Daily WHUFC News - II 20th April 2016

From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

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

Hello everyone,

We have all players fit and all players available for selection for
tonight's Barclays Premier League visit of Watford to the Boleyn Ground.
Diafra Sakho returned to full training a few days ago after recovering from
a minor right knee injury. We were all disappointed not to reach the FA Cup
semi-finals last week, but we have five cup finals left in the Premier
League.
We have a fixture-free weekend coming up but, after a couple of days' rest
after the Watford game, the players will be in over the weekend for training
ahead of our next game at West Bromwich Albion. Looking further ahead, we
are planning the off-season and pre-season, which will be very short for
some players and a bit longer for others. We have players going off to the
Euros 2016 in France, to South America for World Cup qualifiers, to Africa
for Cup of Nations qualifiers, younger players to qualifiers and tournaments
and, potentially, players going to the Olympic Games in Rio. With all that
in mind, we are preparing individual off-season plans for every single
player, to give them the best-possible chance of returning for pre-season.
With regard to the pre-season, these plans are approaching finalization and
I am sure the Club will release the details to supporters in due course.

Enjoy the game tonight!

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Tomkins - Watford pair are a 'real handful'
WHUFC.com

James Tomkins has warned West Ham United's Official Programme that Watford's
front pair of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney are a 'real handful'. The No5
started at of centre-half at Vicarage Road when West Ham travelled around
the A406 to take on the newly-promoted Hornets – who visit the Boleyn Ground
in the Barclays Premier League this evening – last October. The Hammers sat
third in the table, while Watford went into the game in 13th, but the form
guide went out of the window as Quique Sanchez Flores' side secured a
deserved 2-0 victory. Both goals that horrible Halloween afternoon were
scored by Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo, who has gone on to enjoy a fine
debut season in England's top-flight with 14 Premier League goals to his
name.
Ighalo's partnership with captain Troy Deeney has been key to Watford's
seemingly secure position in mid-table, and Tomkins knows whoever is tasked
with marking the pair will need to be on their game this evening. "They are
a good team and obviously their front two are a real handful," Tomkins told
the Official Progrmame. "We obviously need to deal with them at our place,
because we didn't at theirs. "With Watford being a new team to the Premier
League, we didn't know a lot about them and we got a bit of a shock, because
it was a very hard game. We didn't underestimate them, but they were just
too good on the day."

Another Watford player Tomkins will need no second introduction to is the
Hornets' all-action midfielder Valon Behrami. The Switzerland international
spent two-and-a-half years in Claret and Blue between summer 2008 and
January 2011, lining up alongside the home-grown defender on dozens of
occasions. While he has been in and out of Flores' starting XI following his
£2.5 million move from German club Hamburg last July, Tomkins knows Behrami
possesses the quality to hurt his former employers this evening. "Yeah,
Valon, he was at West Ham and he always loved a bit of contact!" Tomkins
laughed, remembering his erstwhile colleague's non-stop, physical approach.
"That was Valon and the way he played. He always did his best for the team
and I'm sure he's doing the same for Watford. "I'm not sure he plays as
regularly for them as he did for us, but he's a good player among a lot of
good players who Watford have got."

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West Ham United v Watford
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 19th April 2016
By: Preview Percy

Due to circumstances beyond our control Preview Percy has been away. And due
to circumstances beyond our control, he's back.....

Where were we before I was interrupted. Right. Watford next. Home. 7:45pm on
a Wednesday. Just the usual rush hour rubbish to contend with on the tubes
then.

Our opponents come into the match limping along in the league in 12th place
with 41 points from the 33 games played thus far. They're not going to
trouble the European scorers through their league position and they are far
enough away from the relegation places for them not to be looking up results
from St James Park, Carrow Road or The Stadium of Light every Saturday
evening.

League form has not been that inspiring. Until their 1-0 win at the
Hawthorns last weekend you had to go back to February 13 for their last win,
a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park over Crystal Palace, who they meet in the Cup
semi-final this weekend, their progress having not been decided by the
increasingly unfit for purpose PGMOL. Since that win they have gained five
points from the seven matches played, the three points at West Brom being
accompanied by singletons from home draws with Bournemouth (0-0) and Everton
(1-1). Other than that it's been defeats all the way: 1-0 away at Man Utd
and at home to Leicester, 2-1 at home to Stoke and 4-0 away at Arsenal.

There was an element of high farce about their win over the Baggies at the
weekend where a woeful West Brom contrived to lose despite being awarded
penalties in the plural, something that came as quite a shock to us watching
the highlights on Match Of The Day who had been under the misapprehension
that once awarded a penalty no team that isn't Liverpool or Man Utd is
allowed another one until Halley's Comet has reappeared. Apparently that's
not the case but, just in case it was Berahino elected to tap both of them
gently back to Heurelho Gomes to give the 'keeper some practice lest the
weekend's Cup Semi-Final go the distance.

Gomes is the one confirmed starter for this one as Flores shuffles the pack
ahead of the Cup semi-final. The work experience kid with the Harry Potter
spectacles tells me that Pantilimon is the preferred custodian for the cup
games. He came in during the January window for an undisclosed fee in the
region of £5m, the move ending a spell at Sunderland that was less than
happy as he swapped places time and time again with the equally hapless Vito
"8-0" Mannone.

I suppose some of the more gullible amongst the Watford support might have
been taken in by the "Suarez Signs For Watford" headlines but not that many.
The headlines did, of course, refer to the Spanish defensive midfielder
Mario of that ilk tarther than the racist diving biting cheat currently with
Barcelona. The Spanish lad came in from Fiorentina for around £4m having had
an unsuccessful spell in Florence (no that's not a "Magic Roundabout" joke)
who he had joined in the Summer window from Atletico Madrid, where he did
spend some time being managed by Hornets' boss Quique Flores. He does have
full representative honours for Spain but three caps in as many years, with
the last coming over a year ago, suggests that he'll be on a beach somewhere
when his compatriots open their campaign in Toulouse against whatever the
Czech Republic will be called by then.

Another winter arrival was the Dutch-born Moroccan Nordin Amrabat who
pitched up at Vicarage Road from Malaga who received a reported £6m for
their trouble, The work experience kid with the Harry Potter spectacles
highlighted the following comment from the player's Wikipedia page: His
father recommended that Amrabat play at the amateur level while studying for
a different profession. He washed dishes, made desserts and vacuum cleaned
his school while playing for SV Huizen in Almere. Now that's a trick I'd pay
good money to see. Amrabat was once sent off for making a gesture that
suggested that a referee required glasses. I'm not quite sure how he would
have reacted to Jon Moss last weekend – if there is a gesture that signifies
that a brain transplant is required I have yet to encounter it, useful
though it might be here at the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The
Bewildered.

Top scorer is Odion Igalho who may have been one of the last people to have
been named after the cinema in which they were conceived. Let's face it even
the chavviest single parent (and there is one around here who called her
pair Talullah and Leonardo) is probably going to baulk at saddling her
youngest with the name "Multiplex". Meanwhile (back on planet earth – ed)
Igalho has a haul of 16 goals in all competitions this season, 14 of those
coming in the league. Having said that, he's not notched in the league since
the home win in the league against Newcastle back in January, though he did
score in the Cup matches against Forest and the quarter-final against
Arsenal at the library.

The ex-Hammer in their midst is Valon Behrami. The Swiss international's
tenure at the Bo;eyn was punctuated by injury, though the one that he had
that mysteriously disappeared the second a transfer window closed did
somewhat call his commitment to the cause into question, especially as he
was gone as soon as the next window opened.

So what has happened over the past few weeks while I've been tending to the
needs of my even more aged parent, the malingering invalid? Not much. Every
game we have had has been decided one way or another by the failure of
referees to apply the laws of the game in a correct and proper manner. So
much the same as ever. The fact that the penalty given to us up at Leicester
was the first away penalty in the league since October 2010 (according to
the work experience kid with the Harry Potter spectacles) tells you
everything you need to know really. Especially as we now know that Halley's
Comet isn't due to make an appearance until 2061.

