Chicharito: I'm always going to give everything for the team
WHUFC.com
Chicharito is hoping to start 2018 on a high with West Ham United. The Hammers face three important fixtures in the first seven days of the New Year – Premier League meetings with West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur and an Emirates FA Cup third-round tie at Shrewsbury Town. And, with such a busy schedule in place, the Mexico striker is eager to make his mark in Claret and Blue. "We have three games this week and they are all very important for the Club, and I hope there will be opportunities for all the players to help the team," the No17 told whufc.com. "First, we play West Brom and we are fighting for our lives here, so we want to get the three points as well. Then, after that we have a derby match and it's a nice one with Tottenham. The last time we went to Wembley, we were very happy with the result in the Carabao Cup, coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, so we have good memories of playing against Spurs there. "Then the week ends with the FA Cup, which is a competition I would love to win in my career."
After starting West Ham's opening eleven Premier League matches following his summer switch from Bayer Leverkusen, Chicharito was sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered on international duty in early November. Since returning to fitness, he has appeared as a substitute in the Hammers' last four games, and now feels ready to be included from the kick-off again. "Not only for footballers, but for everybody, the most important thing in life is to be healthy and to enjoy it and to do what you love most, which in my case is football. I am very happy and glad to be back. "I'm always going to give everything for the team, whenever I am on the pitch. I love football and I want to be as professional as I can, both inside and outside the pitch, if I am given one minute or 90 minutes, and I will try to do my best. "If you ask all footballers all over the world, they will tell you they don't want to be on the bench, and that's a normal thing. They all want to play and I'm trying to prove that I want to be involved with more minutes, with more starts, and then we'll see what happens [when I'm on the pitch]."
But while he would naturally love to play every single minute of every single game, a true team player like Chicharito knows it will need contributions from every single squad member to help West Ham climb away from trouble in the Premier League. "I'm never one to talk about a single player, be it myself or other players, as all the goals, all the results and all the points we get are because everybody is giving 100 per cent to help the team in the way we want to do it. "That's the only thing on our minds at the moment, to give our best to try to get into a better position."
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Lewin explains how recovery will be key during busy week
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Head of Medical Services Gary Lewin explains how his department will carefully manage the physical condition of the players through next week's hectic schedule of three matches in the space of six days…
The busy Christmas and New Year period has been complicated further this year by the fact that we had a full midweek Premier League programme scheduled in mid-December. Historically, in the two weeks leading up to Christmas, any team not in European competition or not playing in the quarter-final of the League Cup would simply be playing weekend to weekend and then have a full clear week to prepare for the rush of fixtures over the holiday period. This year, we had the midweek Premier League game against Arsenal on December 13 and then the League Cup tie against them a week later – and so our preparation time has been reduced. The holy grail throughout this period is recovery. Because we are playing Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday this coming week, there is very little time to follow the schedules and processes that we work to in a regular week. It really is a testing time for the entire squad and there are so many variables that come into play.
You also have the accumulative load from the games, which you simply can't gauge beforehand. For example, players picking up minor knocks that, ordinarily, take three or four days to recover from, would now face missing the next match.
When it comes to planning for the week ahead, it is a case of setting up both a training group and a recovery group, so that there is a strategy in place for how we ensure we get every player ready for the next game, based on whether they have played or not in the previous match. For example, on the Wednesday between the West Brom and Tottenham games, those who have played the night before will need simple recovery, those who haven't played but might be in contention to play the following night at Wembley will need a light training session, while those not playing in either game will need to work a bit harder. That is without taking into account the added burden of the fact that the manager needs time to prepare the team tactically for the next game, which in this case mean that goes into the day of the game on Thursday. The medical team will have everything in place to assist recovery – a mobile cryotherapy unit that we bring in, additional masseurs, the plunge pools, compression garments, plus our regular recovery programme involving exercise bikes and stretching.
Cryotherapy is something that is obviously fairly modern in terms of recovery tools for players – we have used the unit five times during the course of this period. However, the three main elements of recovery haven't changed in all the years I have been working in football – sleep, nutrition and hydration. After a game, players have to eat properly, get lots of sleep and rehydrate with lots of fluids. The following day, we reinforce that with physical recovery – stretching, massage, cryo-units, plunge pools and compression garments.
We have also been affected by the fact that the New Year programme has been shifted late on, with the Tottenham game only very recently moved to the Thursday. That has meant we have had to rearrange a lot of our planning, some of which was booked up at the start of the season. Having a full week to recover from the Bournemouth game before facing West Brom is helpful from a physical point of view, of course. However, around Christmas players are usually in the mindset and rhythm of playing a match every three to four days and, with the rearrangements this week, that balance has been removed. I don't think it is particularly fair – physically it is it not a level playing field for all clubs, as some are playing every few days, some have a longer break between matches and some have a week off before playing twice in three days. But that is how it is and we have to deal with it.
All we can do is be as flexible as possible with our planning and prepare for every possible eventuality. Everything we do will be geared towards ensuring that the players are in the best physical condition when playing a number of matches during a short space of time.
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Masuaku aims to keep West Ham supporters in good voice
WHUFC.com
"Oh-eh-oh, Arthur Masuaku. Oh-eh-oh, he's better than Lukaku! Oh-eh-oh, Arthur Masuaku. Oh-eh-oh, he never gives the ball away!" If you attended a West Ham United match in December, you will have heard the Claret and Blue Army's new favourite chant again and again – and chances are it will be stuck in your head well into the New Year! At the Emirates Stadium, the 7,000 Hammers' fans made up for the disappointment of losing a Carabao Cup quarter-final by singing the song – to the tune of Earth, Wind & Fire's 1971 hit September – virtually non-stop from 30 minutes before kick-off until the final whistle was blown.
Masuaku himself appreciates the supporters singing in tribute to him and is aiming to repay their choral backing in 2018. "I can hear it all the time!" said the left wing-back. "At the beginning of the game against Bournemouth, they were singing it, and then again during the game, so I appreciate that. I understand the song and I love the words and hope they can be true! "I can feel the crowd when I get the ball. As soon as I have the ball, they expect something from me. It's a good feeling. "It's important for me to have this relationship with the fans because it means they like me and want something from me. Not many players are lucky enough to have this, so I'd like to thank them."
Masuaku's attraction comes from the freedom with which he plays, collecting the ball in tight areas, anywhere on the pitch, before dribbling and driving forward at speed and delivering dangerous crosses into the opposition penalty area. The 24-year-old's style is a throwback to the days when football was less functional, less focused on results and more on wide players expressing themselves whenever they got the opportunity. It all stems from his formative years in the northern French city of Lille, where his first instinct during playground matches was to collect the ball and run at the opposition. Fifteen years on, that same approach is now terrorising Premier League defences. "I play with joy because football is just a game. When I was younger, I played without any pressure. I was just happy to touch the ball and dribble and all this stuff. Nothing has changed for me. For me, I take football just like a game and try to have fun and that's it. "When I was at school I was lucky that I was always the first pick! There was one other guy in my class who was also strong, so they didn't want me to be on the same team as him. We had to be the captains and choose the rest of the guys! "I was a forward when I was younger and I just used to love having the ball at my feet. I used to say 'The ball is my baby' and as soon as I touched the ball I felt good."
David Moyes, who has described Masuaku as 'a little bit special', has deployed the No26 in a more advanced role, with Aaron Cresswell playing behind him as a left centre-half. The combination has, in the most part, worked well. "It's a different position and I feel good in it. I can go forward and Cress is behind me, covering me, so I don't have to think so much about the space behind, which is good. "When I get the ball, I go forward because we need to score. I don't play to go back. This is how I play and my mentality on the pitch. "I use my pace and power to go forward. The manager told me just to play my football and he's given me confidence, so I'm trying to give him back on the pitch."
Masuaku has two Premier League assists to his name already this season, plus a memorable Carabao Cup goal against Bolton Wanderers in September, while he has also been involved in three goals in recent matches – his cross led to Marko Arnautovic's second at Bournemouth, he won the corner which Andre Ayew converted against Newcastle and sent Manuel Lanzini away to win a penalty at Stoke. The Frenchman wants to contribute even more, though…
"I'm feeling good. I'll always try to do my best and I'm doing quite well at the moment, but I'd rather we were winning matches, so hopefully I can stay in good form and help win some games for the team, because we need it. "I always knew what I was capable of. Last season I was injured and frustrated. Now, I am fit and playing like I was playing in Olympiacos. Maybe people are surprised, but I'm not surprised! "There is room for improvement, though. I would say I need to keep going and get more assists and goals. As I can go forward, I need to be able to be more important for the team and score more." If Arthur Masuaku meets those targets, the chances are we will be hearing plenty more choruses of a certain song, too!
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'Gloating' Police under fire
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 30th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Dorset Police's football unit have been accused of gloating after boasting about the number of arrests they made during West Ham United's Premier League match against Bournemouth on Boxing Day. Yesterday (Friday) the 'DorPolFootball' twitter account posted a tweet in which they referred to having made several arrests before, during and after the match, which ended 3-3.
However the message appeared to backfire spectacularly after the south coast force were accused of "gloating" about having made the arrests, which led to some amusing - and a whole lot more abusive - responses. "I was at that match, I travel all around the country, and got to say the policing there was the most over the top pathetic display I have seen for some time," replied West Ham supporter Lee Hendle. "You will be pleased to know I won't rush back."
Whilst fellow Hammer Peter Caton wrote: "Is gloating now official police policy or just unwise tweeting? Hardly the way to get cooperation of fans. Don't forget who pays for your hats."
And it wasn't just West Ham supporters who were angered by Dorset Police's message; Sunderland fan JL73 added: "Gloating on twitter is definitely a good idea. Total muppets. Great example of fan engagement. Embarrassing." You may see all responses to the ill-advised tweet below.
Its been a really busy month for football fans - West Ham was a busy one - sadly a few ended up with us for a while and will be going to court in January - Happy New Year! One more to follow - he knows who he is and we look forward to meeting next week @afcbournemouth #afcb
— DorPolFootball (@DorPolFootball) December 29, 2017
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Brady criticises Snodgrass signing
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 30th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Karren Brady has become the latest member of West Ham's Board to criticise the signing of £10million Scottish international Robert Snodgrass.
Hot on the heels of co-Chairman David Sullivan, who recently told a newspaper that his sons "begged me not to sign" Robert Snodgrass and fellow Hammer Jose Fonte last January, Brady used her weekly column in a tabloid newspaper to similarly slam the capture of the former Hull City winger.
Speaking about the forthcoming transfer window, that opens this coming Monday (New Year's Day), Brady wrote: "We've tried to have a successful January transfer window before and sometimes it's worked.
"Other times, there has been an element of 'we must do something, anything' - and we've paid for ill-fitting players. Robert Snodgrass wasn't exactly a triumph, while Hammers fans could name several foreign players who added little.
"The obvious fact is we need one or two who the manager believes will be a real plus. But no bargains that fall apart under the Prem's pressure."
Brady, 49, also used her latest column to congratulate Spurs striker Harry Kane for his goalscoring record in 2017 - "not because of Tottenham but because what is good for the No 10 is even better for England in the World Cup".
She also praised Burnley manager Sean Dyche for possessing "a trim goatee" and a "well-razored hairline" - which, according to West Ham's vice-chair, suggests "the air of a man in complete control".
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, December 31
Saturday, December 30
Daily WHUFC News - 30th December 2017
Oxford to return from Monchengladbach loan
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford is to return from his loan spell with German Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, manager David Moyes confirmed in his Friday press conference. Oxford spent the first half of the season in Germany, featuring in three top flight and one German Cup matches during his loan spell. The 19-year-old became the Hammers' youngest-ever player when he made his debut aged just 16 in a UEFA Europa League tie against Andorran side Lusitans in July 2015. He has gone on to make 14 senior appearances to date in Claret and Blue and Moyes is looking forward to working with the England U20 international. "Reece Oxford will come back. We will take a look at him and see how he is," the manager confirmed. "I hope we can help improve him - I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
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Ayew: Every game is crucial when you are in our position
WHUFC.com
While Andre Ayew refused to use the term 'six-pointer' when asked about next Tuesday's Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion, the forward appreciates the importance of beating the struggling Baggies. West Brom go into their New Year's Eve fixture at home to Arsenal 19th in the table, three points and two places behind West Ham United, who have a free weekend after their own trip to Tottenham Hotspur was moved to 4 January on police advice. Ayew, who has three top-flight goals and two assists to his name this term, knows victory over Alan Pardew's side would not only keep the Hammers above West Brom in the standings, but also potentially see them move up the standings and away from the bottom three. "In the Premier League, every game is different, so we will see what happens," said the Ghanaian. "It's hard to predict what is going to happen in the game, but what I can say is that we will do everything we can to get the three points in front of our fans. "West Brom is going to be a tough one, but we've got the players and staff for it and the fans behind us, so we need to try and get three points at home and it will be very important for us to start the New Year on a good note. "Every game is crucial when you are in our position. We're not the only ones in this position, either, as there are a lot of teams in that position, so we need to try and get out of there and make some room and to do that we need to breathe, play our game, get points and win games. "We all know their quality on set pieces, it's been there for years. They also have good players in their squad like Krychowiak and Chadli, so we need to do our job and, if everyone sticks to their job, everything will hopefully be OK."
