Daily WHUFC News - 7th May 2016

Preview - Swansea City
WHUFC.com

The background

West Ham United will step out at the Boleyn Ground for the penultimate time on Saturday when they welcome Swansea City to east London.

With just the visits of the Swans and Manchester United to come, the Hammers will be keen to end 112 years of history in E13 on a high – particularly as the dream of UEFA Champions League football is still in sight.

West Ham sit five points behind fourth place Manchester City with a game in hand and will want to up the pressure on the Citizens ahead of their Sunday meeting with Arsenal by doing their bit against the Swans.

Slaven Bilic's men are ten league matches unbeaten and have won back-to-back games having seen off Watford and West Bromwich Albion in recent weeks – and scoring three goals in each game to boot.

Swansea secured a terrific 3-1 win against Liverpool last time out, but have otherwise struggled recently, suffering heavy defeats against Newcastle United and Barclays Premier League champions Leicester City in their previous two games.

They are now mathematically safe, with 43 points from 36 games and currently sit 13th in the table.
The history

The last four years have seen the first regular meetings between West Ham and Swansea since the early 1980s.

Since the Welsh club were promoted to the Premier League in 2011, West Ham have bossed the head-to-head, winning three, drawing three and losing just once in the seven matches.

Overall, West Ham have defeated the Swans 26 times in 58 encounters, losing 17 and drawing the other 15.

In the last meeting earlier this season, the teams battled out a 0-0 draw at the Liberty Stadium a week before Christmas.
The match

Team news

West Ham United

The Hammers will be without Adrian for the visit of Swansea, after the Hammers keeper suffered a calf injury in last weekend's win at West Brom.

Darren Randolph will deputise and will hope to extend his record of two clean sheets in three league games for the Hammers.
Swansea City

Swans skipper and centre back Ashley Williams is set to be rested for his club's final two league games ahead of Wales' involvement in Euro 2016.

Neil Taylor, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jefferson Montero and Alberto Paloschi are out injured, but Leroy Fer returns after a hamstring problem.
Match info

Saturday's referee is Michael Oliver. Among the 32 games he has taken charge of this term is just one Hammers match – the 2-1 victory against Southampton in December. He will be assisted by Gary Beswick and Matthew Wilkes. The fourth official is Jonathan Moss.
The Hammers are on a 10-match unbeaten league run (W5, D5).
They have only lost two home league games this season and are unbeaten in 15 since August (W8, D7).
West Ham have scored 18 goals in their last seven league matches.
Mark Noble has scored seven goals this season, two more than in his previous two seasons combined.
Swansea are without a win in four away games, conceding 12 goals during that run (D1, L3).
They scored three goals in a match for the first time this season against Liverpool last weekend.
Only Newcastle (two) and Aston Villa (one) have won fewer away league games than Swansea's three this season.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other info

Tickets for this game have SOLD OUT.
The District and Hammersmith & City lines are set to serve Upton Park as normal on Saturday. However, supporters who use TfL Rail services should note there are no trains running between Shenfield and Ilford. Replacement buses will run. Click here for the latest news on the roads and here for the trains.
Saturday is set to be a warm day, with the sun expected to shine through by the afternoon. Temperatures are set to reach 22C (72F).
If you can't make it to the match, make sure you follow all the action on our digital channels. The whufc.com Match Centre will have live audio commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, video and more, while you can get involved in the conversation on social using the hashtag #WHUSWA

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Slaven Speaks - Swansea City
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic faced the media on Friday ahead of the weekend visit of Swansea City in the Barclays Premier League. With the Hammers still in the hunt for a European place, the manager spoke of the importance of the game and revealed his team news, with an enforced change to be made between the posts.

Can we start with team news for the weekend please?

SB: "The team news is that we have one player injured, and that's Adrian. He felt his calf after the West Brom game and he reported it the day after. Unfortunately he will be out of the Swansea game, and probably miss the last two games as well. Maybe he will be okay, you never know, but that's the situation – he's the only one injured."

You've got an able deputy in Darren Randolph…

SB: "We've got a great deputy. Whenever we've needed him – at the beginning of the season when Adrian had a red card and in the FA Cup – he's stepped in and been brilliant. He was one of the biggest reasons we went quite far in the FA Cup. He was great at Man U away, very good at home against them, brilliant against Liverpool home and away. We are happy to have him, he's a great goalkeeper basically."

Three games to go and still in with a chance of a top four finish. Has that surprised you? Have you surprised yourselves to be in this position?

SB: "Yes and no. We were always approaching the season optimistically and it was our job to try and make a good team that plays well and wins as many games as possible. I hoped for that and in one way expected it. Let's say we are doing well and that's what we set our wishes and goals for. Those goals are still high and we are really happy and grateful that with three games to go we are in competition for a European place, whether you're talking about top four which is quite hard but possible, or top six.

"We have to be on top of our game in all three of these matches as there are a couple of teams below us that are capable of winning their games, like we are, and the gap is not so big. We need to collect as many points as possible to keep that gap."

As you approach the final games at Upton Park – these will be emotional games. Is it a challenge for you to tell the players to detach the emotion from the actual games?

SB: "To be fair we don't think about the Man Utd game [yet]. We have three games to go, but I have told the guys we have one game, and it's really like that. We have one game, and that's against Swansea. On Saturday it's a very dangerous game and we have to be really only concentrated on that one, otherwise the couple of games after won't be so important for us. We spoke a few moments ago about our position, so basically we have one game. We need to be totally focused on that, not thinking about Man Utd, not thinking about Stoke, not thinking about the last game ever at the Boleyn Ground. Only Swansea, Swansea, Swansea, it's a massive game."