There are two sorts of referee in PGMOL. The arrogant and the incompetent.
The arrogant like to be the centre of attention at all times and are not
above making the odd controversial decision to ensure that that continues to
be the case. The incompetent have much the same effect on matches only they
do it by accident. There are those of you who like to defend the
indefensible, usually opening the argument with the phrase "it's a really
difficult job…." I agree. Which is why we should ensure those employed to do
the job are up to it. How would you like a clearly substandard airline pilot
to be taking charge of your flight to whichever Costa you great unwashed go
to these days purely because BALPA decided to scrap regular pilot
assessments to protect the ones that aren't very good? (I have dismissed
Matron's comment that you would probably want the plane to crash if you were
stuck in the seat next to that occupied by Kerry Katona on the grounds that
I haven't the foggiest idea who or what she is talking about). Well that's
where we have got to today – much as I predicted many years ago when first
Hackett and then Riley were given the job of illustrating the concept of
lunatics taking over the asylum.

The fact is that, due to substandard refereeing we are out of the cup and a
good load of points behind where we should be in the league. In fact, the
fact that we are so far up the table in spite of PGMOL is little short of a
miracle really.

Team news is that Sakho's mystery "minor right knee knock and in no way a
falling out with the boss" (hmmmm) seems to have got all better so he might
be in contention. Young Byram is available and I'd like to see him start if
fit if only to give Antonio more of a run further forward. Tone has done ok
at right back for someone for whom right back is not a natural position.
Sakho's possible return means that only Jenkinson of the registered squad
will be unavailable. That's unprecedented in the million or so years I've
been doing this (no, it just seems that long – ed.

Prediction? Well I did contact PGMOL to ask them what the score is going to
be since they clearly have it all arranged in advance these days. However,
they told me if I called them one more time they would call the police.
Strangely, when I offered to give them the number of the Fraud Squad they
sounded very worried and pretended to be a Chinese takeaway. So my
prediction is based on the result being decided by the relative merits and
strengths of the two teams involved. I realise that this is a radical
concept that will never catch on amongst the refereeing classes but hey I
think they ought to give it a go.

I've therefore stuck the £2.50 that would have gone on a get well soon card
for Knowledge Norman on a 2-1 home win down at Winstone's The Turf
Accountants. If that's alright with the officials.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met At The Boleyn: Drew 1-1 (Championship March 2012). A "park
the bus" performance from the visitors who had taken the lead with a cruelly
deflected goal against the run of play early in the second half. A late Vaz
Te equaliser saw us share the points as we blew the chance to go top. Still
it all ended up ok in the end I suppose.

Referee: Mike Dean. like it matters. Falls into the arrogant pompous idiot
camp so he will do whatever he wants.

Danger Man: Mike Dean Let's face it the men in the middle have done us more
damage than any opponent this season and this particular clown has previous.


Irritating Celebrity Supporter Of The Week: XXXXX XXXX The name has been
removed due to an injunction. Apparently we're not allowed to tell you that
his XXXXXXX has a habit of indulging in XXXXXXXXX with XXXXXXX. Or that he
supports Watford. Well you would keep that quiet wouldn't you.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Robbed..and it hurts like hell
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 20th April 2016
By: Paul Walker

We are being robbed, aren't we? Robbed of the best season of our lives.
Systematically mugged off at every turn.

We are the victim of circumstance, never (well, almost never)getting the rub
of the green, never the beneficiary of 'things evening themselves out.'
Utterly devoid of anything that looks faintly like luck.

It hurts, doesn't it? We have longed for this season all our lives, to see
our team playing with such style, defiance and collective spirit. Slav and
the boys have not once let us down, they have been on the front foot and
going for it. A credit to our shirt. We are not getting what we deserve.

But it's not a conspiracy. There are no dark moves afoot to deny us success,
there's no refereeing mafia who are going out of their way to ruin our
dreams. We are just the victims of incompetence. Referees who make mistakes,
referees who cannot handle the pressure of a bear-pit like Leicester,
officials who are paid to do one thing right-- see offsides accurately--but
fail game after game.

Up until now it is us fans, via websites, forums and bloggers, who have
moaned and complained about the string of very poor decisions that have cost
us so much. But this time a player has lost patience, has broken cover and
said it like it is.

Our joint owners have tweeted and twirled it. Our vice-chairman has used her
Sun column to point out the facts--like no away penalty for five
years--while the surveys show we have had more game-changing bad decisions
go against us than any other top flight club this season.

But I insist that referees are not bent. They do not go out of their way to
harm us. They call it like it is. Our referees, maybe not as good
collectively as they were, are still the best around. Honest to a man. Slav
came to the defence of Jon Moss, explaining the horrendous pressures he
faced at Leicester. I would not have wanted to be in his shoes.

Now, finally, a player--Andy Carroll--has revealed what the players think,
what infuriates them as hours of hard work, training and planning go up in
smoke. They feel cheated. Simple as that. Andy, at the moment he talked
freely to a TV interviewer, became one of us.

Just like Leighton Baines at Everton who made it clear he felt there was a
lack of chemistry at Goodison Park. Shamefully he was hauled in and made to
apologise. Even worse, that smarmy Roberto Martinez then went into a press
conference to claim Baines had been misquoted. Rubbish. He just said what
Everton fans feel. They produced banners saying 'Baines is one of us' and
big Andy deserves the same treatment from the Boleyn faithful.

He said it like it is. Like the non-penalty at Chelsea that cost us victory,
the red card for Cheikhou Kouyate against Palace that cost us victory, the
wrongly disallowed Manuel Lanzini goal against Arsenal that cost us victory.
And now the ridiculous Leicester penalty on Sunday that cost us victory.

Eight points he rightly said that would have seen us in third spot. Faced
with this level of adversity--and nobody will ever convince me that clubs
like Manchester United ,Arsenal and Liverpool would ever be in our
position--our team has stuck their chests out, kept going forward and
refused to buckle.

We should be proud of them. Carroll rightly says that the refereeing is not
acceptable. He is perfectly entitled to that opinion as long as he does not
doubt an official's honesty and integrity. Even saying he felt that Moss was
trying to even things up just about stops short of that charge.

Mind you, I don't expect the FA to see it that way. Certainly having decided
to throw the book at Jamie Vardy , and charging Leicester with not
controlling their players, they will want to even things up by 'doing' one
of ours.

But it had to be said. We have been robbed. And it started really at Old
Trafford, when we outplayed Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final
and were robbed when Darren Randolph was smashed into the back of the net by
Bastian Schweinsteiger as United equalised. And don't forget the
trip(faintly I admit) on Dimitri Payet in the box by Marcos Rojo that failed
to produce a penalty.

Louis van Gaal slaughtered Payet after that, and have you seen how few
decisions have gone his way since. Danny Simpson's first tackle on Sunday
was straight through the back of the Frenchman's ankles, it was a foul, but
no yellow card.

If Moss had penalised that properly, maybe some of the intimidatory stuff
that followed from Leicester for a full half hour would not have happened.
Funny isn't it? I have kept my opinions of Leicester to myself this season
(my old fella used to say, if you can't say something nice, don't say
anything).

But I have never bought into this miracle club, all the small-fry Cinderella
stuff hasn't washed with me. They are no paupers against the big boys with
all that Thai money pouring into their coffers.

What I have seen is a cynical, hard-bitten team who get away with murder.
Who hit long balls at Vardy while relying on a couple of thugs in Robert
Huth and Wes Morgan--two players whose careers were going nowhere--to a
shore up the back, anyway they wanted.

Leicester have a world class goalkeeper and two excellent midfielders, but
this is not a team I can be proud of as champions. I have never warmed to
them, and tried not to be swept up in the rags to riches hype.

And that brings me to Vardy. He does very little to dispel the theory that
he is a spiteful piece of chav street vermin. His attitude to Moss'
authority stinks, and every game I see him in there is always a
confrontation and a mouthful of venom aimed at someone.

His journey to fame via a pub brawl, police cell and days wearing an ankle
tag along with a curfew is the stuff of dreams for the Hollywood people on
his case. I dread to think what the outcome of their film will be, a real
backstreet victim for sure.

Don't get me wrong. He has great talent, stunning pace, big heart and
clinical, brilliant finishing. High quality. But part of his game is the
high speed, high press that Leicester operate in which he gives defenders
hell. No problem with that, but he plays as if the phrase 'leaves his foot
in' was invented just for him.

That accumulation of poor tackles got him booked in the first place on
Sunday, and paved the way for his red card for a blatant dive. And of
course, his manager Claudio Ranieri claims he doesn't dive. Yea, right, tell
that to fans up and down the country who know better.

