Daily WHUFC News - 29th August 2016

Preview - Man City
WHUFC.com

Where and when?
Manchester City v West Ham United
Premier League
Etihad Stadium
Sunday 28 August 2016, 4pm BST
What's the story?
West Ham United will look to bounce back following their European exit when
they travel to early Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

Slaven Bilic's men suffered the disappointment of defeat in the UEFA Europa
League to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu for the second year in succession in
midweek and will hope for exactly the same response as last season.

Then, the Hammers followed a loss to Astra by heading to Emirates Stadium as
underdogs and defeating Arsenal 2-0.

This time the task takes them to the blue half of Manchester, with the east
Londoners tasked with ending Pep Guardiola's 100 per cent start to life in
the hotseat with the Citizens.

In the league, Manchester City have defeated Sunderland 2-1 and Stoke City
4-1 in their opening two fixtures, giving them top spot on goal difference
ahead of local rivals Manchester United, Hull City and Chelsea.

That success was matched in UEFA Champions League qualification, with a 5-0
win over Steaua Bucharest in Romania being backed up with a 1-0 win in
Manchester to ensure progress to the group stage.

West Ham, meanwhile, secured their first league win of the season last
weekend, when Michail Antonio's late goal saw off AFC Bournemouth.

With the first international break of the season following this fixture,
both teams will be keen to sign off in positive fashion.
Team news
Slaven Bilic will hope his team's injury problems will begin to ease going
into this international break, with Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini both
closing in on a return.

Bilic said in his pre-match press conference that one of the pair could be
involved in Manchester, with Mark Noble also set to return to the fold after
sitting out in midweek.

Havard Nordtveit was withdrawn at half time against Astra after suffering a
kick to the same foot he bruised against Chelsea, and will miss the trip to
Etihad Stadium.

Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll (both knee), Sofiane Feghouli, and Andre Ayew
(both thigh) are all out, but Arthur Masuaku returns to the squad after
being ineligible for Thursday's loss.
Any links between the two?
West Ham's former Manchester City academy midfielder Martin Samuelsen has
this week joined Sky Bet Championship side Blackburn Rovers on a season-long
loan so won't be at Etihad Stadium to take on his former team.

Last season the Hammers triumphed 2-1 at Etihad Stadium, when goals from
Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho gave them a platform to withstand Kevin de
Bruyne's reply and a City onslaught to take the points.

At the Boleyn Ground, West Ham were twice pegged back in a 2-2 draw, with
Enner Valencia's double being matched by a brace from Sergio Aguero.
How do I get to the game?
Click here for information on how to get to Etihad Stadium and here for the
latest news on the trains.
How can I watch the game?
The match is being broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports.

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Teenage midfielder pleased with solid start
WHUFC.com

Young midfielder Alfie Lewis impressed in West Ham PL2's clash at Swansea
City on Friday night
The 16-year-old starred as the Hammers enjoyed the majority of possession
He was left disappointed with the defeat and felt the visitors should have
had more

Midfielder Alfie Lewis was disappointed to come away from the Liberty
Stadium empty handed on Friday after the Hammers performed well but were
eventually beaten 2-0 by Swansea City.

The 16-year-old started in West Ham United PL2's midfield and showed his
maturity, impressing as the Hammers dominated possession particularly in the
opening period.

Manager Terry Westley sung Lewis' praises after the game, and the teenager
admitted he is feeling confident after a great start to the campaign.

He said: "It's early in the season, but it's good to start well and I want
to build on that now. I've scored two in two for the U18s this season and
I'm really confident at the moment as it's gone well for me.

"I've got to keep it going and keep performing now to a consistent level.

"In the first half against Swansea, we kept the ball very well and were
unlucky not to be in the lead and then second half, I don't think they
really deserved the game overall with the chances we created and got, so
it's tough on us for sure.

"I thought I did well in midfield. It's always tough getting up and down the
pitch but I think I did OK and I just need to build on this performance to
try and get into the squad and team for the next game as well."

The youngster played in the centre with the more experienced Moses Makasi
and now is looking ahead to the side's EFL Trophy tie against Coventry City
on Tuesday.

"I think Moses and I in midfield controlled the game well first half, but
the whole team maybe lacked a little bit of quality in the final third and
that's why we didn't win the game.

"You have to make chances and take them and I think our final ball was
lacking a bit, so it's frustrating for us.

"If I'm involved with the lads, I'm really looking forward to Tuesday at
Coventry. I think the EFL Trophy will be tough for us, and there's a lot of
competition. Playing against first teams, it's going to be hard.

"With our squad as well, there are a lot of players looking for first team
appearances, so it's a chance for the younger lads to push on and take the
opportunity.

"This season for me, of course I want to cement my place in the 23s and also
play 18s football obviously too. Hopefully it will be a bit of both for me
this campaign."

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Fernandes - 'I want to become a top player'
WHUFC.com

Switzerland U21 international Edimilson Fernandes wants to make his mark
after completing his move to West Ham United. The all-action midfielder has
joined the Hammers on a four-year contract from Swiss Super League club FC
Sion and is now targeting his first opportunity to impress in Claret and
Blue. The 20-year-old told whufc.com is relishing the chance to play in
front of 57,000 fans at London Stadium and 'adding excitement' to Slaven
Bilic's side.

Welcome to West Ham United, what was it that made you want to sign here this
summer?

"I am really happy to be here at West Ham United, it is a new challenge for
me and now it is down to me to work hard to become a top player."

You were introduced to the London Stadium crowd on Thursday. What did you
make of our new home?

"Obviously, I had never been to London Stadium before as it is new, I will
be working to my best to get to the top. It is a large stadium, I have also
played at Anfield here in England, but this stadium is really big and
impressive.

What can the supporters expect to see from Edimilson Fernandes?

"I am a player capable of getting the game going and adding excitement to
the action on the pitch."

You arrive at the Club at an exciting time for the Club – how exciting is
that for you personally?

"I didn't really expect to join the Club at this time in my career, but I am
delighted to be here and London is a fantastic city, so I am looking forward
to working hard to get there."

How much of an influence did Slaven Bilic have in you joining the Club?

"I didn't know the manager before, but I spoke to the manager before signing
and the conversation was very positive and I appreciate this opportunity."

I bet you can't wait to play in a midfield alongside Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri
Payet, Mark Noble, Cheikhou Kouyate and others?

"I am really excited to get an opportunity to play with these great players.
I watched the Euros from home and it makes me proud to now call some of them
my teammates."

How much do you know about the Premier League?

"I have always watched the Premier League and the games here are crazy. The
speed of the games is something which is different and I am really looking
forward to being able to play in this league."

We had Swiss international Valon Behrami who was a fans' favourite here, how
well do you know him? And would you hope to emulate his success in Claret
and Blue?

"Of course I think I can be as popular as him, but that will come from
working hard here and that is what I plan to do."

What would you like to achieve here as a player?

"I want to continue to improve my game and then to break into the first
team. I need to work hard in training and then the manager will make the
decision as to when I am ready."

To move to London is a big decision, how do you feel about the move?

"I am ready for this next chapter. London is not like Switzerland, it is a
lot bigger but I am more than ready for it."

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FORWARD THINKING-A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR LESS SUCCESSFUL STRIKERS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 27 AUGUST 2016 AT 9:33PM
TheWestHamWay,couk
Paulo Wancope
Written by @neilpt7e

Forward Thinking

So as I'm writing this nursing a hangover from hell and still miffed at our
awful performance last night we could be on the verge of another record
signing.

Simone Zaza looks to be joining our ranks from Juve. The first player I've
seen who seems to suffer from a leg stutter. Will he be a success? We will
have to see, probably after a 4-5 month layoff once he picks up an injury
before he even kicks a ball in anger, knowing our luck!

I thought I would look back at some of our forward signings that haven't
really been that successful.

