Daily WHUFC News - 29th November 2016

Ogbonna - Concentration was key
WHUFC.com

Hammers defender Angelo Ogbonna was terrific in his side's 1-1 draw with
Manchester United on Sunday
The defender believes the point will improve the side's confidence ahead of
Wednesday's EFL Cup tie at Old Trafford
Italian defender Ogbonna also praised Hammers goalscorer Diafra Sakho and
substitute Ashley Fletcher

Hammers defender Angelo Ogbonna believes his side's concentration in defence
helped the visitors earn a vital point against Manchester United on Sunday
in the Premier League. Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised for the Red Devils after
Diafra Sakho had opened the scoring within the first two minutes, but the
visitors battled hard to ensure they returned to east London with a draw in
the bag.
Ogbonna's marvellous defensive display, which included a number of important
blocks and last-ditch tackles, contributed to the result and the Italian was
left thrilled at the final whistle. He said: "I think it is a really crucial
point for us. We had a really good game and a good performance and it was so
important for us because we were so disappointed about the last match. "It
was great to put a good performance in. We were so concentrated at the back
and maybe this is why this game is a great moment. "In the table, we are not
great at the moment but we have to take it step-by-step and focus each time
for every game."

Ogbonna was involved in one of the match's key moments at the end of the
first period, as he bravely threw himself in front of a Ibrahimovic
goalbound effort. "Yeah, it was [great to stop Ibrahimovic]," the defender
said about the chance. "Maybe we had a lot of chances but they had a lot of
chances too. Ogbonna tackles Rooney"At the end of the game, it's a draw and
we keep this point and we have to look forward and get back here on
Wednesday. "It's important for the first match to draw and it's a really
good point for us.
"I want to keep our best up tonight and maybe on Wednesday, I don't know, we
can get a draw or better, the best result for us."

There was early delight for the travelling Irons as Sakho headed past David
De Gea in the second minute and Ogbonna had nothing but praise for the
forward who was making just his second appearance of the season. He also
moved to compliment former Manchester United forward Ashley Fletcher, who
made a huge impact as a second half substitute. "For us, [Sakho's] so
important," continued the ex-Juventus man. "He's a good player and a good
man and he's important for the team. But it wasn't just him, but a lot of
players.
"Fletcher came on and was brialliant as well. We need to get our confidence
back sometimes, but this is a good way to get it back.
"He got chances and maybe if he puts the ball in for us then today I'm
talking about three points! But it's OK - he's still young and he is a good
player. "He can keep the ball and run in behind and he's very good for us
that we have a good lot of young players who can improve and help the team
and we have to keep our feet on the ground and work hard and take it
step-by-step."

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West Ham PL2 aim for six unbeaten
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 travel to west London to play Fulham this evening at
Craven Cottage (7pm kick-off)
The Hammers are aiming to go six matches unbeaten in all competitions
Manager Terry Westley is urging his players to improve

West Ham United PL2 will aim to go six games unbeaten in all competitions
this evening, when they face Fulham at Craven Cottage (7pm kick-off). The
Hammers are on a good run of form despite being frustrated last Monday when
they were held to a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers. It's the start of a
busy week for Terry Wesley's players. Tonight's match is swiftly followed on
Thursday with the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League
Cup. Westley will hope this evening though that his side can improve from
last week's draw against Rovers. "It wasn't a game for the purist, not a
game for maybe me as a coach or Liam. It's one we want to put in the back
drawer very quickly and forget about," said Westley. "In the end, we came
away with a 1-1 draw but we know that we'll have to improve this Monday
against Fulham."