Enough of Leicester. If it comes to it, I want them to win the title in lieu
of anyone else, because I could not bare Spurs winning it. Enough said
there.

As for Sunday, our penalty came because Moss had three times warned
Leicester's defenders. Morgan and Huth individually and then as a pair. Moss
had had enough, and was going to give the next indiscretion. He didn't have
to wait long.

Sure, he could have given 100 such infringements, as in every other game you
witness these days. But Leicester pushed it just too far. We could have
suffered the same way, clearly, it is that easy to give penalties for the
all-in wresting that goes on every game. But in the end Moss found a way to
penalise us, and Carroll suffered.

Leicester were delighted, and aggrieved in equal measure. Their fans have
discovered a form of entitlement, they believe they are everyone's heroes
and deserve their place in history. So we had their fans abusing our
chairmen and their families, while little boys sobbed on their mother's
laps. Sometimes you cannot make it up.

Our boys were robbed at the end, the way we have been robbed blind for
weeks. But don't anyone try to tell you that it is all a massive conspiracy.
I know we deserve better, Carroll knows we deserve better. Good on you pal
for speaking out. To hell with whatever the FA may decide to do, you are one
of us now.

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Slaven Bilic not against West Ham players diving
By Michael Kelleher
Last Updated: 20/04/16 11:47am
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has revealed he has no problem with his
players "occasionally" diving. The Hammers' 2-2 league draw with league
leaders Leicester City on Sunday garnered a lot of attention after referee
Jonathan Moss awarded two controversial penalties, one to each side, and
gave a second yellow card to striker Jamie Vardy for simulation. West Ham's
penalty came when Foxes captain Wes Morgan was penalised for grappling with
Winston Reid during a corner kick. That penalty was just West Ham's second
of the season, compared to seven conceded, and while Bilic says he does want
his players to become serial divers, he is keen to see them win more
penalties. "I would like us to get a penalty, but also we as a club don't
want to get that label [of divers]," Bilic said. "Occasionally I wouldn't
mind it, but I'm proud that we're not that kind of club."
Bilic is no stranger to diving controversy having been involved in an
incident when playing for Croatia against France in the 1998 World Cup
final. With France leading 2-1, Bilic went down clutching his face after
being shoved in the chest by French defender Laurent Blanc as the two
grappled at a corner. Blanc was sent off for the first time in his career
and was suspended for the final which host nation France won 3-0 over
tournament favourites Brazil. Asked about the 1998 incident with Blanc,
Bilic said: "I'm not proud of that. I didn't want him to get sent off, no
way. Why? For him to miss the final? The final is not against us. "I wanted
to protect myself there. I didn't want the referee to come with what they
were usually doing then - yellow, yellow - and it's my second yellow and I
don't play in the final if we go to the final. "Maybe I should think more
about Laurent Blanc but I was thinking more about myself. I only wanted to
protect myself."

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Dimi's terraces tribute after "bizarre" decision
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 20, 2016 in News
C and H

Dimi Payet believes his nomination as the PFA Players of the Year has
justified his decision to sign for the Irons – which he claims may have
seemed "bizarre." The front runner in ClaretandHugh's Iron of the Year poll
told the official site: "There is a lot of quality on the list and just to
be nominated is really something special. Some people thought that it was a
slightly bizarre decision to come to West Ham, but like I have done in all
the clubs I have played for, I have improved and taken my game to the next
level." "I have worked very hard and now I am reaping the rewards and
enjoying my time here. I am making the most of every moment here as things
are going well. The fans here are great, there are lots of things being
created for me. Some t-shirts with the song they sing about me which is
really nice. It's touching to have been welcomed so nicely and the love the
fans give me is absolutely incredible." Totally professional, Dimi declares
that he isn't even thinking about the European Finals with France because
there's too much to think about at West Ham. He said"No (to thinking about
the Euros) , I am still fully focussed on my game here. We have had game
after game in the past few weeks. "There are too many important things to
think about before then, with so many games that can have an impact on a
final position in the League."

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Mahindra may be a Hammers magic wand
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Should Indian company Mahindra, win the naming rights for the former Olympic
Stadium it could open up the massive Indian market for West Ham. India has a
population of over 1.27 billion people which is growing and expected to
surpass China by 2050. Star sports owns the TV rights to broadcast all the
Premier League games which continues to grow in popularity with young
Indians. Only Manchester United have an established brand in India many
thanks to David Beckham's high-profile but maybe now West Ham can raise it's
profile big time. Mahindra is the world's number one seller of tractors and
farm equipment although the £11 billion per year group is much more diverse
involved in the production of cars, technology and IT as well.
The firm produces some of the best Moto GP bikes. Mahindra are now set to
launch a new electric car in the UK very soon. West Ham's vice president has
a link with Mahindra when she spoke at their European conference in 2013 as
a motivational speaker. Should Mahindra win the naming rights they will pay
an estimated £120m over 20 years with West Ham receiving £20m of that in
rent rebates. Their name is not very well known in the UK at the moment but
West Ham will hope it is a two way street with Mahindra becoming a household
name in the UK while West Ham United becomes a household name to over a
billion Indians.

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Hammers miss out on £60m OS windfall
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Reports coming out of India, claim that American company International
Management Group (IMG) were originally the front runners for the naming
rights for the former Olympic Stadium. The report from www.sportskeeda.com
alleges that IMG were initially approached as stadium naming partners but
negotiations failed. IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and
fashion, operating in more than 25 countries head quartered out of New York.
The company represents and manages some of the world's greatest sports
figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded
entertainment experiences annually; and is one of the largest independent
producers and distributors of sports media. The company was bought in 2014
for $2.4 billion dollars by WME. The article published by football writer
Khushwant Ramesh who is based in India says: "The LLDC – London Legacy
Development Corporation – initially approached industry giants IMG over a
£15 million-a-year deal but talks didn't progress and they were forced to
look elsewhere." At £15m per year, that deal would have raised over £300m
over the twenty year term which would have given West Ham up to £60m of free
rental, performance and league payments. This would have meant that West Ham
would have got the Olympic Stadium effectively rent free for the first
twenty years.

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Mooro would be so pleased with last day news
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 20, 2016 in News
C and H

It's a huge relief to be able to reveal that a hologram of Bobby Moore will
NOT be making it's way across the Boleyn on the final day of the season.
There's a very simple reason for this – the technology to create a walking
image in these hi tech terms simply doesn't exist. Reports have been
circulating for months that 'Mooro will live again on the last day' (SIGH)
via the new technology but trust us it's not going to happen. We had a good
look into the situation and have learned it is physically impossible to
create a hologram that would walk across the pitch (the famous ones like
Tupac and Golrillaz etc) have all been done on black background with a
contained staging area. The idea is dead as is the possibility of bringing
in Iron Maiden to do a last day gig – quite simply because they are touring
Australia. So why are we relieved that there's gonna be no hologram? Mooro
was the least fussy man in the world – he hated as he once put it "palaver,"
and in a column we wrote in The Sport with him he told me: "Please let's
have no statues of famous people anymore – the best camera for memories is
in our heads!"
The idea of seeing himself in the form of a hologram walking out over the
Boleyn would have absolutely horrified the great man.

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Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores describes West Ham United star Dimitri
Payet as special player
Guardian Series

Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores has described West Ham United attacker
Dimitri Payet as a special player but insists it is down to their whole team
to collectively stop his threat.
The Hornets will play their final game at Upton Park tonight and Payet has
been a huge part of the Hammers' success this season. The France
international has scored 12 goals in his first year at the club and is on
the shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year. Flores said: "Payet
is a very special player and I think one of the best in the league this
season. He plays on the right or the left and loves to go inside and create
trouble for the opponent. "He's very good from free-kicks and set pieces.
He's very important for West Ham and we know that. It's the same with the
other good players. We need to try to stop this player in a collective way."
The Boleyn Ground is considered one of the most atmospheric stadiums in the
top flight and it will be Flores' only chance to experience the venue with
West Ham moving to the Olympic Stadium next season. Flores said: "I love to
have this kind of experience. I would love to go there and try to do
something really special for our team and fans. It's an incredible
opportunity to try to win at an amazing stadium."

