Daily WHUFC News - 4th February 2016

Woods happy with Villa victory
WHUFC.com

Chris Woods says West Ham United did all the right things again to score a 2-0 Barclays Premier League victory over bottom club Aston Villa. The strugglers made a bright start under the Boleyn Ground floodlights, but that all changed when Jordan Ayew was sent-off after catching Aaron Cresswell with a flailing left arm after 17 minutes. Villa initially resisted the Hammers, but an upping of the tempo after half-time led to Michail Antonio nodding Mark Noble's diagonal pass into the net on 58, followed by a trademark counter-attack led by Enner Valencia and finished by Cheikhou Kouyate five minutes from full-time. "Obviously the result was what we needed and it's always difficult to break down ten men," said Woods. "We stuck at it, kept playing the ball around and eventually we got our breakthrough. "Aston Villa started fairly brightly. I have not seen the red card incident back since it happened, but it certainly changed the game after that, so you just have to take everything as it comes and play accordingly. "We just wanted to up tempo a little bit and the lads did that and we got forward a bit more in the second half and it paid dividends."

Captain Noble was outstanding all night and got his reward when Antonio latched onto his superb ball and expertly steered it into the far corner with his forehead. Then, late on, the Hammers cleared a Villa corner to Dimitri Payet, who sprung Valencia clear. The No11 kept his head and played an inch-perfect pass for Kouyate to lift past the advancing Bunn. "Mark got forward a bit more in the second half and it was a great pass and a brilliant header from Michail and that's what we wanted," observed Woods. "It set us on our way and we got a breakaway for the second goal there, but we were full of running towards the end of the game and that's credit to all the players. "It is important that everyone is chipping in with goals, because it means we're not having to rely on our centre forwards to be our goalscorers. I would just like Adrian to chip in with one!"

The goalkeeper coach has been impressed by his charges in recent games, with Darren Randolph excelling in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round at Liverpool, and new father Adrian keeping a clean sheet in Tuesday's win over the Villans. "I was really proud of Darren on Saturday," he confirmed. "I said to him that the highest compliment I can pay to him is that he looks like he's been playing week-in, week-out. "He comes in and all credit to him because he trains and is a pleasure to work with and he reaps his rewards when he plays like that. He goes out on the pitch and puts in a performance like that. "Adrian was so pleased and so happy but obviously he came back and got down to work. I said to him that those games are probably the more difficult games because you have to concentrate, make sure you keep on top of it and keep talking. "He has one or two things to deal with and he did them as he should do, so I was really pleased with him."

Whoever is in goal going forward, Woods agreed that these are exciting times for West Ham in both league and cup, but that nobody will be getting carried away. "It's an old footballer's cliché that you take one game at a time but, of course, we have got ourselves in a position and we have to look forward and keep performing like we're performing and who knows what could happen!"

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Kouyate - Valencia said I would score
WHUFC.com

Cheikhou Kouyate paid tribute to Enner Valencia after revealing the Hammers forward made a prediction that he would get on the scoresheet against Aston Villa. Valencia was adamant in the build-up to the game that Kouyate would score and he was proved right after the Senegal midfielder produced a clinical finish at the end of the game to secure all three points. It was ironic that Valencia was the main provider for the goal as he burst clear into the Villa half and played the perfect through ball for Kouyate who made no mistake striking the ball into the roof of the net to secure a comfortable 2-0 victory. The win extended the Hammers impressive unbeaten run at the Boleyn Ground to 11 games and Kouyate feels anything is possible for West Ham United this season. Kouyate said: "It was a very important win tonight and the team played well together with a good spirit. I scored a nice goal but it was a great assist from Enner. "Before the game Enner said to me that I would score and I said that is not possible! I have had a few chances but have not been able to score. "But Enner said I am going to score against Villa and this is not my goal, this is Enner's goal! "I want us to continue this great run and it is 11 games now. We take it game by game and anything is possible. We just need to keep working hard and we will wait and see what happens. "We played well for the first 15 minutes and after the red card for Ayew, all the Villa players made it difficult for us. "But we managed to score the first goal through Michail and it was a great assist from Mark Noble."

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Moose's Memories - Stan Lazaradis
WHUFC.com

Ian 'Moose' Abrahams chats to a man who knows West Ham United and the Club's owners very well – Stan Lazaridis...

