Manning delighted with win over WBA
WHUFC.com
West Ham United PL2 ran out 2-1 winners over West Bromwich Albion on Monday
night
The result moves the Hammers up to third in Premier League 2 Division 2
Assistant manager Liam Manning was delighted with the performance
PL2 assistant manager Liam Manning praised his side's commitment and desire
as they battled to a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Chigwell
Construction Stadium. The Hammers cruised to a 2-0 first half lead thanks
to an own goal from Baggies defender Jack Fitzwater and a header from Ashley
Fletcher. Dara O'Shea rifled home from the edge of the box in stoppage time
but it wasn't enough as the Hammers leapfrogged their opponents to third in
Premier League 2 Division 2. "We knew it was going to be a tough game
tonight. They (West Brom) are doing well in the league and have some good
players, but our lads really stepped up tonight," said Manning. "It wasn't
the prettiest of games but the lads were resolute, dug in and stuck together
as a team all night long so I'm delighted with how the lads did tonight."
Manager Terry Westley welcomed First Team stars Jonathan Calleri and Ashley
Fletcher to the starting eleven and there was also a return to PL2 action
for Martin Samuelsen. The Norwegian has been on loan at Blackburn Rovers
this season, but did not feature in their match at the weekend so came into
a fresh-looking Hammers PL2 line up. Westley's men got off to the perfect
start when Fletcher turned brilliantly in the penalty area and crossed, only
for Fitzwater to knock the ball into his own net. The Hammers controlled the
rest of the first half and doubled their lead on the half hour mark when
Fletcher headed in Calleri's inviting cross. In the second half, West Brom
tried to force the issue but came up against a brick wall of a defence in
the form of Sam Westley, Alex Pike, Declan Rice and Vashon Neufville. The
home side had chances to add to their lead through Marcus Browne, who forced
a great save from Albion keeper Jack Rose on the hour mark, and Calleri, who
twice went close. The visitors did score a late consolation after O'Shea's
powerful drive, but it was the Hammers who moved up to third in the league
table with the victory. "There's a big emphasis on development and how the
lads perform and sticking to our philosophy. But we do it because we want to
win," added Manning. "I don't think you'll find anybody who doesn't want to
win, staff included. It will be nice to finish up there, so we can build on
the (Premier League) Cup win last year."
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Fletcher hails important PL2 win
WHUFC.com
Ashley Fletcher was on the scoresheet as West Ham United PL2 beat West
Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Monday evening
The Hammers are now up to third in Premier League 2 Division 2 after their
second win in a row.
Fletcher afterwards said he was very happy to get 90 minutes under his belt
Ashley Fletcher hailed the importance of West Ham United PL2's victory over
West Bromwich Albion, as it saw the Hammers go above their opponents in the
league standings. Fletcher was on the scoresheet as a new-look PL2 line-up
cruised to a 2-0 lead inside half an hour. The Hammers No9 for the evening
created the first and headed in the second before West Brom's Dara O'Shea
scored a consolation goal from long range to make the final score 2-1. The
21-year-old was an unused substitute for Slaven Bilic in Saturday's defeat
to Everton but was pleased to 90 minutes on Monday evening. "I've been
involved with the First Team and I'm really enjoying myself but obviously I
want to be playing games as well," said Fletcher. "I came tonight to get 90
minutes in my legs and hopefully when my chance does come in the First Team
I can be ready and take it."
PL2 boss Terry Westley made three changes from the side which battled to a
1-0 win at Middlesbrough last Friday. Martin Samuelsen, who's currently on
loan at Blackburn Rovers, Jonathan Calleri and Fletcher all came into the
starting eleven. The Hammers took a fortituitous lead on seven minutes but
it was earned after brilliant play by Fletcher. He swivelled in the area and
crossed low and hard, only for Baggies defender Jack Fitzwater to fire into
his own net. Fletcher was again amongst the action for the second goal of
the game 25 minutes later - Calleri whipped in a teasing cross after being
played in by Domingos Quina and the Hammers striker planted his header into
the top corner. Albion did score a late consolation after Dara O'Shea
rifled home from the edge of the box but the Hammers held on to what was a
vital three points in their quest for promotion from Premier League 2
Division 2. They're now third, having leapfrogged their opponents with
victory, and Fletcher knew just how important the win was. "It was important
to beat West Brom tonight because we knew they were above us in the league.
For us to overtake them, it's massive and I'm glad I could get on the
scoresheet to help the team," Fletcher added. "The standard is so high here
(in Premier League 2). We've got really good players so for me to come and
play with the lads, get 90 minutes and score is very pleasing."
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Cresswell - I am enjoying the new system
WHUFC.com
Aaron Cresswell says he is relishing the chance to play in a new wing-back
system and hopes to get straight back on the winning trail when the Hammers
host Stoke on Saturday. Cresswell was forced to miss the start of the season
with a knee ligament injury, but he has made a speedy recovery and a timely
return to first-team action.
The Hammers full-back has wasted no time settling into a new formation which
Slaven Bilic has introduced in recent weeks playing three at the back and
two wing-backs.
The move coincided with West Ham enjoying their best run of form as they
went four games unbeaten and saw the team record big victories over Crystal
Palace, Sunderland and Chelsea. Despite the minor setback against Everton on
Sunday, Cresswell is confident they can get back to winning ways this
weekend and says the new system is helping him to show his attacking
qualities. Cresswell said: "I am enjoying the new system. It's nice to get
forward in that formation, trying to create and get up the field to get the
ball in the box, it suits me. "I was saying to the fitness coach and the
physio that I'm feeling better than Wednesday night. It takes time, you can
do all the training in the world but you can't beat getting minutes on the
pitch. "The knee feels good and I am looking forward to the next few games."