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West Ham in talks over partnership with Croatian club Hajduk Split as
Premier League club look to agree 5% stake
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic began his career at Hajduk Split
Bilic met delegates of club after the draw with Arsenal earlier this month
The Hammers are looking to open up opportunities on and off the pitch
Agreement would be similar to that between Chelsea and Vitesse Arnhem
By CHRIS WHEELER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:28, 20 April 2016 | UPDATED: 00:47, 20 April 2016

West Ham are in discussions over a partnership with Croatian club Hajduk
Split. The Hammers are looking to open up opportunities on and off the pitch
and have held talks over taking a five per cent stake in Split where manager
Slaven Bilic began his career. Bilic met delegates of the club following the
3-3 draw with Arsenal earlier this month, and the respective club owners
have continued discussions over a partnership similar to that between
Chelsea and Vitesse Arnhem. Hajduk are renowned for developing young talent
such as Croatia Under 19 winger Nikola Vlasic, and the partnership could
involve West Ham bringing their players to the Premier League. Hajduk's
marketing director Aljosi Basic confirmed further talks with West Ham
commercial director Felicity Barnard, saying: 'West Ham would like to enter
in the ownership structure of Hajduk, but is not interested in a majority
stake. 'Of course, most of the credit for this meeting belongs to Slaven
Bilic, who had half an hour after the match with Arsenal and received Hajduk
delegates in his office. His charisma encouraged West Ham to offer us
co-operation.'
West Ham have also held discussions over a similar deal involving League of
Ireland club Shamrock Rovers. West Ham co-chairmen David Sullivan and David
Gold have complained of being targeted for abuse by Leicester supporters in
Sunday's draw at the Walkers Stadium. The 2-2 result came as a blow to
Leicester's Barclays Premier League title ambitions, with only a late
penalty from Leonardo Ulloa sparing the Foxes from defeat. Leicester led
through Jamie Vardy's goal, but the striker was later sent off and Andy
Carroll's penalty drew the teams level before Aaron Cresswell fired West Ham
ahead. Carroll's challenge on Jeff Schlupp was punished with the
stoppage-time penalty from which Leicester forced the draw. Sullivan told
the Daily Mirror: 'We didn't stay to applaud our own players off as we felt
threatened. We've spoken to Leicester and they've told us they would look
into it.' Gold wrote on Twitter: 'Elderly Leicester fans turned into
monsters when WHU went 2-1 up then returned to nice old people when LCFC
equalised.' He added on Tuesday: 'I want Leicester to win the PL and I am
pleased for their fans but their behaviour towards us was unacceptable.'

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Slaven Bilic would not mind questionable decisions going West Ham's way
Slaven Bilic wants questionable decisions to go in West Ham's favour
West Ham boss did not blame Jon Moss for Leicester's late equaliser
The Hammers face Watford as they look to get back to winning ways
By OLIVER TODD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 April 2016 | UPDATED: 01:15, 20 April 2016

Slaven Bilic will shun his image as West Ham's pacifist leader if it takes
indulging in the game's dark arts to boost his side's top-four bid. The
Hammers face Watford on Wednesday looking to get back to winning ways after
Sunday's controversial draw at Leicester City. Bilic chose not to blame
referee Jon Moss for the perceived injustice of Leicester's late penalty
equaliser, but he wouldn't mind some questionable decisions coming in his
team's favour now. Questioned on his ethical stance when it came to winning
decisions, Bilic said: 'I'm not Mahatma Gandhi! I'm not going to lie... I
would like us to get a penalty. 'But we, as a club, don't want to get that
label, though occasionally I wouldn't mind it. But I'm proud that we're not
that kind of club. 'In training sometimes they (the players) deliberately
dive to make a scene out of it, to make a show in training but when your
player comes into the box you want him to assist or to have a strike on
goal. 'His first idea shouldn't be to watch for a contact and all that.'
Sunday's draw at the King Power Stadium was littered with grappling
incidents inside the penalty areas of both sides – with one earning West Ham
a penalty of their own. Bilic believes it was a little rougher back in his
playing days at Upton Park but says the issue of hands in the box is now
much more prominent. 'It was rougher but at that time you were afraid,'
Bilic said. 'You couldn't hold the opponent like that and be sure that it
isn't going to be a penalty. 'I feel that it's happening like never before
but that's because of the cameras, now you see everything. 'This is a
contact sport, there's going to be contact but contact is different - you
can't hold a player like that in a box. 'If that's allowed then I'm going
to tell my players everybody do that, give them 50 corners a game and no
problem, you can counter-attack them! 'It's got to be punished but the
problem is when you see in different games you see in the same round there
are decisions that are given or not given, or in the same game, but it's
also hard for the referee because he can't give every one of them.'
Wednesday's visit of Watford offers an opportunity to get back to winning
ways for the Hammers in the Boleyn Ground's penultimate big night under the
lights. Bilic knows they need a victory to keep in touch with the likes of
Arsenal and Manchester City inside the qualifying placesfor the Champions
League. 'We are talking about top four. It is hard. We aren't going to give
up but it is hard, extremely hard now. 'It is not slipping away but we need
to win here and to win as many games as we can until the end of the season,'
he said. Meanwhile, Leicester are investigating West Ham co-chairmen David
Sullivan and David Gold's complaints that they were targeted by abuse from
fans during Sunday's draw.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 20th April 2016

Preview - Watford
WHUFC.com

The background

The Hammers will be looking to end their run of Premier League draws, which
was extended to four against Leicester on Sunday, when Watford visit the
Boleyn Ground on Wednesday.

Slaven Bilic's men last tasted victory against Everton in early March and
will be looking to get back into the form that catapulted them into
contention for a Champions League spot.

The Hornets were themselves without a win in six prior to their away victory
against West Brom at the Hawthorns, and Quique Sanchez Flores' side will be
keen to build momentum heading into their Emirates FA Cup semi-final tie
against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Watford started the season, unexpectedly, in terrific fashion, and held a
top-half spot in the Premier League until February, but their form has
tailed off recently, making Wednesday's clash an intriguing fixture.

The history

West Ham and Watford have met on 70 occasions in competitive matches, with
the Claret and Blues winning 40. The Hornets have been victorious in 18 of
the games, while 12 have been ended all square.

The Hertfordshire outfit have been more competitive in the last ten years
however, and the Hammers have recorded just one victory against Wednesday's
opponents in the last seven meetings.

An Odion Ighalo double secured Watford's win in the October league fixture,
the first game between the two sides since West Ham's promotion campaign of
2011/12.

The match
Team news

West Ham United

The Hammers have a fully fit squad with Diafra Sakho back from injury and
both James Collins and Sam Byram ready to play their part.

Watford

Quique Sanchez Flores is expected to make wholesale changes to Watford's
side ahead of their Emirates FA Cup semi-final.

Heurelho Gomes is set to keep his place between the sticks but there are
sure to be replacements elsewhere on the pitch.

Match info

Mike Dean will take charge of the fixture at the Boleyn Ground. He last
refereed the Hammers in their 1-0 victory over Sunderland in February. John
Brooks and Simon Long will be Dean's assistants and Mike Jones is the fourth
official.
The sides have met five times in the Premier League in its current form,
with both the clubs winning two fixtures each.
West Ham were unbeaten in 14 matches against Watford for a period of 17
years from 1989 – 2006.
Slaven Bilic's team are unbeaten in 14 Premier League home matches. Their
last league defeat at the Boleyn was against Bournemouth in August.
West Ham have scored in each of their last 12 matches. The last time the
Hammers drew a blank was against Southampton at St. Mary's in February.
Watford have only scored more than twice in two matches this season, against
Aston Villa in a 3-2 victory in November, and when Liverpool were thrashed
3-0 just before Christmas.