David Kelly

Signed from Walsall where he scored an impressive 63 goals in 147
appearances. Kelly who suffered from a hip disorder in his childhood had
already represented the Republic of Ireland despite playing in the third
division. It's fair to say that 'Ned' didn't have the best of time with us
only managing 7 goals in 41 appearances. He was one of John Lyall's last
signings as he was sacked the following summer due to our relegation.

Iain Dowie

So bad we signed him twice. His first time with us saw the part time model
score 4 goals in his brief spell which only lasted 12 games. To be fair he
was signed to cover for the injured Trevor Morley who had been stabbed by
his wife! Following our promotion and the return of Morley saw Dowie sold to
Southampton. He returned in 1995 and in 3 seasons 69 games he managed 9
goals! Oh actually 10 but one was for Stockport! He also played upfront with
another part time model Dani, I wondered where Ben Stiller got his idea for
Zoolander!

Lee Chapman

Signed from Portsmouth, Lee managed 11 goals in 51 appearances and was so
awful he was replaced by a fan (Steve Davies) in a pre-season against
Oxford. Davies actually scored in a 4-0 win for the 'ammers.

Marco Boogers

Redknapp supposedly signed him on the back of watching a video tape of him
playing (although Boogers refutes this) and we signed him for £1,000,000
from Sparta Rotterdam. In his first match he came on as a substitute and
then proceeded to take Gary Neille out waist high and got sent off. He
apparently went missing for a few days after that and following a
misunderstanding from a telephone conversation between a PA at West Ham and
a Clubcall reporter the Sun ran with a headline of 'Barmy Boogers Living in
a Caravan'! Marco suffered with a knee injury and played his last of 4 games
in a 4-2 defeat to Villa.

Florin Radiciou

I've already covered Florin's 11 game career with us in a previous article
so I will leave you with this little known fact. Florin is one of only two
players to of played in Europe's top five divisions (England, Spain,
Germany, Italy and France)!

Samassi Abou

Samassi was signed from AS Cannes for £250,000. In three seasons he played
22 games and scored 5 goals. I can remember him standing the wrong side of
the post defending a corner and using the F word on Soccer AM!

Paulo Wanchope

Signed from Derby for £3.5 million the scorer of Derby County's greatest
ever goal (as voted by fans) Paulo managed 12 goals in 35 games. Probably
one of the most frustrating player's I've seen at West Ham he honestly went
from 'World Beater' to 'Panel Beater' in a matter of seconds. At one point
my mates and I were convinced he had a twin and it was a lottery as to which
one turned up! Last I saw he had resigned as Costa Rica's national manager
due to an after match fight with a steward!

Titi Camara

Signed with Rigobert Song from Liverpool at the age of 57 (roughly) Titi
scored no goals in 14 appearances. On signing for us he spoke about how is
was here to play and score goals which worked out well for the OAP.

Serhiy Rebrov

Signed from Tottenham on a Free even though they paid £11 million for him,
Serhiy only managed the one goal in 27 appearances. I think it's fair to say
Tottenham ruined him!

Benni McCarthy

Arrived from Blackburn for an 'undisclosed Fee' probably a KFC bargain
bucket! The overweight South African only played 11 games and failed to
score. He received £1.5 million for tearing up his contract. Then shot down
to Burger King to see how many whoppers he could get…. 385,604 apparently!!

Modibo Maiga

The Mali international signed from Sochaux where he bagged 24 goals in 59
games. Despite scoring against Chelsea and Tottenham he only managed 4 in 34
for us. He never looked like recapturing his Sochaux form and he took
himself off to Saudi Arabia.

Enner Valencia

I feel a bit bad for including him but 8 goals in 51 games is very
disappointing. Despite his impressive record for Ecuador his confidence is
about as shot as his ability to trap a ball! Think he leave and knowing our
luck he will rediscover his form and probably score 20+ goals for his next
team!

Should Zaza sign let's hope he doesn't end up on this list!

Up the 'ammers

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TRANSFER UPDATE&EXCLUSIVE: REECE BURKE TO JOIN WIGAN ON LOAN NEXT WEEK
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 27 AUGUST 2016 AT 10:15AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Reece Burke of West Ham United during the first
day of pre-season training at Chadwell Heath on July 1, 2016 in London,
England. (Photo by Avril Husband/West Ham United via Getty Images)
Talented youngster Reece Burke is due to join Wigan on a season long loan
next week. This move follows on from our disappointing exit from Europe
meaning Reece is unlikely to get as many first team games as he could of had
we remained in the tournament. Burke recently signed a new four year deal
and is seen as the natural successor to James Collins at the club. A move
to Championship club Wigan should give him even more vital experience before
becoming a first team regular at the club.

Burke's move could mean that the club look to loan a right back until the
end of the season to provide competition to Sam Byram. Bilic could still
use Antonio as the back up right back but it is thought that the manager has
now accepted that he is much more useful on the wing and will not be moulded
into the "World Class" right back that Bilic originally thought that he
could be. We could turn to Arsenal for this loan player with both Calum
Chambers, who has been made available for a loan, or Mathieu Debuchy, who
has been told he can leave the club but apparently wishes to stay in London.
Both players would provide significant competition for Byram and this would
be welcome at the club.

We have also been told that Payet should remain at the club and he, Lanzini
and Noble have recovered from their injuries in time to be in the squad for
Sunday.

Should the club be able to shift some more players before Wednesday then we
could see Bony join us as well as Zaza. Zaza is expected to be announced
today (Saturday).



For the best transfer deadline day coverage SDCC , myself and special guest
Jack Sullivan will be on air on our radio station Phoenix 98Fm from 9pm to
the close of the window. You will not miss a trick.

The new West Ham Way app is set to launch on Monday too, download that and
you will not miss anything that happens in the West Ham world.

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LONDON STADIUM, THE VERDICT
BY BEN COOPER ON 27 AUGUST 2016 AT 11:35PM
TheWesTahmWay.co.uk

This article was written by Richard Oses.

I finally got to go to my first game at the new stadium on Thursday.

Those who follow my articles and Facebook page (facebook.com/bubblesfanzine)
will know me as quite a positive person, so I will continue to put a
positive spin in this article as best I can.

First of all, I want to quickly touch on the game itself. Astra knew they
were not the better footballing side and that they would have to play mind
games and get under the skin of the West Ham players. Lessons from last
year's exit were clearly not learnt, whether that is down to the manager or
the players, remains to be seen but every time the Hammers had any sort of
momentum it was broken up by "injuries" to an Astra player or time wasting
from their goal kicks and throw ins. West Ham did not know how to cope with
the mind games and ultimately it cost them their place in the group stages.



I do not want to dwell on the game and result too much, we move on and aim
for silverware in the cup knowing that 9 key players are due to return to
the squad and once they do we will see a very top class West Ham side once
again.

I didn't know what to expect from our new home as I set off from Newport in
Wales. My old match day routine was centred around pre match drinks at the
supporters club and enjoying watching the queue outside Nathan's pie and
mash, the build up to the game was usually heightened by the crowds walking
down Barking road and Green street, the smell of the onions frying from the
various burger vans and all the other familiar sights and smells unique to
that area.

I knew Stratford would be different to that but I didn't understand to what
extent it would be.
As I left Stratford station I headed right and walked across what I thought
would be the main bridge but it turned out to be the one further to the left
but I sill got the wow factor, as in the distance the massive stadium
started to emerge. It really is a sight to behold, one which I found breath
taking. It reminded me of being a child and the feeling I had in the pit of
my stomach was very nostalgic and reminiscent of Christmas day.

The first thing that struck me upon approaching the stadium was the street
food vendors. Domino's pizza is a stark contrast to Ercan chip shop or
Nathan's. I know it seems like quite an anal observation but the pre-match
build up felt more like a trip to Wembley for an exhibition game rather than
approaching a West Ham home game. Those sights, smells and sounds were a big
part of my match day experience and the grubby streets of Upton Park were
replaced with the sterile and shiny surroundings of the Olympic Park and
Westfield with its posh looking bars like the Cow.

This isn't a negative point per say, more so an observation on my behalf of
a small detail that to me makes a difference but to you might be neither
here nor there.