The Hammers will be looking to build on recent home victories against
Sunderland and Chelsea and with Stoke just above them in the table, some
reports have suggested it is a must-win game for the Hammers. But Cresswell
strongly disagrees with that theory and says his side have already taken big
steps to turn their season around and will be hoping for another big victory
in front of their own fans. Cresswell said: "Stoke is not a must win game.
Of course we want to win it but it is not must win. "We don't deserve to
label it that because we have had some good results recently and been on a
good run. "We just need to get back to that again this weekend."
Cresswell is refusing to use the memorable win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup
last Wednesday as an excuse for his side's defeat against Everton and says
it would have been a different story if his side had been more clinical in
front of goal. "I don't think the Chelsea game took it out of us. We felt
more than okay in the first half and we had more than enough time to recover
from Chelsea, so we cannot use that as an excuse. "It was down to us taking
our chances, which we didn't do, but we go again next weekend. "We went in
at half time at 0-0 and to be fair, they [Everton] came out all guns blazing
and pegged us back, got the goal and we were chasing the game. "He's
[Lukaku] a tough one, one of the best in world football, he was excellent,
it's a shame we can't stop him. "It's frustrating not to take one of the
chances in first half and he made us pay."
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The Big Interview - Edimilson Fernandes
WHUFC.com
It has been a dream start to life in England for Edimilson Fernandes and he
has played a major role in the Hammers revival in recent games. Fernandes
arrived with a big pedigree following his move from FC Sion during the
summer and has already shown his quality and versatility playing in a number
of different positions and getting on the scoresheet during the memorable
EFL Cup win over Chelsea. The Switzerland U21 international is now hoping to
build on his early success and become a major star for the east London Club
over the next few years....
Edimilson, it has been an incredible start to your career in the Premier
League. Can you tell us about your introduction to top flight football and
why you chose to make the big move to England?
EF: "I was 17 when I made my debut in the Swiss Super League. Playing
first-team football at that age was a shock to me, but it all started from
there and my career has continued to grow. "I always had the ambition of
coming to play in the Premier League, but I never imagine it would be
possible. "I watched the Premier League on television in Switzerland a lot.
I watched Manchester United and enjoyed watching them and their players. My
cousin Gelson played for Manchester City and I also liked them, but I
preferred Manchester United!"
You have a big footballing influence in your family with your cousins Gelson
and Manuel having experience of playing in England. How often do you speak
with them and did they influence your decision to join West Ham?
EF: "I spoke to my cousin Gelson before I joined West Ham. In fact, I speak
to Gelson every day about living in England and the Premier League, and we
both agree it's one of the best leagues in the world. "All of the advice he
has given me has been really useful, and everything he has told me about
English football has come true. Unfortunately, Manuel doesn't speak French,
so I have not spoken to him!"
Have you ever played in the same team as Gelson and how much would you love
to play for the Switzerland at a major tournament?
EF: "I have trained together with Gelson with the national team, but we've
never played together in a team. "I was called-up asked to train with the
squad, but I have not played for Switzerland just yet. If I continue to play
for West Ham, for my club, then after that then the opportunity came to play
for the national team, that would be great. "Although we don't play the same
way, if I could achieve what he has achieved in his career, that would be
amazing. If could do more, that would be even better!"
How much have you been impressed with London Stadium and playing in front of
nearly 60,000 fans. How big a part did that play in your decision to join
the Hammers?
EF: "When I came over for the first time, they took me to see the Stadium
and I really like it. The Stadium is magnificent, I really enjoy playing
there, as do all the players. "When you play in front of 57,000 fans it
gives you goosebumps, it's an amazing feeling and it helps you to play to
your best. "It is a brilliant Stadium and to play in front of 57,000 fans
who push you forward is an unbelievable feeling."
You seem to have wasted no time settling into your new surroundings and feel
very confident on the pitch. How much has it helped you having players who
can speak French in the dressing room?
EF: "It really helps to have them here, and to be honest I didn't realise
there were so many French speakers at the Club, but it is obvious that is
going to be really helpful to me. "We have Dimitri Payet, Cheik Kouyate,
Diafra Sakho, Sofiane Feghouli, Arthur Masuaku and Andre Ayew, so there are
lots of us who can communicate easily."
Did you think you would make such an impact so early on in your career at
West Ham and force your way into the starting line-up?
EF: "When West Ham wanted to sign me, the manager told me that he was going
to count on me, but that I needed to work hard in training to get into the
team.
"At the start I was afraid to leave my old club, so I spoke to the president
and the club and took the plane over to West Ham. In the beginning it was
very scary, but now it's great."
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London Stadium: Sadiq Khan orders investigation over rising costs
BBC.co.uk
"Deeply concerned" London Mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered an investigation into
a £50m increase in the cost of converting West Ham's London Stadium. In
2015, former mayor Boris Johnson said the change from an Olympics arena to a
football stadium would cost £272m, a figure which has now risen to £323m.
The investigation will look into inherited issues including the cost of
moving the retractable seating. A stadium expert has said the ground should
be knocked down and rebuilt. Paul Fletcher, who has built or advised on more
than 30 new grounds, said it should be rebuilt as fans are too far from the
pitch so it is not suitable for football.
The club declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport.
A spokesperson for the London Mayor said: "The mayor is deeply concerned
about the finances of the Olympic Stadium, which have clearly been left in a
total and utter mess by the previous administration at City Hall. "Sadiq has
ordered a detailed investigation into the full range of financial issues
surrounding the stadium."
Part of the reason for the increase is a rise in the cost to install and
operate the retractable seating, which can be removed for concerts and
athletics events. The cost of £8m a year is up from an estimated cost of
£300,000 because the company originally contracted for the job had gone
bust, reports BBC sports editor Dan Roan.
