Hammers stuff toothless Swans
WHUFC.com
Ayew, Reid, Antonio and Carroll on target in thumping first win at Liberty
Stadium
Former Swansea City player Ayew nets first goal in Claret and Blue
Hammers up to eleventh after first Boxing Day victory since 2009
Record signing Andre Ayew returned to haunt former club Swansea City by
setting West Ham United on their way to a thumping 4-1 Boxing Day victory.
The Ghana forward, signed from the Swans for £20.6m in August, opened
scoring on 13 minutes at the Liberty Stadium, before Winston Reid, Michail
Antonio and Andy Carroll completed a superb Christmas with goals after
half-time. The Hammers' victory was their first in five attempts at
Swansea's new home, their first Boxing Day win since 2009, and lifted Slaven
Bilic's side to eleventh in the Premier League table. Ayew's opener arrived
in opportunist style, with the No20 tapping home after Lukasz Fabianski had
failed to deal with Andy Carroll's knock-down from a diagonal Mark Noble
pass. The strike came after Swansea had started the brighter on home turf,
with Alfie Mawson heading wide from their first corner before Borja Baston
curled off-target rather than playing in the unmarked Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Having gone ahead, West Ham edged the remainder of the first half, although
Swansea arguably created the better chances. For the visitors, Ayew flicked
a Dimitri Payet cross just beyond the flying Michail Antonio at the far
post, Payet himself seeing a shot held by Fabianski. As half-time
approached, Swansea threatened again, but Sigurdsson first sliced a
left-foot shot out for a throw-in, then saw Darren Randolph plunge to his
left to push his well-struck free-kick around the post.
With chances suddenly flowing, Antonio curled a yard wide of the top corner
after collecting the Frenchman's pass, then Swansea midfielder Jack Cork
headed Wayne Routledge's centre over Randolph's crossbar, meaning the
Hammers went in a goal to the good at the break.
Swansea manager Bob Bradley reacted with a double change at the break,
bringing on Fernando Llorente and Jefferson Montero for Borja and Jay Fulton
respectively. After again starting brightly, the Swans were again stung by a
West Ham goal. Five minutes of the second half had passed when Carroll's
shot was deflected wide and Reid beat two defenders to Payet's near-post
corner to head home. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Swansea reacted by going on the
front foot, with Routledge slicing wide, Randolph making another decent stop
to push Cork's aside and the Irishman then helping Sigurdsson's looping
header over the top.
With the home crowd getting increasingly frustrated, West Ham kept
possession with increasing confidence and ensured a second away win of
2016/17 when eight-goal leading scorer Antonio diverted Havard Nordtveit's
shot past Fabianski – who had saved from substitute Edmilison Fernandes
seconds earlier – with 13 minutes remaining. The impressive Randolph made
smart saves from Angel Rangel and Cork late on, completing a miserable
afternoon for Bradley, but was powerless to stop Llorente firing home from
Nathan Dyer's cut-back on 89. There was still time for Carroll to score his
fifth in six matches against the Swans, expertly volleying home Sofiane
Feghouli's cross in the final minute. The in-form Hammers will end 2016 with
a trip to champions Leicester City on New Year's Eve, with kick-off at King
Power Stadium set for 3pm.
Swansea City: Fabianski; Rangel, Mawson, van der Hoorn, Kingsley; Cork,
Fulton (Montero 46, Dyer 70), Britton; Routledge, Sigurdsson (c), Borja
(Llorente 46)
Subs not used: Nordfeldt (GK), Fer, Naughton, Fernandez
Bookings: None
Goal: Llorente 89
West Ham United: Randolph; Nordtveit, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble (c),
Kouyate; Antonio (Feghouli 83), Ayew (Fernandes 75), Payet; Carroll
(Fletcher 90).
Subs not used: Adrian (GK), Quina, Rice, Pike.
Bookings: None
Goals: Ayew 13, Reid 50, Antonio 77, Carroll 90
Referee: Andre Marriner.
Attendance: 20,757 (1,969 from West Ham United)
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Ayew happy with 'important' goal
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew delighted to net his first goal for West Ham United on Boxing Day
Ghana forward opened scoring in 4-1 Premier League win at former club
Swansea City
No20 believes both he and the Hammers will get better as the season wears on
Andre Ayew believes there is more to come from both himself and West Ham
United after scoring his first goal in Claret and Blue. The No20 netted his
maiden Hammers goal to set Slaven Bilic's side on their way to a thumping
4-1 Premier League win at his former club Swansea City on Boxing Day.
Club-record signing Ayew, who returned to action in November after three
months out with a groin injury suffered at Chelsea on the opening weekend of
the Premier League season, was delighted to be part of a third straight
top-flight victory. West Ham's win, which followed hard-earned 1-0 home
successes against Burnley and Hull City, lifted them up to eleventh, eight
points clear of the bottom three and just four off seventh place ahead of
the New Year's Eve trip to struggling champions Leicester City.
"I think it was important to get the goal for the squad and to get my first
goal here," said Ayew. "I started the season in a very difficult way, but
I'm trying to get back into my best shape. "Things are getting better now
and the boys are helping me, pushing me every day and I'm getting my
confidence back. We had a great game today and hopefully we can continue
like that."
For Ayew, converting Andy Carroll's 13th-minute knockdown was a big moment
for the Ghana star, but the 27-year-old was thinking only of the team when
he was asked about the significance of his strike. Winston Reid, Michail
Antonio and Carroll were also on target in South Wales, earning West Ham
their biggest win of 2016/17, three victories in a row for the first time
since March and a first-ever success at Liberty Stadium. "Personally, I
think it was an important goal for me, but collectively it was our third win
and we've done really well in the last few games," said Ayew. "We didn't
play our best football in the previous two games, but I think we managed to
get two clean sheets and win those games. "Today we played better football,
but I think we can do even better with the ball. We've proved that we've got
a good squad and if we keep working hard then we can get more results."
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Bilic - Belief has been key to turnaround
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic happy with thumping Premier League victory at Swansea City on
Boxing Day
Manager delighted with turnaround that has yielded ten points in last four
matches
Boss expects goalscorer Andre Ayew to get better and better as fitness and
form improve
Slaven Bilic said West Ham United 'totally deserved' their 4-1 Premier
League victory at Swansea City on Boxing Day. Bilic's Hammers produced their
most complete performance of the season to see off the struggling Swans at
Liberty Stadium, where Andre Ayew, Winston Reid, Michail Antonio and Andy
Carroll were all on target. With Darren Randolph leading a strong defensive
display at the other end of the pitch, the manager was rightly proud as his
team notched a third straight win to rise to eleventh in the table. "It was
a really good performance," he confirmed. "From the first minute until the
end we were really compact and were able to defend as a team. "When we had
the ball we were really good on it. We kept the ball well and were dangerous
when we had opportunities to break on them and we were switching sides "It
was maybe our best performance this season and we totally deserved it. OK,
it helps when you are winning 1-0 and you score another one, because you
play with a lot more confidence than when you are losing, but it was a
really good performance and I'm really pleased with the team and I
congratulate all the players."
West Ham rode out early Swansea pressure to go ahead through Ayew's first
Claret and Blue goal – against his old club to boot – before Reid's header
five minutes after half-time halted a strong start to the second period from
Bob Bradley's side. Antonio diverted in a third before Fernando Llorente
pulled one back, only for Carroll to net his second of the season with a
searing volley in the final minute. "Of course it's important to score
goals at the times we did," Bilic confirmed. They had chances before we
scored the first, but we also had chances before we scored and we always
looked promising on the ball and like hurting them. "The second goal was at
a crucial moment when they were trying to come back from 1-0 down, had made
a couple of changes and were trying to turn things around here like they did
against Crystal Palace in a great game. "To score the second goal then, five
minutes after half-time, was crucial."
So, after sitting 18th just over a fortnight ago, West Ham are in mid-table.
What does Bilic put the turnaround and ten points from four matches down to?
"The key was that we never stopped believing and we kept training hard and
kept believing and, as we said in those hard moments, when we had those five
really difficult games, we were talking about those two home games to get
out of the cramp, as I called it," he explained. "The two wins against
Burnley and Hull were hard but they put us in a position where we could
breathe a bit more and that was basically the key. "Even when we were there,
we were always saying that we were only three or four points from mid-table
and that is still the case because it was tight and it is tight. Of course
we are going to be positive but the Premier League gives you no time to
relax. However, this is a real opportunity for us to build our confidence
even more."
Talking of confidence, Bilic is now expecting big things from goalscorer
Ayew, who produced his best performance in a West Ham shirt against his
former club.
"Not just the goal but the performance will help him," the manager said of
his Club-record signing. "He is still not at top fitness because he had the
injury and he came back, but the goals help every striker and now we are
expecting that his top form will happen. "We expect him to contribute not
only with goals but with his all-round displays."
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Swansea City 1-4 West Ham United
By Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Wales Sport at the Liberty Stadium
West Ham cruised to a third straight win to plunge Swansea City deeper into
Premier League relegation trouble and increase the pressure on manager Bob
Bradley.
Former Swans forward Andre Ayew pounced on Lukasz Fabianski's fumble to put
the visitors ahead, before Winston Reid headed in from a corner to double
their lead. Michail Antonio added a third and, although Fernando Llorente
scored late on for Swansea, Andy Carroll's firm strike sealed a convincing
West Ham victory.
Slaven Bilic's side climb to 11th in the Premier League table, while Swansea
remain second from bottom but now four points adrift of safety. Where
Bradley is concerned, a seventh defeat from his 11 matches in charge leaves
the American in grave danger of losing his job less than three months after
his appointment.
Swansea's supporters called for his sacking during the second half, as well
as accusing the club's directors of greed following the Swans' American
takeover in the summer.
Having won only two of his first 10 games at the helm, Bradley admitted
before the match that his future could depend on the outcome of this fixture
and the home encounter with Bournemouth on New Year's Eve. Swansea had
unravelled with scant resistance to lose their previous two games, at
Middlesbrough 3-0 and West Brom 3-1, and they were similarly vulnerable
against West Ham. Since the American's appointment in October the Swans had
conceded 25 goals - more than any other Premier League side in the same
period - and their 26th was as feeble as any they have let in. Cheikhou
Kouyate only managed a weak flick from Andy Carroll's header, but Fabianski
could only palm the ball into the path of Ayew, who tapped in from close
range. The goal created a sense of anxiety inside the Liberty Stadium, and
that unease turned to wholehearted hostility after Reid extended West Ham's
lead. Swansea's supporters booed Bradley and chanted "You don't know what
you're doing", before turning their ire towards the Swans' board as the
prospect of relegation looms larger than ever.