I didn't waste much time getting into the stadium after taking some
mandatory selfies outside, and I ended up through the turnstiles. I loved it
inside, I was extremely impressed inside the concourse, plenty of room,
plenty of toilets and plenty of food and drink stalls.



The one thing that really used to get on my nerves at the Boleyn or any
other stadium for that matter, was the split between upper tier and lower
tier. If you sat in the upper tier, you had a specific set of turnstiles and
they led to a staircase with five or six flights to the concourse. In the
London stadium, each block gives you access to both lower and upper tier
with ease. I think the layout is very impressive, both tiers in the east
stand are very close to each other and to me, that is a great bonus as I
hated climbing up so many stairs before.

I found my seat in no time at all, I happened to be sat dead on the half way
line in the second row from the front of the upper tier (row 32).

I had expected the pitch to look miles away but in all honesty, the view was
world class. Sitting in my seat and taking in the view and my surroundings
really left me in absolute awe of the place. I had a huge grin on my face
and I am nothing other than hugely impressed with the work that has gone in
to making this stadium a fantastic venue to watch sports in.

The next thing on my list of observations was to get a feel of what the
atmosphere would be like, bearing in mind this was a general sale game
rather than a league game where you do tend to get a different mix of fans.
The initial round of blowing bubbles before kick off when the players left
the tunnel was deafening and spine tingling.
I picked up on how much louder the extra 20,000 people made the singing
sound. As a whole, throughout the game, for my liking, there was enough
atmosphere and various busts of ironic "stand up if you love West Ham" in
response to the no standing rules.

This brings me nicely onto a few issues I picked up on as the match played
out and it saddens me to have to write this next part.
At Upton Park, some people stood, some people sat down. But you always knew
which parts of the stadium would do which, usually Bobby Moore and Chav
corner had the standing up and the bulk of the songs, and the rest were sat
down.
I'm usually in-between, I loved standing as a youngster but I now have
severe back problems which makes it a lot harder for me to stand for long
periods of time. I respect the rules and others around me that like to sit
except when we stand up to sing Bubbles or there is am exciting attacking
move which might lead to a goal being scored.

As much as I understand the club's stance on standing due to the council and
stadium operator's rules, I got the feeling that the enforcement of these
rules was a tad on the heavy handed side. I didn't see any harm in the odd
"stand up if you love West Ham" and at least 75% were sat down the rest of
the time. I think that once people settle into groups of standing and
sitting, no one will have any issues with it. The stewards need to
understand these things more than they presently do and give people a chance
to show their passion and sit down again before being so heavy handed.

One of the big issues on this subject, as I understand it is that at Upton
Park, West Ham employed their own security and as I mentioned already,
everyone had their own areas of the stadium for standing. Over here, the
stadium provides the security rather than the club and there is a big lack
of understanding from them.

Another situation which caused a big issue from what I witnessed on Thursday
seems to be the amount of non-West Ham fans. Especially where I was sat in
the East Stand. I have no idea whether this is down to cheaper ticket prices
or how it has materialised, but I have never witnessed anything as bizarre
at a West Ham game in my entire life.

The group in the row in front of me had no idea who West Ham were playing or
what competition it was in. They were there to enjoy a night out at a
football game but ended up chatting all game and taking various selfies as
well as whatsapping friends or checking emails.

Then there was a group of lads behind me of which one of them openly
admitted he was not a West Ham supporter but had purchased a season ticket
"because why not? It's cheap and I work in the area".

At half time, a friend of mine came over to see me and told me he had seen
someone in the toilets wearing a Crystal Palace shirt. I also spotted an
Arsenal shirt and a Man United shirt.

This would never have happened at Upton Park. I felt disgusted by it, and
salt was rubbed in the wound by the fact these people were giving me filthy
looks for simply singing COME ON YOU IRONS and Bubbles! I was a West Ham fan
at a home game, joining in with my fellow home supporters, singing the
songs, creating a atmosphere but being looked at like a scum bag for daring
to sing around them because they were all there for a quiet chit chat and a
nice evening.
I mentioned an exhibition game at Wembley type atmosphere and feeling before
the game as I approached the stadium. Well this was the case inside where I
was sat as well.

I am a traditional, old school Hammer who has embraced the move to Stratford
with open arms and an open mind. I applaud Mr's Gold and Sullivan, I take my
hat off to Mrs Brady. They have worked wonders for this club and I still
think that the move was important for the future of the club. It is a
fantastic stadium and it looks a lot like a West Ham home ground, largely
down to the hard work and craft put in to its conversion. However, it will
not feel like home if non-West Ham fans are buying tickets and the stadium's
own security staff are taking control of things they have no right to
control. The stadium needs to be managed the same way that West Ham managed
the Boleyn ground.

Despite my obvious ranting and negativity, I cannot offer a solution to
anyone as to how to stop these people buying a ticket. However they did it
at Upton Park would be a start!

I am not naive enough to think it would be exactly the same! I'll get used
to eating pizza rather than Pie and Mash. I can get used to the shiny and
sterile walk to the ground. I can get used to everything because I know it
is for the greater good. I love the stadium and the views are fantastic. I
love our directors and the manager. I detest how much control has been given
up to a third party stadium operator and their staff. Get that control back,
get rid of the fake fans, and you will have a fortress and intimidating home
atmosphere once again.

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Slaven Bilic claims West Ham can cause an upset against Manchester City
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 27/08/16 1:47pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic has backed his West Ham side to cause an upset against
Manchester City for the second consecutive season.

The Hammers head to the Etihad in the Premier League on Sunday and Bilic
will be hoping for a repeat of last season's corresponding fixture, which
West Ham won 2-1 - thanks to goals from Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho.

The Hammers go into the game on the back of a disappointing Europa League
play-off defeat to Astra Giurgiu on Thursday evening.

However, despite that result, Bilic is confident his side can cause an upset
in Manchester this weekend.

"It wasn't very likely last year because they had started great and had 15
points from five games without conceding a goal," Bilic said at his
pre-match press conference.

"But we played a really good game. We scored twice in the first half.

"In the second half they put us under pressure and were really dominating
and creating a few chances, but they missed them and we were good in
defending the box. Then we made that huge win.

"There's no reason why we shouldn't do it this season. We know it's a big
challenge, not only regarding our injury situation, but we are hoping and
our whole plan is to have a good game and to get something out of it.

"It's going to be hard, of course. They've shown already they are top-class
players and they've gelled.

"They were the most impressive in their Champions League game against Steaua
in Bucharest, but what gives us hope is that Sunderland made it hard for
them and so did Stoke - the result was 4-1 but it was not that easy and the
game was very even for a long period.

"Man City were Man City last year and we can do it again."

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West Ham still keen on Wilfried Bony loan despite landing Simone Zaza
22:30, 26 AUG 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Juventus striker is on the verge of joining the Hammers and Slaven Bilic
is eager to bolster his attack further
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic has not given up on a potential loan deal for Wilfried Bony
despite landing £25million Simone Zaza from Juventus.

The West Ham boss remains angry that his side have missed out on the Europa
League group stages for the second successive year to Romanian side Astra
Giurgiu.

He will spend the final week of the window sorting out his attack to ensure
the Hammers do not suffer similarly in the League.

Enner Valencia remains a target for both Aston Villa who have already had an
ambitious bid rejected.
Loan signing Jonathan Calleri has made an unconvincing start while
injury-prone Andy Carroll is out for up to six weeks with a knee injury.

Claudio VillaSimone Zaza is set to sign for the Hammers
Bilic has admitted to being delighted to have finally landed Italy striker
Zaza, who scored five goals in 19 Serie A appearances last season.

He said: "It's very positive and it's a boost. We've been trying for a long
time now to get a top-quality striker and he was always mentioned."

Despite Bilic's claims to the contrary, Bony is still an option for a
short-term deal until January when he is expected to leave Manchester City
for China.