Last Thursday I was watching my daughter Amber at netball practice when the phone rang. When I answered, the voice on the other end, said: "Moose, I have some good news for you, Mark Noble wants you to do the PA at his Testimonial." I was still on a high from that fantastic news when the phone rang again: "Hi Ian, it's Stan Lazaridis!" It was brilliant to make contact with Stan on Australia Day, and he got back to me so we could have a chat for tonight's Moose's Memories column. You tend to see a lot of former players at games, be they in the Premier League or European competition, but since his departure for Birmingham and then back home to Australia, I hadn't seen or spoken to Stan, who was great to watch as a player here and a dream to interview off the pitch.

I began my interview with Stan by asking how his move to West Ham came about, some 23 years ago.

"Well, it was unplanned," he revealed. "West Ham came on a tour Down Under and I played in the game against them for West Adelaide. Afterwards, I got talking to Frank Lampard Snr and he and Harry Redknapp invited me to come and have a trial. "The trial was a success and I ended up spending four good years at the Club. I was very lucky for Harry to take a chance on me and I loved playing for West Ham and didn't want to leave in the end."

Stan scored three goals in 87 games in Claret and Blue before swapping the Boleyn Ground for St Andrews and Birmingham City. There, he worked under the guidance of three familiar faces for the next seven years.

"It was the current West Ham owners who bought me at Birmingham, David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady, so I know the West Ham owners very well," he continued. "They're a good bunch of people and as I said I was very sad to leave West Ham but had an enjoyable time at Birmingham and they were the only two clubs I played for over here."

Nowadays it's not unusual to see young players moving countries or continents to play, but Stan was only 23 when he moved halfway round the world to pursue his dream and, back then, the number of Australian players in Europe was far lower than it is now.

"Harry Redknapp was really good to me, the club were good to me and in particular the supporters and those in the Chicken Run took me in and loved the fact I was willing to run and was exciting at times," Stan recalled. "They knew I always tried. It was a great club for me to be at and I still follow West Ham today."

Stan has particular reason for keeping tabs on West Ham and our current manager, of course.

"I played with Slaven Bilic while he was at the club and am so happy he is managing the club and doing so well and having such a good season," he said. "So I hope the Hammers continue to have great season."

When I first came down to Upton Park in the late 1970s, the likes of Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire were the wing wizards, and we have always been known for having good wide players, so Stan fitted in nicely into the traditions of the club.

"Harry had a team that include the likes of Tim Breacker, Steve Potts, John Moncur, Ian Bishop and Tony Cottee and Harry said I was something a bit different," Stan said. "Harry said I reminded him of the former Liverpool winger Steve Heighway and he liked that I was different. He was really supportive of me."

Talking of support, Stan told me he certainly isn't unique in following West Ham's fortunes from the other side of the world.

"West Ham was a fun club and a club well-supported in Australia, particularly here in Perth. I was grateful to be given a chance to play for them and I thought when I came over, I would be with West Ham forever. "I didn't understand how players got bought and sold so readily and for me, as someone of loyalty, I had several changes to move on from West Ham and Birmingham, but I chose to only play for the two clubs "I always said if I was happy, why move as the grass isn't always greener."

For those too young to have seen Stan play in the flesh, he was one of those players who was never afraid to run at defences and ping a cross into the middle. In other words, he was a centre forward's dream, and Stan says he thinks he could have made the England team of the time, had he not been Australian!

"What worked for me at West Ham was that I was different to what England had. England didn't have a left-footed player playing in England and I was a left-footer, playing on the wing.
"I was all those things England was missing. In fact Harry said to me "Kid, I wish you were English, because if you were you'd play for England because we haven't got any left-footers!"
"England were always missing that attacking left side player, but being that kind of player allowed me the opportunity to be given a go and preserved with at my clubs. "I spent many good years at West Ham under Harry. We made the Intertoto Cup and Europe and Harry built a really good squad, when look back I fitted a niche at the time for Harry, who knew what he was after."

I ended my chat with Stan by asking if he had plans to come back to these shore, or if he had any ambitions to manage a club over here?

"I'm not sure about managing, I'm too nice to be a manager!" he laughed. "I love watching football and if I come back to watch, I will put on a hat and sneak in and watch games at Upton Park. "West Ham is the club I follow and want to do well, but I've got other businesses here in Australia. Football is in my heart and I'll forever be grateful to Harry for giving me the opportunity at West Ham. "Of course I also wish the owners David Gold and David Sullivan well. I have a strong affection for them and I wish West Ham well and especially Slaven Bilic, who is a good friend."

