Preview - Liverpool
WHUFC.com
The background
West Ham United kick-off 2016 with the opportunity to complete a first
league double over Liverpool since the 1963/64 season.
Having ended a 52-year wait for victory at Anfield in August, the Hammers
could make the perfect start to the New Year and overtake Jurgen Klopp's
Reds in the process.
Liverpool moved back ahead of the Hammers in the table with their 1-0 win
over Sunderland on Wednesday night, but only have a point more at the
halfway stage.
After a slow start to the season, Brendan Rodgers was replaced by Klopp, who
has led the Reds to the Capital One Cup semi-finals and to a position where
they are challenging for a top four slot.
West Ham ended 2015 in the perfect fashion, coming from behind to defeat
Southampton 2-1 thanks to goals from Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll.
That ended an eight-game wait for victory, and at the same time extended the
Hammers' unbeaten run to six.
Three points on Saturday could lift West Ham into the top five of the
league, with the top half remaining congested.
The history
West Ham and Liverpool have met on 130 previous occasions, with the Hammers'
record against the Reds being a particularly poor one.
The east Londoners have tasted victory on just 26 occasions against their
Merseyside rivals, with Liverpool coming out on top 70 times.
However, three of those wins have come in the last eight meetings, with
Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho and Morgan Amalfitano all on target in a 3-1
Boleyn Ground victory last season.
Then, Manuel Lanzini, Noble and Sakho again all hit the net as West Ham
thumped the Reds 3-0 at Anfield earlier this term.
The match
Team news
West Ham United
Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll returned from injury from the bench in
Monday's win against Southampton, so could be involved from the start on
Saturday.
Dimitri Payet will be back in the squad after overcoming his ankle problem,
but the game will likely come around too quickly for Winston Reid and Victor
Moses, who both have hamstring injuries.
Liverpool
The Reds were involved on Wednesday evening, defeating Sunderland 1-0.
Skipper Jordan Henderson was replaced after an hour, with boss Klopp
commenting on his fitness: "I don't really know – it's not perfect otherwise
we wouldn't have taken him off, but we had to. Now we have to wait. I cannot
say exactly [what the injury is] at this moment."
Match info
Saturday's match referee is Robert Madley, who will be assisted by Simon
Long and Simon Beck. The fourth official is Roger East.
Billy Bonds has made more appearances against Liverpool, 33, than any other
West Ham United player. The Reds' Ian Callaghan made a record 33 appearances
against the Hammers, scoring twice.
Vic Watson scored a record nine goals in 14 appearances against Liverpool.
Steven Gerrard scored nine times against the Hammers.
The largest crowd to attend a West Ham versus Liverpool fixture at the
Boleyn Ground was the 38,239 who saw Pat Holland score the only goal in a
1-0 Division One victory for the Hammers on 28 March 1970.
The Hammers and the Reds met in the 1981 League Cup final at Wembley,
drawing 1-1 after extra-time, with Ray Stewart scoring a late penalty.
Liverpool ran out 2-1 winners in the replay at Villa Park.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other info
Tickets for this match have SOLD OUT. However, they may become available
online as Season Ticket Holders relist.
The District and Hammersmith & City lines are set to serve Upton Park
station as normal on Saturday. Click here for the latest news on TfL
services and here for National Rail.
Rain is expected at lunchtime on Saturday, with temperatures crawling up to
10C (50F).
If you are not heading to the game on Saturday, make sure you keep right up
to date on our digital channels. The whufc.com live match centre has audio
commentary, text updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Remember you
can get involved with the conversation on social too using the hashtag
#WHULIV.
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Chadwell Chatter - Michail Antonio
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is enjoying the festive season, scoring my first ever
Premier League goal certainly made my Christmas! As a kid you always dream
of scoring in the Premier League so it really was a very special moment for
me. It was an unbelievable feeling, I didn't really know what to do with
myself, and hopefully it is the first of many. Obviously it wasn't the
cleanest of finishes, but I'll claim it all day long, every attacking player
would! More importantly, it helped us draw level with Southampton in a
difficult match, especially as it was our second game in three days. When I
joined the Club I knew I'd have to be patient and wait for my opportunity,
so now I've been playing more recently I'm delighted to be able to show
everyone what I can do. Hopefully this is just the start and I can push on
from here. I know I can still improve, I will continue to work hard and
provide the team with as many assists and goals as possible. On Saturday we
face a very difficult task against Liverpool, however we know as a squad
what we are capable of. Having beaten them once already gives us great
confidence but we are under no illusions.
They are playing well at the moment, and off the back of two wins, they'll
be up for it too. Throughout their squad they've got quality in every
position, particularly upfront, so we know we'll have to be at our best.
They have some great players; Adam Lallana and Christian Benteke are both
great players who can score from out of nothing. However, every team has
weaknesses so it'll be up to us to try and exploit them. With some of the
injured players returning to fitness, we've got a lot of different attacking
options ourselves. With Dimitri, Victor and Manu coming back, as well as
Mauro, Enner and myself, I feel each player we have brings something
different to the team and that is very important. We're now exactly half-way
through the season and in a healthy position not far from the Europa League
places. I'm not really the type of person to look at the table too much
really. We just have to focus on each game; we're only half way through the
season so there's a long way to go!
I'd just like to thank all the fans who have supported me since joining in
the summer, it really does mean a lot and I hope to repay the faith with
more goals and assists soon.
Happy New Year!
Michail
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Terzic - I am looking forward to seeing Klopp
WHUFC.com
West Ham United first-team coach Edin Terzic is relishing the chance to meet
up with his former manager Jurgen Klopp on Saturday and says he will never
forget the impact he had on his career. Terzic was handed his first big
breakthrough when he worked as a scout and coach under Klopp during the
German's memorable spell in charge of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund,
where the pair won back-to-back league titles and reached the 2013 UEFA
Champions League final. The 33-year-old says he will never forget the time
he spent working alongside Klopp and says it has given him a wealth of
knowledge as he later joined up with Slaven Bilic's backroom staff at
Besiktas before following him to West Ham United during the summer. But
despite his friendship with the Liverpool manager, Terzic says that will all
be put to one side when the Hammers play the Merseyside club on Saturday and
he hopes to be celebrating another famous victory at the Boleyn Ground.
Terzic said: "I had a good relationship with Jurgen and his backroom staff.
It was a great time for me and my first spell in professional football was
with Borussia Dortmund. "Jurgen was the boss of the miracle that happened in
Germany at that time. It was a great gift and a great honour for me to be
part of it. "Borussia Dortmund were the main team in Europe at that time and
everyone wanted to know what they were doing. I had the great opportunity to
be working inside the club and everyone was coming to visit us at the
training centre. "I listened to many things during that time and I feel I am
also a product of what took place there so I am very proud to have been part
of it. I was born not far from Dortmund so it is very special for me.
"Jurgen is brilliant for the fans and the media. He is very funny and
intelligent. Nearly every press conference he will say something that will
be remembered for a couple of weeks and it is great to have him close to us.
"I am looking forward to seeing him – but only after the game!"
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View on the Visitors - Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Lifelong Liverpool fan Dom Quinn gives us the lowdown on Saturday's
visitors.
How would you summarise Jurgen Klopp's start to life as Liverpool manager?
"Right from the start I think Klopp has brought a lot of belief, optimism
and passion. We've had some incredible results but unfortunately our form in
the league, especially at home, remains inconsistent.
"He expects everything from every player all of the time and that's hard to
maintain over a season. I am definitely a Kloppite and I think most fans
share that view."
Are you expecting a busy transfer window? What positions, if any, need
filling?
"I don't think Klopp will try to sign anyone this January purely because
he's trying to put faith in the players he has at the moment. My personal
opinion is that we could do with another solid centre back or a goalkeeper,
as Jurgen says, it all starts from the back!"
Which players have stood out this term?
"Stand out players this season have been few and far between mainly because
of the amount of injuries. For me Nathaniel Clyne has been a constant
throughout the season and Emre Can always gives 100%.
"More recently Divock Origi has looked like an exciting young talent before
his injury. I think he will forge a really good partnership with Daniel
Sturridge, if they are ever both fit at the same time!"
We're exactly half way through the season, what is a realistic target for
the League and cup competitions?