Unlike their opponents, West Ham entered this match with renewed optimism
after successive 1-0 wins over Hull and Burnley had eased their own
relegation fears.
Those were relatively hard-earned triumphs, but they were able to cruise to
victory in south Wales without playing at their fluent best. It was a
straightforward afternoon for goalkeeper Darren Randolph and his defenders,
who had little to worry about apart from the occasional long-range effort
from Gylfi Sigurdsson. In attack, West Ham were clinical on the break and
from set-pieces, with midfielder Dimitri Payet increasingly influential in
the second half. Carroll also proved his worth with a typically abrasive
display, capped with a goal which helped maintain the Hammers' record of
winning every Premier League match in which the striker has started since
returning from injury.
Man of the match - Andy Carroll (West Ham)
Swansea could not contain the aerial threat of Carroll, who helped set up
the first West Ham goal and scored the last as he gave his opponents a
torrid afternoon
Swansea's shaky defence
Swansea have shipped 29 goals in the top flight since Bob Bradley took
charge on 15 October, more than any other side.
Swansea have conceded the first goal in 13 Premier League games this season,
only Hull have done so more often.
West Ham have won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time
since March.
Andre Ayew is the 41st player to score both for and against West Ham in the
Premier League, more than any other club has seen.
Dimitri Payet has provided 15 Premier League assists in 2016, more than any
other player.
What next?
Swansea host Bournemouth on New Year's Eve before taking on Crystal Palace
on 3 January. West Ham travel to Leicester on 31 December and face
Manchester United at home on 2 January.
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West Ham: Red Bull denies takeover, Hammers owners 'not looking for
investment'
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
Red Bull has dismissed reports it is interested in buying West Ham, while
the east London club's owners have told BBC Sport they are not looking for
investors. It had been reported that the energy drinks giant was considering
a £200m offer for the Premier League club. Sullivan and Gold bought a
majority stake in West Ham in 2010 in a deal that valued the club at £105m.
Between them they now own more than 85% of the club. Since August's move to
London Stadium, West Ham have also been linked with takeovers from Qatari
and Chinese groups. Last year Sullivan said it was possible a minority
shareholding could be sold to clear debts but that he and Gold intended the
ownership to pass on to their children.
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SWANSEA 1-4 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 26 DECEMBER 2016 AT 5:34PM
The WestHamWay.co.uk
Record signing Andre Ayew returned to haunt his former club Swansea City by
setting the Hammers on their way to a thumping 4-1 Boxing Day victory this
afternoon.
The Ghanaian forward, signed for just over £20m in August showed his first
flashes of quality today by opening the scoring on 13 minutes at the Liberty
Stadium, before Winston Reid, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll completed a
superb rout of the Welsh side.
The Hammers' victory was their first in five attempts at Swansea's new home,
their first Boxing Day win since 2009, and lifted Slaven Bilic's side to
eleventh in the Premier League table.
Ayew's opener arrived in opportunist style, with him tapping home after
Lukasz Fabianski had failed to deal with Andy Carroll's knock-down from a
diagonal Mark Noble pass. The strike came after the home side had started
the brighter, with Alfie Mawson heading wide from their first corner before
Borja Baston curled off-target rather than playing in the unmarked Gylfi
Sigurdsson.
Having gone ahead, West Ham edged the remainder of the first half, although
Swansea arguably created the better chances. For the visitors, Ayew flicked
a Dimitri Payet cross just beyond the flying Michail Antonio at the far
post, Payet himself seeing a shot held by Fabianski.
As half-time approached, Swansea threatened again, but Sigurdsson first
sliced a left-foot shot out for a throw-in, then saw Darren Randolph plunge
to his left to push his well-struck free-kick around the post. With chances
suddenly flowing, Antonio curled a yard wide of the top corner after
collecting the Frenchman's pass, then Swansea midfielder Jack Cork headed
Wayne Routledge's centre over Randolph's crossbar, meaning the Hammers went
in a goal to the good at the break.
Swansea manager Bob Bradley reacted with a double change at the break,
bringing on Fernando Llorente and Jefferson Montero for Borja and Jay Fulton
respectively. After again starting brightly, the Swans were again stung by a
West Ham goal. Five minutes of the second half had passed when Carroll's
shot was deflected wide and Reid beat two defenders to Payet's near-post
corner to head home.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Swansea reacted by going on the front foot, with
Routledge slicing wide, Randolph making another decent stop to push Cork's
aside and the Irishman then helping Sigurdsson's looping header over the
top. With the home crowd getting increasingly frustrated, West Ham kept
possession with increasing confidence and ensured a second away win of
2016/17 when eight-goal leading scorer Antonio diverted Havard Nordtveit's
shot past Fabianski – who had saved from substitute Edmilison Fernandes
seconds earlier – with 13 minutes remaining.
The impressive Randolph made smart saves from Angel Rangel and Cork late on,
completing a miserable afternoon for Bradley, but was powerless to stop
Llorente firing home from Nathan Dyer's cut-back in the 89th minute.
There was still time though for Carroll to score his fifth in six matches
against the Swans, expertly volleying home Sofiane Feghouli's cross in the
final minute in a move that once again Edimilson Fernandes set up.
The Manager will be well impressed with the result today but more
importantly how some of his summer signings actually played. Both Ayew and
Nordtveit were outstanding with the latter having probably the best
performance of anyone that has played in that dreaded right back position
all year. Not only did he keep one player quiet. He was so good Bradley
had to change things around at HT and bring Montero on to attack the
Norwegian down that wing. He lasted 24 minutes with Havard shutting him out
as well. The position has been a nightmare for the Hammers all year and
maybe now Slaven has found a player that can excel there and utilise a
standard back four which should give our wide players more of an opportunity
to stay up the other end of the pitch.
Swansea City: Fabianski; Rangel, Mawson, van der Hoorn, Kingsley; Cork,
Fulton (Montero 46, Dyer 70), Britton; Routledge, Sigurdsson (c), Borja
(Llorente 46)
Subs not used: Nordfeldt (GK), Fer, Naughton, Fernandez
Bookings: None
Goal: Llorente 89
West Ham United: Randolph; Nordtveit, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble (c),
Kouyate; Antonio (Feghouli 83), Ayew (Fernandes 75), Payet; Carroll
(Fletcher 90).
Subs not used: Adrian (GK), Quina, Rice, Pike.
Bookings: None
Goals: Ayew 13, Reid 50, Antonio 77, Carroll 90
Referee: Andre Marriner.
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Swansea 1-4 West Ham: Hosts relegation fears heightened after another defeat
By Pete Hall
Last Updated: 26/12/16 5:57pm
SSN
West Ham piled the pressure on Bob Bradley after they cruised to a 4-1 win
over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium on Boxing Day. Andre Ayew returned to
haunt his former club after 13 minutes, tapping home his first goal for West
Ham to set the Hammers on course for a third league victory in a row.
Winston Reid made it two five minutes after the break before Michail Antonio
made sure of the win 12 minutes from time, capitalising on more poor
defending from the home side. Fernando Llorente's late strike proved to be a
mere consolation, as Andy Carroll netted a fourth in stoppage time to a
chorus of boos around the Liberty. The result sees Swansea sit four points
from safety, with questions over Bradley's suitability to the role
remaining. West Ham are up to 11th after their success in south Wales.
Swansea started well, but were caught on the break as the Hammers took the
lead through a familiar face to Swans followers. A long ball towards the
back post was met firmly by Carroll, who headed across goal, Lukasz
Fabianski could only parry the ball into the path of Ayew, who could not
miss from a few yards out.
Antonio went close to finding a second minutes later, but was inches away
from connecting at the back post. Record Swansea signing Borja Baston then
did superbly to work space for the shot, but sliced the ball wide as his
search for a first goal in English football goes on.
Darren Randolph was called into action three minutes before the break,
superbly denying Gylfi Sigurdsson from a free-kick as frustration grew
around the Liberty.
After the interval, Swansea continued to be the architects of their own
downfall, and it was not long before Reid headed the Hammers' second,
beating three defenders to a corner to steer the ball home. Randolph was
then at his best to deny Swansea twice in four minutes, with his stop from
Jack Cork's strike the pick of the lot. It was game, set and match 12
minutes from time as Antonio diverted a drilled Havard Nordtveit strike
home, despite appearing to think he was offside. In fact, Nathan Dyer was
too slow to get out behind him, playing the versatile Hammer onside for his
eight goal of the season. Randolph again was forced to deny Angel Rangel
with a smart stop, before he was finally beaten in stoppage time by Swansea
substitute Llorente, after great work from Dyer to pick him out.
The three-goal winning margin was restored less than a minute later in
stoppage time, though, as Carroll was allowed far too much time to bring the
ball down and scuff his strike past the despairing dive of Fabianski. The
Swansea faithful let their feelings be known at the death, and it remains to
be seen if Bradley will be afforded time to turn things around in the coming
transfer window.
Player ratings
Swansea: Fabianski (4), Rangel (5), Mawson (4), van der Hoorn (4), Kingsley
(3), Cork (4), Britton (6), Routledge (5), Sigurdsson (6), Fulton (3), Borja
(3).
Subs: Llorente (6), Dyer (5), Montero (4).
West Ham: Randolph (9), Kouyate (7), Reid (7), Ogbonna (7), Antonio (8),
Noble (7), Nordtveit (7), Cresswell (7), Payet (9), Carroll (8), Ayew (8).
Subs: Feghouli (N/A), Fletcher (N/A), Fernandes (6).