It means stadium operators London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and
the London taxpayer will need to pick up the additional costs, with Premier
League side West Ham contributing £2.5m-a-year rent, plus the one-off £15m
for the conversion cost. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers'
Alliance, said: "For too long the details of this shabby deal were kept in
secret and lacked proper scrutiny so Sadiq Khan is absolutely right to look
again at the case.
"It's now down to those in charge of the inquiry to get to the bottom of how
West Ham were gifted the deal of the century while ensuring their
investigation doesn't end up costing the taxpayer as much as the stadium."
West Ham won the bid to occupy the Olympic Stadium in March 2013 and played
their first game there in August 2016, after 112 years at Upton Park.
However, their move has been marred by fan violence, leading the club to
issue a five-point security plan to prevent further disorder.
Analysis
Dan Roan, BBC sports editor
It may have been the centrepiece of London's glorious 2012 Games, but the
story of the Olympic Stadium is becoming more and more troubled.
Last year the BBC revealed West Ham were getting the running costs of their
new home paid for them. Its suitability as a football venue is under fierce
scrutiny because of disorder at matches. A proposed naming rights partner
has walked away. And now there is renewed focus on the finances of a stadium
that has had to be built twice, at an overall cost of £750m.
The soaring costs effectively end any hope of the stadium breaking even
within five years. The LLDC will try to reduce running costs and look to
install more efficient hydraulic retractable seating. But the fear will be
that until then, the staging of some summer concerts and events - crucial
for the stadium's finances - will be affected because of the time it takes
to reconfigure the arena at the end of each season.
Once again there will be tough questions about those originally responsible
for the stadium's legacy, the remarkable deal West Ham struck, and why it
was not designed for dual-use from the very beginning.
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West Ham football Christmas hamper conman found guilty
BBC.co.uk
A conman who tricked former England manager Sam Allardyce and striker Andy
Carroll out of thousands of pounds has been convicted of fraud. Stephen
Ackerman, 48, from Loughton, Essex, was found guilty of 18 counts of fraud
totalling more than £60,000 He visited West Ham football club's training
ground to sell players and backroom staff luxury Christmas hampers in
December 2014. Snaresbrook Crown Court heard £13,270 was taken from Mr
Allardyce. Ackerman will be sentenced later this month.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard Ackerman, who went by the name Mark Kingston,
took payment for the hampers using a handheld chip and pin device. But
Ackerman never supplied the goods and in the following weeks some of the
victims noticed unauthorised payments, running into thousands of pounds,
charged to their bank accounts.
Acting Det Sgt Jamie Snell, from Newham CID, said: "Ackerman preyed on the
trust of people he approached and essentially told an elaborate pack of lies
in order to get them to part with their cash. "He defrauded a total of
£61,047 from his victims and thought that due to their fame they would never
report the matter to the police. "He is a confident and accomplished
fraudster and we are delighted to have received this verdict from the jury
today."
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Stoke attempting to contact fans with tickets for West Ham fixture
Last Updated: 01/11/16 4:12pm
SSN
Stoke are trying to contact a group of fans after West Ham re-issued tickets
for their Premier League match on Saturday. The move comes as West Ham
attempt to improve segregation inside the London Stadium. Last week, the
Hammers announced significant changes to their segregation policy after
violence erupted between rival fans at their EFL Cup game against Chelsea.
Stoke have sold out their allocation of 2,900 away tickets and are working
hard to contact 85 supporters previously seated in Block 117, who have been
moved. The supporters affected are seated in Block 117 Rows 2-15, Seats
122-124, plus Rows 16-25, Seats 122-125. Stoke have asked fans with tickets
for the areas in question to contact the club's ticket office as soon as
possible. In a bid to avoid a repeat of last Wednesday's violent scenes at
the former Olympic Stadium, West Ham plan to create more distance between
rival fans.
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Mayor Sadiq Khan orders probe into soaring costs at London Stadium
By Paul Kelso, Sky News sports correspondent
Last Updated: 01/11/16 6:40pm
SSN
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has ordered an investigation into the finances of
London Stadium after being told the total cost of converting the arena for
use by West Ham has soared by £51m more than previously revealed.
Mayor Khan announced his investigation after Sky News learned that the
estimated annual cost of moving "retractable" seats, installed to improve
the view for football, has risen to £8m, and that moving the seats back and
forth for summer events including athletics could take a month.
The original estimate was it would cost just £300,000 and take only five
days to move the seats at the end of the football season and another five to
move them back after the summer. Engineers now estimate it could take 15
days to move the seats in each direction.
The seating issue threatens the viability of the stadium's summer schedule,
which next summer includes concerts as well as athletics, and could even
delay West Ham's return for the start of the new football season.
The increase, calculated by stadium operators in the last fortnight, takes
the cost of converting the arena for football from £272m to £323m. This
includes £309m of "comparable" costs, and £14m of "further enhancements",
including expenditure on seating and stewarding.
It takes the total cost of the stadium to £752m, all of which has been met
by the taxpayer apart from a £15m contribution from West Ham.
Khan is said to be deeply concerned at the cost increase and deputy mayor
Jules Pipe told Sky News they have inherited "a mess" from previous mayor,
Boris Johnson.
"Last year the previous administration told the public that the costs had
risen in total to around £270m. The new Mayor has now been told that cost
will be over £320m," Pipe said.
"Understandably Sadiq has ordered an investigation as to why those two
figures are so wildly different. As the new administration at City Hall
clearing up the mess of the previous administration, we need to make sure
that the stadium runs on a sustainable basis and it is affordable to
London."
Pipe said the investigation would look at all aspects of the stadium
including the deal agreed with West Ham, but indicated there was little room
for renegotiation.