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Boleyn People - Mark Phillips
WHUFC.com

There are few, if any, more passionate West Ham fans than U18s� coach Mark Phillips. And it is perhaps little wonder considering his first experience of claret and blue was Bobby Moore�s testimonial game in 1970. Just nine years old at the time, crammed in to a packed Upton Park; it would leave a lasting imprint on the youngster. You could call it love at first sight.
Forty-six years later and the passion, pride and commitment is as real and as raw as ever. However, things could have been very different as Phillips� Dad Kerry, despite hailing from the East End, was a Queens Park Rangers fan. Phillips, like his Mother Ingrid, chose to follow the iconic claret and blue. Born in Camberwell, Phillips reminisced about his first visit to the Boleyn Ground: �My first game at West Ham was Bobby Moore�s testimonial, 1970; it was a 3-3 draw against Celtic. �I was nine and I think there and then, I knew West Ham was the team for me. When you�re that age, it�s not just the game, but the atmosphere. It was a full house that night, the captain of England�s testimonial, so you can imagine the atmosphere that night. It was crazy; that was it for me.� Since then, Phillips, a keen player himself, has followed his beloved West Ham home and away, as much as possible.
Despite juggling the demands of working at one of the countries busiest and most prestigious academies, he made the recent pilgrimage, midweek, to the South Coast to see the Hammers recover from a goal down to defeat Bournemouth 3-1 in some style. Looking back at some of his fondest memories, you can�t blame him for selecting the FA Cup triumphs of 1975 and 1980: �I was there for Di Canio�s goal against Wimbledon, but that�s not the best goal I�ve seen, I�d have to go Trevor Brooking, 1980 FA Cup final. �I was there for that and the 1975 one too. I wasn�t at the 1964 one; I was only three to be fair!� Even the defeat in Cardiff, 2006, is a source of great pride: �Obviously it was disappointing to lose in the final but we played so well that day, we really acquitted ourselves well. I thought we were excellent and the rest of the country still talks about what a good performance we put in.
�We were massive underdogs that day, but we outplayed them really. Having been there in 2006, it would be nice to do them next week in the Cup. Three times in one season is some way to paying them back.� And what about his favourite memories of being at the Boleyn Ground itself? Phillips continued: �Probably my fondest memories are in the south bank, they used to have a cage in that corner, I used to stand in that, great memories in there. �That�s the corner now where Andy Carroll always seems to celebrate in front of!�

While the games, the goals and the players are of course crucial, it�s the companionship and the friendships made which Phillips believe set West Ham apart from any other club.
He explained: �A while ago there were only a few hundred people who would go to the away games so you got to know everyone. Nowadays more people go so you don�t know everyone but I�d say I know most regulars. �That�s what it�s all about really, that community, being part of something. We�re not kidding ourselves, we haven�t been blessed with trophies, but that feeling of being part of the club is very special, that�s what it�s all about.� Having recently celebrated his ninth anniversary working at the Academy of Football, four of which he�s been a permanent member of staff; he recounted how he came to join his beloved Hammers. �I was Under 10 coach at Arsenal and was recommended to Tony Carr, then head of the Academy. He appointed me, from there I�ve moved up coaching the U12, U15, U16 � I�ll be first team one day!� At this point, Tony Carr, within earshot, interjects jovially � �Mark�s the worst decision I�ve ever made!� It is this example of camaraderie, and many others, that helps make the Academy of Football the place it is to work. Now living up the road in Brentwood, Phillips continued: �It�s a dream of mine to work at the Academy. Freddie Sears making his debut was a big moment, now we�ve got the likes of Reece Oxford and Josh Cullen doing well. �I get to know them very well which is definitely one of the perks of the job, I get a huge sense of pride from it. It�s a very emotional feeling when you see a player you coached play for the West Ham first team.
�It�s even that bit more special when they�re West Ham fans themselves. Every player here will tell you that I�m biased toward them instinctively. In sessions, I�ll always pass to a West Ham fan first; they always get the ball first!� Another perk of the job is working closely with two-time Hammer of the Year Steve Potts, now the U18�s manager. �I didn�t actually know Steve until Tony brought him in about four, five years ago. I used to pay to watch him play but don�t tell him I said that! �He was assigned to work with the U16s together and we�ve worked well ever since. I probably see more of him then I see my wife these days! We get on really well, at work and also socially.� While Phillips clearly has fond memories of the past, and is enjoying his current role trying to help the U18s finish in the top four, is he also looking ahead to Club�s bright future. �I don�t like to look at individuals, but we have some very good players with lots of potential coming through.

