Daily WHUFC News - 22nd November 2016

Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Reece Burke played as Wigan Athletic picked up their first point under Warren Joyce
Josh Cullen and Lewis Page were also in action in League One
Martin Samuelsen and George Dobson were unused substitutes in their respective loan sides' clashes

Reece Burke returned to action following last week's international break, helping Wigan Athletic secure their first point under new boss Warren Joyce in the Championship on Saturday. The Latics stood firm in the clash against Yorkshire opponents Barnsley at Oakwell, recording a clean sheet to frustrate the hosts who picked up their third consecutive draw. Burke – who has now started Wigan's last four matches at right-back – was making his sixth appearance in total, having recovered from an injury which ruled him out of September and much of October. Yanic Wildschut was guilty of spurning Burke's side's best opportunity, as he failed to connect with an effort which went straight into the hands of Tykes keeper Adam Davies.

Elsewhere, Josh Cullen again started for Bradford City in League One, however the Bantams were convincingly beaten 3-0 at the hands of Southend United. Will Atkinson gave the hosts the lead just 14 minutes into the encounter, but James Hanson went close to pulling Bradford level when he headed against the crossbar from Mike Marshall's delivery. City could not trouble Southend stopper Mark Oxley a great deal however, and Atkinson doubled the Shrimpers' lead with just under 20 minutes remaining. Four minutes from time, Marc Antoine-Fortune's cross was diverted into his own goal by Romain Vincelot to add a gloss to the scoreline for United and condemn high-flying Bradford to only their second league defeat.

Finally, Lewis Page was also in action in League One, playing 90 minutes for Coventry City, though the Sky Blues were also on the end of a humbling defeat. Mark Venus' side travelled to Oxford United and were comfortably beaten 4-1 thanks to home goals from Kane Hemmings, Chris Maguire and Alex MacDonald, as well as a Jamie Sterry own goal. Marcus Tudgay grabbed a consolation from the penalty spot deep into injury time, though Coventry's attentions had already turned to Tuesday's clash at Bolton Wanderers.

Back in the second tier, Martin Samuelsen was an unused sub in Blackburn Rovers' 3-2 victory over Brentford, while George Dobson was also an onlooker from the bench as Walsall were beaten 2-1 by Gillingham. In a frantic first half, Danny Graham's double for Rovers cancelled out Scott Hogan's first minute strike, before a Harlee Dean own goal put the hosts back in front after Hogan had grabbed a second of his own.

At the Bescot Stadium, Cody McDonald gave Gillingham an early second minute lead before Jason McCarthy equalised for the hosts inside the opening ten. And as it looked like the game was headed for a draw, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas popped up with six minutes left to seal all three points for Justin Edinburgh's Gills.

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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic believes his West Ham United side gave reason for optimism with their performance at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening. Two late Harry Kane goals meant the Hammers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as the unbeaten hosts overturned a 2-1 deficit to triumph 3-2. With fixtures against Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool to come in the next three weeks, the east Londoners could be forgiven for approaching them with some trepidation – but not if they perform as they did at White Hart Lane. Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini's goals meant Bilic's side became the first two score twice against Spurs this season and the boss is confident results will soon go their way. He said: "I would rather play the way we did on Saturday than go there and say after the game 'okay, no complaints, they were much better'. "Playing like that, it's only a matter of time before the luck or more concentration will come on our side. "We can take a lot of positives from the game, and make no mistake we will, but the three points were there for us. "They were dangerous, but we were dangerous also, so we can be confident now."

One aspect of their game the boss knows the Hammers need to improve on is cutting out individual errors – with Tottenham's winner coming from an injury time penalty. He added: "If you make those mistakes you are not guaranteed to win your game, even when you are at the top of your game. There is a quality opponent there [to take advantage], but those mistakes should not have happened. That's football and we have done it. "It wasn't done through complacency. Sometimes you can get away with a few mistakes, but you can't make them against Spurs. "The penalty was a very good move from Son – I also thought he was going to cross the ball, so he slides to stop the cross. It was his quality to do what he did and wait for the contact."

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Westley hails young players
WHUFC.com

Terry Westley is looking forward to tonight's clash with Blackburn

West Ham United PL2 make their long awaited return to Premier League 2 action this evening when they host Blackburn Rovers at the Chigwell Construction Stadium (7pm).

The Hammers have once again been away from league action for a number of weeks since their 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Halloween.

Since then, they have gone unbeaten, starting with a 2-1 away victory at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League Cup.

That was followed by a terrific display against League One Northampton Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, drawing 1-1 and winning a bonus point via a penalty shootout victory.

Now attention turns back to the league, with the young Hammers looking to keep up the pressure on Division 2 leaders Swansea City.

"The loan success we've had this season has meant we've been able to play some younger ones in our U23 team," said PL2 boss Terry Westley.