Man of the match: Dimitri Payet
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Swansea 1-4 West Ham: Slaven Bilic lauds season's best performance
By Pete Hall
Last Updated: 26/12/16 7:45pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic insisted West Ham never stopped believing they could turn their
season around as the Hammers thrashed Swansea 4-1 at the Liberty Stadium on
Boxing Day. The success in south Wales was West Ham's third win in a row in
the Premier League - form which has seen them climb to 11th in the table
after a difficult start to the campaign. Andre Ayew set the ball rolling
against his former club, netting his first for West Ham since a club-record
switch in the summer, before goals from Winston Reid and Michail Antonio put
the visitors in control. Fernando Llorente gave the Swans a glimmer of hope
late on, but Andy Carroll quickly added a fourth for West Ham in stoppage
time to put the gloss on a performance that delighted Bilic, who insisted
that he never doubted his side would turn around their fortunes. "It was a
really good performance," Bilic told Sky Sports. "We were compact when we
needed to defend as a team, we were dangerous when we had opportunities.
Maybe it was the best performance of the season. I am really pleased with
everyone in the team. "The first goal was really important. We always looked
promising on the ball, and we knew we could hurt them. Of course the second
goal is very important, and in a crucial moment. "The key thing was that we
never stopped believing. We kept training hard, and when we had those hard
moments, when we had five extremely difficult games, against the top teams,
we knew we had those two home games against Hull and Burnley. "Those wins
meant we could breathe a little bit." Ayew earned a special mention from
Bilic, who feels that his new striker has had plenty to overcome to get to
this point. "It is not just his goal, but his performance," Bilic added. "He
had a really bad injury and now with a goal he can continue to improve."
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West Ham deny reports of a takeover bid from Red Bull
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 26/12/16 12:28pm
SSN
West Ham have rejected claims they are set to be bought by energy drinks
giants Red Bull. A report in The Sun on Monday claimed the Austrian company
were lining up a £200m takeover bid for the Hammers. However, Sky Sports
News HQ understand West Ham have received no contact from any outside
parties over a potential takeover and co-owners David Gold and David
Sullivan are currently not looking to sell the club. Gold and Sullivan
purchased a majority stake in West Ham in January 2010, in a deal that
valued the club at £105m, and have since overseen the club's move from the
Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium.
Red Bull have previously been linked in the national press with takeover
bids for English sides Leeds United, Brentford, Charlton Athletic and
Swindon Town.
They currently own Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls, Red
Bull Brasil and two F1 teams, multi-champions Red Bull Racing and Scuderia
Toro Rosso.
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Valencia confident of securing loan deal for West Ham flop Simone Zaza until
end of season
Zaza has failed to score in English football and has become frustrated at
West Ham - but he could have a get out clause
BYJOHN CROSS
12:24, 26 DEC 2016UPDATED12:24, 26 DEC 2016
The Mirror
Spanish giants Valencia are confident of securing a loan deal for unhappy
West Ham striker Simone Zaza. Valencia director of football Jesus Garcia
Pitch has met with Zaza's representatives and they want to loan him until
the summer. Zaza, 25, who is on a season-long loan from Juventus, has
struggled to adapt to English football, has yet to score and has become
frustrated at West Ham. It is a complicated deal as Valencia need to get
agreement from both Juventus and West Ham as well as persuading Zaza to take
a cut in salary. West Ham are also facing their own striker crisis so it
may depend on them bringing someone in before the Zaza switch is sanction.
But Zaza has told his representatives he believes they will let him go and
that he wants to get away after struggling to fit in at West Ham.
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Swansea 1-4 West Ham: Irons pile more misery on Bob Bradley with thumping
win - 5 things we learned
Former Swan Andre Ayew scored his first West Ham goal to increase the
pressure on the Liberty Stadium boss
BYJAKE BACON
17:17, 26 DEC 2016UPDATED17:19, 26 DEC 2016
The Mirror
Bob Bradley was left clinging onto his Swansea job after old boy Andre Ayew
made a devastating return. Former Swan Ayew scored his first West Ham goal
to increase the pressure on the Liberty Stadium boss. The Ghana ace swapped
Wales for the bright lights of London in a £20.5m deal last summer to become
the Hammers' most expensive ever signing. Ayew was Swansea's top scorer last
season with 12 goals and he opened his West Ham account after taking
advantage of a Lukasz Fabianski blunder in the 13th minute. More shocking
defending from the Welsh club followed shortly after the break when an
unchallenged Winston Reid headed in Dimitri Payet's corner. And Michail
Antonio's goal 12 minutes from time led to a mass exodus from the home
supporters. Fernando Llorente pulled a goal back late on to give Swansea a
meaningless consolation. However, Andy Carroll's strike less than a minute
later restored West Ham's three-goal advantage.
1. Bradley is facing even more pressure
The ex-USA boss wasn't a popular appointment when he arrived in Wales two
months ago, the main reason being his lack of European experience in the top
leagues. And with Swansea now four points from safety, the Liberty Stadium
faithful were calling for the American's head throughout the game.
2. West Ham can breathe easily… for now
West Ham have won three successive games for the first time since March, and
it's lifted them eight points clear of the drop zone. The Hammers were on a
seven-game winless run and in the relegation zone just over a fortnight ago
- but manager Slaven Bilic has managed to turn it around.
3. Swansea's frailty at the back continues
Two of West Ham's four goals came from set-pieces, and Swansea's leaky
defence has now shipped 41 goals this season, more than any other Premier
League club. The Swans need to bring in experienced defenders next month if
they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
4. Darren Randolph is justifying Bilic's faith
After a string of impressive displays for the Republic of Ireland at Euro
2016, it would have been fair for Randolph to feel hard done by for starting
the season as Adrian's understudy. But since coming into the starting XI
last month, the ex-Birmingham stopper has been a revelation, and he was
brilliant today, pulling off save after save in the second-half.
5. The Liberty Stadium atmosphere is toxic
Coming into this crucial game, Bradley talked up the Swansea fans and the
role they had played in previous home wins. Well, after West Ham's second
goal, the Jack Army turned on Bradley and demanded their "greedy" American
owners leave the club. It's hard to see a way back for supporters and the
Swansea hierarchy after today.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, December 26
Daily WHUFC News - 26th December 2016
Preview - Swansea City
WHUFc.com
When and where?
Swansea City v West Ham United
Premier League
Monday 26 December 2016, 3pm GMT
Liberty Stadium
What's the story?
West Ham United will hope to make it a happy Christmas when they head to
Swansea City on Boxing Day for their penultimate Premier League fixture of
2016.
Seven points taken from a successful week in the run-up to the festive
season already ensured that the turkey tasted better for Hammers fans on
Christmas Day, and now the east Londoners have their eyes on climbing
further up the table.
That draw at Liverpool, followed by single-goal victories against Burnley
and Hull City took Slaven Bilic's team out of the division's bottom three
and up to 13th, with 19 points from 17 games.
Swansea, by contrast, spent Christmas Day in the relegation zone, with last
weekend's 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough their third in four games.
In total, Bob Bradley's team have 12 points to date and with 37 goals in the
conceded column they have the dubious honour of possessing the division's
leakiest defence.
Having been a top-flight team since 2011, the Swans will be fighting hard to
ensure the second half of their season does not become a battle to preserve
that status.
Team news
Diafra Sakho remains sidelined with a hamstring problem sustained late last
month.
Aaron Cresswell could make his 100th appearance for the Hammers, while Andy
Carroll played his first 90 minutes since the first game of the season in
the Hammers' victory over Hull.
Any links between the two?
Swansea City club captain Leon Britton is a graduate of the Academy of
Football who has spent the last 13 years at Swansea, playing in all four
divisions of the English professional game with the Swans.
Aside from a brief spell at Sheffield United in the 2010/11 season, he has
been in South Wales ever since leaving the Hammers, appearing in 514 games
for the club.
On the West Ham side, Andre Ayew became the Hammers' record signing when he
joined from Swansea in the summer for a £20.5m fee. The Ghana international
scored 12 goals in the 34 league games he played for the Welsh club in
2015/16.
How do I get to the game?
Click here for directions on how to get to Liberty Stadium.
Please note that there are no train services between London and Swansea on
Boxing Day. Click here for the latest news on the roads.
How can I watch the game?
The game is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, you can follow the
action as it happens on whufc.com's live match centre, with audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Get
involved in the conversation on social using #SWAWHU
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Manager on Matchday
WHUFC.com
Good morning everyone,
After taking seven points from our last three games we all know the
importance of getting another positive result when we face Swansea today.
A lot has been said about the performance against Hull in the last game and
I'm hoping to see us more fluid with the ball and have more movement off the
ball.
We need to take more responsibility. It has nothing to do with fitness,
nothing to do with a game plan, but has a lot to do with the freedom in your
head or in your legs of course.
This will be a big day for Andre Ayew going back to his former club for the
first time since he joined us last summer.
To be fair he had a big injury and came back a few weeks ago. Now he needs
to train and he needs games to be the Ayew from last season or two seasons
ago. He's getting back.
He's becoming better than he what he showed in his first game and it's only
a matter of time.
I was asked in the pre-match press conference about the pressure that Bob
Bradley is currently facing at Swansea.
I have feelings for all the managers and there is no manager who hasn't been
under pressure in the Premier League this season.
Even Antonio Conte was under pressure for a couple of weeks. So is Bradley,
so am I. You were under pressure or you're going to be under pressure.
You enjoy it when you are not under pressure and learn from the time when
you are under pressure.
Bob is an experienced manager and they all have those kind of methods to
deal with the pressure.
I was also asked about Gylfi Sigurdsson and the threat he will pose to us on
Monday.
Football is not about one player, every club has best players. You cannot
win with just Michael Jordan. Gylfi is a great player, very consistent.
When they are closer to the goal he is real and very dangerous. They showed
a couple of games they are very dangerous at home.
They have good delivery from set pieces and the flanks from open play. They
work well from the back and we have to defend well against them. They have
quality, pace and we have to exploit their weaknesses they showed as a team
when we don't have the ball.
I hope all our fans have a safe trip to south Wales today and hope we can
come away with another big three points.
Enjoy the game.
Slaven
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Academy youngsters discover the true meaning of Christmas
WHUFC.com
As they open their presents and tuck into Christmas dinners today, the
schoolboys of West Ham United's Under-12 Academy squad will no doubt have
football on their minds – and a very special match that took place exactly
102 years ago.
Christmas Day 1914 is remembered for a truly remarkable event, when guns
fell silent on the fierce battlefields of Ypres in Belgium during the First
World War, as German and Allied soldiers agreed an unofficial ceasefire and
greeted each other in No Man's Land, to share gifts and food, before
enjoying an impromptu football match.