Ayew believes West Ham have shown improvement under new manager David Moyes, but insists there is still room to perform much better, particularly when in possession of the ball. "We've been a bit up and down and inconsistent, but we have shown that we're hard to beat [in recent weeks]. We've shown a lot of character and determination offensively and defensively and we need to keep working hard. "We know we can still progress in the way we play and the way we pass the ball around, so we're going to work on that until the end of the season. We've worked hard technically, tactically and physically and our results have improved. We need to stick to that. "When you're in a situation like this, when there is a change of manager, everyone is in a new situation. The gaffer has put his words in and those words touched a lot of players, so we need to follow what he wants us to do and how he wants us to do it, as we can see it is paying off. We need to believe in him, and get him to believe in us. "We have played a lot of games in the last few weeks, so we need to rest well, recover well, train hard and go again at home. That's football, because the next game is always the most important one. We're going to prepare for that."
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Team news: Noble closing in on return, Antonio update
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble is closing in on a return to first team action ahead of the Hammers' London Stadium clash with West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday evening. The West Ham United skipper has missed the last three matches after suffering a hamstring injury in the 3-0 victory at Stoke City in mid-December, but has resumed training and is almost ready to join manager David Moyes' full sessions again. The boss confirmed he is making good progress, but says it is too early to know whether Michail Antonio would be ready for a return in midweek after he picked up a groin problem which forced him to miss Boxing Day's 3-3 draw with Bournemouth.
"Mark Noble is making progress," Moyes said. "He's trained for a couple of days. He's not joined us yet, but he's making progress. "Michail Antonio has not joined us for training yet, he's recovering. His groin isn't as bad as we first thought, but will he make the game? It's probably just a bit too soon to say."
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Moyes: West Brom, Arnautovic's hot streak and the January window
WHUFC.com
David Moyes faced the press on Friday afternoon ahead of Tuesday's Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion. Following the 3-3 draw with AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day, the manager was asked about the challenge of the Baggies as the Hammers look to climb the table, Marko Arnautovic's fine form, the upcoming January transfer window and more. Here's what Moyes had to say.
The challenge of West Brom…
The most important thing is to focus on ourselves and how we can get away from the bottom end of the Premier League table. I don't like harking back to it, but I think we might have been up to 13th if the decision on Callum Wilson's equaliser had gone for us at Bornemouth. That would have made us feel a lot better, but all we can do is focus on ourselves, and keep our home form as good as possible.
Marko Arnautovic's hot streak
Marko was a big signing for the Club and everybody was expecting something from him. He wasn't a new recruit to the Premier League so you hope he hits the ground running. He's done really well for us in the games, he's helped the team greatly. His energy and effort has rubbed off on the supporters and he's doing a good job for us. That needs to continue because we need him so I hope his form continues.
Reece Oxford's return
Reece will come back from his loan at Borussia Monchengladbach. I've never worked with Reece, so I'll take the time to have a look at him and see how he does. I know that he's been talked of very highly, and he's gone out on loan, so we'll get him back in and see how he is. I hope we could help improve him because he's a young player and we hope the work we will give him will help him. I've not worked with him before and I don't know the boy – I've only just met him, actually.
From that point of view it's going to take a little while to know exactly what he does but I know he's well thought of here, so we'll work with him and see what he's up to.
Transfer window
If I believe everything that's said [in the press], we must be signing 15 players in this window by all accounts! We've made it known that if we can bring in one or two reinforcements to the team we will do so. I think every manager will say the same, but it's not a particularly good time and it's not that easy to do business. It's also probably an expensive month in the year as well. We'll try and do it but there's no guarantee.
The manager is the one who will always take the final say because if you bring the players in you will be judged by them. If I wasn't the one bringing them in I wouldn't have come to the club in the first place, because I want to be judged by my team and by the players I bring in. I've not known anything different, the owners have told me that it will always be my decision.
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TIME TO ACT DECISIVELY IN THE TRANSFER WINDOW WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 29 DECEMBER 2017 AT 9:18PM
TheWesTHaMWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
Yes! Bob Madley robbed us of three points. But to be truthful that would have just glossed over the stark reality, that we were very poor. It's clear to everybody, that our midfield needs a massive overhaul. The Board have got to cough up, no spin from their Choirboy about "Moyes being happy with what he has got" and the next minute saying the manager had a 20m "war chest". Twenty million is peanuts in today's transfer market and The Board know it, time to cough up gentleman! We are playing catch up due to the lack of serious investment for the last few windows. No phantom bids, haggling over £200 with the selling Club. Offering a player far less than they are on at present, time for gimmicks are long gone, the days of hanging managers out to dry does not wash anymore, either invest or we get relegated it is as simple as that.
It's not as though we have just suffered this season due to having a poor midfield, this has been the case for a long time. No pace, creativity or movement, even the simple task of retaining possession has been beyond our midfield. Slow pedestrian passes in the middle of the park, then when closed down quickly by the opposition, the ball is shovelled back in a hurry to our under pressured defence, resulting in the ball getting hoofed forward to anywhere. This has been the case under Allardyce, Bilic, Moyes and even Zola at least. Try as we might but we have never really replaced Yossi Benayoun, although Manuel Lanzini has certainly done the business in patches. As seen against Arsenal and Bournemouth, when Lanzini doesn't play West Ham don't play. The big problem with Lanzini is that he is inconsistent, which is frustrating as one senses there is so much more to come from the jewel that he is! Lanzini is also paying the price for a lack of quality in the middle of the park to assist him.
With a midfield like ours is anyone surprised our strikers have struggled? Our strikers have had to drop so deep, they have been almost on the half way line when they have been receiving the ball. Not even Messi could make an impact if he had been playing for us. Christ on a bike it is not bloody rocket science! You need the ball carried forward by the midfield, the opposition retreating. Resulting in space opening for the strikers and the goals come! Another way is for the midfield to feed tricky and pacey wingers, they go around the defence, and hey presto the strikers receive the ball on the front foot and the goals come! The defence have also suffered due to having no protection from the midfield. Let it sink in! Little Bournemouth, relegation threatened Bournemouth, cut through our midfield like a knife through butter. Launching attack after attack on our defence, under such constant pressure even the best of defences would wilt. True Zabaleta and Collins do get done for pace, but a clever holding midfielder directing the midfield would offer them protection, allowing the likes of Zabaleta to roam forward from time to time.
There has been a lot of slating of Kouyate and Obiang by some fans who suddenly believe Noble is the answer again. On the back of what? At the best of times Noble, Obiang don't work anyway as they are basically the same type of player, as for Kouyate never the brightest player offensively or defensively, he simply couldn't care two hoots. Walking back when the defence is under pressure, the language of someone who does not want to be at The Club. I don't know what has happened to Obiang since Bilic left, but he is a shadow of the player he had been under Slaven Bilic, when for a long period he had been our stand out player.
Depends on who we manage to bring in, I could see both Obiang and Kouyate leaving. The trouble is we are really going to battle to attract top players with the position we are in. Managers and players don't want relegation on their C/V for starters, forget about William Carvalho, there is more chance of me Sh****** Kate Middleton with Prince William watching than that happening! As for Steven N'Zonzi, the player has always blown hot and cold wherever he has played, so coughing out that sort of dough would be a big risk, even if we were prepared to cough up that sort of dough, Everton would be able to offer him a better salary and our league position would count against us. So, what of the other name being mention as a potential target, Ki Sung-Yueng the South Korean central midfielder who plays for Swansea City. He would be a shrewd signing, great vision, technique, can play a variety of passes and good at set pieces, certainly capable of lifting a ball over the defence, he would be a big help in the middle of the park. Stoke City's Joe Allen, is another player being mentioned. Again, a good player and like Ki a big upgrade on what we have! Allen is a playmaker, good defensively and attacking wise, a lovely passer of the ball. Some will turn their nose up at the likes of Ki and Allen because they are not 'next' level players.
Well people need to get real! All hands-on deck we are fighting a relegation battle! That is the reality! It is going to be an extremely tough window; the January window is always a tough one to deal with. Money is tight all round, gone are the days of players going for £30m! £40m! £50m! with minutes to spare before the window closes. Clubs don't want to part with their best players mid-season, not just West Ham, but loans are the one in January but there are good permanent deals out there. Still Gold and Sullivan have known the short comings for a long time, and have had more than enough time to have deals in place for the first week of January. Time to correct your wrongs, if you don't… we will be relegated. That will be your FIFTH relegation, IF that were to happen you will find out what Armageddon is all about!
We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!!
COYI!!
Farehamhammer!!!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
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Oxford returned against his wishes, insist Gladbach
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Borussia Monchengladbach have confirmed that Reece Oxford has returned to West Ham - but insist that the player would rather remain in Germany. Hammers boss David Moyes, speaking to the media earlier today confirmed that Oxford was on his way back to West Ham for the second half of the campaign after his season-long loan spell with Gladbach was cut short. However in a news article appearing on the Bundesliga club's own website this afternoon (Friday), Sporting Director Max Eberl claimed that Oxford had been recalled to West Ham against his wishes - and confirmed that they were still attempting to clinch a permanent deal for the England youth international. "We were informed of West Ham's decision to activate the clause and recall him this morning," said Eberl. "However, we continue to be in talks with West Ham regarding Reece Oxford completing a permanent move to Borussia. It is also the player's wish to stay at Gladbach."
Oxford, who made just four first team appearances during his six months in Germany is yet to comment publicly since returning to London. West Ham were able to recall him due to an appearance clause in his loan contract not being met.
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Hammers eye Argentine midfielder
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of several clubs being linked with a January move for Argentine international Nicolas Gaitan. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently out of favour at his current club Atletico Madrid, for whom he has started just six La Liga matches this campaign, and is set to be sold next month according to AS.
And whilst Colchoneros are seeking a fee in the region of £15million for a player signed last year from Benfica for €25 million, a short-term loan move to England may be of interest to Gaitan who has failed to settle at the Wanda Metropolitano. The 5'8" midfielder, who began his career in his home country with Boca Juniors can also operate as a winger, offering the kind of versatility that could be of interest to Hammers boss David Moyes.
* Diafra Sakho could be set to leave West Ham in the next few days - after receiving a bumper offer from China. The wantaway striker has been looking for a way of of the club for some considerable time and could be set to become the latest Premier League player to move to the Far East, according to a piece in the Express. Shanghai Shenhua, who play in the 33,000 capacity Hongkou Football Stadium and only became a professional outfit 24 years ago are seeking to land the Senegal international. West Ham are likley to ask around £15million for the 28-year-old.
* West Ham are keeping tabs on the situation regarding Borussia Dortmund winger Andre Schürrle. The former Chelsea player, 27, is seeking a new challenge for the second half of the 2017/18 campaign having featured less frequently than he would have liked for his current club. And with the World Cup Finals just six months away, agent Ingo Haspel insists that he could be tempted by a temporary switch. "Basically Andre wants to play as much as possible," said Haspel. "If the playing time is not guaranteed then it would be downright negligent not to think about what the future might look like and where to get more."
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Moyes seeking to 'improve' returning Reece
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he is looking forward to working with teenage defender Reece Oxford, after it was confirmed that the defender would be returning to West Ham.
The 19-year-old spent the opening half of the 2017/18 campaign on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, for whom he made just a handful of first team appearances. However Oxford is likely to be thrown straight in at the deep end upon his return to London, with fellow defender Jose Fonte still some way from reaching full fitness and Winston Reid struggling for form and benched for United's most recent outing at Bournemouth. Speaking during a press conference today, Moyes admitted that is looking forward to working with the England youth international, who has already returned to London. "Reece Oxford will come back", said Moyes. "We will take a look at him and see how he is. I hope we can help improve him - I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
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Bournemouth 3-3 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
"Night, night after day
Black flowers blossom"
- Massive Attack, "Teardrop"
There is a universal truth about being a sports fan, which is that when we pay our money to enter an arena and watch our event, we believe the encounter we are about to watch will be fair. We have to believe the fight won't be rigged, or that the race is straight or the competitors aren't cheating, otherwise the whole thing is a waste of time.