"We are by far the youngest team in the league and we're still very competitive. We're really challenging our young players and they've remained competitive.

"I would expect us to remain competitive for the rest of the season. We're third in the table and looking good in the cup. It's certainly going to be an interesting second half of the season."

With the U18 Hammers looking forward to the FA Youth Cup tie against Stoke City on Tuesday night, expect the PL2 line-up this evening to look slightly different.

Captain Declan Rice, Dan Kemp and Nathan Trott, all of whom have not featured for the U18s recently, played in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, and are set to feature against Stoke on Tuesday.

The number of games being played by the Hammers youngsters this season is considerably more than last, and Westley believes it's a huge benefit this year.

"We went too many weeks without games last year in the U21 league. The Trophy has helped, the Cup format has helped because It's a Champions League format."

"At U23s, you need to be playing at least once a week. Around 30/33 games is about right to allow the development to get better."

Tonight's match at Dagenham and Redbridge's Chigwell Construction Stadium is a 7pm kick-off and is free to enter for season ticket holders. Otherwise, it's £5 for adults and £3 for children.

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Supporter Advisory Board - Update
WHUFC.com

Following the Fan Feedback Forum on 5 October 2016, the Club can update fans with news of the Supporter Advisory Board moving forward.

As the Forum was such a success, with members representing different sections of our diverse fanbase, the Club has decided to continue using an independent group to select members for the 2016/2017 SAB.

We would therefore encourage fans who wish to be considered to submit their applications before our deadline at 5pm on Wednesday 23 November 2016.

To apply to become a member of the SAB, please download and complete this application form, including telling us what issues you would like to see discussed by the SAB, and submit it to supporteradvisoryboard@westhamunited.co.uk.

In addition, as part of the application, all entrants are encouraged to fill out this Equal Opportunities Form, although this is not compulsory.

Topics for discussion at the first SAB of the 2016/2017 season will include how fans are settling into our new home, public transport, accessibility, matchday operations, Stadium catering and amenities and pre and post-match entertainment.

Further detail on the agenda will be communicated to successful applicants prior to the next SAB meeting. Applicants who have been selected to join the Board will be notified by email and no later than Friday 2 December.

The next Supporter Advisory Board meeting will be held on Tuesday 6 December 2016.

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Quina signs first pro contract
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are thrilled to announce that highly-rated midfielder Domingos Quina has signed his first professional contract to keep him at the Club until 2019. Quina is rated one of the best young talents in the game and has attracted interest from a number of Europe's leading sides. But the former Benfica and Chelsea schoolboy, who turned 17 last Friday, was determined to pledge his long-term future to the east London Club. Quina has already attracted headlines this season after he scored a 40-yard wonder goal against Leicester City for the U23s in October and now hopes to impress Slaven Bilic in the coming weeks and months and become a regular part of the first-team squad. Quina said: "I am very happy to have signed my first professional contract with West Ham and it has always been my dream. "I chose West Ham because it is a great Club and they like to give young players opportunities to break into the first-team like Reece Oxford and I hope to do the same. "I like to enjoy my football and do things which people are not expecting. I really enjoyed my goal against Leicester and it was a great moment. "That was not the first time I had scored a goal like that and hopefully there is more to come! "I know that talent alone is not enough to see me develop as a player and I just want to keep working hard every day. Hopefully I will get my chance."

Quina has already showcased his talents at international level, having recently been crowned a UEFA European U17 champion with Portugal. Born in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau before moving to Portugal as a child, Quina has long been considered one of Portuguese football's brightest prospects – an opinion confirmed by his outstanding displays at the recent European U17 Championship finals in Azerbaijan. There, the young forward featured in all six matches, scoring in the group-stage victory over Scotland before starting his country's victory over Spain in the final.

Prior to that, Quina put in a virtuoso performance, showcasing his attacking skills in a 7-3 victory over England U17s at the FA International Tournament in October 2015. West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is delighted to see Quina put pen to paper on his first pro contract, saying he has an exceptional talent and predicts big things for the youngster. Quina made his competitive debut for the Club in the UEFA Europa League against NK Domzale and the Hammers manager feels this could be just the start of a long career playing in the top flight. Bilic said: "I am personally delighted with the news. We know a lot about him and he came away with us on pre-season. "He is one of those players that you think if he doesn't make it, then which player will? "He has got everything and it is now down to us and up to him how much he is going to improve and dedicate his life to achieve something that God gave him. There is no doubt he has something exceptional. "He is skilful and is one of those players who doesn't have to think about his first touch because it comes so naturally to him. "He is not afraid of challenges and has skill and vision. I have named everything and that is why is we are so happy to see him sign a contract."