And the anniversary is of particular interest for our Under-12 players, who
flew to Belgium recently to take part in the Truce tournament – an
educational initiative run by the Premier League that commemorates the
Christmas truce and the lives lost in the War.
Launched in 2011, the tournament sees Academy teams from the Premier League
test themselves against some of the best young players from France, Belgium
and Germany, countries whose soldiers also fought on the fields of Ypres.
More importantly, it enables them to experience an educational and cultural
journey that enhances the history lessons they have been receiving on the
sacrifices made by those soldiers.
Having finished above the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, Leicester
and West Brom in the qualifying tournament at Aldershot Garrison Sports
Centre, the young Hammers sealed their place in the final tournament and
travelled to Ypres over the weekend of 9-11 December.
Christmas Truce
Despite losing their opening match against Blackburn, West Ham went on to
beat Belgian side Club Brugge before a draw against Paris St Germain saw
them qualify for the semi-finals, where they unfortunately lost to
Anderlecht, who went on to beat Manchester City in the final. The tournament
ended on a positive note, though, as the Hammers gained revenge on Blackburn
to triumph in the third-place play-off.
Alongside the football, the players made an educational field trip to
Ploegsteert Wood, the site of the Christmas Truce of 1914. They also
explored a replica British trench and bunker system at the Passchendaele
1917 Memorial Museum and visited the Tyne Cot War Cemetery and the Menin
Gate memorial to the missing, where respects were paid with wreath laying
and a Last Post ceremony.
The squad were led by West Ham United's Academy Head of Coaching for
U9s-U14s, Dave Johnson, who spoke to whufc.com about his immense pride in
the players.
"It was a fantastic experience," said Johnson. "Fantastic for football
reasons, as it allowed the boys to test themselves against some of the best
young players in Europe, but even more so from an educational point of view.
"The trip had an extremely positive effect on the boys, who all took a real
interest in the history of the 1914 Christmas truce and the sacrifices that
the soldiers in World War One had to make.
"I have to say that their behaviour and attitude was absolutely impeccable
and they were a credit to West Ham United Football Club.
"One of the boys was even chosen to read a poem at the Menin Gate Memorial
in front of 1,500 people, following in the footsteps of people like Barack
Obama and David Beckham.
"Overall, it was a magnificent experience for them and something they will
never, ever forget."
Martyn Heather, the Premier League's Head of Education, said of the Truce
initiative: "We've always been very keen to develop holistically rounded
people and I think that developing their skills off the pitch, as well as on
it, is crucial.
"Tournaments like this are not just about the football, they're about taking
the players out of their comfort zone. They can see the horrors that men not
much older than themselves faced in the First World War just over 100 years
ago.
"What was quite pertinent was players visiting the graves of former players
from their respective club, it just made it so much more relatable.
"The reason we centre the tournament around the Christmas Truce is because
we want the players to understand that football is a universal language, and
despite the aggression and horrors of war, on December 25, 1914, that was
put aside, and we want to learn from that and instil those qualities in
these young players.
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West Ham And The Mysterious World Of The Past
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 24th December 2016
By: HeadHammerShark
"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past" -
Thomas Jefferson, 1816
I know what you're thinking - Thomas Jefferson probably wouldn't have been
quite so certain about this if he'd ever had to queue for 35 minutes to get
a £4 pie - and you're probably right.
Yet, why am I drawing a not entirely obvious line between a former US
president and West Ham? Because there is a video doing the rounds that seems
to be stirring up a lot of opinions currently, and I must confess that most
of them are baffling me. It is described as an open video to the Board but
doesn't actually ask them to do anything, hence much of my confusion.
Firstly, have a look at the clip in question. It is publicly available from
YouTube so I don't imagine the authors will be upset with me linking to it
here.
Now I should say that none of what I'm about to write is intended as
personal criticism of the creators, or indeed anybody else who feels
similarly to them. I recognise a lot of things from that video; I have sat
singing the Payet song on the sofa with my daughters too, I uttered an
inveterate "Oh for fucks sake" when Zaza took his famous shot at Old
Trafford and somehow managed to get the ball to end up behind him, I
simultaneously treasure and despise the memory of Cardiff 2006, and in my
mind the football I watched in my childhood has been been lent a veneer of
quality by the passing of time that was not there when the games actually
took place, so I get the nostalgia.
Furthermore, we all support the team in different ways and have different
things that symbolise our love for our Club. If the newly revamped badge is
complete anathema to you, then I'm not about to tell you to get over it.
Each very much to their own. There is no wrong or right, merely differing
shades of grey. Or green, if you look at the large quantities of Costco felt
running round the edge of the pitch.
But as I watched that video I found my brow increasingly furrowed as I
watched and listened. And as the plaudits came rolling in from the various
quarters of my particular echo chamber I found myself asking the same thing
repeatedly - "Why?"
!"The past is a decaying memory and I do not have to relive it and empower
it unless I choose to do so" - James Lee Burke, "The Tin Roof Blowdown"
I have watched the video several times now to ensure I understand it
properly, and I have failed miserably as I'm pretty sure I don't understand
it even remotely. It seems to be mythologising a past that never happened,
or celebrating the worst parts of it.
For a start, it contains the following quotes:
"It's about...playing good football the right way, but it definitely isn't
about winning"
Insert joke here - it'll be the first one ever associated with this show
Objectively I suppose this is true. Supporting West Ham hasn't very often
been about winning. Watching us solely in the hope of supporting a winning
team is like watching Mrs Brown's Boys and waiting for a joke to come along.
But this also seems to suggest that winning is a bad thing. Like we are
morally superior to other fans and that there is a purity to our support
because we don't go along in the expectation of victory.
What a load of bollocks.
The years of ineptitude don't make us better fans - they make us stupid. We
allowed the Cearns family and Terry Brown to feed us that line for years.
"The West Ham Way" - a concept recently resurrected to very dubious purpose
- was apparently all about entertainment above winning. And what a handy get
out that was for the various boards of the time. Finish third, eulogise the
team forever but sell the best players off immediately. Develop Rio
Ferdinand and Frank Lampard? Sure, but we have to sell them to improve the
ground, don't get upset though, and hey! Look at that goal Di Canio just
scored.
Rinse, wash, repeat for my entire childhood. But West Ham fans are wedded to
this. We are in love with a past that has constantly lacked competent
leadership, ambition and success because we have become completely consumed
with the idea that just being a fan is enough. Become a West Ham fan, it's a
higher way of life - you get screwed over by the Premier League who are
happy to take your money but do everything possible to prevent you from ever
seeing your side win, and do so with the tacit support of successive boards
who never had the ambition to look past that.
Sullivan, Gold and Brady seem to want to change this, and yet somehow that's
a bad thing? I have no issue quibbling with their methods but criticising a
board for wanting to win things is mental. And I hate to break it to you,
but West Ham fans are no better or worse than any other. We love our team,
and for us here, now, inside that bubble, it's a magical feeling but it's no
different than it is for Manchester United fans inside theirs. We might want
to believe that there is something intrinsically superior about our own
support but there is not.
I have previously likened supporting Manchester United or Chelsea to going
into a casino and cheering for the house, and I stand by that. The
advantages those teams enjoy are so huge that I simply do not believe that
there can be as much inherent satisfaction in them winning anything as there
was for, say, Leicester. But that doesn't make their supporters somehow
worse than us, and the sooner we get past that myth the sooner we can start
demanding a bit more from our Club.
"Failure is part of our identity"
Is that true? Well, if it is then our identity is shit and the sooner we
lose it the better. Why are we happy about failure? Until this season West
Ham ticket prices were amongst the highest in the country, which tells me
that in no way at all is acceptable for the Club to embrace failure.
I'm all for glory and playing with verve and brio but I also don't accept it
as a basic tenet of our existence that Manchester United or Arsenal fans
"deserve" success and we don't, just because their clubs are bigger. What
bizarre crap is that? Can anyone truly say there is anything different at
their very core between Manchester City and West Ham other than Emirati
billions?
There's no need for this strange self flagellation - we pay good money to
West Ham, to the Premier League, to Sky and everybody else in the game and
our money is just as good as our neighbours. If we're not going to try and
win, then what are we here for?
"The West Ham United Coffee Company"
Jesus Christ, who gives a shit? So the Club put a coffee shop in their store
- like pretty much any other business of a comparable size in the Western
world. Of all the things wrong with the new stadium and our new identity
this is about 4 millionth on my list.
This is evil and must be stopped.
I don't even know what people want - a Starbucks? A Costa? No coffee? Why
are these better options than the Club making a few quid out of
refreshments? Again I am forced to hark back to my childhood memories of the
Club selling memorabilia out of a Portakabin and never having enough money
to keep any players, and wondering what exactly it is about our past that
people are eulogising over?
"You're turning your fans into consumers"
I get it, I really do. For us, going to games is not the same thing as a
trip to John Lewis, or renting a car from Hertz. It is a social experience
with an emotional core that transcends pretty much any relationship that we
will ever have with something that can't talk back to us.
But this again is hinting at something else - that we weren't consumers
already. I hate to break it to you guys but that huge stand they're
currently pulling down at Upton Park was called the Dr Martens Stand. The
Club had already thrown their lot in with the great corporate takeover of
the post Euro 1996 years, and we were already little more than consumers
anyway.
I have also seen a lot of commentary suggesting that 'real' fans are unhappy
about the presence of so many day tripping tourists in the stadium. These
fans presumably representing the new consumers as opposed to the old
supporters.
The problem with this world view is that I just don't see much evidence of
it. Having been to pretty much every game this season, despite not being a
season ticket holder myself, I haven't seen these huge numbers of tourists.
Instead I've seen lots of West Ham fans who can't or don't want to go to
every game but still consider themselves loyal supporters.
There are plenty of reasons why fans might not be able to go to games -
maybe they can't afford it, maybe they have to work, maybe they're too sick,
maybe they're serving in the Armed Forces somewhere or maybe they're in
jail. We could only envy them during the second half of that Hull game.
The list is long and exhaustive and the reality is that I suspect the ground
is full of our core 30k support and then a rotating 20k cast of other fans
from that 50k waiting list who can't go all the time.
All of which is to say that I agree that we're being treated like consumers,
but I don't really see how that's a new thing.