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West Ham told Andre Ayew can be fit in a FORTNIGHT not four months using
traditional Ghanaian remedies
22:30, 27 AUG 2016 UPDATED 22:50, 27 AUG 2016
BY STEVE GOODMAN
Frontman signed for £20.5m then injured just 20 minutes into his debut is
meant to be out until November — but his national FA have a cunning plan
The Mirror

West Ham's crocked record buy Andre Ayew has been summoned home by Ghana FA
chiefs... to be treated with HERBAL MEDICINE, writes Steve Goodman in the
Sunday People. The striker, a £20.5million summer signing from Swansea,
injured his thigh 20 minutes into his debut against Chelsea. The Hammers'
boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed Ayew will be sidelined until the end of
November. But Ghana's technical director has urged the 26-year-old to return
home so he can undergo plant and herbal treatments – insisting they will get
Ayew fit in just a fortnight. And Oti Akenteng said he will press the
player's dad, Ghana legend Abedi Pele, to order his son back. Akenteng said:
"There are a lot of herbal medical doctors, who can use traditional medicine
to cure Andre Ayew's injury in just two weeks.
"I will speak to his father about that. "I believe that if he comes to
Ghana and returns as a fit person, his manager would have no other option
than to use him."

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WEST HAM ACCIDENTALLY ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF SIMONE ZAZA
MICHAEL OLIVER
ReadestHam.com

West Ham have inadvertently announced the signing of Simone Zaza on a
season-long loan from Juventus – by publishing an interview with Angelo
Ogbonna about his arrival.

His arrival hasn't 'officially' been announced by West Ham, nor have
Juventus 'officially' confirmed his departure, but the above piece says for
certain that Zaza has joined the club

'Zaza became the ninth major signing of the summer when he completed a
season-long loan from Juventus and looks set to make his first appearance
against Watford on 10 September.' read the Official Site.

The deal is a season-long loan with an option to buy next summer. Zaza made
just 19 appearances for Juventus last season following his move from
Sassuolo, scoring 5 goals.

Having missed out on Bacca, Lacazette, Batshuayi and God knows how many
other strikers, West Ham finally land their marquee signing.

Update: West Ham have now removed the Ogbonna interview on their site, but
not before social media got their hands on it!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 29th August 2016

Antonio gets first England call
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio called up by England for the first time in his career
Winger in squad for opening 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Slovakia
West Ham United winger has netted eleven goals since joining a year ago

Michail Antonio has expressed his delight and pride after earning his first
England call-up. The in-form West Ham United player, who scored for the
second consecutive Premier League game at Manchester City on Sunday, has
been included in Sam Allardyce's squad for the Three Lions' opening 2018
FIFA World Cup qualifier in Slovakia. The No30's inclusion comes after 12
outstanding months in a Claret and Blue shirt which have seen Antonio bag
eleven goals and produce a series of powerful displays all over the pitch.
Speaking to West Ham TV, the 26-year-old was near tears as he revealed his
pride at being included in the senior national squad just a few seasons
after he was playing for non-league Tooting and Mitcham. "I'm overwhelmed,"
he revealed. "I got slightly emotional when I found out. It's just one of
those things that I've always dreamt of playing for England as a kid, so now
for it to happen after I've worked my way from non-league to where I am now,
I am just so happy.
"I don't even know what to say – words can't explain how happy I am! "I just
give my all every time I go on the field, so for me to called-up by England,
I don't know what to say! All I can do is go out there on the international
stage and show there is a reason why the gaffer has called me up."

A year ago, Antonio had not even joined West Ham or played a single minute
of Premier League football. Then, after completing his move from Nottingham
Forest, the London-born star had to wait for his opportunity to shine in a
West Ham shirt before making a huge impact over the winter and into the
spring. Vital goals against Liverpool, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur,
Everton and Manchester United won games for his Club and won Antonio himself
the hearts of the Hammers faithful. Throw in a selection of unique
celebrations and it is easy to see why Antonio has become a hero among West
Ham fans in the space of a few short months. "I didn't think that it would
happen this quick, but I always said to myself that if I could get into the
Premier League and keep playing the way I do, hopefully I could get into the
England squad," he continued. "I turned down an approach from Jamaica in
March and for this to happen so quickly, I'm buzzing!
"I just want to keep my feet on the floor. In my first season in the Premier
League, even though I had good stats, the England manager would have had to
take a risk on me. "It looks like the gaffer now believes that I've done
enough to be in there, so hopefully I can prove him right. "It's an amazing
feeling and I just want to tell my missus and go home and hug my children
and enjoy it with my children. "I don't even know what happens here. I have
been called up, so I'll have to ask the boys what I have to do, because I
don't know!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic - We showed spirit
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic was heartened by the fight his West Ham United team showed in
the second half at Manchester City on Sunday, even if ultimately their
efforts came to nothing as the Citizens' fast start took them to maximum
points.

The Hammers were at risk of being overwhelmed when Raheem Sterling and
Fernandinho notched inside the first 18 minutes to fire Pep Guardiola's men
into a quickfire two-goal lead.

But the visitors took stock at the interval and gave themselves a lifeline
when Michail Antonio rose highest at the far post just before the hour.

It sparked a better spell from the Hammers and they remained in the game
until the very end, when Sterling's second eventually killed off their
comeback.

"You can break it down to two halves of football," Bilic said. "They were
much better than us in the first half. They started very well, and not only
did they show the quality on the ball which we knew [they had] but they were
quicker, more aggressive than us and better on the second balls.

"We gave them way too much space and time on the ball and of course they
have plenty of class.

"In the second half it changed and of course the goal helped. We put them
under a little bit of pressure. They had their chances too, because we were
open, but in the second half I was more than happy.

"At half time, I wasn't happy, but I asked the guys to show the character,
the spirit, the attitude and mentality which they basically did in the
second half.

"I have praise for the team for the second half performance. It's a shame
that we conceded the late goal, but it was a good second half as I said. The
first wasn't.

"It gives us hope, that when the players who are out injured come back after
the international break, that it's going to be different."

Of those players, the boss revealed that Dimitri Payet and Sofiane Feghouli
are closest to a comeback

He added: "A few of them will definitely be back after the international
break. Lanzini came back today and he's not injured any more, then it should
be Payet, Feghouli, maybe a few others and maybe Carroll.

"Of course it's going to change totally the shape of the team and also the
quality."

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City too slick for Hammers
WHUFC.com

Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League, Etihad Stadium, Sunday 28 August 2016

Michail Antonio's second Premier League goal of the season was not enough as
West Ham United went down to a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City.

The Hammers fell two goals down early on but produced a spirited second half
performance that could have earned them a point on another day.

To be fair to Pep Guardiola's side, who have now won three out of three,
they were far the better side before the break and deserved the advantage
given to them by Raheem Sterling's first-time shot and Fernandinho's bullet
header.

However, West Ham grew in confidence as the game wore on and got back into
it just before the hour-mark through that man Antonio, who headed in Arthur
Masuaku's superb cross from six yards.

While City continued to enjoy the greater possession and territory in the
closing stages, the game itself was a much better contest and either side
could have added to their tally.

It was the home side who did just that in added time, when Sterling
collected inside the box, got past Adrian and side-footed home from an acute
angle.

Slaven Bilic will now hope to return a number of key attacking players to
action after the international break.

On two positive notes, young centre forward Ashley Fletcher further enhanced
his reputation with another encouraging display, while Argentine midfielder
Manuel Lanzini made his first appearance in the No10 shirt on his return
from a knee injury.

Concentrating on the action, City dominated the opening exchanges,
capitalising on any mistakes and going ahead with a beautifully crafted goal
on seven minutes. England winger Sterling was the scorer, converting a
Nolito cut-back after David Silva had threaded a superb ball through for his
fellow Spaniard

Eleven minutes later – but not before Fletcher had fired a shot high and
wide – City went two clear when Enner Valencia was penalised and Brazilian
midfielder Fernandinho headed home Kevin De Bruyne's wicked free-kick.

West Ham did attack sporadically before the break, with Fletcher heading a
chance wide and Nicolas Otamendi making a fine tackle to keep out Antonio.