Quina says he is excited to be playing alongside the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini on a regular basis and cannot wait to make his Premier League debut at London Stadium. He will never forget his first ever appearance at the Hammers' new home when he appeared as a second half substitute against Juventus in the Betway Cup back in August and says it is a moment that will stay with him for the rest of his career. Quina added: "I want to make my Premier League debut as soon as possible and get more chances to play at London Stadium. "It was an unbelievable moment for me to come on as a substitute against Juventus and it was something that will stay with me forever. The atmosphere was amazing. I hope to play many more games there."

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Arsenal Ticket Exchange open now
WHUFC.com

The Premier League visit of Arsenal on Saturday 3 December has now sold out to Claret Members in the ticket ballot - but the Ticket Exchange is now open!

Claret Members who were successful in the Arsenal ballot will receive a confirmation email by 5pm on Monday – with this email going to the lead booker.

Season Ticket Holders who can't attend the game can relist their seats via our Ticket Exchange service here.

Claret Members have priority to purchase relisted tickets until 5pm on Wednesday 23 November, after which tickets will be available to other supporters.

The Ticket Exchange will be open until 2.30pm on the day of the Arsenal fixture – 3 December.

Claret Members should note they can stiill enter the ballot for the game against Burnley on 14 December which closes at 5pm on Monday 28 November.

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FT - West Ham United PL2 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
WHUFC.com

FT: It's all over here at there CCS. 1-1 the final score - Martin Samuelsen put the Hammers in front with a great finish before Lewis Hardcastle easily on the half hour mark with a brilliant free-kick. The home side probably just shaded the second half but couldn't find that winner. Final score: West Ham United PL2 1-1 Blackburn Rovers.

90+2: Chance for WH here. Great feet by Samuelsen draws a foul on the left and the Hammers have a chance to put the ball in the box. 1-1

90: Diangana goes down in the area, adamant he was pulled to the ground. No pen and three minutes added. 1-1

89: Sylvestre puts in a brilliant last ditch tackle to deny the Rovers winger. 1-1

87: Mahoney sends a great corner in from Rovers but it evades everyone in the box. 1-1

85: Another sub for Rovers. Towering striker Mansell is replaced by Callum Hendry. 1-1 still.

80: Sub for Rovers. Thomson is replaced by Rittenburg. 1-1

78: Not long left now for either of these sides to find the winner. Diangana tries to fashion an opening but his shot is blocked over for a corner. 1-1

73: As I type, Nyambe breaks clear but skews his shot well wide. The Rovers right-back has been their main threat in this second half. 1-1

72: Not as many chances in this half as there was in the first. Blackburn have hardly threatened with the Hammers looking the more threatening. 1-1

69: Fletcher breaks clear and threads a brilliant ball through to Ford. The linesman flags for offside pretty late - the sub thought he was clear. 1-1

66: The rain has stopped but the pitch has become very slippery and it's making the players pay extra attention to their first touch and control. 1-1

63: Could be more hamstring issues for the Hammers here. Calleri has just walked off clutching his. They've had no luck so far this evening. Sam Ford will come on. 1-1

59: Sub for the Hammers, their second of the evening. Diangana replaces Parfitt-Williams. 1-1

57: Samuelsen again trying to create. He darts inside two players and pulls the ball back, only for it to fall to a Blackburn player to clear. 1-1

53: Brilliant again from Samuelsen. A weaving run earns himself some space just inside the box and he forces a great save from Fisher. 1-1

51: Good play by the Hammers. Samuelsen has a shot blocked and the corner is headed towards goal by Pike. Callers tries an overhead kick but it's saved well by Fisher. 1-1

47: No changes at the break. Just the one in the first half with Rosa replacing the injured Pask. 1-1

46: We're back underway at the Chigwell Construction Stadium!

HALF-TIME: Hammers 1-1 Rovers. Samuelsen's early goal cancelled out by Hardcastle.

45: 2 minutes added by the fourth official. No real chances to report over the last five minutes. The midfield battle is intense. 1-1

44: We just had and absolute deluge here but it's not affecting the game one bit. Some great football being played by both sides. 1-1

40: Nyambe sends a great cross into the area but it;s brilliantly cleared by Sylvestre under his own crossbar. 1-1

37: Captain Platt rises at the back post and can only header just wide. 1-1

36: Doesn't look good here for Pask. He chases back brilliantly to block off Mansell's skill but goes down clutching his hamstring. He's coming off with 16-year-old Bernado Rosa coming on for his PL2 debut. He only made his U18 debut at the weekend as well!! 1-1

34: Excuse the pun, but it's Hammering down at the CCS. It's still a terrific game, mind. End to end stuff here and great entertainment. The Hammers have responded well to being pegged back. 1-1

31: Corner for West Ham swung in brilliantly by Samuelsen. Caller's header is goal bound but held brilliantly by Fisher. 1-1

30: At the other end, Samuelsen can't quite get his contact right with a Calleri cross. Good response by the boys! 1-1