"West Ham is about things you can't buy....identity, togetherness, love"
OK, well this is an entirely subjective area so if that's what it means to
the creators of this video then I'm not about to tell them they're wrong.
It means different things to all of us, and that's perfectly fine but the
bit I'm confused about is the notion that the owners of the Club don't
understand these things. It's always bemused me that there are those who
constantly state that Gold and Sullivan are in this for the money only.
Where is the evidence of this?
They haven't cashed in on our better players and refused to invest the
money, they haven't as yet encouraged any external bidders for the Club and
they have done little else but put their own money into the coffers so far.
It's curious that fans who pay a £1,000 a year to the Club feel that this
entitles them to all sorts of leeway in what they want back, but refuse to
extend the same logic to the owners and their £80m. To my mind, their
failure hasn't been a lack of investment in the team, it's been in not
investing properly.
Think about it - if they truly want to dispose of their holdings then it
would be in their interests to drive that price as high as possible. That
means higher league finishes, a better squad and, yes, a better stadium. I'm
not sure why anyone would think these were bad things to be aiming at.
"Put the football first, listen to the fans"
Yeah, I don't know what this means. Here are a load of slightly impenetrable
complaints about off field issues but please just concentrate on the
football? What? Or alternatively, start asking fans about footballing
issues? Er, no thanks.
Is Karren Brady supposed to stop trying to generate income for the Club
because David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic didn't sign a right back in the
summer, and couldn't recognise that Jonathan Calleri had feet comprised
solely of cement?
Brady is driving the Club forward because that's her job. It's not her fault
that Sullivan doesn't have the self awareness to realise he is not actually
very good at identifying players, and as a result is pissing off the
supporters that she is charged with keeping happy. I don't think Karren
Brady looked at Michail Antonio and thought that the best use of one of our
premium attacking players was to play him at right back.
So, let's ask ourselves a question - would this video have been made if we
were sitting fifth in the table? I can't really answer that, but I strongly
suspect not. The points raised are so nebulous that I don't actually know
what it is that the makers want from the board. In fairness they have
expanded more here in conversation with KUMB, but I'm still not really much
the wiser.
I'm sorry chaps, but this video doesn't speak for me. I appreciate the care
and attention, I respect the devotion and I understand the frustrations that
led to it's creation but it isn't asking anything tangible or meaningful of
the Board. All it's done is stir up a lot of anti-Board feeling around
nothing. I can't see how that is helpful.
And for those commenting all over the place online about this, I'm going to
keep returning to these points as well - most of the current criticism of
the Club could be solved by a five game winning streak, and 95% of the
criticism of Karren Brady is rendered invalid by the misogynist bullshit
that accompanies it. If you can't make your point with referring to her
gender then you have no point worth making.
"Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you
don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your
time, or any of your space" - Johnny Cash
He seems sensible - let's take his advice
Now before anyone labels me as a stooge for the board or an apologist for
the stadium fuck ups, let me say this; there is a metric tonne of stuff the
Board could do to help themselves and try to reduce some of the current
enmity that surrounds the place. In no particular order:
1. Appoint an experienced Director of Football to oversee all elements of
the footballing side of the Club.
Ralf Rangnick - the man behind RB Leipzig's meteoric rise in Germany - would
do nicely but here on planet Earth we might have to set our sights a little
lower.
We desperately need to move away from the agent led recruitment of Sullivan,
and put in place someone with an understanding of analytics and how to mix
old and new school scouting. Let's stop signing players due to them having
good YouTube highlight packages, basically. At the same time we could invest
properly into the youth system and establish an Academy that delivers first
team ready players to the manager, already accustomed to playing in the
style of the first team.
Giving up this role to someone who actually knows what they're doing would
also allow David Sullivan to return to the normal duties of a Premier League
chairman such as producing films about the Krays.
2. Swallow the bitter taste of hubris and accept that parts of the stadium
move have been a disaster.
Whilst chatting about this with fellow Hammers @LeBigHouse and @AMoCS we
agreed that there is an incredible problem with the tone that the Club take
over the Stadium move. They are increasingly resembling The Day Today's pool
supervisor and his lament that people choose only to focus on the deaths
that have occurred under his watch and nothing else.
The move has had lots of issues and if we were treated like grown ups and
the Club just admitted this I think they might find that this single gesture
of ordinary human behaviour might generate some actual bona fide goodwill.
And boy do they need it, especially with Spurs building a stadium that their
fans will actually want to go to, just up the road.
It's hard to know how much of the stadium fit out is the responsibility of
the Club and how much is the stadium owners, but either way it's a little
bit like a film set. It looks great but don't stare too long or you'll see
that it's really just a good looking approximation of the real thing.
So, yes if you want us to be customers then you can't just ignore the
concept of customer service. You can't really have one without the other.
Like Palace and terrible managers.
Just try it Karren - "Hey guys, I'm really sorry about this but yeah, the
concessions are a bit of a nightmare aren't they? It probably shouldn't take
30 minutes to get a pie. We'll sort that out. Give us some time".
You might be surprised what that gets you.
3. Take away young Jack's Twitter password.
It's embarrassing to the Club that he is a quasi official mouthpiece who is
confirming major signings in one Tweet and then supporting Donald Trump as
President in the next.
We've now reached a point where we have to wait for young Jack to finish
double chemistry in the afternoon before we get confirmation that our new
signing has passed his medical. Gosh, it's just like Real Madrid.
If that's not possible then how about reassigning him to do something
useful. He could tweet about the West Ham Ladies team, who could really do
with the publicity, or alternatively about the Club's various charitable
endeavours to try and highlight the community work being done.
There is something glorious about the fact that the Clubs public response to
this video has been for Jack to send them an email. After all, when we make
a complaint who among us isn't delighted to have our concerns addressed by a
teenager on work experience?
4. Get some proper dialogue with fans to address the day to day experience
of being a supporter.
Bear in mind that this is a borderline impossible task as no one fan can
accurately reflect the views of thousands. I'm pretty sure that the
Supporters Advisory Board was supposed to do this, but I have no idea what
they do so I suppose there is room for improvement in their communication if
nothing else.
There is a thread here on KUMB that asks fans to contribute to a new ten
point plan. There are some things there that I agree with and plenty that I
don't, but it's a start and there are some tangible things that the Board
can actually address. As an example, if it is truly this difficult for our
disabled fans to get to games that is a really easy win.
5. Lose the running track
Best of luck with that. It would solve an enormous number of the problems
though.
6. Sort out the Club's public image. It's horrendous.
You know what we need? A slick PR professional, who is a West Ham fan,
understands the sensibilities of the ordinary fan and has the time on his
hands to commit fully to the job.
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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Andy Carroll set for West Ham stay as Slaven Bilic insists striker is not
for sale
The fit-again frontman is set to lead the line for the club over the next
three games in six days with Diafra Sakho injured
COMMENTS
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 25 DEC 2016UPDATED16:39, 25 DEC 2016
The Mirror
West Ham intend to resist any bids for Andy Carroll when the transfer window
reopens because of their striker crisis. The fit-again frontman is set to
lead the line for the club over the next three games in six days with Diafra
Sakho injured. Flop Italy striker Simone Zaza is set to have his loan
terminated when the window reopens with Valencia willing to snap him up. It
means the Hammers are pinning their hopes on Carroll to help them through
the next few weeks until they can bring in the reinforcements they have
urgently targeted. Carroll's future has been uncertain because of his
disappointing injury record. But he will stay, with boss Slaven Bilic
insistent, ahead of their trip to Swansea today, that he will no longer
treat the former Newcastle talisman with kid gloves. Bilic said: "Maybe
before it was always holding him back and that could be one of the reasons
why he was getting injured. "Unless you are talking about extreme examples
you are more likely to get injured if you are not training. "If you are
training with a good rhythm every day - and I can give you hundred of
examples like that - (you can stay fit). "Of course you have to be cautious
with Andy because of his history, but if he is feeling good let's build on
that. Why are we thinking negative?"
Former Swansea winger Andre Ayew returns to the Liberty for the first time
since his £20million move to West Ham last August. But Bilic has called for
patience for the 27-year-old who has also been unlucky with injuries since
his arrival. Bilic said: "He's had a big injury, he came back a few weeks
ago and now he need to train. Then he needs games to be the Ayew from last
season or two seasons ago. "He's getting back. He's becoming better than he
came in his first game and it's only a matter of time."
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Swansea vs West Ham team news: Squads revealed, injuries and more ahead of
Premier League clash
West Ham will be without Diafra Sakho for the Boxing Day match at Swansea
after boss Slaven Bilic confirmed that the striker could be out for six to
eight weeks due to a back injury.
The Mirror
BYPRESS ASSOCIATION
18:30, 25 DEC 2016UPDATED18:32, 25 DEC 2016
Swansea have broken-toe victims Federico Fernandez and Ki Sung-yueng
available for the Boxing Day home clash with West Ham. Fernandez is a real
contender to return in central defence on the back of Swansea conceding six
goals in defeats at West Brom and Middlesbrough. Ki might have to settle for
a place on the bench, but Kyle Naughton and Jack Cork are possible options
with under-pressure manager Bob Bradley considering changes.
West Ham will be without Diafra Sakho for the Boxing Day match at Swansea
after boss Slaven Bilic confirmed that the striker could be out for six to
eight weeks due to a back injury. The Senegal international has only made
two appearances during his injury-plagued season but was substituted during
the draw against Manchester United last month. Midfielder Gokhan Tore is
still out with a knee problem, Pedro Obiang is suspended and Reece Oxford
(ankle) and Simone Zaza (knee) remain sidelined, while defender James
Collins is a doubt as he continues his recovery from a muscular injury.
Swansea squad: Fabianski, Naughton, Mawson, Fernandez, Taylor, Britton,
Cork, Barrow, Routledge, Sigurdsson, Llorente, Nordfeldt, Rangel, Van der
Hoorn, Amat, Fulton, Fer, Kingsley, Dyer, Montero, Borja, McBurnie.
West Ham squad: Randolph, Adrian, Collins, Ogbonna, Reid, Kouyate, Masuaku,
Antonio, Cresswell, Noble, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Payet, Lanzini, Feghouli,
Ayew, Carroll, Fletcher.