Ticketing, travel, coverage and other info

Tickets for this fixture are SOLD OUT.
The District and Hammersmith & City lines are set to serve Upton Park
station as normal on Wednesday. Click here for the latest Tube information
and here for National Rail.
The weather is expected to stay dry in east London on Wednesday, with
temperatures at 9C (48F) around kick-off.
If you're not heading to the game, make sure you keep up to date with the
action on our digital channels. The whufc.com Match Centre will have live
audio commentary, in-running stats, photos and more, while you can get
involved in the conversation on social using #WHUWAT

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Antonio - We have still got everything to play for
WHUFC.com

West Ham United midfielder Michail Antonio insists the Club have still got
everything to play for and hopes the Boleyn Ground will remain a fortress as
the Hammers look to keep alive their hopes of securing a European place. The
2-2 draw with Leicester on Sunday kept Slaven Bilic's side three points
behind Manchester United in fifth place. The Hammers were heading for a
victory after late goals from Andy Carroll and a wonder strike from Aaron
Cresswell helped the east London Club stage a dramatic comeback against the
Premier League leaders. But Leicester were awarded a controversial penalty
in the 95th minute which Leonardo Ulloa converted and the West Ham players
were forced to settle for a point. Antonio is refusing to be affected by the
late drama at the King Power Stadium and hopes the impressive unbeaten run
in the Premier League at the Boleyn Ground will help them get back to
winning ways when they face Watford on Wednesday night. Antonio said: "We
were trying to be tight at the back and they were trying to find a way
through and they got the penalty right at the end. "We have just got to look
forward now and try and forget this game. "We have still got everything to
play for. The Boleyn Ground has been a fortress for us this season and we
have only lost once in the FA Cup since August so hopefully we can keep
going and pushing on."

Antonio was pleased to see Cresswell back on the scoresheet following his
first goal since Boxing Day, but it was certainly worth waiting for as he
struck a superb left-foot shot into the roof of the net. Antonio added:
"What a strike that was from Aaron. He has hit that very well and we see him
do that in training as well. It was great technique." Having played in the
Midlands, Antonio knows what it would mean for Leicester to win the Premier
League this season. The 26-year-old also feels it would be great for the
whole league if a team outside the top six could win the top flight. "I wish
Leicester good luck for the rest of the season and I hope they can do it.
"It will be good for the Premier League if they can do it and it gives
everyone a boost for next season that any team can win it."

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Slaven Speaks - Watford
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic was keen to focus on the future when he met the media to
discuss Wednesday's Barclays Premier League fixture with Watford. With
Sunday's event-filled 2-2 draw at leaders Leicester City still fresh in the
memories of the press, the manager was asked for further comment on a
controversial afternoon at the King Power Stadium.

However, Bilic was eager to instead talk about the final five fixtures of
the season, starting with the visit of the Hornets.

Slaven, the weekend game is still big news, so how do you look back on the
game now?

"Of course that game is still fresh, but we played well. Leicester had won
their last five or six games 1-0 and kept clean sheets, but we scored two
goals and were good. The only thing I wasn't happy with was the way we
played after we scored our second goal. We just waited for the final
whistle, didn't keep the ball and we should have done better, to be fair."

There were lots of talking points in the game, so what are your thoughts on
those decisions now?

"I spoke about this after the game and I was sympathetic towards the referee
because it was extremely hard for him in that game. We or the FA should find
a way to help them and make their jobs easier. There was pressure there. It
was an unbelievably important game for both teams, so it was hard for them."

Are you still in the race for the top four?

"The gap is big, but the gap can be reduced if we win games. We are still in
a big race for the European spots and we're going to do everything we can."

Have the recent decisions changed the players' approach to games?

"Anyone who watched that game would have no doubt that our defeat by Man
United didn't affect our confidence or motivation, because we came back from
1-0 down on their home soil and were not happy with 1-1, so we chased for
another goal. That showed we have great team spirit and determination, and
great motivation of course."

You face Watford next at the Boleyn Ground in the Barclays Premier League,
so what are your thoughts on this game?

"We have a big game of football on Wednesday night, because Watford are a
good team and one which has an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to this
weekend at Wembley.

"The game at Vicarage Road in October was one of the very few times I have
been really disappointed and angry after the game, because we simply didn't
show up and they deserved the 2-0 win. We had a very bad game.

"They have gone on and are secure in the Premier League and they also beat
Arsenal away to get to the FA Cup semi-final.

"They may rest some players, but they have good and big squad full of
international players. They have a certain way of playing and if they pick
players who didn't play at the weekend, they'll have fresh legs, which is
good for them.

"They are hard to beat and are very compact and it's very hard to play
through them with the way they play. The way their strikers are playing and
have played, they are capable of harming teams."

Finally, what is your team news ahead of the Watford game?

"With one training session to go, Diafra Sakho is back from injury so we
have a full squad available, which is good."

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Payet - The love the fans give me is incredible
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet is enjoying a memorable first season in England and has been
rewarded for his impressive displays after being nominated for the PFA
Player of the Year. The French star has wasted no time becoming a cult hero
with the West Ham United fans and is rated one of the best free-kick takers
in the world.

Payet is determined to help the Hammers push for a European place come the
end of the season and also hopes to have a memorable summer by being named
in the France squad for the European Championship Finals.


You must be slightly frustrated after Sunday's match against Leicester when
we fell just short of beating the Premier League leaders at their ground?

DP: "We are frustrated by the last moments of the game. But, if we are
honest, we know that we needed to get the ball clear and we would then have
avoided any doubt in the referee's mind and wouldn't have given away the
penalty. It was a bit scrappy in the midfield and the sending off helped us
and gave us a boost and allowed us to go on and grab the equaliser. I think
where we are today, it is Leicester's title to win now."



Did you find it difficult to get over the disappointment of the elimination
from the FA Cup last week?

DP: "We were disappointed after the defeat against Manchester United.
Continuing in the cup was one of our objectives for the last few weeks of
the season, and so to go out was frustrating. There is an element of the
last few games catching up with us, following a series of very tough games.
We have the Watford game and then we have some time that we can use to
recharge our batteries."



How does it feel to have been nominated for PFA Player of the Year in your
first season in England?

DP: "There is a lot of quality on the list and just to be nominated is
really something special. Some people thought that it was a slightly bizarre
decision to come to West Ham, but like I have done in all the clubs I have
played for, I have improved and taken my game to the next level."



How are you enjoying life here at West Ham?

DP: "I have worked very hard and now I am reaping the rewards and enjoying
my time here. I am making the most of every moment here as things are going
well. The fans here are great, there are lots of things being created for
me. Some t-shirts with the song they sing about me which is really nice.
It's touching to have been welcomed so nicely and the love the fans give me
is absolutely incredible."



With the performances on the pitch both in claret and blue and for the
French team, do you think you are you having the best season of your life?

DP: "I have built on what I did last year with Marseille, with maybe a bit
more coverage this season because I am now playing in the Premier League. I
managed to reproduce what I have done with West Ham when I was playing for
France last month and I feel that I am in the best form of my life. My job
now is just to make sure that this form lasts for as long as possible."



What role has the manager played in your form this season?

DP: "He has of course been really important to my form this year. I have to
say that without my teammates, I wouldn't be able to flourish on the pitch
as I have done and so it is really a combination of several elements. I am
grateful to all the staff at Marseille and all of the other coaches who have
helped me get to where I am today."



Have you already started thinking ahead to the exciting summer you will be
having with the national side in Euro 2016?

DP: "No, I am still fully focussed on my game here. We have had game after
game in the past few weeks. There are too many important things to think
about before then, with so many games that can have an impact on a final
position in the League."

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West Ham United v Watford
WED, 20 APR 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
19:45
Venue: Boleyn Ground
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS

West Ham have forward Diafra Sakho available again after a knee injury.
Sakho's recovery means the Hammers have a full-strength squad for the visit
of Watford, with Sam Byram, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll in line for a
recall.

Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores has promised to make changes with
Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace in mind. Goalkeeper
Heurelho Gomes is the only confirmed starter for Wednesday's rearranged
fixture.

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores: "We will use a lot of new players
(against West Ham). I am completely confident in the first XI I will pick; I
am really curious how we can develop, and the characteristics of the
players. "We respect West Ham, they are very good, they are one of the best
in the Premier League but I trust a lot in my players and I think we can
give a very good performance."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

With the Hornets playing Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals this
weekend, Quique Sanchez Flores is going to change his team around. Because
of that, I am backing West Ham.

Prediction: 2-0

Victory over Watford would set a top-flight West Ham record of 15 unbeaten
home matches - their last league defeat at Upton Park came on 22 August
against Bournemouth.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

West Ham have won just one of their last seven matches against Watford in
all competitions (W1, D2, L4).
The Hammers have won 12 of the 16 league meetings at home (D2, L2).