28: Goal for Rovers. Hardcastle curls the resulting free-kick into the bottom corner. Nicely done by the Rovers' No10 and Howes could do nothing about the strike. 1-1

26: Howes handles the ball just outside the edge of the box - very unlucky there but he was a yard out and Rovers have a free-kick just inside the D. Yellow for the Hammers keeper. 1-0

25: The corner is swung in and Mansell rises highest but his header is blocked. The Rovers bench want a penalty for handball - not given. 1-0

24: Pike puts in a terrific block and the Hammers have to defend another corner here with one of the Rovers players down receiving treatment. 1-0

21: Nyambe gets to a crossing position and Westley does well to chase back and block. The following corner is punched clear by Howes. 1-0

19: The Hammers have tried to implement their passing style over the last few minutes. They look comfortable at the moment and a real threat up top. 1-0

14: The Hammers do well to defend a dangerous free-kick. Rovers are a big side, especially with Mansell up top - it'll be a stern test of Pike, Pask and co this evening. 1-0

12: Pask does brilliantly to block a powerful effort from Mansell. The defender it slightly winded but is back up. 1-0

11: Danger for the Hammers. Mahoney nicks the ball off Pask but the Gillingham loanee does excellently to race back and block the cross. 1-0

10: The Hammers are well on top in the early stages. Fletcher gets to the byline and fizzes an excellent ball across the face of goal, but no one was there to tap the ball home. 1-0

7: GOALLL! Lovely move by the Hammers to break the deadlock. Calleri crosses for Fletcher who lays it back to Samuelsen. The winger caresses the ball brilliantly past Fisher. 1-0!

5: Good play by Samuelsen to disposess Nyambe but Fletcher can't quite latch on to the loose ball. Keeper gathers. 0-0

KO: We're underway at the CCS, with the Hammers lining up in a 4-4-2 formation. Samuelson on the left, Parfitt-Williams on the right, with Calleri and Fletcher up top. 0-0

6.55pm: The teams are out. We're almost ready to go and the rain has pretty much stopped! Perfect timing! COYI!

6.45pm: We're around 15 minutes from kick-off at the CCS. Remember entrance tonight is free for season ticket holders, so it's not too late to head to Dagenham for some free football!

6.20pm: So a number of changes tonight, bearing in mind tomorrow night's FA Youth Cup tie with Stoke City. Martin Samuelsen briefly returns from his loan again this evening, along with Josh Pask, who has been on loan at Gillingham this year. Jonathan Calleri and Ashley Fletcher also return with Toni Martinez still out injured and Marcus Browne suspended. The Hammers will go into tonight as favourites and hopefully they can make it three out of three in the league!

West Ham XI: Howes, Eggleton, Pike, Pask (Rosa, 37), Westley; Makasi, Sylvestre; Parfitt-Williams (Diangana, 53), Calleri (Ford ), Samuelsen; Fletcher.

Subs not used: Matrevics (gk), Diangana, Gordon.

Goals: Samuelsen 7,

Blackburn XI: Fisher, Nyambe, Doyle, Travis, Platt (c), Magloire, Mahoney, Rankin-Costello, Mansell, Hardcastle, Thomson (Rittenburg, 80).

Subs not used: Makinson, Powell, Mols, Hendry.

Goals: Hardcastle 28,

6:00pm: Good evening and welcome to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for tonight's Premier League 2 match between West Ham United and Blackburn Rovers. The Hammers go into this one lying in third in PL2 Division 2 with their opponents currently seventh. Both sides are in contrasting form as well - the Hammers have won their last two in the league whereas Rovers have lost their last two. Team news to follow!

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Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 2 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st November 2016
By: HeadHammerShark


1. Say No Go

Going to the cinema when you're married is a delicate business. You've got to at least make a nod towards compromise, but if you get too agreeable then there's a reasonable chance you'll end up watching a film with Katherine Heigl in it where absolutely nothing explodes.

Sadly, back in 2004 I made the mistake of suggesting to Mrs Shark that we go to watch the newly released Van Helsing. I think I'd been seduced by the fact it had the delectable Kate Beckinsale in it, and there were a couple of trailer friendly set pieces and thus it was that we ended up watching one of the worst things committed to film since someone once said to George Clooney "Yes mate, you'd be great as Batman".

Since then I've been carrying that particular monkey on my back for a dozen long years. Every new viewing suggestion has to be clearly weighed up against the threat that it might become the new Van Helsing and haunt me until my dying day by having a denouement featuring three CGI characters and a plot that was concocted during an acid trip.

I also have to exercise similar restraint with 5.30pm Saturday football games. With three daughters anxious to watch Strictly, there's no room for error when commandeering the TV for oneself. It had better be worth it if you're going to play the Dad card, because you're going to be hearing about it forever.

This was not worth it.