�As for the new stadium, I was initially sceptical, but as we�re getting closer to it, I am really excited about it. I�ve been to a few events there and it�s going to be great, a really important move for the Club. �There were some sceptical fans from other clubs who said we�d never fill it, but I think we will, from what I�ve heard we�re on course. I really can�t wait for the first game of next season.�

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Dev Squad Swans date rearranged
WHUFC.com

Due to the first team's FA Cup fourth round replay with Liverpool taking place on Tuesday 9 February, the Development Squad's match with Swansea City U21 has been pushed back 24 hours to Wednesday 10 February. Kick off at Rush Green Stadium is 7pm, admission is free all fans. The young Hammers have been in superb form of late, their most recent result, a 1-1 draw away at Derby County saw them extended their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions. With just six league games left, the Hammers stand a good chance of reaching the play off spots, as well as a Barclays U21 Premier League semi-final to look forward to. Having beaten the Swans 1-0 in South Wales thanks to a Jordan Brown strike, the claret and blues are looking to secure a league double. If you can't make it to the match, make sure you follow whufc.com and @whufc_official for team news, updates, reaction and highlights.

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Your Claret and Blue seats are coming!
The first shipment of the Hammers' new Stadium seats are headed for the former Olympic Stadium.
WHUFC.com

The brand new claret seating for West Ham United's new home is now en route to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Containers holding the first batch of seats off production are this week being shipped to E20, with the blue seats set to follow suit in the coming weeks. As announced back in August, the seating layout will be transformed to feature the Hammers' unmistakable claret and blue colours, while preserving the iconic shard design synonymous with London 2012. The spectacular design will see 'West Ham' emblazoned across the 'Kop' style East Stand, in addition to the famous crossed hammers appearing across the lower tier seats and both the North and South stands.

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The Big Interview - Aaron Cresswell
WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell was delighted to get the job done against ten man Aston Villa on Tuesday night. Cresswell was elbowed by Jordan Ayew for the Villa man's red card and although it took until the second half for the Hammers to make their advantage count, Cresswell was delighted with the end result.

Aaron, it's never easy against ten men but we got the job done in the end…

AC: "It's a 2-0 victory at home. They're fighting for their lives and I thought they did well in the first ten minutes, but then when they got the man sent off it made it a lot easier for us."

That said, they did sit behind the ball well and made it difficult for us to break them down…

AC: "It was a little frustrating at times. Everyone thinks against ten men you should be scoring goals, but sometimes it's difficult when they sit behind the ball. They had nine men behind the ball and of course that's hard. We had to wait patiently. We came in at half time, the Gaffer said a few things, we changed it a bit and thankfully we got the goal from Michail to set us off."

For the sending off, nobody had a better view than you – I think it was pretty clear…

AC: "We had a little tussle [at the throw in] and I think he's just swung an elbow. I think it's a little bit silly but it's advantage for us and we came away with the three points."

Three points and a clean sheet, it's the perfect night for you…

AC: "Of course. As a defender the clean sheet is the main thing. We got that and then we got the two goals on top. Job done."

Sixth in the league, we haven't lost here since August. Teams will fear coming here, won't they?

AC: "It's a great little run we've got going. We want to continue that. We haven't set ourselves any targets, first of all as a team we just want to take each game as it comes and try and progress up that league."

Of course the games keep on coming thick and fast. Southampton next, then Liverpool, there's a chance to keep on making progress on all fronts…

AC: "Definitely. It's the FA Cup as well and we want to get to Wembley. We will give our best for that and we're going well in the league too, so we want to continue that and try and finish as high as we can."

Just how confident are the boys at the moment?

AC: "Our run has been fantastic and there have been some tough games in there, especially away from home. We've only lost one in 13 [at Newcastle] and we want to keep that run going, putting points on the board and progressing in the FA Cup as well."

Just a word on Michail Antonio, who scored the first goal on Tuesday. He's a player like you, who has come up from the Championship and is taking his chance with both hands…

AC: "He has worked his way up, similar to me, and you know you're going to give 110 percent every week. He's come up with some goals and some assists, so long may that continue and he's been fantastic for us."

