Daily WHUFC News - 13th December 2016

Peter Brabrook – 1937-2016
WHUFC.com

West Ham United has been left deeply saddened by the passing of Hammers
great Peter Brabrook. The 1964 FA Cup winner and England international
winger died following a short illness on Saturday at the age of 79. A hugely
popular character, Peter made 215 appearances across six seasons, scoring 43
goals, before returning to the Club as both an Academy coach and scout,
working in the latter role until just weeks before his death. A friendly,
approachable and hugely knowledgeable figure beloved by his teammates,
colleagues and supporters alike, the 1958 FIFA World Cup finalist will be
sorely missed by everyone at the Club and the football world as a whole.
Born in Greenwich in November 1937, Peter spent the early part of his career
with Chelsea, helping the Blues to win the Football League title as an
18-year-old in 1955. Three years later, the young outside-right was on his
way to the FIFA World Cup finals in Sweden, where he earned one of his three
senior England caps when he started against the Soviet Union.

In 1962, Peter made the move across London to the Boleyn Ground for a
£35,000 fee, making his West Ham debut in a 1-1 draw with Burnley on 22
October of that year. A maiden goal in Claret and Blue arrived the following
month in a 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.
His most successful season with the Club, both personally and collectively,
came in 1963/64, when he netted a career-high 12 goals, including two
against Charlton Athletic and Orient during the Hammers' triumphant run to
the FA Cup final. At Wembley, it was his cross that Ronnie Boyce nodded in
with just seconds remaining to secure the famous trophy for the first time
in the Club's history.

The following season, injuries restricted Peter to just 25 appearances,
including one in West Ham's European Cup Winners' Cup run, which ended in
another glorious victory at the Home of Football. The south London-born
player was more heavily involved the following season, 1965/66, when he
helped the Hammers reach the semi-finals of both the League Cup and European
Cup Winners' Cup. Peter departed the Club in 1968, completing his playing
career with Orient and Romford before returning to the Hammers to work
within the Academy of Football. There, he scouted and coached some of the
finest graduates in West Ham history, including Joe Cole, Michael Carrick
and Frank Lampard Jr. In more recent years, Peter scouted Football League
clubs, seeking to unearth talent at senior level, and he remained a regular
and welcome visitor to both Chadwell Heath and, this season, Rush Green.

West Ham United would like to express their sincere condolences to Peter's
family and friends at this sad time.

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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic says the Hammers' point at Anfield on Sunday gives them the
perfect platform to build on in what he calls a 'crucial week' for his team.
The east Londoners follow the 2-2 draw with Liverpool by taking on Burnley
and Hull City at London Stadium – two games which the manager wants to use
to climb up the Premier League table. But he knows the challenge both will
present will be a significant one and the boss needs the Hammers to show the
same mental fortitude they displayed on Merseyside. He explained: "I was
pleased with the character shown by the team. After the loss last week, 5-1
to Arsenal, and then making a start that couldn't be worse, we showed a
great reaction. "It's a really great point for us, a positive situation
before this crucial week for us. "We tried to get as many points as possible
from these four, on paper, very difficult fixtures and now we have Burnley
and Hull at home. "Those games will be extremely difficult in every way and
we will have to show the character again, but also the quality,
togetherness, patience, because they will be very mentally demanding games.
We have to be ready for them."

The boss also had praise for how his goalkeeper Darren Randolph bounced back
from the error which led to Divock Origi's leveller early in the second
half, springing to his left to make a terrific stop from Jordan Henderson
and preserve the visitors' point.
He continued: "Darren is more than okay. It's the nature of the goalkeeper's
job. He made a mistake for the equaliser, it's true, but before and after
that he showed a great individual reaction. He was there in the moments we
needed our goalkeeper. "He showed his quality, his composure and he made a
couple of great saves – that strike from Henderson was a crucial moment for
us."

The manager concluded by offering his condolences to the victims of the
bombings in Istanbul this weekend – outside the stadium of his former club
Besiktas, where he spent two years prior to joining the Hammers. He said:
"I'd like to dedicate this point to the people in Turkey. I was there with
my staff for two years and I feel for them. "My prayers go out to them, it
is very sad what is happening in one of the best cities and one of the best
countries – because of the nature of the people, being so friendly and so
warm – that it's tearing me apart what happened there. "[I send] big
condolences to the families of the victims."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

George Dobson scored his first goal in senior football for Walsall on
Saturday
Josh Cullen helped Bradford secure an important home point
And Lewis Page, Reece Burke and Enner Valencia all played a part for their
loan sides this weekend

A first goal in senior football for Hammer George Dobson, on loan at
Walsall, could not help the Saddlers claim their second consecutive victory
as they were beaten 2-1 by Fleetwood Town on Saturday. Dobson's 76th minute
strike – a belter that fizzed through a crowd of players and past Town
keeper Alex Cairns from all of 25 yards – could not salvage anything as the
visitors found themselves two down in Lancashire previously. Ash Hunter's
superb curling strike had given the hosts the lead just three minutes before
the interval, and that advantage was doubled on 67 minutes as Bobby Grant
smashed home after an initial effort had hit the crossbar. Despite the
defeat, the match will live long in the memory for Dobson, who has now made
ten appearances for the League One outfit in all competitions.