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Hammers sign E-Sports star
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of the Hammers' first official e-sports player Sean Allen. Allen, better known as Dragonn in the e-sports world, was runner up in the 2016 FIFA interactive World Cup. The new Hammers signing has been given the official squad number of 50 and will now represent the Club at all official e-sports tournaments. In doing so, West Ham become the first football club in the United Kingdom to sign an official e-sports player, signalling the Hammers' exciting foray into the ever-growing world of e-sports.
Allen has qualified for every ranking FIFA E-Sports event this year and will enter the Play Like A Legend Grand Final this Saturday at the Gfinity Arena in Fulham, where Allen will officially don the Claret and Blue for the first time. "I am delighted to be joining West Ham United as their official e-sports player," said 24-year-old Allen. "This is a massive move forward for me. I have been playing competitive FIFA for a very long time and this is the biggest thing ever to happen to me. "West Ham have had an astonishing season in the Premier League with Europe looking very likely for next season. I will be doing my very best in FIFA tournaments all around the world to emulate their success. "After finishing second in the recent FIFA interactive World Cup, I plan to keep moving forward and, hopefully, with West Ham's help and support I will be doing exactly that!"

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic was equally pleased to have secured the services of Allen. "This is a big move for West Ham United," he said. "I have heard that Sean is a big player in the e-sports arena so I am delighted that we have managed to secure his services. "I hope he can now go on to represent the club with pride across the globe - he will certainly have the support of all the lads whenever he dons the claret and blue."

Karim Virani, Head of Digital Marketing at West Ham United, added: "E-sports is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, so we are delighted to have signed one of the world's leading players to represent us. "We've been looking to sign an e-sports player for a while and Sean's performance in the FIFA Interactive World Cup really impressed us. Sean will spearhead our efforts to becoming a leader in this field. "The digital game is incredibly popular with our fans, so we are really excited about what we have in store for them."

*Follow Dragonn on Twitter and Facebook now!

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Lanzini - Let's finish strongly
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini hopes that West Ham United can finish the season strongly to cap off what has been a superb campaign for the Hammers.

The Argentine has been pivotal for Slaven Bilic's side throughout the term, notching seven goals in all competitions and chipping in with some mesmerising performances. And the 23-year-old wants to pick up maximum points in the Club's final three Premier League games, starting with Swansea City at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. He said: "I am very happy with how the season has gone and I'm delighted to be part of this team and the Club. I knew what I could expect when I arrived. It's been a fantastic season and I hope we can keep going. "We are doing very well, but when you look at the players we have you can expect us to do well and you can expect even more. We have top class players here, fantastic facilities and coaching staff and we're aiming very high and we're happy with how things have gone."

Stand-out moments for the midfielder in his debut season at the Club include a stunning strike against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and other London derby goals against Crystal Palace and rivals Tottenham Hotspur. After impressing this season initially on loan with the Hammers, Lanzini signed a permanent contract at the end of March, and is delighted to have committed his future to the Club. "I'm very happy to have signed a permanent deal here," he continued. "That's what I wanted and the Club wanted so that's fantastic. I'm very thankful to the board and all the coaches here. "My top moment personally this season was my goal against Chelsea. They're a top side and it was a London derby so I was very happy with that one. "For the team as a whole, my favourite moment would be the comeback against Everton. It was a very tough match, but we managed to turn it around in ten minutes which was incredible."

Lanzini also revealed the squad's excellent team spirit has played a major part in the on-field success. "We have a really good group of players in the squad and it's very good fun. We're all really good people and everyone's happy to help each other out. Nobody feels above anyone else and that's part of the reason we're doing really well. "All of us want more and we're striving to achieve even more and we're going to work hard to do so."

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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

We had an impressive victory over West Bromwich Albion last weekend and it was another outstanding display from the team. This is certainly going to be a big week for the football club as we look to secure a top six finish and prepare for our final ever game at the Boleyn Ground.
We have three big games against Swansea, Manchester United and Stoke and if we can win all three, who knows where that could take us. We start with a big home game against Swansea and they showed against Liverpool last weekend that they will be a tough test for us. We managed to come away with a goalless draw from the Liberty Stadium back in December and hopefully we can go one step better and record all three points on Saturday. That would set us up nicely for a huge game against Manchester United who are just one point ahead of us in the table. I know our fans will make it a night to remember and it will certainly be an emotional evening for everyone connected with West Ham United. I hope our supporters respect our request not to go on the pitch because we have spent hundreds of thousands on a major spectacle at the end of the game to send the Boleyn Ground off with a fitting tribute. We have still got a big game of football to play before that all takes place and United are the only team to have beaten us at home since last August so it would be nice to get some revenge and we hope the luck is with us this time. All the talk surrounds whether we can get into the Champions League. I said at the start of the season it was possible but highly unlikely and that remains the case now. With Leicester winning the title, it gives hope for everyone else and mathematically we can still qualify for the Champions League next season and while that is possible we will keep dreaming. We have had a memorable campaign and it was great to celebrate our achievements at the end of season Player Awards this week.

Dimitri Payet was rewarded for a magnificent first year in the Premier League when he won five awards and we hope he will continue to show his best form. He loves being at West Ham and we were all thrilled to see him pledge his long-term future to the club. It was also great to see Sir Geoff Hurst pick up The Lifetime Achievement Award and it was a fitting tribute that he picked up the honour 50 years after helping England to win the World Cup. It is wonderful to be at this stage of the season with no pressure. I would hate to be in the shoes of Sunderland, Newcastle and Norwich at the moment. You cannot put a price on that. We are in great shape at the moment and there is so much to look forward to with our historic move to the new Stadium during the summer. We have got a mouthwatering first home game against Juventus which will be another fantastic occasion. Season Ticket Holder priority ends this coming Wednesday so if you have yet to buy your ticket I would urge you to do so now.

It is an incredibly exciting time for the Club at the moment.

