stadium a success.
"We believe it can be successful - and will be, if handled better than it has been," the pair continued.
"The stadium does create an atmosphere, but the big problem is the match day experience. It feels like a trip to the Excel centre right now - we need to work hard to make it feel like a trip to West Ham.
"The solution will be bringing the fans along the journey, and having our input along the way. The board need the fans' help so that it doesn't end up being a marketing department's vision of what a West Ham match day experience is."
* Let us know what you think of the film in the Comments section below or via the KUMB Forum.
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So, how long has Slaven Bilic really got?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 19th December 2016
By: Paul Walker
Now if you were of a suspicious disposition, someone who believes in conspiracies or who just doesn't trust a word football's powerful people say, then you might think there was a campaign to undermine Slaven Bilic from within the club.
No, I hear you say, surely nothing is further from the truth. Why would anyone do that? Well, distancing themselves from the blame of a shambolic season--on and off the pitch-comes to mind, not wanting to be in the way when any of the crap hits the fan.
Making sure that when the seemingly inevitable decision is made, that public opinion in on the side of the club and the situation doesn't deteriorate quickly into another situation where fans turn on the board…we've had enough of that all season already!
But this is a tough one, dividing the support. Those that dislike the owners and their motives tend to support Bilic, claiming he has had a raw deal this term. Others doubt his tactics. It's a toxic decision either way.
When you have been in the media industry long enough, you have seen this sort of scenario unfold hundreds of times before, you get to know how to read between the lines. To see what is probably going on in the corridors of power.
You get a feel for these things. You can smell it.
All this was planted into my mind on Saturday as I headed south from the frozen north for the Hull game and bumped into an old mate, a former professional football and top international.
The conversation turned to our beloved owners and Bilic's position. And how one of our owners has some journalists in his pocket, so to speak., he claimed.
We parted on the platform, him to first class me and the lad in with the plebs. But his one small remark stuck in my mind.
There was a big piece in the Mirror recently, no quotes but a lot of leading comment about how much our owners feel the pain of defeat, and what is going on. Then there was the story in the Telegraph suggesting that feelers had been put out to see just who was available and maybe fancied the job of replacing Bilic.
Now that story was ridiculed, amid suggestions that such reporting was easy to write in such circumstances. Meaning, I assume, that someone was suggesting the piece was invented. Now this story was written by one of the Telegraph's best young writers, and was printed in a paper that has utmost respect for accuracy and sound reporting. Making stuff up? I don't think so.
I didn't doubt the story for one second. In fact, I would be astonished if a major club like ours that has a duty to its shareholders and owners, would not be concerned about the under-performance of one of its senior executives and had not decided to have a plan B if everything continued to go pear-shaped. And of course they are not going to admit it.
Likewise, I would be equally stunned if Bilic, represented by the vast German-based Mondial Sports agency, would not have had a conversation with his people about where his future might be. He has already been linked with jobs in Germany. Bilic will not struggle for work, after what he achieved with us last season and his track record with Croatia and Besiktas (If not maybe the brief, embarrassing spell in Moscow).
Mondial, incidentally, list on their website that Dimitri Payet is also one of their clients. I have seen other names mentioned, but I don't doubt for a moment that Bilic and Payet have the same company looking after their interests, with the firm's website listing Payet's transfer value as £25m.
As for Bilic, it bothers me that unattributed quotes from inside the club are critical of the team's performance and that David Gold allows himself to be sucked into a twitter exchange where he is also having a pop at the team, claiming the Hull game was our worst display of the season.
Obviously he nodded off during the dreadful second-half in the FA Cup at Manchester United when Payet virtually stopped playing, or the horrible last half-hour against Arsenal, the West Brom debacle or the Southampton collapse.
And then we get back to last summer's transfer dealings and the fact that only Ashley Fletcher and Edimilson Fernandes from a dozen new signings have made any sort of impact. There are those that blame David Sullivan and his mate Tony Henry, others ask what involvement Bilic had.