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David Moyes: I will not sell Jermain Defoe to West Ham for any price
The Telegraph
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
25 DECEMBER 2016 • 10:30PM
David Moyes has dismissed any suggestion that he might be prepared to sell
Jermain Defoe in the January transfer window, describing the veteran striker
as "priceless". The Sunderland manager, ahead of the Boxing Day clash at his
former club Manchester United - his first return to Old Trafford since he
was sacked in April 2014 - is fully aware of West Ham United's interest in
Defoe. West Ham are prepared to bid £6 million to bring their former
striker, who left them almost 13 years ago in a £7 million move to Tottenham
Hotspur, back to the club and hope that Sunderland might be tempted to sell
their highest-earner. However, Moyes has said that such is his strength of
feeling that Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain would not even bother
informing him of a bid for Defoe who has been in outstanding form – again –
this season with eight goals, despite playing for a team in the bottom
three. "No, it wouldn't be considered," Moyes said, of any bid for Defoe. "I
don't think there's any price because we know that Jermain's goals are
priceless to us." Moyes added: "I wouldn't even think about it. He needs
managing because he's a senior professional and needs treating right, which
we do. He wants to train every day, he trains like he's much younger and
he's in good condition.
"I'm not saying we're getting the best out of him because he's had a great
career and he's scored a lot of goals, but nobody can turn around and say
they can see a demise in him. You can only see someone who will keep going."
Defoe has been a resounding success since he returned to the Premier League,
in January 2015, after an unhappy spell in the MLS with Toronto FC. He earns
around £70,000 a week but his goals kept Sunderland in the Premier League
last season and he represents their best chance of avoiding the drop this
time also.
Whatever interest there is in him it would also be a very hard sell for
Sunderland to their supporters if they allowed Defoe to leave given the club
has already indicated there will only be minimal funds available for Moyes
to strengthen in the January window. Harry Kane (with 21 goals) is the only
English striker to score more Premier League goals than Defoe (19) in 2016
and Moyes said it also had to be factored in that his forward has been
playing for a team in the wrong half of the league during that time. "His
stats for 2016 show he's been brilliant and he's been scoring goals for
Sunderland," he said. "What would he get if he was at a Tottenham."
An added complication for Sunderland is the fact that Defoe is only one of
three players who has scored for them in the league this season – alongside
fellow striker Victor Anichebe (whose contribution Moyes also hailed) and
Patrick Van Aanholt, who each have three goals. "It's sad, that's not good,
but at least we've got Victor who has scored a couple alongside Jermain,"
Moyes said. "If we hadn't got that we'd be really struggling." West Ham –
who have been offered Argentinean forward Lucas Pratto from Atletico Mineiro
– are desperate to improve their attacking options and may return with an
offer for AC Milan's Carlos Bacca, who they tried to sign last summer, and
will jump on any chance to re-sign Defoe if they are given encouragement. As
revealed by The Daily Telegraph, West Ham have also circulated the top six
Premier League clubs with letters – except for Spurs, the two clubs will not
do business with each other – to see whether there are any forwards they may
be willing to loan out.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFc.com
When and where?
Swansea City v West Ham United
Premier League
Monday 26 December 2016, 3pm GMT
Liberty Stadium
What's the story?
West Ham United will hope to make it a happy Christmas when they head to
Swansea City on Boxing Day for their penultimate Premier League fixture of
2016.
Seven points taken from a successful week in the run-up to the festive
season already ensured that the turkey tasted better for Hammers fans on
Christmas Day, and now the east Londoners have their eyes on climbing
further up the table.
That draw at Liverpool, followed by single-goal victories against Burnley
and Hull City took Slaven Bilic's team out of the division's bottom three
and up to 13th, with 19 points from 17 games.
Swansea, by contrast, spent Christmas Day in the relegation zone, with last
weekend's 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough their third in four games.
In total, Bob Bradley's team have 12 points to date and with 37 goals in the
conceded column they have the dubious honour of possessing the division's
leakiest defence.
Having been a top-flight team since 2011, the Swans will be fighting hard to
ensure the second half of their season does not become a battle to preserve
that status.
Team news
Diafra Sakho remains sidelined with a hamstring problem sustained late last
month.
Aaron Cresswell could make his 100th appearance for the Hammers, while Andy
Carroll played his first 90 minutes since the first game of the season in
the Hammers' victory over Hull.
Any links between the two?
Swansea City club captain Leon Britton is a graduate of the Academy of
Football who has spent the last 13 years at Swansea, playing in all four
divisions of the English professional game with the Swans.
Aside from a brief spell at Sheffield United in the 2010/11 season, he has
been in South Wales ever since leaving the Hammers, appearing in 514 games
for the club.
On the West Ham side, Andre Ayew became the Hammers' record signing when he
joined from Swansea in the summer for a £20.5m fee. The Ghana international
scored 12 goals in the 34 league games he played for the Welsh club in
2015/16.
How do I get to the game?
Click here for directions on how to get to Liberty Stadium.
Please note that there are no train services between London and Swansea on
Boxing Day. Click here for the latest news on the roads.
How can I watch the game?
The game is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, you can follow the
action as it happens on whufc.com's live match centre, with audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Get
involved in the conversation on social using #SWAWHU
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Manager on Matchday
WHUFC.com
Good morning everyone,
After taking seven points from our last three games we all know the
importance of getting another positive result when we face Swansea today.
A lot has been said about the performance against Hull in the last game and
I'm hoping to see us more fluid with the ball and have more movement off the
ball.
We need to take more responsibility. It has nothing to do with fitness,
nothing to do with a game plan, but has a lot to do with the freedom in your
head or in your legs of course.
This will be a big day for Andre Ayew going back to his former club for the
first time since he joined us last summer.
To be fair he had a big injury and came back a few weeks ago. Now he needs
to train and he needs games to be the Ayew from last season or two seasons
ago. He's getting back.
He's becoming better than he what he showed in his first game and it's only
a matter of time.
I was asked in the pre-match press conference about the pressure that Bob
Bradley is currently facing at Swansea.
I have feelings for all the managers and there is no manager who hasn't been
under pressure in the Premier League this season.
Even Antonio Conte was under pressure for a couple of weeks. So is Bradley,
so am I. You were under pressure or you're going to be under pressure.
You enjoy it when you are not under pressure and learn from the time when
you are under pressure.
Bob is an experienced manager and they all have those kind of methods to
deal with the pressure.
I was also asked about Gylfi Sigurdsson and the threat he will pose to us on
Monday.
Football is not about one player, every club has best players. You cannot
win with just Michael Jordan. Gylfi is a great player, very consistent.
When they are closer to the goal he is real and very dangerous. They showed
a couple of games they are very dangerous at home.
They have good delivery from set pieces and the flanks from open play. They
work well from the back and we have to defend well against them. They have
quality, pace and we have to exploit their weaknesses they showed as a team
when we don't have the ball.
I hope all our fans have a safe trip to south Wales today and hope we can
come away with another big three points.
Enjoy the game.
Slaven
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Academy youngsters discover the true meaning of Christmas
WHUFC.com
As they open their presents and tuck into Christmas dinners today, the
schoolboys of West Ham United's Under-12 Academy squad will no doubt have
football on their minds – and a very special match that took place exactly
102 years ago.
Christmas Day 1914 is remembered for a truly remarkable event, when guns
fell silent on the fierce battlefields of Ypres in Belgium during the First
World War, as German and Allied soldiers agreed an unofficial ceasefire and
greeted each other in No Man's Land, to share gifts and food, before
enjoying an impromptu football match.
And the anniversary is of particular interest for our Under-12 players, who
flew to Belgium recently to take part in the Truce tournament – an
educational initiative run by the Premier League that commemorates the
Christmas truce and the lives lost in the War.
Launched in 2011, the tournament sees Academy teams from the Premier League
test themselves against some of the best young players from France, Belgium
and Germany, countries whose soldiers also fought on the fields of Ypres.
More importantly, it enables them to experience an educational and cultural
journey that enhances the history lessons they have been receiving on the
sacrifices made by those soldiers.
Having finished above the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, Leicester
and West Brom in the qualifying tournament at Aldershot Garrison Sports
Centre, the young Hammers sealed their place in the final tournament and
travelled to Ypres over the weekend of 9-11 December.
Christmas Truce
Despite losing their opening match against Blackburn, West Ham went on to
beat Belgian side Club Brugge before a draw against Paris St Germain saw
them qualify for the semi-finals, where they unfortunately lost to
Anderlecht, who went on to beat Manchester City in the final. The tournament
ended on a positive note, though, as the Hammers gained revenge on Blackburn
to triumph in the third-place play-off.
Alongside the football, the players made an educational field trip to
Ploegsteert Wood, the site of the Christmas Truce of 1914. They also
explored a replica British trench and bunker system at the Passchendaele
1917 Memorial Museum and visited the Tyne Cot War Cemetery and the Menin
Gate memorial to the missing, where respects were paid with wreath laying
and a Last Post ceremony.
The squad were led by West Ham United's Academy Head of Coaching for
U9s-U14s, Dave Johnson, who spoke to whufc.com about his immense pride in
the players.
"It was a fantastic experience," said Johnson. "Fantastic for football
reasons, as it allowed the boys to test themselves against some of the best
young players in Europe, but even more so from an educational point of view.
"The trip had an extremely positive effect on the boys, who all took a real
interest in the history of the 1914 Christmas truce and the sacrifices that
the soldiers in World War One had to make.
"I have to say that their behaviour and attitude was absolutely impeccable
and they were a credit to West Ham United Football Club.
"One of the boys was even chosen to read a poem at the Menin Gate Memorial
in front of 1,500 people, following in the footsteps of people like Barack
Obama and David Beckham.
"Overall, it was a magnificent experience for them and something they will
never, ever forget."
Martyn Heather, the Premier League's Head of Education, said of the Truce
initiative: "We've always been very keen to develop holistically rounded
people and I think that developing their skills off the pitch, as well as on
it, is crucial.
"Tournaments like this are not just about the football, they're about taking
the players out of their comfort zone. They can see the horrors that men not
much older than themselves faced in the First World War just over 100 years
ago.
"What was quite pertinent was players visiting the graves of former players
from their respective club, it just made it so much more relatable.
"The reason we centre the tournament around the Christmas Truce is because
we want the players to understand that football is a universal language, and
despite the aggression and horrors of war, on December 25, 1914, that was
put aside, and we want to learn from that and instil those qualities in
these young players.