2. 3 Feet High And Rising

So just how bad is it? Well, after 12 games our record reads W3 D2 L7 (11 points), putting us a point clear of Hull City who only have 8 professionals and are allowing three fans to play for them every week, and level with Crystal Palace, who are Crystal Palace.

I'll offer up a quick comparison to our two relegation seasons and The Great Escape of 06/07:

2002/03 (Roeder) - P12 W3 D2 L7 (11 points)
2006/07 (Pardew) - P12 W3 D2 L7 (11 points)
2011/12 (Grant) - P12 W1 D5 L6 (8 points)

Big shout out to Avram then for comprehensively owning the "shittiest start ever" award. He actually wouldn't win his third game until Boxing Day, which was a heroically awful performance, although Bilic is nicely imitating Roeder by smuggling in a late 3-2 defeat at Spurs.

Of course, there isn't an awful lot of hope on the horizon. Our next three games, as everybody knows, are away to Man Utd, home to Arsenal and away to Liverpool. Without being too Spursy, this was our most winnable game of that run, and we somehow messed it up and it seems reasonable to assume that our record after our Merseyside trip will read P15 W3 D2 L10 (11 points). And that compares thusly:

2002/03 (Roeder) P15 W3 D3 L9 (12 points)
2006/07 (Pardew) P15 W3 D2 L10 (11 points)
2011/12 (Grant) P15 W2 D6 L7 (12 points)

So all hope is not lost, but if you're still labouring under the misapprehension that West Ham aren't in a relegation scrap then you should disabuse yourself of that notion. When you're nearly halfway through the season and behind Avram Grant it's safe to say that someone somewhere has fucked up royally.


3. Dave Has A Problem...Seriously

Not to revisit those summer signings all over again, but they really are the gift that keeps on taking. Håvard Nordtveit is going to take a lot of blame for this defeat, which is remarkable considering he was only on for eight minutes, but if you're going to turn up for work without your cerebrum then I suppose you always run the risk of that happening.

He has pretty decent pedigree having started at Arsenal, then played 150 times for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga and the Champions League as well as turning out 29 times internationally for Norway. He is not a bad player, but he's been bought along with a few duffers, hasn't had a great start and has now conceded a last minute penalty in a big local derby. So far, so bad.

I'm sure that all of that was preying on his mind as he was brought on and it was probably a determination to make a positive impact that led him to make such a brainless challenge on Heung Min Son and invite the Korean to take a tumble. It was all very reminiscent of Alex Song a couple of years ago - although Harry Kane dived then - when an experienced player did something brainless and cost us dearly.

The summer shopping spree from hell also reared it's head a few minutes earlier when Simone Zaza had a great chance to play in Dimitri Payet during a three on one breakaway with the score still at 2-1. Sadly he went full Transport for London on the pass, delayed it for no obvious reason and pushed Payet wide. He still actually had a chance to make an impact when the ball was laid back to him, but he hit a powderpuff shot straight at Lloris and the chance was lost.

As I've written previously I expect all the loan signings to be moved on in January, at which point David Sullivan is going to do something batshit crazy because there is no way he's going to stand idly by and let the players fuck it up all on their own.


4. Keepin' The Faith

The especially galling thing about this result is that for 88 minutes we'd played pretty well. I can't say that we'd been brilliant, but Spurs are very decent at home, and it's clear that we're playing with a few round pegs in pentagon shaped holes.

One obvious plus was Manuel Lanzini, who dropped deep into Noble's position and was outstanding. His quick feet and slick passing was especially helpful in bypassing the incessant Spurs pressing game, and he combined well with Obiang to break up play regularly.

We sat men behind the ball here and allowed Spurs to have possession, which they largely squandered. Vincent Janssen was heavily pursued by West Ham in the summer, which really should have been a warning to Spurs but they bought him anyway, and he duly doesn't look up to much. With he and Kane anonymous, there wasn't much to fear and we snatched a goal when Antonio popped up like an out of position salmon at a corner and gave us a lead that we sort of deserved.

Spurs improved after half time and they got their equaliser when Angelo Ogbonna decided to go for a leisurely evening stroll on the edge of his box, lost possession and then promptly went to sleep.

Antonio then sold himself like an ex Prime Minister in allowing Rose to run past him and cross for Janssen, who caught it, span it on the end of his finger, and took the three point attempt. Mike Dean saw no issue with this, and despite Randolph making an excellent save, the ball rebounded fortuitously to Harry Winks who tapped in the rebound.

After that it didn't look promising, but we picked up a penalty when Janssen (him again) put both arms around Reid at a corner and then looked shocked, shocked I tell you when Dean pointed to the spot. Lanzini continued his Noble impression by duly tucking it away and with that everything went just swimmingly until it didn't.