"Realistically, we can win a domestic cup; however beating Stoke City over
two legs in the League Cup semi-final is looking more and more challenging.
"In the league, I think we may be able to make the Top Four since all our
games in the second half of the season against the more difficult teams are
at home. Unrealistically, we will win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup
and Europa League and Klopp will get a statue next to Bill Shankly by the
Anfield gates!"
What is your prediction for Saturday's score?
"We've had some really tricky games against West Ham in recent years. Plus I
think Slaven Bilic has got the team working together really well. Saying
that, we have just got some players coming back from fitness for the game so
I think we may just knick it but it will be tough. I reckon it will be a 2-1
Liverpool win, Jordan Henderson and Christian Benteke with the goals!"
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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
I would to like wish all of our supporters a happy and healthy successful
New Year and I want to thank you for your amazing support.
2016 promises to be a year to remember for all West Ham fans and is going to
be the most exciting year in the club's history. I am sure you were just as
thrilled as I was following our important victory over Southampton last
Monday and that is one of the best feelings I have had after a game for a
long time. It is over a year since we last came from behind to win. The
decision by the manager to change things at half-time was both brave and
decisive. I take my hat off to Slaven as I thought his timings of the
substitutions and the switching of the full-backs made the difference. I
know we have been missing Winston Reid through injury but I am sure he is
thrilled with the way that James Collins is playing at the moment. He was
immense against Southampton.
The England manager was sitting behind me and he said 'wow, what a
performance'. He felt it was a dogged and never-say-die attitude from an old
pro. That is praise indeed from Roy. We have got trust in James and you can
see why. Before Winston got injured we also had injuries to Ogbonna and he
has covered that position and been outstanding. He has done a sterling job.
He has deserved his new contract and I am thrilled that he is going to be
with us for the next couple of years.
I was also delighted to see Michail Antonio have such a strong game and you
have got to say that he was rewarded for all his hard work. He scored the
equaliser and was also involved in the second goal when he struck the bar.
You would not have wanted the rebound to fall to anyone other than Andy
Carroll. It felt like Groundhog Day. The ball went in the same corner and
he scored in exactly the same minute like he did against Chelsea. I was
right in line as he headed the ball into the net.
You can see the value of having our best players back in the team. I have
been saying for a while that the reason we are not winning games is that six
of our best players have been injured. Interestingly we get Lanzini, Carroll
and Song back on the pitch and all of a sudden that run of eight games
without a victory is over. The victory has given everyone at the Club a big
lift and most of all it has given the belief back to the players. Let's hope
we can have a similar outcome against Liverpool on Saturday.
Who could forget our memorable victory at Anfield back in August. It was
early on in the season and we had brought a number of new players, but you
never know how quickly they are going to settle. But our convincing 3-0
victory proved that we had bought well and I am confident we will be a match
for Liverpool. I am hopeful that Dimitri Payet will play some part in the
game and that will be a major lift for everyone at the Club.
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Dev Squad go free this Monday!
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that the Development Squad's first
game of 2016, a meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion, at Rush Green on Monday
4 January is FREE for all fans. This is the perfect opportunity to see the
Club's rising stars in action, following a hugely successful summer for the
Academy of Football. The young Hammers go into Monday's game in superb form,
currently six games unbeaten, winning five of those six. Last time out, a
phenomenal turnout of over 2,500 fans turned up to the Hammers' 1-1 draw
with Arsenal and Academy manager Terry Westley is hoping for a similar
turnout on Monday. "It is very important we get a crowd in on Monday night.
We have a very exciting group of young players coming through." Earlier in
the season, the Hammers beat Monday's opponents Brighton 2-1 away at the
Amex Stadium thanks to goals from Martin Samuelsen and Josh Cullen. Should
the claret and blues complete the double over the Seagulls, they could climb
as high as fourth in the Barclays U21 Premier League Division Two table.
Kick-off at Rush Green is at 7pm. Admission is FREE for all fans.
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Jenkinson ready to inflict more misery on Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson is hoping to start 2016 with a bang and make the Boleyn
Ground a fortress again as we prepare for another big showdown clash against
Liverpool on Saturday. The Hammers finally got back on the winning trail
with a memorable 2-1 win over Southampton which ended a spell of eight games
without a victory. Second half goals from Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll
helped the Hammers complete an impressive comeback and moved the team up to
eighth in the table. Jenkinson has nothing but praise for the way the West
Ham United fans played their part in helping the team get back into the game
and hopes the atmosphere will be just as good when Liverpool arrive in east
London. Jenkinson said: "The fans were on us during the first half against
Southampton but they react to how we play and in the second half they were
fantastic. "When we are playing well the atmosphere is unbelievable and we
hope to keep that going. "Liverpool will be a massive game at the weekend
and we are going to need them behind us. I am really looking forward to it."
Jenkinson has been forced to wait patiently for his chance in the first-team
in recent weeks but he showed his versatility when he was asked to start the
game at left back and then reverted to his normal position at right back in
the second half. The 23-year-old is now hoping to cement his place in the
first-team and help the Hammers complete the double over the Merseyside
Club, following the Hammers memorable 3-0 victory at Anfield back in August.
Jenkinson added: "Like everyone else I want to be playing. I have had a few
games coming off the bench which has been frustrating but I want to take my
chances when I get them and cement my place in the team. "Every player will
tell you they want to be playing and I am the same. "It is great that we
have got this Southampton win under our belt but we just need to take it one
game at a time at the moment. "It would be great if we could get a few wins
under our belts again and then we will be flying again. "It will be a tough
game against Liverpool on Saturday but we will be looking to take all three
points."
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Evans comes clean on West Ham transfer target
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st January 2016
By: Staff Writer
Leeds United manager Steve Evans says he will continue to select West Ham
transfer target Sam Byram until he's told the player has been sold. The
£5million-rated full back has been linked with a January move to West Ham,
with this weekend's opponents Liverpool and their neighbours Everton also
said to be interested. However Evans has confirmed that until he receives a
call to say the 22-year-old has been sold, he will continue to select him
for the first team at Elland Road. "Until [Chairman] Massimo Cellino phones
me up and tells me that Sam is being sold, I'll continue to pick him," the
Leeds boss said. "I'm quite relaxed about the situation. The reason I'm
picking him is nothing to do with his contract or anything else. It's down
to his form. The reason he didn't play for a few weeks a while back was
because I wasn't seeing the performances in training I needed to see from
him. "But he's worked his game up and he's a fantastic professional. I take
a lot of interest in the stats and in two of the last three games he's
covered more distance than any other player by quite a distance. His
attitude is spot on and he's been big for us."
Byram is one of a number of players West Ham are tracking this month,
despite co-owner David Sullivan having claimed that the club are unlikely to
make any signings during the transfer window, which opens today.
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Not just a lucky man
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 31st December 2015
By: Paul Walker
The remarkable recovery against Southampton may well have been the watershed
moment, when Slaven Bilic felt that he had proved he could hack it in the
Premier League.
Make no mistake, the fastest, most competitive league in the world (not
necessarily the best) can make fools of even the very top names. Just look
at Louis Van Gaal for that, or even on occasions Jurgen Klopp. Even the
special one, Jose Mourinho spent the first half of this season making
himself look pretty foolish.
West Ham were 1-0 down. It could easily have been four or five at half time
against the Saints, so utterly outplayed had we been. Bilic knew he had to
do something to change a disaster into a triumph. Lose and it would have
been nine games without a win and nine points off the relegation zone. Lose
and it would have been six points from 27.
That would have opened the social media doors of hell, the abuse would have
rained down, every twitter twerp would have had a view.
The Premier League is a tough place to work for even the supposed best in
the world. You have to be quick-witted, smart and lucky.
I have been reticent to get involved in the seemingly weekly love-ins from
bloggers and fans' websites about our new manager, he had been labelled a
genius by some, a world -beater by others. Too much too soon there. It is
the sort of gibberish that he would not have wished on himself, because he
has known all along how hard it is to succeed in the English league.
He was a great choice as manager, he had the right image, background and
potential. And he knew what we were about, he 'gets' West Ham. The next bit,
though, was more difficult.