"The previous administration did give a good deal to West Ham but it is a
legally binding contract. It will be up to the review to decide how best to
protect the purse of Londoners," he added.
Johnson agreed to West Ham's request to install retractable seating in order
to improve the view for football, and it was intended to allow the stadium
to be quickly and cheaply converted for athletics and other events.
While the seats are described as "retractable", in fact the job of moving
the seats is largely manual. Rather than sliding on wheels or airbeds as at
the Stade de France, the stands are effectively demountable structures that
have to be broken up and shifted by hand.
The problem is complicated by the fact that the original seat contractor,
Alto Seating Solutions, has gone into liquidation.
Warnings that retro-fitting the system would prove costly and problematic
have proved accurate, and may impact on the stadium schedule.
A summer concert series is currently due to begin just three weeks after
West Ham's last home game, with a Depeche Mode concert on June 3.
The World Championships meanwhile end on August 13, 2017, and while they are
unlikely to be disrupted it could delay West Ham's first home game.
Their first two matches of the 2017-18 season are understood to have already
been scheduled to be away from home, but the building work could prevent
them playing at home until September.
The seating issue is the latest problem to beset the stadium which was the
centrepiece of London 2012.
West Ham's move has been dogged by violence inside and outside the stadium,
raising questions about its viability as a football venue.
Last week coins were thrown at Chelsea fans including children during an EFL
Cup tie, and police made six arrests as they battled to keep supporters
apart.
A proposed naming rights deal has also collapsed, with some blaming negative
publicity arising from the violence.
The stadium's legacy has been problematic from the outset. The original plan
of reducing it to a permanent 25,000 seat athletics arena was abandoned when
it failed to attract any sporting tenants.
A £100m offer from West Ham back in 2008 was rejected by government, and the
football solution, with a capacity of 60,000, was approved.
West Ham and Tottenham, who wanted to demolish it and build a football-only
arena, competed for the tenancy with West Ham victorious in large part
because they would tolerate the retention of the track.
In talks with Johnson and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC)
however they argued for a new lower tier of seating closer to the pitch to
improve the view.
The existing lower tier of seats, initially intended as the only permanent
part of the stadium, was dug out and the new seats retrofitted.
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West Ham trio Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll, Arthur Masuaku targetting returns
for Tottenham clash
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 01/11/16 9:46am
SSN
West Ham are hoping Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and Arthur Masuaku will be
available for their Premier League clash at Tottenham on November 19. Sakho,
who almost left the club in the summer, has not played for the Hammers at
all this season because of an ongoing back injury, which has troubled the
26-year-old since 2014.
Carroll was ruled out back in August when he picked up a knee injury against
Astra Giurgiu in a Europa League qualifier, which was only meant to sideline
him for six weeks. Masuaku, who signed from Olympiakos in the summer, was
sidelined for a minimum of six weeks when he picked up his own knee injury
in the EFL Cup match against Accrington Stanley on September 29. West Ham
co-chairman David Gold confirmed on Twitter on Monday the trio "should be
back after the international break", which takes place of the weekend of
November 12 and 13. The Hammers have had a difficult start to the season,
sitting just above the bottom three with just three wins from their opening
10 Premier League games.
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Rip it up and start again
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st November 2016
By: Staff Writer
A stadium expert has claimed that the only way to correct the problems with
the design of the Olympic Stadium is to knock it down and start from
scratch. Advisor Paul Fletcher has been involved with the creation of
several new stadia in England including Bolton's Macron Stadium and Coventry
City's Ricoh Arena. And he also hit out at the likes of Seb Coe and Tessa
Jowell who were instrumental in deciding that the stadium should be designed
with athletics in mind, long-term, rather than football. "Either we go on as
we are for the next 30 or 40 years or we knock it down and start again,"
Fletcher, speaking to the BBC, said. "I said [at the time] what you must do
is design a football stadium that converts to an athletics stadium for two
weeks of its lifetime. When I build my football stadiums, my number one
concern is the spectator. "What they've done is tried to convert an
athletics stadium into a football pitch and, in my opinion, it doesn't work.
The building was almost built when they started to talk to West Ham. "There
was only going to be one end user and it was only going to be West Ham.
Everyone in those days spoke about legacy. The only legacy was going to be
as a football stadium and they should have been talking to West Ham and ask
them what they want."
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Meeting of the West Ham United Independent Supporters Association – WHUISA
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st November 2016
By: Paul Christmas
You are all invited to attend the next meeting of WHUISA which will take
place this Saturday, 5 November at the Hammers Social Club (HSC) in Castle
Street next to the old (Boleyn) ground. The HSC will open from 10am, entry
is free and the meeting will be held upstairs. Start time is 12 noon sharp
and we aim to be finished by 1.30pm to get across to the new place for the
Stoke City annihilation.
A lot of hard work has gone on since the last meeting with good progress
being made. At time of writing over 500 people have pledged their support on
the Facebook page. A WHUISA website is in preparation for a more formal
launch of the association where you will be able to join. Work for the
meeting is ongoing but an agenda will be set shortly and will include
feedback on the future of the HSC while a number of nominations for an
interim committee have been received. Hustings and elections will take
place during the meeting. Anyone else wishing to be considered please let me
know by e-mail on pchristmas@btinternet.com and you must be at the meeting
on Saturday. I would also like to draw your attention to a Charity race
night and curry in aid of the Bobby Moore and Cancer research Funds. It will
be held at the HSC straight after the Stoke match and tickets cost £5 which
can be bought on the door and include your curry.
Please find time to support Bobby and the HSC. Your backing is greatly
appreciated.