The Hammers will be boosted by the news that Martin Samuelsen has returned
to the club after his loan spell at Blackburn was cancelled.
The young Norwegian has found game time hard to come by in Lancashire and
that is despite making his senior debut and scoring his first goal for
Norway this season. Samuelsen also bagged his first PL2 goal of the season
in the draw with Rovers and is looking forward to knuckling down over the
next few months and getting some much needed minutes. "I'm not allowed to
play for the first team until January so the main thing for me it just to
get back playing and get back to the joy of playing football," he said. "I'm
looking forward to playing every week. It's been a really tough time and
I've gone every week knowing I'm not going to play. "Hopefully now I can get
the smile back on my face and enjoy playing football again."

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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

This was always going to be a testing time for the Club with the run of hard
games we were facing, but there is no doubt that the team is playing a lot
better.
Nobody is enjoying looking at the table at the moment but I hope we have now
turned a corner. We got off to a perfect start against Manchester United on
Sunday and it was unfortunate that we could not hold onto the lead. But I
thought the players showed great determination and a fighting spirit to help
us come away with a point. It was a real team effort starting with Darren
Randolph who once again showed his quality and produced an outstanding
display. Darren has had to be patient but he has never moaned about the
situation and showed his quality during the summer playing for the Republic
of Ireland at the European Championship Finals. I was impressed by the
effort from the whole team on Sunday but I thought Darren was the star
performer. There were a number of positives to take from the performance and
it was very pleasing to see Diafra Sakho back in action. He showed his
quality once again when he opened the scoring after just two minutes and it
was really unfortunate that he picked up a hamstring injury during the
second half. Diafra will now undergo a scan and although the early signs
suggest it will not be a lengthy injury, we will know a lot more when we see
the results in the next few days. It has certainly been a frustrating time
with injuries to key players, but with our club record signing Andre Ayew
back in action and Andy Carroll not far away from making a first-team
return, the signs are looking a lot more encouraging. Ashley Fletcher also
showed his quality when he came on as a substitute and was unlucky not to
get on the scoresheet late in the game. We identified Ashley as a big player
for the future when we signed him during the summer, but he impressed in the
opening part of the season and remains a key part of the squad. We now
switch our attentions to another the EFL Cup on Wednesday night when we face
Manchester United once again in the quarter-final and I am very optimistic
going into the tie. We are just three games away from playing at Wembley and
I know our fans would love another day out at Wembley. This is another
important week for the Club and a victory on Wednesday would set us up
nicely for another big game against Arsenal on Saturday.

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#WHUAREYA - Conor Coventry
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s are in great form this season, and Conor Coventry has a
lot to do with that. The 16-year-old's solid performances in midfield have
seen the Hammers occupy second position in the Premier League U18 South
division for the most part of this season, though this weekend they slipped
down to fourth. The teenager has also represented his country the Republic
of Ireland at U17 level a number of times and, speaking to West Ham TV, he
lifts the lid on what it is like turning out for the Boys in Green.


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Payet - We can compete against the big teams
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet believes his side have shown they have the quality to compete
against the big teams and feels it is only a question of time before they
turn their season around. The Hammers secured an impressive point against
Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday and showed a spirited
performance as they looked to bounce straight back from the agonising defeat
against Tottenham last week. Payet helped set up the opening goal after just
two minutes when his free-kick fell perfectly for Diafra Sakho to head the
ball past David de Gea. Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the home side level and
even though Darren Randolph had to make several top saves, Ashley Fletcher
could have won the game late on for the Hammers.

Slaven Bilic's side are looking to move clear of the bottom three and with
more big games to come against Arsenal and Liverpool, Payet hopes to see a
change in fortunes in the coming weeks. Payet said: "Obviously it's an
important point for us. It is never easy to come to Old Trafford and get a
result, but that is what we have succeeded in doing. "We came close to
taking all three points at the end. So we are very happy with that. "We
played a good match last weekend at Tottenham and unfortunately we didn't
take the points, but thankfully we have succeeded in getting something
against United. "Against these two tough teams, and we know what they are
capable of - we've showed that we can compete at this level. "We are trying
to put together a good little run to move ourselves a bit higher up the
table into a more comfortable position."