Take Van Gaal--please do, my Manchester United pals say. I have listened to
observers who insists he is trying everything he knows, his very best,
behind the scenes and on the pitch, to turn around United's season. And it's
not really working. So far he has avoided the axe, and I hope it stays that
way.
For one reason only, before you all start! Isn't it fun to listen to Man
United fans' on phone-ins ranting on about their "entitlement" because they
are so big and powerful?
The Dutchman is rated one of the best in the world, one of the elite group
of managers who don't get out of bed unless someone gives them £250m to
spend. But even with that, he has found his job hard beyond belief.
Now we have Klopp here on Saturday with Liverpool. He has won a reputation
as one of the cleverest free-thinkers in the game, he seems genuinely fun to
have around. But even he has walked into a few brick walls (pray there's
another one on Saturday) since taking over from Brendan Rodgers. He is
slowly changing things, but he still has Rodgers' players, and that's the
problem.
Bilic arrived at the Boleyn with only three seasons of serious club
management behind him, and as David Sullivan so kindly pointed
out--again--on that Sky interview this week, Klopp and Rafa Benitez were
ahead of Bilic, and plenty more it seems. He may even have been tenth
choice.
Sullivan, who was allowed to plug another Kray movie in the interview--have
Sky got no shame?--dragged up old stories and found them all over the papers
again on the day of a match. He really should know better than that and
handle his interviews with more thought.
Bilic would have brushed all that aside, though. A clever man, academically
as well as football-wise (there is a difference) and having sent out a team
with Carl Jenkinson at left-back, Alex Song in goggles and Mauro Zarate as
playmaker---all mistakes--he changed things.
The full-backs were switched, James Tomkins ending up at left-back and
showing just how mature and adaptable he has become. The defender seems to
have grown up before our very eyes these past months, boy to man, almost
from the day of his final court appearance following that rather unfortunate
night club incident.
Zarate, who was sloppy, clueless and constantly making wrong decisions to
concede the ball, was hooked. Along with Song.
Manuel Lanzini made a huge impact, a clever player who does not waste
possession and can carry the ball despite much physical attention. It would
be nice if referees protected him a little more..some hopes there! And on
came Andy Carroll, still much maligned in these parts, but not it seems with
Saints boss Ronald Koeman, who reckoned his side just couldn't cope with the
big Geordie. You hear this so often from rival managers, they should know,
and it's about time his repetitive detractors at the Boleyn realised the
same.
And no, I don't care how he has his hair done. It could be with pink and
blue bows in pigtails as long as he keeps scoring. But maybe the bows will
give his Essex fiancee ideas!
Bilic also gave a serious, pointed team talk about giving your opponents a
genuine game, at the least. It clearly appealed to the professional pride of
a few and the changes worked like a dream.
Was Bilic lucky, brave or astute? A bit of everything really. But we came
from behind to win a game for the first time in two years, so it was some
achievement.
Most of all it showed that Bilic can change a game at the very highest club
level. You look at some managers (my old mate Rodgers for example) and you
can see by just watching them on the line that the do not have a clue how to
make significant, impact changes. Bilic, we now know, can.
And he knows, and the team know. I called him lucky recently when he went
off on a rant about our training ground, because fortuitously, there was a
nearly ready-made alternative to turn to at Rush Green. Other West Ham
managers who have bitched about Chadwell Heath have not been so lucky with
alternatives.
Bilic's changes and positive thinking means we are now 11 points off the 40
point safety mark. Yes, I know I am always banging on about that, but
someone has to, there's more than enough rattling on about Champions League
football from our club hierarchy for our own good at times.
Bilic has always known he has to show he can work in this league. His
previous club management, if you ignore the years at Hadjuk Split where he
was a novice owner-manager in a small league, shows he has been learning on
the hoof.
A year at Locomotive Moscow didn't work. They finished ninth, their worse
since 1992. Mind you, I won't blame anyone for failing in the Russian
league. It is allegedly the most corrupt in Europe, referees, players,
management, officials have all been fingered at some point. And it's cold
there too!
Besiktas are the third biggest club in Istanbul, and the third in Turkey.
They are a sort of cult city club like ourselves. Smashing atmosphere,
fanatically loyal fans and a quirky old ground (sadly it's gone now and been
rebuilt on the same site by the Bosphorus).
But all Bilic had to do there was to finish third and deliver Champions
League football; Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are far bigger. And Slav
delivered third place, two seasons on the trot.
Now he has to show he can work here. The start was wonderful, great results
against big clubs where his confidence, newness and spirit were transmitted
the players.
Then in the recent tough spell with so many injuries, his luck has held.
Five successive draws have been a defensive operation of which the players
are rightly proud…the infantry holding the line until the fancy-dan lancers
arrive.
That could easily have gone badly wrong. Those draws drew plenty of stick,
much unfairly. Then along comes a result like Monday's when we
re-established ourselves as a top ten club, not a mid-table one looking over
our shoulders. And Bilic's performance will not be lost on the rest of the
league's managers and coaches, they will know now that the Croatian is
learning very, very quickly. He can cut it.
What he is showing is the attributes of an astute coach of a small national
side, which is what he was at his best with Croatia for six years. At that
level with lesser nations, you are presented with the best 20 players your
country can muster, and told to get on with turning them into a decent side.
Croatia were just that. They won 42 of 65 under Bilic. It paid to have Luka
Modric, sure, but Bilic instilled team spirit, effort and a collective
cause. That's what you can see coming through now with West Ham. The
performances of Tomkins, James Collins, Carroll and the big, strong, quick
but very unpredictable Michail Antonio underline that.
Bilic has more than just got away with it these past couple of months, he is
now undefeated in six--strange how statistics can be spun to prove almost
anything. But they have shown we have dug-in and scrambled some vital
points. Many managers would not have achieved that, certainly ones very new
to this league.
It shows also that you make your own luck. Antonio shows that. He has come
into the game via the non-league route and then Nottingham Forest, where
power and pace in the Championship was good enough.
But he knows he needs more than that now, a little more poise, calmness and
thought in possession. But from what we have seen these past few games, he
too is learning fast. He is a handful, confident and hungry, just like Bilic
probably feels.
It's Liverpool next, and with Dimitri Payet back and Lanzini that bit
fitter, anything can happen. Then the next couple of months see only
Manchester City--at the Boleyn on January 23--to really fear. Bournemouth,
Newcastle, Aston Villa, Southampton, Norwich and Sunderland take us to the
end of February.
Surely there are points there for us; we might even be safe by then!
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Slaven Billic urges West Ham to think big ahead of Liverpool clash
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 01/01/16 4:38pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic believes West Ham must starting thinking like a big club if
they are to become one - but admits it will take time. The Hammers welcome
Liverpool to Upton Park on Saturday lying just one point behind the
Merseysiders, in seventh, and sixth-placed Manchester United. Yet while
those two traditionally successful clubs are still considered to be in the
title race, lying nine points from top spot, no one expects West Ham to be
in the shake-up come May. The weight of history may be in Liverpool's favour
but, as the Hammers enter the year in which they will move into the Olympic
Stadium, Bilic knows that mentality has to change. "Manchester United or
Liverpool, who are one point ahead of us, they are thinking that way (about
the title)," said the Upton Park boss. "It's all psychological because it is
Liverpool. I mean they have been used to being in a title race. "Some people
would give more chance to Manchester United or Liverpool than to Leicester -
without any logical reasons about what is happening on the pitch because
Leicester is much better than those two clubs at the moment. "And I bet you
that many clubs who have more points than Chelsea are more afraid that, with
a bad run, they could get in more trouble than Chelsea. They are thinking
about the top six at least. "So it is psychological because we are used to
Liverpool to be there. That is normal. That is the mentality. That is the
structure of the club and that takes time to change. "To become a big club,
you need years of that, what Liverpool have; tradition, history, everything.
And that reflects on your daily work, no matter who the coach is. It's about
the jersey, it's the club. "Let's all say the smaller clubs, the clubs like
us, or Crystal Palace, we are all trying to move forward. Of course we want
to do it as quickly as possible. "But this is a good example of how it
doesn't go like that. Now, we will never say we have a chance to win the
league. Whereas for Liverpool it would be normal for them to say, 'yeah, we
are nine points off'. It's in the head. And it takes time to change that."