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West Ham v Swansea preview: Adrian missing for Hammers
Last Updated: 06/05/16 5:27pm
Ssn

West Ham could move to within two points of fourth-placed Manchester City with a win against Swansea, but are without goalkeeper Adrian. The 29-year-old 'keeper has missed only three games for the Hammers in the league this season, but is set to be sidelined for their three remaining fixtures with a calf injury. West Ham bring the curtain down on 112 years at Upton Park, prior to their move to the Olympic Stadium, when they face Manchester United on Tuesday night in what could prove to be a pivotal game in their season. The 3-1 victory over Liverpool took them to 43 points and Francesco Guidolin, who has won six and drawn three of his 14 matches since being appointed in January, was delighted that he had overhauled Swansea's lowest Premier League points haul.

Team news
Bilic has no injury concerns other than Adrian as his side bid to keep up the pressure on Manchester United and Manchester City in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Swansea will be much changed for the trip after securing their Premier League status. Captain Ashley Williams sits out the final two games of the season after a heavy workload, while Neil Taylor (groin), Gylfi Sigurdsson (shoulder), Jefferson Montero and Alberto Paloschi (both hamstring) are all missing. Leroy Fer is back after hamstring trouble and Kyle Naughton, Federico Fernandez and Modou Barrow are also set to return to the starting line-up.

Opta stats

West Ham have won three and lost none of their last six Premier League games against Swansea (D3), while Swansea haven't won an away league game against the Hammers since August 1956 (D1 L7).

Andy Carroll has scored four goals in four Premier League appearances against Swansea for the Hammers.

Swansea have won their last two league games against London clubs (2-1 v Arsenal and 1-0 v Chelsea). They hadn't won any of their previous eight (D5 L3).

West Ham United have already achieved their highest points tally in a Premier League season (59), beating their previous best of 57 in 1998/99.

Only one team has stopped the Hammers from finding the net at Upton Park in their last 21 Premier League home matches.

Sigurdsson has had a hand in 41 Premier League goals for Swansea overall (25 goals, 16 assists), 10 more than any other Swans' player (Wilfried Bony is next on 31).

No Premier League side is on a longer unbeaten run than Slaven Bilic's side currently (10 games, W5 D5, level with Leicester).

The Swans have conceded a league-high 14 goals from corner situations this season.

Mark Noble has been involved in 11 goals for the Hammers in the Premier League this season (scoring seven, assisting four), four more than in any previous campaign.

Merson's predictions

I can see West Ham winning this easily - 3-0. Swansea go to Leicester and lie down, and then host Liverpool and they're like the Harlem Globetrotters, and that sums it all up for them this season. West Ham can still creep into the top four, and I really think they'll win their last three games. Even if they don't, this is a superb season for them going into the Olympic Stadium. There's a buzz around Upton Park, and they should carry that down the road. The last game will be emotional, but I see them romping to a win here.

PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (Sky Bet odds 9/1)

Betting

West Ham will look to continue their push for a top-four place when they take on 5/1 shots Swansea on Saturday and Sky Bet have made them the favourites at 1/2 to take all three points in their penultimate game at Boleyn Ground. With two goals in his last three games, Andy Carrol is Sky Bet's favourite to score the game's first goal. Phil Thompson is tipping the powerful striker to do so, with Sky Bet enhancing his odds from 7/2 to 9/2 in their Price Boost. See all the match odds here.

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Slaven Bilic: West Ham vs Swansea is our Champions League Final
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

There is no disguising the importance, the relevance of these next nine days to our club. We have three games, two at home — and at the end of those we hope to have qualified for Europe in one form or another. If that wasn't enough for everyone, these final two games at the Boleyn, against Swansea tomorrow and Manchester United on Tuesday, will be full of emotion for a lot of people. Believe me, I know what this stadium means to so many — the history, the memories. Every fan who has gone to a match there over many years, will have his or her personal thoughts and emotions.
For me, though, as a proud manager of this fine team, we have to put all that aside otherwise we won't be able to do our job. At the moment, we just have one game — and that is Swansea. That must be our Champions League Final. Manchester United will take care of itself, as will the last game of the season at Stoke. No way are we taking our eye off the ball, absolutely no way! I don't want to hear that Swansea are safe, they have nothing left to play for and all that. That, I remember, was being said about West Brom just before they took a point at White Hart Lane last month and all but ended Spurs's title hopes. There are many examples like that. Okay, Swansea won't be in the red zone, they won't be crazy for a result but sometimes, if you play with less negative pressure, you can very often produce a great performance. Sometimes the club who have already been relegated and are expected to be a punch-bag, can play with the sort of freedom they have never shown in the season.
I read that Aston Villa's Joleon Lescott said something like that recently and took a lot of criticism but it isn't far from the truth. Swansea can play with freedom tomorrow, especially since they have players who are good on the ball — Gylfi Sigurdsson, Andre Ayew, Jefferson Montero, Leon Britton — and not afraid when they have it. If they play free they are capable of causing big damage. So right now I am not looking at that final game at the Boleyn — not at all, zero, it doesn't exist. It is only Swansea.

Cup-winning kids must now step up

Well done to academy director Terry Westley and the team for winning the Under-21 Premier League Cup, after beating Hull on penalties on Wednesday. We now have seven or eight players who need to play competitive football, either for us or on loan. They must feel that responsibility, they are at an age when they can go on loan for two years and are back before they are 21, knocking on my door to say they are ready to play for West Ham.
At the moment we are not feeling the negative pressure — but there is pressure, the good kind, the sort we can use as a detonator, to produce something, not the kind that will limit your ability. I understand, though, that the supporters will not be as focused as we need to be and that their thoughts will be moving to that final game in a place they have learned to love.
Yes, it is my stadium, too, because I've played there and now I manage there but it isn't a place where my dad brought me when I was seven years old. It is a special place to me, of course, but nowhere near what it means to those kind of fans. There is much to look forward to, though, and our new home looks brilliant. When I was manager at Besiktas, things were much more uncertain because they had moved out of their old stadium and their new one was being built. Their old stadium was in the centre of Istanbul. It was very atmospheric, so much so that Steven Gerrard said that it was the loudest atmosphere in which he has ever played. They decided to build a new stadium on the same spot and it was at that time that I went to the club. It was supposed to be ready in one year but I was there for two and we didn't have a stadium. We had to play some games at the Olympic Stadium which was way out of town and others at Ankara, which is an hour flight away. We were always on the road. In that respect, things have been much easier here at West Ham.

