Payet wonder goal secures a point
WHUFC.com
Dimitri Payet scored another wonder goal as West Ham managed to end their
losing streak and secure a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at London Stadium.
Following a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats, Slaven Bilic was
looking for a reaction from his players and they were thankful once to their
talisman Payet for coming away with a point. The omens didn't look good for
the Hammers after Cristhian Stuani had headed Middlesbrough into the lead
early in the second half. But Payet showed his class once again as he weaved
his way past four Middlesbrough players before striking the ball past Victor
Valdes. It was another moment of genius from the Frenchman but the Hammers
had to settle for a draw as they now head into the international break.
Bilic revealed that the players had been working even harder in training
during the week as they looked to turn their season around. But he was
forced to change his team around after just four minute following another
injury setback. Sam Byram was carried off on a stretcher after he fell
awkwardly following a headed clearance and was replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.
Middlesbrough looked to capitalise on the early change and could have broken
the deadlock on 12 minutes when Viktor Fischer made space inside the box and
fired a shot inches past the post. The home side also came to opening the
scoring on 18 minutes when Payet saw an opening when weaved his way into the
penalty area and saw his low shot superbly blocked by Calum Chambers. Payet
was involved in the heart of the again once again on 20 minutes as he cut in
from the left hand side and curled his shot inches wide of the goal. This
was much better from the Hammers who had another golden opportunity to open
the scoring on 39 minutes when they caught Middlesbrough on the counter
attack as Antonio raced towards goal before picking out Mark Noble who
drilled a low shot from the edge of the box and his effort flew just wide of
the goal. The woodwork then denied the Hammers skipper on the stroke of
half-time as he found himself unmarked inside the box and saw his curling
shot hit the bar.
Despite the missed opportunities, Middlesbrough still looked dangerous on
the break and Adrian came to the home side's rescue on 50 minutes when he
raced out of his goal to block Jordan Rhodes close-range shot. The London
Stadium was then silenced when Middesbrough took the lead on 52 minutes.
Fischer's corner picked out Stuani who rose above Michail Antonio and
powered a header past Adrian. Noble attempted to clear his header, but
replays showed the ball had crossed the line. The Hammers were looking for
an immediate response and no guessing who to the home side's rescue as Payet
scored a contender for goal of the season on 57 minutes. The Frenchman has
already scored some spectacular goals during his time in east London, but
this was up there with the very best of them Payet picked up the ball on the
left hand side and then produced an incredible piece of skill as he raced
past four defenders before striking the ball into the corner of the net. It
was a run that was reminiscent of Diego Maradona and lifted the 56,945 who
were present to see it inside London Stadium. The goal ignited the home fans
and they were now desperate to see the Hammers clinch a winner. Payet was
involved once again on 64 minutes when the home side were awarded a
free-kick on the edge of the box. The French winger saw his set-piece strike
the wall. The rebound fell to Arbeloa who struck his shot inches past the
post. Despite introducing Manuel Lanzini into the action, West Ham couldn't
find the crucial second goal and had to settle for a point. Bilic will be
hoping the point will be the start of a positive run for the Club as they
now prepare for the next Premier League game against Crystal Palace on 15
October.
West Ham: Adrian, Byram (Arbeloa 4), Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Noble
(c) (Lanzini 73), Kouyate, Tore (Zaza 46), Payet, Antonio
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Feghouli, Fletcher, Fernandes
Bookings: Obiang, Arbeloa
Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Gibson, Chambers, Friend (c), Fischer
(Ramirez 59), de Roon, Forshaw, Downing, Rhodes (Negredo 67), Stuani
Subs not used: Guzan (GK), Ayala, Espinosa, Clayton, Traore
Bookings: Stuani, Barragan, De Roon
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 56,945
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Bilic - We wanted three points
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic admitted a single point was not what he was looking for after
his West Ham United team drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough on Saturday. After four
Premier League defeats in a row, the visitors threatened to extend that run
when Cristhian Stuani headed them in front early in the second half. But
Dimitri Payet responded with an individual goal of the highest quality to
ensure the points were shared – a conclusion which left the boss with mixed
feelings. OK, we have stopped the losing streak with a point, but of course
we were looking for three points," he stated. "To be fair the guys showed
character, they showed the spirit and they showed quality. That's what I
asked, what I demanded from them, and they did it. "It was not enough to win
the game – at the moment we are not playing great football in terms of
creating lots of chances, but it was a game where we had to fight and work
hard. "Although we are not happy with the result, there were a lot of
positives were our performance."
Of Payet's 57th minute solo effort, Bilic says it was the kind of moment
which can lift the entire team. He continued: "It was an unbelievable goal,
and it's only a shame that it was not a winning goal. The response from the
whole team, and especially from him with his goal, was good. "It was
positive, and that's one of the things that we have to take out of this
game. We were looking for three points, and we're not happy with a draw at
home, with the greatest respect for Middlesbrough, but we got a point and
every point in the Premier League can be crucial. "The goal stands out.
First of all it was a goal that brought us back in the game and second the
way he scored the goal is quite amazing. "In this situation you need that
moment of class from the best players to lift the whole team up. That's why
they are the best players."
One negative from the afternoon was an injury suffered by Sam Byram, which
forced the defender off inside the first seven minutes. Bilic added: "Sam is
a brilliant lad. He's a great player, a young prospect with great talent. He
didn't even kick the ball, he didn't stretch – it was like a header. "It's a
hamstring injury and it's a shame that it happened to him at the start of
the game when he had a chance. But he will be back."
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Collins - We've stopped the rot
WHUFC.com
James Collins says West Ham United were happy to 'stop the rot' after ending
a run of four straight Premier League defeats with a 1-1 draw with
Middlesbrough.
The Hammers fell behind to Cristhian Stuani's header early in the second
half, but Dimitri Payet lifted the roof off London Stadium with a
sensational individual equaliser six minutes later. While Collins felt West
Ham deserved to beat Boro on the day, the No19 said a draw would give Slaven
Bilic's squad something to build upon when they return to action at Crystal
Palace after the international break. "I think we knew we had to stop the
rot," said the Wales defender. "Obviously it's been terrible the last four
or five weeks so we knew we had to stop conceding goals and a point is what
we needed. "I thought we played better than that and deserved the three
points, if I'm honest, but it stops the rot and we've got a break now and
can get our heads on for the next game."
West Ham outshot Aitor Karanka's visitors 19 to nine, but only two of those
goal attempts were on target, including Payet's incredible leveller. At the
other end, Boro had just three shots on target themselves, including
Stuani's header, which Mark Noble just failed to clear before the ball
crossed the line . Reflecting on the opening goal, Collins was disappointed
and frustrated to see the Hammers concede from something as basic as a set
piece. "It's always disappointing to concede, especially after the position
we had got ourselves in and from something as straightforward as a corner,"
he reflected. "We've each got a man and we've got to do better than that and
we haven't done that, and it's probably cost us three points, but it's a
step in the right direction."
On a positive note, Payet again showed why he is one of the world's best
attackers 12 minutes after half-time. There looked little direct threat when
he collected Winston Reid's long pass on the left touchline, but he thought
otherwise, beating Antonio Barragan and then four other Middlesbrough
players as he cut across the penalty area before shooting low past Victor
Valdes. The goal deserved to be a winner, and Collins says the Hammers need
to do more to support the No27. "It's a great goal and Dimi is a world-class
player, but we can't depend on him," said the centre-half. "We can't depend
on him to keep making goals like this, we need to be better defensively and
better going forward and take our chances. "It's a lot to keep asking Dimi
to come up with goals like that, so it's something we need to work on."
Collins will now pack his bags for FIFA World Cup qualifying duty, while a
number of his teammates will jet off to represent their countries, and he
believes the Hammers will continue to improve after the international
hiatus. "We can come back stronger after the break," he insisted. "We needed
that. We had a good week's training and a couple of meetings as it's not
been going great over the last few games. "We've stopped conceding goals,
defended reasonably well apart from their goal and got a point."
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Manning – We were terrific from start to finish
WHUFC.com
West Ham United PL2 defeated Leicester City 2-0 as they began the defence of
their Premier League Cup title
Marcus Browne and Domingos Quina, with an outrageous 50-yard lobbed effort,
scored the goals
Assistant manager Liam Manning was full of praise for his team
West Ham United PL2's 2-0 victory over Leicester City in the opening round
of fixtures of the 2016/17 Premier League Cup was their best performance in
a long, long time according to assistant manager Liam Manning.
The young Hammers were in scintillating form in the Group E match held at
Loughborough University, outfoxing the Foxes from minute one.
Marcus Browne gave them the lead just before the hour mark with a delicate
flick from a Vashon Neufville cross before Domingos Quina produced a moment
of pure magic from 50 yards to seal the win.
'We were terrific start to finish. Their [Leicester's] coaches were very
complimentary to our players and that speaks volumes for how we played
today,' said Manning.
'It's the best I've seen a West Ham group since I've been at the club that's
for sure.
'I think if you look in previous games we've created lots of chances but at
times not got it in the box quick enough or been clinical with the finish.
'Every day we work on these things and today it showed the extra work we've
been doing has paid off.'
The Hammers won this competition in dramatic style last season after a
thrilling penalty shootout victory over Hull City and they picked up where
they left off in some style.
Terry Westley welcomed back Reece Oxford at the heart of the defence,
partnering Declan Rice, and Jaanai Gordon came in for the injured Toni
Martinez. Dan Kemp also made the Hammers starting eleven after impressing
from the substitutes bench over recent weeks.
The opening 20 minutes followed a similar pattern from the Hammers' previous
fixture – the 0-0 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in Premier League 2 –
lots of possession and ball retention but little in the way of goalmouth
action.
Alex Pike almost netted on half an hour after wonderful build-up play by
Browne and Kemp and this proved the catalyst for Westley's men to completely
dominate the rest of proceedings.
Gordon and Djair Parfitt-Williams both went close before half-time and the
Hammers carried on into the second half with added cutting edge.
They took the lead just before the hour mark – Browne sprayed the ball wide
to Neufville who returned the ball with a delightful cross. The Hammers No10
managed to flick the ball past Foxes keeper Daniel Iversen to cause
rapturous celebrations amongst the visiting players.
Then a moment that would deserve to win any football match – Domingos Quina
spotted Iversen off his line and from 50 yards produced a stunning lob which
dropped just underneath the crossbar and into the top corner.
It gave the Hammers a two goal cushion and they could have easily made the
result more comfortable with a host of chances in the final twenty minutes.
Terry Westley's players were well worth the three points and they open their
Premier League Cup account with three points thanks to Browne and Quina's
stunning piece of skill.
'The fact that he's seen it with his vision and awareness is amazing. He's
still only 16 and he's still got lots to work on but today he produced a
moment of magic to get people out of their seat,' added Manning.
'In U23 football, you need to see players that make you think "Wow"; he's
got that. Now he needs to work on other things and push on.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SAT, 01 OCT 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport
A wonderful Dimitri Payet equaliser ensured West Ham ended a run of four
successive league defeats by drawing with Middlesbrough. Payet took
possession on the left, turned past Antonio Barragan and weaved his way
across goal, past four defenders, before angling in a shot. His effort
cancelled out Cristhian Stuani's opener for Boro, the Uruguayan heading home
from a Viktor Fischer corner. Hammers captain Mark Noble had earlier gone
closest to breaking the deadlock when his curling shot hit the crossbar.
Neither side threatened a winner in the latter stages as Boro secured a
point after three defeats in a row.
Did West Ham's night out work?
After Sunday's defeat by Southampton, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic told Noble
to take the players out for dinner on Monday as a team-bonding exercise.
There were claims a couple were still out drinking the following day, but
the Londoners looked more of a team here, though they were still well short
of their impressive form of last season. Having seen his side concede 16
goals in six league games, Bilic went for a 4-5-1 formation. Despite
right-back Sam Byram going off injured early on, they looked more secure,
apart from a lapse of concentration for the goal. They let Boro have 60% of
possession, which affected their attacking play, but in Payet they have a
constant threat, and the Frenchman's first league goal of the season rescued
them. "It's been terrible the last four, five weeks," said centre-back
James Collins. "We knew we needed to stop conceding goals. It's a step in
the right direction. "We can't depend on Dimi. We need to be better
defensively and going forward as it is a lot to ask Dimi to keep coming up
with goals like this." Hammers keeper Adrian added: "Payet is like that in
training. He scored like a Lionel Messi goal at Barcelona. It is a massive
goal to us."
Capital gains for Boro
The draw gave Boro their first point from their past six Premier League
games in London and, while they had a high work ethic and more of the ball,
they lacked a creative spark. Jordan Rhodes, making his first top-flight
start, was a willing runner and caused some moments of concern for the West
Ham defence, but Boro rarely looked like scoring from open play. They did
have three shots on target to West Ham's two, but their ambition seemed
affected by recent results. Their goal came from a set-piece - referee Neil
Swarbrick alerted by the goal decision system after Stuani's effort was
cleared by Noble.
Man of the match - Dimitri Payet
Dimitr Payet
Payet scored for the first time in 11 top-flight games, having netted nine
in his previous 24
What they said
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "I feel pressure because I am not happy with
our position in the table and because we lost four matches on the trot. It
is below my standards. "But I believe in my team and I'm a hard worker.
Although we didn't win, we showed that the team is alive. We are together.
We have to show it more often."
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: "It is a good point, especially after
three defeats. It is important that our attitude has been good. "West Ham
have not been in the best moment but they have amazing players. So I'm
pleased to add one more point and play with that intensity."
The stats you need to know
This is West Ham's worst start to a top-flight campaign after seven games
(four points) since 1988-89, when the Hammers were relegated.
Middlesbrough have lost a league-high seven points from leading positions in
the Premier League this season.
Cristhian Stuani has scored three goals in three Premier League away games
this season.
Middlesbrough have won just one of their past 17 Premier League away games
(D3 L13).
What next?
Both teams return to Premier League action following the international
break, with West Ham facing a trip to London rivals Crystal Palace on
Saturday, 15 October at 17:30 BST, and Middlesbrough hosting Watford at
13:30 BST the following day.
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West Ham: More fan trouble at London Stadium after Middlesbrough game
BBC.co.uk
Police had to separate West Ham and Middlesbrough fans after they clashed
during disturbances outside the Hammers' new London Stadium. Officers had to
intervene when violence flared in the Olympic Park following Saturday's 1-1
draw between the two Premier League clubs. Police escorted Middlesbrough
fans away from the stadium while cordoning off some West Ham supporters. The
trouble followed recent crowd disturbances inside the stadium. At the first
Premier League match at the venue - against Bournemouth on 21 August - some
fans arrived with tickets for seats that did not exist, while fighting broke
out between rival supporters outside the stadium. West Ham confirmed that 10
fans were ejected from the stadium during the 4-2 defeat by Watford last
month. Some of the disturbances inside the ground are believed to be over
persistent standing during matches. The club asked E20, which owns the
club's London Stadium home, to ensure there is a police presence in the
ground after recent trouble. But the Metropolitan Police turned down the
request because the £700m ground does not have a "satisfactory" radio
system.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 1-1 MIDDLESBROUGH – MATCH REPORT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 1 OCTOBER 2016 AT 7:57PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Dimitri Payet scored another world class goal as the Hammers managed to end
their losing streak this afternoon and secure a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough
at London Stadium and end a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats.
Things did not look good for the Hammers after Boro's Uruguayan striker,
Cristhian Stuani had headed the visitors into the lead early in the second
half.