But reading between the lines again you see suggestions some weeks ago that all the signings were on Slav's shopping list. And again in one blog this weekend when a fan questioned who was to blame, only to be asked whether they thought Slav had no involvement in the dealings.
We will never know, the only word from the board on that was a short tweet from Gold last month saying "everyone was responsible" for the inadequate standard of the signings. Who takes the blame is open to debate but I do not believe Bilic should shoulder all of it.. Gokhan Tore and maybe, Simone Zaza yes, but the rest?
No. They smack of Sullivan's agent mates.
Bilic has suffered from dreadful injuries in his squad, poor form, failure to settle in a better league, plus the lack of a genuine right-back in the squad, from which virtually all our ills seem to flow.
Almost every match now sees some sort of reshuffle to counter that deficiency. Whether it is moving Michail Antonio back or forward, playing two or three centre-backs, sending on a patently unfit Alvaro Arbeloa, shifting the excellent Fernandes into yet another role or pushing in an obviously ill-prepared Sam Byram. Equally the out-of-touch Havard Nordtveit.
You could go on. Our best box-to-box midfielder, Cheikhou Kouyate, is now playing as a centre back to cope I believe with the lack of pace and positioning of Angelo Ogbonna, who seems to gift a terrible clearance from the back in almost every match. His distribution is worrying and he continually tries to play the most difficult pass out rather than the safe one. It has cost us countless goals this term.
So how long has Slav got? He would surely have been gone by now had we not won the two home games against Burnley and Hull, two poor team displays riddled with uncertainty and inconsistency, but still two wins and no goals conceded.
There were some who mischievously suggested that Slav was being set up by those five tough earlier games, Manchester United away twice, Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal.
You wouldn't wish that level of opposition on your worst enemy in a three week spell, or the demands on squad and players. I doubt even the really big clubs would have fancied that, and Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho would have moaned incessantly about the fixture schedule.
I missed just one, the heartening performance but crippling defeat at Spurs, my grand-daughter's second birthday party was far more important. But in the time it took her to blow out the candles, we had gone from 2-1 up to 3-2 down in injury time. I thought I handled that pretty well at the time!
The league game at Old Trafford produced a fighting display and an unexpected point, the FA Cup tie there was shocking, as was the defeat by Arsenal. But at Liverpool there was no doubt the team were playing for the manager and us, and Mark Noble, continually much maligned this term, had his best game of the season.
Burnley and Hull followed, and ho hum, we are 13th. But let's not get too excited. Two away league games over Christmas await us plus the two Manchester clubs in league and FA Cup in five days at the OS to follow.
But it does not seem to matter whether we are hopeless, excellent, inept or winning two on the trot at home, the pressure is maintained on Bilic, we were told that club insiders reckoned the Hull performance was unacceptable. As unacceptable as last summer's transfer dealings, maybe?
And then that any contract discussions were postponed until the summer.
So now we have another edition of the Sullivan transfer window road show next month. More talk of kids on loan and getting the wage bill down . Some things never change.
Who will be signed? Well I would bet on Sunderland's defender Lamine Kone, if only because he is represented by Sullivan's favourite agent Mark McKay and we obviously know of the £18m buy-out clause, much to David Moyes' annoyance.
McKay has had a hand in the transfers of Payet, Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew, so Sullivan obviously trusts him. And there's also a rumour that Ogbonna's agent has been in Turkey looking for a deal with Galatasaray.
But there has to be departures, Zaza obviously, and I doubt we will ever see Jonathan Calleri again, unless it's on TV scoring goals for Seville. Sofiane Feghouli is also rumoured to be on his way out, while Tore will be when he's finally fit. From our point of view, that's a shocking rate of failures and judgement.
Slav seemed to make a big decision recently. He returned to the players from last season, in the last two games not one of the summer arrivals started the matches. Ayew, Fernandes, Nordtveit and Fletcher only figured from the bench, where he also had promising kids. So was that Slav dumping players he did not sign or was he just admitting his own mistakes?