Elsewhere in the third tier, Josh Cullen continued his terrific season,
starting and completing 90 minutes for Bradford City as they maintained an
unbeaten home record to draw with visiting Charlton Athletic. The Addicks,
under the guidance of new boss Karl Robinson, taking charge of his first
league match, threatened in the first half and struck the woodwork twice
through Josh Magennis and Jordan Botaka. But a second half sending off for
Patrick Bauer helped see Bradford over the line and remain in touch with top
two Scunthorpe United and Sheffield United.

Lewis Page's Coventry City had an afternoon to forget in Essex as Southend
United were 3-1 winners at Roots Hall. The left-back played the full match
for the Sky Blues but could not prevent Anthony Wordsworth, former Hammer
Anton Ferdinand and Stephen McLaughlin bagging goals for the hosts. Dan
Agyei grabbed a consolation one minute from time, but City continue their
battle against relegation this season as they sit just inside the drop zone.

Up a division, there was similar misery for Reece Burke – on loan at
struggling Wigan Athletic – who fell to defeat at Aston Villa.
The West Ham defender played 45 minutes for the Latics in the 1-0 loss in
which Jack Grealish scored the winner in the 88th minute.
Warren Joyce's men, despite the defeat, are still just two points from
safety in the Championship table and will look to improve their position on
Wednesday as they host Newcastle United.

Finally, in the Premier League, Enner Valencia was given 19 minutes for
Everton though the Blues were beaten 3-2 in a thriller at Vicarage Road.
Watford moved up to seventh with the terrific win in which Stefano Okaka's
brace and Sebastian Prodl's first of the season helped c linch the victory.
Romelu Lukaku was also on the scoresheet twice but in vain for the Toffees
who sit in ninth in the top flight.

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From the Boardroom
WHUFC.com

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan pays tribute to two Hammers and looks ahead to
an important week...

I would like to start this week by paying tribute to two special people who
have sadly passed away in recent days, taken from us by the evil disease
that is cancer. Peter Brabrook was a member of our greatest team, a team
that won the FA Cup for the first time in the Club's history in 1964, won
the European Cup Winners' Cup and reached the League Cup final. Peter played
for England at the World Cup at the age of 21, and a player who thrilled
West Ham United fans like me with his exciting wing play. He later returned
to the Club as an Academy coach and scout, helping to develop some of the
best players we have ever produced.

Jack Howard was just 12 when he passed away. A huge Hammers fan, Jack
bravely fought the disease with the support of his loved ones and the West
Ham family. I would like to express my personal condolences to Peter and
Jack's families at this time. We will pay tribute to them both at
Wednesday's game against Burnley.

I think we are all feeling more positive about our season after Sunday's
performance at Liverpool. Personally, I was impressed with the spirit and
togetherness shown by the team after falling behind early on. After what
happened late on against Arsenal, some teams would have crumbled after Adam
Lallana's goal, but not West Ham United.

Slaven Bilic and his players can take a lot of pride from what they achieved
against Liverpool, who have been thrashing teams at home this season.
Instead of going into their shells and feeling sorry for themselves, they
showed what playing for West Ham is all about. We tightened things up at the
back, pressed them all over the pitch as a team scored two great goals. We
deserved to be winning at half-time. It was a shame that we conceded after
the break, but Darren Randolph shrugged off the disappointment of his
mistake to make an absolutely world-class save from Jordan Henderson.

Make no mistake about it, getting a draw at Anfield was important for the
confidence and belief in the squad – and sets us up for two vital home
matches this week. We welcome Burnley and Hull City to London Stadium and we
will need every one of you behind the team as we seek six points that would
take us nearer to where we want to be in the Premier League table.

Tickets are available for both matches – Burnley on our Ticket Exchange and
Hull to our Season Ticket Holders, Claret Members and fans on the Priority
List – and I would strongly urge you to buy now if you want to be here to
cheer the team on.