Always West Ham,
Paul Christmas
Interim Chair WHUISA
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Ipswich Town scouting West Ham striker over potential move 0
BY ADAM ALLCROFT ON NOV 1, 2016 CHAMPIONSHIP, FEATURED, IPSWICH TOWN,
NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOUR, TRANSFERS
Ipswich Town have been scouting West Ham United's Ashley Fletcher over a
potential move in January according to a report from Read West Ham.
the72.co.uk
When the 20-year-old striker became a free agent in the summer following his
release from Manchester United, he became one of the most tracked players in
the country with many clubs including Barnsley and Leeds United being
interested in signing him. However they ended up failing as Fletcher elected
to stay in the Premier League and sign a deal with West Ham.
However he hasn't had a good time since joining the Hammers. While the East
London club have struggled to adjust to their new surroundings since moving
to the London Stadium, Fletcher has struggled just to get onto the pitch and
has only made six appearances for the club since moving there in January.
This has led to reports that Fletcher may end moving away from West Ham, at
least on a temporary deal, in January and Leeds have already been linked
with another move for him.
But now another Championship club could be about to make a move for Fletcher
after it emerged that Ipswich had been scouting him. Ipswich showed that
they were serious about a potential move as head coach Mick McCarthy and
assistant manager Terry Connor both attended the U23s match against West
Bromwich Albion and they will have definitely been impressed with what they
saw. In the game Fletcher scored and made an assist as the young Hammers got
a 2-1 win over West Brom. Now it will up to the Tractor Boys to see if they
will make a bid in January.
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From England: A possible Zaza-Gabbiadini exchange deal
http://www.calciomercato.com/
01 November at 13:07
According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are ready to offer
misfiring Simone Zaza to Napoli in exchange for Manolo Gabbiadini. The
25-year-old Italian international striker joined the Hammers on-loan from
Juventus in the summer but the Premier League club will be forced to pay the
Italian club £17.7 million when the player completes 10 appearances. Manager
Slaven Bilic is reportedly keen to off-load Zaza as soon as possible and
it's believed that the East London club are prepared to offer the player
plus £22.5 million to Napoli to bring Gabbiadini to the capital. Napoli boss
Maurizio Sarri is a known admirer of Zaza and was close to landing him last
summer before the player opted to head to England. Aware of this admiration,
Bilic is believed to want to get the deal done in January and with relations
between Gabbiadini and the vesuviani at an all-time low, he may just get his
wish in the new year.
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West Ham boost as Diafra Sakho returns to full training after back injury as
Andy Carroll and Arthur Masuaku also near return to fitness
Diafra Sakho has trained fully with West Ham for the first time this season
Striker has not played a single minute for the Hammers this campaign
His return comes as a boost to manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham take on Stoke City in their next Premier League match
By KIERAN GILL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:43, 1 November 2016 | UPDATED: 10:43, 1 November 2016
West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is taking part in full training for the first
time this season on Tuesday and should be available after the international
break. The 26-year-old has not played for West Ham so far this season
because of a back problem but the Senegal international is joining the first
team at their training ground ahead of schedule. Sakho's return to full
fitness after the break will be a boost to Slaven Bilic, whose West Ham side
sit fourth bottom in the Premier League. The players had Monday off after
their 2-0 loss to Everton on Sunday, but are now preparing to play Stoke
City before the international break begins. Sakho was eased back into
training with the Under-23s last week but was not in the squad for their
Premier League 2 game against West Bromwich Albion on Monday night. It was
West Brom who had to pull out of a £16million deal for Sakho in August
because his medical showed a muscular injury in his back, Sportsmail
understands. Andy Carroll and Arthur Masuaku are also in line to return
after the international break.
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Will Andre Ayew's return push Ashley Fletcher closer to Leeds United loan?
HITC
Dan Coombs
West Ham forward has returned from injury, limited Ashley Fletcher's
chances, who has been interesting Leeds United. Leeds United were outdone in
their efforts to sign Ashley Fletcher on a permanent basis this summer as
the striker chose to sign with West Ham instead. Fletcher, 19, had let his
Manchester United contract expire and was hot property after helping fire
Barnsley to League One promotion in 2015/16. The Sun reported last week that
Leeds are hoping to pursue their interest and land Fletcher on a loan deal
in January, with manager Garry Monk keen on the player. West Ham have barely
played Fletcher in the Premier League, with the striker accumulating 151
minutes across six appearances, and yet to score. Now the Hammers' big money
summer signing Andre Ayew is back in action, and Fletcher has been pushed
further aside. Ayew was signed for £20 million in the summer from Swansea
City, yet was immediately sidelined through injury. The Ghanaian
international has made two substitute appearances in the last week for West
Ham, and is getting back to full fitness. Fletcher was on the bench
alongside him away to Everton, but did not make it onto the pitch. With Andy
Carroll also a contender to return from injury before the transfer window,
Fletcher's chances to make an impact may already have passed him by, the
upcoming EFL Cup game against Manchester United aside. He is at risk of this
season becoming a lost one if he gets into a situation where he is not even
making the bench each week, and a loan move makes sense. At Leeds he may not
be an automatic starter either with Chris Wood scoring regularly and Marcus
Antonsson chipping in; but with games being played twice a week, there is
greater need for rotation. With the Whites pushing hard for a play-off
place, Fletcher could be a difference maker and even earn his second
promotion in as many seasons.
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp eyes Bundesliga raid: Chelsea and West Ham also
interested
By UCHE AMAKO
PUBLISHED: 09:20, Tue, Nov 1, 2016 | UPDATED: 09:26, Tue, Nov 1, 2016
Express.co.uk
The 22-year-old left back was linked with a move to Liverpool last season
but opted to remain with the Bundesliga club. But he is yet to sign a new
deal and would be free to agree a pre-contract with another club in January.