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Noble - We were patient
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble said West Ham United's patience was key after they picked up another three points against Aston Villa on Tuesday. The Hammers played against ten men for 73 minutes following a red card to Jordan Ayew, but had to wait until the 58th minute for their breakthrough. Michail Antonio was the man to open the scoring – from a Noble pass – before Cheikhou Kouyate wrapped it up late on. Noble said: "We could feel the crowd's frustration and we were frustrated as well. We work on it in training – trying to break ten men down – because it's really hard. "They get behind the ball and there's no space to play in behind and get the crowd up. We struggled a bit in the first half, even though we had three or four chances that go in on another day, but I thought we were fantastic in the second half and showed what a good team we are. "You need to keep the ball and keep it moving because in the end they will get tired playing against eleven. That's what happened in the second half and we won it comfortably in the end."

Antonio's goal was his third in his last eight games and Noble is delighted with the impact the winger has made. He continued: "We know we can do that. I picked the ball up and saw Michail pointing to the space. To be fair the way he's playing at the moment if you put it in the right place he's got every chance of scoring. "From that position it's some header."

West Ham are now eleven games unbeaten at home and Noble is keen to keep that formidable record going. He added: "We're making this a tough place to come and play. The crowd are behind us, and especially in games like this, when we're a bit frustrated, we need them to stick behind us because it showed in the second half what we can do. "This is the best team I've been involved in and we've still got games to play and points to pick up. To be fair I'm looking forward to every game."

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke with his latest update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone,

We will start this week with positive news! Andy Carroll is fit to play a part in Saturday's game against Southampton. New signing Emmanuel Emenike will also join up with the squad for his first training session and will be available for Saturday's game at Southampton having obtained his work permit. We are very happy to have him in our squad.

We haven't picked up any injuries from the Aston Villa game which is positive. We were able to recover Cheikhou Kouyate who picked up a knock against Liverpool, but he played and scored. James Tomkins also put in a brave performance after suffering a cut above his eye which needed ten stitches on his forehead. Angelo Ogbonna missed the game against Aston Villa through illness. We hope to recover him in time for the Southampton game.

Diafra Sakho and Manuel Lanzini are in the final stages of their rehab and are knocking on the door to train with the first-team. It was great to see Joey O'Brien back on the pitch after a frustrating spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury. He is now back in the squad and I hope he enjoys a successful end to the season. Unfortunately Sam Byram picked up a small injury in training and will be out for a week.

Stijn Vandenbroucke

Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Vaz sold a Turkey
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd February 2016
By: Staff Writer

Ex-Hammer Ricardo Vaz Te has returned to his former Turkish club following his release from Championship side Charlton Athletic. The 29-year-old, who scored the goal that sent West Ham back in to the Premier League in the 2012 play-off final spent six months with Super Lig side Akhisar Belediyespor last year before returning to London in order to join the Addicks. And little more than 48 hours after agreeing to mutually terminate his contract at The Valley, Vaz Te has returned to Belediyespor where he has signed a new 18-month contract. The Portuguese forward's new club are currently seventh in the Turkish top flight with 30 points from 19 games - just three points behind third-placed Galatasary.

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West Ham in talks with Barcelona over friendly at Olympic Stadium
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 03/02/16 4:52pm
SSN

West Ham are hopeful that Barcelona will be their first opponents at the Olympic Stadium in the summer, Sky Sports understands. The Hammers are in talks with several major European clubs about the curtain-raiser at their new home, with Luis Enrique's side believed to be top of the list for the game, which is expected to be on August 3. West Ham play their last game at Upton Park - their home since 1904 - against Swansea on May 7 before moving two miles north-west to the 54,000-capacity Olympic Stadium. And Lionel Messi could be one of the first players to grace the turf if West Ham can secure a pre-season friendly with the Spanish giants

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ASSESSING VILLA AND LIVERPOOL AHEAD OF A BIG AWAY DAY AGAINST SAINTS
By Bobby Shovels 3 Feb 2016 at 16:00
WTID

Well, we needed that. A victory that was an ease in the end but if it were not for the sending off, it could have been a completely different story. I thought we had rid ourselves of our notorious tendency to start poorly and yet the first half against Villa was very slow. However, what was crucial for me was that we still took a comfortable three points against a very poor side, something I feel we haven't really done at home since Newcastle. Yes, Liverpool were dire but we needed a good win against a relegation side. Given that Payet was off the boil to some extent, the win was all the better. While we went on a good unbeaten run without him, we lacked some victories and it was nice to see how our side can be strong without him dictating the match. Cometh the hour mark, cometh Mark Noble, whose ball to Antonio was a perfect example of what a great performance he had.