It was another moment of genius from Dimitri to level the game for the Irons
but they had to settle for a draw as they now head into the international
break.
Bilic revealed that the players had been working even harder in training
during the week as they looked to turn their season around.
But he was forced to change his team around after just four minutes
following another injury setback as Sam Byram was stretchered off with what
looked like a hamstring injury and was replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.
Boro could have broken the deadlock on 12 minutes when Viktor Fischer made
space inside the box and fired a shot inches past the post.
The home side also came close to opening the scoring on 18 minutes when
Payet saw an opening then weaved his way into the penalty area and saw his
low shot superbly blocked by Calum Chambers.
Payet was involved in the heart of the game again 2 minutes later as he cut
in from the left hand side and curled his shot just inches wide of the goal.
The Hammers had another golden opportunity to open the scoring on 39 minutes
when they caught Middlesbrough on the counter attack as Antonio raced
towards goal before picking out Mark Noble who drilled a low shot from the
edge of the box and his effort flew just wide of the goal.
The woodwork then denied the Hammers skipper on the stroke of half-time as
he found himself unmarked inside the box and saw his curling shot beat
Victor Valdes but crash against the bar.
The home faithful were then silenced 7 minutes after the break when
Middesbrough took the lead through Stuani as he rose above Michail Antonio
to power a header past Adrian from Viktor Fischer's corner.
Noble attempted in vain to clear his header, but replays showed the ball had
clearly crossed the line.
Then came that moment of brilliance from Dimiti Payet, as he picked up the
ball on the left hand side and then produced an incredible piece of skill as
he raced past four defenders before striking the ball into the corner of the
net.
The goal ignited the home fans and they were now desperate to see the
Hammers clinch a winner but unfortunately it did not ignite the rest of the
players to rise to the challenge and gain the much needed 3 points.
Payet was involved once again on 64 minutes when the home side were awarded
a free-kick on the edge of the box but the French winger saw his set-piece
effort the wall. The rebound fell to Arbeloa who struck his shot inches past
the post.
Despite introducing Manuel Lanzini into the action, West Ham couldn't find
the crucial second goal and had to settle for a point as Simone Zaza and
Antonio both missed chances near the end of the game .
Bilic will be hoping the point will be a building block for the club as they
now prepare for the next Premier League game against Crystal Palace in two
weeks time. He will also be hoping that the likes of Diafra Sakho, Aaron
Cresswell and Andy Carroll will be at his disposal for that game given the
glaring issues up front and in the fullback positions.
West Ham: Adrian, Byram (Arbeloa 4), Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Noble
(c) (Lanzini 73), Kouyate, Tore (Zaza 46), Payet, Antonio
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Feghouli, Fletcher, Fernandes
Bookings: Obiang, Arbeloa
Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Gibson, Chambers, Friend (c), Fischer
(Ramirez 59), de Roon, Forshaw, Downing, Rhodes (Negredo 67), Stuani
Subs not used: Guzan (GK), Ayala, Espinosa, Clayton, Traore
Bookings: Stuani, Barragan, De Roon
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 56,945
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough
Filed: Saturday, 1st October 2016
By: Staff Writer
Goal of the Season? You may as well end the competition now.
If ever there was a moment of individual skill and brilliance that was
categorically "worth the entrance fee alone", then Dimitri Payet's sizzling
solo effort in the second half of this afternoon's Premier League meeting
with Middlesbrough was it.
The French international spent the summer wowing fans across the world at
Euro 16 but scored what may prove to be the goal for which he becomes best
known in years to come - just as Paolo DI Canio is always associated with
THAT goal against Wimbledon.
Having collected the ball wide on the left, with the Hammers trailing 1-0,
Payet turned one opponent inside out before heading into the penalty box.
From there, he twisted and turned, leaving four more 'Boro players in his
wake before passing the ball beyond 'keeper Valdés.
And although the Hammers were unable to capitalise on Payet's moment of
brilliance, fans were heartened by a far better team (and far more
defensively-minded) performance than in recent weeks.
Key to West Ham's more effective performance was the introduction of Pedro
Obiang, who screened the back four superbly. On the odd occasion that 'Boro
managed to break through James Collins and Winston Reid were back to
somewhere near their best.
At the other end Michail Antonio was a surprise selection as a lone forward
in a hybrid 451/False 9-style formation, which allowed the re-introduction
of Gokhan Tore wide on the right. Neither excelled; indeed Tore was so poor
that he was replaced ay half time by (the equally ineffective) Simone Zaza.
Whilst the team still appeared disjointed at times, with little of last
season's free-flowing attacking football in evidence (due largely to a lack
of movement furthest up the field) the Hammers still managed to create 19
efforts at goal.
That only two were on target however illustrates how badly Slaven Bilic is
missing an effective target man - a role that Diafra Sakho has performed
admirably in the past, although the Senegal striker's return appears to be
no closer than before.
That West Ham found themselves behind and needing a moment of Payet's magic
to salvage something from the game came as a result of 'Boro's goal scored
just six minutes before the Frenchman struck.
A fairly standard corner was nodded home at the near post by Cristhian
Stuani, connecting strongly enough with Viktor Fischer's corner to force it
over the line - so much so that even West Ham's players failed to wait for
video evidence.
ALthough there were no goals before the break, Mark Noble was millimetres
away from giving West Ham the lead when his curling shot clipped the corner
of the post and crossbar.
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic insists striker Simone Zaza will come good
Last Updated: 01/10/16 9:48am
SSN
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic insists patience is the key for Italy
international Simone Zaza. The striker, who signed on loan from Juventus
with a view to a permanent club-record £24m transfer next year, has yet to
score for the Hammers. He has struggled so much that reports in Italy have
claimed the Hammers could cancel his loan deal and send him back to Turin.
But Bilic insists Zaza, famed for skying his penalty after a stuttered
run-up against Germany at Euro 2016, will come good and compared his slow
start in England to that of Arsenal icon Dennis Bergkamp "He is definitely a
good player who came from a big club to a new country," said Bilic. "New
players need time. If we go back and think about Bergkamp, who needed - I
don't know - a year? "The problem now is, and it is quite common with even
the best players from abroad, they need time. "Plus he wasn't a regular at
Juventus and didn't have match fitness. It takes time sometimes, and
unfortunately we don't have that time."
Zaza's struggles have mirrored those of his new club, who have lost five of
their six Premier League matches so far to lie in the relegation zone. And
Bilic concedes his immediate task is turning their season around, starting
with Saturday's visit of Middlesbrough. "I am concerned. It's a very bad
start," Bilic said. "It's not only about football then. If it's like that
then people start talking about non-football things that are happening.
"It's not only that. We are talking about the last five Premier League
games, and it's simply not the way we expected it to be. "It's definitely no
good and that's why the only thing we are thinking about is the game on
Saturday against Middlesbrough."
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Three arrests made after disturbance following West Ham's draw with
Middlesbrough
Last Updated: 01/10/16 9:31pm
SSN
Three men have been arrested following a disturbance outside the London
Stadium after West Ham's draw with Middlesbrough. Two men were arrested on
suspicion of affray and the third was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a
police officer. All three currently remain in custody pending further
enquires. During the match, officers were also deployed inside the stadium
following a separate disturbance; the matter was quickly dealt with and no
arrests were made. "More than 40,000 people attended today's match, the vast
majority of who were good natured, with only a small minority intent on
causing disruption," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. There were
no reported injuries following the disturbances and enquiries continue.
Stewards confirmed that police had to separate home and away supporters
after clashes on the loop road though the Olympic Park. Police escorted
Middlesbrough fans away from the stadium while cordoning off some West Ham
supporters. The trouble followed incidents of crowd disturbances inside the
London Stadium during the recent matches against Bournemouth and Watford.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic says Dimitri Payet's strike was a 'Lionel Messi goal'
By Andrew Dickson
Last Updated: 01/10/16 8:23pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic believes Dimitri Payet scored a goal Lionel Messi would have
been proud of as he earned West Ham a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. Payet's
excellent individual effort cancelled out Christhian Stuani's header as both
clubs ended runs of defeats - four successively in West Ham's case. Bilic
was not happy to take just one point from a fixture but was at least
encouraged by the response he got after last week's 3-0 home defeat to
Southampton. In particular, he had praise for Payet's contribution after he
ran past five men before shooting beyond Victor Valdes. Bilic said: "It was
an unbelievable goal. It was a great goal which brought us back into the
game and it's only a shame it wasn't a winning goal. "It stands out. First
of all, it was a goal that brought us back into the game and the way he
scored the goal is quite amazing. "It was such an individual goal with the
highest class. I don't see those kinds of goals from many players. "You see
free-kicks, you see volleys, scissor kicks, all different types of goals,
but this was like Messi's goals. "In this situation, you need that class.
You need a moment of class from your best player to lift the whole team up.
"It was a brilliant, brilliant moment of magic. But we can't rely on him
doing that every week. "The response from the whole team, of course, - and
especially from him with his goal - was good and was positive. It's one of
the positive things we have to take out from this game."
Bilic conceded he was more heartened by his team's performance than their
result as they took their fourth point of the campaign. He added: "Okay, we
stopped that losing streak with a point but we were looking for three. To be
fair, the guys did everything. "They showed character, spirit and quality.
That's what I asked from them, it's what I demanded from them and they have
done it. "It was not enough to win the game and at the moment we are not
playing great football in terms of creating a lot of chances. "We were
looking for three points. We are not happy with a draw at home, with the
greatest of respect to Middlesbrough.
"But we showed a lot of positive things and every point in the Premier
League can be crucial in the end. "It was a fighting game, a working game
and although we are not happy with the result, there were a lot of positives
in our performance."
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Middlesbrough supporters slam West Ham fans after more violence breaks out
at London Stadium
20:36, 1 OCT 2016 UPDATED 21:57, 1 OCT 2016
BY DOMINIC SHAW
Boro's travelling fans described their fear as fights broke out around the
ground after the Premier League encounter
The Mirror
Middlesbrough's supporters have criticised the conduct of some West Ham fans
after more violent scenes unfolded at the London Stadium on Saturday. Boro's
travelling fans described their fear as fights broke out around the stadium
after the match, with one man describing supporters of the East London club
as a "disgrace to football". Other supporters of the North East club told
how bottles and coins were thrown into the away end by home fans during the
Premier League encounter, which finished 1-1, Gazzette Live report.
@YorkieBoro wrote on Twitter: "Absolutely terrifying. Stewards and police
contradicting each other. My son was in tears.
SmoggyOnTour added: "Where do I start, no sign of police until it was too
late, fans fighting on the main road near the away end. Chaos!".
@MichaelTG91 said: "West Ham fans jumped on our coach to kick off before the
driver pushed them away. I saw kids getting punched. Shocking."
Another Boro fan, @JamieMadden1989, tweeted: "Cornered us all. Started
punching anyone, parents who just took kids for a nice day out...disgrace to
football."
Blain Allinson, another fan who was at the game, tweeted: "They (West Ham
fans) were waiting outside. Stewards had a cordon in place and they broke
through and all hell broke loose."
Rob Munro, another supporter, added: "Had to dodge bottles after they
scored. One hit an old man on the head in front of us. Had to be taken away
for his injury."
Questions have been asked about the security in the stadium since fighting
broke out in the stands during West Ham's games against Bournemouth and
Watford earlier this season. West Ham have been pushing for a police
presence in the ground but the stadium operators, rather than the club, who
are the anchor tenants, would be required to meet the financial cost.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, October 1
Daily WHUFC News - 1st October 2016
Preview - Middlesbrough
WHUFC.com
When and where?
West Ham United v Middlesbrough
Premier League
London Stadium
Saturday 1 October 2016, 3pm BST
What's the story?
West Ham United will be looking for a boost going into the international break when they host Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday.
A run of four straight defeats in the league has left Slaven Bilic's men 18th in the table, with three points from their opening six games.
Back-to-back losses at London Stadium – to Watford and Southampton – mean the Hammers need to get back on track at home against Boro, with two weeks between fixtures following this one.
Middlesbrough, who include former Hammer Stewart Downing in their ranks, ended a seven-year spell in the Championship with promotion last term, finishing runners-up to Burnley.
Under manager Aitor Karanka, Boro were beaten play-off finalists the year before and were rewarded for their steady improvement last term.
This season, they began with an unbeaten run of three games, drawing with Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, and defeating Sunderland in the Tees-Wear derby.
However, a sequence of three defeats has followed, with Crystal Palace, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur all getting the better of the Riverside Stadium side.
They currently sit 16th in the table with five points.
Team news
The Hammers will be without Havard Nordtveit, after he underwent a small medical procedure this week.
He joins Andre Ayew, Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho on the sidelines, although both Cresswell and Carroll are due to return after the international break.
For Middlesbrough, winger Adama Traore is pushing for a start after impressing from the bench against Tottenham.
Defender Fabio Da Silva is back in training and could feature at London Stadium.
Any links between the two?
Yes! Stewart Downing rejoined his hometown club in the summer of 2015 after two seasons with the Hammers.
The England winger scored seven goals in 79 games for West Ham, before returning to Middlesbrough, where he began his career.
Elsewhere, Sofiane Feghouli played with Boro duo Alvaro Negredo and Antonio Barragan at Valencia.
The teams last met in the Hammers' Championship play-off winning season in 2011/12, drawing 1-1 at the Boleyn Ground after West Ham triumphed 2-0 in the north east.
How can I get to the game?
Click here for information on how to get to London Stadium.
Supporters who use Abellio Greater Anglia rail services should take note of route closures. Click here for full information.
Click here for the latest train news and here for info on the Tubes, buses and roads.
How can I watch the game?
The match is not being broadcast live in the UK, but you can follow all the action on whufc.com. We've got live audio commentary, in-running stats, photos and more. Get involved in the conversation on social using #WHUMID
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Hammers receive international calls
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's large band of international players will be in action for their respective nations during the October break.
FIFA 2018 qualifiers will take place across the globe, with as many of 13 Hammers potentially involved in Europa, Africa and South America.
The second round of European qualifiers will kick-off on Thursday 6 October, with Darren Randolph, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Simone Zaza, Adrian and Gokhan Tore all set for duty.
Randolph's Republic of Ireland will try to build on their opening 2-2 draw in Serbia when they host Georgia in Dublin in Group D, before heading for their third qualifier in Moldova on Sunday 9 October.
In the same group, Collins earned his 50th cap in the opening 4-0 win over Moldova in Cardiff and will hope to add to his tally when Chris Coleman's side travel to Austria on Thursday before hosting Georgia on 9 October.
Ogbonna and Zaza could both be involved as Italy host Adrian's Spain in a mouth-watering Group G clash in the pair's old home, Juventus Stadium in Turin, on Thursday. Following that, the Azzurri head for FYR Macedonia on 9 October, while Spain travel to Albania. Italy won their opening qualifier 3-1 in Israel, while Spain thrashed Liechtenstein 8-0. The final squads will be confirmed this weekend.
In Group I, Tore's Turkey drew 1-1 in Croatia in their opening tie, and will next host Ukraine in Konya on 6 October before traveling to Reykjavik to tackle Euro 2016 stars Iceland on 9 October. Turkey's final squad is yet to be confirmed.
Dimitri Payet's France continue their Group A challenge on Thursday 7 October, when they welcome Bulgaria the Stade de France in Paris. Les Bleus, who drew 0-0 in Belarus in September, then travel to Amsterdam to tackle the Netherlands on Monday 10 October.