Bilic is able to welcome back French playmaker Dimitri Payet after two
months out with an ankle injury, and will hand a late fitness test to
full-back Aaron Cresswell.
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Karren Brady on how the Olympic Stadium is keeping the club's best players
Last Updated: 01/01/16 3:58pm
SSN
Vice-chairman Baroness Karren Brady says West Ham stars have turned down
moves away from the club to be part of a future that includes a sold-out
Olympic Stadium. The Hammers move into their new home this summer and Brady
has been talking to Sky Sports News HQ ahead of the stadium switch which she
feels will be a gamechanger for the club. Brady has revealed the venue will
be sold out for every match of next season while she has also spoken about
how the lure of an exciting future is keeping players at the club. "The
opportunity this represents for West Ham is huge," she said. "We have 35,000
season ticket sales and by mid-January season tickets will go on general
sale, firstly to the priority list. There are five times as many people on
the priority list as there are available season tickets. All of the
corporate hospitality facilities have already sold out. As the Boleyn Ground
enters its final year as West Ham's home, we look back at its storied
history. "We now find ourselves in a position where we have more season
ticket holders than we have ever had in our history. Every seat will be sold
for every match."
West Ham have won plaudits for their enterprising approach under manager
Slaven Bilic and Brady says some of the club's prize assets have rejected
advances from rival clubs. She said: "We want a team that is competing for
the top six in the Premier League. That is what we want to achieve by moving
to the stadium. "From our point of view, using the stadium and our brand to
attract new players is incredibly important. Lots of our players have
attracted attention from other Premier League clubs but none of them have
chosen to leave because they want to be part of the journey that we are on
and that makes it feel very special at the minute. "I don't think we will be
targeting marquee signings. What interests us is having the best West Ham
team that plays well together and entertains the fans."
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West Ham v Liverpool preview: Daniel Sturridge in line for return
By Pete Hall
Last Updated: 01/01/16 4:59pm
SSN
Daniel Sturridge is not in Liverpool's squad for their trip to West Ham for
Saturday's early kick-off at Upton Park. The Reds go into this clash after
back-to-back 1-0 victories over the festive period, with boss Jurgen Klopp
dismissing early talk of a potential title tilt.
Inconsistency has plagued Liverpool's season to date, but should they muster
another three points at Upton Park on Saturday, they can certainly start to
aim high in such a unpredictable Premier League campaign.
The Hammers will be no pushovers though, with two wins in their last three
encounters with Liverpool, but injuries have derailed their fantastic start
to this campaign. Those injuries are showing signs of relenting, but after
one win in their last nine league matches, Slaven Bilic will know his side
need to rekindle their early season vigour to climb the table.
Team news
Dimitri Payet returns to the West Ham squad after two months out with an
ankle injury. Defender Winston Reid and winger Victor Moses (both hamstring)
are also back in training after spells out but Bilic says they are not match
fit and will probably return in the FA Cup against Wolves next weekend.
Left-back Aaron Cresswell missed Monday's 2-1 win over Southampton with a
tight hamstring and will be handed a late fitness test. Striker Diafra Sakho
(thigh) is still out.
Reds boss Klopp has been cautious over the fitness of Sturridge, who has
made only six appearances all season, and although his latest hamstring
problem is easing he is not in the squad. Fellow striker Divock Origi
(hamstring) and midfielder James Milner (calf) are out along with Jordan
Henderson (foot) while Klopp is waiting for news concerning Joe Allen
(illness).
Opta stats
West Ham have won as many Premier League games against Liverpool in their
last three meetings (2) as they did in their previous 22 combined.
Both teams have scored in each of the last five Premier League matches
between the two at the Boleyn Ground (21 in total).
Six of West Ham's last eight Premier League games have ended in a draw (W1
D6 L1).
Andy Carroll could make his 150th Premier League appearance in this game -
44 of his Premier League appearances came for Liverpool, where he netted
just six goals.
Liverpool mustered just one shot on target in their 3-0 defeat to the
Hammers at Anfield earlier this season.
West Ham have conceded the lowest percentage of second half goals in the top
flight this season (39%).
Paul Merson's prediction
I wasn't really impressed with Liverpool against Sunderland, they didn't
look great. They didn't keep the ball for more than about four or five
passes, and the goal was rather fortunate. The manager will be pleased with
the result, but Jurgen Klopp will know that if they carry on playing like
that they will not win many football matches. They gave away the ball so
cheaply. West Ham, if they get all their players back, are a threat. They
got a massive win against Southampton, especially going 1-0 down against a
club on a bit of a high.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (9/2 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Liverpool are Sky Bet's 11/10 favourites with West Ham 13/5 and the draw
trading at 23/10. Jurgen Klopp's men are 5/4 to secure a top-four finish,
while West Ham, who are unbeaten in their last six, are evens to finish in
the top half. The Hammers have won two and lost two of the last four
meetings at the Boleyn Ground and in all of those matches both teams have
scored on each occasion and it's 5/6 for that trend to continue. The hosts
can be backed at 6/1 to win with both teams scoring, while Liverpool are 7/2
shots.
Christian Benteke has scored the winner in back-to-back victories and is
available at 9/4 to score in an away win. Soccer Saturday pundit Phil
Thompson is backing the former Villa striker to net the winner in a 2-1
success at odds of 28/1 with Sky Bet. Get all the Sky Bet odds here.
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WEST HAM STRIKERS HALF TERM REPORT
By Iain Dale 1 Jan 2016 at 14:00
WTID
Andy Carroll 6
Only two goals to show so far in what has to be said has been a
disappointing season for the big man. Once again he has been plagued by
injury and has made only eleven appearances this season, many of them as a
substitute. He's shown flashes of form, though, and one has to hope that he
will improve as he gets more game time. Assuming he stays fit he has got
five or six games to cement a starting place before Diafra Sakho returns.
Diafra Sakho 7
Sakho hasn't quite hit the form he achieved last season, scoring just three
times in eleven appearances. His long term injury came just as he seemed to
be running into a vein of form, and it would have been nice to see him play
alongside Enner Valencia to see if they could replicate the understanding
they formed at the beginning of last season. So far in his West Ham career
Sakho has hit 17 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, which is a
phenomenal record.
Enner Valencia 6
Having had a very impressive pre-season it was bad luck for Enner Valencia
that he got injured in our final Europa League match. Since his return
earlier this month he has looked much more impressive than he did in the
second half of last season. He seems to be coping with the pace of the
Premier League much better and has been unlucky not to hit the net. He needs
a good run in the side, but will he get it with Payet and Lanzini returning?
Nikica Jelavic 5
A total disappointment, although it has to be said he has had precious few
opportunities to show what he can do, with only one start (against Swansea).
But he has looked slow, leggy and totally off the pace. He has an impressive
goals to appearances ratio in his career so far, but that's looking unlikely
to improve during his sojourn at Upton Park.
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THE JAPANESE FASCINATION WITH BUBBLES
By Sean Whetstone 31 Dec 2015 at 19:00
WTID
Just before Christmas I did an interview for a major Japanese newspaper who
wanted to meet a West Ham fan. The paper had previously met West Ham
managing director Angus Kinnear the day before and they were keen to meet a
passionate West Ham to finish their article and the club had put them in
touch with me.
I expected the interview to be about West Ham expanding their football brand
to Asia and Japan, leaving the Boleyn ground and moving to the Olympic
Stadium but instead the majority of the interview bizarrely concentrated on
our famous Bubbles song and the bubbles machines used to create the tens of
thousands of bubbles used at each home game.
The Japanese journalists were absolutely fascinated about the history of the
Bubbles song, why the song has endured so long in West Ham hearts, what the
lyrics mean to Hammers fans. In relation to our move to Olympic Stadium they
wanted to know how many more Bubbles machines would be required to fill the
54,000 capacity with Bubbles to same density and the mechanics of doing
that.
To be honest, I hadn't thought very deeply about what Bubbles the song meant
to me before the interview so I thought I would share my answers.
Hopefully most of us know the history of the Bubbles song but those who
don't I will summerise it below from Hammers Historian John Helliar.
The feelings and sentiments expressed in "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" has
for most supporters over the decades captured their feelings and aspirations
in its words.