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West Ham And The Mysterious World Of The Past
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 24th December 2016
By: HeadHammerShark
"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past" -
Thomas Jefferson, 1816
I know what you're thinking - Thomas Jefferson probably wouldn't have been
quite so certain about this if he'd ever had to queue for 35 minutes to get
a £4 pie - and you're probably right.
Yet, why am I drawing a not entirely obvious line between a former US
president and West Ham? Because there is a video doing the rounds that seems
to be stirring up a lot of opinions currently, and I must confess that most
of them are baffling me. It is described as an open video to the Board but
doesn't actually ask them to do anything, hence much of my confusion.
Firstly, have a look at the clip in question. It is publicly available from
YouTube so I don't imagine the authors will be upset with me linking to it
here.
Now I should say that none of what I'm about to write is intended as
personal criticism of the creators, or indeed anybody else who feels
similarly to them. I recognise a lot of things from that video; I have sat
singing the Payet song on the sofa with my daughters too, I uttered an
inveterate "Oh for fucks sake" when Zaza took his famous shot at Old
Trafford and somehow managed to get the ball to end up behind him, I
simultaneously treasure and despise the memory of Cardiff 2006, and in my
mind the football I watched in my childhood has been been lent a veneer of
quality by the passing of time that was not there when the games actually
took place, so I get the nostalgia.
Furthermore, we all support the team in different ways and have different
things that symbolise our love for our Club. If the newly revamped badge is
complete anathema to you, then I'm not about to tell you to get over it.
Each very much to their own. There is no wrong or right, merely differing
shades of grey. Or green, if you look at the large quantities of Costco felt
running round the edge of the pitch.
But as I watched that video I found my brow increasingly furrowed as I
watched and listened. And as the plaudits came rolling in from the various
quarters of my particular echo chamber I found myself asking the same thing
repeatedly - "Why?"
!"The past is a decaying memory and I do not have to relive it and empower
it unless I choose to do so" - James Lee Burke, "The Tin Roof Blowdown"
I have watched the video several times now to ensure I understand it
properly, and I have failed miserably as I'm pretty sure I don't understand
it even remotely. It seems to be mythologising a past that never happened,
or celebrating the worst parts of it.
For a start, it contains the following quotes:
"It's about...playing good football the right way, but it definitely isn't
about winning"
Insert joke here - it'll be the first one ever associated with this show
Objectively I suppose this is true. Supporting West Ham hasn't very often
been about winning. Watching us solely in the hope of supporting a winning
team is like watching Mrs Brown's Boys and waiting for a joke to come along.
But this also seems to suggest that winning is a bad thing. Like we are
morally superior to other fans and that there is a purity to our support
because we don't go along in the expectation of victory.
What a load of bollocks.
The years of ineptitude don't make us better fans - they make us stupid. We
allowed the Cearns family and Terry Brown to feed us that line for years.
"The West Ham Way" - a concept recently resurrected to very dubious purpose
- was apparently all about entertainment above winning. And what a handy get
out that was for the various boards of the time. Finish third, eulogise the
team forever but sell the best players off immediately. Develop Rio
Ferdinand and Frank Lampard? Sure, but we have to sell them to improve the
ground, don't get upset though, and hey! Look at that goal Di Canio just
scored.
Rinse, wash, repeat for my entire childhood. But West Ham fans are wedded to
this. We are in love with a past that has constantly lacked competent
leadership, ambition and success because we have become completely consumed
with the idea that just being a fan is enough. Become a West Ham fan, it's a
higher way of life - you get screwed over by the Premier League who are
happy to take your money but do everything possible to prevent you from ever
seeing your side win, and do so with the tacit support of successive boards
who never had the ambition to look past that.
Sullivan, Gold and Brady seem to want to change this, and yet somehow that's
a bad thing? I have no issue quibbling with their methods but criticising a
board for wanting to win things is mental. And I hate to break it to you,
but West Ham fans are no better or worse than any other. We love our team,
and for us here, now, inside that bubble, it's a magical feeling but it's no
different than it is for Manchester United fans inside theirs. We might want
to believe that there is something intrinsically superior about our own
support but there is not.
I have previously likened supporting Manchester United or Chelsea to going
into a casino and cheering for the house, and I stand by that. The
advantages those teams enjoy are so huge that I simply do not believe that
there can be as much inherent satisfaction in them winning anything as there
was for, say, Leicester. But that doesn't make their supporters somehow
worse than us, and the sooner we get past that myth the sooner we can start
demanding a bit more from our Club.
"Failure is part of our identity"
Is that true? Well, if it is then our identity is shit and the sooner we
lose it the better. Why are we happy about failure? Until this season West
Ham ticket prices were amongst the highest in the country, which tells me
that in no way at all is acceptable for the Club to embrace failure.
I'm all for glory and playing with verve and brio but I also don't accept it
as a basic tenet of our existence that Manchester United or Arsenal fans
"deserve" success and we don't, just because their clubs are bigger. What
bizarre crap is that? Can anyone truly say there is anything different at
their very core between Manchester City and West Ham other than Emirati
billions?
There's no need for this strange self flagellation - we pay good money to
West Ham, to the Premier League, to Sky and everybody else in the game and
our money is just as good as our neighbours. If we're not going to try and
win, then what are we here for?
"The West Ham United Coffee Company"
Jesus Christ, who gives a shit? So the Club put a coffee shop in their store
- like pretty much any other business of a comparable size in the Western
world. Of all the things wrong with the new stadium and our new identity
this is about 4 millionth on my list.
This is evil and must be stopped.
I don't even know what people want - a Starbucks? A Costa? No coffee? Why
are these better options than the Club making a few quid out of
refreshments? Again I am forced to hark back to my childhood memories of the
Club selling memorabilia out of a Portakabin and never having enough money
to keep any players, and wondering what exactly it is about our past that
people are eulogising over?
"You're turning your fans into consumers"
I get it, I really do. For us, going to games is not the same thing as a
trip to John Lewis, or renting a car from Hertz. It is a social experience
with an emotional core that transcends pretty much any relationship that we
will ever have with something that can't talk back to us.
But this again is hinting at something else - that we weren't consumers
already. I hate to break it to you guys but that huge stand they're
currently pulling down at Upton Park was called the Dr Martens Stand. The
Club had already thrown their lot in with the great corporate takeover of
the post Euro 1996 years, and we were already little more than consumers
anyway.
I have also seen a lot of commentary suggesting that 'real' fans are unhappy
about the presence of so many day tripping tourists in the stadium. These
fans presumably representing the new consumers as opposed to the old
supporters.
The problem with this world view is that I just don't see much evidence of
it. Having been to pretty much every game this season, despite not being a
season ticket holder myself, I haven't seen these huge numbers of tourists.
Instead I've seen lots of West Ham fans who can't or don't want to go to
every game but still consider themselves loyal supporters.
There are plenty of reasons why fans might not be able to go to games -
maybe they can't afford it, maybe they have to work, maybe they're too sick,
maybe they're serving in the Armed Forces somewhere or maybe they're in
jail. We could only envy them during the second half of that Hull game.
The list is long and exhaustive and the reality is that I suspect the ground
is full of our core 30k support and then a rotating 20k cast of other fans
from that 50k waiting list who can't go all the time.
All of which is to say that I agree that we're being treated like consumers,
but I don't really see how that's a new thing.
"West Ham is about things you can't buy....identity, togetherness, love"
OK, well this is an entirely subjective area so if that's what it means to
the creators of this video then I'm not about to tell them they're wrong.
It means different things to all of us, and that's perfectly fine but the
bit I'm confused about is the notion that the owners of the Club don't
understand these things. It's always bemused me that there are those who
constantly state that Gold and Sullivan are in this for the money only.
Where is the evidence of this?
They haven't cashed in on our better players and refused to invest the
money, they haven't as yet encouraged any external bidders for the Club and
they have done little else but put their own money into the coffers so far.
It's curious that fans who pay a £1,000 a year to the Club feel that this
entitles them to all sorts of leeway in what they want back, but refuse to
extend the same logic to the owners and their £80m. To my mind, their
failure hasn't been a lack of investment in the team, it's been in not
investing properly.
Think about it - if they truly want to dispose of their holdings then it
would be in their interests to drive that price as high as possible. That
means higher league finishes, a better squad and, yes, a better stadium. I'm
not sure why anyone would think these were bad things to be aiming at.
"Put the football first, listen to the fans"
Yeah, I don't know what this means. Here are a load of slightly impenetrable
complaints about off field issues but please just concentrate on the
football? What? Or alternatively, start asking fans about footballing
issues? Er, no thanks.
Is Karren Brady supposed to stop trying to generate income for the Club
because David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic didn't sign a right back in the
summer, and couldn't recognise that Jonathan Calleri had feet comprised
solely of cement?
Brady is driving the Club forward because that's her job. It's not her fault
that Sullivan doesn't have the self awareness to realise he is not actually
very good at identifying players, and as a result is pissing off the
supporters that she is charged with keeping happy. I don't think Karren
Brady looked at Michail Antonio and thought that the best use of one of our
premium attacking players was to play him at right back.
So, let's ask ourselves a question - would this video have been made if we
were sitting fifth in the table? I can't really answer that, but I strongly
suspect not. The points raised are so nebulous that I don't actually know
what it is that the makers want from the board. In fairness they have
expanded more here in conversation with KUMB, but I'm still not really much
the wiser.
I'm sorry chaps, but this video doesn't speak for me. I appreciate the care
and attention, I respect the devotion and I understand the frustrations that
led to it's creation but it isn't asking anything tangible or meaningful of
the Board. All it's done is stir up a lot of anti-Board feeling around
nothing. I can't see how that is helpful.
And for those commenting all over the place online about this, I'm going to
keep returning to these points as well - most of the current criticism of
the Club could be solved by a five game winning streak, and 95% of the
criticism of Karren Brady is rendered invalid by the misogynist bullshit
that accompanies it. If you can't make your point with referring to her
gender then you have no point worth making.
"Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you
don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your
time, or any of your space" - Johnny Cash
He seems sensible - let's take his advice
Now before anyone labels me as a stooge for the board or an apologist for
the stadium fuck ups, let me say this; there is a metric tonne of stuff the
Board could do to help themselves and try to reduce some of the current
enmity that surrounds the place. In no particular order:
1. Appoint an experienced Director of Football to oversee all elements of
the footballing side of the Club.