As I said last week, we are a real force to be reckoned with when we are all
pulling in the same direction – we showed that at Liverpool, at Manchester
United, at Crystal Palace and at home to Chelsea.

These two matches will go a long way to shaping our season and we need a
full house right behind the players to give us the best possible chance of
securing the points we need.

I can assure you we are all determined to end a historic year for West Ham
United on a high.

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Nordtveit keen to kick on after Anfield draw
WHUFC.com

Norway international Havard Nordtveit said Sunday's draw against Liverpool
was the result of weeks of hard work
The 26-year-old admitted it has been a difficult start to life in the
Premier League
After an assist and a solid performance at Anfield, the summer signing is
keen to kick on for Slaven Bilic's men

Midfielder Havard Nordtveit admitted it felt great to be part of the Hammers
side which picked up a point at Anfield on Sunday after a difficult start to
life at the Club. West Ham travelled to Merseyside to take on an in-form
Liverpool outfit who look to be serious title contenders in the Premier
League this season and came away with a crucial point to show for their
efforts. After Adam Lallana put the Reds on the front foot, Dimitri Payet
equalised with a stunning free-kick before Michail Antonio poked home
Nordtveit's long ball before the break. Divock Origi levelled three minutes
into the second half but the visitors stood strong, with Norwegian Nordtveit
blocking and clearing everything that came his way. After securing the draw
and providing an assist, he said: "We have been working hard for many, many
weeks now and I felt that we got what we deserved today. After a hard start
at West Ham, I finally now want to show the fans what I'm doing in training
every day. "There are always things you can do better – nobody is perfect –
but after a hard start at West Ham, adapting from the Bundesliga to the
Premier League which has been tough, I finally now want to show the fans
what I'm doing in training every day."

Nordtveit joined the east Londoners from German outfit Borussia
Monchengladbach during the summer but was making just his fifth Premier
League start in the clash at the weekend. But after providing some
much-needed solidity at the back as both right-back and centre-back in parts
of the second half, the 26-year-old is now keen to kick on in claret and
blue. "I said last time, I'm always positive and working hard," he
continued. "The group is always positive so I'm just lucky and happy to be
here and hopefully now we can look forward to the next game and do the same
performance at home. "[This result] shows what we have in this Club and in
this team. It shows what spirit we have in each player. "After 90 minutes,
you can always feel when you've played against a good team like Liverpool,
and that shows that we don't belong in the situation we are in in the table.
"We want to be further up and hopefully it was a turning for us. We are just
looking forward to the next game and hopefully we can take more points."

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FT - West Ham United PL2 2-3 Swansea City
WHUFC.com

FT: All over here. The Hammers have been beaten 3-2 by Swansea. They staged
a late comeback thanks to goals from Martinez and Quina but in the end
Swansea just had enough to see the win out! Much more reaction to come on
our channels over the next 24 hours. Full-time: West Ham United PL2 2-3
Swansea City.

90+1: GOALLL! There's just one goal in it now! Quina caresses the ball into
the far corner. Do we have a comeback on here? 2-3

90: 4 mins added at the end of this game!

87: But the Hammers respond! Martinez stabs home after Parfitt-Williams's
flick on. Is it too little too late? 1-3

84: And the penalty is scored by Byers for his second of the match. Not been
a great night for the Hammers. 0-3

83: Penalty to Swansea. Sylvestre gets the wrong side of James and bundles
him over in the box. Chance here to wrap things up. 0-2

81: Akinola flicks a Browne free-kick towards goal but it rolls into the
arms of Brighitti. More frustration for the home side. 0-2

77: Samuel goes into the book for a foul of Neufville. Browne again whips in
a teasing ball but it's cleared by Swansea. 0-2

75: Sub now for the Hammers. Dan Kemp is replaced by Djair Parfitt-Williams.
0-2

72: Sub for Swansea. Their goalscorer Biabi is taken off and Owain Jones
comes on. 0-2

70: Neufville is shown the first booking of the evening for a coming
together at worst. Then Martinez has space for a shot but is closed down
well by defenders in white. 0-2

67: Couple of good set pieces delivered by Browne but the Hammers are yet to
make the most of them this evening. Time running out to get back into this
game. 0-2

59: Much better since going behind. Quina fakes a shot before sending a
drive just over the bar from 25 yards. 0-2

57: Better from the Hammers. Samuelsen works the ball to Browne but his
shots squirms just wide. 0-2

53: There's actually been a change at the break. Noah Sylvestre has replaced
Sam Wesley at right back. 0-2

50: It's just got worse for the Hammers. The ball was given away cheaply in
the midfield and was shuffled to Biabi who couldn't miss when through on
goal. 0-2