Now, let me state here and now that I don't believe that a game between Bournemouth and West Ham would be worth fixing. Of all the things the Bilderberg Group are doing, I have to imagine this would be quite a long way down the list. We have again been the victim of more poor officiating, and because our minds are conditioned to remember negative things more than positive, it feels like such an overwhelming weight of misfortune that we then begin to wonder if it truly is bad luck or something more sinister. For when a player who is offside scores a last minute equaliser with his hand, and a referee seemingly overrules his linesman to award that goal, then it's hard not to do a double take.
Brown envelope out of sight
So let me invoke Hanlon's Razor here - never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence. It is bizarre to suggest that referee Bobby Madley was bribed to turn this game in Bournemouth's favour, but I equally don't have any qualms in saying that his performance here was appalling. His first error was to fail to send off Simon Francis for a head high, studs up challenge on Cheikhou Kouyate. I don't think Francis was intending to catch Kouyate, and had his eyes firmly on the ball, but when you raise your studs to that height you also have a responsibility to ensure you don't land them on a fellow professionals face. Rather than consult another official or take his time and weigh the decision up, Madley instead brandished a yellow card immediately, which has the added effect of ensuring Francis won't even get the retrospective ban he deserves. And for anyone who hasn't seen it, and thinks perhaps I'm being a little melodramatic - you can judge for yourself here:
Just a yellow - nothing to see here
Similarly, Madley chose not to act on Josh King accidentally elbowing Pedro Obiang in the face off the ball. That probably sounds crazy, but the Norwegian flung his arms out in frustration at a decision and caught Obiang unaware, knocking him to the ground. I don't think there was any intent in the actions of King either, and that is more relevant in his case because the laws clearly state that a player must be dismissed for "deliberately striking an opponent". It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that players should refrain from throwing their elbows around, but they are also people and if we try to remove all joy and human emotion from football then we run the risk of turning this whole thing into BBC1 on Christmas night.
But where Madley fatally impacted this game was in the dying moments. We had floundered and fluked our way to a 3-2 lead, and with just seconds remaining a hopeful ball was pumped into our box. In truth, we hadn't dealt with that line of attack very well all day, and true to form Nathan Ake won the header. He looped the ball back across goal and a marginally offside Callum Wilson diverted the ball in with this arm.
The referee's assistant (oh the irony of that title) immediately raised his flag, and the goal was all set to be disallowed. At that point Madley trotted over to the sidelines. That, in itself, is fairly unusual given that he has a radio link with his assistants and I'm not sure I've ever really seen a referee do that for a straightforward offside decision. After a lengthy enough deliberation for a video referee to have reviewed the incident in real time and made the correct decision, Madley awarded the goal, because of course he fucking did.
Delving into the world of conjecture for a moment I have to suspect that the following happened: the assistant flagged for offside, Madley intimated that he didn't think Wilson touched the ball, the assistant pointed out that this couldn't really be true as the ball wasn't going in until Wilson used his arm to push it in, Madley disagreed because Callum Wilson is a theoretical concept and awarded the goal and the stadium announcer promptly told the world that Callum Wilson has just scored the equaliser. Some fucking magic, that.
In the end, I don't believe this was anything more than poor officiating but it's easy to get drawn into thinking otherwise. After all, I believe that there is an institutional corruption that sits at the heart of most sport. Had this happened against Manchester United, for example, I think that Madley would have disallowed the goal purely because human beings typically do the things that allow them the easiest lives. Referees know that they can make a decision like this against West Ham and be in the news cycle for one night. Do it against Mourinho and you're infamous for months.
So there you go: I think that elite level football is ludicrously tilted towards the rich; I believe that pretty much every high level athlete is using performance enhancing drugs and just because it started with track and field, swimming and cycling doesn't mean it won't be football and rugby soon enough; I believe that cup draws are probably at least partially fixed to satisfy the demands of television, sponsors and Vladimir Putin; and I think that one reason that governing bodies in football are so reluctant to introduce measures to help referees get more decisions correct is that big clubs don't want that to happen - why, after all, would you give up one of the inherent advantages of being a big club - namely that you can rely on most line decisions going your way?
But for all that might make me a tin foil hatted conspiracy theorist in your eyes, I can honestly say that I don't think referees are biased against West Ham for the simple reason that there would be no point. So when you boil all of that down, the reality is probably just that Bobby Madley is a bit of a shit referee.
***
"This is the highlight of your miserable life
A pessimist is never disappointed"
- Theaudience, "A Pessimist is Never Disappointed"
I could write yet more about the decisions in this game, and how I can't see any difference between the "deception" of Manuel Lanzini and the "magic" of Callum Wilson, but fixating too much on officiating would detract away from yet another disappointing performance. It may seem strange to say that when we scored three goals, but we spent most of this game clinging on to the coattails of a decidedly poor Bournemouth team and were particularly fortunate to pull level at 2-2, when Marko Arnautovic took advantage of Asmir Begovic wearing clown shoes in the driving rain.
We started well enough, with James Collins celebrating his recall by thumping home a trademark near post header from an Aaron Cresswell corner. I especially enjoyed this because Bournemouth placed a man on the post to specifically prevent this and he moved far enough from his spot to allow the ball in. It is worth remembering stuff like this when we question how managers can't organise their teams to defend properly - some footballers are so poor at concentrating that they can't even stand still when they're told to.
God bless men who can't stand still
That early lead didn't look particularly secure, however, as our back line seemed to have over indulged at Christmas, and the home team flooded forward in search of an equaliser, creating plenty of opportunities. King should have scored from one such chance, before Dan Gosling latched on to a weak Collins clearing header and rifled home the leveller. Oddly, we really should have been two ahead by this stage as Arthur Masuaku produced another trademark run before picking out Andre Ayew, who put the ball narrowly wide. On such slender threads can satisfactory Boxing Nights hang.
By this stage the rain was hammering down like Blade Runner, although even Roy Batty might have seen some new things here. After Ake scrambled home another shittily defended set piece to give the home side the lead their pressure warranted, it looked as though we would have yet another disappointing trip to the coast. Enter Begovic, who casually controlled a backpass before falling over his own feet, allowing Arnautovic - who hadn't stopped running - to capitalise with a neat left footed finish. Score one for the Moyes school of sergeant majoring the fuck out players.
Better was to come when Masuaku again went roaming with just a minute to go and picked out Chicharito who made a complete Benteke of it, but was saved when Begovic again lost control of his limbs and Arnautovic poked home his fifth goal in as many games. With just injury time to come, it seemed as though we had done enough to steal a win we didn't really deserve - a trait that Moyes would be very welcome to bring with him from all those years at Goodison.
Unfortunately, there was still some Truly, Madley, Deeply action to come and as it was we are left to ponder what kind of world we live in where we can take four points from Arsenal and Chelsea but just one from Newcastle and Bournemouth, and that the only consistent thing about this team is that you don't ever know what they are going to do.
The worry is that these were two games where we could reasonably have expected to have shown a little more in attack. Sitting back and soaking up constant pressure is fine against the teams with several hundred million more to spend on their squads, but these were supposed to the games where we showed we could punch back against our fellow strugglers. And so we scored five and conceded six and the only thing we know is that we know nothing.
***
"Am I moving back in time? Just standing still?"
- The War on Drugs, "Pain"
High up on my list of concerns is the way in which our team seem to be ageing in front of our eyes. Pablo Zabaleta had to replaced here because Bournemouth targeted him in much the same way as Newcastle did, and got nearly as much joy from it. He gets a light ride from the London Stadium crowd because he's enthusiastic and runs around like a toddler on Fanta, but the truth is that his positional play still leaves a lot to be desired and we are forced to expose him as a wing back because we can't defend without playing three in the middle. The chances of him being able to play twice in three days strikes me as minimal, meaning that I suspect we'll see Rice at Wembley against Spurs, and seriously - are Sam Byram's hamstrings made out of spaghetti?
Zaba's going on a run again!
Zabaleta has also been booked seven times already this season, opening him up to red cards, and when players like Ryan Fraser can give him the kind of torrid afternoon that he did here, it bodes poorly for the remaining eighteen months of that characteristically stupid contract. Likewise, Winston Reid didn't even make the team here as he dropped out for Collins and we are now reduced to hoping that he didn't injure himself in doing so.
With Fonte also out long term, it would explain the apparent interest in Alfie Mawson who might cost £25m but can at least still go on an 18-30 holiday if he wants to. I don't know much about Mawson, but it would be lovely if Moyes could target a centre back who can actually pass the ball rather than hoof it in the general direction of Andy Carroll irrespective of whether he is on the pitch or not.
In front of them, Cheikhou Kouyate had another afternoon to forget, as his Catherine Wheel impression continued to have little impact on the game. Pedro Obiang has attracted a lot of opprobrium for his performances in these last couple of games, but I thought it was noticeable how much better he played alongside a proper central midfielder - Mark Noble - than we saw here. There is quite a lot of pressure on that central midfield area in this formation, given that we are giving up a body to play in the back three, and it asks a lot of the defensive midfielder.
After a promising start, in which Obiang looked like he might actually improve a little under Moyes, he has regressed and was replaced here by Carroll - our Goliath for all seasons. I'm not quite ready to judge the Spaniard in this system until we see him get a run out alongside a better midfield partner, but I don't think it was a coincidence that we looked much better when Lanzini went deeper and started our attacks. Either way, I predict some reinforcements will be arriving soon.
The double substitution of Carroll and Chicharito was supposed to galvanise us, but in reality just highlighted the paucity of attacking options that we currently seem to have. With only Lanzini and Masuaku able to create from deeper areas, we have to either rely on the mobile physicality of Antonio and Arnautovic or resort to the long range bombing approach and launch mortars at Fort Carroll and hope for something to land at the feet of Chicharito. And while we do that, the plan was that the sturdy defensive setup constructed by Moyes would allow us to keep clean sheets.
If we can't maintain any defensive structure while being more expansive, then Moyes will have to apply the handbrake and revert to a less attacking style to try and give us a chance of winning games like this 1-0. It might not be pretty, but relegation scraps never are. In the driving rain of the South Coast, we dropped two very precious points because of some awful refereeing, but also because we were defensively all over the place.
***
"Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is, I wish they'd cut it out quick, but when they will I can only guess"
- Bob Dylan, "Idiot Wind"
It's nearly January everyone, and that means that David Sullivan is going to be staying up really late ringing agents in South America and furiously flicking through YouTube highlight reels in search of the next Nene. As every West Ham fan knows, the New Year generally brings yet more stupidity in the boardroom, and with the team waist deep in relegation trouble, this time will be no different. Brilliantly, someone in the West Ham/Sullivan PR team decided that a great way to kick off this particular transfer window would be to carry a story in the Mail about how Dave Sullivan Jr lives in a £40m luxury flat and "works harder than anyone he knows".
Another heart warming Christmas story
In fairness to the kid, I'd hate to be judged on things I said and did at the age of twenty, and so I'll choose to ignore the generally crass theme of the article and the incredibly tone deaf decision to celebrate unfathomable, undeserved wealth at a time when so many people in the country are suffering in a stagnant economy. But, honestly, who the hell thinks this stuff is a good idea? Why do these kids keep getting repeatedly exposed to public scrutiny of their lives and activities when it is such a red rag to a fanbase who already think their father is tight and screwing money out of the club? None of this is complicated - but when we're about to enter a month of transfer activity which will define our season, why would you be in the media boasting about your wealth...
...if you're going to do things like this?
Can you see how these two pictures cause problems, Dave? It doesn't matter whether the N'Zonzi story is true, or the fact that I agree that a loan approach is better, because the account that carried it has over sixty thousand followers and this cheap looking style fits a club who seem to have no money.
There were also lots of rumours today about Reece Oxford moving permanently to Germany, although we may now apparently recall him to play for us instead. The rumour there was that Moyes was keen to move the kid on in order to get some cash in for new signings. Quite why we should need cash given that we spent such a low sum in the summer is an issue in itself, but beyond that it also highlights the total stupidity of allowing a potentially temporary manager to make such decisions. Ask yourself whether you would want the substitute teacher expelling your kid, and that will give you an idea of how good a decision making set up this would be.