Havard Nordtveit will miss Norway's Group C fixtures in Azerbaijan on Friday 8 October and home to San Marino on Tuesday 11 October, but Martin Samuelsen, on loan at Blackburn Rovers, could be involved. Norway opened with a 3-0 home defeat by Germany in Oslo.
Completing the European slate of fixtures, Michail Antonio and England host Malta at Wembley on 8 October before heading to Slovenia on 11 October. The Three Lions, who have yet to confirm their final squad, won 1-0 in Slovakia in their first tie.
In Africa, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal kick-off their Round 1 Group D campaign by welcoming Cape Verde Islands to Dakar on 8 October. The group is completed by Burkina Faso and South Africa.
Sofiane Feghouli's Algeria also begin their challenge in a fearsome-looking Group B when they host Cameroon in Bilda on 9 October. The group also includes Nigeria and Zambia.
In South America, Enner Valencia, who is on loan at Everton, and Ecuador host Chile in Quito on 6 October before travelling to Bolivia on 11 October.
Away from World Cup qualifiers, Winston Reid's New Zealand have two eye-catching friendly matches to play in Nashville, Tennessee. The first is against Mexico on 8 October, followed by a meeting with the United States on 11 October.
Finally, at senior level, Doneil Henry, on loan at Danish club AC Horsens, travel to Mauritania and Morroco for friendly internationals on 7 and 11 October respectively.
At age-group level, Edimilson Fernandes (Switzerland U21), on-loan Bradford City midfielder Josh Cullen (Republic of Ireland U21), Reece Oxford (England U20), Nathan Trott (England U19), Declan Rice (Republic of Ireland U19), Domingos Quina (Portugal U19), Conor Coventry (Republic of Ireland U17), Rihard Matrevics (Latvia U19) and Malyk Hamilton (Canada U18) have also received call-ups for a selection of qualifiers, international tournaments and friendly internationals.
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Byram - This is a massive chance for us
WHUFC.com
Sam Byram is no stranger to being under pressure and feels well equipped to deal with the current situation at West Ham United. The Hammers are currently in the bottom three and with five defeats from the opening six Premier League games, Byram knows the importance of seeing the Hammers get back on the winning trail when they face Middlesbrough on Saturday and feels all the players will have a major point to prove. The 23-year-old was thrown into the deep end when he made his debut for Leeds United and faced a number of battles during his time at Elland Road. Byram feels that experience has made him a stronger character and given him the belief that he can produce his best form in the Premier League. Byram said: "You hear it a lot with players who go to Leeds and struggle to cope with the pressure. "But I played there for three seasons and enjoyed my time there and got used to that pressure. It is something you have to take in your stride and you have to deal with it. "It is something that has helped me massively with the big move to West Ham and being able to play in front of a bigger crowd who have high expectations for the season. "This is a massive chance for us to turn things around. We have been working on things during the week and will take that into the game.
"From seeing the week of training we have had I can say the lads have the hunger to get the win and there is no doubt there will be 100 per cent effort at the weekend."
It has been well documented that the players held a meeting at the start of the week to address the situation and Byram feels it has helped bring the team together even more. The talented full-back has no doubts there is enough quality in the squad to see them move away from the foot of the table and hopes a victory on Saturday will help turn their season around.
Byram added: "We all know the situation is not great at the moment but we had a positive meeting and with a couple of good results we could be mid-table because the table is so tight at the moment. "This is not the best position for us to be in, but this is the start of the season and we will keep the confidence and will keep working hard in training. "We know the victories will come because we have got so much quality and the passion and the hunger to get the points. "The crowd can play a massive part and if they are behind us and cheering everything, it lifts the players massively. "It is a squad full of big characters and players who have performed all over the world. It is part of the game and you get bad times in football but it is about staying strong mentally and being able to overcome that."
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Five Talking Points - Middlesbrough
WHUFC.com
The hot topics for discussion ahead of Middlesbrough's Premier League visit to London Stadium on Saturday afternoon...
Positive approach needed
Everyone who has spoken publicly since last weekend's 3-0 home Premier League defeat by Southampton – Board, manager, current and former players – has stated the need for West Ham United to remain positive. The Hammers may be on a run of four straight defeats, but they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves if they are to climb the table sooner rather than later. Prior to the season, West Ham would have targeted three points from this home fixture with newly-promoted Boro, and recent results should not change the mindset of those in Claret and Blue. This remains a very winnable fixture.
Something's got to give
While West Ham's recent form has been nothing to write home about, with four straight Premier League defeats in the books, Middlesbrough have also struggled for positive results since opening 2016/17 with five points from three matches. Boro lost all three Premier League games in September, with 2-1 defeats at the Riverside Stadium by Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur bookending a 3-1 loss at Everton, so confidence will not be high in the visitors' dressing room on Saturday. With neither club collecting a single point in the month, both will hope to start October with a morale-boosting victory.
Key man
While West Ham may have struggled collectively this season, Dimitri Payet remains key to their hopes of turning things around sooner rather than later. The France playmaker has continued to create chances, making 3.8 key passes per game in his four Premier League appearances so far – third in the top flight behind Chelsea's Willian and Liverpool's Roberto Firmino. Those passes have helped him chalk up three assists in just 293 minutes of action – two for Michail Antonio against Watford and a third for the same player at West Bromwich Albion – to put him joint-second in the Premier League standings behind Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne. Payet is also unleashing 3.8 shots per game on average, good enough for fourth in the league behind Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho.
Battle of the Spanish stoppers
Saturday's fixture could come down to which Spanish goalkeeper performs best – West Ham United's Adrian or Middlesbrough's Victor Valdes. Adrian, who will hope to be included in Spain's squad for their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers with Italy and Albania, has made a joint-Premier League high 24 saves in six appearances this season, and looked to be back to his best against Southampton last Sunday. The experienced Valdes, who signed for Boro this summer following spells with Barcelona and Manchester United, has been far less busy, making eight saves in four appearances, but has still conceded an average of two goals-per-game. The battle of the Spanish stoppers could go a long way to deciding who comes out on top at London Stadium.
Downing's return
Finally, Stewart Downing is set to face West Ham for the first time since leaving east London to return home in summer 2015. Some eyebrows were raised when the England international swapped the Premier League for the Championship, but Downing's self-stated hope of being involved in a promotion battle came true last season. Now 32, the Middlesbrough-born winger remains an important player for the club where he started his career 15 years ago, and Hammers fans will be wary of his elusive running and ability to deliver quality and shoot accurately with either foot.
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U18s full of confidence ahead of visit to Chelsea
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's travel to Chelsea on Saturday (11am kick-off)
The Hammers have won their last two matches scoring eight goals in the process
Mark Phillips says his team are full of confidence going into the match
Mark Phillips says his team are relishing the prospect of a battle with London rivals Chelsea this Saturday in the U18 Premier League South Division. The young Hammers are brimming with confidence after two successive victories against Fulham and, most recently, Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend. However, Phillips believes that Chelsea will present a completely different proposition compared to the Hammer's two previous opponents, but said his team are more than up to the task. "Chelsea will think they can outpass us and outscore us and have the lion's share of possession but we're also confident in ourselves," said the U18s assistant manager. "They'll set up in their own way and won't change their style no matter who their playing against. They move the ball around really well in midfield. It should be a good encounter and it's one that me and the boys are looking forward to."
The Hammers strong form over the last few weeks is thanks in large to striker Jahmal Hector-Ingram, who scored a hat-trick against Fulham and twice against Brighton. The 17-year-old's form is no surprise to Phillips who expects him to continue his purple patch in the games to come. "Jahmal's love to score in bunches. Once he's confident and on a roll, he'll score lots for us," he added. "It's five in two for him now and that's not a bad record to have so hopefully he can continue that against Chelsea."
The U18s travel to west London without their tricky No7 Dan Kemp who's earned his place Terry Westley's PL2 squad to face Leicester City in the Premier League Cup. Phillips' team kick-off their league fixture with Chelsea at 11am on Saturday at Cobham Training Ground.
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Feghouli - I am representing the Algerian people
WHUFC.com
Algeria hero Sofiane Feghouli is the cover star for Saturday's 100-page Official Programme for the Premier League visit of Middlesbrough.
The winger talks about his summer move to West Ham United, his pride at representing his national side and relishing the challenge of facing former Valencia teammates Antonio Barragan and Alvaro Negredo, who are now with Boro.
The No7 could make his first Premier League start for the Hammers on Saturday before jetting off to represent his country in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier with Cameroon next week, and the player himself knows the importance of performing well in both fixtures.
"I know that when I play abroad that I am representing the Algerian people," said Feghouli, who will also represent his nation at the African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon in early 2017. "They are back in Algeria supporting me and so I always try to give my best to give the best impression possible of Algeria and to make my fellow countrymen and women proud.
"The Algerian national game has never been as strong as it is today and we have a very talented squad. We have been playing together for a couple of seasons and we are maturing as a team. Hopefully, this will show on the pitch in the upcoming tournaments, especially during the African Cup of Nations next year."
Elsewhere in Saturday's issue, fans can find out more about the star-studded FIFA 17 launch, which was held at London Stadium this week and featured West Ham's very own eSports star Sean 'Dragonn' Allen.
Interview-wise, former player and lifelong Hammer Ian Pearce shares stories of his career and first visit to London Stadium, Ian 'Moose' Abrahams chats to Boro-supporting Olympic table tennis star Paul Drinkhall and new England U19 goalkeeper Nathan Trott talks about his eventful career history.
Supporters can also find out more about Saturday's visitors Middlesbrough and read exclusive columns penned by Joint-Chairman David Sullivan, manager Slaven Bilic and captain Mark Noble.
Fans will also be able to collect the latest four stickers for their Hammers Heroes Sticker Album, which was given away free with the Official Programme issued for the AFC Bournemouth fixture in August.
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Steinberg - Slaven could change the system
WHUFC.com
Guardian football writer Jacob Steinberg believes Slaven Bilic is ready to make some important changes to the system for the game against Middlesbrough on Saturday and hopes it will be a turning point for the Club as they look to turn their season around.
With the Hammers suffering five defeats from their opening six league games, Steinberg knows the importance of the Hammers getting back on the winning trail before the international break takes place.....
Despite the situation that West Ham are in, I still thought Slaven came across really well during the press conference and had a good sense of humour. He is obviously trying to remain positive.
He was fairly honest about the meeting which took place after the Southampton game clearly he knows it is not working at the moment.
That is not just from a defensive point of view, but also a collective point of view as well.
At least he is not under any illusions about what is going on at the moment.
If they play like they did against Southampton last weekend, then Middlesbrough will have a very good chance of winning the game.
It really depends what kind of response they will have at the weekend and I will be very interested to see what team Slaven names for the game.
Will he change the formation because if you analyse what he said during the press conference, he said he has spent a lot of time thinking about the system which suggests he could be considering a change.
Maybe Payet could move into the middle and will this be the game that Feghouli get his first Premier League start?
Even giving someone like Zaza more support upfront could be another option.
I look at someone like Pedro Obiang who does not get much of a chance from the substitutes bench.
The defence might not be playing well but it is a collective issue and there is a case for adding a bit more steel to the midfield.
I think the West Ham fans should be concerned by what is going on at the moment. I think they have got a good squad of players, but you can say the same back in 2003.
They went down that year with 42 points so these things can run away with you.
If they don't get a victory on Saturday, they will then face two weeks of negativity over the international break before another difficult game against Crystal Palace who are playing pretty well at the moment and have a striker in form.
They then face Sunderland which is huge and a difficult run after that.
The top teams have improved so you need to start winning games against the likes of Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
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West Ham United v Middlesbrough
SAT, 01 OCT 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he will give "almost" the same squad that lost at home to Southampton a chance of redemption this weekend. Havard Nordtveit will miss the game following a minor medical procedure, while Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho remain out.
Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore is pushing for a start after an impressive cameo against Tottenham. Defender Fabio Da Silva is back in training and could feature.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce: "West Ham's new home seems badly disconnected with their fans, and their season is desperate on all fronts. "They've lost five of their opening six league games of a season for the first time ever. They are reportedly investigating claims that players were drunk this week. Their signing of Enner Valencia may now face probes after the Sam Allardyce allegations. "Boro also look troubled. Three defeats on the spin, just five shots on target away and only two wins in 22 trips to London. The Hammers need a redemptive win to calm concerns but it's crucial for both sides."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on a club-sanctioned night out on Monday: "The team bonding was completely my idea. I told Mark Noble to take the guys out and go for a meal. "I am totally concentrated on the game on Saturday. It is good for us all to stick together and good for team building." Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka: "We need to improve our performances. We are learning but we have to learn quickly. When we play in our intensity and our style, and with the right attitude, we will win games. "The players need to know that we can compete, but we must compete from the first minute."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
The Hammers looked all over the show at the back against Southampton last week. But Boro are probably the perfect team for them to play at the moment, because they don't pose much of an attacking threat - they have had the fewest shots per game on average of any Premier League team so far this season.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have won their last seven Premier League home games against Middlesbrough. It's their second longest winning streak against a Premier League opponent: they won nine in a row against Blackburn. Middlesbrough have not scored more than once in an away league game at West Ham since a 2-1 victory in April 1989, managing only four goals in 14 subsequent games.
West Ham United
West Ham have lost five of their opening six matches of a league season for the first time.
They could lose five consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since May 2011.
Slaven Bilic's side have conceded as many as 16 goals in their opening six games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1967-68, when they let in 18.
The Hammers have conceded at least two goals in 13 of their last 16 league matches, letting in 36 goals overall.
Dimitri Payet has lost all four Premier League games he has been involved in this season - he only lost six games in the whole of 2015-16.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough have won only one of their last 12 Premier League matches (D4, L7).
Boro have lost their last five Premier League away games in London.
Alvaro Negredo has scored in only one of his last 18 Premier League appearances.
Víctor Valdes has played six Premier League games (two for Manchester United, four for Middlesbrough) and never been on the winning side.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-0 Probability of draw: 23%
Probability of home win: 60% Probability of away win: 17%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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West Ham's Slaven Bilic: It hurts when I look in the mirror, it hurts when I look at the Premier League table
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard
I have been told that I looked very "down" in interviews after the defeat by Southampton. Well, yes, I was "down" but how am I supposed to be? I don't think there is a problem if a manager is like that after his team have lost, especially four times in a row. The defeat did hurt, so why should I pretend that it didn't? It hurt me personally, totally. It hurts me when I look at the Premier League table, it hurts me when I look in the mirror. What is the point of smiling? Does that make me a brave leader? I am a leader and I am very brave but I hurt after a defeat. Most of the managers are the same. It doesn't mean I have lost my faith or determination — on the contrary – but we lost again and I don't like it. It hurt me. I can hide it, I can pretend but what is the benefit? Yes, I was "down" but it didn't drag on. I was ready to do my job soon after and prepare for the next game, which is Middlesbrough tomorrow.
In every team the players don't always start from zero. It helps the manager to know, from previous experiences, what your players can do on the pitch, what is their capacity. After a good season, you remember what every player did to bring you to that position and that helps you set the goals and standards for the following season. It enables you to set the bar higher. That is why, on paper, the players here have the credit. When, however, things are not going well, some of those players inevitably lose that credit. These players are not robots. We know even before the season starts that some of them will gain and others lose. If other players within the squad are training well, then I must consider them seriously.