48: Swansea's Blair works some room on the edge of the box but sends a shot
well over Trott's crossbar. 0-1

46: We're back underway at the Chigwell Construction Stadium. Big half
required from the Hammers. Come on boys! 0-1

HT: We're reached the interval here and the Hammers trail. It's been a
strange half with the home side having much more possession and chances, but
Swansea took theirs on half an hour. George Byers with the goal and there's
work to do for the boys. 0-1 at the brea

45: Edging towards the break here - 1 minute of added time here! 0-1

39: Another great chance for the Hammers. Browne swings a deep free kick in
and it comes off Swansea's captain Davies. Unfortunately, Birighitti tips
the ball round the post for a corner. 0-1

36: A break in proceedings now as the a Swansea player is treated to on the
near touchline. The goal came out of nothing really and the Hammers will
have to come from behind here. 0-1

30: And just like that, the Hammers are behind. Totally against the run of
play in this first half. George Byers finds some space and manages to
squeeze the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. May have
took a deflection on the way through. 0-1

29: Samuelsen flicks the ball through to Martinez who shows his ruthlessness
in front of goal to find the bottom corner. Unfortunately, he was flagged
offside. 0-0

28: Browne tries his luck from distance but his shot sails over the bar.
Swansea haven't had a sniff so far. 0-0

26: Quina tries to find Samuelsen with a delightful cross field pass but
it's just behind the Norwegian. The Hammers are probing and have been the
better side in the opening stages. 0-0

22: Best chance of the game so far! Kemp gets the ball from Quina on the
right, cuts in past two challenges and forces Birighitti into a terrific
reflex save. The Hammers are on top! 0-0

18: Wonderful play again from Browne. He skips about four challenges but his
pass is just behind Martinez. The Spaniard was flagged offside though. 0-0

14: Browne bursts through the challenge of two defenders but a deflection on
his shot takes the sting out of it. Drops into the arms of Birighitti. 0-0

10: Nice build-up by the Hammers. Quina tries to slide the ball through to
Kemp but it's too close to Birighitti. 0-0

7: Neufville fouls Samuel on the Swansea right and the away have a free-kick
in a dangerous area here. Blair sends the ball in but it's straight at
Trott. 0-0

5: Nice one-two between Browne and Martinez. Browne sends a stinging into
the palms of Birighitti. Bright start by the boys! 0-0

2: Spells of possession for both sides in the opening embers. As expected,
the Hammers start with Martinez as the focal point of the attack with Browne
in behind.

1: We're underway at the CCS. Last game at home until the New Year so let's
end with a bang boys!!

6.50pm: Not long from kick-off at the CCS. Terry Westley is without captain
Declan Rice this evening who is out with illness. Tunji Akinola comes back
into the side, with Dan Kemp also returning to the starting eleven. The
players will be out shortly! COYI!

Hammers XI: Trott; Westley (Sylvestre, 45), Pike, Akinola, Neufville; Quina,
Makasi; Kemp (Parfitt-Williams, 75), Browne (c), Samuelsen; Martinez. Subs:
Howes, Hector-Ingram, Diangana.

Goals: Martinez, Quina.

Bookings: Neufville.

Swansea XI: Birighitti, Reid, Lewis, Blair, Davies (c), Rodon, James (Bray,
85), Holland, Biabi (Jones, 72), Byers, Samuel. Subs: Zabret, Evans, Cooper.

Goals: Byers 2, Biabi.

Bookings: Samuel

6pm: Evening and welcome to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for West Ham
United PL2's match with Swansea City. The Hammers are fourth in Premier
League 2 and come up against the league's frontrunners tonight, who have won
five league games on the bounce. It will be a testing night for Terry
Westley's men - that's for sure. Team news to follow!

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE: EXCLUSIVE TRANSFER, YOUTH AND EVENTS UPDATES
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 12 DECEMBER 2016 AT 9:42PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

That's more like it! A much better performance at Anfield and whilst we were
under pressure for parts of the game we showed spirt, grit and
determination. This is something that we have lacked in many games this
season and it appears Bilic's training ground disclosure about certain
players not applying themselves worked with there being a number of notable
absences from the bench for Liverpool. These players were not injured they
were deliberately not selected.

I thought Payet showed fight, something that some have accused him of not
doing and once again Reid was superb. Mark Noble continues to come under
some stick and he is now needing to raise his game with many players looking
to come back into the starting eleven. I really like Noble and wouldn't drop
him yet but in certain games you may need more intensity to your midfield.