We have an unstoppable momentum

We are all working hard on plans for next season. To be honest, you never stop, you talk to scouts, the agents are calling you, all of that. We will do some business but how much we don't know yet. It depends on the financial situation, on who goes and — to a lesser extent — on whether we are in Europe. However, we are moving to a new home with 60,000 people watching us regularly and we have a momentum which I believe is unstoppable. I agree with what our co-chairman David Sullivan says which is, when momentum comes in football, you have to grab it. You can't go crazy but you have to take that opportunity. To match that momentum, though, perhaps you have to go outside your budget because maybe some players are ready now to come to West Ham that were not a year ago, or perhaps won't be ready again in two years' time. Now is the time. This club are moving ahead, you can feel that, you know that.

Leicester pair were like Messi and Suarez

Congratualtions to Leicester City on becoming champions. I would like to correct one thing, though. I have heard some people say they won the Premier League because of their team spirit. No!
Yes, they would not have won the title without it but they did because those two guys up front, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, played like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. To win the title, you have to be complete. In 38 games you have to have everything, some penalties perhaps, a bit of luck maybe but then you need a great goalkeeper, great central defenders, great full-backs, a great midfield, a great ball carrier, great set-piece moves — and brilliant players up front, all kept together by a great manager. What they did was remarkable. They always seemed to play on the edge. Last season they were at their maximum to stay up and then, at the start of this campaign, they said: "We must do the same, sprint for 90 minutes, otherwise we will be relegated." Then, after 10 games, they didn't ease off knowing they were safe. Instead, they said: "We carry on playing this way and we will reach the Champions League." There was never in-between, they never said: "We've done it guys, we're safe, get yourself a beer." They skipped the comfort zone.

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West Ham United v Swansea City
SAT, 07 MAY 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: Boleyn Ground

TEAM NEWS

West Ham will be without goalkeeper Adrian for the visit of Swansea because of a calf injury. Darren Randolph, first choice for the Hammers in the FA Cup this season, is set to deputise.

Swansea captain Ashley Williams will be rested for the last two league games ahead of his involvement at Euro 2016. Neil Taylor, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jefferson Montero and Alberto Paloschi are injured, but Leroy Fer returns after a hamstring problem.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

John Motson: "Commentating at the Boleyn Ground for the final time will be an emotional moment for me given that I have been going there for over 40 years since I started with Match of the Day in 1971. "It's also the last Saturday home game for the West Ham fans and they'll want a win to move them to within two points of fourth-placed Manchester City and keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive. "When these sides drew in December, Swansea were struggling. They are now mathematically safe and I think Alan Curtis deserves plenty of the praise for that achievement, not least for leading them to a crucial win at Arsenal when Francesco Guidolin was absent."

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Swansea head coach Francesco Guidolin: "West Ham is a very good team and they have had a good season. But I am confident that we have a good group, it is not only 11 players. "I have the chance to see some players who don't play much and this is important for the future of our club and our players."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I have been really impressed by the Hammers of late and they are back in the race for fourth place, especially because they play Manchester United in their last game at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday. Lawro's prediction: 2-0

West Ham's tally of 59 points is their highest ever in the Premier League.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

West Ham have won all three home Premier League meetings.
Swansea have only won one of their seven Premier League games against the Hammers (D3, L3).

West Ham United

The Hammers are on a 10-match unbeaten league run (W5, D5).
They have only lost two home league games this season and are unbeaten in 15 since August (W8, D7).
West Ham have scored 18 goals in their last seven league matches.
Mark Noble has scored seven goals this season, two more than in his previous two seasons combined.
Swansea City

Swansea are without a win in four away games, conceding 12 goals during that run (D1, L3).
They scored three goals in a match for the first time this season against Liverpool last weekend.
Only Newcastle (2) and Aston Villa (1) have won fewer away league games than Swansea's three this season.

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Randolph to cover for injured Adrian
May 6, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
BKHammer

During West Ham manager Slaven Bilic's pre-match press conference this morning ahead of the game against Swansea tomorrow, he confirmed that Adrian would miss the game with a minor inury and that Darren Randolph would come in to replace him. He said "We've got one player injured and that's Adrian. He felt his calf in the WBA game and it's a minor injury so he's out tomorrow. We've got a great deputy in Randolph. He's one of the biggest reasons we went far in the FA Cup and we are happy to have him." "With three games to go we are happy to be in contention for a European place whether we talking top four or top six. We need to be at the top of our game in the last three matches to collect as many points as possible to keep that gap"
"We need to be totally focused on Swansea, not thinking about Man Utd, not thinking about the last game at the Boleyn Ground. Swansea, Swansea, Swansea. Thinking only about that." "It is important that we have two games left at home. We are proud to have a good home record and we haven't lost here since August.We have a great crowd and it is an advantage for us, of course, to have two out of three games at Upton Park." "Swansea are safe now mathematically. When teams play without that negative football they can produce their best football" Taking Slav's comments on board about there only being one injury, both Enner Valencia and Pebro Obiang should be in the squad tomorrow to face Swansea after both missed out on the trip to West Bromwich.