Who knows… but Sullivan and Henry need to get something right this January, or any credibility they have left will be right out of the window.
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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Dimitri Payet exit would be a shock, says West Ham captain Mark Noble
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 21/12/16 11:57am
SSN
West Ham captain Mark Noble says he would be shocked to see Dimitri Payet leave the club during the January transfer window but admits it is hard to predict the future in football. Payet has been linked with a move to Arsenal and he refused to rule out a move to the Emirates when he spoke to the French media recently.
If the France international were to leave the Hammers, Noble insists it would have to take a healthy transfer fee for the club to allow him to go. "You never know what happens in football. I'm pretty sure Dimi doesn't want to come out and say too much," he told Sky Sports News HQ as he joined West Ham team-mates in visiting children at Richard House, a hospice in east London. "I would be shocked to see him go before the end of January. I'm pretty sure it would have to be a healthy bid to get him away from us. "Can we afford to lose him? No, not really, because he is one of the best players in the world at the minute."
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Dimitri Payet staying at West Ham in January - Sky sources
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 21/12/16 6:31pm
SSN
Dimitri Payet is not for sale and he will not be leaving West Ham under any circumstances this January, according to Sky sources. Payet's commitment to West Ham has been questioned after the 29-year-old talked about playing for other clubs in an interview with French broadcaster RMC Sport. A senior source at West Ham has told Sky Sports News HQ that Payet will definitely be staying and no key players will be leaving the club during the January transfer window, while Mark Noble said he would be shocked to see the France international leave next month. Payet signed a new five-and-a-half-year West Ham contract in February and the Hammers are under no pressure to sell their most valuable asset. Payet told RMC that playing for Arsenal could be "fun", and added that he wants to play in big competitions like the Champions League. "When you see them [Arsenal] playing, as a technical player, you could only have fun in that team," he said. "They're candidates for the title every year." "The situation at the club affects me, but I'm an ambitious person. I'm in a fight with my club and I'm giving everything for them, to get out of this difficult situation, but I'm not closing the door to anything. "I miss the Champions League... I've got some great years ahead of me and I want to enjoy them by playing in important competitions." Payet added: "If I'm forced to leave West Ham, it will be done according to the rules - the club will have its share of the cake. "My coach understands that today's situation does not suit me. I will ask the questions at the right time."
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Only 35 remain
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 21st December 2016
By: Staff Writer
The number of former Boleyn Ground stewards still working at the Olympic Stadium is down to just 35. More than 250 stewards who used to work at the club's former home were offered roles at Stratford, West Ham United's new ground. However since the club played its first game at the OS, more than 200 stewards have walked out in protest at the reduced pay on offer and poorer working conditions.
One former steward, writing on KUMB this morning in response to our Stadium stewards taunted father and son story revealed just why he had decided to pack it in after working for nearly two decades at Upton Park.
"I was a chief steward at the Boleyn Ground for 18 years and just a steward at the OS," they said. "I am giving it up at the end of the season, because I am fed up being tarred with the same brush as the new breed of stewards employed at the OS. "These new guys have no affiliation with the club, the are badly trained (if you can call it training) and are just there to make a quick buck. "Reports like this one would never have happened at Upton Park. The two Davids and Lady Brady sold the Boleyn Ground stewards and other loyal Boleyn Ground Staff down the river and as a result, the quality of and respect for the stewards disappeared at the end of the last season.
At the game vs Hull on Saturday the Boleyn Ground stewards numbered 35. If the objective was to let years of experience and quality stewarding go, the West Ham board have achieved that."