We have drawn up a list of target players of which nearly all come from the
domestic leagues. This is something that I have covered in many of my
columns and radio shows. We are targeting the big clubs especially Chelsea,
Liverpool and Manchester United and we want proven domestic players which is
reassuring compared to our summer signings. The main targets I have all
mentioned in previous columns so the names will not surprise anyone. We will
focus our attentions on a forward possibly two and a right back. We will
also look to cover some of the players who are going to the African nations.
These are likely to be Ayew, Sakho, Feghouli and Kouyate.

The Zaza deal is taking time to negotiate and we have a couple of plans. One
is to try to renegotiate the deal to take out the permanent signing clause,
to organise for a buyer to take over the loan (with some interested from
Spain and Italy) or to just not play him and take the loss of the loan fee
but of course this is the least preferred option. A number of players could
leave the club. Tore was expected to leave but his current complex injury
problems mean this is now tricky. Arbeloa has proven to be a disappointment
since his arrival and despite Bilic and him attempting to have a closer
working relationship it wouldn't surprise me if he left. Feghouli could also
be allowed to leave on loan too. Calleri is currently injured and back in
South America it is also unlikely that he will stay in January which will
bring an end to quite a disappointing gamble. We only spent £1m on loan fees
for him though so not too much is lost.

It was great to see a number of youngsters make the bench including Alex
Pike who I was lucky enough to interview a few years back and is someone who
I also played for the same youth side as (although he is much younger than
me) so it wasn't together. We have many talented youngsters coming through.
Reece Oxford is the highest profile and I know I have said many times he
should sign his contract soon. He turns 18 this Friday and an announcement
cannot be far off. He has now returned to training following his injury.
Martinez is another who has returned from injury and scored another goal for
the development squad today. He surely cannot be overlooked for much longer
and Quina, another talented player, got a goal too. The future is very
bright.

I was devastated to hear the news that Peter Brabrook had sadley passed away
after a short battle with cancer. He was a much loved person around the club
and is credited with the development of many of our top youngsters such as
Frank Lampard Jnr, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand. I have had
the pleasure of getting to know Bertie Brayley from the same youth team as
Carrick and Cole and he often told me how close he and Peter still were and
what he meant to him and I know this is the case with many other West Ham
associated people. He was also meant to be a brilliant winger in his playing
days and played alongside Bobby Moore. He continued to work for the club
until the discovery of his condition and should be remembered as a key part
of our history.

Our West Ham Way Pre Match event was a huge success before the Arsenal game.
We had over 300 people in attendance and have received nothing but positive
praise. Myself, Dave from SD&CC and Mark Ward have been delighted with the
response but all being perfectionists we are determined to make each event
better and better. For the price of £25 you get free unlimited beer
(Carlsberg and Carling) and bitter (Toby and Tetley), we show West Ham DVDs,
play West Ham related music, we have great raffles with prizes such as
books, posters, club shop gifts available, the hammerettes in attendance and
free coach travel to the London Stadium. The coaches drop you as close as
possible to the ground and it is a short walking distance. Even if you do
not have tickets for the game you can still watch it in the East London
Working Man's club with fellow fans. Of course the most important part of
the event is the Q and A session that is hosted by ex "Boys of 86" player
Mark Ward. Mark is very charismatic and brings scouse cheek to the event and
this Hull City match event will see Stuart Slater as the guest. Stuart
Slater was my first ever favourite player and was electric when he broke
through into the side before moving onto Celtic. We look forward to seeing
many of you there! You can purchase tickets here: bit.ly/TWHWTICKET2

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Peter Brabrook
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th December 2016
By: Staff Writer

Peter Brabrook, one of the stars of West Ham United's FA Cup win over
Preston has died aged 79. The Greenwich-born winger made 167 appearances for
West Ham during the mid 1960s including an appearance in the 1964 FA Cup
Final. And having retired from the game in the early 1970s, Brabrook
returned to West Ham to take a place in Tony Carr's Academy, which produced
the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard Jnr during his time at Chadwell
Heath.
Born in 1937, Brabrook began his career at Ford United before joining
Chelsea in 1954. Although he only played a bit-part role in Chelsea's League
Championship success in 1954/55, he went on to make 251 appearances for the
Blues. Unfortunately for Brabrook - but to West Ham's distinct advantage -
he failed to impress incoming Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty and was sold to
the Hammers in 1962, in a deal worth £35,000.
And within three years Brabrook had added an FA Cup winners to his earlier
Championship success at Stamford Bridge. Brabrook, who also won three
England caps during his career had been battling cancer. He passed away on
Saturday.

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Payet still the key to future success
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th December 2016
By: Rich Sprent

Dimitri Payet has come in for a bit of stick this season. Apparently he is
overweight, lazy and disinterested.