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Andy Carroll reveals just how confident was Dimitri Payet was of winning end of season awards
22:30, 6 MAY 2016
BY MATT LAWLESS
The France international has taken the Boleyn Ground by storm in its farewell season
The Mirror

Dimitri Payet missed out on winning the PFA Player of the Year. But he stole the show at West Ham's own awards night – scooping five gongs. The France international has taken the Boleyn Ground by storm in its farewell season and even boss Slaven Bilic was filmed singing the terrace chant dedicated to him. Team-mate Andy Carroll isn't surprised by the 29-year-old's success. Neither is the former Marseille man – in fact, he brought a suitcase into training before he had even won his prizes on Tuesday.
Carroll revealed: "One of the lads said, 'Why have you brought that suitcase in?' "And Dimi said, 'Well that's for all my awards!' We all knew he wasn't going to win just one award – but he was confident as well!"
Payet has been the driving force behind West Ham's brilliant season. With three games left to play, Bilic's side could yet finish in the top-four. They are enjoying the finest unbeaten run in the country at present, without a league loss in 10. Carroll, 27, insists it bodes well ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium, and believes West Ham could go on to challenge for the title next year. "A lot of people have said that and I honestly don't see why not," said Carroll. "You see Leicester doing it and they were massive underdogs. What it means now is anyone can do it.
"A lot of people forget just how good we've done this season. "But you can't take it away from Leicester. What they've done is great. Everyone at training was chuffed to bits and talking about how they were all partying, having fun and enjoying themselves. It's just good to see." With six goals in his last seven games Carroll is in fine fettle. And the man touted for a place in England's Euro 2016 squad is hoping to add to that tally against Swansea on Saturday – a team he has notched four in four against for West Ham "Everyone asks if I like playing against Swansea. And I suppose I must do if I've scored four in four against them," he said. "But it's just another game. I know I have to get on the scoresheet. It will be a tough game." A tough game but a game high-flying West Ham are expected to win. It is the penultimate match at the Boleyn before Tuesday's send-off against Manchester United. And with European football on the horizon, Carroll and his team-mates are desperate for a victory.
"The Boleyn Ground is such a unique place," he said. "All the lads want to finish on a high."

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Swans on way as Irons emotions take over
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

So we are almost at the end but first it's Swansea at the Boleyn as the penultimate game to be played the 'old lady.' But for our FA Cup run, fixture congestion and Manchester United's triumph, tomorrow's game would have been the end. Instead it's been delayed by a few hours. And as ever the boys from Hammers Chat are talking a good game as the injury hit Swans come visiting with our charge on Europe still in full swing.
Exciting days, emotional days – will they become ecstatic days with the Hammers arriving in their new stadium as a real force in the Europa League or even the Champions League. There are many issues under the TAGG microscope as we prepare for as big a game as we have seen all season at the old ground, given what's at stake. So don't miss this edition as the boys get down to business.

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Cole: 'I found it tough under Allardyce'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Former two time Hammer, Joe Cole has revealed he found his return to West Ham tough under then Hammers manager Sam Allardyce and says things he believes things could have been different if he played under Slaven Bilic "I found it tough to be honest because the injuries were tough, I never got going," Cole told Paul Merson on Sky Sports' Fantasy Football Club. "I think Big Sam is a top manager but I wanted to go back to London, I wanted to be around my family and friends and I wanted to go and play for West Ham but just the style of play wasn't quite suited to how I would want to play, it was a bit fragmented. "There were good moments, and I don't regret it but maybe if it would have been Bilic it might have been different."

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Payet: Kouyate was not drunk
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Hammer of the year, Dimitri Payet has come to his team mate's defence after a video of Kouyate singing 'We've got Payet' at the West Ham Player Awards went viral on social media earlier this week.
Payet took to his official instagram and twitter yesterday to insist his team mate was not drunk by saying: "When my bro Kouyate sings We've Got Payet 🎤 I reassure you he was not drunk it is even worse"
Cheik Kouyate is a devout Muslim who abstains from alcohol. ClaretandHugh have been told that the claims that Kouyate was drunk at the awards ceremony have upset the player who takes his faith very seriously. A source close to the club told us 'Kouyate was just in high spirits and got caught up in the excitement and emotion of the evening. I have never seen him drink'
Further video footage released by the club (below) explained why Diafra Sakho told Cheik Kouyate to Shhhh when he started singing. It has emerged that Dimi Payet was being interviewed on camera just yards from Kouyate's singing 'We've got Payet'.

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Swansea claim Hammers copied their song
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West Ham fans have always believed that the Bubbles song was adopted from a American music hall hit because of a schoolboy player who resembled a painting called 'Bubbles' used in a soap advert in the 1920's, This week, Wales Online claims the Bubbles song was first used by Swansea fans and copied by Hammers fans following a FA Cup game between the sides in 1921.
The claims comes quotes research by the late Professor David Farmer – who served as Swansea's President in later life – that showed match reports mentioning the song being sung at all home games, with one article on a game against Bury in 1921 stating: "Then came the ever popular Bubbles, and the crowd simply yelled. The spectators on the main bank took their cue from the Mumbles end, and there was one tremendous sway, together with the singing, on the part of about 25,000."

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Olympic Stadium to get football fan zone
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
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The Olympic Stadium will have a fan zone on the stadium island close to the stadium for supporters with a valid match ticket. The zone is likely to be sponsored by the Official Pouring Rights Partner, believed to be Heineken. French stadium operators, London Stadium 185 will hope it is the main destination for all fans to meet up and enjoy a drink with food with fellow fans before the action kicks off. The zone is likely to open at least two hours before kick-off for both weekend and midweek matches, and throughout the season they are likely to provide wide variety of entertainment to soak up the pre-match atmosphere. It will also open after the game for a post-match drinks as well to ease the demand on public transport. Paperwork published recently confirms the addition of the fan zone.
3.5.1 Certain events may include the provision of a Fan Zone. Such provision will accommodate Stadium event ticket holders only and will not receive spectators in addition to those permitted for the Stadium event.
3.5.2 The Fan Zone would be subject to the existing conditions regarding the use of South Lawn as an auxiliary event.
3.5.3 The opening of a Fan Zone post event would enable a flatter egress profile as a result of some spectators attending the facility which would ease queueing at the public transport hubs and local network"

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Gold supports safe standing
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 6, 2016 in News, Whispers
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David Gold is a supporter of safe standing areas but stop short of saying such a section could be introduced at the Olympic Stadium. And this is probably because he can't, as the stadium's operators are the group responsible for deciding whether such a radical move could be delivered. Many Hammers fans are passionate about a return to such an arrangement but whilst admitting he agrees with them, that's as far as it can probably be taken. The co chairman was asked on twitter by a follower: "David, have you seen that Celtic will have safe standing next season, is this something we plan to do in the future at OS ?" DG's response is short and to the point as he declares: "I support safe standing." However, like much else involved at the OS we as tenants have limited input and with various other sports and activities being arranged it is unlikely there would be any change introduced.