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Desperate Dimitri Payet is embarrassing himself and West Ham - he clearly thinks his work there is done
Payet is throwing himself at the big clubs like a drunk nightclub reveller hunting a bit of fun with the clock counting down to 2am
BY DARREN LEWIS
09:11, 21 DEC 2016
UPDATED13:10, 21 DEC 2016
Now it's getting embarrassing. Desperate Dimitri Payet , throwing himself at the big clubs like a drunk nightclub reveller hunting a bit of fun with the clock counting down to 2am. West Ham's best player flashing a bit of leg at any Premier League giant capable of rescuing him - shock, horror - from having to knuckle down and help his struggling club out of trouble. This column is a big fan of the Frenchman. It is a myth to suggest that he hasn't turned up this season. Until recently he had created the most chances of any player across the top five leagues in Europe. Payet scored a candidate for Goal of the Season, beating half the team, against Middlesbrough in October. He curled in a corker at Liverpool to spark that row between Gary Neville and Jurgen Klopp over keeper Loris Karius earlier this month. It wasn't Payet's fault that West Ham didn't have a fit striker capable of converting the chances he'd created. It wasn't Payet's fault that his club's defence appeared to be dining out on last season's impressive campaign. What a shame, though, that he has let himself down with all of the carry-on over the past couple of days. In two separate interviews - one with French outlet SFR Sport , the other with RMC , Payet has suggested he'd be up for a move away from the London stadium. In each case he refused to "close the door", football code for: I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here . His first target was his former club, Marseille, an outfit under new American ownership that have stabilised after their financial problems of recent years. He then flirted with Arsenal, a club he'd have little to no chance of joining at the monster fee that West Ham would undoubtedly want for him.
Just for good measure (in case they didn't get the hint), Payet also revealed he is missing the Champions League, a competition he played in with his former clubs Lille and Marseille before moving to Upton Park. Fair enough, who wouldn't miss having a seat at the top table and rubbing shoulders with Messi and Ronaldo? He proved his quality with his impressive performances to help France to the final of Euro 2016. France coach Didier Deschamps, who had previously turned his nose up at him, was finally shown what the fuss was all about. The trouble is, Payet was happy to take the improved cash on offer when he was handed that new, five-and-a-half-year deal at a staggering (for West Ham) £125,000-a-week back in February. That contract was dished out just seven months after his arrival from Marseille last summer. Does he really expect the club to allow him to walk off into the sunset now with the minimum of fuss?
Yet early last month, following the Hammers' 1-1 draw with Stoke, Payet told French TV show Telefoot : "We've had a very poor start. Leave in January? I'm asking other questions right now but I've closed the door to nothing."
At the time PSG and Manchester United were being linked with him. The French champions have since ended their interest. United may have snapped up 35-year-old Zlatan on a free transfer, investing 40-odd million pounds plus wages on a player turning 30 in March remains a different story. Payet maybe knew what, which was why he made eyes at the French champions, adding in that interview: "Until now, I always chose my clubs depending on the sports project. "I work like that. Until I can play at a level like this, it will be the case. "Go to PSG or Marseille? For now, they have not come to me, so I do not ask myself."
Instead of his strip on Boxing Day at Swansea he'd be better off running out wearing a sandwich board bearing his agent's number.
There may well be a club that sees his touch of class as something worth splashing out on next month. But for a player cloaked in so much genius Payet is showing he has something of the mercenary about him. Maybe he feels he has taken unjustifiable stick when there have been so many others in the West Ham team more deserving of it. Maybe he feels, after such a successful European Championships, that he needs to seize the moment and think solely of himself. The trouble is, Payet risks tarnishing the love affair he has had during his brief spell in east London. You'd have thought he was better than this, hawking his wares like a two-bit journeyman. When the Mirror sat down with Slaven Bilic last month, the West Ham boss called on Payet to see the criticism he'd received as fans and pundits demanding a higher standard from him, just as they do with Messi and Ronaldo. Never mind forcing his way out. Payet is good enough to play his way out to a bigger club, just as the likes of Suarez did at Liverpool, Gareth Bale did at Tottenham and Robin van Persie, at 29, did four years ago, leaving Arsenal for Manchester United. Instead he is pulling his trousers on with the sun barely rising and West Ham still asleep. He clearly believes his work there is done. What a shame it would be if that is indeed the case.