West Ham

West Ham are unbeaten in eight league games (W3, D5) - but the last four
have been draws.
The Hammers could go nine top-flight matches without defeat for the first
time since an 18-match run in 1985.
They will set a top-flight club record of 15 unbeaten home matches in a row
if they avoid defeat against Watford. Their last league defeat at Upton Park
came on 22 August against Bournemouth.
Andy Carroll has scored eight league goals this season, his best return
since registering 13 in the 2010-11 season. Carroll has scored five goals in
his last five matches in all competitions.
Watford

Watford earned their first league win in seven attempts at the expense of
West Brom on Saturday.
Only five teams have won more away league games than Watford's six this
season.
They have now won twice as many Premier League away games this season as
they did in their previous two Premier League seasons combined.
Ben Watson's winner on Saturday meant he became only the third player to
score more than one league goal for Watford this season.

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ExWHUEmployee many Exclusives: Martinez signing imminent, Stadium Naming
Rights, Pre-Season tour details and much more
April 18, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
ExWHUEmployee

The Leicester game was a really strange match. As usual it was full of
referee controversy where I was just baffled at the inconsistency. There
could have been about five penalties either way for pushing in the area and
then he decided to give us one. Then, as Andy Carroll said, he decided to
even it up and give a ridiculous penalty to them. If that is enough
physical contact for a penalty then I would have been sent off every game I
played comparatively as I used to tackle much harder than that, although I
obviously played at a much lower level.

As I have said a number of times I really think we are missing Ginger Pele
in the defence. Not just for his ability but for his leadership qualities.
When Collins played both he and Ogbonna seemed to play well, now with Reid
and Ogbonna they seem to take it in turns and both don't have great games at
the same time. Statistically we have shipped far more goal without Collins
in the team. Another change I would consider making, which will be seen by
some as very odd, is that I believe Randolph should perhaps start the game
at Watford. Adrian wasn't at fault for any of the goals but almost every
game that Randolph has played he has been man of the match and I strongly
believe you should pick players on form.

Valencia and Emineke have been disappointing recently. Valencia is very
much a confidence player and feels low about his form and the reaction of
the fans. The club will not keep Emineke at the end of the season and I do
believe that should the right offer come in for Valencia the club would
consider it. The forward situation is a little delicate at the moment
because Andy Carroll appears to be the only one on form. If we can keep him
fit, we have a superb player on our hands. This takes us on to our other
forward Sakho. I think the club have been very clever on how the have
"managed this situation". I spoke in detail factually about his predicament
in my last column. I was shocked to read that people were blaming me
reporting this news for us losing to Manchester United!?! Of course that is
the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard and if you remember from what I
said last week I deliberately held off reporting it until the papers had
covered the story. One of the same people claimed I was only writing the
story to make money from the hits. I would like to also point out I haven't
made any money for myself. It has either gone back into the site or we have
given almost £2k to charity.

Like I said at the time it was very poor timing for this "injury" to happen.
It appears that the "injury" has been well managed and that he could return
to the squad against Watford. I mentioned another player who had allegedly
been involved in provoking Sakho. This player has also not featured in the
squad since the incident, he is unlikely to feature again, which will spell
the end of his two season career here.

As for new recruits we have scouts everywhere and have watched so many
players. We are looking at a right back, winger and a forward or two.
Whilst I don't think the signing of the Turkish right back from Fenerbahce,
Gokhan Gonul, has been completed it wouldn't surprise me if we do bring in
an experienced right back to cover especially as Joey O'Brien won't be
offered a new contract and will likely join Big Sam at Sunderland and Byram
is still considered "raw".

The signing of Havard Nordtveit has however been completed and the club are
deliberately holding off making it official until the end of the season. I
am not sure why this story keeps getting repeated on facebook groups and
national newspapers. It is done and dusted.

We have looked at a number of options for the wing Tore, Sisto and now Pablo
Sarabia from Getafe who are likely to be relegated this year. He has 5
goals and 5 assists in 25 appearances and has represented Spain at most of
the younger levels. He has been linked with moves to the Premiership in the
past few weeks (Arsenal and Swansea) and it seems we have had a look. Of
course the forward targets are well documented and have been covered in many
columns.

One player who will likely sign tomorrow (Tuesday) is Antonio Martinez the
young Spanish forward from Valencia. As we reported on the site a while
back, the player has already passed his medical but hold ups due to Gary
Neville's sacking as manager and agent demands have meant the transfer has
been delayed. As I said this transfer is expected to go through tomorrow.
We will also be looking at other youngsters from across Europe.

We have agreed in principal to have a partnership with Hajduk Split, Bilic's
old club to be able to sign younger players. Keep an eye out for a
particular Nikola Vlasic, who is an 18 year old winger from there. He may
be someone we look at should this partnership be finalised.

Our preseason summer plans have been shaping up. It has been well
documented that we will have a tour to the USA, this has now been confirmed
and it will be the 4th July until the 12th July. The players will then be
back for a day before they fly to Austria for 10 days. They will be looking
to take in a number of opposition whilst in these countries as well as
intensive fitness work.

The WestHamWay.co.uk hope to be able to cover at least one of these tours by
having representatives at the match. The site is really growing and we have
been in talks with a number of different companies for future work. We will
be featuring heavily on a popular newspaper where our stories will be
included on their apps and also in a new fanzine which will initially be
available online but also at the new ground. I therefore need new and
exciting writers. We have many of you offering to write and I urge if you
are interested please just email me quickly and get started without
hesitation (thewesthamway@gmail.com). We are also expanding further into
merchandise and art work too. It is a great time to advertise with the site
with our App and soon to be new website layout, myself and the site
featuring in national newspapers, our imminent acceptance to News Now and
top journalist, ex-players and celebrities writing for us. We offer many
packages to advertise and have been in talks with three or so companies.
You can have a banner on the site, sponsor a feature, get mentioned by Evan
on our videos, have tweets put out about your company- there are many
possibilities.

There was a lot of rumours in the press and on twitter this morning that the
stadium naming rights had been won by Samsung. Samsung were an initial
mover and did show some interest but they are meant to be right down the
pecking order as confirmed by The West Ham Way writer Jack Sullivan's tweet.
The final deal has not yet been totally concluded and the bidding process is
still ongoing although there is a feeling that the club know who the winner
will be and that the deal is not that far off. I can exclusively reveal
that the company most likely to win is multi billion foreign company who
specialise in IT and vehicles. They are not a massive name in the UK market
but they are hoping to be and have a lot of financial clout. I cannot say
the name as I am not entirely sure of the legal obligations but the company
certainly offer us a lot of financial potential but are not one of the more
famous brands. I can also reveal that Heineken were also front runners at
one point and it is said that they have potentially secured some deals
themselves including providing the match day beer on the day and lots of the
corporate sponsoring.

Whilst the Manchester United result was extremely disappointing and
Leicester frustrating we have to pick ourselves up and beat Watford who will
be concentrating on their FA Cup Semi-Final. The plans that are in place
for our great club are truly amazing. I get frustrated by all the
negativity when we go a goal down (against the top place team!!) and how
quick people are to get upset. In my eyes we need to enjoy the end of a
great season and create as many memories as we can of our beautiful old
stadium. We are drawing our Matthew Etherington signed testimonial shirt
winner tomorrow. I will be meeting up with Matty in the pub and you can see
the Ex Hammer of the year draw the winner of this great prize. There is
still a chance to enter, so get involved. Come and chat to TheWestHamWayTv
at the Watford game and talk about your memories from the magical Boleyn
Ground too and lets think what an amazing future we have.

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West Ham v Watford preview: Diafra Sakho could return for Hammers
By Pete Hall
Last Updated: 19/04/16 1:21pm
SSN

West Ham could welcome back Diafra Sakho for their trip to Watford as they
try to reignite their top four aspirations. Since an enthralling comeback
victory at Everton at the beginning for March, the Hammers have drawn four
games in a row - seeing their Champions League dream dwindle. Victory at
Leicester on Super Sunday would have done their cause a world of good, but a
controversial late penalty denied Slaven Bilic's men a much-needed three
points. Defeat at Watford will all-but end the Hammers' season, but with the
Hornets obviously distracted by their upcoming FA Cup semi-final, West Ham
make the short trip to Vicarage Road as firm favourites. A fortunate victory
at West Brom last time out completely secured Watford's Premier League
status for next season, after a run of six without a win.