Payet has enjoyed the opportunity to play in a new system which Bilic has
brought into the team in recent weeks and feels the season will look a lot
different when the team get back on the winning trail. Payet added:
"Obviously when the results aren't going your way it's difficult to find too
much joy in the matches. "We've had a little less of the ball than we
enjoyed last season, but that's all part of the challenge at this stage and
we need to accept that and we need to keep working hard. "As I said, all
it's going to take is a little bit of a good run to move us up the table and
that will allow us to play with a bit more freedom. "When you come to a
place like Old Trafford you have to defend and the system is in place for
perfectly good reasons. "I'm happy right now because the decision has paid
off, but yes, of course, I am more happy with the ball."

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Stat's a Fact - Unbeatable Ogbonna
WHUFC.com

Faced with the absence of suspended Winston Reid, West Ham United defied
expectation to produce one of their most impressive defensive displays this
campaign at Manchester United on Sunday.

A back three that included Angelo Ogbonna, Cheikhou Kouyate and James
Collins were a constant frustration for Manchester United's star-studded
forwards as the visitors extended their unbeaten league run over the Red
Devils to four games.

Ogbonna's two blocks, including one goal-saving effort to deny Zlatan
Ibrahimovic from 10 yards made him second only to Pedro Obiang when it came
to getting in the way of the home sides efforts on goal.

The Italian's ability to read the game was further exemplified as he topped
the West Ham charts when it came to key interceptions (three), with only
Manchester United's Paul Pogba making more in the 90 minutes.

Ogbonna's eight clearances were equalled by Cheikhou Kouyate and bettered
only by James Collins as The Hammers' back-three made 25 out of their side's
36 clearances to keep Manchester United at bay.

For the opposition, Pogba made four blocks: three more than any of his
teammates (six with one each). The Frenchman again led the way in
interceptions (four) with Ander Herrera second on three and Lingard, Mata
and Rojo sharing two each.

Whilst he offered little in terms of shots or attacking headers for The
Hammers, Ogbonna's defensive responsibilities were carried out with
consummate professionalism as he, Kouyate, Collins and Randolph ensured West
Ham left Old Trafford with a valuable point.

The change to three at the back has seen a marked improvement in West Ham
United's defensive statistics with the side leaking more than one goal on
just two occasions since the formation was adopted at the beginning of
October.

Central to the successful change have been the performances of Ogbonna,
whose overall defensive display again yesterday meant he too might have been
deserving of man of the match, something which eventually went to Darren
Randolph.

West Ham United's overall performances have shown improvement week-on-week
recently and the displays of the defensive unit as a whole are an
encouraging sign that the Hammers can soon begin to put together a
consistent set of positive results.

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Two Hammers were in action on loan this weekend
Josh Cullen played 90 minutes in midfield for Bradford City
Lewis Page turned out for Coventry City as they were beaten by MK Dons

There were only two Hammers in loan action over the weekend as Josh Cullen
and Lewis Page both played 90 minutes for their respective sides.

Cullen, who has been a mainstay in Bradford City's side since rejoining the
Bantams in the summer after a period there last season, could not help his
team pick up a result as they were beaten 1-0 by Swindon Town.

Stuart McCall's men, who started the season in impressive fashion and were
unbeaten in League One until the middle of October, remain in the play-offs
but could not find the back of the net at the County Ground.

Anton Rodgers' 19th minute free-kick - which found the top corner from all
of 30 yards - was enough to secure all three points for the hosts.

James Hanson had his side's best two chances to equalise, as first he rifled
an effort over from close range before striking the woodwork with his head
with just eight minutes left on the clock.

Elsewhere, Lewis Page was in action for Coventry City but the Sky Blues
slipped back into the League One relegation spots with a 2-1 defeat to
managerless MK Dons.

Ed Upson gave the Dons the lead with ten minutes remaining in the first half
but Ben Stevenson spectacularly lifted the roof at the Ricoh Arena with a 30
yard stunner.