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West Ham transfer news: Dimitri Payet 'will not be sold in January'
The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium in recent weeks as a number of top clubs have registered their interest in the talented midfielder
Samuel Lovett @samueljlovett
West Ham United's Dimitri Payet is not for sale and will not be leaving the club in the January transfer window, reports suggest.
The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium in recent weeks as a number of top clubs have registered their interest in the talented midfielder. Payet has dropped hints himself at a possible exit and, in a recent interview with French broadcaster RMC Sport, suggested it would "be fun" to play under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. But according to Sky Sports, West Ham have ruled out a January transfer and insisted the player will be staying put in east London. Payet signed a new five-and-half-year contract with West Ham in February and the Hammers are under no pressure to sell their most valuable asset. Mark Noble admitted that he would be shocked to see the France international leave next month. "I would be shocked to see him go before the end of January," he said. "I'm pretty sure it would have to be a healthy bid to get him away from us. "Can we afford to lose him? No, not really, because he is one of the best players in the world at the minute."
Noble's remarks come in the wake of Payet's own admission that it would be fun to play at London rivals Arsenal. "I read that Wenger considers me the missing piece of the Arsenal's game, but he's never told me that!" Payet told RMC. "We conceded five or six at home against them. When you see them playing, as a technical player, you could only have fun in that team. They're candidates for the title every year."
Although Payet insisted that he remains focused on steering West Ham away from relegation trouble, he added that he has refused to 'close the door to anything'. "The situation at the club affects me, but I'm an ambitious person," he added. "I'm in a fight with my club and I'm giving everything for them, to get out of this difficult situation, but I'm not closing the door to anything. "I miss the Champions League... I've got some great years ahead of me and I want to enjoy them by playing in important competitions."
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How West Ham's Clyde Best kept the racists quiet by scoring goals
KEN DYER
Eveing STandard
When Clyde Best first arrived in London on a grey, August night in 1968, there was no one to meet him. He stood outside a locked Boleyn Ground and wished he could take the first plane back to Bermuda. On a cold December night in 2016, though, everyone wants to shake the big man's hand as he stands in the bowels of the London Stadium, not only because he is still an affable giant of a man but also because of the inspiration he has given to countless black footballers who have followed the road he trod almost half a century ago. Best, 65, has been in London to promote his autobiography, The Acid Test, to reminisce about his time as young West Ham striker — and to talk about new challenges and opportunities for black professional players. Best made 221 appearances for West Ham between 1968-76, scoring 58 goals. He also took shedloads of vile, racist abuse without once retaliating.
Before shedding light on the title of his book, though, Clyde Cyril Best MBE, is eager to broach the subject of black managers — or rather the lack of them. "When I played it was tough but I was at the right place and the manager, Ron Greenwood, has to take a lot of credit because West Ham were probably the first club to establish black players like John Charles, his brother Clive and Ade Coker," he said. "I think he put British football in a different light by giving us black guys a chance. "The problems were mainly away from home but I always believed the best answer was sticking the ball in the net. If you did that, that hushed them. "English football has come a long way since then and a lot of progress has been made. Now we have to find out how we're going to progress these players into management. "There are many of them out there who could do it — they just need an opportunity, like Chris Hughton at Brighton, for example. One day even, perhaps there will be a black guy who is good enough to manage England."
Despite his treatment from the away terraces of the time, there is not a trace of bitterness in Best. One incident, above all others though, did leave its mark on the man, hence the book's title. "It still," he writes, "sends a shiver down my spine. It was a hostile time, a time when racism was endemic in English football. I was still young, a teenager."
Best goes on to explain that he was sifting through his mail one day at the club when one anonymous letter made his 'blood run cold'. "It warned me," writes Best, "that as soon as I emerged from the tunnel and took the field the following day, I would have acid thrown in my eyes. "I can't remember who the opposition were that day. To say it knocked me sideways is an understatement." Best showed the letter to Greenwood. "He remained utterly calm," Best recalls, "hiding it away in a draw and telling me not to worry."