The song itself was originally written and composed around 1919 in America
by Jaan Kenbrovin and John William Kellette. The tune was a major hit in the
United States, before crossing the Atlantic to these shores, the song
likewise also became a hit with the British public in the music halls and
theatres that were the popular places of entertainment during the 1920s. One
particular artist, a Miss Dorothy Ward, was especially known for making it a
popular song at the time with her appearances on the stages around the
country.
It was not until around the mid-1920s that the tune was probably adopted by
West Ham supporters, but doubtless it had been heard at the Boleyn Ground in
one form or another since the beginning of that decade. The circumstances of
it being sung by the fans for the first time were somewhat unusual to say
the least.
At the time, schoolboy soccer was extremely popular and there were often
1,000 or more fans around the touchlines of pitches in the West Ham area
when matches took place on Saturday mornings between teams of 14-year-olds
(the school leaving age at the time). In the local Park School team there
was a fair-haired lad named W. (Billy) J. "Bubbles" Murray, so called
because of his distinct and almost uncanny resemblance to the boy in the
famous painting by Millais entitled "Bubbles".
The painting had become well-known to the public as it was used to advertise
Pears Soap which was popular at the time and for many years afterwards.
Bubbles Murray never played for the West Ham first team.Pears Soap Works was
based in Canning Town, there would have been a lot of Bubbles posters around
the ground at the time the song was popular. Therefore, the fans would
therefore have associated the song and the poster together.
The lyrics themselves discuss our dreams fading and dying and this is the
painful of most living West Ham fans with most seasons on one way or
another.
I understand that West Ham will be upscaling their Bubbles machines in the
former Olympic Stadium and the song and the bubbles will follow us to our
new stadium
The article will be published in Japan in the new year.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham must go through New Year's EVOLUTION to join big boys says Slaven
Bilic
22:30, 31 DEC 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Weekend visitors Liverpool have lost more league games this season than the
Hammers but are still seen as more likely to be top-four finishers
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic wants his West Ham players to start thinking even bigger for
their New Year resolution. The Hammers, who move into the Olympic Stadium
this summer, sit eighth in the table, a point behind Saturday's visitors
Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp's men have lost five times in the league this season
— once more than their weekend hosts. Yet, while Liverpool are considered
top-four contenders with an outside shot at the title, West Ham - who won
3-0 at Anfield in August and have also beaten Arsenal and Manchester City
away this season - are deemed a mid-table side. And boss Bilic, unbeaten in
his last six games, wants that all to change in 2016. He said: "It's all
very psychological, because it is Liverpool. They have been used to being
in a title race. "Some people would give more chance to Man United or
Liverpool than Leicester, without any logical reasons about what is
happening on the pitch, as Leicester is much better at the moment.
"That is normal. That is the mentality. That is the structure of our club
and that takes time to change. "To become a big club, you need years of
that, what Liverpool have – tradition, history, everything. "We are not
talking about the title. We are talking about moving forward."
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Lawro and Barnes predict Irons loss
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 1, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson predicts a West Ham loss against the advice of the
BBC super computer called SAM.
Lawro says:
"West Ham beat Southampton on Monday after five successive draws. The goals
have dried up since the start for the season, but I think they have done
really well just to keep their ducks in a row amid injuries to attackers
Dmitri Payet and Diafra Sakho. "Liverpool look more of a threat away from
home at the moment. They are creating so many chances on the road but
Christian Benteke – who has scored the matchwinner in their last two games –
is a dilemma for Jurgen Klopp. "The Belgian is scoring goals, but I think
Klopp would prefer someone more mobile for his system.While he is their main
striker and putting the chances away though, what do you do?"
Lawro's prediction: 0-2
BBC MOTD presenter Steve Wilson: "I fancy a few goals at the Boleyn where
West Ham are unbeaten in seven games. The two extra days of rest that West
Ham have had may just swing the game in their favour, but I'm going to stay
on the fence and predict a draw."
Steve Wilson's prediction: 2-2
SAM's prediction (Sports Analytics Machine): 1-1
John Barnes has also predicted that Liverpool will win against West Ham this
weekend. "West Ham showed signs of improvement with a win in their last game
against Southampton, but prior to that they had been a little predictable in
terms of attacking," Barnes told Titanbet.co.uk. "I think Liverpool will
have too much for them with an away game suiting Klopp's team. Goalscorers –
Christian Benteke and Andy Carroll."
John Barnes prediction: 1-2
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Leeds right back move unlikely in January
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 1, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Journalist Matt Law claims that West Ham are targeting Leeds right back Sam
Byram in the Telegraph today. He adds that the Hammers will make a cut-price
January bid for the players whose contract expires at the end of the season.
The defender can play as a right-back or on the right side of midfield and
is one of the most highly-rated players outside the Premier League. He has
so far refused to extend his Leeds deal.
That has alerted a host of Premier League clubs, including Liverpool,
Arsenal, Everton and Crystal Palace but West Ham are aiming to jump to the
front of the queue for the 22-year-old. With the transfer window open in a
few hours time the move seems unlikely this month.
David Sullivan has repeated several times that we haven't got a penny to
spend on wages at this moment and time and that was said after Matt Jarvis
was sold to Norwich. Leeds are believed to want £8m for their young 22 year
old star.
Claret and Hugh understands that David Sullivan and Tony Henry will use this
January window to setup deals for this summer. If West Ham interested in the
22 year old right back it would make much more sense to wait until the
summer and attempt to persuade the player to join the Hammers on a free
transfer. As the player is under 24 Leeds would be due compensation but it
would far lower than the £8m being touted in the papers today.
After the Telegraph story today, Leeds Manager Steve Evans said:
"Until Massimo Cellino phones me up and tells me that Sam is being sold,
I'll continue to pick him, I'm quite relaxed about the situation.The reason
I'm picking him is nothing to do with his contract or anything else. It's
down to his form. The reason he didn't play for a few weeks a while back was
because I wasn't seeing the performances in training I needed to see from
him. But he's worked his game up and he's a fantastic professional. I take a
lot of interest in the Prozone stats and in two of the last three games he's
covered more distance than any other player by a quite distance. His
attitude's spot on and he's been big for us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Klopp has injury woes for Irons clash
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 1, 2016 in Whispers
C and H
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson has been added to thelikely list of Kop
absentees at the Boleyn tomorrow. www.liverpoolnewsservice.com reports the
player has picked up a heel injury at the Stadium of Light and is
unavailable for the clash.. Manager Jurgen Klopp hasn't given up entirely
and is reported as saying: "We have to wait a little bit. It was something
with the heel but it could be good for him, that's what we all hope.
"Something like a final pain and then it goes in the other direction. In
other squad news, Joe Allen has shaken off an illness to make the trip to
east London, but James Milner is still to fully recover from his calf issue.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leroy calls the Irons v Liverpool clash
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 1, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
What a fantastic game we've got to kick off the New Year – it couldn't be
better and let me say straight away that the Hammers have a fabulous chance
of scoring the double over Liverpool. The Scousers have seen their form
flatten recently and the brilliant turnaround against Southampton will have
done the Irons confidence an enormous amount of good. It couldn't be set up
any better and I fancy us to win 1-0.