Into the second half and the visitors made a half-time change with Sam Byram
on for Valencia. The No22 filled the right wing-back position, while Antonio
moved into a more advanced role.

It took just 13 minutes for the tactical change to pay off as Masuaku teased
his man before delivering a perfect cross over Willy Caballero for the No30
to power home.

The goal gave the Hammers a real shot of confidence, while City were
momentarily knocked out of their rhythm.

To be fair to Guardiola's men, they did continue to create chances, with
Aguero twice hitting the side netting, Sterling firing wide and Adrian and
Sam Byram combining to deny substitute Samir Nasri late on.

Into added time and, as West Ham committed men forward, Silva hit a post
and, moments later, Sterling collected, rounded Adrian and finished between
James Collins and the near post.

Having played two of the title favourites away from home in City and
Chelsea, where they fell to an agonising 2-1 defeat, the Hammers resume with
the visit of Watford to London Stadium on Saturday 10 September.

Manchester City: Cabellero, Zabaleta ©, Stones (Kolarov 59), Otamendi,
Clichy, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Nolito (Nasri 75), Sterling, Aguero
(Fernando 88)
Subs not used: Hart (GK), Navas, Delph, Iheanacho
Goals: Sterling 7, 90+2, Fernandinho 18
Bookings: Fernandinho

West Ham United: Adrian, Collins, Reid (Calleri 78), Ogbonna, Antonio, Noble
©, Kouyate, Tore (Byram 46), Masuaku, Valencia (Lanzini 60), Fletcher
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Obiang, Burke, Oxford
Goal: Antonio 58
Bookings: Masuaku, Fletcher, Noble

Referee: Andre Marriner

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zaza - I would like to follow in Di Canio's footsteps
WHUFC.com

Simone Zaza arrives with a big pedigree from Italian giants Juventus and
cannot wait to showcase his talents in the Premier League following his
season-long loan move to the Hammers. The prolific forward would love to
follow in the footsteps of Italian compatriot and Hammers legend Paolo Di
Canio and become another fans favourite at London Stadium this season.....

Simone Zaza, welcome to West Ham United. Why did you make the decision to
join the Hammers and make a big move into the Premier League?

SZ: "I want to thank everyone for welcoming me including the fans and
everyone at the Club. I wanted to start a new experience and I feel this is
the right choice for me."

You are joining the Club at such an exciting time with the historic move
into the new Stadium. How much are you looking forward to playing at the
magnificent London Stadium on a regular basis?

SZ: "I am very happy with the move and am looking forward to playing my
first game there. I have been fortunate enough to have already played at the
new Stadium with a different shirt. It is a beautiful stadium and I felt the
warmth of the fans and this was a big reason why I wante to join the Club."

How much did you enjoy playing in the Betway Cup against West Ham at the
start of August and scoring the winning goal right at the end of the game?

SZ: "It felt really good and it is always a good feeling when a striker
scores a goal. You are always happy. I knew that West Ham would be watching
me and I wanted to show how good I can be. I just hope the fans were not
upset with me scoring the winning goal!"

The West Ham fans will be excited over your arrival. What can they expect
from Simone Zaza?

SZ: "My characteristics are that I am always wanting to score. I want to
show that I am fit and run very fast. The only thing is that I don't like to
make promises on what I can achieve, but I will always give my best in each
game."

Tell us about your friendship with Angelo Ogbonna. Having played alongside
him for Italy, how much influence did he have in you signing for the Club?

SZ: "Of course I am very happy to see him. When I asked him what it was like
at West Ham he only told me good things and it was like a family. The
football here is different and has different traditions but I am very happy
to see him again."

One player you must know very well from your time at Juventus is Hammers
legend Paolo Di Canio. How much would you like to follow in his footsteps
and become a fans favourite at West Ham United?

SZ: "I know how important Di Canio is for this Club. He is in love with West
Ham. I saw him talking on television about West Ham and how much he enjoyed
his time at the Club. I would like to follow him and have a similar impact."

With the current squad we have big name stars such Dimitri Payet and Manuel
Lanzini. How much are you looking forward to playing alongside them on a
weekly basis?

SZ: "Payet had a fantastic season and also played really well at the Euros
during the summer. I am also looking forward to meeting up with all the
other players and play alongside them."

You have met up with Slaven Bilic. What are you hoping to achieve at West
Ham United over the coming months?

SZ: "First of all I want to become a better player and I know I can do that
at West Ham. Unfortunately we didn't qualify for the Europa League but
hopefully I can help the Club achieve that next season."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

I am delighted that we have been able to announce the signing of Simone Zaza
from Juventus and this is a major coup for the football club.

It has been a tough summer, particularly for David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic
who have been working so hard behind the scenes to pull this off and at last
it has happened.

These big deals often go to the wire, but our supporters should be excited
about this signing. Simone is a top quality striker and has great
credentials.

We hope he can have an immediate impact and, if he is as successful as we
all hope he will be, Simone will join us on a permanent basis next summer.

I need to pay tribute to my co-chairman David Sullivan who has worked so
hard to achieve this, because these are mega deals and we have now taken our
summer spending to more than £60million.

The Board have always stated that we will reinvest the revenue raised from
the Club's move to London Stadium and put together a squad that fits in with
our stunning surroundings.

We have to get the transfers right because there have been a number of clubs
who have not done so in the past and have lived to regret it. There are some
big name players who have not adjusted.

You have to do due diligence on these new signings and we are thrilled to
have secured his signature.

You can see he is a talent and if he gets an opportunity in front of goal,
you would not bet against him scoring.

The competition for places will be ferocious when all the players are back
from injury and Slaven will have a lot of options to choose from, but I am
sure he will welcome that.

It certainly bodes well for the cup competitions as well. I can remember a
time when we were having to play a team full of youngsters and got beat 5-0
in the FA Cup, but hopefully that will not happen again.

We have made ten new signings this summer and have been one of the most
active clubs in the Premier League this window.

Unfortunately we are all bitterly disappointed with the result in the Europa
League on Thursday night and I am still upset over our early exit from
competition.

I know that Slaven feels the same and we had enough chances over the two
legs to win the game. We put out the best side possible, but the ten
injuries which are missing have really affected us.

I know that we have to move forward now and focus our efforts on trying to
get something from the game against Manchester City on Sunday. Why can't we
go up to the Etihad Stadium once again and pull off another famous victory?

We are coming up against one of the most well known managers in world
football in Pep Guardiola and there is no doubts he is a top quality manager
who has a proven track record. I am sure that Slaven will relish the
opportunity to come up against him.

I want to finish by saying a special word about Ashley Fletcher who
impressed everyone when he came on during the Europa League tie on Thursday
night. The way he went past players shows the qualities he has got and he is
going to be a major force for us in the coming months.

David Gold

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ZAZA IS A HAMMER!
BY EM EDSER ON 28 AUGUST 2016 AT 12:41AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

The highly anticipated transfer of Italian forward Simone Zaza has at last
been completed. According to Jack Sullivan the agreement with Juventus is a
£5 million loan, depending on the amount of games Simone plays this could be
turned into a 5 year permanent deal of £20 million plus add ons.

With the Hammers looking to potentially offload Diafra Sakho and Enner
Valencia if the asking price is met and Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew injured,
Bilic seemingly had no choice but to purchase another striker. Furthermore
West Ham's early Europa League exit seemed to reinforce the need for a real
top goalscorer. Zaza looks to be a quality player that would bring much
needed goal scoring ability and creativity into the West Ham squad.

Slaven Bilic certainly thinks highly of Zazas ability mentioning in his
presser ahead of the Manchester City game "It was our plan for a long time
now to get a top-quality striker and there were a few of them on our list,
and Zaza was always mentioned there, so let's see what's going to happen."
Bilic also attempted to sign the 25 year old last year but Zaza concluded it
was best to stay and fight for his place in the Juventus first team.

Zaza's first game as a Hammer looks to be V Watford on 10th September.

We wish Simone the best of luck at West Ham!