I have written a lot about how February could be a month of maximum points, with Norwich and Sunderland ahead – two teams who I believe will join Villa in going down. Now, they pose their own problems of course: Sam Allardyce would love to start his great escape with a win at Upton Park, while Norwich's performance against Liverpool in their last-minute 5-4 defeat showed how they can certainly score goals and prove a danger at Carrow Road, especially when they will be desperate for a win. Still, they concede an awful lot.

Yet before those games is Southampton. Now, if my research is correct, we haven't won away to Southampton in the League since November 2000, when Frederic Kanoute, Stuart Pearce and Trevor Sinclair handed us a 3-2 victory. Their stubbornness against Arsenal shows how they are picking up their form again, and it's weird how much the media had said there were concerns about the club when they sit comfortably in the top half and are five points away from us. And that's an interesting gap. It's great to be five points clear of seventh but, if we dare to dream in this season, a win against Southampton away for the first time in 16 years would give us a very comfortable cushion from the Saints. Yes, it depends on Liverpool's result too, but to be able to know we are certain of a top seven/six position is something to be happy with with just over a dozen games left. And if we can banish the half-century voodoo of Anfield, we can do so against the 16 year drought away to Southampton. It will be a very interesting match and one that I hope will be incredibly entertaining – as well as illuminating with regards to our strength as a squad to get a result out of such a key match.

When you're aiming for a top six finish – if, let's say, that is our ideal goal – it often feels like there aren't that many crunch matches because, well, any game is worth a punt at and three points are always possible. Yet the Southampton game really feels like a crunch game or even a match where a lot can be learnt from. That's because it will show that we can go to a team in a fairly similar position to us in the league and get a result. We've already done that against Liverpool, but Southampton are on a run of consistent form whereas Liverpool are so hit and miss. I am so glad Saturday's game is on the TV.

On a quick note, I thought the Liverpool result was fair. With the early injuries to Tomkins and Kouyate, it felt like Bilic was happy with a draw. For us, another fixture in the calendar is not a bad thing (we wouldn't be saying that if we were still in the Europa League), and a home draw is always preferred. Yet for Liverpool, another fixture is not something that best pleases Jurgen Klopp: they will now play nine games in 29 days. For us, that means the FA Cup replay may not be top priority for the Reds in the run up to their League Cup Final. Furthermore, it would be great for us to finish above Liverpool, and with us facing a relatively easy fixture list in February, we could make some headway over Klopp's tired team come the end of the month.

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DG's excitement builds and builds
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 3, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold may see an early season prediction come true as the Irons continue to push their way towards the top four. And the Irons co chairman appears to be ahead of schedule with his prophecy that the top four clubs would be looking over their shoulders as the Irons make relentless progress towards the elite positions. In an out-of character outburst of excitement, the normally cautious DG tweeted after last night's (Tues) 2-0 win over Villa: "Another fantastic result. If we keep this up we could end up in the Champions League." And he has made it clear that there will be a even stronger squad available to Bilic as the team travel to Southampton at the weekend saying: "Angelo Ogbonna was unwell but should be OK for Southampton. " And he is hopeful that the two winter signings will also join the squad saying: "I'm hopeful that both Sam Byram and Emenike be in the squad for Saturday."

However, whilst Emenike has been given the all clear by club medics a statement on the official website claims Byram is likely to be out for a week. With the Liverpool replay next week followed by two matches against Norwich City (a) and Sam Allardyce's Sunderland at home it's a big February as the co chairman continues to dream of Europe.

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Hammers ready to reward Bilic
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 3, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are set to open new contract negotiations with boss Slave Bilic at the end of the season. Bilic – currently on a two year deal which is inferior to his predecessor Sam Allardyce's in several areas – is likely to be offered a further three years. But a top level source told ClaretandHugh exclusively that it is likely to include various conditions affecting survival declaring: "There are very very few managers these days who work on unconditioal contracts."
The nervousness attached to the appointment after the club had failed in pursuit of Rafa Benitez, Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes and Carlo Ancelotti is reflected in the nature of the deal offered and accepted by Slav. We understand he is a minimum of £500,000 a year short of the wages earned by Sam Allardyce , a relegation clause is included which can see the deal torn up and his positional bonuses don't kick in until he reaches the top eight.