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Bid to block Irons striker move
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 6, 2016 in News
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Lyon will try to block and West Ham's attempts to land Alexandrew Lacazett. The French striker is on the summer wanted list after bagging 20 goals in 42 games this season but president Jean-Michel Aulas insists Lyon have no plans to let him leave. Aulas said: "I would like to keep Alexandre Lacazette. "I have met with the Barcelona president recently, he did not speak to me about Alex." The 24-year-old has played for Lyon for the whole of his career so far, scoring 89 times in 227 appearances.

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West Ham know Stratford makes sense but Upton Park goodbye will be hard
The potential of the Olympic Stadium move is clear, but the memories and history left behind at the Boleyn Ground and some of the matchday traditions and businesses it affects cannot be replicated at their new home
Owen Gibson @owen_g
Friday 6 May 2016 13.29 BST Last modified on Friday 6 May 2016 13.39 BST
The Guardian

When West Ham moved to their current home in 1904, it was at the invitation of Brother Norbert rather than Boris Johnson. But the switch of surroundings was to prove almost as good value, if markedly less controversial, than the club's looming relocation – fortune no longer hiding, but staring it starkly in the face – to the £701m former Olympic Stadium in Stratford.
It was Norbert, a Brother of Mercy attached to the adjacent St Edward's Reformatory school, who invited West Ham to move from the Memorial Grounds to play on the former potato field in E13.

The freehold remained in the ownership of the Westminster Diocesan Education Fund until 1959, seven years before West Ham "won" the World Cup, when the club paid £33,750 for it. By that time, the Boleyn Ground was recognisably the same as it is today – crammed in between St Edward's primary school, the Church of Our Lady of Compassion, the West Ham United Supporters Club on Castle Street, the Boleyn pub on Green Street, Ken's Cafe, Nathan's Eel 'n' Pie Shop on the Barking Road and all the rest.

Now the club is going back to renting rather than owning. The details of the deal, with West Ham paying £2.5m a season plus performance-related bonuses in rent but receiving a share of naming rights and catering revenues in return, are still being scrutinised by those who feel it has shortchanged the taxpayer.

West Ham, not unreasonably, point out that they were just about the only game in town if there was to be a viable subsidy-free future for the stadium in the wake of mistakes made by politicians and London 2012 organisers. But the focus of the next few days will be on the club's heart and soul rather than pounds and pence.

Upton Park has been sold for up to £35m to Galliard Homes, which according to its website will transform the home of West Ham into an airy residential matrix of 838 units that will not include any social housing.

Despite promises to the contrary, it looks from the artist's impressions available as if history will be wiped away save for a statue of Bobby Moore in a familiar pose – foot on ball, arms folded. He cannot help but look out of place amid a development that recalls similar schemes on the Greenwich Peninsula and the Olympic Park itself.

After 112 years of memories, of hopes, of dreams, of regrets and occasional triumph West Ham will on Tuesday take their leave of the Boleyn Ground for the final time, after playing under the lights against Manchester United.

The deposed Fifa president Sepp Blatter might be guilty of many things, but on nights such as those it is hard to argue with his recent slightly random decision to name the Boleyn in print as the second most atmospheric ground in the world.

Occasions such as the final visit of bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, on a cold night in early March, is how many will remember it. Outside, amid the smell of horse manure and bad burgers, there is tension in the air and broken glass underfoot outside Upton Park tube station. Crowds queue outside Ken's Cafe. They buy their copy of Over Land and Sea from Gary Firmager, perched atop his step-ladder flogging his fanzine as he has for the previous 27 years.

But after the Manchester United match, he will take down his step-ladder for the final time. "I'll always love West Ham, the real West Ham. [But] they're going to become a whole new club," he says of the move.

For the last time, fans will peruse the stalls selling pin badges and "Alf Garnett" bar-striped scarves. Nor is there likely to be a place for them in the Olympic Park, which is operated by the London Legacy Development Corporation. It said the stadium operator, the French firm Vinci, was "looking into" the possibility of granting licenses for some traders on the "stadium island".

As outlined in a recent promo video by Karren Brady, the West Ham United vice-chair who earned a reputed £1m bonus for delivering the Olympic Stadium deal, from next season fans will be encouraged instead to spend their money in a cavernous new club shop.

The John Lyall Gates – habitually bedecked with flowers and pictures in tribute to Moore – will move, appropriately enough, to the new retail operation where fans will be encouraged to have their picture taken with them.

Before all that they will pack the Boleyn pub for two final hurrahs and sing their new anthem – "we've got Payet/Dimitri Payet/I just don't think you'd understand" – again and again in homage to a new hero, a diamond of a player in the very best West Ham tradition, all flicks, tricks and insouciant flair.

These disparate sons and daughters of the East End, many of whom may have never lived in the area as their parents struck out for Essex and beyond, return to Green Street to pay homage. The pie, the pint, the programme and Bubbles.

That, at least, is the stereotype. But for every West Ham fan conflicted about the move to their new 60,000-capacity home in Stratford there are plenty who have long since swallowed any reservations during a final season that could not have gone much better for David Gold and David Sullivan, the joint majority owners, and for Brady.