COYI

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MANCHESTER CITY 3-1 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 28 AUGUST 2016 AT 7:29PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By @WestHamAmerican

West Ham came to the Etihad Stadium to play the Manchester City in similar
fashion to last year's early-season meeting; A stinging exit from the
Europa League at the hands of Astra, and then a meeting with the Premier
League leaders. With Manuel Lanzini recovered from international injury,
the Hammers at least had one more piece of the attacking puzzle on their
bench. Once again Dimitri Payet was absent from action today. Without
Payet and the likes of Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew, West Ham has shown
difficulty finding any creativity in their attack.

Hoping to slow down the massively compensated City side, Slaven Bilic
started three central defenders in Ogbonna, Reid, and Collins. He also
allowed 20 year old, Ashley Fletcher, the former Manchester United academy
product, to start at forward against his traditional rival. However none of
these changes gave much help to West Ham in their efforts to slow down
City's relentless attack.

Only seven minutes in David Silva found Nolito, who wisely cut back to
Raheem Sterling, and fired it into the top right of the goal. Looking to
answer, neither Enner Valencia nor Ashley Fletcher were finding any success
in their incursions into City's penalty area, and West Ham, as a whole,
barely was able to maintain possession in the opening half.

18 minutes into the match Kevin De Bruyne fired a free kick from 20 yards
out and an unmarked Feranandinho headed it beyond Adrian's reach. With the
Brazillian's header giving the home side an effortless lead, West Ham was
desperately looking to hold serve until the half.

Despite a few defensive close calls to close out the half, West Ham was able
to leave the field down 2-0. During the half, Bilic brought Sam Byram on
for Tore, and was able to move Antonio from wingback up to his preferred
true wing position. The move proved wise when in the 58th minute Arthur
Masuaku drove towards goal and crossed to Antonio, whose far post header was
very reminiscent of last Sunday's against Bournemouth.

With the score now a manageable 2-1, Bilic sought to find the equaliser by
brining Lanzini on for Valencia. These changes did make West Ham more
competitive and they showed some spring in their step. Winston Reid took an
elbow to the head in the 76th from Sergio Agüero, who was fortunate to miss
the view of the center referee, Andre Marriner. Reid was replaced by
Jonathan Calleri, who added more pace to the West Ham attacking midfield.

The improved pace was unable to find the second goal for the visiting side
as regulation time ticked away. During the four minutes of stoppage time,
City found a third goal as Sterling drove towards Adrian, who moved off his
line to challenge the young talent. Sterling shot a slow grounder that
rolled around the goalkeeper and James Collins, and into the empty goal to
ensure the victory for Manchester City.

For fans of West Ham United, it has been a trying week. Mounting injuries,
an embarrassing exit from the Europa league, and a failure to sell off some
of the players that the board was counting on to free up wages for some late
window purchases, all have given the Claret faithful a miserable end to
their summer. There is a saying "if we didn't have bad luck, we would have
no luck at all;" which certainly applies to West Ham as of late.

With the signing of Simone Zaza from Juventus, and more late deals possible
prior to the August 31 late- night closing of the transfer window, West
Ham can improve their depth for a long Premier League campaign. Without
European football in the mix, Bilic can focus on improving his side's
position in the league and not worry about travel to far flung locales on
the continent. (Although they will miss out on a lot of revenue from the
Europa League)

The international break has come at a good time for a West Ham club that
needs to heal from a bruising opening month. As injured players return to
match fitness, a much different team should emerge than the disappointing
team seen over the past three weeks.

Man City: Caballero, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Stones (59'), Clichy, Ferdandinho,
Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Nolito (75'), Aguero (88').

Subs: Hart, Kolarov (59'), Fernando (88'), Delph, Nasri (75'), Navas,
Iheanacho

Bookings: Ferandinho 6',

West Ham: Adrian, Ogbonna, Reid (78'), Collins, Masauku, Antonio, Noble,
Tore (45'), Kouyate, Valencia (60'), Fletcher

Subs: Randolph, Byram (45'), Burke, Oxford, Obiang, Lanzini (60'),
Calleri (78')

Bookings: Masauku 14' Fletcher 48', Noble 51'

Referee: Andre Marriner

Attendance: 54,008

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
REF WATCH – MANCHESTER CITY V WEST HAM – ANDRE MARRINER
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 28 AUGUST 2016 AT 7:35PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Written by Sam Royden-Ryell

By After an extremely frustrating and disappointing display against Romanian
side Astra on Thursday night, West Ham visit Manchester City with a long
list of injures which includes star man Dimitri Payet. On a positive note,
Ashley Fletcher starts his first full Premier League game for West Ham and
Manuel Lanzini was back from injury and started on the bench. The referee
appointed for this fixture was Andre Marriner.

We've already seen in the opening couple of weekends of the season that
referees are being more strict on issues inside the area. Andre Marriner is
a good referee and was quick to stamp this authority on the game warning
players about pushing and holding before Manchester City's first corner 60
seconds into the game.
The first of two yellow cards in the first half was issued to Manchester
City midfielder Fernandinho. Fernandinho was extremely late with his sliding
challenge on Enner Valencia and Marriner didn't hesitate to book the City
man for a poor challenge. The second player to be booked in the first half
was West Ham left back Arthur Masuaku for his block on Kevin De Bruyne. The
Manchester City player put the ball past Masuaku on the half way line before
the West Ham man blocked De Bruyne from progressing forward. There were a
couple of other challenges in the first half that Marriner did get correct
which includes when Michail Antonio was penalised for a high foot on Nolito.
Marriner blew for the foul which was the correct decision.

In my opinion, I feel that Masuaku was very lucky in this half to escape a
second yellow card. Even though not every foul is deemed to be a yellow
card, the Frenchmen caught John Stones on the knee after the young
Englishman beat Masuaku to the ball. Although Masuaku went for the ball, he
did catch Stones but fortunately for West Ham, Marriner didn't deem the
incident to be either a foul or intentional. Masuaku also caught Raheem
Sterling on the back of the heel and Marriner spoke to the West Ham man and
warned him that he was already on a caution. Masuaku needed to be extremely
careful in second half to avoid any fouls that would warrant a second
booking.

Andre Marriner was more active in the second half and had some big decisions
to make. Should there have been two red cards in the second half?
Firstly, the assistant referee correctly disallowed Nolito's goal just
inside after the second half kicked off as the City man was at least two
yards offside. There were a couple of yellow cards in the second half for
West Ham, the first one being for Ashley Fletcher. The talented youngster
was chased down by City's goalkeeper Willy Caballero after his bad touch
gave Fletcher an opportunity to pounce. The Argentinian touch was poor and
Fletchers attempt to challenge for the ball was genuine but caught the
keeper. Admittedly, it was a foul but Fletcher was more than entitled to go
for the ball. Caballero made a bit of a meal of the contact by Fletcher
which resulted in Marriner blowing for a foul and cautioning the West Ham
striker.

The first potential red card was for Authur Masuaku and as I said above,
Masuaku had to be so careful but he really was walking on a tight rope after
his challenge on Raheem Sterling. Masuaku again was beaten by Sterling and
the Frenchman stopped Sterling from going forward. Knowing Masuaku made at
least three or four fouls in the first half, if Marriner had booked Masuaku
for persistent infringes to the laws of the game, I wouldn't have argued
with his decision.

The biggest and most shocking incident of the game was Sergio Aguero's
deliberate elbow on West Ham defender Winston Reid. Aguero challenged Reid
for the ball but was out muscled by Reid. Ageuro then swung an elbow in the
direction of Reid and caught him on the chin/throat. In my opinion, this is
a deliberate use of excessive force and warrants a straight red card for
violent conduct. This type of foul was associated with Diego Costa last
season and time after time he got away with it until the FA acted and banned
him. The FA need to seriously review the footage of this incident and action
a ban against Sergio Aguero. This is unacceptable behaviour that is not
needed in football and as this was missed by the officials, the FA can now
look at video replays and make a decision.