We can't say that anyone in this squad hasn't been involved. Because of the Europa League and injuries, everyone has had their chance. No one can say they didn't get their chance. The reason why I'm saying now the credit has run out is to mobilise the players, put them on red alert if you like. There's no more: "We're going to do it next week." It has to be now. That's the message I want to get across. I'm not suggesting that everyone will lose their place in the team but I am no longer saying: "I'm not worried, it will come." I am worried.
What I am saying is: "It's time to mobilise yourselves. Do it — and do it now. Don't be too casual, too calm."
In training they are not like this, they care — but you have to do it in a game. At the moment the confidence is low. That is to be expected. When we concede, we sink down. Against Southampton, they scored in the 41st minute and then created more chances in the four minutes before half-time than they had done in the rest of the first half. We have had our meetings but talking can only go so far. I will never give up but, now, we have to do it. On Monday, I said to our captain Mark Noble: "Why don't you all go out? You are off tomorrow. Have a meal, a few beers."
Generally it was good and a lot of time it helps. Okay, I've seen some stories about one or two of our players maybe staying out longer than others and we will deal with that after the Middlesbrough game. When you are not doing well there seems to be many of these stories. I understand that. There was another one this week about players' children at the training ground.
I am tempted to give a two-word reply to that but if my mother in Croatia saw it, she wouldn't be happy. Seriously, come on. I know how it works with these stories, though. It was the same for Chelsea last year, for Newcastle, for Manchester City, a few Italian and German clubs as well. When it happens to them, you might think about it for a few minutes and ask yourself: "What is happening there?" When it happens to you, though, it is a little different. Last season there were more kids at the training ground at Chadwell Heath, so that's it. The bottom line is that your methods are great — when you are winning. If you are not, your methods come under question. You are either too strict, or too soft. If you are winning, you are good because you are strict or good because you are friendly with them. I want to say, though, that these things are my responsibility and I take it. These kind of stories don't keep me awake at night but do they affect me? Yes, for a few minutes. The only way you can stop these things are by starting to win matches and there are three reasons why, I believe, we will: Training — the players are doing well, they remain hungry, they know the situation, they want to change it — they are a good bunch. We have some players coming back from injury.
It is still early and it is not so hard to catch up. We can't keep waiting, though. It has to be now.
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West Ham United v Middlesbrough
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2016
By: Preview Percy
Whatever it is Preview Percy drinks when he writes these previews, he assures us that he has a "therapeutic use exemption" for it. You may wish to apply for one yourself before reading any further...
Next up we play host to Middlesbrough. It's a Saturday 3pm kick-off which is just how it should be of course. Travel? Well the bad news is that all the stuff that is going on in and out of Liverpool Street, including replacement buses to Newbury Park, will still be going on. Worse still, if you come in from east of Pitsea on C2C be prepared for diversions and replacement buses between Pitsea and Upminster. If you left the ground early last week you might just wish you had stayed put.
So Boro' then. They have 5 points from 6 games so far leaving them two points and two places above our good selves. All their points thus far came in the first three games which consisted of a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke, a 2-1 win in the "other" North East derby at Sunderland and the world's least surprising 0-0 draw at West Brom. Since then they have lost their last three at home to Palace & Spurs (both 1-2) and away at Everton (3-1). They were also knocked out of the League Cup 2-1 at Fulham. So they have a few things to think about then.
Of course this time last year they were in the Championship having been relegated in 2008-09. Their promotion last season, which was achieved by virtue of their finishing in second place on 89 points, four points behind champions Burnley. They were there or thereabouts for most of the season though it wasn't all plain sailing. Manager Aitor Karanka is said to have had a bit of a contretemps with club owner Steve Gibson over none other than Stewart Downing. Now Downing's a bit of a favourite up there, not least with Gibson. However, it seems that Karanka doesn't share the general enthusiasm for the player that abounds on Teeside. Things came to a head in March when a frank exchange of views between chairman and manager took place at the club's training ground. Convention dictates that any disagreement that takes place on a training ground should be referred to as a "bust-up". At the end of the bust-up it looked as if Karanka would be on his bike as assistant Steve Agnew took charge of the team for the trip to Charlton, a match that they somehow contrived to lose 2-1 against a team destined for relegation with a whimper. The result may or may not have had something to do with the fact that on the Monday hands were shaken, backs were patted and bygones allowed to be bygones and Karanka returned to lead the team to second place. In a neat spot of predictive processing by the fixture computer (or more likely, by fluke) their last game of the season saw them play Brighton with whom they were level on points, carrying a two goal goal difference advantage. The 1-1 draw thus saw them promoted on goal difference.
According to the work experience girl wearing the Department S t-shirt without knowing who they are, the promotion gave us a bit of a windfall as the Downing deal provided for an add-on payment of a reported £1m to be paid should they get promoted. Hurrah. Whatever Karanka's misgivings about the player – and with the exception of one or two matches I myself could never quite see what all the fuss was about – that particular hatchet would seem to have been buried as Downing has started all 6 league games this season.
The biggest fee shelled out this summer was the £12m that went out on Dutch midfielder Marten de Roon who is probably known as "Wayne" to his mates. He came in from Atalanta where he had spent just the one season following three years with Heerenveen. Although he got 36 matches under his belt with Atalanta last season It seems the new boss didn't fancy him and the lure of Middlesbrough's lights (red, amber , green) proved too great to resist.
Between the sticks they brought in veteran custodian Victor Valdes from our old friends FC Unattached, with whom he had been training since the expiry of his contract with Moan Utd. He spent much of his time at Old Trafford on the naughty step having fallen out with management after refusing to play in a reserve match. The latter part of last season was spent on loan in Belgium which surely counts as cruel and inhuman punishment. Standard Liege were the beneficiaries before he signed for Boro' this summer on becoming a free agent. Clearly Belgium must be worse than I thought. Valdes is one of those chaps with two countries on his international appearances list. To his 20 Spanish caps he can add a further 12 for his native Catalonia which, like Scotland and Wales, isn't a proper country. Unlike Scotland and Wales they don't have FIFA membership so don't get to play with the big boys that often.
For once, the work experience girl's t-shirt this week is, in fact, quite apt given that another £3m (or, if you prefer €5m) went on another "Vic" in the form of Dane Viktor Fischer. Danish Vic's early days were spent with that club with the typing error for a name that Winston Reid used to play for. However, there is some sort of Danish connection with Ajax, who have sourced many players from that part of the world over the years and Fischer ended up completing his youth career in Amsterdam. He then spent four years in the first XI before Boro' swooped during the last window. Variously described as an attacking midfielder or a winger he's now into double figures for Danish caps.
They also pulled in a new right-back in the form of Spaniard Antonio Barragan. This is in fact Barragan's second spell in England. As an 18-year-old he raised a few eyebrows when Liverpool nicked him from the Seville youth set-up, despite him not having ever played for Southampton as far as anyone could tell. He managed just the one first XI outing for the scousers – in a so-called Champions League qualifier – before returning to Spain where, following shorter stints with Deportivo La Corunna and Valledolid he pitched up at Valencia. He spent 5 years there, a particular highlight coming in scoring in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid that brought a 22 match unbeaten run to a conclusion and wiped that silly smug grin off Christiano Ronaldo's boat. At 29, and with his last international recognition coming at U21 level 9 years ago, it's probably fair to say that he's not going to be bothering the compilers of international tournament sticker albums any time soon.
One of the more notable arrivals was that of Alvaro Negredo who came in on loan from Valencia. Negredo might be remembered for his spell with Man City in which he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 1st leg win in the League Cup semi-final a couple of years ago. I forget against who. Clearly stunned by having been present during the Gary Neville reign at Valencia someone has persuaded him that Middlesbrough is a good place to be so here he is. He opened his account for the season in the season-opener against Stoke.
They also spent £2m on Cardiff full-back Fabio. He first came to prominence when on Moan Utd's books alongside his twin brother Rafael. Fabio appears to have been the lesser of the talents in the family, and while his brother is plying his trade in France with Lyon, Fabio ended up at QPR on loan before ending up in Wales. He's been struggling with a knee injury of late though he's on the list as being ready for a return this weekend.
Elsewhere it's been quite a week hasn't it. Football managers on the take? Who'd have thought it? You'll be telling me next that (Name of well-known football personality removed for legal reasons) had been known to (nature of accusation removed for legal reasons) with his dog as signatory. As for the former England manager, well the theory goes that as a player during an era when the rewards were so much lower it must be galling to see bog standard players becoming multi-millionaires hence his rather sad chasing of a pound note at every possible opportunity. The reported million pound pay-off is a bit of an insult though – that's the sort of deal that should get whoever agreed it at the FA put away here in the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered. Only we're full.
Us? Well last week was a complete and utter shambles. I knew it was going to be a bad day when the rest home's "Happy Bus" picked us up to go to the match. Our journey was blighted by the appearance of that short bloke who helps run this site on the radio. Like most right-thinking people I wanted to kick in the "Happy Bus" windows when I heard his know-nothing ramblings. Since it was on the BBC I suggested to Matron that she should withhold the Rest Home's TV licence for this year but she just coughed a bit and changed the subject.
Since then they've had a crisis meeting and been out on a bonding session which ended up either with either a quiet night in with some cocoa or like something like the last days of Gomorrah depending on who you care to believe. Frankly if they stop buggering about in defence during matches and start winning games they can stay up as late as they like as far as I'm concerned. Maybe even as late as eleven.
Team news and Nordveidt will be absent, this putting a dent in his quest to play in all eleven positions in as short a time as possible. We are told that his absence will be due to a "small procedure". The last time I had one of those I (nature of procedure removed for reasons of taste).
Apart from that we'll be pretty much left with the same squad that depressed us so much last weekend, though the injury situation should ease after the break. Unless of course our luck continues on its current trajectory and pick up even more knocks over the coming week or two.
Prediction. Well things were so bad last week that I am tempted to draw on that old phrase "things can only get better". However, I was then reminded that that particular song got used in the 1997 general election and subsequent events proved how wrong that title could be. Nevertheless, I do have a feeling about this one – and it's not the result of that small procedure I mentioned earlier. They are on a bit of a streak of their own at the moment and, let's face it, something has got to start going right for us eventually by the law of averages. So I will be taking the £2.50 we had collected towards Sam Allardyce's retirement fund here at the Swan And Superinjunction and I will be placing it on a 2-0 home win, once the windows have been repaired on the Happy Bus so I can get down to Winstones The Turf Accountants to place the bet.
Enjoy the game!
When last we met at the Boleyn: Drew 1-1 (Championship March 2013). Not much of a game to remember. Faye opened the scoring but we failed to press home the advantage, presumably under instruction not to go forward in case we surrendered the lead. So that we surrendered the lead to an 84th minute drive from Ogbeche. We also endured the statutory turning down of a stonewall penalty. Just to show some things never change.
Referee: Neil Swarbick. When he sent off the wrong player last season one of the papers said that Premier League referees would be "coming under scrutiny" due to their poor performances. Well Daily Telegraph what are you waiting for?
Danger Man: Stewart Downing The law of the ex and all that.
Percy's Poser: Last week we asked you for the name of the alcohol-free beer advertised by Lawrie McMenemy shortly before his arrest for drink-driving. The first correct answer out of the digital hat was provided by Mrs Ursula Macfisheries of East Tilbury who told us "it was called Barbican and McMenemy's catchphrase was 'it's great mon'. Needless to say, it wasn't" Mrs Macfisheries wins a lifetime supply of the product.
For this week's poser we look North East. The fine tv programme Auf Wiedersehen Pet is generally associated with Newcastle but part of series three was actually set in Middlesbrough. Our question is: why did the BBC have to broadcast a disclaimer caption at the end of that series? The first correct answer out of the digital hat will win a genuine can of Middlesbrough Smog (well we'll give you the empty can and satnav directions to Teeside anyway).
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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LOAN WATCH – THE SEASON SO FAR
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 12:29AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
The Hammers have a record breaking 11 players out on loan this season but in truth only 3 of those are regular starters for the teams that they have been loaned out to with Reece Burke on the sidelines at present with an injury.
Josh Cullen, Lewis Page and Josh Pask have all been playing regularly for Bradford City, Coventry City and Gillingham respectively in League One and doing very well by all accounts.
Young Irish International Cullen has once again performed admirably since his return to the Bantams, scoring a goal and notching two assists along with 2 or 3 Man of the Match performances to date. Page and Pask have also been praised on numerous occasions by their respective management teams and fanbases alike.
On the other side of the coin Stephen Hendrie hasn't been named in the Blackburn Rovers first team squad in the last month for any of their league games whilst the other West Ham loanee at Ewood Park, Martin Samuelsen, has played a grand total of 7 minutes of Championship football in September since his season long loan move there.
Young defender/defensive midfielder, George Dobson has suffered a similar fate at Walsall. George has actually remained on the bench this month without stepping onto the pitch at all.
Kyle Knoyle who had a very good loan spell at Dundee United last season, playing the majority of their games towards the end of the season, suffered a serious elbow injury during pre-season and has yet to recover, so he is currently still on the sidelines at Wigan Athletic beside Reece Burke who will miss the next month after a hernia operation.
Young Serbian attacker, Luka Belic has yet to make the Motherwell first team squad after joining the Scottish Premier League side on deadline day.
Enner Valencia has yet to start his first league game for Everton since his loan move to Goodison but he did start the game against Norwich City in the EFL Cup last week in which the Championship side upset the odds with a 2-0 win away from home.
Another player that doesn't seem to have much luck on the injury front hasn't yet appeared for his new team either. Doneil Henry joined AC Horsens of the Danish Superliga last month but a knee injury has kept him on the sidelines until recently where he was an unused sub against Winston Reid's former team FC Midtjylland.
Whilst the Hammers brass are sure to be happy with the fact that players like Cullen, Page and Pask are playing as regularly as they are, I'm pretty sure they wont be too impressed that other young players out on loan such as Hendrie, Samuelsen and Dobson are receiving very little playing time at all. Unfortunately under the new FIFA regulations regarding emergency loans, each of those players will have to stay with their respective clubs until January at the earliest and cannot be loaned anywhere else until the window re-opens.
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DAILY NEWS: ANTONIO COULD HAVE BEEN SPURS AND INJURIES TO RETURN!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 9:41PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Daily News Roundup from @IronsNews:
Social media reports Andy Carroll and Darren Randolph were drunk on Tuesday, after a team bonding meal on Monday night. On the matter, Bilic said: "I spoke to the chairman. After the game, at the start of next week, we are going to talk about it and if necessary we are going to act. But if you are asking who's idea it was it was my idea, completely. I told them to do that, for me it's a good thing to do, not every week but in a great situation or a bad situation it's good to stick together and its a good thing to do. It's good for team building and that's it."
Finally some good news for West Ham as Slaven Bilic's side are handed triple injury boost
West Ham have received a welcome injury boost as they look to bounce back from their torrid start to the new season. Aaron Cresswell, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho are all progressing well and should be back in action soon. 'He gave me my first opportunity so I'm definitely sad but you've just got to move on, that's how it is in football.' 'The manager I really like and who's done well over the years, I' d say Alan Pardew, I was with him at Southampton and I think he's a quality manager, I think he'd do well as England manager,' Antonio told ITV London.
West Ham searching for 'One good result'
"One good result can change the whole season. We cannot think it is just going to happen. We need to earn it. I am concerned and it has been a bad start," Bilic told reporters on Thursday. "But with one win we can build everything back with a win over Middlesbrough over Saturday."