The huge revenue boost and advantageous location of their new stadium, bedecked in a giant claret and blue wrap featuring the biggest digital screens in Europe, will – they hope – catapult their Europa League-bound side to the mythical "next level".

Back at Upton Park tube during the countdown to the move, rows and rows of horses are ranged opposite the entrance to the station as a sea of green parkas files past. The statue of West Ham's most famous World Cup-winning sons at the bottom of Green Street is boxed off for fear of vandalism from visiting Spurs fans seeking one last souvenir.

A soaked Slaven Bilic, a gamble gone so right for the West Ham hierarchy, paces the edge of his technical area in a skinny suit and a beanie hat. As the crowd roar to Mark Noble hurling himself into tackles and driving rain gathers in muddy puddles in either goalmouth, his side deliver the sort of performance that will see them surf to the Olympic Stadium on a huge tide of optimism. The broiling intensity of the noise pouring down from the stands and the cold wind swirling around the stadium seep into the bones and, when the final whistle sounds, it is as though the whole ground is trying to suck in and store the memory.

Five weeks later the clocks have gone back and the nights have lengthened. Walking from the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre to Green Street takes less than three-quarters of an hour but might as well be a trip from one planet to another.

On the mild, spring evening on which West Ham will play their final ever FA Cup match at Upton Park, there are just a handful of office workers and couples drinking outside the The Cow, one of a row of bars and eateries on the fringes of the huge Westfield complex that abuts the Olympic Park.

The walk to the stadium from next season will trade in kebab shops and sari sellers for a boulevard of upmarket outlets including Mulberry and Hugo Boss, an oversize chess set and branches of Cafe Football, Wahaca and Busaba Eatthai.

Nestling among them is the glass and chrome "reservations centre" where, all season, West Ham fans have been choosing their seats from a 3D recreation of the new stadium taking shape a few hundred yards away in a £272m makeover.

The club argue that they have pegged season-ticket prices at affordable levels while also realising the gains in the corporate market that their new swish environs and enviable location will afford. But it is still hard to shake the feeling that the move represents a rebranding exercise on a huge scale, washing away the old and jarringly ringing in the new.

Whereas Arsenal's shift from the marble halls of Highbury to the expansive, upmarket bowl of Emirates Stadium, for example, did not seem so far in emotional terms, the journey from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium feels like a giant leap into the unknown.

Back at a packed Boleyn pub, three miles away, the old songs are being sung and endless pints downed with more gusto than ever in view of the looming move. All season the sepia-tinted official match programmes have reflected this curious mix of nostalgia and propaganda about a gleaming future in which their club and all it means will change beyond recognition.

The "Farewell Boleyn" rhetoric has been relentlessly packaged and sold back to the fans, from stadium tours every week throughout April at £20 a throw (£15 for concessions) to the opportunity for corporate five-a-side teams to be among the last to set foot on the hallowed turf before it is ripped up in the close season.

Before every home match the same promo clip has boomed out, accompanied by footage of all that has gone before: "Stands that speak of the ages …" intones the commentary. All around the ground, banners proclaim West Ham to be "Moore than a Club".

It is all a world away from the glass-and-chrome promised land that awaits at Stratford. From the high-end corporate boxes that are sold out despite costing three times as much as the current offerings that convert to hotel rooms during the week, to the sanitised surrounds of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, many may consider the changes for the better.

But among those who have made their livelihood in the area, many believe that the move will have an impact on more than their bottom line. Walking to the ground before the Spurs match, one 20-something man discusses the merits of various takeaways with his older companion: "Thing is, none of them will be here this time next year."

Dean Tonkin, who has run a sweet stall opposite the ground for two decades, says the club and Newham council have done little or nothing to mitigate the looming impact on the area. He claims to speak on behalf of up to 40 other traders in voicing his despair.

"I understand that things move on," he says. "The point I'm trying to make is why can't the club and the council create something for us. We provide a good service, we're part of the matchday. A family can come to the stall with three kids and walk away happy. We're a part of lot of people's matchdays."

Spotting Gold sweeping into the ground in the back of his Rolls-Royce before the Manchester United Cup tie, Tonkin flagged him down and pressed home his point through the window.

"Maybe I touched a nerve – I was pleased he acknowledged me," says Tonkin. "I'm not just speaking on behalf of myself; it's 30 or 40 other people. For them to make the effort to try and help us in some way would not be so hard. I'm not going to roll over. We provide a good service. We don't earn a fortune."

Gold has long made much of his connection to the area. His links to Green Street are the shield he employs when critics wonder out loud whether he and Sullivan plan to cash in on their slice of outrageous good fortune (and, perhaps, good judgment) by selling to an overseas suitor.

His autobiography Pure Gold is full of tales of his impoverished East End upbringing, recalling how he would work at Queen's Road market and gather up loose cabbage leaves from the floor to take home for dinner.

"One of Mum's part-time jobs was as a skivvy in a local café, wiping down tabletops, cleaning the floor, washing up and collecting dirty plates," he recalls. "Ken's Café is still there to this day just across the road from 442 Green Street. But there was a bonus; she would bring home a brown paper bag full of bones, which she put in the stockpot.

"They would be boiled with my vegetables and it would provide us with a delicious piping-hot broth. She told her employers the bones were for the dog because she was too proud to admit they were to feed her family, but it was nourishing and good for us."

Richard Nathan, of the eponymous pie and mash emporium on Barking Road, is another who feels that the actions of the club do not tally with the rhetoric of their owners. According to Nathan, beyond a one-off meeting some years ago there has been no further mention of any help for the businesses affected by West Ham's move.

"We were told we were an integral part of a matchday, but nothing has ever come of it," he says, hopeful that fans may still come for their matchday meal before jumping on a bus or tube to Stratford. "We've got fathers bringing their children in for pie and mash, as they were. It's a thing you do down the generations."