The club are set to offer a more lucrative deal which will see his annual salary improved and positional bonuses kicking in from around 15th place upwards. We were told: "The review is likely to take place at the end of the season. Slaven has been the fulcrum for what' s happened this year and it's also about the way this club has united under him. Beryond the on-field success, there's the whole change of atmosphere around the place and among the fans. That deserves a reward. "Joining this club as boss was never about money as far as Slaven was concerned but the board will want to reflect his value to the club after what looks lie being an amazing first season."

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Mouth-Watering Olympic Stadium Opening Fixture
February 3, 2016
WestHamWay.co.uk
ExWHUEmployee

There are strong "rumours" coming out of the club today that the opening fixture at the Olympic Stadium will be an amazing pre-season friendly against the mighty Barcelona. The club have been working on our departure from Upton Park and our opening of the stadium and have consulted many supporter's groups about how to open the new ground.

Barcelona are the team who most want to see, with talents such as Messi, Neymar and Suarez set to feature. Talks with the Spanish giants have been ongoing and the club will announce the fixture as soon as the details are confirmed. The date has been penciled in for the evening of Wednesday 3rd August 2016 and will be guranteed to be a sell out event.

(Note to other media agencies-we would appreciate it if our website is quoted when using our information)

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Savage starts Noble for England debate
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 3, 2016 in Hugh's Blogs, News, Whispers
C and H

It's hard to be critical after another three points on a night when Mark Noble showed real England class. BT Sport's Robbie Savage is a pretty harsh critic at times but even the Welshmsn made it clear Nobes should get a call-up and added Aaron Cresswell to the mix. Back to that later but for all the comprehensive second half performance and two great goals against Villa, there remain some cracks which we mustn't paper over. NobleIn fact – one crack – and it's been there for most of the season; this slow starting business which allows lesser teams to dominate us when they really have no right is annoying and frustrating. Before the total Villa shambles involving Jordan Ayew we were allowing the worst team in the division to carry the game to us with real purpose. We weren't at the races AGAIN. Thankfully it made little difference when we stepped up in the second half but you have to wonder why it took us 45 minutes to get to grips with a side that – come on let's be honest – were there for the taking. It's happening too frequently but once it is corrected we are going to be one hell of a side. The second half showed us again that once we hit our tempo there are very few teams in the land that can stop us – we were excellent and the two goals were of the highest calibre. Noble's diagonal ball and the power generated by Antonio for the first was stunning whilst Kouyate's clincher was a demonstration of our pace, power and fitness. As for the England debate and the skipper; personally I believe he will need to show that sort of form for the rest of the season if he's to seriously catch Woy's attention.Having said that, at his very best, yes he deserves a shot as indeed does Cresswell. The slow starting thing is annoying and irritating but truth is it is not stopping our momentum in what's becoming a momentous season. It would just be fantastic to see 90 minutes of us at our absolute best rather than 45 as has been the case on various occasions.

COYI

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Chiek grateful for psychic Enner
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 3, 2016 in News
C and H

Chiek Kouyate gave the goal glory to Enner Valenia after clinching last night's points with a great late strike against Villa. And speaking to the official website he revealed that the Euador international had insisted ahead of the game that he would be on the scoresheet. Kouyate said: "The team played well together with a good spirit. I scored a nice goal but it was a great assist from Enner. "Before the game Enner said to me that I would score and I said that is not possible! I have had a few chances but have not been able to score. "But Enner said I am going to score against Villa and this is not my goal, this is Enner's goal! "I want us to continue this great run and it is 11 games now. We take it game by game and anything is possible. We just need to keep working hard and we will wait and see what happens. We played well for the first 15 minutes and after the red card for Ayew, all the Villa players made it difficult for us but we managed to score the first goal through Michail and it was a great assist from Mark."

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James Tomkins targets European place with West Ham: 'We have to build on what we've got and keep our form going'
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

James Tomkins believes European qualification is a realistic aim for West Ham following last night's victory. The Upton Park club have been doing their best to keep a lid on expectations this season but the 2-0 win put them just a point behind fifth-placed Manchester United and opened up a five-point gap on Southampton, in seventh. Slaven Bilic's side had a brief taste of European football almost as soon as the Croat arrived in the summer, in the early rounds of the Europa League having secured their place in the competition via the Fair Play League.
Now Tomkins, who played last night despite 13 stitches in a head wound, believes his team are good enough to qualify for Europe again courtesy of their final position in the Premier League.
Tomkins said: "We have to build on what we've got and keep our form going. We're creating a gap now between us and Southampton, whom we play on Saturday. "We want to finish as high as we can. I said 'top ten' earlier in the season but realistically we're looking higher. "Europe is a realistic option. You look at Leicester and see what they're doing and we know we have as good players as they have." Tomkins was a major doubt for last night's game against bottom-of-the-table Villa after sustaining a head wound in the goalless draw at Liverpool at the weekend. He said: "It was a bit sore when I headed the ball but it's going to be a bit tender for a while. "I was touch and go but I felt I could play with a headguard and when Sam Byram picked up an injury, I knew I was in."