Team news

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores is planning to make a number of
changes to his side. The Hornets boss wants to keep his players as fresh as
possible ahead of their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace on Sunday
but intends to play the same shape as usual. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is
the only player confirmed to be in the starting XI for the game but Flores
has a full squad to chose from with no injuries.

Sakho could return to the West Ham squad. The Senegal striker has recovered
from the knee injury which forced him to miss Barclays Premier League draws
with Arsenal and Leicester, as well as the midweek FA Cup defeat by
Manchester United. Boss Bilic therefore has a full-strength squad and could
hand recalls to Sam Byram, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll, who climbed off
the bench to score a penalty at Leicester on Sunday.

Opta stats

West Ham United have won just one of their last seven matches against
Watford in all competitions (W1 D2 L4).
The Hornets have scored one goal in each of their last three visits to the
Boleyn Ground, winning two and losing none of those visits.
Watford have scored just seven goals in their last 13 Premier League games
and have averaged just three shots on target per game in this period (39
shots on target overall).
The Hornets have already won twice as many league away games this season (6)
as in their two previous Premier League campaigns combined (3 in 1999-00 &
2006-07 combined).
There have been 23 goals scored in the last five Premier League games
involving Slaven Bilic's side, with West Ham both scoring and conceding at
least twice in each game.
West Ham are unbeaten in eight successive games in the Premier League (W3 D5
L0), but the last four of these have been draws. They haven't gone nine
unbeaten in the top-flight since a run of 18 games between August-December
1985.
West Ham haven't suffered a home league defeat since August 22nd 2015 and
are currently on a 14-game unbeaten league run at the Boleyn Ground (W7 D7
L0). They have never gone 15 in a row there without defeat in the
top-flight.
Dimtri Payet needs one more goal to become just the second West Ham
midfielder to score 10+ goals in a Premier League season, after Kevin Nolan
in 2012/13.
Andy Carroll has scored eight Premier League goals this season; his best
return since 2010/11 (13). Indeed, Carroll has netted five goals in his last
four league games.
Just seven different players have scored a goal for Watford in the Premier
League this season (excl. own goals) - the lowest spread of any team in the
competition.

Charlie predicts

I still think there's a bit of life in West Ham, even though the top four
has gone for them, and they still have a lot more incentive to win here than
their visitors. I know they've been getting the bad luck with the referees'
calls but they always seem to get into a position where they can take
advantage of others' slip-ups and they stumble. It's as if there's a mental
block and that has hurt them. Watford have more than done enough in the
league and with an FA Cup semi-final coming up, they've lost an edge. Odion
Ighalo's goals have dried up. It will be an emotional final few games at
Upton Park and that will keep driving West Ham on.

Charlie predictions: 2-0 and Manuel Lanzini to score first - 33/1 with Sky
Bet

Betting

West Ham are odds-on at 8/13 with Sky Bet to beat Watford and boost their
hopes of securing a place in the top six. The Hammers are 11/10 shots to
achieve that feat with Watford 15/2 outsiders to land a top-half finish. The
Hornets won the corresponding fixture 2-0 and are 9/2 to complete the
double, with the draw trading at 29/10. Andy Carroll bagged a hat-trick in
the last match at Upton Park and is 4/1 to break the deadlock and 6/5 to net
anytime, while Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney are both 9/4 shots to score
anytime. Get the latest odds and tips from our Sky Sports pundits here.

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FA investigates reports Jon Moss was abused by Leicester officials
By Kaveh Solhekol, SSNHQ reporter
Last Updated: 19/04/16 1:18pm
SSN

The Football Association is investigating reports that referee Jon Moss was
verbally abused by Leicester City club officials in the tunnel at the King
Power Stadium on Sunday. The Foxes salvaged a point in a 2-2 draw with West
Ham United in a game overshadowed by a number of controversial decisions by
the official. Leicester have already been charged by the FA for failing to
control their players and surrounding the referee after Moss awarded West
Ham an 83rd-minute penalty. Leicester could face more charges if the FA
decide to act on reports that Moss was abused by club officials and had
water thrown at him by Leicester supporters. The FA would be able take
action if they received reports of such incidents from Moss, members of his
officiating team or other independent witnesses. After the game Moss
returned to the referee's room and asked to see the Leicester club
secretary. He was then seen speaking to Leicester's operations director
Andrew Neville. Leonardo Ulloa scored from the penalty spot in the fifth
minute of injury-time to earn 10-man Leicester, who had Jamie Vardy sent
off, a share of the spoils. Vardy, who opened the scoring on Sunday, has
been charged with improper conduct by the FA for his behaviour following his
red card which could see his one-match ban increased.

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Gold reveals who he wants to win the title
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has made it clear who he wants to win the Championship. Despite a
4-0 drubbing of Stoke City last night the Hammers chairman has made it clear
that Spurs are not the team he wants to see at the top of the pile come the
end of the season. Gold has been receiving messages of support after he and
the Sullivans were abused badly by the Leicester City fans on Sunday.
He had earlier sent a message of assurance that all was well through
ClaretandHugh but has now made it clear the behaviour of a section of Foxes
fans was unacceptable. And on Twitter he made it clear where his affections
lie when it comes to the top honour after a discussion with various
followers. He said: "I want Leicester to win the PL and I am pleased for
their fans but their behaviour towards us was unacceptable. dg"

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Now Mahnidra takes OS naming rights lead
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 19, 2016 in News
C and H

The Times is this morning (Tues) reporting that Indian technology firm
Mahindra have taken the lead in the race for the Olympic Stadium naming
rights. We reported yesterday that there were unconfirmed rumours Samsung
were set to win the race but despite being involved The Times declares today
talks are advanced with Mahindra. The deal -according to the newspaper will
be worth around £6 million – and that the Irons will benefit to the tune of
£1 million through the tenancy agreement which gives them a naming rights
bonus if they total over £4 million a year.
Mahindra has business interests spanning energy, defence and farm equipment.

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Moss has Irons 'previous'….AT SPURS!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 19, 2016 in News, Videos, Whispers
C and H

Ok last word on the Leicester match and it takes us back to February 2015
when the Hammers were held to a 2- draw by Spurs after taking a two goal
lead at White Hart Lane. The Hammers had of course taken the lead and six
minutes into extra time the referee awarded a penalty for Spurs which with
time gone should have been the last kick of the match. You may recall that
Adrian saved the penalty and by the letter of the law – or rather tick of
the clock – the follow-up shot should have been ruled out. To quote from the
BBC report at the time: "The striker (Kane) went down in the box under the
slightest pressure from Song and after seeing his penalty saved by Adrian
kept his composure to slot home the rebound for the Premier League's
sixth-placed side."

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Worrying signs on Irons OS catering income
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Exclusive

West Ham's Olympic Stadium catering 'partner' has failed to make any profit
on it's two primary catering contracts in the UK with Wembley and Arsenal's
Emirates Stadium. Last week's publication of the Olympic Stadium agreement
confirmed West Ham will earn a 30% share of catering profits after the first
£500,000 of profit is paid to stadium owners E20 Stadium LLP.
But American sub contractor Delaware North (Wembley) posted pre tax losses
of £3.9m for it's Wembley Stadium contract in 2015. Turnover at the contract
was down £3.9m year-on-year to £23.8m, while pre-tax loss increased to £2.3m
from £279,885 in 2013, according to documents filed at Companies House. A
statement within the accounts say "We therefore continue to look for
appropriate additional new business opportunities and we were delighted to
be awarded a long term contract to operate the former Olympic Stadium
[renamed South Park Stadium] from June 2015, which includes UK Athletics and
West Ham United as key tenants,"
It's other UK division called Delaware North Hospitality Services, which
operates at Arsenal's home ground the Emirates, and IPro Stadium, OSc3home
to Derby County Football Club, saw its pre-tax loss rise from £736,182 in
2013 to £1.2m despite turnover growing to £19.1m. The news must raise
serious doubts how much profit if any can be made at the former Olympic
Stadium and whether West Ham will ever see any of it in the profit share
agreement. Catering company Elior currently runs the existing contract for
the Boleyn ground catering and hotel which ends in June. The company says
that contract is worth almost £5m per year at present which means West Ham
will be giving up significant catering income when they move to the former
Olympic Stadium in August.