With the big players on their way back you have to fancy the Hammers to
start picking up where they left off and none of us can wait to see Lanzini
and Payet link up again. Ok, Dimi may be a bit off the pace but his off the
pace isn't the same as other far lesser guys and his presence on the bench
alone lifts the squad by 20 per cent. On the pitch he will ensure that we
hold possession far better than we have done recently. We know full well
what he and Lanzini can do to team. Liverpool like to play on the break away
from home and will allow us plenty of the ball and try to restrict us to
areas where we don't hurt them. In Coutinho and Benteke they have a couple
of players who can hurt any team but I still believe we have enough and can
complete that double. It will be very important that we give nothing away
cheaply and I think we will be fine. We're on our way back from a lean spell
which we have handled very well and back to back wins will be great. I think
we will get it.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers look for piece of history
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 1, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold is expectant believing the mighty Irons have an outstanding
chance of completing a famous double over Liverpool for the first time in 51
years. He explained that we could hardly be getting away to 2016 with every
top player now almost available with the exception of Diafra Sakho. And he
said: "I think we can win against Liverpool as I saw a team playing with
enormous self belief and skill in the second half of the game against
Southampton. It would be nice to get an historic double. "To come from
behind after that run of draws recently to beat Southampton showed precisely
what this team and squad is now about. They excite me and I am particularly
pleased for Michail Antonio. "He has shown exactly the right attitude and
has grabbed his chance very well indeed. To see him run 70 yeards at the end
of the game was extraordinary. "A I've said before, I don't fear any team
and I really am looking for a win tomorrow. There are so many hopes and
expectations again with Manu Lanzini and Dim Payet back. And let's not
forget Andy Carroll who is looking sharper and dharper and may have a point
to prove against his former team!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slav settles on Liverpool pairing
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 1, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna are set to again form the central defensive
partnership for the Irons when Liverpool come visiting tomorrow. Despite
Winston Reid having recovered from injury, the manager will risk neither him
or Victor Moses as the Irons go for an incredible double over the Reds. We
have not managed such a phenomenal achievement since the '63/'64 season when
Liverpool won the Title and we 'doubled' them and won the FA Cup. Tomorrow
the Irons look set to stick with the team which battled back so bravely in
the second half against Southampton with Andy Carroll ready to lead the line
from the start. Manu Lanzini is also set to start and both Reid and Moses
are booked to make their returns against Wolves in the 3rd round of the FA
Cup. Carl Jenkinson is likely to be included on the bench as the manager
attempts to help his recovery from a loss of confidence after an entirely
unconvincing start to the season.
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DG shrugs off 'porn baron' and 'sex queen' jibes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 1, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has welcomed the New Year in by wishing all fans the best for
2016 and speaking proudly of his newly honoured daughter Jacqueline. He
wasn't particularly shocked that she should have been vilified by the Daily
mail who referred to her as a sex queen and himself as a porn baron in
reporting the event declaring: " They've been doing it for years – they are
fixated. Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh he said:"It doesn't annoy me
anymore but I agree it's cheap and lazy reporting. The fact is that
Jacqueline has inspired and lifted women. She has shown them what is
possible for them in the business world. And that is hugely honourable."
DG was regularly referred to as the "porn baron" by now retired former Mail
chef sports writer Patrick Collins and said: "I thought we may have got past
that tired old description with him now having put his feet up. "The
headlines including these descriptions were surprising simply because they
have used them so many times before. Every time we are a story they trot
them out. Ah well."
He added: "Obviously it's a proud moment for the family and particularly for
Jacquie. It's a lovely start to the New year and I would also like to take
the opportunity of wishing a great 12 months for our fabulous fans." Jacquie
said: "When you feel so passionately about what you do and what you believe
in, it's hard not to get emotional, so when I heard I didn't know whether to
laugh, cry or scream," she said. After more than 35 years in business, she
said she had seen many highs and a few challenges but always stayed true to
her beliefs and her ambition to create a business that empowered women."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SLAVEN BILIC: West Ham can beat any other side... the Premier League is the
NBA of football this season
By JOE BERNSTEIN FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 20:03, 1 January 2016 | UPDATED: 20:02, 1 January 2016
You may blame Slaven Bilic for the chaotic nature of the Premier League this
season. From the moment he played a 16-year-old Reece Oxford in the
opening-day win at Arsenal, all bets have been off. West Ham have
subsequently beaten Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. Others like
Leicester City, Watford, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth have followed their
lead and managers have become more expressive too, just like the Croatian.
Claudio Ranieri takes his team out for pizza, Jurgen Klopp choreographed a
post-match celebration in front of The Kop.
It will be fun watching Bilic and Klopp side-by-side at lunchtime on
Saturday as West Ham begin their final calendar year at Upton Park by
attempting to complete the double against Liverpool. Their 3-0 win at
Anfield contributed to Brendan Rodgers' dismissal. Bilic is not surprised by
the unusual pattern of results and thinks the trend is here to stay moving
forward. 'This season is kind of logical,' he argues. 'Every club in this
league can buy good players. Last season, Chelsea had Diego Costa and Eden
Hazard, but Crystal Palace didn't have Yohan Cabaye. 'Next year there is
going to be even more possibility other clubs can buy these players to close
the gap because of the TV money, sponsorship, investment from owners. It is
harder for big clubs to improve. They already have 15 good players, they
can't buy 30. There aren't enough Messis to go around.'
From the West Ham dressing-room, Bilic believes Dmitri Payet, Winston Reid
and Adrian would all do well in a top-four side. 'I say openly to my players
and staff there are not many players I wish I could have instead of the ones
I have got. We can win against any team,' he concurs. 'It means the Premier
League is definitely the place to be. This is the NBA of football.' Already
known to Barclays Premier League fans as a no-nonsense defender with West
Ham and Everton, Bilic was in charge of Croatia in 2007 when they beat
England 3-2 at Wembley in Euro 2008 qualifying. His passionate demeanour
contrasted with Steve McClaren hiding under an umbrella and he became
regarded as the rock and roll manager who seemed to be the players' mate.
Fast-forward and he's a more reflective character these days, even if you'd
need a taser to stop him hopping about and getting involved by the touchline
during matches. He dismisses the stereotype that managers like himself and
Klopp run on emotion. 'I know everything about tactics. Whoever comes in, I
will talk about tactics on the same level. You must have that knowledge
otherwise you have no chance,' he says. 'Short-term, if you are hugging the
player and he scores three goals, people think you're great. Long-term,
without knowledge you are dead. The players find this out.' Though he's a
capable musician, forget the idea Bilic spends all his time off the pitch
strumming a guitar to entertain his one-year-old daughter. 'Those managers
who say they don't feel pressure, probably they are lying,' he insists. 'You
find yourself having a normal conversation with family and friends but here
(taps head), there is another part thinking about the next game. 'There are
always ideas. I was speaking to my assistants 10 times a day before we
played Aston Villa about our system, their system. And that's a normal day,
I'm not talking about the transfer window, which is like "Ahhh". 'It is a
draining job but at the end of the day, I chose it and I like it.'
He laughs at the inner torture he and his fellow managers go through. 'A
basketball coach in Croatia asked me why players in other teams always seem
better than the ones you have,' he says. 'It's because as a manager you only
see things that are dangerous to your team. You feel protective.' Deep down,
he thinks the Premier League players are treated a little softly, that they
should train more, as they do in Germany's Bundesliga. There, players
regularly do double sessions while it's the English culture to have two days
off in a week. West Ham have had injuries this season to Payet, Andy
Carroll, Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia, Aaron Cresswell and
Victor Moses. Whether they've been overworked or undercooked in terms of
preparation is an interesting debate. 'It is about the balance but you need
to train. My philosophy is to train,' said Bilic. 'But I have had to adapt
myself here in that way because there is no point changing everything, you
have to do it a little bit slowly, in instalments. 'I believe you have to
train to be fit. You can't only gain fitness from matches. The old English
school say you need two days off in the week. OK, I am more for the European
side. 'The team that doesn't train hard can be fresher for the first three
or four games. Then it has to hit you in November, December, January. That
is my opinion.
'Here, they pump in more games, particularly over Christmas, so maybe you
can't copy and paste the European way, but I am trying to do something in
between. 'I've also heard it said you can't train so hard because of the
intensity of the Premier League. But for me it is more a myth than a real
situation, by statistics, by whatever. 'You don't have a difference in
mileage, or running with high intensity, it is the same here as in all the
top leagues. So I say again, you have to train. You can't play the whole
season on freshness.'
Somewhere, you feel Jose Mourinho is nodding in agreement after Chelsea
badly misjudged their light pre-season preparations. But what do the West
Ham players feel about the new tough love after the relatively relaxed
regime under Sam Allardyce? 'If the results are good, nobody will moan. They
will even ask for more because they love to win games,' smiles Bilic. 'They
love to be popular, they like to be praised by TV pundits or the press, or
if they go to a restaurants, they are recognised with a thumbs-up or a well
done. 'They like winning so if your methods work for that, they will give it
a try even if it is different. It is all about the balance, if you
over-train of course you have problems. But if you train well, if you give a
little bit of gas, you are OK.' It's Bilic's natural instinct to put an arm
around the shoulder of a player who is dropped but he is careful not to
overdo it. 'If it happens regularly, you don't want it to come across as
apologising to them which you are basically not,' he stresses. In many ways,
football is more complicated than it has ever been but he thinks the best
managers are those that are able to communicate simply. 'I find it much
easier to talk to top coaches about the game than students or lower-level
managers. When I speak to a top coaches about a player, they will say 'He's
quick. He's fast.'