I'll be interested to see if Noble gets his place back next week. Our central midfield was a strength today, and there's not much doubt that Lanzini moves the ball quicker than the skipper, without offering the same ability to win it back. I suspect that Andre Ayew might be jettisoned as I still have no idea what position he's supposed to be playing, which is pretty good going for our record signing.


5. The Art Of Getting Jumped

Of all the bad habits to pick up, conceding late goals to Spurs seems to be a fairly sub optimal one. Pochettino has actually been outwitted a couple of times against us in the past - once when Pep Guardiola's tactical inspiration Sam Allardyce played with no strikers and beat him 3-0, and then more recently last season when Bilic deployed a 3-5-2 at Upton Park and ended their title hopes.

I'm not sure if he was expecting us to abandon the 3-4-3 variant here, but Spurs didn't really get to grips with the game until after their equaliser, which contained more than a hint of good luck. Thereafter, they were clearly the ascendant side but our defending was resilient enough to keep them out until the worst 160 seconds I've experienced since someone agreed to let Pierce Brosnan sing solo during Mamma Mia!.

What didn't help was Bilic taking off Dimiti Payet with 5 minutes to go. Payet was our only outlet at that point, as Zaza was holding it up about as well as an imaginary scaffold, and once he was gone there was nothing to stop Spurs bombing on freely. I wasn't averse to solidifying things with another defensive player but surely Lanzini made the most sense in that situation.

I wouldn't say we lost because we stopped trying to win, but inviting any team to spend the last ten minutes in your half with no respite doesn't seem like a great idea to me.
He probably supports Spurs too, the smug prick.


6. All Good?

"It ain't all good, and that's the truth
Things ain't going like you think they should"
- De La Soul "All Good"

Talking of Payet, I may be overreacting wildly, but I can't help feeling this is the beginning of the end. They won't let him go in January - not even West Ham would be that bonkers - but if this season ends up as expected with a relegation struggle and a narrow escape, then that won't be enough to keep him. Sullivan can talk all he wants (and let's face it - he wants to talk) but he didn't surround him with good enough players and thus he'll demand the opportunity to play on the platform his skills (and agent) demand.

This leaves us with the terrifying prospect of no Payet and David Sullivan on a £50m pound spending spree. If we had a proper scouting network in place we might dream of Julian Draxler or Iker Muniain or Yannick Carrasco in replacement, but instead it will be whoever the agent of the week brings in, which will presumably lead to us wasting it all on Wesley Sneijder.

Anyway, enjoy him while you can. That's all I'm saying.


7. Potholes In My Lawn

Not to continue to state the eye bleedingly obvious, but the lack of a right back is destroying us. Whilst Nordtveit is taking all the blame it shouldn't be ignored that the first and second Spurs goals came as a result of defensive lapses on our right side. I am past blaming Antonio - he's not a defensive player and to continue to shoehorn him into the side there is a dereliction of duty by all concerned.

Alvaro Arbeloa is apparently on his way out having fallen out with Bilic, which is becoming a bit of a recurring theme. I have no issue with a bit of discipline but between Amalfitano, Sakho and Arbeloa there seems to be a bit of a pattern.

I also wonder, with no basis for this other than my own opinion, whether that ongoing investigation into Caroll and Randolph being on the piss in Shoreditch at 5am is a factor here too. You'll remember that the Club were determined to get to the bottom of that and then apparently appointed Sir John Chilcott to lead the inquiry as we've heard nothing since.

I doubt it's a great look when some lads can get pissed without it being career limiting, and others have to face up to being transferred to West Brom. As I say, all guesswork, but it doesn't feel quite right.

A little bit like having to consistently play Michail Antonio as a wing back.


8. Vocabulary Spills

Getting angry about Man of the Match awards is a monumental waste of time. It was slightly bizarre though, even by the standards of modern journalism, that Owen Hargreaves gave the award to Harry Kane, whilst admitting in the same breath that Winston Reid was the best player on the pitch. Stranger still was that Kane wasn't even the best player named Harry on his own side, as Harry Winks turned in an irritatingly decent performance to highlight once again the paucity of young talent being developed at West Ham currently.

Reid, was exceptional however, and after watching the game and reading every match report I can get my hands on I'm still none the wiser as to why he was sent off.

Kane, meanwhile, at least had the good grace to be as peripheral as he is when he plays for England before popping up with a tap in and a penalty and taking home the champagne. Whilst I admire their dedication to participating in social media trends, I just feel our defence could have picked a better time than the 88th minute of a London derby before joining in with the Mannequin challenge.


9. Stakes Is High

I was pretty surprised to see Darren Randolph get the nod ahead of Adrian, but with the latter having followed the centuries old West Ham tradition of losing his form as soon as he got called up by the national team, I guess it wasn't too shocking.