Spurs wanted Antonio in their academy after spotting him as a youngster. But Mrs Antonio didn't want her son trekking from their south west London home to Spurs' north London training base. "In hindsight it's definitely made me better as a player. It's made me more hungry, it's made me want to go out… it's made me eager and I'm never satisfied."
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PL2 side prepare to begin cup defence
WHUFC.com
West Ham United PL2 start the defence of their Premier League Cup title away at Leicester City
The Hammers won the crown last year, beating Hull City in the final in May
Saturday's match is being held at Loughborough University (1pm kick-off)
West Ham United PL2 begin the defence of their Premier League Cup crown on Saturday as they travel to Leicester City in Group E.
The Hammers go into the match off the back of a 0-0 stalemate at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in Premier League 2 on Monday, but midfielder Marcus Browne believes the team will show what a good side they are this weekend.
The match is being held at Loughborough University (1pm kick-off) with Terry Westley's men beginning the defence of the title they won last season with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Hull City.
"We've got a bit of a point to prove, to prove the win wasn't luck and we are a good team and a good club," said midfielder Marcus Browne.
"The changing room is happy and we're looking forward to getting our defence started on Saturday."
Westley was full of praise for his side on Monday night in the draw with the Seagulls, saying they played with a style and identity.
The PL2 boss was keen to stress if the Hammers continue to perform in the same manner and add a touch of ruthlessness, they will achieve more success.
"I often say to coaches, if you can play with a style, panache and an identity, you're half way there," said Westley.
"We didn't create enough in the first half (v Brighton) but if we continue to work at it on the training ground, the goals will come.
Westley was also delighted to see Djair Parfitt-Williams back out on the field against the South Coast side – his first appearance since pre-season.
The winger had been missing through injury but made his first league start of the campaign. He'll also be set to feature in the cup tie with the Foxes on Saturday.
"Brighton was Djair's first game since pre-season so it's great that he got 45 minutes under his belt. He really needs a good three or four games into him before he gets back to full match fitness."
The Premier League Cup (Group E) match between West Ham United PL2 vs Leicester City kicks off at 1pm on Saturday from Loughborough University.
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Eamonn Dolan memorial match announced
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2016
By: Staff Writer
Exeter City have announced details of a one-off memorial match in honour of former coach Eamonn Dolan.
Dolan, who began his career at West Ham under John Lyall in the 1980s died earlier this year at the age of just 48 following a long and brave battle against cancer.
And earlier this week it was announced that a charity match will be staged by Exeter City in honour of Dolan, a former player and manager of theirs.
Scheduled for 1pm on Sunday, October 23. entry to the game is by donation with a suggested gift of £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s and seniors.
Watch Dolan's three goals for West Ham United here
Fans also have the chance to play alongside their former heroes as two playing spots are available in the game at £250 per head.
Anyone interested in playing in the match should contact Barry Full (fullsbarry@gmail.com). Sponsorship opportunitiesare also available. For more information contact Mark Jenkins (mark.jenkins@ecfc.co.uk) or by phoning 07966 144430.
Exeter have confirmed that some former West Ham stars are set to feature (deatils to be confirmed) along with a number of ex-Grecian stars including Sean Devine and Steve Flack
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West Ham's Simone Zaza compared to DENNIS BERGKAMP by boss Slaven Bilic as poor start frustrates fans
22:30, 30 SEP 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
Italy striker hasn't scored yet in four games but it was the same for Arsenal's Dutch wizard and many Premier League newcomers, points out the Hammers manager
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic has defended West Ham 's capture of £25million striker Simone Zaza and their summer sale of James Tomkins. Bilic insists he still has faith in Italy international Zaza — despite his poor start to his career in the Premier League. The Hammers paid an initial £5m loan fee to take the 25-year-old from Serie A champions Juventus last month, with a further £20m due if he joins on a permanent basis next summer. However, Zaza has left fans underwhelmed with his performances so far, failing to score in his first four appearances. It has even sparked suggestions the club could pull the plug on his loan deal in January, with AC Milan keen to take him back to Serie A. But Bilic said: "He is definitely a good player who came from a big club to a new country. New players need time. If we go back and think about Dennis Bergkamp, who needed – I don't know – a year? "It is quite common with even the best players from abroad. Plus, Zaza wasn't a regular there and didn't have match fitness. It takes time sometimes and unfortunately we don't have that time."
West Ham sit in the bottom three ahead of Saturday's game at home to Middlesbrough . Promoted Boro haven't won in five in all competitions, but the Hammers are even worse — losing five of the six opening Premier League games for the first time ever. West Ham are also investigating claims some of their players were drunk in public on Tuesday morning, but manager Bilic maintains he is focused solely on the three points. Regarding Tomkins, the Croatian claimed the player forced his transfer to London rivals Crystal Palace. He added: "I told you in the beginning the situation with Tomkins. "It was never me or the club that wanted to sell him. James wanted to play week in, week out. I rated him a lot as a guy and as a player. "I used him a lot last year and he played many games for us. But when he wasn't the first choice, he found it very hard in a nice and sporting way. Not in a bad way. "That is the reason. I hate to sell. "For me it was always the plan to play local players – West Ham academy players, then London-based players, then English, then British. Then, if we can't find that, we go abroad. Tomkins is local.
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West Ham v Middlesbrough preview: Hammers and Boro target return to winning ways
Last Updated: 30/09/16 11:20am
SSN
West Ham and Middlesbrough will look to put a torrid September behind them when they face each other at London Stadium on Saturday. Slaven Bilic's West Ham failed to win a Premier League game in September, while build-up to this match was dominated by allegations Andy Carroll and Darren Randolph were drunk after a sanctioned night out. Bilic admitted he urged the players to enjoy some time off together, with the club currently struggling in 18th position in the table. Boro meanwhile have lost three games in a row following an unbeaten league run in August, most recently falling to a Heung-Min Son double against Tottenham last weekend.
Team news
Bilic confirmed Havard Nordtveit is doubtful to face Boro, and Andre Ayew remains sidelined for another three to four weeks through injury. Aaron Cresswell will return to training on Monday and is likely to feature for the Hammers after the international break.
Head coach Aitor Karanka has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash. For Middlesbrough, club captain Grant Leadbitter (hernia) is progressing well but remains out for the game.
Karanka also confirmed Fabio (knee) and James Husband (shoulder) have returned to training but the pair are likely to be eased back into action.
Opta stats
Alvaro Negredo has scored five goals in four appearances in all competitions against the Hammers, although all five goals arrived in the EFL Cup.
West Ham have lost five of their opening six top-flight games in a season for the first time in their history.
Boro have lost their last five Premier League away games in London and have won only two of their last 22 trips to the capital (D3 L17).
Since the start of April, West Ham have conceded 19 home goals, more than any other Premier League team in that period.
Middlesbrough have not scored more than once in an away league game at West Ham since a 2-1 win in April 1989, netting four goals in 14 games since.
West Ham have lost all four Premier League games Dimitri Payet has appeared in this season - he only lost six games in the whole of 2015-16.
Victor Valdes has played six Premier League games (two for Man Utd, four for Middlesbrough) and has never been on the winning side.
Merson's prediction
This is the type of game that makes Super 6 very difficult! You just don't know. This could be any score either way. West Ham are really struggling, their defence is all over the place and they are not playing to the standards they were last season. It was bad business to sell James Tomkins. He might not be the difference, but he makes a difference. He can play at centre-half or full-back, he is comfortable on the ball and at the moment they have no defenders. They sold him for just £10m, it wasn't a huge fee. Middlesbrough are lacking pace and have become a bit predictable. But if they can turn in a performance like they did in the second half against Tottenham last week when the game was lost, then they have more of a chance. It's a really tough one to call.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)
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West Ham vs Middlesbrough: Team news, kick-off time, probable line-ups, odds and stats for the Premier League clash
Norwegian Havard Nordtveit is West Ham's latest injury absentee
Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has no fresh injury concerns
Fabio da Silva has missed the last four but is available for selection
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 11:05, 30 September 2016 | UPDATED: 11:05, 30 September 2016
Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for West Ham's home clash with Middlesbrough...
West Ham vs Middlesbrough (London Stadium)
Team news
West Ham
Havard Nordtveit is West Ham's latest injury absentee ahead of the visit of Middlesbrough. The versatile midfielder underwent a small medical procedure on Wednesday and will be out for a week. Left-backs Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku and forwards Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho remain on the sidelines.
Provisional squad: Adrian, Randolph, Arbeloa, Byram, Reid, Collins, Ogbonna, Oxford, Kouyate, Obiang, Fernandes, Noble, Payet, Lanzini, Antonio, Feghouli, Tore, Zaza, Fletcher, Calleri.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to West Ham. Fabio da Silva has missed the last four games with a knee problem, but is available for selection once again, while fellow full-back James Husband is also back in training after dislocating a shoulder in pre-season. That means only midfielder Grant Leadbitter is still missing, and he could return to the training pitch within weeks with his recovery from hernia surgery progressing more quickly than expected.
Provisional squad: Valdes, Guzan, Chambers, Friend, Barragan, Nsue, Da Silva, Ayala, Gibson, Espinosa, De Roon, Clayton, Ramirez, Forshaw, Downing, Stuani, Fischer, De Sart, Traore, Negredo, Nugent, Rhodes.
WEST HAM VS MIDDLESBROUGH
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Managers:
Slaven Bilic (West Ham)
Aitor Karanka (Middlesbrough)
Head-to-head league record:
West Ham wins 17
Draws 5
Middlesbrough wins 7
Recent league form (latest result first):
West Ham: LLLLW
Middlesbrough: LLLDW
Key match stats (supplied by Opta)
West Ham United have won their last seven Premier League home games against Middlesbrough; only versus Blackburn (9) have they recorded a longer winning streak at home.
Alvaro Negredo has scored five goals in four appearances (all comps) against the Hammers, although all five goals arrived in the EFL Cup (0 in 2 apps in the PL).
West Ham have lost five of their opening six top-flight games in a season for the first time in their history.
Boro have lost their last five Premier League away games in London and have won only two of their last 22 trips to the nation's capital (D3 L17).
Since the start of April, West Ham have conceded 19 home goals, more than any other Premier League team in that period.
Middlesbrough's haven't scored more than once in an away league game at West Ham since a 2-1 win in April 1989, netting four goals in 14 games since.
The Hammers have allowed their opposition 32 shots on target from inside the penalty area in the Premier League this season, more than 14 teams have allowed in total.
Alvaro Negredo has scored in only one of his last 18 Premier League appearances.
West Ham have lost all four Premier League games Dimitri Payet has appeared in this season – he only lost six games in the whole of 2015-16.
Víctor Valdés has played six Premier League games (two for Man Utd, four for Middlesbrough) and has never been on the winning side.
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Hammers need big Boro performance to wake London Stadium slumber
ESPN
Slaven Bilic admits his West Ham side are well below par. Common sense and logic suggest it should happen rarely, but followers of the Premier League know it occurs with alarming regularity in football. Every season a team generally considered to be "too good to struggle" ends up in the relegation mire, as the wheels come off in spectacular fashion. The downfall is depressingly similar. It starts in a small way, with something seemingly insignificant; a loss of form, board level issues, rumours of dressing room spats; then escalates to a couple of alarming defeats, before transcending into a pitiful spiral that no-one seems able to stop. All the while the players claim it's not the manager; that their job is to play football and what happens off the field doesn't affect them. As the drama unfolds into a crisis and someone blames someone else, everyone secretly wonders just how they got into the mess in the first place.
Sadly, no strangers to this, West Ham United have seen it all before. This season, the catalyst seems to be the new stadium. A ground that generally got a thumbs up when fans excitedly entered to see the Hammers defeat FC Domzale in the Europa League back in early August, has now turned into a soulless monster that is sucking the life out of the club. Of course, it may always have been a vacuum -- it's difficult to find anyone who thinks the move was right just now -- but be assured that any current assessment is entirely down to a series of horrendous defeats. At least one of those defeats -- a 4-2 mauling against West Brom -- took place in the West Midlands, but once in a spin, details become unimportant.
Take Mark Noble after the awful 3-0 drubbing by Southampton. "When we play at Upton Park..." he started in an interview, seemingly unaware that he was using the wrong tense, suggesting the Stratford move was, perhaps, just a temporary measure. The anger, hurt and look of frustration was palpable sure, but there was more. The haunted look of someone who isn't sure what the problem is, nor why it's getting worse.
Slaven Bilic has strangely worn the same look since the first game and if body language is anything to go by, then Hammers fans need to hold on for a bumpy ride. Quite what started this nobody seems to know, but sensible talk about the failure to get a right-back or strengthen a creaking defence in the summer doesn't seem to enter into it. Perhaps the manager spent too much time as a pundit at Euro 2016; there's certainly a sense he wasn't prepared for the new campaign.
West Ham supporters are growing frustrated with the team's poor performances this season. What's needed to stop the spiral now is an antidote to all this; something positive, something to hang on to. At the moment that thing seems to be a clean sheet. Under normal circumstances -- whatever they are at West Ham -- a home game against a newly promoted club might be seen as a chance to grab a vital three points before the international break. This season however, Bilic needs to try and sort himself and his defence out and put in a performance that at least assures the crowd that waiting until the January transfer window isn't the only solution.
A point against Middlesbrough at home might seem a small expectation but if there's a solid defensive performance to go along with it, then it will definitely be taken as a positive.
During the break, Bilic can try and regroup and stop the rot, but that will best be done with an encouraging display. If there's to be one then it needs to begin against Aitor Karanka and his men. Something to get the crowd enthused may not be the solution to all the problems at the London Stadium but it would surely be a start.
Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is ESPN FC's West Ham blogger.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
When and where?
West Ham United v Middlesbrough
Premier League
London Stadium
Saturday 1 October 2016, 3pm BST
What's the story?
West Ham United will be looking for a boost going into the international break when they host Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday.
A run of four straight defeats in the league has left Slaven Bilic's men 18th in the table, with three points from their opening six games.
Back-to-back losses at London Stadium – to Watford and Southampton – mean the Hammers need to get back on track at home against Boro, with two weeks between fixtures following this one.
Middlesbrough, who include former Hammer Stewart Downing in their ranks, ended a seven-year spell in the Championship with promotion last term, finishing runners-up to Burnley.
Under manager Aitor Karanka, Boro were beaten play-off finalists the year before and were rewarded for their steady improvement last term.
This season, they began with an unbeaten run of three games, drawing with Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, and defeating Sunderland in the Tees-Wear derby.
However, a sequence of three defeats has followed, with Crystal Palace, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur all getting the better of the Riverside Stadium side.
They currently sit 16th in the table with five points.
Team news
The Hammers will be without Havard Nordtveit, after he underwent a small medical procedure this week.
He joins Andre Ayew, Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho on the sidelines, although both Cresswell and Carroll are due to return after the international break.
For Middlesbrough, winger Adama Traore is pushing for a start after impressing from the bench against Tottenham.
Defender Fabio Da Silva is back in training and could feature at London Stadium.
Any links between the two?
Yes! Stewart Downing rejoined his hometown club in the summer of 2015 after two seasons with the Hammers.
The England winger scored seven goals in 79 games for West Ham, before returning to Middlesbrough, where he began his career.
Elsewhere, Sofiane Feghouli played with Boro duo Alvaro Negredo and Antonio Barragan at Valencia.
The teams last met in the Hammers' Championship play-off winning season in 2011/12, drawing 1-1 at the Boleyn Ground after West Ham triumphed 2-0 in the north east.