In my opinion, I thought that Andre Marriner officiated the game very well
and was in control throughout. Despite the missed incident with Sergio
Aguero and Winston Reid, I would not take anything away from his
performance. A note on West Ham; a poor performance from the team mainly in
the first half. The second half was slightly better, with the introduction
of Byram and Lanzini, however we are missing more of our creative players.
Hopefully the squad will be back to full fitness after the international
break and we can start winning games.

Let us know your thoughts @TheWestHamWay and @SamRoyden using the hashtag
#AskWestHamWayRef with your thoughts, opinions and questions.

Sam

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SUN, 28 AUG 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham
By Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport

Manchester City continued their 100% start to the season with a victory over
West Ham that took them to the top of the Premier League. City scored first
when Raheem Sterling finished off a superb team move and Fernandinho headed
in a second from Kevin de Bruyne's free-kick. West Ham pulled a goal back in
the second half when Michail Antonio nodded in Arthur Masuaku's cross.
Sterling added his second late on when he stroked home from a tight angle.
The season may be in its infancy but already the title contenders have put
down a few markers with three games gone. Chelsea and Manchester United both
secured victories on Saturday, which turned the focus on Pep Guardiola's
side before the international break, and they responded with a determined
display. A blistering start - underpinned by the attacking triumvirate of
Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Nolito - yielded a slick goal finished off by
Sterling. It was not just the polished passing and intense pressing which
caught the eye. City's second goal ensured four of their nine Premier League
goals this season have come from set-pieces. That they could not convert
their first-half dominance into more goals will be mildly concerning to
Guardiola as they allowed West Ham back into the contest after the break.
However, a steely response to see out the victory when put under pressure,
before Sterling calmly passed the ball into the net in injury time, will
have pleased the City boss. Last season Sterling did little to justify the
£49m City paid Liverpool for him in July 2015, while Euro 2016 with England
proved to be a nadir in a difficult 12 months. Inevitably it led to
questions about whether his burgeoning talent would ever be realised at
City, and more pertinently in the short term whether he would feature in
Guardiola's immediate plans. The Catalan's ruthless streak - as goalkeeper
Joe Hart and midfielder Yaya Toure are finding out - has come to the fore
early in his tenure. Sterling, though, has been rejuvenated by Guardiola and
his two goals put the gloss on another impressive display. With three
assists so far in this campaign, he has had a hand in five goals in four
games. By contrast, he was involved in just four goals in his last 17
appearances under Guardiola's predecessor Manuel Pellegrini. If Sterling's
form can be sustained over the course of the 2016-17 season, he will emerge
as a key component in City's quest for silverware.
West Ham's lack of cutting edge in the penalty area is shown on the above
touch map. Strikers Enner Valencia and Ashley Fletcher (right) only managed
six touches in the box combined - just one more than Manchester City striker
Sergio Aguero (left) did on his own. There was every chance Slaven Bilic's
side could have been blown away by City, such was the home side's imperious
start, but they stood firm. It was a spirited showing from the visitors,
particularly after their disappointing exit from the Europa League on
Thursday, and the Etihad crowd shifted uneasily once Antonio pulled a goal
back. Had the Hammers possessed a more potent goal threat they may well have
left Manchester with more to show for their efforts. Enner Valencia and
Ashley Fletcher showed plenty of willing but the lack of cutting edge
emphasised why Bilic has brought in Italy striker Simone Zaza from Juventus
on a season-long loan. With only a few days left before the transfer window
closes, Bilic may yet feel the desire to strengthen his goalscoring options
further.

Will Aguero be suspended for the Manchester derby?
The only sour point for Guardiola will be the prospect of a possible
suspension for Aguero for the Manchester derby on 10 September. Aguero
lashed out with an elbow on Winston Reid which caught the West Ham defender
in the throat. The incident was missed by referee Andre Marriner while
neither manager claimed to have seen it. BBC Radio 5 live pundit Robbie
Savage believes the Argentina forward may be handed a retrospective ban when
the Football Association reviews the video evidence. "The replays don't look
good. I think he's going to be in trouble," Savage said. "Only Aguero knows
if he's elbowed Winston Reid. I can't say he's done it on purpose but on the
replays it looks like he swung his arm back and caught him in the throat."

Man of the match - David Silva (Manchester City)

David Silva
Raheem Sterling's brace made him the obvious choice but City's heartbeat
throughout the game was David Silva. The Spain midfielder dictated the tempo
of the play and played a role in both of Sterling's goals. Back to his best
after a relatively subdued campaign last season.

What they said:

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "At 2-1, the emotions, not the
tactics, went in. We created many chances, I don't know how many shots we
had but the performance in general was real good with or without the ball.
With the quality of our players, we can be satisfied."

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We stayed in the game. I wasn't happy at
half-time, I asked the guys to show character and spirit and a different
mentality, which they did. Praise for the team for the second half
performance."

What's next?

Jose Mourinho and Guardiola renew their rivalry in the Manchester derby when
City face United at Old Trafford on Saturday, September 10 (12:30 BST). West
Ham host Watford at the London Stadium later the same day (15:00 BST).

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We were second best, admits Slaven
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 28th August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic admitted that his side were distinctly second best for much of
today's 3-1 defeat at Manchester City. The Hammers boss, talking to the BBC
after the game conceded that a poor start cost his team any chance of taking
something from the match. "They were much better in the first half," he
said. "They started better. I'm not just talking about their quality on the
ball - that we knew [about] - but they were quicker, more aggressive, first
to the second balls and everything.
"We gave them way too much space and time on the ball and of course, they
are different class. But in the second half, it changed - and of course the
goal helped. We put them under a little bit of pressure; more than a little
bit. "They had their chances, but I'm more than happy with the second half.
"At half time we weren't happy and I didn't ask the guys to turn the game
around, I asked them to show the character, the spirit, the attitude and the
right mentality - which they basically did in the second half. "So I have
praise for the team for the second half performance. It's a shame that we
conceded the late, last goal, but it was a good second half as I said. The
first wasn't."

Bilic also confirmed that he is expecting a number of injured players to
return for United's next outing against Watford following the forthcoming
international break. "We're expecting some of the players who are out
injured - and there are a lot of them - to come back" he said. "That gives
us hope that, after the international break, it's going to be a different
West Ham. "Lanzini came back today, then it should be Payet, Feghouli, maybe
a few others - and maybe Carroll.
"That will totally change the shape and the quality of the team. If you
don't have that quality up front - with the greatest respect to the guys who
played for us [today] - it's hard to play against teams like Manchester
City."

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Allardyce names Antonio in first England squad
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 28th August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has included West Ham United's Michail Antonio in his very
first national team selection. The former West Ham manager. who succeeded
the outgoing Roy Hodgson following England's dismal Euro 16 showing included
Antonio as a result of what Allardyce called his "outstanding form".
"This is another lad with a great journey," he told the FA's website. "it's
a fantastic journey that he's been on, from non-league to an international
call-up. He scored nine goals in his first season and he's a terrific
athlete, a good crosser and a goal-scorer. "I'm looking forward to him
coming, and looking forward to meeting everybody. Hopefully we will have a
good few days' preparation and get to know each other on the basis of trying
to go and win in Slovakia."

Sadly there was no call up for Mark Noble, who had been hotly-tipped to
receive the call. Aaron Cresswell and Andy Carroll are both also thought to
be strong candidates but were both ruled out through injury. England face
Slovakia in Trnava on Sunday, 4 September.

Big Sam's first England squad

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom
Heaton (Burnley).

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka
(Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Shaw (Manchester United),
Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle
Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Michail Antonio (West Ham
United), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City),
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney
(Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Theo Walcott
(Arsenal).

Strikers: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool),
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).

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Anton signs one-year Shrimpers deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 27th August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammers and KUMB Live star Anton Ferdinand has signed for League One
Southend United on a year-long deal.

Ferdinand, who was one of the star guests at this year's KUMB.com Awards has
joined the Essex club having departed former club Reading following the
competition of his two-year contract at the Madejski Stadium.