The afternoon turned sour for the midfielder with 16 minutes left however,
as he was shown a red card for a poor challenge on visiting captain Dean
Lewington.

And with time running out, MK made their one-man advantage count, scoring
again through Upson to record their first win since October 1.

Finally, George Dobson was an unused substitute for Walsall as they were
held to a goalless draw at home to Southend United.

In the Championship, Reece Burke is likely to be in action on Monday night
as his Wigan Athletic outfit make the trip to Huddersfield Town, live on Sky
Sports 1 from 7:45pm.

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West Ham's Diafra Sakho to undergo scan on hamstring injury
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 28/11/16 9:12am
SSN

Diafra Sakho will undergo a scan on the hamstring injury he sustained in
West Ham's 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Sakho scored inside the opening two minutes at Old Trafford, but was
withdrawn in the 66th minute after pulling up with the problem. The Senegal
international only returned from a three-month lay-off with a back injury in
the 3-2 defeat away at Tottenham on November 19. Sakho, who has been dogged
by injuries since joining West Ham from Metz in 2014, led the line on his
own against United and became the first Hammers striker to score this
season. It was also his first strike since May 10, coincidentally against
United, in West Ham's 3-2 victory in the final ever match to be played at
the Boleyn Ground. West Ham return to Old Trafford on Wednesday to face
United in the EFL Cup quarter-final, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm,
with one of Ashley Fletcher, Simone Zaza or Andre Ayew likely to replace
Sakho.

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Slaven Bilic confident the tide is turning after West Ham's 1-1 draw away to
Manchester United
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham added to the mounting problems facing Jose Mourinho and provided
more belief Slaven Bilic will steer them away from relegation trouble. All
the focus at Old Trafford was on the Portuguese after he was sent to the
stands after losing his temper following Paul Pogba's yellow card for
simulation. He could now face a touchline ban after being sent off for the
second time in a month, but that should not distract from an invaluable
point for the Hammers. Bilic has faced questions about his future - his side
are a point above the bottom three - so a deserved draw will help ease the
pressure on him. West Ham frustrated United and, after their heartbreaking
last-gasp defeat at Tottenham, this performance shows they should start to
climb the table. It does not get any easier for Bilic, however, with
Arsenal and Liverpool next up in the Premier League after his side return to
Old Trafford in the EFL Cup on Wednesday but the manager hopes the result
can be a turning point. "It is a difficult season," he said. "I am not
trying to avoid saying that but even after Spurs, when we lost the game in
the way we did, I was positive because it hurts but you have something to
build on. I am not happy with the position but recently there have been good
performances from us. It is only a matter of time when we get the points."

West Ham are without a win in over a month but they battled hard to earn a
draw that leaves United 11 points behind leaders Chelsea.
The Hammers, helped by a brilliant display from goalkeeper Darren Randolph,
showed plenty of positive signs and Bilic will be pleased with the response
of his players after they conceded twice in the final minutes at White Hart
Lane last weekend. West Ham look comfortable playing three at the back and
Bilic appears to have found a system that works.

Diafra Sakho, who put West Ham ahead before Zlatan Ibrahmovic equalised,
showed he can make a difference to a team that has struggled for firepower
up front. Dimitri Payet, who has failed to hit the heights he reached last
season, worked hard and played his part in a good performance, while
Randolph and Angelo Ogbonna both impressed. Randolph said: "We need that
character we showed to get us up the table and out of the position we are
in. It is performances like that, and the first half of the Spurs game, that
give us the belief we can do it. We have got a tough run of games and
picking up points along the way definitely helps. "We can take confidence
from this into Wednesday's game and then there is no reason why we cannot
pick up points against Arsenal and Liverpool. We are a good team. I see it
every day in training with the boys."

Bilic (below) said before the game he understands speculation about his
future and Randolph added: "When things are not going well, managers and
players are linked with going out the door. You cannot pay any attention to
that. In two or three weeks after a few good results he [Bilic] could be
here for life! That is just football."