And according to German newspaper Bild, Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham are
all watching Kolasinac's situation. The full-back is quoted as saying: "It
must match for both sides. I have no time pressure." Schalke's sporting
director Christian Heidel added: "Sead is a real Schalke boy - we would like
to keep him." Jurgen Klopp snapped up defender Joel Matip from Schalke on a
free transfer in February after he entered the final year of his contract.
And with doubts over left-back Alberto Moreno, a move for Kolasinac is a
genuine possibility.
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West Ham FC transfer news: AC Milan keen to take Hammers flop Simone Zaza
back to Italy
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
AC Milan are ready to offer Simone Zaza a route out of West Ham. The striker
is currently on loan at the Hammers from Juventus but he has struggled to
adapt to the Premier League. It has sparked rumours that the 25-year-old is
ready to return to Italy in January and Napoli have already shown an
interest. However, according to Calciomercato, Milan are also working hard
on bringing Zaza to the San Siro. The Italian club have been tracking the
forward since September, when they first heard he could be off in January.
West Ham's decision to cancel Zaza's loan is likely to rest on them signing
another striker and they have been linked with Torino's Andrea Belotti and
Manolo Gabbiadini of Napoli.
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ALL WE ARE SAYING, IS GIVE US A GOAL.
By Tony Hanna 1 Nov 2016 at 08:00
WestHamTillIDie
This season has been like a circus ride for West Ham fans so far, but that
is not so unusual is it? Some dismal displays followed by a nice little run,
followed by reverting to type against our annual bogey team, Everton. All
this whilst trying to settle into what is the powder keg Olympic Stadium.
Sorry, just can't bring myself to call it the London Stadium. We currently
sit in seventeenth place and after the Stoke game this weekend a four game
run looms against Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool away,
sandwiched with a home match against Arsenal. We can also throw in a LC
quarter final in Manchester for good measure. Now, I know we often surprise
ourselves with results against the big guns, but if the obvious happens we
will likely still be hovering around the relegation zone by mid December. To
be honest, I very much doubt we will get relegated but this season of
transition is proving to be pretty tough.
In my view, for Premier League teams to be successful they need at least one
proven goal scoring striker. Cream will always eventually rise to the top
and whilst average teams can make themselves very hard to beat with coaches
making their teams disciplined and very well organised, it is unlikely that
will be enough to achieve honours. A team that can share their goals around
can be successful too, but a proven goal scorer will surely take them to the
next level? Vardy was an integral part of Leicester's bombshell last season
and look how Suarez almost single handedly did the same for Liverpool three
seasons ago, only to fall at the last hurdle. Aguerro's goals for City have
been the catalyst for their recent successes and where would Spurs have
finished without Harry Kane? Yes, these are all good sides but a proven goal
scorer makes the difference between a good side and a very good side. Even
when these top strikers aren't scoring, they are constantly making enough
diversions and distractions for others in their team to score.
So to us then. Over the past few seasons we have had Andy Carroll and Diafra
Sakho. When we have had either of them on the pitch we have looked a much
more potent force. The trouble is, getting them on the pitch. With the
expected transfer of Sakho to West Brom prior to the seasons start, our
owners were brandishing around their plan of signing a 20 goal a season
striker. The list of names on their bucket list was eventually whittled down
and we ended up with Zaza and Calleri. Both on loan deals thankfully. The
form of our most used striker this season, Zaza, has been nothing short of
awful. I don't care who he has played for before, whether he has played for
Italy, what other famous managers have thought enough about him to sign him,
the fact is he has been dreadful for us. He hasn't even looked like scoring
a goal and his movement to drag defenders out of position to open up space
for Payet and Lanzini is almost non existent. This has to have an effect on
our overall play. Quality strikers do much more than just score goals – they
create so much space and opportunity just with their presence and guile.
That is something that our current lot are not doing with the exception of
Antonio. It is not surprising to see some upturn in our fortunes when Slav
decided to turn our right back into a striker!
We have brought in Zaza, Calleri, Fletcher and Ayew this season to join
Carroll and Sakho and after SIXTEEN competitive games so far this season not
ONE has scored a goal! Some of those mentioned have not had much, or if any,
game time but those facts still make disturbing reading. When you also take
into account that Payet is in the top four chance creators this season in
the Premier League it is dismal. The stats get even worse when you consider
that Antonio is our leading goal scorer with five goals, but since being
actually played as a striker he has failed to find the back of the net
either. Ayew is already getting quite a bit of flak on the blog, but for me
he will offer the side quite a lot once he is fully fit and given a run in
the side. Some may argue he is not a recognised striker anyway, but for me
that is what the club bought him for. Given the loan terms apparently in
place for Zaza I will be amazed if he makes many more appearances for the
club. One of the frustrating things for the fans is the cloak and daggers
stuff sprouted by the owners and the medical team about the impending
returns of Carroll and Sakho. The continual maze of contradictions regarding
the pair would pale into insignificance if we had another striker at the
club scoring a few? But, we don't!
Please check back after the match for the results.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Conman, 48, who tricked ex-England boss Sam Allardyce and West Ham stars
Andy Caroll and Kevin Nolan out of thousands in a Christmas hamper scam is
found guilty of fraud
Stephen Ackerman, 48, sold luxury hampers to West Ham staff and players
Ex-England manager Sam Allardyce and striker Andy Carroll were targeted
Ackerman took payments on a chip and PIN device and was later arrested
By STEPHANIE LINNING FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 19:22, 31 October 2016 | UPDATED: 21:36, 31 October 2016
A man who conned former England manager Sam Allardyce out of thousands of
pounds in a Christmas hamper scam has been found guilty of fraud. Stephen
Ackerman, 48, of Loughton, Essex, touted luxury goods and champagne to West
Ham staff and players, taking payments with a chip and PIN device. Thousands
of pounds were later taken from the same accounts in unauthorised payments.