How can I get to the game?
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How can I watch the game?
The match is not being broadcast live in the UK, but you can follow all the action on whufc.com. We've got live audio commentary, in-running stats, photos and more. Get involved in the conversation on social using #WHUMID
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Hammers receive international calls
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's large band of international players will be in action for their respective nations during the October break.
FIFA 2018 qualifiers will take place across the globe, with as many of 13 Hammers potentially involved in Europa, Africa and South America.
The second round of European qualifiers will kick-off on Thursday 6 October, with Darren Randolph, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Simone Zaza, Adrian and Gokhan Tore all set for duty.
Randolph's Republic of Ireland will try to build on their opening 2-2 draw in Serbia when they host Georgia in Dublin in Group D, before heading for their third qualifier in Moldova on Sunday 9 October.
In the same group, Collins earned his 50th cap in the opening 4-0 win over Moldova in Cardiff and will hope to add to his tally when Chris Coleman's side travel to Austria on Thursday before hosting Georgia on 9 October.
Ogbonna and Zaza could both be involved as Italy host Adrian's Spain in a mouth-watering Group G clash in the pair's old home, Juventus Stadium in Turin, on Thursday. Following that, the Azzurri head for FYR Macedonia on 9 October, while Spain travel to Albania. Italy won their opening qualifier 3-1 in Israel, while Spain thrashed Liechtenstein 8-0. The final squads will be confirmed this weekend.
In Group I, Tore's Turkey drew 1-1 in Croatia in their opening tie, and will next host Ukraine in Konya on 6 October before traveling to Reykjavik to tackle Euro 2016 stars Iceland on 9 October. Turkey's final squad is yet to be confirmed.
Dimitri Payet's France continue their Group A challenge on Thursday 7 October, when they welcome Bulgaria the Stade de France in Paris. Les Bleus, who drew 0-0 in Belarus in September, then travel to Amsterdam to tackle the Netherlands on Monday 10 October.
Havard Nordtveit will miss Norway's Group C fixtures in Azerbaijan on Friday 8 October and home to San Marino on Tuesday 11 October, but Martin Samuelsen, on loan at Blackburn Rovers, could be involved. Norway opened with a 3-0 home defeat by Germany in Oslo.
Completing the European slate of fixtures, Michail Antonio and England host Malta at Wembley on 8 October before heading to Slovenia on 11 October. The Three Lions, who have yet to confirm their final squad, won 1-0 in Slovakia in their first tie.
In Africa, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal kick-off their Round 1 Group D campaign by welcoming Cape Verde Islands to Dakar on 8 October. The group is completed by Burkina Faso and South Africa.
Sofiane Feghouli's Algeria also begin their challenge in a fearsome-looking Group B when they host Cameroon in Bilda on 9 October. The group also includes Nigeria and Zambia.
In South America, Enner Valencia, who is on loan at Everton, and Ecuador host Chile in Quito on 6 October before travelling to Bolivia on 11 October.
Away from World Cup qualifiers, Winston Reid's New Zealand have two eye-catching friendly matches to play in Nashville, Tennessee. The first is against Mexico on 8 October, followed by a meeting with the United States on 11 October.
Finally, at senior level, Doneil Henry, on loan at Danish club AC Horsens, travel to Mauritania and Morroco for friendly internationals on 7 and 11 October respectively.
At age-group level, Edimilson Fernandes (Switzerland U21), on-loan Bradford City midfielder Josh Cullen (Republic of Ireland U21), Reece Oxford (England U20), Nathan Trott (England U19), Declan Rice (Republic of Ireland U19), Domingos Quina (Portugal U19), Conor Coventry (Republic of Ireland U17), Rihard Matrevics (Latvia U19) and Malyk Hamilton (Canada U18) have also received call-ups for a selection of qualifiers, international tournaments and friendly internationals.
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Byram - This is a massive chance for us
WHUFC.com
Sam Byram is no stranger to being under pressure and feels well equipped to deal with the current situation at West Ham United. The Hammers are currently in the bottom three and with five defeats from the opening six Premier League games, Byram knows the importance of seeing the Hammers get back on the winning trail when they face Middlesbrough on Saturday and feels all the players will have a major point to prove. The 23-year-old was thrown into the deep end when he made his debut for Leeds United and faced a number of battles during his time at Elland Road. Byram feels that experience has made him a stronger character and given him the belief that he can produce his best form in the Premier League. Byram said: "You hear it a lot with players who go to Leeds and struggle to cope with the pressure. "But I played there for three seasons and enjoyed my time there and got used to that pressure. It is something you have to take in your stride and you have to deal with it. "It is something that has helped me massively with the big move to West Ham and being able to play in front of a bigger crowd who have high expectations for the season. "This is a massive chance for us to turn things around. We have been working on things during the week and will take that into the game.
"From seeing the week of training we have had I can say the lads have the hunger to get the win and there is no doubt there will be 100 per cent effort at the weekend."
It has been well documented that the players held a meeting at the start of the week to address the situation and Byram feels it has helped bring the team together even more. The talented full-back has no doubts there is enough quality in the squad to see them move away from the foot of the table and hopes a victory on Saturday will help turn their season around.
Byram added: "We all know the situation is not great at the moment but we had a positive meeting and with a couple of good results we could be mid-table because the table is so tight at the moment. "This is not the best position for us to be in, but this is the start of the season and we will keep the confidence and will keep working hard in training. "We know the victories will come because we have got so much quality and the passion and the hunger to get the points. "The crowd can play a massive part and if they are behind us and cheering everything, it lifts the players massively. "It is a squad full of big characters and players who have performed all over the world. It is part of the game and you get bad times in football but it is about staying strong mentally and being able to overcome that."
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Five Talking Points - Middlesbrough
WHUFC.com
The hot topics for discussion ahead of Middlesbrough's Premier League visit to London Stadium on Saturday afternoon...
Positive approach needed
Everyone who has spoken publicly since last weekend's 3-0 home Premier League defeat by Southampton – Board, manager, current and former players – has stated the need for West Ham United to remain positive. The Hammers may be on a run of four straight defeats, but they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves if they are to climb the table sooner rather than later. Prior to the season, West Ham would have targeted three points from this home fixture with newly-promoted Boro, and recent results should not change the mindset of those in Claret and Blue. This remains a very winnable fixture.
Something's got to give
While West Ham's recent form has been nothing to write home about, with four straight Premier League defeats in the books, Middlesbrough have also struggled for positive results since opening 2016/17 with five points from three matches. Boro lost all three Premier League games in September, with 2-1 defeats at the Riverside Stadium by Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur bookending a 3-1 loss at Everton, so confidence will not be high in the visitors' dressing room on Saturday. With neither club collecting a single point in the month, both will hope to start October with a morale-boosting victory.
Key man
While West Ham may have struggled collectively this season, Dimitri Payet remains key to their hopes of turning things around sooner rather than later. The France playmaker has continued to create chances, making 3.8 key passes per game in his four Premier League appearances so far – third in the top flight behind Chelsea's Willian and Liverpool's Roberto Firmino. Those passes have helped him chalk up three assists in just 293 minutes of action – two for Michail Antonio against Watford and a third for the same player at West Bromwich Albion – to put him joint-second in the Premier League standings behind Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne. Payet is also unleashing 3.8 shots per game on average, good enough for fourth in the league behind Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho.
Battle of the Spanish stoppers
Saturday's fixture could come down to which Spanish goalkeeper performs best – West Ham United's Adrian or Middlesbrough's Victor Valdes. Adrian, who will hope to be included in Spain's squad for their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers with Italy and Albania, has made a joint-Premier League high 24 saves in six appearances this season, and looked to be back to his best against Southampton last Sunday. The experienced Valdes, who signed for Boro this summer following spells with Barcelona and Manchester United, has been far less busy, making eight saves in four appearances, but has still conceded an average of two goals-per-game. The battle of the Spanish stoppers could go a long way to deciding who comes out on top at London Stadium.
Downing's return
Finally, Stewart Downing is set to face West Ham for the first time since leaving east London to return home in summer 2015. Some eyebrows were raised when the England international swapped the Premier League for the Championship, but Downing's self-stated hope of being involved in a promotion battle came true last season. Now 32, the Middlesbrough-born winger remains an important player for the club where he started his career 15 years ago, and Hammers fans will be wary of his elusive running and ability to deliver quality and shoot accurately with either foot.
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U18s full of confidence ahead of visit to Chelsea
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's travel to Chelsea on Saturday (11am kick-off)
The Hammers have won their last two matches scoring eight goals in the process
Mark Phillips says his team are full of confidence going into the match
Mark Phillips says his team are relishing the prospect of a battle with London rivals Chelsea this Saturday in the U18 Premier League South Division. The young Hammers are brimming with confidence after two successive victories against Fulham and, most recently, Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend. However, Phillips believes that Chelsea will present a completely different proposition compared to the Hammer's two previous opponents, but said his team are more than up to the task. "Chelsea will think they can outpass us and outscore us and have the lion's share of possession but we're also confident in ourselves," said the U18s assistant manager. "They'll set up in their own way and won't change their style no matter who their playing against. They move the ball around really well in midfield. It should be a good encounter and it's one that me and the boys are looking forward to."
The Hammers strong form over the last few weeks is thanks in large to striker Jahmal Hector-Ingram, who scored a hat-trick against Fulham and twice against Brighton. The 17-year-old's form is no surprise to Phillips who expects him to continue his purple patch in the games to come. "Jahmal's love to score in bunches. Once he's confident and on a roll, he'll score lots for us," he added. "It's five in two for him now and that's not a bad record to have so hopefully he can continue that against Chelsea."
The U18s travel to west London without their tricky No7 Dan Kemp who's earned his place Terry Westley's PL2 squad to face Leicester City in the Premier League Cup. Phillips' team kick-off their league fixture with Chelsea at 11am on Saturday at Cobham Training Ground.
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Feghouli - I am representing the Algerian people
WHUFC.com
Algeria hero Sofiane Feghouli is the cover star for Saturday's 100-page Official Programme for the Premier League visit of Middlesbrough.
The winger talks about his summer move to West Ham United, his pride at representing his national side and relishing the challenge of facing former Valencia teammates Antonio Barragan and Alvaro Negredo, who are now with Boro.
The No7 could make his first Premier League start for the Hammers on Saturday before jetting off to represent his country in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier with Cameroon next week, and the player himself knows the importance of performing well in both fixtures.
"I know that when I play abroad that I am representing the Algerian people," said Feghouli, who will also represent his nation at the African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon in early 2017. "They are back in Algeria supporting me and so I always try to give my best to give the best impression possible of Algeria and to make my fellow countrymen and women proud.
"The Algerian national game has never been as strong as it is today and we have a very talented squad. We have been playing together for a couple of seasons and we are maturing as a team. Hopefully, this will show on the pitch in the upcoming tournaments, especially during the African Cup of Nations next year."
Elsewhere in Saturday's issue, fans can find out more about the star-studded FIFA 17 launch, which was held at London Stadium this week and featured West Ham's very own eSports star Sean 'Dragonn' Allen.
Interview-wise, former player and lifelong Hammer Ian Pearce shares stories of his career and first visit to London Stadium, Ian 'Moose' Abrahams chats to Boro-supporting Olympic table tennis star Paul Drinkhall and new England U19 goalkeeper Nathan Trott talks about his eventful career history.
Supporters can also find out more about Saturday's visitors Middlesbrough and read exclusive columns penned by Joint-Chairman David Sullivan, manager Slaven Bilic and captain Mark Noble.
Fans will also be able to collect the latest four stickers for their Hammers Heroes Sticker Album, which was given away free with the Official Programme issued for the AFC Bournemouth fixture in August.
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Steinberg - Slaven could change the system
WHUFC.com
Guardian football writer Jacob Steinberg believes Slaven Bilic is ready to make some important changes to the system for the game against Middlesbrough on Saturday and hopes it will be a turning point for the Club as they look to turn their season around.
With the Hammers suffering five defeats from their opening six league games, Steinberg knows the importance of the Hammers getting back on the winning trail before the international break takes place.....
Despite the situation that West Ham are in, I still thought Slaven came across really well during the press conference and had a good sense of humour. He is obviously trying to remain positive.
He was fairly honest about the meeting which took place after the Southampton game clearly he knows it is not working at the moment.
That is not just from a defensive point of view, but also a collective point of view as well.
At least he is not under any illusions about what is going on at the moment.
If they play like they did against Southampton last weekend, then Middlesbrough will have a very good chance of winning the game.
It really depends what kind of response they will have at the weekend and I will be very interested to see what team Slaven names for the game.
Will he change the formation because if you analyse what he said during the press conference, he said he has spent a lot of time thinking about the system which suggests he could be considering a change.
Maybe Payet could move into the middle and will this be the game that Feghouli get his first Premier League start?
Even giving someone like Zaza more support upfront could be another option.
I look at someone like Pedro Obiang who does not get much of a chance from the substitutes bench.
The defence might not be playing well but it is a collective issue and there is a case for adding a bit more steel to the midfield.
I think the West Ham fans should be concerned by what is going on at the moment. I think they have got a good squad of players, but you can say the same back in 2003.
They went down that year with 42 points so these things can run away with you.
If they don't get a victory on Saturday, they will then face two weeks of negativity over the international break before another difficult game against Crystal Palace who are playing pretty well at the moment and have a striker in form.
They then face Sunderland which is huge and a difficult run after that.
The top teams have improved so you need to start winning games against the likes of Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
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West Ham United v Middlesbrough
SAT, 01 OCT 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he will give "almost" the same squad that lost at home to Southampton a chance of redemption this weekend. Havard Nordtveit will miss the game following a minor medical procedure, while Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho remain out.
Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore is pushing for a start after an impressive cameo against Tottenham. Defender Fabio Da Silva is back in training and could feature.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce: "West Ham's new home seems badly disconnected with their fans, and their season is desperate on all fronts. "They've lost five of their opening six league games of a season for the first time ever. They are reportedly investigating claims that players were drunk this week. Their signing of Enner Valencia may now face probes after the Sam Allardyce allegations. "Boro also look troubled. Three defeats on the spin, just five shots on target away and only two wins in 22 trips to London. The Hammers need a redemptive win to calm concerns but it's crucial for both sides."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on a club-sanctioned night out on Monday: "The team bonding was completely my idea. I told Mark Noble to take the guys out and go for a meal. "I am totally concentrated on the game on Saturday. It is good for us all to stick together and good for team building." Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka: "We need to improve our performances. We are learning but we have to learn quickly. When we play in our intensity and our style, and with the right attitude, we will win games. "The players need to know that we can compete, but we must compete from the first minute."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
The Hammers looked all over the show at the back against Southampton last week. But Boro are probably the perfect team for them to play at the moment, because they don't pose much of an attacking threat - they have had the fewest shots per game on average of any Premier League team so far this season.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have won their last seven Premier League home games against Middlesbrough. It's their second longest winning streak against a Premier League opponent: they won nine in a row against Blackburn. Middlesbrough have not scored more than once in an away league game at West Ham since a 2-1 victory in April 1989, managing only four goals in 14 subsequent games.
West Ham United
West Ham have lost five of their opening six matches of a league season for the first time.
They could lose five consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since May 2011.
Slaven Bilic's side have conceded as many as 16 goals in their opening six games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1967-68, when they let in 18.
The Hammers have conceded at least two goals in 13 of their last 16 league matches, letting in 36 goals overall.