Best played the following day, the club providing a security cordon for him before and after the game. "I couldn't just say, 'I'm not going to play'," writes Best. "I had to play through it. Since retiring, I've had countless people ask me how I managed to deal with racism. "My answer is that I was not just making a stand for myself but for every black player who has played the game, not just then but ever since."
The Acid Test by Clyde Best, published by deCoubertin Books, is out now, price £20.
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Police hunt football fans after violence at West Ham's London Stadium
JAMIE BULLEN
Evening Stadnard
Detectives investigating violence at the London Stadium have made a fresh bid to identify dozens of people. Police released images of 28 supporters after crowd trouble broke out at West Ham home games against Watford and Chelsea. Violence flared at the ground during the Hammers' 4-2 defeat at home to Watford on September 10. Further trouble broke out during the club's League Cup clash with rivals Chelsea on October 26. The appeal comes after it emerged that West Ham has banned 71 supporters over violence at the new stadium.
West Ham's move to the 60,000 capacity former Olympic Stadium has been beset with crowd issues, culminating in a Football Association investigation into the Chelsea match violence.
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West Ham plot ambitious January loan move for Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford
Matt Law, football news correspondent
20 DECEMBER 2016 • 10:30PM
West Ham United's desperate hunt to find a striker capable of firing the club up the Premier League table will see them make an ambitious enquiry to take either Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial on loan from Manchester United. With Chelsea reluctant to allow West Ham's top loan target Michy Batshuayi to leave in January, the Hammers have been forced to consider other options. Ideally, West Ham want to sign proven Premier League players in the New Year and have targeted Chelsea, United and Liverpool stars who are currently not regular first-team starters. Daniel Sturridge is already on West Ham's radar and they will also ask about the situations of both Rashford and Martial in the hope of persuading one of the big clubs to allow a striker to leave. It would seem unlikely United manager Jose Mourinho will allow either Rashford or Martial to leave Old Trafford in January, despite the fact both men have lost their places in his starting line-up. England international Rashford has not started for United in the Premier League since the draw with West Ham on November 27, when he was substituted after 65 minutes. The 19-year-old has been told he needs to improve by Mourinho, having failed to score since September 24 and struggled to adapt to playing on the flank. West Ham would be prepared to put Rashford back through the middle, from where he burst on to the scene last season, and guarantee him a starting place but that may not be enough to convince Mourinho to let him go. Martial has not started in either of United's last two games, victories against West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace. He did, however, start against West Ham in the League Cup and scored two goals in a 4-1 win. The 21-year-old Frenchman enjoyed a promising first season at United, following his big-money move from Monaco, but has not showed his best form under Mourinho. "I think consistency is my big problem," said Martial. "I have a tendency to have a good 35 minutes and I drop in the last 15. I think it's mostly an endurance thing. I've improved my endurance a lot, but I know that if I improve it even more, I'll be able to progress."
West Ham know their chances of landing Rashford or Martial on loan are extremely slim and realise their only hope of taking Batshuayi on loan is if the Belgian asks Chelsea for a January move to get more experience. But the Hammers want to try all avenues to land a top-class striker from a Premier League club before looking abroad. Sassuolo's Gregoire Defrel and Porto's Laurent Depoitre are two forwards West Ham may be forced to consider if their efforts to land one of Batshuayi, Sturridge, Rashford and Martial all fail.
West Ham face a battle to hang on to star midfielder Dimitri Payet and are becoming increasingly resigned to the fact the France international will leave next summer if they manage to hang on to him in January. Payet has once again left the door open to a January move away from the London Stadium, despite West Ham's repeated insistence that they will fight to keep him. Marseille are believed to be interested in re-signing Payet, while Paris Saint-Germain have long been linked with the 29-year-old. Meanwhile, in an interview with former France international Christophe Dugarry, Payet has admitted West Ham's move to the London Stadium has contributed to their poor form this season. "Did you go to the old stadium? It was a place for an ambush," said Payet. "You go there, you concede a goal, you don't know where it's come from. You have to play and you concede another. "The new stadium is modern. It's a big stadium of a big club and all the teams are rather at ease in that stadium. "Last year at Upton Park, I don't think a single one of the top five came and won at our place. There is the new stadium to get over and last season's achievements to assume. Teams are expecting us, there's no element of surprise.