Payet has never been the sort of player who will continually run down lost
causes. He's not a player who will make block tackles, timely interceptions
or one to throw his weight around in an effort to turn the ball over. He's
being made out that he's failing for not single-handedly winning football
matches for this under performing team.

Yet the stats say otherwise; squawka.com has him achieving three times
overall the amount of the nearest Hammer, Michail Antonio. In fact, they've
given him a higher score than Antonio and Lanzini put together.

And here's a lovely stat for you all. Payet has weighed in with 47 chances
created (assists + key passes). Antonio and Manuel Lanzini have 29 between
them. No one else is worthy of mention. A bit deeper digging amongst the
Opta stats shows that practically everything West Ham does offensively goes
through the inside left position. Through Dimitri Payet.

Lanzini combines well with the Frenchman but of late has been drawn towards
him leaving the right vacant. Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku combine
well with the main man also and it's obvious where we are dangerous. Where
we are not is down the right hand side.

Antonio clearly has an amazing work ethic and engine. In games against
Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United last season he showed that he could
dominate the opposing fullback and own the right flank. Playing there in the
odd game is one thing. To play there every week is something else.

Bilic wanted Antonio as his starting right back this season. It didn't even
look close to working. The club's summer recruitment was heavily effected by
this decision. It was magnified when Byram tore his hamstring.

The wing back system could be viewed as a cheat by Bilic in trying to cram
in an extra player into the side. Antonio has chipped in with seven goals
and has comparable offensive output as last season. He has the athletic
attributes to cause problems going forward despite playing deeper.

What it has done to the balance of the side is shocking. He simply cannot
defend as a full back and there is no one for him to link with.

Antonio has one of the highest rates for losing possession in the team. He
has continued with this rate from last season. Despite his great effort he
is struggling to fulfill a huge workload. As well as the hole at the back
behind him, there is a glaring hole in the West Ham attack. And it is clear
that it is in the area of inside right forward. There is simply no one that
occupies this area to cause the opposition any sort of issue.

Enter, Andre Ayew. His stats over the past few seasons haven't been
particularly outstanding. He is not a stand out winger. He is not a striker.
He doesn't grab many assists. He's only hit double figures twice in his
career. He does have good pass completion and is blessed with good
acceleration and pace.

Ayew can do a job in the attacking midfield positions across the pitch yet
nothing in his skillset jumps out as to why this player has become our
record signing. If the plan is to fit him in to the inside right position to
fill the void then there were and are arguably much better players out
there. He is more suited as a wide player in a Dutch front three.

The word is that the structure of the deal suited West Ham and that he was
bought on the never-never on some very favourable terms. Despite the signing
fest of right wingers, we do not play them as such. Ayew's union with the
Irons appears to be a marriage of fiscal convenience rather than a true love
of his footballing attributes.

So what next for Slaven Bilic? He has a misfiring team that achieves less
than one in four of its shots on target. It is midfield-heavy and cannot
manage to get ahead of the lone forward. It's a team that struggles to
create any sort of space and goalscoring opportunity despite a Balon D'or
nominee being the focus.

This misfiring attack is then coupled with a defence that allows the most
shots on target inside the penalty area in the Premier League. Add to that
an admitted lack of intensity throughout the team and it should be no
surprise that the team is ailing.

The imperfect system is clearly trying to give flexibility and balance yet
repeatedly fails to do either. It ignores the main strengths of the team and
forces pressure on the three most creative players on the park to excel.
These three have contributed to 76/144 chances created. The team have scored
17 goals.

This system needs to go unless something clicks. It is reliant on Ayew
having a worldy year at inside forward. It's desperate for Sakho and/or
Carroll staying fit. It is begging for there to be resurgence in intensity.
All of these and more are required to make it work.

Failing these factors, then Payet will need to attain even more. He may very
well look disinterested, but he's carrying the team at the moment.

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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My disappointment
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th December 2016
By: Staff Writer

Darren Randolph left Anfield a dejected man after his mistake potentially
cost West Ham two Premier League points. The goalkeeper, who recently
replaced Adrian as first team goalkeeper dropped a cross two minutes into
the second half to allow Divock Origi to make it 2-2. "We managed to get
ourselves back in the game and then ahead but I was disappointed with their
equaliser," said a clearly disappointed Randolph. And when asked whether he
felt he had redeemed himself with a stunning save from Jordan Henderson
later in the game, he replied simply: "No. I's one of those things that
happened and we move on."
The Irish international has been in the form of his life form since the
summer, when he excelled for the Republic of Ireland at Euro 16. Slaven
Bilic recalled him to the first team in place of Adrian following the 4-1
defeat against Manchester United, since when he has conceded seven goals in
two games.