He has a tough run of games now in which to cement his place, although some may argue he's likely to get plenty of opportunity to show off his skills. We have kept just three clean sheets all season and have won each of those games. We have yet to pick up a win in any league game where we have conceded a goal.

Stick with me, I've got an idea, it's on the tip of my tongue.


10. Change In Speak

Hate is a strong word.

Nobody comes here to listen to my politics so I don't generally indulge that. I average about 800 visitors for each post and possibly a few multiples of that when the column is carried at KUMB. So I'm not kidding myself that I speak for anyone other than myself, or that I'm speaking to anything other than a tiny majority of West Ham fans.

I have no doubt that some of you think me self important, and you'd be quite right. I write a column that no one pays me for, and then ask people I don't know to read it. You'd have to have a certain level of self importance to do that, especially in an age when people are not even remotely reluctant to tell you they think your writing is "fucking awful".

But I'm going to say this anyway. A lot of West Ham fans have convinced themselves that they hate Spurs fans. It might be true for some, but I suspect it's not really. I have some close friends who are Spurs fans and we all accept the enmity and have generally lapsed into not ever talking about the football at all. I certainly don't hate them or anyone else who supports them. It's like these things that I say I hate but I am really just mildly irritated by:

- people who have long, inane, wittering phone conversations on quiet 7.30am trains
- people who queue for planes at the gate an hour before departure time
- people who get to Underground ticket barriers and then begin the search for their Oyster cards
(I am a dream to travel with, as you can see)
- ads before songs on YouTube
- Robbie Williams
- Anton du Beke
- Robbie Williams performing on Strictly whilst Anton du Beke dances; and so on.....

And so even though Spurs fans are annoying when they win, and the whole "Spammers Cup Final" thing is irritating it's worth remembering that you're not 14, and it's supposed to be irritating because that's what football fans do.

Hate is a strong word.

If you really feel you want to respond to that, why not just point out that Spurs could have gone top of the league for the first time in March since 1964 when they visited the Boleyn earlier this year. Not just their Cup Final, but their biggest domestic game in 50 years and they shat themselves and didn't manage even an attempt on goal in the first half. We deservedly won and ended their league title hopes.

Why mention this?

Because at no point did that require the use of the word "Yid", "Yiddo", "Jew", "Fucking Jew" or a hissing sound.

This was the first game we've played at White Hart Lane in 3 years where there haven't been media reports about our fans signing anti-Semitic songs. I sort of feel like saying thank you to the fans that went, except that not singing Nazi songs shouldn't really be considered a success.

Post match Twitter, by contrast, was awful with plenty of West Ham fans seemingly throwing around anti-Semitic barbs with furious abandon and then retreating behind the mealy mouthed "it's just banter" excuse because yeah, wasn't Dachau funny. LOL. Megabantz. I wonder if these people have ever considered even briefly what it must be like to be a Jewish West Ham fan and have to stand next to people hissing. That's rhetorical. They haven't.

Twitter isn't real life, and I am well aware that a tiny number of twats posting anonymously on a social media site doesn't mean a great deal, but you know it's not like we don't have previous for this.

I'm not even sure I really have an acceptable pay off to this point other than to say we should all be aiming to eradicate this bullshit completely. Call them out on social media, block them from our forums, report them to the Police. Anti semitism is a disgrace.

I've written and deleted and then re-written this a couple of times. No one comes here for this, I know, and people being abhorrent on Twitter isn't really news but this is a "thing" that people now associate with our club. I wondered if any other club had a similar label and stuck in "Sunderland anti Semitism" as a test and the only thing that came up was loads of articles calling Paolo di Canio a Fascist. So, yeah, it's a bit of a West Ham thing.

It's only football, folks.

Hate is a strong word.

* Read more from HeadHammerShark at thehlist.blogspot.co.uk and/or follow him via twitter.

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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Domingos Quina signs professional terms with West Ham
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 21/11/16 5:44pm
SSN

Promising midfielder Domingos Quina has signed his first professional contract at West Ham, which keeps him at the club until 2019. Quina, who turned 17 last Friday, joined the Hammers in the summer on an initial two-year scholarship deal following spells at Chelsea and Benfica. He has already featured twice for West Ham this season, both appearances coming in the Europa League against NK Domzale, and also scored a 40-yard wonder goal against Leicester City for the Under-23s in October. I chose West Ham because it is a great club and they like to give young players opportunities to break into the first-team like Reece Oxford and I hope to do the same. "I like to enjoy my football and do things which people are not expecting. I really enjoyed my goal against Leicester and it was a great moment. "That was not the first time I had scored a goal like that and hopefully there is more to come. "I know that talent alone is not enough to see me develop as a player and I just want to keep working hard every day. Hopefully I will get my chance."