"I'm delighted. I know this part of the world well from my time with West
Ham so I'm excited and looking forward to the challenge ahead," Ferdinand
told southendunited.co.uk.

"I'm hoping to play regularly and prove to people that I can still play in
English football at this level and at a higher level - and as a club,
achieve promotion."

Ferdinand, the younger brother of former England international and fellow
Hammer Rio began his career at West Ham, making his professional debut on
the opening day of the 2003/03 season in a 2-1 win at Preston.

He made more than 140 appearances for the Hammers before making a shock exit
in 2008 when the club sold him to Sunderland, against the wishes of
then-manager Alan Curbishley in an £8million deal.

After spending three years in the North East, Ferdinand enjoyed spells with
QPR (2011-2013), Bursspor and Antalyaspor in Turkey (2013-14), Police United
(Turkey) and Reading before signing his new contract with Southend.

Ferdinand - along with former team mate Marlon Harewood - were star guests
at this year's KUMB Awards Live, staged in Stratford Westfield at the end of
last season. You can listen to a Podcast featuring the live show here.

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Zaza completes Hammers loan switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 27th August 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have completed the signing of 25-year-old Italian international
Simone Zaza.

The imposing striker, who has already played at the Olympic Stadium this
year in a pre-season friendly for former club Juventus has signed for West
Ham in a convoluted £28million deal.

"I want to thank everyone - including the fans - for welcoming me," he said
during his first interview with the club's website. "I wanted to start a new
experience and I feel this is the right choice for me.

"I have been fortunate enough to have already played at the new stadium in a
different shirt. I felt the warmth of the fans and this was a big reason why
I wanted to join the club.

"I want to become a better player and I know I can do that at West Ham.
Unfortunately we could not qualify for the Europa League, but I am hoping I
can help the Club do that next season.

West Ham will pay an initial £5million loan fee for Zaza, with a further
£20million to follow after he features in a certain number of games
(although the exact number remains undisclosed). A further £3million in
contingency payment is also included in the overall fee.

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Manchester City 3-1 West Ham: Raheem Sterling double continues Pep
Guardiola's perfect start
By Ben Nagle
Last Updated: 28/08/16 6:50pm
SSN

Raheem Sterling scored twice to ensure Manchester City continued their 100
per cent start to the Premier League season with a 3-1 victory over West Ham
on Sunday.

Fernandinho grabbed the other before Michail Antonio's consolation at the
Etihad Stadium as an impressive City side held off a West Ham fightback to
move above Chelsea and Manchester United to go top.

Sergio Aguero, though, could yet face retrospective action from the FA after
he appeared to aim an elbow at West Ham defender Winston Reid.

City were ahead inside seven minutes as they quickly stamped their authority
on a much-changed West Ham side. Slaven Bilic had opted to switch his
formation to 5-3-2 following their Europa League defeat to Astra Giurgiu on
Thursday, but the tie didn't start as he would have planned.

David Silva started a wonderful move for the home side, roaming through the
West Ham defence before finding Nolito out wide on the left.

The Spain international cut a cross behind the West Ham back-line to
Sterling, who found the corner of the net for City's first of the game and
his first of the season.

Guardiola's side continued to apply the pressure on a lacklustre West Ham
side after their opener, and it only took another 11 minutes for them to
double their lead.

A simple free kick on the right flank was whipped in perfectly by Kevin De
Bruyne, and Fernandinho was there to rise highest and power a header past a
helpless Adrian to score his first goal in nearly a year.

As the second half got underway, it appeared the match was only heading in
one direction as City continued to pepper Adrian's goal.

Nolito thought he had made the score 3-0 just minutes after the restart when
he chested past the goalkeeper, but the linesman's flag was up for an
obvious offside.

While it seemed to be a guaranteed simple home win midway through the second
period, from nowhere, West Ham turned the game on its head to pull one back.

Arthur Masuaku - much improved from previous performances in the West Ham
defence - lifted a cross from the left towards the back post, where Antonio
was waiting.

Peeling off Gael Clichy to outjump Nicolas Otamendi, the former Nottingham
Forest winger headed past Willy Caballero to make it 2-1.

From there, City looked nervous as they clung on to their lead heading into
the final 20 minutes. Aguero enjoyed an impressive outing despite not
scoring, although he may have been lucky to stay on the pitch after an
incident late on.

As he jumped to challenge Reid in the 76th minute, the striker appeared to
aim an elbow in his opponent's direction, with the West Ham man having to
come off injured.

With the Manchester derby next up for City, Guardiola and co will be hoping
the decision lands in their favour.

Back on the pitch, City were able to confirm their win with just two minutes
remaining in added time. Sterling was the best player on the pitch on
Sunday, and it was fitting that he secured the result.

Silva hit the post seconds before the goal, and he was again at the centre
of play as he set up Sterling for his goal. The England forward collected
the ball before taking it round Adrian to finish from the tightest of
angles.

Anything less than perfection would have seen his effort miss the target,
but perfection it was and City ended the game 3-1 winners.

On the subject of perfection, Guardiola has now overseen three Premier
League wins from three games as Manchester City manager. Next up, though,
local rivals United.

Player ratings

Manchester City: Caballero (6), Zabaleta (6), Otamendi (6), Stones (7),
Clichy (6), Fernandinho (7), De Bruyne (8), Silva (7), Sterling (8), Nolito
(7), Aguero (6)

Subs used: Fernando (6), Nasri (7), Kolarov (6)

West Ham: Adrian (6), Antonio (7), Collins (6), Reid (6), Ogbonna (5),
Masuaku (7), Noble (6), Kouyate (6), Tore (5), Fletcher (7), Valencia (6)

Subs used: Byram (7), Lanzini (6), Calleri (6)

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Simone Zaza signs for West Ham on loan from Juventus
By Ben Reynolds
Last Updated: 28/08/16 12:18pm
SSN

West Ham have completed the signing of striker Simone Zaza on a season-long
loan from Juventus.

The Italy international will cost the Hammers £5m this season, with the deal
becoming permanent for a further £20m if he makes a certain number of
appearances for the club.

The 25-year-old, who is West Ham's 11th signing of the summer, was in and
out of the Juve team last season, scoring eight goals in 24 appearances
before featuring for Italy in Euro 2016.

Zaza has already played at the London Stadium this season, scoring Juve's
winner in their 3-2 friendly victory against West Ham earlier this month.

He told the club's website: "I want to thank everyone for welcoming me
including the fans and everyone at the club. I wanted to start a new
experience and I feel this is the right choice for me.

"I have been fortunate enough to have already played at the new Stadium with
a different shirt. It is a beautiful stadium and I felt the warmth of the
fans and this was a big reason why I wanted to join the club.

"I want to become a better player and I know I can do that at West Ham.
Unfortunately we could not qualify for the Europa League, but I am hoping I
can help the club do that next season."

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola hails 'best performance of the season'
after West Ham win
18:57, 28 AUG 2016 UPDATED 19:05, 28 AUG 2016
BY LIAM WILLIAMS
The Mirror

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes his side's performance was their
best so far this season after their 3-1 win over West Ham . The Blues were
in cruise control in the first half as City created a number of chances, but
allowed the Hammers back into the game at 2-0. Michail Antonio's far post
header hauled West Ham back into the game, creating a nervy spell for the
hosts. Guardiola said: "We created many, many chances. I don't know how many
chances we created, but the performance in general was really, really good.
"But you have to be winning three or four-nil to know the game is over
because they play long balls, behind our full-backs, they win the second
balls, they are taller than us. Asked why the game changed following the
goal, Guardiola said that his players allowed their emotions to take
over."In Bucharest we played amazing, but in the Premier League, we played
maybe [our] best minutes. "The emotions, not the tactics, what you have to
do, they are in. Because they scored a goal in the only we can concede. They
are taller than us in the box."
However the City boss refused to be drawn on Sergio Aguero's potential ban
for elbowing Winston Reid. "I didn't see it," he said. "If we lose him, we
lose him... we will still have 11." Aguero may miss games against Manchester
United, Bournemouth and Swansea if retrospective action is taken

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