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Magnusson - I'll never understand how West Ham lost Tevez case
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th December 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's former Chairman Eggert Magnusson says he still cannot
understand how the club managed to lose a £30million+ legal battle with
Sheffield United over Carlos Tevez in 2008.

The reign of Magnusson and business partner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who
succeeded the outgoing Terry Brown as the majority shareholder of West Ham
in 2006 will mostly be remembered for two significant events.

Firstly, the club's incredible end to the 2006/07 campaign that culminated
in the 'Great Escape' - and secondly, the legal wrangle with Sheffield and
the Premier League that eventually cost West Ham United in excess of
£35million in fines, awards and other associated costs.

Speaking exclusively to the KUMB Podcast's James Longman this week,
Magnusson admitted that he is still baffled by the outcome of the ensuing
court case which saw the League One club land an astonishing and
unprecedented £30million payout.

And although he maintains that predecessor Terry Brown was unaware of the
secret agreements that could have potentially broken Premier League edicts
pertaining to third party ownership, the 69-year-old is less sure about
other prominent members of the club at that time who were instrumental in
closing the deal to sign Tevez and Argentinian team mate Javier Mascherano.

"I still don't understand how West Ham lost the court case," Magnusson,
talking exclusively on this week's KUMB Podcast said. "I think it was badly
handled by the people who were responsible for the club at that time.

"I just can't believe how they lost the case with Sheffield United. I've
been in football all my life and to say that one player can win promotion or
avoid relegation, it's impossible.

"Terry Brown thought that everything was ok with the deal, I sincerely
believe that. But there were some forces within the club that were doing
things they knew were not correct and in the end, that came to light.

"We had problems with the Premier League all season because of this. I
remember how I used to wake up in the middle of the night thinking about
documents out there I had never seen which could have ultimately led to us
being relegated to the Championship."

In the interview, Magnusson also speaks about his (eventual) successors,
David Sullivan and David Gold, and talks about the rest of his brief spell
as Chairman of West Ham.

He also discusses his relationship with Alan Pardew and Alan Curbishley,
"splashing the cash" on players such as Freddie Ljungberg and Craig Bellamy,
the reasons for his sudden and unexpected departure plus his continued
affection for the club and

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Ballon d'Or nominee Dimitri Payet is 'fully committed' to West Ham, says
skipper Mark Noble
The Mirror
BYNEIL MCLEMAN
14:07, 12 DEC 2016UPDATED14:07, 12 DEC 2016

Mark Noble has insisted Dimitri Payet is "fully committed" to West Ham – and
still one of the best players in the Premier League .
The France star hinted he could seek a January move last month when he told
French TV: "I will not close the door on anything."
But Payet , who was outstanding last season and is on the Ballon d'Or
shortlist, scored a stunning free kick against Liverpool to lift the Hammers
out of the bottom three – and also has five assists. And captain Noble said:
"This season was going to be so difficult because of what he did last
season. I am not just talking about he was one of the best players in the
Premier League. For the last season, he has been one of the best players in
the whole world with the Euros. "But the chances he has created this season
and the important goals he has scored for us, Dimi is full committed – I can
tell you that now. He is great with the lads. I have got a very close bond
with Dimi. I just love seeing people come to the club and do so well. "I see
him train every day. I see how he feels when he loses games. And don't
forget, he hasn't even had a holiday. "I still believe he has still been one
of the best players this season in the Premier League. He has created
chances for other players. It is up to other players to score those chances
– he can't cross it and score it himself."
West Ham now face home games against Burnley and Hull this week with the
chance to move Slaven Bilic's team clear of relegation trouble. And Noble
gave his boss his full backing. He told talkSPORT : "The thing with the boss
is that he is so passionate and really, really wants to do well for the club
and the fans. Obviously he played here so he knows what it is like.
Sometimes when you are getting the results we have had, he takes it
personally. "He wears his heart on his sleeve and he is not going to be
coming to press conferences buzzing like he was last year. We are not in the
same position. "I wholly believe he is the man to lead this football club –
I am 100% behind him as the captain of this football club and I am pretty
sure the boys are. I am the buffer between him and the changing room."

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Joe Hart on West Ham radar as Slaven Bilic backs red-faced Darren Randolph
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

Darren Randolph was the villain and then hero for West Ham at Anfield, amid
speculation the club will make a summer bid for Manchester City's England
goalkeeper Joe Hart. West Ham led Liverpool 2-1 at half-time but Randolph's
error early in the second half handed the home side an equaliser, scored by
Divock Origi. Randolph later atoned for the mistake by brilliantly saving
from Jordan Henderson but West Ham may look to strengthen their goalkeeping
department by bidding for Hart at the end of the season. Hart is on a
season-long loan at Serie A club Torino but wants to return to England next
season, in an effort to cement his international place.