West Ham prefer to focus on the opportunities provided by the move, with a spokesman arguing it offers a "once-in-a-lifetime chance for the regeneration of not one, but two areas of east London".

"In addition to creating more than 700 new jobs, our move will bring 1.5m people a year to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, providing a huge boost to local business and employment opportunities there," he adds.

"Furthermore, Galliard and Barratt's proposals for the Boleyn Ground site will also create jobs and, more importantly, bring thousands more residents to E13. Their presence will help regenerate the area and provide footfall to local businesses seven days a week, rather than just once every other week."

West Ham might also argue that it has no duty to help the businesses surrounding the ground, though such has been the club's fortune surely it would not hurt to spread a bit of goodwill.

Like others, Nathan reserves most of his disappointment for Newham council, which has contributed a £40m loan towards the refurbishment of the stadium and is an enthusiastic champion of the legacy claimed from the London 2012 Games.

Yet such has been the controversy surrounding the finances of the Olympic Stadium's legacy and the comedy of errors set in motion by a fateful 2007 decision to park any discussion of future use until after the Games, the people involved have somehow got lost in the froth and fury.

Theirs is a tale told with some sadness, movingly documented in film by the Guardian photographer Tom Jenkins, that speaks to issues that resonate wider than E13.

For all those who still feel a tug on their heartstrings at the sight of floodlights rising from terraced houses or the messy warp and weft with which many British grounds have meshed with their surrounds, West Ham's move – bound up with a very public rebranding that includes a new badge and an unapologetic repositioning – will be a fascinating case study.

Most fans, or at least the most vocal, have rushed to embrace the move. But it would be fair to assume that the feelings of the majority are not quite as unambiguous as the club has suggested.

Most will sever their links to Green Street with a complex mixture of excitement at what is to come and a keen sense of loss at what they have left behind. Bland megabowl or promised land? In truth, probably a bit of both.

As Ron "Ticker" Boyce – who spent 35 years at the club as a player, coach and scout – ruefully notes: "The atmosphere? It might take a little while to get that back".

It is not too much of a leap to also see the move as a wider allegory for the Premier League era, with history sacrificed on the altar of ambition. And beyond that, as a complex microcosm of the gentrification process that has swept through east London over the past two decades and a Johnson mayoralty that has favoured the grand gesture over troublesome detail.

If this corner of London can already sometimes feel like an East End theme park on matchday then it will definitively become so from next season. The Boleyn will run coaches for fans and day-trippers alike to ferry them the last stretch of the journey from Green Street to the Olympic Park after their pre-match pie and pint.

For them, the memories will never fade and die. But one thing is clear: with their new badge, new stadium and new customer base Gold, Sullivan and Brady are already very much looking forward, not back.

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Tottenham and West Ham boost! Barcelona have bid knocked back for Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Friday, May 6, 2016

Tottenham and West Ham have been given a boost in their pursuit of Alexandre Lacazette after the striker rejected an offer from Barcelona. The France international is expected to leave Lyon this summer after finding the net 20 times this season. Barcelona had been viewed as the frontrunners for the 24-year-old's signature after they expressed a desire to bring him to the Nou Camp. However, according to L'Equipe, Lacazette has now snubbed an offer from Spanish champions. The striker reportedly has reservations about the move as he will not be guaranteed a starting spot. The news will come as a boost to both Tottenham and West Ham, who are in hot pursuit of Lacazette.

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Dimitri Payet: This is my best season but I'm not a West Ham legend yet
9:57 AM GMT
Mark Rodden
ESPN

Dimitri Payet has said he is having the best season of his career, but feels he has more work to do if he wants to be compared to previous West Ham United legends. Payet, 29, has taken English football by storm since making a summer move from Marseille, scoring nine goals in the Premier League and creating 10 more. Having helped West Ham to sixth in the table, the French international was voted on to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year and was also nominated for the Player of the Year prize -- won by Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez. Earlier this week the playmaker and free-kick specialist won five awards at the club's end of season ceremony, including the Hammer of the Year gong for best player.
West Ham awards yesterday night. Amazing evening with 5 awards received. Thank you everyone for having chosen me and for your confidence. @whufc_official #teamboumbam #hammers #27 #westhamawards #thankyou #coyi #whufc A photo posted by Dimitri Payet (@payetdimitri27) on

But Payet does not feel he yet deserves to be mentioned in the same terms as West Ham legends like Bobby Moore, Carlos Tevez and Paulo Di Canio. "I don't know if you can already talk about a legend after only a few months at a club," he told L'Equipe. "When you know the name of the legends there are at this club, between Moore, Tevez, Di Canio... it's flattering. But I still have a lot to do to measure up to them."
Payet's fellow professionals in France have also taken note of his exceptional form, as he has been nominated for a new award recognising the best French footballer playing outside of the country. His consistent performances earned him a recall at international level. And he looks certain to be included in France's Euro 2016 squad after scoring a superb free-kick in their 4-2 win over Russia in March. The former Saint-Etienne and Lille player is enjoying every minute of a dream campaign. "It's the best season of my career, in line with what I was doing with Marseille last season, with maybe a bit more visibility because it's the Premier League," he said. "And then I've managed to reproduce with the national team what I've done with my club. At the moment, I'm savouring it."

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West Ham goalkeeper Adrian set to sit out Swansea clash
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Friday, May 6, 2016

West Ham will be without first choice goalkeeper Adrian for their penultimate game at Upton Park tomorrow. The Spanish goalkeeper injured his calf during the 3-0 win over West Brom last weekend and will be replaced by Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph for the visit of Swansea. However, Adrian could return for the Hammers' final match at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday against Manchester United, although Slaven Bilic may decide to continue with Randolph as he prepares for Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. "We've got one player injured and that's Adrian," confirmed Bilic. "He felt his calf in the West Brom game and it's a minor injury so he's out tomorrow." "We've got a great deputy in Randolph. He's one of the biggest reasons we went far in the FA Cup and we are happy to have him."

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