Moyes doesn't need to worry about what our squad will look like in 2020 because he knows that if we go down this summer he won't be here to worry about it. Once again a Director of Football would be best placed to make such a decision, and once again we don't have one. Let's therefore hope that the Oxford recall is with a view to turning him into a better West Ham player, rather than with a view to turning him into enough cash to buy declining 29 year old players for a relegation battle. We already have a squad full of them.
It's unimportant that one of these can get you a Mirallas
Yes, Oxford might have an attitude problem, and maybe he has a difficult agent, but those things are true of lots of teenage players. In the end, this is a chance for us to get a potentially high quality player for nothing, and flogging him to allow Sullivan to waste yet more funds on his idea of good footballers doesn't do anything for me. Oxford will mature one day, and we'll regret it immensely if he does so somewhere outside East London. Ultimately, when teams who are better than you want your players, that should tell you something about the asset you have. If we truly don't think we can get the best from an eighteen year old then I guess we should move him on, but in turn I would be asking some questions about exactly why that was the case.
So, who should we target? Well, I've outlined above how I'd like a centre back - although that is a slightly difficult assessment to make given that we don't really know how highly the club rate any of Reece Oxford, Reece Burke or Not Reece Declan Rice. A right sided defender to cover Zabaleta and Byram's incredible Chinese noodle hamstrings would also be useful. But we also clearly need a central midfielder who can get about the pitch and create something, while a striker that Moyes can trust to do some Diafra Sakho type things without being Diafra Sakho would really be helpful too.
There is absolutely no chance of us getting all of those players in January, so to my mind they absolutely have to target the midfield as we are currently only playing a three man midfield and still had to play strikers in there for the Arsenal cup game. N'Zonzi wouldn't have been a bad short term acquisition but at 29 he would be yet another to add to the phalanx of ageing one-last-contract types that clutter up our squad.
A better approach, for this season only, might be to target the big clubs and look at non playing member of their squads who are borderline choices for their countries and taking them on short loans. Anyone wanting to play at the World Cup will need game time between now and May, and we would be the ideal place for someone to stage a revival, provided we don't introduce them to Joe Hart.
As such, the link to Andre Schurrle makes sense, as would a return for Andre Gomes - a rumoured target around the time of the William Carvalho debacle. I like the idea of getting these hungry, motivated players, who can arrive and have an immediate impact. Of course, historically this has never worked for us but if the alternative is buying another Robert Snodgrass, then I'm happy to give it another whirl.
***
"But the drumbeat strains of the night remain
In the rhythm of the new born day"
- Al Stewart, "The Year of the Cat"
Some of you may have noticed that I didn't post an article for the Newcastle game. This wasn't a fit of pique but more because I decided to spend Christmas Eve with the family rather than spewing out 3,000 words on how our midfield was overrun by Mo Diame. I did, however, vent a little on Twitter which you can find here.
I've also been asking for some recollections from fans on Frank Lampard Jr, for a retro piece I'm writing at the moment. Any contributions would be gratefully accepted.
And with that, all that remains is for me to wish you all a very Happy New Year and to thank you for reading The H List in 2017. See you in 2018 - it's West Brom to start, so that's bound to be hugely entertaining.
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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Allen going nowhere, says Stoke boss Hughes
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes says he has no intention of selling Joe Allen to West Ham during next month's transfer window. The Potters boss spoke out after a report in today's tabloids claimed that West Ham were showing an interest in the Welsh international and wanted him to link up once again with former team mate Marko Arnautovic. "It is the first I have heard of that," said Hughes, when asked about the possibility of a deal being done, "but it wouldn't surprise me because he has been impressive this year. "We can't afford to lose a player of Joe's quality - he is working exceptionally hard for us and we are really pleased with what he is producing for us at the moment." And rather than weaken his existing squad further, Hughes insisted that he is seeking to expand his selection pool.
It's clear that we are too stretched and ideally we would like to rectify that," he added. "We all know that January isn't the ideal time to get deals done, but there are opportunities and we feel there are areas that we need to strengthen." Allen, 27, was signed by Stoke from Liverpool in a £13million deal during the 2016 summer transfer window. The Welsh international began his career at Swansea, before making a £15million move to Anfield in 2012.
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Reece Oxford could feature for West Ham after David Moyes confirms defender's return
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 29/12/17 5:52pm
SSN
Reece Oxford is set to assist West Ham's relegation fight after manager David Moyes confirmed they will "work with" the defender on his return from a loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach. The Hammers have recalled the 19-year-old from a season-long loan in Germany despite Monchengladbach being one of two Bundesliga clubs keen to sign him on a permanent deal. Moyes, whose side are a point above the relegation zone ahead of a crucial clash against fellow strugglers West Brom on January 2, confirmed Oxford "will come back". "We will take a look at him and see how he is," he said. "I hope we can help improve him. I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
Oxford, who can also play in defensive-midfield, played only four times for Monchengladbach this season but Sky Sports News understands they like what they have seen and expect the England U20 to develop into a top player. Monchengladbach want to sign the defender on a permanent deal worth £5.5m, and RB Leipzig also harbour an interest, having attempted to sign him when he was just 17 in 2016. West Ham value Oxford highly too, however, and would not let him leave unless they received an exceptional offer, according to Sky sources. Oxford, who signed a new West Ham contract last year that tied him to the club until 2021, has made 14 senior appearances for the Hammers.
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David Moyes says there are 'no guarantees' West Ham will make January signings
By Andy Swales
Last Updated: 29/12/17 3:35pm
SSN
David Moyes is keen to add a couple of players to his West Ham squad during the January transfer window. However, the Hammers boss admits it is traditionally a difficult time to do business and says "there are no guarantees". The Scot also played down media reports that the east London club have a long shopping list of potential targets. He joked: "We must be signing 15 players at the moment - by all accounts. "I would like to bring in one or two reinforcements, but every manager will tell you it's not an easy time to do business. "It's also an expensive month. We'll try and do it but there's no guarantee."
Moyes was quick to confirm that he alone would decide which players - if any - will move to the club over the next few weeks. He added: "The manager will have the final say. You'll be judged by the players you bring in. "So, if I wasn't the one bringing the players in, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. "I've not known anything different and the owners have told me it will always be my decision."
West Ham do not play again until January 2 when they take on West Brom at the London Stadium. Long-serving midfielder Mark Noble has missed three matches through injury, while Michail Antonio was ruled out of their Boxing Day game with Bournemouth. Regarding injury news ahead of next week's Premier League fixture against the Baggies, Moyes said: "Mark has trained a couple of days, but not with us, and is making progress. It's his hamstring. "Michail has also not joined us but we don't think his groin is as bad as we first thought. "Whether he will be fit for Tuesday, it's too early to tell."
Moyes confirmed on Friday that Reece Oxford will be returning to the club from Borussia Monchengladbach, having spent the first half of the season in the Bundesliga. Speaking about the teenager, he went on: "He's been talked of very highly. We'll get him back in, take a look, because I've never worked with him before, and spend the time to get to know him."
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SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO – DIAFRA SAKHO
By Goatygav 29 Dec 2017 at 09:21
WTID
Following BlindHammer's excellent post of Jim McWeeny's 'Songs From A Sleepless Night' I thought I'd add a further suggestion with an old Classic from The Clash.
Early October HamburgHammer asked if Diafra Sakho was worth a contract extension. Now the January transfers are about to commence I thought it the appropriate time to debate the 'Should He Stay Or Should He Go' question.
He's currently 28 years of age so if he does move on then another club will gain the benefit of Sakho in his prime. His contribution to the team often goes unsung. The options that he gives, his work in the channels and the way he pulls defences around are all tremendous contributors in matches. I'm not sure everyone appreciates just how good Diafra's movement really is. Defence is another area he mucks in with. Over the last couple of seasons he's not, really, had a decent run of games. For many players this would be a huge setback – one from which it would be difficult to get back up to full match capacity. When Diafra is called upon after a lay off he seems to, almost immediately, look like he is 5 games back in to his stride. Conversely Diafra has been on the scoresheet regularly when getting a run in the team. In his first season he broke West Ham's Premier League record, and equalled Micky Quinn's, when he struck six from six in his first half dozen starts – becoming the Premier League Player Of The Month in October 2014. Overall his strike rate is favourable compared to other forwards.
Sakho's injury list is, relatively speaking, a long one. Although not as prolific as Andy Carroll he first spent time on the side-lines following an injury against West Brom before, controversially, pulling out of the ACON with Senegal. When his national team officials wanted him to fly to Senegal for a medical West Ham refused on the grounds of him being unfit to travel. Subsequently the club were fined 100K Swiss Francs after Diafra was played and scored the only goal of the game in the FA Cup victory against Bristol City – travelling to Ashton Gate in a Limousine. That said when my boys and I attended an open training session at Upton Park in 2015 it was Diafra who was the most charming and engaging player my boys encountered. He was already my older lad's favourite so when reports of Diafra being questioned by Police following an alleged night club incident of assault on a woman it was a hard one for my son to get his head around – although I did explain to him that they were not necessarily true but were just allegations at that stage.
Earlier in 2017-18, during the open transfer window, Diafra was reported to have been attempting to force a move by taking it upon himself to travel to Rennes for a medical, which he passed, without the consent of West Ham. After returning to England, instead of attending training, he went to Chelmsford races to see one of his agent's horses run in the 3.20. Wherever he goes there appear to be reports of behaviour less than exemplary. Some of it many would consider disruptive and unforgiveable. I can fully understand that but, as fans, we have to swallow a lot a rubbish. Having Diafra Sakho still playing for the club after the window closes would be nowhere near as big a load to bear than so many others we've had to put up with – counting this season alone if not over the last few.
If the dressing room was being negatively affected by Diafra's actions then I'd be all for him being offloaded as quickly as possible. But by all accounts there's no conflict or disharmony arising so I'm not convinced by any argument based that he should be moved on for this reason.
From a playing perspective, with what Diafra offers us on the pitch, it's an overwhelming 'Stay' from me. From that perspective alone I just can't see the sense in letting him leave and creating a gaping hole in our squad – which will cost quite a considerable amount to fill. Things happen in people's lives so I'm not going to be one to judge Diafra on his off field antics down the years and, more recently, his reported actions to engineer a move away from the club. He's a slightly better striker than Andy Carroll, in terms of goals per game, and contributes a great deal to the team in other areas. Whatever my opinion is, and even if the club want him to stay, player power generally rules when it comes to influencing transfers. Sadly he appears to want away so I suspect he'll be moving on in January.
Perhaps I have it wrong and there are many better replacements lined up to take Diafra's place. On one of the popular Vlogger sites I recently watched a suggestion that we should offload Sakho, Carroll and Ayew in January. Even if we brought through Toni Martinez we'd still be very light for striking options, should that come to pass, and I wonder how much we'd need to pay out to secure replacements. I'm not sure who David Moyes and David Sullivan might have in mind but, in West Ham's current position, I'm not convinced it will be easy to bring quality replacements in. I really don't see the sale of three strikers in one pop a sensible tactic so, out of the the three of them, I'd retain Diafra. He's just better than one in three, whereas the other two are not quite one in four, and certainly offers more to the team than Andrew Ayew IMO. All boiled down it really does depend who the club can bring in. If Carroll and Ayew do move on perhaps Diafra can be made to feel a major part of the manager's plans for the rest of the season and we'll see him at his, excellent, best again.
On to the West Brom game I'm hopeful of a decent performance as I'm bringing both my lads for their first game of the season along with one of my darts team and his lad of a similar age to mine. On paper it's a game we should win but, as one of the managerial greats of the game once pointed out, it's a game played on grass.
COYI! West Ham 4 The Cup!
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WEST HAM TARGET SURPRISE MOVE FOR SHELVEY
ELLIOTT CUFF @CuffWrites
ReadWestHam
David Moyes is lining up a shock move for Newcastle's mercurial midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, according to a Mirror exclusive. Moyes is believed to be desperate to strengthen his midfield in the January transfer window as he looks to boost the Hammers' chances of survival this season. Despite Shelvey's numerous attitude and temperament issues, the former Swansea midfielder finds himself on Moyes' wish-list for his January rebuild. Shelvey has been sent off twice already this season, and is no longer considered a guaranteed starter at St James Park. However, his passing ability and aggression in the middle of the park would prove to be valuable for the Hammers.