Dimitri Payet has lost all four Premier League games he has been involved in this season - he only lost six games in the whole of 2015-16.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough have won only one of their last 12 Premier League matches (D4, L7).
Boro have lost their last five Premier League away games in London.
Alvaro Negredo has scored in only one of his last 18 Premier League appearances.
Víctor Valdes has played six Premier League games (two for Manchester United, four for Middlesbrough) and never been on the winning side.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-0 Probability of draw: 23%
Probability of home win: 60% Probability of away win: 17%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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West Ham's Slaven Bilic: It hurts when I look in the mirror, it hurts when I look at the Premier League table
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard
I have been told that I looked very "down" in interviews after the defeat by Southampton. Well, yes, I was "down" but how am I supposed to be? I don't think there is a problem if a manager is like that after his team have lost, especially four times in a row. The defeat did hurt, so why should I pretend that it didn't? It hurt me personally, totally. It hurts me when I look at the Premier League table, it hurts me when I look in the mirror. What is the point of smiling? Does that make me a brave leader? I am a leader and I am very brave but I hurt after a defeat. Most of the managers are the same. It doesn't mean I have lost my faith or determination — on the contrary – but we lost again and I don't like it. It hurt me. I can hide it, I can pretend but what is the benefit? Yes, I was "down" but it didn't drag on. I was ready to do my job soon after and prepare for the next game, which is Middlesbrough tomorrow.
In every team the players don't always start from zero. It helps the manager to know, from previous experiences, what your players can do on the pitch, what is their capacity. After a good season, you remember what every player did to bring you to that position and that helps you set the goals and standards for the following season. It enables you to set the bar higher. That is why, on paper, the players here have the credit. When, however, things are not going well, some of those players inevitably lose that credit. These players are not robots. We know even before the season starts that some of them will gain and others lose. If other players within the squad are training well, then I must consider them seriously.
We can't say that anyone in this squad hasn't been involved. Because of the Europa League and injuries, everyone has had their chance. No one can say they didn't get their chance. The reason why I'm saying now the credit has run out is to mobilise the players, put them on red alert if you like. There's no more: "We're going to do it next week." It has to be now. That's the message I want to get across. I'm not suggesting that everyone will lose their place in the team but I am no longer saying: "I'm not worried, it will come." I am worried.
What I am saying is: "It's time to mobilise yourselves. Do it — and do it now. Don't be too casual, too calm."
In training they are not like this, they care — but you have to do it in a game. At the moment the confidence is low. That is to be expected. When we concede, we sink down. Against Southampton, they scored in the 41st minute and then created more chances in the four minutes before half-time than they had done in the rest of the first half. We have had our meetings but talking can only go so far. I will never give up but, now, we have to do it. On Monday, I said to our captain Mark Noble: "Why don't you all go out? You are off tomorrow. Have a meal, a few beers."
Generally it was good and a lot of time it helps. Okay, I've seen some stories about one or two of our players maybe staying out longer than others and we will deal with that after the Middlesbrough game. When you are not doing well there seems to be many of these stories. I understand that. There was another one this week about players' children at the training ground.
I am tempted to give a two-word reply to that but if my mother in Croatia saw it, she wouldn't be happy. Seriously, come on. I know how it works with these stories, though. It was the same for Chelsea last year, for Newcastle, for Manchester City, a few Italian and German clubs as well. When it happens to them, you might think about it for a few minutes and ask yourself: "What is happening there?" When it happens to you, though, it is a little different. Last season there were more kids at the training ground at Chadwell Heath, so that's it. The bottom line is that your methods are great — when you are winning. If you are not, your methods come under question. You are either too strict, or too soft. If you are winning, you are good because you are strict or good because you are friendly with them. I want to say, though, that these things are my responsibility and I take it. These kind of stories don't keep me awake at night but do they affect me? Yes, for a few minutes. The only way you can stop these things are by starting to win matches and there are three reasons why, I believe, we will: Training — the players are doing well, they remain hungry, they know the situation, they want to change it — they are a good bunch. We have some players coming back from injury.
It is still early and it is not so hard to catch up. We can't keep waiting, though. It has to be now.
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West Ham United v Middlesbrough
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2016
By: Preview Percy
Whatever it is Preview Percy drinks when he writes these previews, he assures us that he has a "therapeutic use exemption" for it. You may wish to apply for one yourself before reading any further...
Next up we play host to Middlesbrough. It's a Saturday 3pm kick-off which is just how it should be of course. Travel? Well the bad news is that all the stuff that is going on in and out of Liverpool Street, including replacement buses to Newbury Park, will still be going on. Worse still, if you come in from east of Pitsea on C2C be prepared for diversions and replacement buses between Pitsea and Upminster. If you left the ground early last week you might just wish you had stayed put.
So Boro' then. They have 5 points from 6 games so far leaving them two points and two places above our good selves. All their points thus far came in the first three games which consisted of a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke, a 2-1 win in the "other" North East derby at Sunderland and the world's least surprising 0-0 draw at West Brom. Since then they have lost their last three at home to Palace & Spurs (both 1-2) and away at Everton (3-1). They were also knocked out of the League Cup 2-1 at Fulham. So they have a few things to think about then.
Of course this time last year they were in the Championship having been relegated in 2008-09. Their promotion last season, which was achieved by virtue of their finishing in second place on 89 points, four points behind champions Burnley. They were there or thereabouts for most of the season though it wasn't all plain sailing. Manager Aitor Karanka is said to have had a bit of a contretemps with club owner Steve Gibson over none other than Stewart Downing. Now Downing's a bit of a favourite up there, not least with Gibson. However, it seems that Karanka doesn't share the general enthusiasm for the player that abounds on Teeside. Things came to a head in March when a frank exchange of views between chairman and manager took place at the club's training ground. Convention dictates that any disagreement that takes place on a training ground should be referred to as a "bust-up". At the end of the bust-up it looked as if Karanka would be on his bike as assistant Steve Agnew took charge of the team for the trip to Charlton, a match that they somehow contrived to lose 2-1 against a team destined for relegation with a whimper. The result may or may not have had something to do with the fact that on the Monday hands were shaken, backs were patted and bygones allowed to be bygones and Karanka returned to lead the team to second place. In a neat spot of predictive processing by the fixture computer (or more likely, by fluke) their last game of the season saw them play Brighton with whom they were level on points, carrying a two goal goal difference advantage. The 1-1 draw thus saw them promoted on goal difference.
According to the work experience girl wearing the Department S t-shirt without knowing who they are, the promotion gave us a bit of a windfall as the Downing deal provided for an add-on payment of a reported £1m to be paid should they get promoted. Hurrah. Whatever Karanka's misgivings about the player – and with the exception of one or two matches I myself could never quite see what all the fuss was about – that particular hatchet would seem to have been buried as Downing has started all 6 league games this season.
The biggest fee shelled out this summer was the £12m that went out on Dutch midfielder Marten de Roon who is probably known as "Wayne" to his mates. He came in from Atalanta where he had spent just the one season following three years with Heerenveen. Although he got 36 matches under his belt with Atalanta last season It seems the new boss didn't fancy him and the lure of Middlesbrough's lights (red, amber , green) proved too great to resist.
Between the sticks they brought in veteran custodian Victor Valdes from our old friends FC Unattached, with whom he had been training since the expiry of his contract with Moan Utd. He spent much of his time at Old Trafford on the naughty step having fallen out with management after refusing to play in a reserve match. The latter part of last season was spent on loan in Belgium which surely counts as cruel and inhuman punishment. Standard Liege were the beneficiaries before he signed for Boro' this summer on becoming a free agent. Clearly Belgium must be worse than I thought. Valdes is one of those chaps with two countries on his international appearances list. To his 20 Spanish caps he can add a further 12 for his native Catalonia which, like Scotland and Wales, isn't a proper country. Unlike Scotland and Wales they don't have FIFA membership so don't get to play with the big boys that often.
For once, the work experience girl's t-shirt this week is, in fact, quite apt given that another £3m (or, if you prefer €5m) went on another "Vic" in the form of Dane Viktor Fischer. Danish Vic's early days were spent with that club with the typing error for a name that Winston Reid used to play for. However, there is some sort of Danish connection with Ajax, who have sourced many players from that part of the world over the years and Fischer ended up completing his youth career in Amsterdam. He then spent four years in the first XI before Boro' swooped during the last window. Variously described as an attacking midfielder or a winger he's now into double figures for Danish caps.
They also pulled in a new right-back in the form of Spaniard Antonio Barragan. This is in fact Barragan's second spell in England. As an 18-year-old he raised a few eyebrows when Liverpool nicked him from the Seville youth set-up, despite him not having ever played for Southampton as far as anyone could tell. He managed just the one first XI outing for the scousers – in a so-called Champions League qualifier – before returning to Spain where, following shorter stints with Deportivo La Corunna and Valledolid he pitched up at Valencia. He spent 5 years there, a particular highlight coming in scoring in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid that brought a 22 match unbeaten run to a conclusion and wiped that silly smug grin off Christiano Ronaldo's boat. At 29, and with his last international recognition coming at U21 level 9 years ago, it's probably fair to say that he's not going to be bothering the compilers of international tournament sticker albums any time soon.
One of the more notable arrivals was that of Alvaro Negredo who came in on loan from Valencia. Negredo might be remembered for his spell with Man City in which he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 1st leg win in the League Cup semi-final a couple of years ago. I forget against who. Clearly stunned by having been present during the Gary Neville reign at Valencia someone has persuaded him that Middlesbrough is a good place to be so here he is. He opened his account for the season in the season-opener against Stoke.
They also spent £2m on Cardiff full-back Fabio. He first came to prominence when on Moan Utd's books alongside his twin brother Rafael. Fabio appears to have been the lesser of the talents in the family, and while his brother is plying his trade in France with Lyon, Fabio ended up at QPR on loan before ending up in Wales. He's been struggling with a knee injury of late though he's on the list as being ready for a return this weekend.
Elsewhere it's been quite a week hasn't it. Football managers on the take? Who'd have thought it? You'll be telling me next that (Name of well-known football personality removed for legal reasons) had been known to (nature of accusation removed for legal reasons) with his dog as signatory. As for the former England manager, well the theory goes that as a player during an era when the rewards were so much lower it must be galling to see bog standard players becoming multi-millionaires hence his rather sad chasing of a pound note at every possible opportunity. The reported million pound pay-off is a bit of an insult though – that's the sort of deal that should get whoever agreed it at the FA put away here in the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered. Only we're full.
Us? Well last week was a complete and utter shambles. I knew it was going to be a bad day when the rest home's "Happy Bus" picked us up to go to the match. Our journey was blighted by the appearance of that short bloke who helps run this site on the radio. Like most right-thinking people I wanted to kick in the "Happy Bus" windows when I heard his know-nothing ramblings. Since it was on the BBC I suggested to Matron that she should withhold the Rest Home's TV licence for this year but she just coughed a bit and changed the subject.
Since then they've had a crisis meeting and been out on a bonding session which ended up either with either a quiet night in with some cocoa or like something like the last days of Gomorrah depending on who you care to believe. Frankly if they stop buggering about in defence during matches and start winning games they can stay up as late as they like as far as I'm concerned. Maybe even as late as eleven.
Team news and Nordveidt will be absent, this putting a dent in his quest to play in all eleven positions in as short a time as possible. We are told that his absence will be due to a "small procedure". The last time I had one of those I (nature of procedure removed for reasons of taste).
Apart from that we'll be pretty much left with the same squad that depressed us so much last weekend, though the injury situation should ease after the break. Unless of course our luck continues on its current trajectory and pick up even more knocks over the coming week or two.
Prediction. Well things were so bad last week that I am tempted to draw on that old phrase "things can only get better". However, I was then reminded that that particular song got used in the 1997 general election and subsequent events proved how wrong that title could be. Nevertheless, I do have a feeling about this one – and it's not the result of that small procedure I mentioned earlier. They are on a bit of a streak of their own at the moment and, let's face it, something has got to start going right for us eventually by the law of averages. So I will be taking the £2.50 we had collected towards Sam Allardyce's retirement fund here at the Swan And Superinjunction and I will be placing it on a 2-0 home win, once the windows have been repaired on the Happy Bus so I can get down to Winstones The Turf Accountants to place the bet.
Enjoy the game!
When last we met at the Boleyn: Drew 1-1 (Championship March 2013). Not much of a game to remember. Faye opened the scoring but we failed to press home the advantage, presumably under instruction not to go forward in case we surrendered the lead. So that we surrendered the lead to an 84th minute drive from Ogbeche. We also endured the statutory turning down of a stonewall penalty. Just to show some things never change.
Referee: Neil Swarbick. When he sent off the wrong player last season one of the papers said that Premier League referees would be "coming under scrutiny" due to their poor performances. Well Daily Telegraph what are you waiting for?
Danger Man: Stewart Downing The law of the ex and all that.
Percy's Poser: Last week we asked you for the name of the alcohol-free beer advertised by Lawrie McMenemy shortly before his arrest for drink-driving. The first correct answer out of the digital hat was provided by Mrs Ursula Macfisheries of East Tilbury who told us "it was called Barbican and McMenemy's catchphrase was 'it's great mon'. Needless to say, it wasn't" Mrs Macfisheries wins a lifetime supply of the product.
For this week's poser we look North East. The fine tv programme Auf Wiedersehen Pet is generally associated with Newcastle but part of series three was actually set in Middlesbrough. Our question is: why did the BBC have to broadcast a disclaimer caption at the end of that series? The first correct answer out of the digital hat will win a genuine can of Middlesbrough Smog (well we'll give you the empty can and satnav directions to Teeside anyway).
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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LOAN WATCH – THE SEASON SO FAR
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 12:29AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
The Hammers have a record breaking 11 players out on loan this season but in truth only 3 of those are regular starters for the teams that they have been loaned out to with Reece Burke on the sidelines at present with an injury.
Josh Cullen, Lewis Page and Josh Pask have all been playing regularly for Bradford City, Coventry City and Gillingham respectively in League One and doing very well by all accounts.
Young Irish International Cullen has once again performed admirably since his return to the Bantams, scoring a goal and notching two assists along with 2 or 3 Man of the Match performances to date. Page and Pask have also been praised on numerous occasions by their respective management teams and fanbases alike.
On the other side of the coin Stephen Hendrie hasn't been named in the Blackburn Rovers first team squad in the last month for any of their league games whilst the other West Ham loanee at Ewood Park, Martin Samuelsen, has played a grand total of 7 minutes of Championship football in September since his season long loan move there.
Young defender/defensive midfielder, George Dobson has suffered a similar fate at Walsall. George has actually remained on the bench this month without stepping onto the pitch at all.
Kyle Knoyle who had a very good loan spell at Dundee United last season, playing the majority of their games towards the end of the season, suffered a serious elbow injury during pre-season and has yet to recover, so he is currently still on the sidelines at Wigan Athletic beside Reece Burke who will miss the next month after a hernia operation.
Young Serbian attacker, Luka Belic has yet to make the Motherwell first team squad after joining the Scottish Premier League side on deadline day.
Enner Valencia has yet to start his first league game for Everton since his loan move to Goodison but he did start the game against Norwich City in the EFL Cup last week in which the Championship side upset the odds with a 2-0 win away from home.
Another player that doesn't seem to have much luck on the injury front hasn't yet appeared for his new team either. Doneil Henry joined AC Horsens of the Danish Superliga last month but a knee injury has kept him on the sidelines until recently where he was an unused sub against Winston Reid's former team FC Midtjylland.