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Here's the Sakho Watford update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Diafra Sakho is 100 per cent fit and ready to return to the Irons squad for
tomorrow evening's clash against Watford. The striker has been missing
during a key week of the club's season but ClaretandHugh was assured this
morning that he is now fully fit. We were told by our senior source at the
club: "There is no medical reason why he should not be included in the squad
and our best guess is that he will be on the bench." The club's official
line has been that the Senegal hit man has been suffering from a minor
injury but that has been treated with scepticism by those close to the
squad. It seems certain and has been reported there was a training ground
bust-up between himself and another player when it became clear he was not
going to be involved in the team for the Arsenal match. Now, however, his
situation has been sorted and it will be interesting to see whether or not
he is involved at some stage during the game against the Hornets. Should he
not be then the risk of further negative media speculation could arise at a
critical stage of the season.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Referee Jon Moss 'had drinks thrown at him' by Leicester fans after draw
with West Ham
TalkSport
Moss sent off Jamie Vardy for two yellow card offences on Sunday afternoon
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Referee Jon Moss was targeted by Leicester fans 'who threw drinks and
shouted abuse at him' following the Foxes' 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday.
Moss came under fierce criticism over his handling of the match in which he
sent off Jamie Vardy and awarded the Hammers a penalty. The home fans were
so incensed that they targeted the official as he headed for the tunnel at
full-time, according to a report in The Times. Moss was also verbally
attacked by at least one player and a member of club staff, the report
claims. The thrilling encouter emded moments after Leonardo Ulloa slotted
home a late penalty to earn the league leaders a draw, but events from that
day could have ramifications for the title run-in. Vardy has been charge by
the Football Association with improper conduct for his behaviour following
his second half dismissal where he appeared to direct verbal abuse at Moss.
The in-form striker, who has scored 21 league goals so far this season,
could miss as many as three of the final four matches of the season.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SUCCESS HAS GONE TO THEIR HEADS
By Bobby Shovels 19 Apr 2016 at 08:00
WTID

I have never been to a game like on Sunday, where the mood before and after
the 90 minutes has transformed so dramatically.

Before kick off, in the glorious Spring sunshine that made it a perfect day
for a great game of football – and that it was, in the end – West Ham and
Leicester fans were united in their belief that, regardless of the result,
all parties would be happy because Tottenham would still – hopefully – not
finish the season on top of the Premier League.

Come 3:30, how that had changed: as my friend and I walked outside the
ground, two burly Leicester fans shouted in our ears: "You're just like
Arsenal you lot, a bunch of cheaters." My mate piped back, as the two
perpetrators marched off into a retail park: "You guys run pretty quickly."

That was getting it lightly: another Hammers fan and his wife had to deal
with a particularly loud, angry and illogical Leicester fan who, once again,
bemoaned our Arsenal cheating status as he went on and on and on about
refereeing injustice.

Even a few hours later, when one had assumed the dust of Jonathan Moss'
decisions had settled, a foursome of City fans barked snidely: "Nice scarf."
Amazingly, hours after a game that saw Leicester extend their lead at the
top of the league to eight points with just four games to go, and the club's
fans – who have been treated to the greatest season in their many of their
lifetimes, and they still couldn't bear to see a claret and blue scarf.
Colours of a team that had nothing to do with the refereeing decisions that
so irked them. Colours of a team who were dealt the harshest of refereeing
blows in that match. Colours of a team who could far more easily claim that
the referee was the reason why they dropped points and not vice versa.

My friend and I decided that, clearly, in our opinion, success had gone to
the Leicester fans' heads. For a club that one year before had beaten us to
start their amazing great escape, for some of their fans – and I stress some
– to be so irked and petty and confrontational about a draw seemed utterly
bizarre to us. When you reach the dizzying heights of the top of the Premier
League, perhaps you begin to get a sense of entitlement? For a minority of
their fans, not content with a season free of long-term injuries and of
beneficial decisions that have seen them awarded countless penalties, a
referee not on his best form was just too much.

But wait, their anger was because their beloved Jamie Vardy was sent off.
Vardy, a man who's having a film made about him, who has become the talk of
the town and country and had a phenomenal season. A man who has seen a huge
amount of positive media reporting throughout the season. And all that has
hidden from view the fact that he has a diving problem and many pundits
believe he did indeed dive. The game changed at that point, yes. But it
didn't unfairly. It happened because he dived. I think Vardy's story is a
fairy tale, but Leicester fans seem to ignore the fact that: 1, it was a
dive; 2, he has dived before, and 3, he is not a perfect human being. I
still firmly agree with The Telegraph's Jack Liew in his criticism that
Vardy got off very, very lightly regarding his racist comments last summer.
That has nothing to do with Sunday of course, but it must be pointed out
that Vardy – and Leicester – have been given an easy ride by the press. We
all still want City to win the title – but that does not mean they should be
immune to criticism.

And with that, Vardy has been charged with improper conduct and the
possibility of his ban being extended. That sense of privilege from
Leicester's fans clearly filters down to their players.

Yet while my friend and I thought that some sections of the Leicester fans
were poorly behaved, it was clearly felt by many others – including our
chairmen, who faced a hostile environment and had objects thrown at them. I
still don't understand such anger being directed at West Ham for decisions
beyond their control and moreover, for the rightful sending off of a striker
who dived. Who dived. Emphasise that word: dived. That is one of the worst
offences: to sully the game of football with simulation. That is a trait
that is not fitting of champions. Of course, even if the anger comes from
his first yellow card, he had been warned before by the referee and his
yellow was a cumulative decision. The idea that Vardy should not have been
sent off is grounded in the logic that no one should rock the Leicester
bandwagon.

And it is not just us fans and chairmen who have felt the rough side of
Leicester City's fans: take a look at Twitter, and many journalists who
tweeted in favour of the Vardy decision got their fare share of stick for
not siding with the fairytale's poster boy.

Despite all this, I still want Leicester to win the league. Having watched
the Spurs v Stoke game in a pub with Tottenham fans, one cannot explain how
sick their joy makes me. But I am utterly shocked at some of the Leicester
fans' decision – and I once again emphasise that it was not all Leicester
fans, but a decent vocal number of them – to make all West Ham fans and
figures the scapegoats for a blatant dive by their star striker in a season
where they can hardly complain that everyone is out to cheat and take points
off them. They have had the near universal backing from neutrals,
journalists and football fans whose team has no chance of a top four slot
but want to see someone break into that elite pack.

Leicester City sell shirts saying: "The People's Champions." Well, that is
entirely in question now. For the real People's Champions would be far more
friendly to the people than they have shown.

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Leicester launch investigation after West Ham owners claim they were
subjected to sickening abuse by home supporters
Leicester were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham at the King Power Stadium
West Ham were awarded a late penalty to kick-start their comeback
Hammers co-owners say they were subjected to vile abuse by home fans
Leicester have told the West Ham directors they will investigate claims
By BEN NAGLE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 01:18, 19 April 2016 | UPDATED: 01:21, 19 April 2016

Leicester City have launched an investigation after West Ham co-owners David
Gold and David Sullivan were subjected to sickening abuse at the King Power
Stadium on Sunday. The table-topping Foxes were eventually held to a 2-2
draw after three late goals, and among the drama home fans took exception to
the referee's decision to award West Ham a late penalty.
According to the Daily Mirror, supporters turned on the joint West Ham
owners and their families, firing foul-mouthed abuse and gestures at the
group. Speaking to the paper, Sullivan said: 'We didn't stay to applaud our
own players off as we felt threatened. We've spoken to Leicester and they've
told us they would look into it. 'My partner and children were very upset
by the way we were abused. It was the worst we have had for years and we
were not sure why. 'It was the referee making the decisions, not us. If our
fans behaved like that to the away directors I would not stand for it. It's
not good enough in 2016. Almost a throwback to the bad old days!' Leicester
went 1-0 up through Jamie Vardy in the first half, but things took a turn
for the worse when the England striker was sent off and the team conceded
twice late on. The Foxes were awarded a penalty of their own in stoppage
time to salvage a point, but some home fans appeared more keen to dish out
abuse than celebrate. Co-chairman David Gold told fans' website Claret and
Hugh: 'It became very unpleasant and hostile. They were throwing abuse at us
and chucking their cardboard clapper boards at us but you never know in a
mob of people whether there is one very dangerous individual do you? 'The
trouble went on until the referee decided to give them a penalty which was
the softest I have possibly ever seen. 'Nobody on the planet will convince
me that was a spot kick.'

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