'In the Croatian Second Division, the manager will tell me 'His anaerobic
endurance is 1.2 cross metres squared in a second.' And then people on the
next table, the chairmen, say 'Oh, f****** hell, he's clever'. 'The whole
job is very complex but the top managers, they cut through it and talk like
fans.'
In West Ham's case, the margins have been particularly fine as far as
results are concerned. A midweek win against Southampton stretched their
unbeaten run to six matches. But as the previous five had been draws,
failure would have meant an even longer winless streak.
He thinks he and Klopp represent the new breed of manager, demonstrative and
eager to make the players feel they are not alone. 'Many of the managers are
like that now. Ten or 20 years ago, you found the ones with notebooks,
sitting and basically watching the game. I respect that totally, but in
England the benches are not far away from each other like in Europe. The one
at Liverpool is unbelievable. At Liverpool and Spurs you are basically
together! 'So most of them are standing. One of the reasons I stand is in
many matches, you don't see anything otherwise. You are totally low down so
I can't see the game! 'I found out the players sometimes need you, want you
to be there. And when you are there, you can't stop yourself. I never slag
the players off, I can only help them with the encouragement (slaps hands
together). 'Come on' or a little bit of tactics. Because they are also under
pressure and if they see someone, the coach, is there, he's with them,
taking the pressure for them, it can only help.'
Maybe that is where the motionless Louis van Gaal is going wrong at
Manchester United? Bilic cleverly deflects the point with humour. 'I can
understand it, because there (Old Trafford) to go from the bench to the
touchline takes five minutes!' Bilic, whose physicality is impressive
despite the legacy of playing injuries that includes a partially fractured
hip suffered shortly before the 1998 World Cup, will rely on his first-team
coach Edin Terzic today in getting the inside track on how Klopp will be
thinking. Terzic used to work under the German at Borussia Dortmund. It's an
international league these days with English managers in danger of being
left behind — Alan Pardew is the only 'native' in the top half of the
division. 'I don't know why that is. Managers always have a chat after games
and there isn't much difference in our approach, whatever the nationality,'
muses Bilic. 'I enjoy those chats, especially with the ones who try to have
the same face no matter what the result. That's good. I wasn't happy after
the 1-1 draw against West Brom because we wanted to win but I enjoyed my
talk with Tony Pulis. I respect, for example, Manuel Pellegrini when we won
2-1 at Manchester City. He wasn't happy but he's a gentleman. It's nice.'
This year will be a historic one for West Ham as they move to the Olympic
Stadium. Bilic has been kept in the loop about things that might affect him,
like the new dressing-rooms, but is reticent about predicting the club will
instantly leap into the Premier League elite.
'It's all a responsibility for me but there is also more motivation, more
buzz around the club,' he says. 'We have a little more chance to get players
because of the new stadium. West Ham is a good club, good enough to attract
players with their whole story. But in the end, if you are talking about
top, top players, you have to splash the money, to match wages and transfer
fees. 'It's going to take some time, I think. It's easy to say 'we are a
top-six club'. But we are not at this moment. I will give my everything to
try and achieve it but basically you can't become a top-six club unless you
have done it consistently over three, four, five years. That has never
happened at West Ham. 'What we have is a great plan but we need to do it.
I'm not saying it will take 20 years but first of all we have to believe and
we do believe, not only off the pitch but on the pitch.' As for worries the
claustrophobic atmosphere of The Boleyn will be diluted at the new 54,000
arena, Bilic was heartened by watching a match at the Rugby World Cup there.
'It will be bigger and better. There is a special atmosphere at Upton Park,
where the fans are close to the pitch, so it will be different but I'm very
positive. There was a great atmosphere at the rugby.'
Bilic was idolised during his 15 months as a West Ham player in the 1990s.
Harry Redknapp and Rio Ferdinand remain good friends to this day and he's
certain it's been to his advantage this season knowing the club so well.
'Deja vu,' he smiles. When the chance came to return, there was little
hesitation even though they do say 'never go back' and expectations from
owners David Sullivan and David Gold have never been higher. Bilic explains
in his own unique way. 'When you are buying a dog, there are always 10
reasons not to. Because you can't go out more, if you are travelling it's a
problem, he's going to pee here and there until he learns, he's going to
bite your cat, he's going to leave your place smelly. 'But there is one
reason that's good — he loves you. He gives you love every time you come
home, it's like it's the first time he's seen you. That's the way I approach
it, glass half-full even with the risks. 'Giovanni Trapattoni says there are
only two kinds of football manager; the ones who are sacked and the ones who
are going to be sacked. But that's no reason not to take a job. If you think
about a disease, you have more chances of getting it.' For the record, Bilic
has two dogs. And he loves West Ham.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Karren Brady: West Ham will sell out the Olympic Stadium for every game
MARK MEADOWS 3 hours ago0 comments
Evening Standard
West Ham United will sell out the Olympic Stadium for every Premier League
match next season, vice chairwoman Karren Brady said on Friday.
The Hammers leave their 35,000-seater Upton Park venue at the end of this
campaign to set up home at the remodelled London 2012 Games arena that will
have a capacity of around 54,000. "The opportunity this represents for West
Ham is huge," Brady told Sky Sports News television. "There are five times
as many people on the priority list as there are available season tickets.
All of the corporate hospitality facilities have already sold out. Every
seat will be sold for every match."
Excitement over the Olympic Stadium move is also having an impact on the
pitch. West Ham are eighth this season under impressive new coach Slaven
Bilic, one point off the top six ahead of Saturday's home match with
seventh-placed Liverpool. "From our point of view, using the stadium and our
brand to attract new players is incredibly important," Brady said. "Lots of
our players have attracted attention from other Premier League clubs but
none of them have chosen to leave because they want to be part of the
journey that we are on and that makes it feel very special at the minute."
The deal to allow West Ham to play home matches at the Olympic Stadium has
drawn criticism from some who argue the Londoners will have an unfair
advantage given the relatively low cost of being a tenant. They will also
raise money from the sale of Upton Park to property developers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic: I know I could ruin my legacy at West Ham, but it's worth the
risk for the club I love
Interview: Charismatic West Ham manager explains why he returned to West Ham
- and why it's a myth that the Premier League is 'more intense'
Telegraph.co.uk
By Jason Burt, Chief Football Correspondent
8:00PM GMT 01 Jan 2016
For Slaven Bilic becoming the manager of West Ham United was like buying a
dog. "When you are buying a dog you find like this – 10 reasons not to buy
it," he says. "Because you can't go out more, if you are travelling it's a
problem, he's going to pee there and there until he learns. He's going to
bite your cat, he's going to leave your place smelly."
Then there is a pause before Bilic proceeds. "But there is one reason that's
good – he loves you, he loves you," he says, with emphasis. "He gives you
love. Every time you come home it's like it's the first time he's seen you.
So it's only about the way you approach it. If you approach this life as if
it's half-empty, like this glass [tapping the glass of water in front of
him]. Then I can say it's half-full and look at it. Yes, it's half-full. So
like this with West Ham. There was, there still is, and it's always going to
be (a risk)."
He is an engaging, charismatic, hard-working character is Slaven Bilic – the
47-year-old Croat who arrived at West Ham as a player in 1996 and left such
an impression, and forged such a bond, that he gained a cult status despite
staying just 15 months and playing 58 games. His return as manager last
summer, to lead the club in its final campaign before it leaves Upton Park
after 112 years and makes the historic move to the Olympic Stadium, always
seemed like destiny. He really wanted the job.
Bilic's shaggy dog story is in response to a question as to whether he ever
feared that going back would ruin the legacy; the aura he had at the club he
"loves". "There is one player, and I like him, Shota Arveladze, he's from
Georgia," Bilic explains, expanding on another story for a man brimming with
anecdotes, ideas and life experiences. "Shota played for Trabzonspor, which
is a big Turkish club. At Trabzonspor he made a big name there and then he
went to Ajax, then Rangers. He was a really good striker. Then in my time at
Besiktas he was the coach of Kasimpasa which is a good club from Istanbul.