Among those targeted was Andy Carroll, 27, who paid £2,500 for bogus goods
before his account was raided for a further £10,500, the court heard. Former
captain Kevin Nolan, 34, former defender James Tomkins, 27, former full-back
Joey O'Brien and defender Aaron Cresswell, 26, also lost money in the scam.
Ackerman was today found guilty of 18 counts of fraud, totalling more than
£60,000 at Snaresbrook Crown Court, London. The court heard how Ackerman
used the pseudonym Mark Kingston when he visited the West Ham training
ground in east London in December 2014. He took payment from a number of
players and staff using a handheld chip and PIN device. Allardyce was
fleeced out of money after paying for six bottles of wine and six bottles of
champagne while in charge of the football club, the court heard. James
Tomkins, now at Crystal Palace, handed over £750 while Cresswell paid £180.
But the deliveries never appeared and unauthorised payments totaling
thousands of pounds were taken from victims' accounts in the following
weeks. Allardyce had a total of £13,000 taken and Tomkins lost £30,000 in
unauthorised transactions, the jury was heard. O'Brien, who left the club in
July after five years, is said to have lost £1,950 in total. Nolan was also
targeted in the scam. The Premier League stars reported the matter to
police. Ackerman was caught after search warrants were carried out at
addresses linked to him throughout Essex and Hertfordshire. Investigations
also showed that his vehicle was close to the training ground immediately
before and after the fraudster had arrived and left the venue. Acting
Detective Sergeant Jamie Snell, from Newham CID, said: 'Ackerman preyed on
the trust of people he approached and essentially told an elaborate pack of
lies in order to get them to part with their cash. 'He defrauded a total of
£61,047 from his victims and thought that due to their fame they would never
report the matter to the police. 'He is a confident and accomplished
fraudster and we are delighted to have received this verdict from the jury
today.' Ackerman will be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on November
25.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker crisis: Bilic readying bold change as latest Lacazette hope
is dashed
WEST HAM are in dire straits over their striker crisis with Slaven Bilic
reportedly ready to turn to Diafra Sakho to save them.
By JACK STAPLEHURST
PUBLISHED: 05:19, Tue, Nov 1, 2016 | UPDATED: 06:01, Tue, Nov 1, 2016
Express.co.uk
The Hammers' summer signings up front have failed to deliver so far, leaving
the club in 17th spot with 10 games gone. Simone Zaza has flopped since his
arrival on a season-long loan from Juventus with a view to a permanent deal.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Calleri has not been up to standard, youngster Ashley
Fletcher is still developing and £20.5m record buy Andre Ayew has missed the
majority of the campaign up to now through injury. West Ham's ambition in
the summer transfer window was to land a prolific goalscorer to complement
their creative stars such as Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini. But European
aspirations have been put on hold with the club currently fighting to pull
away from the relegation places at the London Stadium.
According to the Mirror, Alexandre Lacazette remains a highly optimistic
target for West Ham, having chased the Lyon hitman throughout the window.
The France international rejected the Hammers, but it is claimed the club
are exploring all options amid their goalscoring dilemma. None of Bilic's
strikers have scored in any competition yet this term, and any thoughts of
going back in again for Lacazette appear to have been quashed. Lyon are keen
to hand the 25-year-old a new deal, as club president Jean Michel Aulas on
Saturday said: "I would like for us to be able to extend Alexandre's
contract." The highly-rated striker preferred a switch to Arsenal in the
summer but no move materialised, and now Lyon want his future secured
following his nine goals in nine games to start the new season. In the near
future, Bilic will apparently push for a return to the team for Sakho as
soon as possible. The 26-year-old has endured a host of injury problems
since arriving in east London but shown the club he is a goalscorer. Despite
growing unhappy last season after not being offered a new deal and nearly
leaving for West Brom this summer, West Ham are preparing to reintroduce
him.
Sakho has been recovering from a long-term back issue, causing him to fail a
medical with the Baggies, but he returned to first-team training finally
yesterday, having worked with the Under-23s last week. The striker needs to
get up to match fitness, meaning an appearance at home to Stoke in the
Premier League on Saturday is doubtful, leaving Michail Antonio likely to be
their make-shift striker once again. However, after the international break,
Bilic is reportedly expected to deploy the Senegal international up top to
rediscover West Ham's attacking threat. Sakho's attitude has apparently
softened and he has rebuilt bridges at the London Stadium.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Injury and suspension double impact for West Ham ahead of crucial Stoke
clash
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United saw their chances of victory over Stoke City this coming
Saturday increase on Monday night. The Hammers take on the Potters at the
London Stadium knowing a victory is crucial having slipped down to 17th
place following defeat to Everton last time out. Meanwhile Stoke are fresh
from beating Swansea City 3-1 on Monday night and sit 12th in the table.
A win would lift Slaven Bilic's side above Mark Hughes' men in the
increasingly congested Premier League standings going into the November
international break and ahead of a hellish month of fixtures which sees the
East Londoners face Spurs, a double header against Manchester United at Old
Trafford, Arsenal and Liverpool in a row. That gives the Stoke game added
significance in West Ham's season and their chances of victory have been
increased after the visitors saw two of their key players likely ruled out
of the game on Monday night.
First Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri limped off half an hour into the win over
the Swans through injury and looks highly unlikely to be able to feature in
five days time against the Hammers.
Stoke City's Xherdan Shaqiri looks dejected after going off injured
Stoke City's Xherdan Shaqiri looks dejected after going off injured
The playmaker was injured after a robust challenge from Wales defender Neil
Taylor much to the anger of the Stoke fans at the Bet 365 Stadium.