Sakho was today due to have a scan on the hamstring injury that forced him
off in the second half. The striker, who missed the first three months of
the season before returning at Spurs, was a threat before he was taken off
and gives Bilic a different option. He did not look in too much discomfort
as he left Old Trafford and Bilic hopes he will not be out for too long.
Bilic must decide whether to make changes to his team for the EFL Cup
fixture on Wednesday night, with Arsenal coming to the London Stadium on
Saturday. He knows a win could build more momentum.

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West Ham and Everton hit by Premier League clampdown
WEST HAM and Everton will be forced to plug a lending gap because of a
Premier League ban on shadowy offshore finance companies.
Daily Star
By Paul Brown / Published 28th November 2016

From 2018, top-flight clubs will only be allowed to use TV money to borrow
from firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
But there had been confusion about how strict the ban would be, with sources
at both the Hammers and Everton claiming their current lender is already FCA
regulated. The two clubs use a UK company called Rights and Media Funding
Ltd which is on the FCA's financial services register. But the Premier
League have confirmed that because this company lends money from offshore
sources, it will fall foul of the new rules. A source with knowledge of the
arrangement said: "West Ham and Everton know that from 2018/19 they can't
borrow money like this. They are well aware they will have to make other
arrangements." "West Ham and Everton will be forced to plug a lending gap
because of a Premier League ban on shadowy offshore finance companies"
Offshore firms whose ultimate owners are anonymous have been a popular
source of funds for Premier League clubs for years. Until recently Everton
and West Ham both borrowed from Vibrac Corp, a company based in the British
Virgin Islands. Who ultimately owns Vibrac has been the subject of fevered
speculation, but it is understood this could finally be revealed some time
next year. The Premier League has always claimed to know who is behind the
company, which has also financed clubs in Spain and Germany, and insisted
that it has broken no rules. There is also no suggestion of any wrongdoing
by the clubs. But it is understood the league is pushing for greater
transparency when it comes to how clubs fund their activities. And the ban
is being brought in now because more lenders are now willing to lend to
clubs and less clubs are using offshore finance as a result. Premier League
clubs turned to offshore lenders as a source of short-term funding following
the financial crisis. Such loans have proved especially popular because the
money can often be drawn down within 24 hours, something that is not
possible with a traditional bank. One lawyer who has acted for Vibrac told
Starsport: "The TV money is received on a delayed basis and payments are in
instalments. They come through in dribs and drabs. "But clubs have to pay
staff and costs, and they don't know what will happen in the transfer
window. Some clubs want to get their hands on this money straight away. The
biggest clubs don't need financing. But other clubs try to even out cashflow
by taking out loans against future receivables. "Historically they would
have gone to a bank. But with the credit crunch banks left the marketplace
so they have had to make other arrangements."
It is understood West Ham and Everton were charged between six to eight per
cent interest for their latest loans, and are still looking into the
potential ramifications of the ban.

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Andre Ayew struggling to reach desired heights at West Ham United
Published on: 28 November 2016
ghanasoccerneet.com

Ghana and West Ham United's record signing Andre Ayew is clearly struggling
to reach the level he was at Swansea City after a cameo performance against
Manchester United in the English Premier League. Ayew is yet to score for
West Ham United and got off to a disastrous start to life as a hammer after
injuring his quadriceps in his first game for the club. He has since
returned but is yet to fully convince in the games he has played for the
club and his performance is clearly not meeting the expectations of his
manager Slaven Bilic. He started upfront in the game against Stoke City but
failed to impress while he was far from his best in the defeat to Tottenham
Hotspurs last week. With West Ham United struggling for form, Bilic decided
to drop Ayew for the big game against Manchester United and only introduced
him late on in the second half to see out a game they impressively picked up
a point. The marriage between Ayew and West Ham United is still a very young
one but clearly there is a lot that has improve from the direction of the
player and the club to enjoy.

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