"Then Trabzanspor were always trying to make him come as a coach, as the
manager. But he said 'no'. For two years, I think, he said no. He said 'the
only club I ain't going to manage is Trabzanspor because I am a hero there
and I don't want to ruin it'. That is always the possibility. "Then at the
beginning of this season, he went there. He left after, I don't know, two
and a half months. I haven't spoken to him but probably he ruined a little
bit the legacy. So there's always that chance but it's like in everything.
With everything there is one per cent, five per cent, 50 per cent risk that
you ain't going to turn out that good."There is another pause. Then he adds:
"But that's no reason not to take a job. There is turbulence. But it is
basically a choice and I opted to make a choice and to make a choice to
enjoy.
To work hard, to work like crazy but to enjoy the Premier League. So try to
work every day to improve the team. But, at the same time, to enjoy. Why
should I think now about what will happen if something happens? No, I have a
game at Old Trafford and I want to enjoy that game. I want to enjoy that
game with West Ham because I deserve it, I love it and I want it as a good
memory and to try and win the game."
West Ham – a depleted West Ham – drew away to Manchester United but they
have won at Arsenal, at Manchester City and at Liverpool, who they host at
Upton Park tomorrow with Jurgen Klopp one of the few Premier League managers
who rivals Bilic in the big personality stakes.
Bilic knows all about the 'rock n'roll Slaven' image – an image that was
established long before Klopp's heavy metal football – but he is a serious,
diligent, analytical, confident football manager. As well as one with a
human touch, admitting dropping players is the hardest part of then job,
allied to a fierce work ethic. He can also say, without arrogance, that he
knows he is "good".
"That rock n'roll thing…" Bilic says. "There are lots of other things to
management, different things. I know everything about tactics. I can talk
about tactics with whoever. All I am saying is that a football manager's job
is not only tactics. It's not only that. Tactics, you have to have that
knowledge otherwise you have no chance. You are short-term if you are
hugging the player and he scores three goals. Long-term without that
knowledge you are dead, no chance. The players find this out."
And Bilic has impressed with his tactics. He can certainly organise and
motivate a team. Along with a string of famous wins and, despite injuries,
only Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City have lost fewer league matches
this season than West Ham's four. Still Bilic thinks there is a lot of
gobbledygook spouted by some coaches. "The more serious face you put in, the
more you look like a philosopher then the more of a tactician you are
(regarded as)," he says. "The more strange words you are using, the more
knowledge you have. I can talk all day. I also went to school. I also have,
with no disrespect to anybody, my education – whether a football one or out
of football – which is hard and difficult to match. I studied law at
university and I studied with Uefa for my licence, two years in Croatia, to
become a football manager.
"So I can use those scientific words every day and people will probably
think 'oh, yeah'. But I prefer to talk simply. Because for me football is a
very simple sport. But people are trying to, for some reason, and obviously
because there is so much money in it, make it like 'big-time complicated'.
"This job that I am doing is everything but simple – you have to be
tactician, you have to be father, you have to brother and it requires effort
and energy and knowledge. But it is still a very simple game.
"I found it that the more up you go on a level, the simpler it is when you
talk to people. For me, I find it much simpler to talk football with top,
top coaches in the world than I had it talking with some students or some
lower league coaches. When I speak to a top coach and ask him about his
methods he says to me 'look he's quick' 'or 'he gets up and down'. In
Croatia if I spoke with someone from the Croatian first league or second
league then they never say 'he's quick' or 'he's fast'. They say 'listen,
his anaerobic endurance is 1.2 cross metres squared in a second'. And then
people on the next table, the chairmen, say 'oh, he's clever'.' The higher
you go, okay, there are still metrics, but the higher you go the more simple
it is. They are talking like fans."
Bilic's approach is built on simple hard work. Demanding hard work. He
admits he sometimes does not have the head-space for normal life. "This job,
it drains you…I don't have time to go to Madame Tussaud's," he says
describing pressure as an "adrenalin". "I have time to go there – I can say
to my wife 'let's go' – but I don't have time in my memory. I don't have
time in my head for that. If the day was not 24 hours but 36 then maybe.
Bilic bemoans the fact that there are not enough hours in the day
"There are always ideas. I speak to my assistants 10 times a day. Nicola
(Jurcevic) 10 times a day, Edin (Terzic) 10 times a day…'How are we going to
do this? How are we going to play? Should I change the system? What do you
think of this?' and especially now when we have injuries."
His demanding work ethic can be a shock to players – especially,
interestingly, those in the Premier League with Bilic saying it is a "myth"
that it is physically "more intense" than other leagues.
"The only thing that is different in the English way is that they train less
than in Europe," Bilic says. "My philosophy is to train. I had to adapt
myself here in that way because there is no point in changing everything at
once from the start but here the problem was old-fashioned. The old English
school was that you had to have two days off in the week, while in Europe it
is one day off.
"You can't play the whole season on freshness. There is also an argument you
can gain fitness through games because they are the best training. Right,
that is also true, fresh, fresh, fresh, game, fresh, fresh, fresh, game. Ok,
but my opinion is to last long without injuries in the high-intensity this
league is, you have to train. "Here [claps his hands urgently] they don't
have (a winter) break, they pump in more games to be fair. So maybe you
can't copy and paste the European way but I am trying to do something in
between."
However Bilic, the former Croatian national team who has also worked in
Russia and Turkey, is in no doubt that the Premier League is the place to
be. "Ok, you still have Spain, the Bundesliga, but this Premier League is
the NBA," he says (and he is also a basketball fan). "This is the NBA of
football. Although the best teams are maybe not from England - you are
talking about Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich - but the actual league,
this is the league to be in. It is very competitive."
Competitive and, this season in particular, wildly unpredictable. West Ham
have acquired some big scalps. So have Leicester City, Crystal Palace and
others. There is a refreshing look to the table with Watford and Stoke City
also in the top 10.
Bilic has a theory. "This season is kind of logical. I will try to explain,"
he says. "Clubs like Leicester, Palace, West Brom, Stoke, West Ham, Watford,
all of them. Every single club is in a situation to buy good players. Good
enough players. And those clubs that already have (good players), the gap
was like this [hands apart]. Because in Chelsea you had Costa, Fabregas,
that one, that one, Hazard. But Crystal Palace didn't have Cabaye. Now with
this (television) money.
The Hammers have a good record against the big clubs this season
"And next year is going to be even more the possibility that these clubs can
buy these players to close the gap. And these clubs (the traditional big
ones) can't buy more of these. You can't buy Messis, there are not plenty of
them. They already have 15 good ones, they can't buy 30, there is no space.
What, they have to get rid of these to replace them with the new ones?
"Clubs likes us, you have some positions that were not so good, they were ok
let's say but the gap was big. Now with this (TV money) the gap is closer,
that is the conclusion. Of course they are still better - Arsenal, Man City
- but for me the chance in one competitive game between two teams, the
chance for the less quality one on the paper, doesn't depend on how good the
favourite is, it depends on more on how good the lesser one is. "We are good
enough that with a little bit of luck, a little bit of your mistake or bad
day, we have a chance. And that is exactly what is happening this year in
England. "We can lose against any team, like we can beat any team. But there
are not many, I would say I wish I could have them (instead of my players).
So it is competitive. This league it is unbelievable."
There is ambition at West Ham; ambition to be an established "top six" club,
which will be helped by the stadium move. It is ambition that Bilic shares,
encourages and embraces. "What we have is a great plan but we need to do
it," he says. "It's easy to say 'we are a top six club'. But we are not a
top six club. Not at this moment in time. I will give my everything to try
and achieve that but basically you can't become a top six club unless you
have done it for three, four, five years. "I'm not saying it will take 20
years to do it but first of all we have to do it. First of all, we have to
believe in it and we do believe in it not only off the pitch but on the
pitch.
"West Ham is a good club, good enough to attract the players, not only with
the money but the whole story about it. So we have a good chance."
With the interview done, there is just one final question: does he own a
dog? "Two dogs," Bilic says, flashing that smile.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 2
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