With Amanda Staveley's takeover still not having gone through for Newcastle just yet, the Magpies could be tempted to sell Shelvey in order to raise funds for transfers. Newcastle would presumably want to make back much of the £12million that they paid Swansea for him two years ago, especially if they do consider selling to a direct rival. Shelvey has shown that he has untapped potential throughout his career, and maybe David Moyes could be the man to break through.
The Hammers' have also looked at Bournemouth's Harry Arter and Stoke's Joe Allen as potential long term replacements for Mark Noble.
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Everton landing Steven N'Zonzi could let West Ham sign Morgan Schneiderlin
HITC
Danny Owen
Everton look set to beat West Ham United to Sevilla star Steven N'Zonzi - which could ironically present an alternative option to David Moyes. Reports on Steven N'Zonzi's return to the Premier League had grown cold in recent days. But The Mail (live transfer blog, 13.55pm) reports that Everton are now set to step up their chase in the next 48 hours for the Sevilla midfielder. N'Zonzi fell out with the La Liga side's manager Eduardo Berizzo and, despite his recent sacking, it is understood that the relationship between player and club is beyond repair. And the report states that the £35 million-rated France international is keen to again link up with Sam Allardyce at Goodison Park – having worked with the 63-year-old during his first spell in England at Blackburn Rovers.
Bad news, then, for West Ham; The Mail adds that David Moyes' side had a loan bid for N'Zonzi rejected. But, ironically, missing out on N'Zonzi could put an alternative option immediately within their grasp. Because it is understood that the former Stoke enforcer's arrival at Goodison Park will pave the way for a departure with Morgan Schneiderlin among those whose future at Everton is now at risk. And, strangely enough, West Ham are also interested in bringing the former Manchester United ace to the London Stadium, having made an enquiry about the 28-year-old's availability recently, as reported by The Sun. Schneiderlin hasn't really established himself since his £24 million move to Everton almost a year ago but a move to West Ham could help get his career back on track. But will missing out on one France intentional midfielder pave the way for West Ham to sign another?
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Oxford returns to West Ham United
Oxford returns to West Ham United
www.borussia.de
Reece Oxford has returned to Premier League side West Ham United. The 19-year-old defensive all-rounder had originally been loaned to Borussia for one season, but the Hammers have activated a clause to recall Oxford. "We were informed of their decision to activate the clause and recall him this morning," said sporting director Max Eberl. "However, we continue to be in talks with West Ham regarding Reece Oxford completing a permanent move to Borussia. It is also the player's wish to stay at Gladbach."
Reece Oxford signed on loan at the start of the season and has so far featured in three Bundesliga games and a DFB-Pokal tie. He had started each of the last three matches against Freiburg, HSV and Leverkusen.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford is to return from his loan spell with German Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, manager David Moyes confirmed in his Friday press conference. Oxford spent the first half of the season in Germany, featuring in three top flight and one German Cup matches during his loan spell. The 19-year-old became the Hammers' youngest-ever player when he made his debut aged just 16 in a UEFA Europa League tie against Andorran side Lusitans in July 2015. He has gone on to make 14 senior appearances to date in Claret and Blue and Moyes is looking forward to working with the England U20 international. "Reece Oxford will come back. We will take a look at him and see how he is," the manager confirmed. "I hope we can help improve him - I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
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Ayew: Every game is crucial when you are in our position
WHUFC.com
While Andre Ayew refused to use the term 'six-pointer' when asked about next Tuesday's Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion, the forward appreciates the importance of beating the struggling Baggies. West Brom go into their New Year's Eve fixture at home to Arsenal 19th in the table, three points and two places behind West Ham United, who have a free weekend after their own trip to Tottenham Hotspur was moved to 4 January on police advice. Ayew, who has three top-flight goals and two assists to his name this term, knows victory over Alan Pardew's side would not only keep the Hammers above West Brom in the standings, but also potentially see them move up the standings and away from the bottom three. "In the Premier League, every game is different, so we will see what happens," said the Ghanaian. "It's hard to predict what is going to happen in the game, but what I can say is that we will do everything we can to get the three points in front of our fans. "West Brom is going to be a tough one, but we've got the players and staff for it and the fans behind us, so we need to try and get three points at home and it will be very important for us to start the New Year on a good note. "Every game is crucial when you are in our position. We're not the only ones in this position, either, as there are a lot of teams in that position, so we need to try and get out of there and make some room and to do that we need to breathe, play our game, get points and win games. "We all know their quality on set pieces, it's been there for years. They also have good players in their squad like Krychowiak and Chadli, so we need to do our job and, if everyone sticks to their job, everything will hopefully be OK."
Ayew believes West Ham have shown improvement under new manager David Moyes, but insists there is still room to perform much better, particularly when in possession of the ball. "We've been a bit up and down and inconsistent, but we have shown that we're hard to beat [in recent weeks]. We've shown a lot of character and determination offensively and defensively and we need to keep working hard. "We know we can still progress in the way we play and the way we pass the ball around, so we're going to work on that until the end of the season. We've worked hard technically, tactically and physically and our results have improved. We need to stick to that. "When you're in a situation like this, when there is a change of manager, everyone is in a new situation. The gaffer has put his words in and those words touched a lot of players, so we need to follow what he wants us to do and how he wants us to do it, as we can see it is paying off. We need to believe in him, and get him to believe in us. "We have played a lot of games in the last few weeks, so we need to rest well, recover well, train hard and go again at home. That's football, because the next game is always the most important one. We're going to prepare for that."
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Team news: Noble closing in on return, Antonio update
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble is closing in on a return to first team action ahead of the Hammers' London Stadium clash with West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday evening. The West Ham United skipper has missed the last three matches after suffering a hamstring injury in the 3-0 victory at Stoke City in mid-December, but has resumed training and is almost ready to join manager David Moyes' full sessions again. The boss confirmed he is making good progress, but says it is too early to know whether Michail Antonio would be ready for a return in midweek after he picked up a groin problem which forced him to miss Boxing Day's 3-3 draw with Bournemouth.
"Mark Noble is making progress," Moyes said. "He's trained for a couple of days. He's not joined us yet, but he's making progress. "Michail Antonio has not joined us for training yet, he's recovering. His groin isn't as bad as we first thought, but will he make the game? It's probably just a bit too soon to say."
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Moyes: West Brom, Arnautovic's hot streak and the January window
WHUFC.com
David Moyes faced the press on Friday afternoon ahead of Tuesday's Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion. Following the 3-3 draw with AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day, the manager was asked about the challenge of the Baggies as the Hammers look to climb the table, Marko Arnautovic's fine form, the upcoming January transfer window and more. Here's what Moyes had to say.
The challenge of West Brom…
The most important thing is to focus on ourselves and how we can get away from the bottom end of the Premier League table. I don't like harking back to it, but I think we might have been up to 13th if the decision on Callum Wilson's equaliser had gone for us at Bornemouth. That would have made us feel a lot better, but all we can do is focus on ourselves, and keep our home form as good as possible.
Marko Arnautovic's hot streak
Marko was a big signing for the Club and everybody was expecting something from him. He wasn't a new recruit to the Premier League so you hope he hits the ground running. He's done really well for us in the games, he's helped the team greatly. His energy and effort has rubbed off on the supporters and he's doing a good job for us. That needs to continue because we need him so I hope his form continues.
Reece Oxford's return
Reece will come back from his loan at Borussia Monchengladbach. I've never worked with Reece, so I'll take the time to have a look at him and see how he does. I know that he's been talked of very highly, and he's gone out on loan, so we'll get him back in and see how he is. I hope we could help improve him because he's a young player and we hope the work we will give him will help him. I've not worked with him before and I don't know the boy – I've only just met him, actually.
From that point of view it's going to take a little while to know exactly what he does but I know he's well thought of here, so we'll work with him and see what he's up to.
Transfer window
If I believe everything that's said [in the press], we must be signing 15 players in this window by all accounts! We've made it known that if we can bring in one or two reinforcements to the team we will do so. I think every manager will say the same, but it's not a particularly good time and it's not that easy to do business. It's also probably an expensive month in the year as well. We'll try and do it but there's no guarantee.
The manager is the one who will always take the final say because if you bring the players in you will be judged by them. If I wasn't the one bringing them in I wouldn't have come to the club in the first place, because I want to be judged by my team and by the players I bring in. I've not known anything different, the owners have told me that it will always be my decision.
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TIME TO ACT DECISIVELY IN THE TRANSFER WINDOW WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 29 DECEMBER 2017 AT 9:18PM
TheWesTHaMWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
Yes! Bob Madley robbed us of three points. But to be truthful that would have just glossed over the stark reality, that we were very poor. It's clear to everybody, that our midfield needs a massive overhaul. The Board have got to cough up, no spin from their Choirboy about "Moyes being happy with what he has got" and the next minute saying the manager had a 20m "war chest". Twenty million is peanuts in today's transfer market and The Board know it, time to cough up gentleman! We are playing catch up due to the lack of serious investment for the last few windows. No phantom bids, haggling over £200 with the selling Club. Offering a player far less than they are on at present, time for gimmicks are long gone, the days of hanging managers out to dry does not wash anymore, either invest or we get relegated it is as simple as that.
It's not as though we have just suffered this season due to having a poor midfield, this has been the case for a long time. No pace, creativity or movement, even the simple task of retaining possession has been beyond our midfield. Slow pedestrian passes in the middle of the park, then when closed down quickly by the opposition, the ball is shovelled back in a hurry to our under pressured defence, resulting in the ball getting hoofed forward to anywhere. This has been the case under Allardyce, Bilic, Moyes and even Zola at least. Try as we might but we have never really replaced Yossi Benayoun, although Manuel Lanzini has certainly done the business in patches. As seen against Arsenal and Bournemouth, when Lanzini doesn't play West Ham don't play. The big problem with Lanzini is that he is inconsistent, which is frustrating as one senses there is so much more to come from the jewel that he is! Lanzini is also paying the price for a lack of quality in the middle of the park to assist him.
With a midfield like ours is anyone surprised our strikers have struggled? Our strikers have had to drop so deep, they have been almost on the half way line when they have been receiving the ball. Not even Messi could make an impact if he had been playing for us. Christ on a bike it is not bloody rocket science! You need the ball carried forward by the midfield, the opposition retreating. Resulting in space opening for the strikers and the goals come! Another way is for the midfield to feed tricky and pacey wingers, they go around the defence, and hey presto the strikers receive the ball on the front foot and the goals come! The defence have also suffered due to having no protection from the midfield. Let it sink in! Little Bournemouth, relegation threatened Bournemouth, cut through our midfield like a knife through butter. Launching attack after attack on our defence, under such constant pressure even the best of defences would wilt. True Zabaleta and Collins do get done for pace, but a clever holding midfielder directing the midfield would offer them protection, allowing the likes of Zabaleta to roam forward from time to time.
There has been a lot of slating of Kouyate and Obiang by some fans who suddenly believe Noble is the answer again. On the back of what? At the best of times Noble, Obiang don't work anyway as they are basically the same type of player, as for Kouyate never the brightest player offensively or defensively, he simply couldn't care two hoots. Walking back when the defence is under pressure, the language of someone who does not want to be at The Club. I don't know what has happened to Obiang since Bilic left, but he is a shadow of the player he had been under Slaven Bilic, when for a long period he had been our stand out player.
Depends on who we manage to bring in, I could see both Obiang and Kouyate leaving. The trouble is we are really going to battle to attract top players with the position we are in. Managers and players don't want relegation on their C/V for starters, forget about William Carvalho, there is more chance of me Sh****** Kate Middleton with Prince William watching than that happening! As for Steven N'Zonzi, the player has always blown hot and cold wherever he has played, so coughing out that sort of dough would be a big risk, even if we were prepared to cough up that sort of dough, Everton would be able to offer him a better salary and our league position would count against us. So, what of the other name being mention as a potential target, Ki Sung-Yueng the South Korean central midfielder who plays for Swansea City. He would be a shrewd signing, great vision, technique, can play a variety of passes and good at set pieces, certainly capable of lifting a ball over the defence, he would be a big help in the middle of the park. Stoke City's Joe Allen, is another player being mentioned. Again, a good player and like Ki a big upgrade on what we have! Allen is a playmaker, good defensively and attacking wise, a lovely passer of the ball. Some will turn their nose up at the likes of Ki and Allen because they are not 'next' level players.