Randolph has acquitted himself well since replacing Adrian for the Hammers'
last four League matches and Slaven Bilic defended his keeper, saying: "Yes,
he made a mistake but before and after he showed great reaction because he
was there when you need your goalkeeper. "After they equalised he showed
his quality and composure."

Michail Antonio, West Ham's man of the match yesterday, believes the point
gained at Liverpool provides a much-needed platform on which to build in
what is a massive five days for Bilic and his team. On Wednesday, West Ham
are at home to Burnley and three days later they meet Hull, also at the
London Stadium. "We want to get as far away as we can from the situation
we're in," said Antonio. "Hopefully we'll get three points in the week and
distance ourselves from the bottom three. "The point at Liverpool shows we
have determination and grit. We have to push on from here."

Bilic played Antonio, who missed the 5-1 defeat at Arsenal with a groin
problem, up front and the switch worked. "We knew Liverpool would play very
offensively but Michail is ideal against that because of his pace, timing
and physicality," he said. "He did a brilliant job for us."

West Ham demonstrated character and determination following the mauling by
Arsenal. "We showed great reaction, especially after Liverpool scored so
early. This was a demanding schedule, playing against Spurs, Manchester
United twice, Arsenal and now Liverpool. Now we have Burnley and then Hull
and both will be very demanding games in terms of quality, patience and
mental strength."

Andy Carroll, who came on as a second-half substitute at Anfield, is in line
to start against Burnley while Cheikhou Kouyate could also return following
a hamstring strain.

Meanwhile Bilic, who was coach at Turkish club Besiktas before joining West
Ham, dedicated the draw to the victims of the Istanbul bomb blast. "Me and
my staff were there for two years and I feel for them, my prayers are for
them," he said. "They are maybe the best people I ever met, they're so
friendly, so warm and what has happened is tearing me apart."

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Slaven Bilic: What I really think about West Ham's Liverpool draw after
Arsenal thrashing
SLAVEN BILIC believes West Ham's draw with Liverpool yesterday was the
perfect reaction to last week's thrashing to Arsenal.
By DAVID WRIGHT
PUBLISHED: 07:24, Mon, Dec 12, 2016 | UPDATED: 07:38, Mon, Dec 12, 2016
Express.co.uk

West Ham went behind early on against Liverpool but left Anfield with a
hard-earned 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Dimitri Payet and Michail Antonio.
The precious point lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone, one point
clear of Swansea and Hull, and Bilic hopes his side can now build momentum
going into a crucial Christmas period. West Ham have relatively winnable
games for the rest of December, with Burnley, Hull, Swansea and champions
Leicester all to come before the turn of the year. "I'm definitely pleased
with character," said Bilic, whose side lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal last
week. "We lost our last game 5-1 against Arsenal and then after a start that
couldn't be worse when you concede a goal here you expect confidence to drop
more. "But we showed great reaction. I am very pleased with the whole 90
minutes. It was a great point for us and a positive situation before a
crucial week for us. "Now we have Burnley and Hull at home which will be
extremely difficult. We have to show quality and patience."

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Ian Wright hails "great point" by West Ham united
Shane Callaghan
HITC

West Ham United won an unlikely point at Anfield on Sunday. Ian Wright has
told BBC Sport that West Ham United should be pleased with their hard-fought
point in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Liverpool. The Irons went into the match on
the back of a 5-1 drubbing by Arsenal last week but it was a much-improved
showing from West Ham this time around. It got off to a horrendous start,
however, as Adam Lallana fired the Reds ahead inside five minutes and the
travelling Hammers must have feared the worst. But goals before half time
from Dimitri Payet and Michail Antonio flipped the game on its head, before
Divock Origi levelled up on 48 minutes. West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph
could and probably should have done a little better, but he gifted Origi the
chance to equalise by fluffing a routine catch.
Nevertheless, Wright, who spent time at the East London club during the end
of his playing career, says that Slaven Bilic's side should be delighted
with the result all things considered. "I thought West Ham did well
considering what happened last week," he told BBC Sport.
"It is a great point. I know Darren Randolph is disappointed because of the
mistake he made, but West Ham should be pleased with the result." The point
lifts West Ham up to 17th, one point above Swansea, and Bilic will be
feeling a little less anxious about his job following speculation during the
week.

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