Ralf Rangnick - the man behind RB Leipzig's meteoric rise in Germany - would
do nicely but here on planet Earth we might have to set our sights a little
lower.
We desperately need to move away from the agent led recruitment of Sullivan,
and put in place someone with an understanding of analytics and how to mix
old and new school scouting. Let's stop signing players due to them having
good YouTube highlight packages, basically. At the same time we could invest
properly into the youth system and establish an Academy that delivers first
team ready players to the manager, already accustomed to playing in the
style of the first team.
Giving up this role to someone who actually knows what they're doing would
also allow David Sullivan to return to the normal duties of a Premier League
chairman such as producing films about the Krays.
2. Swallow the bitter taste of hubris and accept that parts of the stadium
move have been a disaster.
Whilst chatting about this with fellow Hammers @LeBigHouse and @AMoCS we
agreed that there is an incredible problem with the tone that the Club take
over the Stadium move. They are increasingly resembling The Day Today's pool
supervisor and his lament that people choose only to focus on the deaths
that have occurred under his watch and nothing else.
The move has had lots of issues and if we were treated like grown ups and
the Club just admitted this I think they might find that this single gesture
of ordinary human behaviour might generate some actual bona fide goodwill.
And boy do they need it, especially with Spurs building a stadium that their
fans will actually want to go to, just up the road.
It's hard to know how much of the stadium fit out is the responsibility of
the Club and how much is the stadium owners, but either way it's a little
bit like a film set. It looks great but don't stare too long or you'll see
that it's really just a good looking approximation of the real thing.
So, yes if you want us to be customers then you can't just ignore the
concept of customer service. You can't really have one without the other.
Like Palace and terrible managers.
Just try it Karren - "Hey guys, I'm really sorry about this but yeah, the
concessions are a bit of a nightmare aren't they? It probably shouldn't take
30 minutes to get a pie. We'll sort that out. Give us some time".
You might be surprised what that gets you.
3. Take away young Jack's Twitter password.
It's embarrassing to the Club that he is a quasi official mouthpiece who is
confirming major signings in one Tweet and then supporting Donald Trump as
President in the next.
We've now reached a point where we have to wait for young Jack to finish
double chemistry in the afternoon before we get confirmation that our new
signing has passed his medical. Gosh, it's just like Real Madrid.
If that's not possible then how about reassigning him to do something
useful. He could tweet about the West Ham Ladies team, who could really do
with the publicity, or alternatively about the Club's various charitable
endeavours to try and highlight the community work being done.
There is something glorious about the fact that the Clubs public response to
this video has been for Jack to send them an email. After all, when we make
a complaint who among us isn't delighted to have our concerns addressed by a
teenager on work experience?
4. Get some proper dialogue with fans to address the day to day experience
of being a supporter.
Bear in mind that this is a borderline impossible task as no one fan can
accurately reflect the views of thousands. I'm pretty sure that the
Supporters Advisory Board was supposed to do this, but I have no idea what
they do so I suppose there is room for improvement in their communication if
nothing else.
There is a thread here on KUMB that asks fans to contribute to a new ten
point plan. There are some things there that I agree with and plenty that I
don't, but it's a start and there are some tangible things that the Board
can actually address. As an example, if it is truly this difficult for our
disabled fans to get to games that is a really easy win.
5. Lose the running track
Best of luck with that. It would solve an enormous number of the problems
though.
6. Sort out the Club's public image. It's horrendous.
You know what we need? A slick PR professional, who is a West Ham fan,
understands the sensibilities of the ordinary fan and has the time on his
hands to commit fully to the job.
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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Andy Carroll set for West Ham stay as Slaven Bilic insists striker is not
for sale
The fit-again frontman is set to lead the line for the club over the next
three games in six days with Diafra Sakho injured
COMMENTS
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 25 DEC 2016UPDATED16:39, 25 DEC 2016
The Mirror
West Ham intend to resist any bids for Andy Carroll when the transfer window
reopens because of their striker crisis. The fit-again frontman is set to
lead the line for the club over the next three games in six days with Diafra
Sakho injured. Flop Italy striker Simone Zaza is set to have his loan
terminated when the window reopens with Valencia willing to snap him up. It
means the Hammers are pinning their hopes on Carroll to help them through
the next few weeks until they can bring in the reinforcements they have
urgently targeted. Carroll's future has been uncertain because of his
disappointing injury record. But he will stay, with boss Slaven Bilic
insistent, ahead of their trip to Swansea today, that he will no longer
treat the former Newcastle talisman with kid gloves. Bilic said: "Maybe
before it was always holding him back and that could be one of the reasons
why he was getting injured. "Unless you are talking about extreme examples
you are more likely to get injured if you are not training. "If you are
training with a good rhythm every day - and I can give you hundred of
examples like that - (you can stay fit). "Of course you have to be cautious
with Andy because of his history, but if he is feeling good let's build on
that. Why are we thinking negative?"
Former Swansea winger Andre Ayew returns to the Liberty for the first time
since his £20million move to West Ham last August. But Bilic has called for
patience for the 27-year-old who has also been unlucky with injuries since
his arrival. Bilic said: "He's had a big injury, he came back a few weeks
ago and now he need to train. Then he needs games to be the Ayew from last
season or two seasons ago. "He's getting back. He's becoming better than he
came in his first game and it's only a matter of time."
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Swansea vs West Ham team news: Squads revealed, injuries and more ahead of
Premier League clash
West Ham will be without Diafra Sakho for the Boxing Day match at Swansea
after boss Slaven Bilic confirmed that the striker could be out for six to
eight weeks due to a back injury.
The Mirror
BYPRESS ASSOCIATION
18:30, 25 DEC 2016UPDATED18:32, 25 DEC 2016
Swansea have broken-toe victims Federico Fernandez and Ki Sung-yueng
available for the Boxing Day home clash with West Ham. Fernandez is a real
contender to return in central defence on the back of Swansea conceding six
goals in defeats at West Brom and Middlesbrough. Ki might have to settle for
a place on the bench, but Kyle Naughton and Jack Cork are possible options
with under-pressure manager Bob Bradley considering changes.
West Ham will be without Diafra Sakho for the Boxing Day match at Swansea
after boss Slaven Bilic confirmed that the striker could be out for six to
eight weeks due to a back injury. The Senegal international has only made
two appearances during his injury-plagued season but was substituted during
the draw against Manchester United last month. Midfielder Gokhan Tore is
still out with a knee problem, Pedro Obiang is suspended and Reece Oxford
(ankle) and Simone Zaza (knee) remain sidelined, while defender James
Collins is a doubt as he continues his recovery from a muscular injury.
Swansea squad: Fabianski, Naughton, Mawson, Fernandez, Taylor, Britton,
Cork, Barrow, Routledge, Sigurdsson, Llorente, Nordfeldt, Rangel, Van der
Hoorn, Amat, Fulton, Fer, Kingsley, Dyer, Montero, Borja, McBurnie.
West Ham squad: Randolph, Adrian, Collins, Ogbonna, Reid, Kouyate, Masuaku,
Antonio, Cresswell, Noble, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Payet, Lanzini, Feghouli,
Ayew, Carroll, Fletcher.
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David Moyes: I will not sell Jermain Defoe to West Ham for any price
The Telegraph
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
25 DECEMBER 2016 • 10:30PM
David Moyes has dismissed any suggestion that he might be prepared to sell
Jermain Defoe in the January transfer window, describing the veteran striker
as "priceless". The Sunderland manager, ahead of the Boxing Day clash at his
former club Manchester United - his first return to Old Trafford since he
was sacked in April 2014 - is fully aware of West Ham United's interest in
Defoe. West Ham are prepared to bid £6 million to bring their former
striker, who left them almost 13 years ago in a £7 million move to Tottenham
Hotspur, back to the club and hope that Sunderland might be tempted to sell
their highest-earner. However, Moyes has said that such is his strength of
feeling that Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain would not even bother
informing him of a bid for Defoe who has been in outstanding form – again –
this season with eight goals, despite playing for a team in the bottom
three. "No, it wouldn't be considered," Moyes said, of any bid for Defoe. "I
don't think there's any price because we know that Jermain's goals are
priceless to us." Moyes added: "I wouldn't even think about it. He needs
managing because he's a senior professional and needs treating right, which
we do. He wants to train every day, he trains like he's much younger and
he's in good condition.
"I'm not saying we're getting the best out of him because he's had a great
career and he's scored a lot of goals, but nobody can turn around and say
they can see a demise in him. You can only see someone who will keep going."
Defoe has been a resounding success since he returned to the Premier League,
in January 2015, after an unhappy spell in the MLS with Toronto FC. He earns
around £70,000 a week but his goals kept Sunderland in the Premier League
last season and he represents their best chance of avoiding the drop this
time also.
Whatever interest there is in him it would also be a very hard sell for
Sunderland to their supporters if they allowed Defoe to leave given the club
has already indicated there will only be minimal funds available for Moyes
to strengthen in the January window. Harry Kane (with 21 goals) is the only
English striker to score more Premier League goals than Defoe (19) in 2016
and Moyes said it also had to be factored in that his forward has been
playing for a team in the wrong half of the league during that time. "His
stats for 2016 show he's been brilliant and he's been scoring goals for
Sunderland," he said. "What would he get if he was at a Tottenham."
An added complication for Sunderland is the fact that Defoe is only one of
three players who has scored for them in the league this season – alongside
fellow striker Victor Anichebe (whose contribution Moyes also hailed) and
Patrick Van Aanholt, who each have three goals. "It's sad, that's not good,
but at least we've got Victor who has scored a couple alongside Jermain,"
Moyes said. "If we hadn't got that we'd be really struggling." West Ham –
who have been offered Argentinean forward Lucas Pratto from Atletico Mineiro
– are desperate to improve their attacking options and may return with an
offer for AC Milan's Carlos Bacca, who they tried to sign last summer, and
will jump on any chance to re-sign Defoe if they are given encouragement. As
revealed by The Daily Telegraph, West Ham have also circulated the top six
Premier League clubs with letters – except for Spurs, the two clubs will not
do business with each other – to see whether there are any forwards they may
be willing to loan out.
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