Well people need to get real! All hands-on deck we are fighting a relegation battle! That is the reality! It is going to be an extremely tough window; the January window is always a tough one to deal with. Money is tight all round, gone are the days of players going for £30m! £40m! £50m! with minutes to spare before the window closes. Clubs don't want to part with their best players mid-season, not just West Ham, but loans are the one in January but there are good permanent deals out there. Still Gold and Sullivan have known the short comings for a long time, and have had more than enough time to have deals in place for the first week of January. Time to correct your wrongs, if you don't… we will be relegated. That will be your FIFTH relegation, IF that were to happen you will find out what Armageddon is all about!
We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!!
COYI!!
Farehamhammer!!!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
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Oxford returned against his wishes, insist Gladbach
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Borussia Monchengladbach have confirmed that Reece Oxford has returned to West Ham - but insist that the player would rather remain in Germany. Hammers boss David Moyes, speaking to the media earlier today confirmed that Oxford was on his way back to West Ham for the second half of the campaign after his season-long loan spell with Gladbach was cut short. However in a news article appearing on the Bundesliga club's own website this afternoon (Friday), Sporting Director Max Eberl claimed that Oxford had been recalled to West Ham against his wishes - and confirmed that they were still attempting to clinch a permanent deal for the England youth international. "We were informed of West Ham's decision to activate the clause and recall him this morning," said Eberl. "However, we continue to be in talks with West Ham regarding Reece Oxford completing a permanent move to Borussia. It is also the player's wish to stay at Gladbach."
Oxford, who made just four first team appearances during his six months in Germany is yet to comment publicly since returning to London. West Ham were able to recall him due to an appearance clause in his loan contract not being met.
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Hammers eye Argentine midfielder
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of several clubs being linked with a January move for Argentine international Nicolas Gaitan. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently out of favour at his current club Atletico Madrid, for whom he has started just six La Liga matches this campaign, and is set to be sold next month according to AS.
And whilst Colchoneros are seeking a fee in the region of £15million for a player signed last year from Benfica for €25 million, a short-term loan move to England may be of interest to Gaitan who has failed to settle at the Wanda Metropolitano. The 5'8" midfielder, who began his career in his home country with Boca Juniors can also operate as a winger, offering the kind of versatility that could be of interest to Hammers boss David Moyes.
* Diafra Sakho could be set to leave West Ham in the next few days - after receiving a bumper offer from China. The wantaway striker has been looking for a way of of the club for some considerable time and could be set to become the latest Premier League player to move to the Far East, according to a piece in the Express. Shanghai Shenhua, who play in the 33,000 capacity Hongkou Football Stadium and only became a professional outfit 24 years ago are seeking to land the Senegal international. West Ham are likley to ask around £15million for the 28-year-old.
* West Ham are keeping tabs on the situation regarding Borussia Dortmund winger Andre Schürrle. The former Chelsea player, 27, is seeking a new challenge for the second half of the 2017/18 campaign having featured less frequently than he would have liked for his current club. And with the World Cup Finals just six months away, agent Ingo Haspel insists that he could be tempted by a temporary switch. "Basically Andre wants to play as much as possible," said Haspel. "If the playing time is not guaranteed then it would be downright negligent not to think about what the future might look like and where to get more."
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Moyes seeking to 'improve' returning Reece
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he is looking forward to working with teenage defender Reece Oxford, after it was confirmed that the defender would be returning to West Ham.
The 19-year-old spent the opening half of the 2017/18 campaign on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, for whom he made just a handful of first team appearances. However Oxford is likely to be thrown straight in at the deep end upon his return to London, with fellow defender Jose Fonte still some way from reaching full fitness and Winston Reid struggling for form and benched for United's most recent outing at Bournemouth. Speaking during a press conference today, Moyes admitted that is looking forward to working with the England youth international, who has already returned to London. "Reece Oxford will come back", said Moyes. "We will take a look at him and see how he is. I hope we can help improve him - I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
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Bournemouth 3-3 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
"Night, night after day
Black flowers blossom"
- Massive Attack, "Teardrop"
There is a universal truth about being a sports fan, which is that when we pay our money to enter an arena and watch our event, we believe the encounter we are about to watch will be fair. We have to believe the fight won't be rigged, or that the race is straight or the competitors aren't cheating, otherwise the whole thing is a waste of time.
Now, let me state here and now that I don't believe that a game between Bournemouth and West Ham would be worth fixing. Of all the things the Bilderberg Group are doing, I have to imagine this would be quite a long way down the list. We have again been the victim of more poor officiating, and because our minds are conditioned to remember negative things more than positive, it feels like such an overwhelming weight of misfortune that we then begin to wonder if it truly is bad luck or something more sinister. For when a player who is offside scores a last minute equaliser with his hand, and a referee seemingly overrules his linesman to award that goal, then it's hard not to do a double take.
Brown envelope out of sight
So let me invoke Hanlon's Razor here - never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence. It is bizarre to suggest that referee Bobby Madley was bribed to turn this game in Bournemouth's favour, but I equally don't have any qualms in saying that his performance here was appalling. His first error was to fail to send off Simon Francis for a head high, studs up challenge on Cheikhou Kouyate. I don't think Francis was intending to catch Kouyate, and had his eyes firmly on the ball, but when you raise your studs to that height you also have a responsibility to ensure you don't land them on a fellow professionals face. Rather than consult another official or take his time and weigh the decision up, Madley instead brandished a yellow card immediately, which has the added effect of ensuring Francis won't even get the retrospective ban he deserves. And for anyone who hasn't seen it, and thinks perhaps I'm being a little melodramatic - you can judge for yourself here:
Just a yellow - nothing to see here
Similarly, Madley chose not to act on Josh King accidentally elbowing Pedro Obiang in the face off the ball. That probably sounds crazy, but the Norwegian flung his arms out in frustration at a decision and caught Obiang unaware, knocking him to the ground. I don't think there was any intent in the actions of King either, and that is more relevant in his case because the laws clearly state that a player must be dismissed for "deliberately striking an opponent". It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that players should refrain from throwing their elbows around, but they are also people and if we try to remove all joy and human emotion from football then we run the risk of turning this whole thing into BBC1 on Christmas night.
But where Madley fatally impacted this game was in the dying moments. We had floundered and fluked our way to a 3-2 lead, and with just seconds remaining a hopeful ball was pumped into our box. In truth, we hadn't dealt with that line of attack very well all day, and true to form Nathan Ake won the header. He looped the ball back across goal and a marginally offside Callum Wilson diverted the ball in with this arm.
The referee's assistant (oh the irony of that title) immediately raised his flag, and the goal was all set to be disallowed. At that point Madley trotted over to the sidelines. That, in itself, is fairly unusual given that he has a radio link with his assistants and I'm not sure I've ever really seen a referee do that for a straightforward offside decision. After a lengthy enough deliberation for a video referee to have reviewed the incident in real time and made the correct decision, Madley awarded the goal, because of course he fucking did.
Delving into the world of conjecture for a moment I have to suspect that the following happened: the assistant flagged for offside, Madley intimated that he didn't think Wilson touched the ball, the assistant pointed out that this couldn't really be true as the ball wasn't going in until Wilson used his arm to push it in, Madley disagreed because Callum Wilson is a theoretical concept and awarded the goal and the stadium announcer promptly told the world that Callum Wilson has just scored the equaliser. Some fucking magic, that.
In the end, I don't believe this was anything more than poor officiating but it's easy to get drawn into thinking otherwise. After all, I believe that there is an institutional corruption that sits at the heart of most sport. Had this happened against Manchester United, for example, I think that Madley would have disallowed the goal purely because human beings typically do the things that allow them the easiest lives. Referees know that they can make a decision like this against West Ham and be in the news cycle for one night. Do it against Mourinho and you're infamous for months.
So there you go: I think that elite level football is ludicrously tilted towards the rich; I believe that pretty much every high level athlete is using performance enhancing drugs and just because it started with track and field, swimming and cycling doesn't mean it won't be football and rugby soon enough; I believe that cup draws are probably at least partially fixed to satisfy the demands of television, sponsors and Vladimir Putin; and I think that one reason that governing bodies in football are so reluctant to introduce measures to help referees get more decisions correct is that big clubs don't want that to happen - why, after all, would you give up one of the inherent advantages of being a big club - namely that you can rely on most line decisions going your way?
But for all that might make me a tin foil hatted conspiracy theorist in your eyes, I can honestly say that I don't think referees are biased against West Ham for the simple reason that there would be no point. So when you boil all of that down, the reality is probably just that Bobby Madley is a bit of a shit referee.
***
"This is the highlight of your miserable life
A pessimist is never disappointed"
- Theaudience, "A Pessimist is Never Disappointed"
I could write yet more about the decisions in this game, and how I can't see any difference between the "deception" of Manuel Lanzini and the "magic" of Callum Wilson, but fixating too much on officiating would detract away from yet another disappointing performance. It may seem strange to say that when we scored three goals, but we spent most of this game clinging on to the coattails of a decidedly poor Bournemouth team and were particularly fortunate to pull level at 2-2, when Marko Arnautovic took advantage of Asmir Begovic wearing clown shoes in the driving rain.
We started well enough, with James Collins celebrating his recall by thumping home a trademark near post header from an Aaron Cresswell corner. I especially enjoyed this because Bournemouth placed a man on the post to specifically prevent this and he moved far enough from his spot to allow the ball in. It is worth remembering stuff like this when we question how managers can't organise their teams to defend properly - some footballers are so poor at concentrating that they can't even stand still when they're told to.
God bless men who can't stand still
That early lead didn't look particularly secure, however, as our back line seemed to have over indulged at Christmas, and the home team flooded forward in search of an equaliser, creating plenty of opportunities. King should have scored from one such chance, before Dan Gosling latched on to a weak Collins clearing header and rifled home the leveller. Oddly, we really should have been two ahead by this stage as Arthur Masuaku produced another trademark run before picking out Andre Ayew, who put the ball narrowly wide. On such slender threads can satisfactory Boxing Nights hang.
By this stage the rain was hammering down like Blade Runner, although even Roy Batty might have seen some new things here. After Ake scrambled home another shittily defended set piece to give the home side the lead their pressure warranted, it looked as though we would have yet another disappointing trip to the coast. Enter Begovic, who casually controlled a backpass before falling over his own feet, allowing Arnautovic - who hadn't stopped running - to capitalise with a neat left footed finish. Score one for the Moyes school of sergeant majoring the fuck out players.
Better was to come when Masuaku again went roaming with just a minute to go and picked out Chicharito who made a complete Benteke of it, but was saved when Begovic again lost control of his limbs and Arnautovic poked home his fifth goal in as many games. With just injury time to come, it seemed as though we had done enough to steal a win we didn't really deserve - a trait that Moyes would be very welcome to bring with him from all those years at Goodison.
Unfortunately, there was still some Truly, Madley, Deeply action to come and as it was we are left to ponder what kind of world we live in where we can take four points from Arsenal and Chelsea but just one from Newcastle and Bournemouth, and that the only consistent thing about this team is that you don't ever know what they are going to do.
The worry is that these were two games where we could reasonably have expected to have shown a little more in attack. Sitting back and soaking up constant pressure is fine against the teams with several hundred million more to spend on their squads, but these were supposed to the games where we showed we could punch back against our fellow strugglers. And so we scored five and conceded six and the only thing we know is that we know nothing.
***
"Am I moving back in time? Just standing still?"
- The War on Drugs, "Pain"
High up on my list of concerns is the way in which our team seem to be ageing in front of our eyes. Pablo Zabaleta had to replaced here because Bournemouth targeted him in much the same way as Newcastle did, and got nearly as much joy from it. He gets a light ride from the London Stadium crowd because he's enthusiastic and runs around like a toddler on Fanta, but the truth is that his positional play still leaves a lot to be desired and we are forced to expose him as a wing back because we can't defend without playing three in the middle. The chances of him being able to play twice in three days strikes me as minimal, meaning that I suspect we'll see Rice at Wembley against Spurs, and seriously - are Sam Byram's hamstrings made out of spaghetti?
Zaba's going on a run again!
Zabaleta has also been booked seven times already this season, opening him up to red cards, and when players like Ryan Fraser can give him the kind of torrid afternoon that he did here, it bodes poorly for the remaining eighteen months of that characteristically stupid contract. Likewise, Winston Reid didn't even make the team here as he dropped out for Collins and we are now reduced to hoping that he didn't injure himself in doing so.