Whilst the Hammers brass are sure to be happy with the fact that players like Cullen, Page and Pask are playing as regularly as they are, I'm pretty sure they wont be too impressed that other young players out on loan such as Hendrie, Samuelsen and Dobson are receiving very little playing time at all. Unfortunately under the new FIFA regulations regarding emergency loans, each of those players will have to stay with their respective clubs until January at the earliest and cannot be loaned anywhere else until the window re-opens.
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DAILY NEWS: ANTONIO COULD HAVE BEEN SPURS AND INJURIES TO RETURN!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 9:41PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Daily News Roundup from @IronsNews:
Social media reports Andy Carroll and Darren Randolph were drunk on Tuesday, after a team bonding meal on Monday night. On the matter, Bilic said: "I spoke to the chairman. After the game, at the start of next week, we are going to talk about it and if necessary we are going to act. But if you are asking who's idea it was it was my idea, completely. I told them to do that, for me it's a good thing to do, not every week but in a great situation or a bad situation it's good to stick together and its a good thing to do. It's good for team building and that's it."
Finally some good news for West Ham as Slaven Bilic's side are handed triple injury boost
West Ham have received a welcome injury boost as they look to bounce back from their torrid start to the new season. Aaron Cresswell, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho are all progressing well and should be back in action soon. 'He gave me my first opportunity so I'm definitely sad but you've just got to move on, that's how it is in football.' 'The manager I really like and who's done well over the years, I' d say Alan Pardew, I was with him at Southampton and I think he's a quality manager, I think he'd do well as England manager,' Antonio told ITV London.
West Ham searching for 'One good result'
"One good result can change the whole season. We cannot think it is just going to happen. We need to earn it. I am concerned and it has been a bad start," Bilic told reporters on Thursday. "But with one win we can build everything back with a win over Middlesbrough over Saturday."
Spurs wanted Antonio in their academy after spotting him as a youngster. But Mrs Antonio didn't want her son trekking from their south west London home to Spurs' north London training base. "In hindsight it's definitely made me better as a player. It's made me more hungry, it's made me want to go out… it's made me eager and I'm never satisfied."
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PL2 side prepare to begin cup defence
WHUFC.com
West Ham United PL2 start the defence of their Premier League Cup title away at Leicester City
The Hammers won the crown last year, beating Hull City in the final in May
Saturday's match is being held at Loughborough University (1pm kick-off)
West Ham United PL2 begin the defence of their Premier League Cup crown on Saturday as they travel to Leicester City in Group E.
The Hammers go into the match off the back of a 0-0 stalemate at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in Premier League 2 on Monday, but midfielder Marcus Browne believes the team will show what a good side they are this weekend.
The match is being held at Loughborough University (1pm kick-off) with Terry Westley's men beginning the defence of the title they won last season with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Hull City.
"We've got a bit of a point to prove, to prove the win wasn't luck and we are a good team and a good club," said midfielder Marcus Browne.
"The changing room is happy and we're looking forward to getting our defence started on Saturday."
Westley was full of praise for his side on Monday night in the draw with the Seagulls, saying they played with a style and identity.
The PL2 boss was keen to stress if the Hammers continue to perform in the same manner and add a touch of ruthlessness, they will achieve more success.
"I often say to coaches, if you can play with a style, panache and an identity, you're half way there," said Westley.
"We didn't create enough in the first half (v Brighton) but if we continue to work at it on the training ground, the goals will come.
Westley was also delighted to see Djair Parfitt-Williams back out on the field against the South Coast side – his first appearance since pre-season.
The winger had been missing through injury but made his first league start of the campaign. He'll also be set to feature in the cup tie with the Foxes on Saturday.
"Brighton was Djair's first game since pre-season so it's great that he got 45 minutes under his belt. He really needs a good three or four games into him before he gets back to full match fitness."
The Premier League Cup (Group E) match between West Ham United PL2 vs Leicester City kicks off at 1pm on Saturday from Loughborough University.
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Eamonn Dolan memorial match announced
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2016
By: Staff Writer
Exeter City have announced details of a one-off memorial match in honour of former coach Eamonn Dolan.
Dolan, who began his career at West Ham under John Lyall in the 1980s died earlier this year at the age of just 48 following a long and brave battle against cancer.
And earlier this week it was announced that a charity match will be staged by Exeter City in honour of Dolan, a former player and manager of theirs.
Scheduled for 1pm on Sunday, October 23. entry to the game is by donation with a suggested gift of £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s and seniors.
Watch Dolan's three goals for West Ham United here
Fans also have the chance to play alongside their former heroes as two playing spots are available in the game at £250 per head.
Anyone interested in playing in the match should contact Barry Full (fullsbarry@gmail.com). Sponsorship opportunitiesare also available. For more information contact Mark Jenkins (mark.jenkins@ecfc.co.uk) or by phoning 07966 144430.
Exeter have confirmed that some former West Ham stars are set to feature (deatils to be confirmed) along with a number of ex-Grecian stars including Sean Devine and Steve Flack
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West Ham's Simone Zaza compared to DENNIS BERGKAMP by boss Slaven Bilic as poor start frustrates fans
22:30, 30 SEP 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
Italy striker hasn't scored yet in four games but it was the same for Arsenal's Dutch wizard and many Premier League newcomers, points out the Hammers manager
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic has defended West Ham 's capture of £25million striker Simone Zaza and their summer sale of James Tomkins. Bilic insists he still has faith in Italy international Zaza — despite his poor start to his career in the Premier League. The Hammers paid an initial £5m loan fee to take the 25-year-old from Serie A champions Juventus last month, with a further £20m due if he joins on a permanent basis next summer. However, Zaza has left fans underwhelmed with his performances so far, failing to score in his first four appearances. It has even sparked suggestions the club could pull the plug on his loan deal in January, with AC Milan keen to take him back to Serie A. But Bilic said: "He is definitely a good player who came from a big club to a new country. New players need time. If we go back and think about Dennis Bergkamp, who needed – I don't know – a year? "It is quite common with even the best players from abroad. Plus, Zaza wasn't a regular there and didn't have match fitness. It takes time sometimes and unfortunately we don't have that time."
West Ham sit in the bottom three ahead of Saturday's game at home to Middlesbrough . Promoted Boro haven't won in five in all competitions, but the Hammers are even worse — losing five of the six opening Premier League games for the first time ever. West Ham are also investigating claims some of their players were drunk in public on Tuesday morning, but manager Bilic maintains he is focused solely on the three points. Regarding Tomkins, the Croatian claimed the player forced his transfer to London rivals Crystal Palace. He added: "I told you in the beginning the situation with Tomkins. "It was never me or the club that wanted to sell him. James wanted to play week in, week out. I rated him a lot as a guy and as a player. "I used him a lot last year and he played many games for us. But when he wasn't the first choice, he found it very hard in a nice and sporting way. Not in a bad way. "That is the reason. I hate to sell. "For me it was always the plan to play local players – West Ham academy players, then London-based players, then English, then British. Then, if we can't find that, we go abroad. Tomkins is local.
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West Ham v Middlesbrough preview: Hammers and Boro target return to winning ways
Last Updated: 30/09/16 11:20am
SSN
West Ham and Middlesbrough will look to put a torrid September behind them when they face each other at London Stadium on Saturday. Slaven Bilic's West Ham failed to win a Premier League game in September, while build-up to this match was dominated by allegations Andy Carroll and Darren Randolph were drunk after a sanctioned night out. Bilic admitted he urged the players to enjoy some time off together, with the club currently struggling in 18th position in the table. Boro meanwhile have lost three games in a row following an unbeaten league run in August, most recently falling to a Heung-Min Son double against Tottenham last weekend.
Team news
Bilic confirmed Havard Nordtveit is doubtful to face Boro, and Andre Ayew remains sidelined for another three to four weeks through injury. Aaron Cresswell will return to training on Monday and is likely to feature for the Hammers after the international break.
Head coach Aitor Karanka has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash. For Middlesbrough, club captain Grant Leadbitter (hernia) is progressing well but remains out for the game.
Karanka also confirmed Fabio (knee) and James Husband (shoulder) have returned to training but the pair are likely to be eased back into action.
Opta stats
Alvaro Negredo has scored five goals in four appearances in all competitions against the Hammers, although all five goals arrived in the EFL Cup.
West Ham have lost five of their opening six top-flight games in a season for the first time in their history.
Boro have lost their last five Premier League away games in London and have won only two of their last 22 trips to the capital (D3 L17).
Since the start of April, West Ham have conceded 19 home goals, more than any other Premier League team in that period.
Middlesbrough have not scored more than once in an away league game at West Ham since a 2-1 win in April 1989, netting four goals in 14 games since.
West Ham have lost all four Premier League games Dimitri Payet has appeared in this season - he only lost six games in the whole of 2015-16.
Victor Valdes has played six Premier League games (two for Man Utd, four for Middlesbrough) and has never been on the winning side.
Merson's prediction
This is the type of game that makes Super 6 very difficult! You just don't know. This could be any score either way. West Ham are really struggling, their defence is all over the place and they are not playing to the standards they were last season. It was bad business to sell James Tomkins. He might not be the difference, but he makes a difference. He can play at centre-half or full-back, he is comfortable on the ball and at the moment they have no defenders. They sold him for just £10m, it wasn't a huge fee. Middlesbrough are lacking pace and have become a bit predictable. But if they can turn in a performance like they did in the second half against Tottenham last week when the game was lost, then they have more of a chance. It's a really tough one to call.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)
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West Ham vs Middlesbrough: Team news, kick-off time, probable line-ups, odds and stats for the Premier League clash
Norwegian Havard Nordtveit is West Ham's latest injury absentee
Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has no fresh injury concerns
Fabio da Silva has missed the last four but is available for selection
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 11:05, 30 September 2016 | UPDATED: 11:05, 30 September 2016
Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for West Ham's home clash with Middlesbrough...
West Ham vs Middlesbrough (London Stadium)
Team news
West Ham
Havard Nordtveit is West Ham's latest injury absentee ahead of the visit of Middlesbrough. The versatile midfielder underwent a small medical procedure on Wednesday and will be out for a week. Left-backs Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku and forwards Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho remain on the sidelines.
Provisional squad: Adrian, Randolph, Arbeloa, Byram, Reid, Collins, Ogbonna, Oxford, Kouyate, Obiang, Fernandes, Noble, Payet, Lanzini, Antonio, Feghouli, Tore, Zaza, Fletcher, Calleri.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to West Ham. Fabio da Silva has missed the last four games with a knee problem, but is available for selection once again, while fellow full-back James Husband is also back in training after dislocating a shoulder in pre-season. That means only midfielder Grant Leadbitter is still missing, and he could return to the training pitch within weeks with his recovery from hernia surgery progressing more quickly than expected.
Provisional squad: Valdes, Guzan, Chambers, Friend, Barragan, Nsue, Da Silva, Ayala, Gibson, Espinosa, De Roon, Clayton, Ramirez, Forshaw, Downing, Stuani, Fischer, De Sart, Traore, Negredo, Nugent, Rhodes.
WEST HAM VS MIDDLESBROUGH
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Managers:
Slaven Bilic (West Ham)
Aitor Karanka (Middlesbrough)
Head-to-head league record:
West Ham wins 17
Draws 5
Middlesbrough wins 7
Recent league form (latest result first):
West Ham: LLLLW
Middlesbrough: LLLDW
Key match stats (supplied by Opta)
West Ham United have won their last seven Premier League home games against Middlesbrough; only versus Blackburn (9) have they recorded a longer winning streak at home.
Alvaro Negredo has scored five goals in four appearances (all comps) against the Hammers, although all five goals arrived in the EFL Cup (0 in 2 apps in the PL).
West Ham have lost five of their opening six top-flight games in a season for the first time in their history.
Boro have lost their last five Premier League away games in London and have won only two of their last 22 trips to the nation's capital (D3 L17).
Since the start of April, West Ham have conceded 19 home goals, more than any other Premier League team in that period.
Middlesbrough's haven't scored more than once in an away league game at West Ham since a 2-1 win in April 1989, netting four goals in 14 games since.
The Hammers have allowed their opposition 32 shots on target from inside the penalty area in the Premier League this season, more than 14 teams have allowed in total.
Alvaro Negredo has scored in only one of his last 18 Premier League appearances.
West Ham have lost all four Premier League games Dimitri Payet has appeared in this season – he only lost six games in the whole of 2015-16.
Víctor Valdés has played six Premier League games (two for Man Utd, four for Middlesbrough) and has never been on the winning side.
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Hammers need big Boro performance to wake London Stadium slumber
ESPN
Slaven Bilic admits his West Ham side are well below par. Common sense and logic suggest it should happen rarely, but followers of the Premier League know it occurs with alarming regularity in football. Every season a team generally considered to be "too good to struggle" ends up in the relegation mire, as the wheels come off in spectacular fashion. The downfall is depressingly similar. It starts in a small way, with something seemingly insignificant; a loss of form, board level issues, rumours of dressing room spats; then escalates to a couple of alarming defeats, before transcending into a pitiful spiral that no-one seems able to stop. All the while the players claim it's not the manager; that their job is to play football and what happens off the field doesn't affect them. As the drama unfolds into a crisis and someone blames someone else, everyone secretly wonders just how they got into the mess in the first place.
Sadly, no strangers to this, West Ham United have seen it all before. This season, the catalyst seems to be the new stadium. A ground that generally got a thumbs up when fans excitedly entered to see the Hammers defeat FC Domzale in the Europa League back in early August, has now turned into a soulless monster that is sucking the life out of the club. Of course, it may always have been a vacuum -- it's difficult to find anyone who thinks the move was right just now -- but be assured that any current assessment is entirely down to a series of horrendous defeats. At least one of those defeats -- a 4-2 mauling against West Brom -- took place in the West Midlands, but once in a spin, details become unimportant.
Take Mark Noble after the awful 3-0 drubbing by Southampton. "When we play at Upton Park..." he started in an interview, seemingly unaware that he was using the wrong tense, suggesting the Stratford move was, perhaps, just a temporary measure. The anger, hurt and look of frustration was palpable sure, but there was more. The haunted look of someone who isn't sure what the problem is, nor why it's getting worse.
Slaven Bilic has strangely worn the same look since the first game and if body language is anything to go by, then Hammers fans need to hold on for a bumpy ride. Quite what started this nobody seems to know, but sensible talk about the failure to get a right-back or strengthen a creaking defence in the summer doesn't seem to enter into it. Perhaps the manager spent too much time as a pundit at Euro 2016; there's certainly a sense he wasn't prepared for the new campaign.
West Ham supporters are growing frustrated with the team's poor performances this season. What's needed to stop the spiral now is an antidote to all this; something positive, something to hang on to. At the moment that thing seems to be a clean sheet. Under normal circumstances -- whatever they are at West Ham -- a home game against a newly promoted club might be seen as a chance to grab a vital three points before the international break. This season however, Bilic needs to try and sort himself and his defence out and put in a performance that at least assures the crowd that waiting until the January transfer window isn't the only solution.
A point against Middlesbrough at home might seem a small expectation but if there's a solid defensive performance to go along with it, then it will definitely be taken as a positive.
During the break, Bilic can try and regroup and stop the rot, but that will best be done with an encouraging display. If there's to be one then it needs to begin against Aitor Karanka and his men. Something to get the crowd enthused may not be the solution to all the problems at the London Stadium but it would surely be a start.
Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is ESPN FC's West Ham blogger.
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