"When you make a mess of the first two months in England, it's difficult to get back up the table. We've taken seven points in three games, I hope that will give us a little more confidence to be calmer. We're not playing well, but when you're in this situation, you leave that to one side a bit and you try above all to pick up points."
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West Ham set to terminate loan of Simone Zaza as Valencia make approach for misfiring Italian striker
West Ham looking to offload Simone Zaza after disappointing spell with club
He is on loan from Juventus but has not triggered clause for permanent move
Valencia manager Cesare Prandelli has expressed interest in striker
Spanish club have held talks with Zaza's entourage to explain vision
By Simon Jones for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 22:44, 20 December 2016 | UPDATED: 22:47, 20 December 2016
West Ham are poised to terminate the loan of Simone Zaza as Valencia look to sign the striker. Zaza has failed to impress at the London Stadium after struggling to adjust to life in the Premier League while on loan from Juventus. Valencia have held discussions with the player's entourage to explain their project and how they see the 25-year-old Italy international fitting in. Zaza previously worked with Valencia coach Cesare Prandelli when the 59-year-old managed the Italian national side. West Ham paid an initial fee to take Zaza on loan from Juventus with the deal automatically becoming a long-term one, at a cost of a further £20m, if he made 15 appearances for the club this season. West Ham are keen to avoid such a financial outlay, particularly given the performances of Zaza this season. Slaven Bilic's side have struggled so far this campaign and Zaza's displays have drawn criticism from supporters. With Andy Carroll fit again, Zaza has fallen further down the pecking order and his time in England appears to be coming to an end. The 25-year-old showed plenty of early promise in his career, prompting Juventus to snap him up from Sassuolo but the forward has failed to develop significantly.
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Karren Brady asks for trust from West Ham fans and makes pledge
HITC
Damien Lucas
Much-maligned West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady has sent a message to the club's supporters. A woeful start to life at their new Olympic Stadium home had morale on the pitch and in the stands at a new low. Fighting amongst fans and safety fears at the ground as well as a perceived lack of the famous intimidating Hammers atmosphere from Upton Park has seen the stadium switch cited by many as a reason for the club's contrast in fortunes compared to their fantastic campaign last term. Seven points in as many days has lifted spirits somewhat and pushed Slaven Bilic's side up to the relative comfort of 13th place in the Premier League table. Many supporters still aren't happy, though, given the poor level of performance in back-to-back 1-0 home wins over Burnley and Hull City.
The stadium issues have driven a wedge between factions of supporters and the club's owners. And a disastrous summer of cheap and inadequate transfer business has not helped either. Vice-chairman Karren Brady, who was allegedly spat at by her own fans during this season's 4-2 home defeat to Watford, has become something of a hate figure to a section of disgruntled fans. But with Christmas looming she has taken to Twitter with an upbeat message to supporters. "Trust me no one more than my board, my manager and my team and I want to fulfill every West Ham United supporters ambitions more," Brady posted on Twitter.
Follow
Lady Brady ✔ @karren_brady
Here, here. Trust me no one more than my board, my manager and my team and I want to fulfil every WHU supporters ambitions more. https://twitter.com/EdwardJames/status/810198970089799681 …
7:09 PM - 17 Dec 2016
3 3 Retweets 58 58 likes
Brady has been vilified after claiming to have overseen the 'most successful football stadium migration in history' back in July before a ball was even kicked in the new Premier League season. In reality the move has been beset by serious problems which have made the club a laughing stock and left many fans unhappy. The club did sell 52,000 season tickets in the summer, though - second only to Manchester United - and a move of that scale was never going to be plain sailing. Supporters will want to see less words and more action from Brady and the club's owners David Sullivan and David Gold, particularly in the January transfer window where a number of top quality reinforcements are required to ensure the Hammers remain a Premier League side next season.
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