With Fonte also out long term, it would explain the apparent interest in Alfie Mawson who might cost £25m but can at least still go on an 18-30 holiday if he wants to. I don't know much about Mawson, but it would be lovely if Moyes could target a centre back who can actually pass the ball rather than hoof it in the general direction of Andy Carroll irrespective of whether he is on the pitch or not.
In front of them, Cheikhou Kouyate had another afternoon to forget, as his Catherine Wheel impression continued to have little impact on the game. Pedro Obiang has attracted a lot of opprobrium for his performances in these last couple of games, but I thought it was noticeable how much better he played alongside a proper central midfielder - Mark Noble - than we saw here. There is quite a lot of pressure on that central midfield area in this formation, given that we are giving up a body to play in the back three, and it asks a lot of the defensive midfielder.
After a promising start, in which Obiang looked like he might actually improve a little under Moyes, he has regressed and was replaced here by Carroll - our Goliath for all seasons. I'm not quite ready to judge the Spaniard in this system until we see him get a run out alongside a better midfield partner, but I don't think it was a coincidence that we looked much better when Lanzini went deeper and started our attacks. Either way, I predict some reinforcements will be arriving soon.
The double substitution of Carroll and Chicharito was supposed to galvanise us, but in reality just highlighted the paucity of attacking options that we currently seem to have. With only Lanzini and Masuaku able to create from deeper areas, we have to either rely on the mobile physicality of Antonio and Arnautovic or resort to the long range bombing approach and launch mortars at Fort Carroll and hope for something to land at the feet of Chicharito. And while we do that, the plan was that the sturdy defensive setup constructed by Moyes would allow us to keep clean sheets.
If we can't maintain any defensive structure while being more expansive, then Moyes will have to apply the handbrake and revert to a less attacking style to try and give us a chance of winning games like this 1-0. It might not be pretty, but relegation scraps never are. In the driving rain of the South Coast, we dropped two very precious points because of some awful refereeing, but also because we were defensively all over the place.
***
"Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is, I wish they'd cut it out quick, but when they will I can only guess"
- Bob Dylan, "Idiot Wind"
It's nearly January everyone, and that means that David Sullivan is going to be staying up really late ringing agents in South America and furiously flicking through YouTube highlight reels in search of the next Nene. As every West Ham fan knows, the New Year generally brings yet more stupidity in the boardroom, and with the team waist deep in relegation trouble, this time will be no different. Brilliantly, someone in the West Ham/Sullivan PR team decided that a great way to kick off this particular transfer window would be to carry a story in the Mail about how Dave Sullivan Jr lives in a £40m luxury flat and "works harder than anyone he knows".
Another heart warming Christmas story
In fairness to the kid, I'd hate to be judged on things I said and did at the age of twenty, and so I'll choose to ignore the generally crass theme of the article and the incredibly tone deaf decision to celebrate unfathomable, undeserved wealth at a time when so many people in the country are suffering in a stagnant economy. But, honestly, who the hell thinks this stuff is a good idea? Why do these kids keep getting repeatedly exposed to public scrutiny of their lives and activities when it is such a red rag to a fanbase who already think their father is tight and screwing money out of the club? None of this is complicated - but when we're about to enter a month of transfer activity which will define our season, why would you be in the media boasting about your wealth...
...if you're going to do things like this?
Can you see how these two pictures cause problems, Dave? It doesn't matter whether the N'Zonzi story is true, or the fact that I agree that a loan approach is better, because the account that carried it has over sixty thousand followers and this cheap looking style fits a club who seem to have no money.
There were also lots of rumours today about Reece Oxford moving permanently to Germany, although we may now apparently recall him to play for us instead. The rumour there was that Moyes was keen to move the kid on in order to get some cash in for new signings. Quite why we should need cash given that we spent such a low sum in the summer is an issue in itself, but beyond that it also highlights the total stupidity of allowing a potentially temporary manager to make such decisions. Ask yourself whether you would want the substitute teacher expelling your kid, and that will give you an idea of how good a decision making set up this would be.
Moyes doesn't need to worry about what our squad will look like in 2020 because he knows that if we go down this summer he won't be here to worry about it. Once again a Director of Football would be best placed to make such a decision, and once again we don't have one. Let's therefore hope that the Oxford recall is with a view to turning him into a better West Ham player, rather than with a view to turning him into enough cash to buy declining 29 year old players for a relegation battle. We already have a squad full of them.
It's unimportant that one of these can get you a Mirallas
Yes, Oxford might have an attitude problem, and maybe he has a difficult agent, but those things are true of lots of teenage players. In the end, this is a chance for us to get a potentially high quality player for nothing, and flogging him to allow Sullivan to waste yet more funds on his idea of good footballers doesn't do anything for me. Oxford will mature one day, and we'll regret it immensely if he does so somewhere outside East London. Ultimately, when teams who are better than you want your players, that should tell you something about the asset you have. If we truly don't think we can get the best from an eighteen year old then I guess we should move him on, but in turn I would be asking some questions about exactly why that was the case.
So, who should we target? Well, I've outlined above how I'd like a centre back - although that is a slightly difficult assessment to make given that we don't really know how highly the club rate any of Reece Oxford, Reece Burke or Not Reece Declan Rice. A right sided defender to cover Zabaleta and Byram's incredible Chinese noodle hamstrings would also be useful. But we also clearly need a central midfielder who can get about the pitch and create something, while a striker that Moyes can trust to do some Diafra Sakho type things without being Diafra Sakho would really be helpful too.
There is absolutely no chance of us getting all of those players in January, so to my mind they absolutely have to target the midfield as we are currently only playing a three man midfield and still had to play strikers in there for the Arsenal cup game. N'Zonzi wouldn't have been a bad short term acquisition but at 29 he would be yet another to add to the phalanx of ageing one-last-contract types that clutter up our squad.
A better approach, for this season only, might be to target the big clubs and look at non playing member of their squads who are borderline choices for their countries and taking them on short loans. Anyone wanting to play at the World Cup will need game time between now and May, and we would be the ideal place for someone to stage a revival, provided we don't introduce them to Joe Hart.
As such, the link to Andre Schurrle makes sense, as would a return for Andre Gomes - a rumoured target around the time of the William Carvalho debacle. I like the idea of getting these hungry, motivated players, who can arrive and have an immediate impact. Of course, historically this has never worked for us but if the alternative is buying another Robert Snodgrass, then I'm happy to give it another whirl.
***
"But the drumbeat strains of the night remain
In the rhythm of the new born day"
- Al Stewart, "The Year of the Cat"
Some of you may have noticed that I didn't post an article for the Newcastle game. This wasn't a fit of pique but more because I decided to spend Christmas Eve with the family rather than spewing out 3,000 words on how our midfield was overrun by Mo Diame. I did, however, vent a little on Twitter which you can find here.
I've also been asking for some recollections from fans on Frank Lampard Jr, for a retro piece I'm writing at the moment. Any contributions would be gratefully accepted.
And with that, all that remains is for me to wish you all a very Happy New Year and to thank you for reading The H List in 2017. See you in 2018 - it's West Brom to start, so that's bound to be hugely entertaining.
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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Allen going nowhere, says Stoke boss Hughes
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 29th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes says he has no intention of selling Joe Allen to West Ham during next month's transfer window. The Potters boss spoke out after a report in today's tabloids claimed that West Ham were showing an interest in the Welsh international and wanted him to link up once again with former team mate Marko Arnautovic. "It is the first I have heard of that," said Hughes, when asked about the possibility of a deal being done, "but it wouldn't surprise me because he has been impressive this year. "We can't afford to lose a player of Joe's quality - he is working exceptionally hard for us and we are really pleased with what he is producing for us at the moment." And rather than weaken his existing squad further, Hughes insisted that he is seeking to expand his selection pool.
It's clear that we are too stretched and ideally we would like to rectify that," he added. "We all know that January isn't the ideal time to get deals done, but there are opportunities and we feel there are areas that we need to strengthen." Allen, 27, was signed by Stoke from Liverpool in a £13million deal during the 2016 summer transfer window. The Welsh international began his career at Swansea, before making a £15million move to Anfield in 2012.
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Reece Oxford could feature for West Ham after David Moyes confirms defender's return
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 29/12/17 5:52pm
SSN
Reece Oxford is set to assist West Ham's relegation fight after manager David Moyes confirmed they will "work with" the defender on his return from a loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach. The Hammers have recalled the 19-year-old from a season-long loan in Germany despite Monchengladbach being one of two Bundesliga clubs keen to sign him on a permanent deal. Moyes, whose side are a point above the relegation zone ahead of a crucial clash against fellow strugglers West Brom on January 2, confirmed Oxford "will come back". "We will take a look at him and see how he is," he said. "I hope we can help improve him. I've only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him."
Oxford, who can also play in defensive-midfield, played only four times for Monchengladbach this season but Sky Sports News understands they like what they have seen and expect the England U20 to develop into a top player. Monchengladbach want to sign the defender on a permanent deal worth £5.5m, and RB Leipzig also harbour an interest, having attempted to sign him when he was just 17 in 2016. West Ham value Oxford highly too, however, and would not let him leave unless they received an exceptional offer, according to Sky sources. Oxford, who signed a new West Ham contract last year that tied him to the club until 2021, has made 14 senior appearances for the Hammers.
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David Moyes says there are 'no guarantees' West Ham will make January signings
By Andy Swales
Last Updated: 29/12/17 3:35pm
SSN
David Moyes is keen to add a couple of players to his West Ham squad during the January transfer window. However, the Hammers boss admits it is traditionally a difficult time to do business and says "there are no guarantees". The Scot also played down media reports that the east London club have a long shopping list of potential targets. He joked: "We must be signing 15 players at the moment - by all accounts. "I would like to bring in one or two reinforcements, but every manager will tell you it's not an easy time to do business. "It's also an expensive month. We'll try and do it but there's no guarantee."
Moyes was quick to confirm that he alone would decide which players - if any - will move to the club over the next few weeks. He added: "The manager will have the final say. You'll be judged by the players you bring in. "So, if I wasn't the one bringing the players in, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. "I've not known anything different and the owners have told me it will always be my decision."
West Ham do not play again until January 2 when they take on West Brom at the London Stadium. Long-serving midfielder Mark Noble has missed three matches through injury, while Michail Antonio was ruled out of their Boxing Day game with Bournemouth. Regarding injury news ahead of next week's Premier League fixture against the Baggies, Moyes said: "Mark has trained a couple of days, but not with us, and is making progress. It's his hamstring. "Michail has also not joined us but we don't think his groin is as bad as we first thought. "Whether he will be fit for Tuesday, it's too early to tell."
Moyes confirmed on Friday that Reece Oxford will be returning to the club from Borussia Monchengladbach, having spent the first half of the season in the Bundesliga. Speaking about the teenager, he went on: "He's been talked of very highly. We'll get him back in, take a look, because I've never worked with him before, and spend the time to get to know him."
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SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO – DIAFRA SAKHO
By Goatygav 29 Dec 2017 at 09:21
WTID
Following BlindHammer's excellent post of Jim McWeeny's 'Songs From A Sleepless Night' I thought I'd add a further suggestion with an old Classic from The Clash.
Early October HamburgHammer asked if Diafra Sakho was worth a contract extension. Now the January transfers are about to commence I thought it the appropriate time to debate the 'Should He Stay Or Should He Go' question.
He's currently 28 years of age so if he does move on then another club will gain the benefit of Sakho in his prime. His contribution to the team often goes unsung. The options that he gives, his work in the channels and the way he pulls defences around are all tremendous contributors in matches. I'm not sure everyone appreciates just how good Diafra's movement really is. Defence is another area he mucks in with. Over the last couple of seasons he's not, really, had a decent run of games. For many players this would be a huge setback – one from which it would be difficult to get back up to full match capacity. When Diafra is called upon after a lay off he seems to, almost immediately, look like he is 5 games back in to his stride. Conversely Diafra has been on the scoresheet regularly when getting a run in the team. In his first season he broke West Ham's Premier League record, and equalled Micky Quinn's, when he struck six from six in his first half dozen starts – becoming the Premier League Player Of The Month in October 2014. Overall his strike rate is favourable compared to other forwards.
Sakho's injury list is, relatively speaking, a long one. Although not as prolific as Andy Carroll he first spent time on the side-lines following an injury against West Brom before, controversially, pulling out of the ACON with Senegal. When his national team officials wanted him to fly to Senegal for a medical West Ham refused on the grounds of him being unfit to travel. Subsequently the club were fined 100K Swiss Francs after Diafra was played and scored the only goal of the game in the FA Cup victory against Bristol City – travelling to Ashton Gate in a Limousine. That said when my boys and I attended an open training session at Upton Park in 2015 it was Diafra who was the most charming and engaging player my boys encountered. He was already my older lad's favourite so when reports of Diafra being questioned by Police following an alleged night club incident of assault on a woman it was a hard one for my son to get his head around – although I did explain to him that they were not necessarily true but were just allegations at that stage.