Then with the win all but secured Marko Arnautovic was harshly booked late
on for a tackle on Leroy Fer when replays clearly showed he won the ball
cleanly.
Stoke City's Marko Arnautovic looks dejected
Stoke City's Marko Arnautovic picked up a fifth booking and a suspension
SEE ALSO:
Chelsea midfielder gets it horribly wrong after questioning West Ham fear
factor
Slaven Bilic shares what he told Simone Zaza after his performance against
Crystal Palace
West Ham to ban 200 supporters after derby trouble against Chelsea
It was the Austrian's fifth booking of the season which rules him out of the
trip to West Ham and cannot be appealed.
The Hammers will be missing key defender Winston Reid for the same reason
but will be confident of victory given the double blow to Stoke.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ditch the rabonas: Five things we learned from West Ham's defeat at Everton
HITC
Damien Lucas
Five things we learned from West Ham United's 2-0 defeat to Everton at the
weekend.
The Hammers slipped to a sixth defeat from their first 10 Premier League
games at Goodison Park last time out. The defeat was made all the more
frustrating by the fact the Hammers could not make their first half
dominance pay at Goodison Park with a series of missed chances. Here are
five things we learned about the Hammers from the game.
1) Confidence is still fragile despite mini-revival
West Ham showed that their confidence is still very fragile as heads visibly
dropped when they conceded a sloppy goal in the second half. Slaven Bilic's
side had won three games in a row, including that cup win over Chelsea, and
were unbeaten in four going into the game. But as soon as Lukaku put the
Toffees ahead the Hammers looked beaten. It is worrying given the
mini-revival Bilic has overseen in recent weeks and supporters want to see
more courage and determination from their side in those scenarios like they
displayed last season.
2) Some players still haven't learned their lessons from Watford
West Ham were lambasted after their 4-2 home defeat to Watford earlier this
season after throwing away a 2-0 lead. A series of rabonas from Manuel
Lanzini and Dimitri Payet at 2-0 inspired Watford to launch their remarkable
comeback according to Hornets star Troy Deeney who accused Bilic's side of
'taking the mickey' out of them. But while Hammers fans want to see their
side play with flair, it appears some of them haven't learned their lesson.
At 1-0 down against Everton Lanzini was guilty again of overdoing it as he
attempted a ridiculous rabona shot from outside the box rather than keeping
a very dangerous attack alive. Payet kept trying to beat players in tight
positions rather than pass and keep the move going too.
3) Zaza is being readied for hasty West Ham exit
If Simone Zaza can't get into a West Ham side that is not scoring freely and
where his three rivals for a starting spot are injured or not fully fit then
it doesn't bode well. Used as a substitute yet again in favour of winger
Michail Antonio, Zaza clocked up another appearance on his way to activating
the 14-game obligation to buy clause for a whopping £25 million.
That will not be allowed to happen, though, if this game is anything to go
by. Bilic clearly doesn't trust the player and with good reason, the Italian
striker has not even come close to a goal with a quarter of the season gone.
4) Obiang proves Bilic must put the team first not the individual
One criticism that can be levelled at Bilic is that he seems afraid to upset
his star players, even if they are not performing. How Pedro Obiang,
arguably West Ham's best player at Goodison Park and certainly their best
player in the last month, was withdrawn at 1-0 while the likes of Mark
Noble, Dimitri Payet and Antonio stayed on the pitch was beyond most Hammers
fans. Obiang's absence left a gaping hole in midfield which Everton quickly
exploited to make it 2-0 and kill the game. Managers like Ronald Koeman,
Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola make decisions for the
good of the team as Koeman's recent decision to drop Ross Berkley proves.
Bilic got this one wrong and it did not go unnoticed either.
5) West Ham are not out of the woods yet
While West Ham should have more than enough quality to avoid a relegation
battle, their performance at Everton showed they are not out of the woods
yet. They had turned a corner and Everton is a tough place to go, especially
for West Ham who have lost more to the Blues than any other club in their
history. But with a poor goal difference the Hammers are sat 16th in the
table just three points off the bottom three and with a hellish fixture list
looming in the next month including consecutive games against Spurs, a
double header against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arsenal and
Liverpool. They need to roll their sleeves up and prove they want to make a
success of their season, especially after Bilic admitted even he could see
the complacency in his side this season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham forward Andre Ayew vows to 'be ready' when Slaven Bilic needs him
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
West Ham forward Andre Ayew has vowed to "be ready" when Slaven Bilic
decides he is ready to make his second start of the season. Ayew joined the
Hammers from Swansea in the summer but endured a disastrous start to his
career in east London, picking up a thigh injury just minutes into his
debut. A frustrating spell on the sidelines followed, which coincided with
West Ham's concerning slump in form, but Ayew made his Premier League
comeback in Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Everton. The 26-year-old was delighted to
get more minutes under his belt and is hopeful he will soon be deemed worthy
of a place in Bilic's starting line up. "The injury feels good and I am
working hard. Things are going well and hopefully I can continue like this.
"It is up to the manager when I am ready to start a game but the most
important thing is that we continue to work hard and try and win games. When
the gaffer needs me I will be ready."
Defeat at Goodison Park ended West Ham's unbeaten run of three top-flight
games but Ayew is adamant his teammates should not be disheartened after
coming up short against Ronald Koeman's men. The Hammers host Stoke this
weekend and Ayew is eyeing all three points: "We cannot forget the work we
have put into the last three games because of one defeat and Everton are a
good team," insisted the Ghana international. "We need to learn from our
mistakes and get back to winning ways against Stoke. "We know it will be
another tough games but we are in front of our fans and we can beat them at
home if we do what we have to do." The Hammers have not been at their best
on home soil this season but could climb into the top half of the table with
victory over Mark Hughes' side on Saturday.
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Wednesday, November 2
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