Quina has already showcased his talents at international level for England Under-17s at the European Championship and will now aim to impress manager Slaven Bilic further and become a regular part of the first team. Bilic added: "I am personally delighted with the news. We know a lot about him and he came away with us on pre-season. "He is one of those players that you think if he doesn't make it, then which player will? "He has got everything and it is now down to us and up to him how much he is going to improve and dedicate his life to achieve something that God gave him. There is no doubt he has something exceptional. "He is skillful and is one of those players who doesn't have to think about his first touch because it comes so naturally to him. "He is not afraid of challenges and has skill

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West Ham keeping tabs on Dundee teenager James Cowan with several English clubs interested
The 18-year-old is a target for several English clubs with West Ham, Derby and Oxford with the Scottish Premiership club ready to let the midfield prospect move south
The Mirror

West Ham are keen on Dundee teenager James Cowan. Cowan, 18, is a target for several English clubs with West Ham, Derby and Oxford with the Scottish Premiership club ready to let the midfield prospect move south. The Hammers have been keeping tabs on the highly-rated central midfielder. Slaven Bilic's men are looking for reinforcements in the new year with Watford's Troy Deeney an option to bolster a faltering forward line. Andy Carroll is injured while Diafra Sakho, whose proposed summer switch to West Brom collapsed, has only made one appearance this season due to a back problem. Loan strike duo Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri have both also failed to make an impact at the London Stadium.

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Valencia plan to help West Ham get rid of unwanted player
VALENCIA are reportedly preparing to offer Simone Zaza a way out of West Ham.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 21:09, Mon, Nov 21, 2016 | UPDATED: 21:28, Mon, Nov 21, 2016
Express.co.uk

Zaza has endured a difficult start to life in the Premier League since his loan move from Juventus. West Ham will trigger a permanent transfer worth around £17million (€20m) if Zaza plays 14 games for the club. The Italy international has not scored in 10 appearances and may struggle for more game time after Diafra Sakho's return to fitness. And Valencia are said to be monitoring the situation closely. According to website Gazza Mercato - an affiliate of Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport - La Liga side Valencia are very keen on a January loan deal. For that to happen Juve would have to agree to cancel Zaza's loan agreement with West Ham. However, by doing so they would potentially miss out on a lucrative sale of a player they have no plans to retain. Valencia may therefore need to agree to the same terms West Ham settled for in the summer. Another option is for West Ham to trigger the permanent move for Zaza and then offload him straight on to Valencia on loan.

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic defends subbing of Dimitri Payet for Havard Nordtveit after late Tottenham defeat
JAMES BENGE
Evening Stadnard

Slaven Bilic insisted that he had not erred in substituting West Ham's star player Dimitri Payet in the closing minutes of his side's 3-2 loss to Tottenham. The Hammers were 2-1 up with five minutes when Bilic withdrew Payet for defensive midfielder Havard Nordtveit at White Hart Lane but Spurs would rally to claim victory, Harry Kane scoring in the 89th and 91st minutes to secure three points for Mauricio Pochettino's men. To make matters worse for Bilic it was Nordtveit who conceded the penalty that allowed Kane to win the match, carelessly bringing down Heung-min Son on the byline to set Spurs on course for victory. But Bilic maintained that his decision to substitute an attacker for a defender was the right course of action even if it backfired on the Hammers. "It was like five minutes to go, we were 2-1 up, from my point of view, for our point of view, it was a logical move to put on a fresh body," Bilic said. "He was excellent but we thought, 'Ok it's like the end of the game, we are winning, let's hold on.' We wanted to score a third one but when we see them coming then you think you can resist it with one more player, a fresh body for five or seven, eight minutes."
Kane's penalty inflicted a seventh league defeat on West Ham in just 12 matches; Bilic's side continue to sit just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

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Ian Bishop says Danny Rose's antics sickens him
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

West Ham United lost against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday. Former West Ham United midfielder Ian Bishop has criticised Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose on social networking site Twitter. Bishop was not impressed with the antics of Rose during the Premier League game between Tottenham and West Ham at White Hart Lane on Saturday evening. The 51-year-old has criticised Rose for diving during the match, and has also expressed his disappointment for West Ham manager Slaven Bilic. West Ham were 2-1 up until the final minutes of the match, but they conceded twice late on to lose 3-2.

Ian Bishop @BishBlueHammer
Gutted for Slav ⚒sickens me to watch Danny Rose asking the ref for the red after diving around himself all day.
7:35 PM - 19 Nov 2016
247 247 Retweets 486 486 likes
19 Nov

Over the course of the 90 minutes at White Hart Lane on Saturday evening, hosts Tottenham had 67% of the possession, took 14 shots of which six were on target, and earned four corners, according to BBC Sport. Vistors West Ham had just 33% of the possession, took 11 shots of which three were on target, and earned five corners, according to BBC Sport. Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League table at the moment with 24 points from 12 matches, while West Ham are just a point and a place above the relegation zone.

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