The turning point of last night's match was the 16th-minute red card for Villa's Jordan Ayew, following a blatant elbow on West Ham's Aaron Cresswell. "It was a bit silly from him," said Cresswell. "He just threw the elbow. It didn't hurt fortunately but the big thing is that we managed to get the three points." Second-half goals from Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyate meant West Ham took full advantage of their extra man and they have now lost just once in 13 games in all competitions. On the red card issued to Ayew, Bilic said: "It was a moment of madness and for everyone, a turning point. "After the second goal it was impossible for them to come back though.
"We were good, we were together, we were serious — we are becoming a serious team."

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AYEW ANGRY?
By Zaman Siddiqui 3 Feb 2016 at 07:00
WTID

It was indeed that red card that made it a lot easier for us last night. Aston Villa were doing quite well up to that point, so I was very surprised (and still am) at why Jordan Ayew flinged his elbow into Cresswell's face. The full-back didn't even provoke him! It was the last thing Rémi Garde and Villa wanted. They played very well with 10 men, though we were bound to score eventually – 73 minutes is a lot of time to hang on for. The Villans have the lowest goals tally, and the lowest shot conversion. The Villa manager certainly was "not happy about this situation": the situation in question being transfers. They have failed to bring in any new players, despite the fact that they are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table. You can imagine if their manager was unhappy, so would the Villa fans, and rightly so. There was a banner at the end of the match which read "SACK THE BOARD". Since the Premier League's inception in 1992, Aston Villa have never been relegated. We've never been in the third tier of English football, so we've done quite well for ourselves too with many good PL campaigns.

Valencia has certainly improved this season scoring four goals in as many appearances in the league. Before, it took him 39 appearances to score the same number of goals. When we signed him for an estimate of £12M, I thought we had got a player with great potential, and I still do. He may not have hit the ground running like Sakho, but every player is different. We have seen glimpses of "Superman" in the past with a sensational goal against Hull City timed at 61mph. He has been rather unfortunate with injuries, but no one can fault his effort. When Emenike gets international clearance, and Sakho and Carroll are back, the Ecuadorian striker will be properly tested, and I'm adamant he will do well.

I feel we are finally using Song more effectively than last season. This season, playing the Cameroonian midfielder in a more defensive holding position has allowed Noble to get forward and get the passing going from both flanks. In last night's match, the skipper had the most touches, most completed passes, and had pass completion of 93%. His assist for Antonio was clear evidence that he puts a lot of training into making sure he has good vision, and to be able to deliver at the right time. Antonio didn't even need to exert much power on the header – only direction. Surely, Roy can't keep Noble out for too long, then? It was great to see Noble consistently talking down our chances of getting a top 4, or 5 finish in the post-match interview, so as to prevent overwhelming a considerably larger squad. Plus, "going under the radar" would be preferential, to quote the skipper.

I'm positive the gaffer has spoken with Noble about the slow-down in the final half of last season in great detail, and how to prevent it. So far, we haven't seen any major causes for concern. We are currently 2nd in the form table, so if anything, we are improving in the latter half of the season. Last season, seven games after Christmas, we managed to get a meagre 6 points. This season, seven games after Christmas, we have managed to get 14 points. Antonio said that the squad are looking at the fixture list one game at a time. Perhaps dividing the season by how likely you are to win doesn't work, as Big Sam used to do. We have managed to get better results against teams in the top half, so looking at teams on paper doesn't work. Besides, could you imagine underestimating Leicester City right now? Liverpool certainly won't, given they lost 2-0!

We are currently just a single point off the top 5, so lets hope we can maintain our current form. We have a bright future ahead losing our last home match way back in August, and a move to the Olympic Stadium ahead. Speaking of bright futures, congratulations to Adrian and his wife on the birth of little Enzo! Like our future, he's in safe hands.

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