Earlier in 2017-18, during the open transfer window, Diafra was reported to have been attempting to force a move by taking it upon himself to travel to Rennes for a medical, which he passed, without the consent of West Ham. After returning to England, instead of attending training, he went to Chelmsford races to see one of his agent's horses run in the 3.20. Wherever he goes there appear to be reports of behaviour less than exemplary. Some of it many would consider disruptive and unforgiveable. I can fully understand that but, as fans, we have to swallow a lot a rubbish. Having Diafra Sakho still playing for the club after the window closes would be nowhere near as big a load to bear than so many others we've had to put up with – counting this season alone if not over the last few.
If the dressing room was being negatively affected by Diafra's actions then I'd be all for him being offloaded as quickly as possible. But by all accounts there's no conflict or disharmony arising so I'm not convinced by any argument based that he should be moved on for this reason.
From a playing perspective, with what Diafra offers us on the pitch, it's an overwhelming 'Stay' from me. From that perspective alone I just can't see the sense in letting him leave and creating a gaping hole in our squad – which will cost quite a considerable amount to fill. Things happen in people's lives so I'm not going to be one to judge Diafra on his off field antics down the years and, more recently, his reported actions to engineer a move away from the club. He's a slightly better striker than Andy Carroll, in terms of goals per game, and contributes a great deal to the team in other areas. Whatever my opinion is, and even if the club want him to stay, player power generally rules when it comes to influencing transfers. Sadly he appears to want away so I suspect he'll be moving on in January.
Perhaps I have it wrong and there are many better replacements lined up to take Diafra's place. On one of the popular Vlogger sites I recently watched a suggestion that we should offload Sakho, Carroll and Ayew in January. Even if we brought through Toni Martinez we'd still be very light for striking options, should that come to pass, and I wonder how much we'd need to pay out to secure replacements. I'm not sure who David Moyes and David Sullivan might have in mind but, in West Ham's current position, I'm not convinced it will be easy to bring quality replacements in. I really don't see the sale of three strikers in one pop a sensible tactic so, out of the the three of them, I'd retain Diafra. He's just better than one in three, whereas the other two are not quite one in four, and certainly offers more to the team than Andrew Ayew IMO. All boiled down it really does depend who the club can bring in. If Carroll and Ayew do move on perhaps Diafra can be made to feel a major part of the manager's plans for the rest of the season and we'll see him at his, excellent, best again.
On to the West Brom game I'm hopeful of a decent performance as I'm bringing both my lads for their first game of the season along with one of my darts team and his lad of a similar age to mine. On paper it's a game we should win but, as one of the managerial greats of the game once pointed out, it's a game played on grass.
COYI! West Ham 4 The Cup!
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WEST HAM TARGET SURPRISE MOVE FOR SHELVEY
ELLIOTT CUFF @CuffWrites
ReadWestHam
David Moyes is lining up a shock move for Newcastle's mercurial midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, according to a Mirror exclusive. Moyes is believed to be desperate to strengthen his midfield in the January transfer window as he looks to boost the Hammers' chances of survival this season. Despite Shelvey's numerous attitude and temperament issues, the former Swansea midfielder finds himself on Moyes' wish-list for his January rebuild. Shelvey has been sent off twice already this season, and is no longer considered a guaranteed starter at St James Park. However, his passing ability and aggression in the middle of the park would prove to be valuable for the Hammers.
With Amanda Staveley's takeover still not having gone through for Newcastle just yet, the Magpies could be tempted to sell Shelvey in order to raise funds for transfers. Newcastle would presumably want to make back much of the £12million that they paid Swansea for him two years ago, especially if they do consider selling to a direct rival. Shelvey has shown that he has untapped potential throughout his career, and maybe David Moyes could be the man to break through.
The Hammers' have also looked at Bournemouth's Harry Arter and Stoke's Joe Allen as potential long term replacements for Mark Noble.
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Everton landing Steven N'Zonzi could let West Ham sign Morgan Schneiderlin
HITC
Danny Owen
Everton look set to beat West Ham United to Sevilla star Steven N'Zonzi - which could ironically present an alternative option to David Moyes. Reports on Steven N'Zonzi's return to the Premier League had grown cold in recent days. But The Mail (live transfer blog, 13.55pm) reports that Everton are now set to step up their chase in the next 48 hours for the Sevilla midfielder. N'Zonzi fell out with the La Liga side's manager Eduardo Berizzo and, despite his recent sacking, it is understood that the relationship between player and club is beyond repair. And the report states that the £35 million-rated France international is keen to again link up with Sam Allardyce at Goodison Park – having worked with the 63-year-old during his first spell in England at Blackburn Rovers.
Bad news, then, for West Ham; The Mail adds that David Moyes' side had a loan bid for N'Zonzi rejected. But, ironically, missing out on N'Zonzi could put an alternative option immediately within their grasp. Because it is understood that the former Stoke enforcer's arrival at Goodison Park will pave the way for a departure with Morgan Schneiderlin among those whose future at Everton is now at risk. And, strangely enough, West Ham are also interested in bringing the former Manchester United ace to the London Stadium, having made an enquiry about the 28-year-old's availability recently, as reported by The Sun. Schneiderlin hasn't really established himself since his £24 million move to Everton almost a year ago but a move to West Ham could help get his career back on track. But will missing out on one France intentional midfielder pave the way for West Ham to sign another?
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Oxford returns to West Ham United
Oxford returns to West Ham United
www.borussia.de
Reece Oxford has returned to Premier League side West Ham United. The 19-year-old defensive all-rounder had originally been loaned to Borussia for one season, but the Hammers have activated a clause to recall Oxford. "We were informed of their decision to activate the clause and recall him this morning," said sporting director Max Eberl. "However, we continue to be in talks with West Ham regarding Reece Oxford completing a permanent move to Borussia. It is also the player's wish to stay at Gladbach."
Reece Oxford signed on loan at the start of the season and has so far featured in three Bundesliga games and a DFB-Pokal tie. He had started each of the last three matches against Freiburg, HSV and Leverkusen.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, December 28
Daily WHUFC News - 29th December 2017
Academy offer Scholarship deals to U16s
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Academy of Football are delighted to announce the signing-on of nine players on full-time Scholarship deals.A change in Premier League rules meant that the date by which clubs had to offer U16 players a Scholarship contract had this year been brought forward to 1 January where in previous years, clubs would not have to submit their lists until later in the month. This campaign, players who have signed their Scholarship deals are: Keenan Appiah-Forson (central-midfield), Harrison Ashby (full-back/centre-back), Samuel Caiger (full-back/central-midfield), Daniel Chesters (central-midfield), Jake Giddings (central-midfield), William Greenidge (full-back/centre-back, pictured (right)), Samuel Nsumbu (centre-back), Joshua Okotcha (centre-back, pictured (left)) and Lennon Peake (winger).
Academy Director Terry Westley was delighted to get the boys signed on and believes there could be a number of Hammers stars for the future within the group.
He said: "I'd like to offer many congratulations to the all the boys as they take another exciting step on their career pathway. "Thanks also goes to their families for their unerring support in helping them reach this stage. "We look forward to welcoming these nine players into the world of professional football in July 2018 but before then, we as of them that they work hard to achieve their GCSEs and aspire to leave school knowing they have performed to their highest level. "There are a number of very talented players at the Academy in the younger age-groups and I wish them all success as they progress to this next stage."
A number of the U16s have already begun to make their mark on the older age-groups at the Academy.
Will Greenidge and Josh Okotcha broke into the U18 squad earlier this campaign and their impressive performances for Steve Potts and Mark Phillips' side later earned them U23 appearances in the Premier League International Cup against Benfica. Meanwhile, Daniel Chesters, Keenan Appiah-Forson, Sam Caiger and, most recently, Harrison Ashby all broke into the U18 side in the second half of 2017.
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Conor Coventry letting his feet do the talking
WHUFC.com
You do not have to be loud, outgoing and vocal to be a leader on the football pitch. West Ham United's U23 midfielder Conor Coventry is proving just that. Still just 17, the teenager skippered the side for first time when Benfica visited in the Premier League International Cup in November. And the youngster is showing everybody that his style is to let his feet do the talking. "I wouldn't say it's necessarily me being vocal which is how I lead," the Republic of Ireland youth international explained. "I am trying to get better at that, of course, but I think I lead by actions and by getting on the ball and I captained Ireland's U18s a few weeks ago as well. I think I am doing well in that at the moment."
Coventry is being modest. An U18 regular last campaign, he made just a handful of appearances for the U23s and looked set for another season hoping to break into the starting XI this term. But due to a combination of his impressive pre-season and injuries to teammates, Terry Westley selected the midfielder for the campaign's opener against Everton and he has not looked back since. Twelve appearances later, he is most certainly a regular in the side, although his ambitions are not limited to just that. "I've been happy with how the season has gone so far, definitely. The aim was always to try and get into the U23s, something I've probably done now, and I've probably done it quicker than I expected and played more games than I thought I would. "I'm happy and hopefully things can continue and I can keep going the way I am. "I want to keep starting, play the rest of the games and become one of the key players in the U23 squad. Those are the aims for the rest of the season. "Maybe if I'm lucky, I want to have a focus on being more involved with the first team as the season goes on, but my main focus of course is on the U23s."
Since first-team manager David Moyes arrived, the likes of Declan Rice, Ben Johnson, Nathan Trott, Domingos Quina, Sead Haksabanovic and Moses Makasi have all been included in senior squads. And to see his teammates in such positions gives Coventry hope that a call-up to the West Ham first team is not just a distant dream. "I think since the gaffer got to the Club, everyone can see there's a chance. He'll put you on the bench if he believes in you, so everyone is working hard and hopefully more can get their chances. "Dec's played a lot, and the challenge for everyone now is to be good enough; if you are, it looks as though you'll get that opportunity. "It's not about 'Are you old enough?' It's about 'Are you good enough?' That's encouraging for all of us to see, of course."
Coventry is already proud of his season so far but more moments like that against Benfica will only make him happier. "It was a bit unexpected when I got the armband, to be fair, but it was a great moment for me. One or two of the more senior ones were missing so it was nice to get the armband and step up to do that. I want to step up more often and hopefully I get the chance to."
And if he continues to let his feet do the talking, he certainly will.
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Adrian: We have to defend as a team against West Brom
WHUFC.com
Adrian says West Ham United have to 'defend as a team' when they face West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday evening. The Hammers conceded three goals from set plays in drawing 3-3 at AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day, where Callum Wilson's controversial late equaliser denied them three valuable points. And goalkeeper Adrian, who kept his side in the game with a series of important saves with West Ham trailing 1-2 before Marko Arnautovic's double turned the game in their favour, was frustrated by the Hammers' inability to turn their own penalty area into a fortress, as they had done in recent meetings with Chelsea, Arsenal and Stoke City. "We worked so hard together to come back and get the result, but we can't be happy because we conceded three goals," he told whufc.com. "We need to defend much better and deal with the ball in the air much better. We have to defend as a team. "We now have a week to rest, to train hard and recover our bodies and minds to be 100 per cent to face West Brom."
Adrian himself was heavily involved in a game played in truly horrible weather conditions at the Vitality Stadium, making seven saves to keep the Cherries at bay.
Five of those stops came with West Ham trailing 1-2 in the second half, setting the stage for Arnautovic. "It was the moment of the game. If they had scored the third one, I think it would have probably killed the game and we would have had no chance to come back. "I was very busy with some saves to try to help the team and at the end we scored the third one and thought we had got a massive three points, but in the end we had to settle for only one. "It was very hard because the pitch there is small, every ball in the air is dangerous for the goalkeeper and defenders and it was very windy but, at the end of the day, we are professionals and the climate is for both teams, so we had to cope with this."
No interview about the Boxing Day fixture could end without discussion of Bournemouth's 91st-minute leveller, which was scored by Wilson, despite the striker appearing to be both offside and divert the ball into the net with his right arm. Adrian, unsurprisingly, was unhappy with referee Bobby Madley's decision to award the goal. "To be fair, we were a bit disappointed because we had three points in the last minute and then we had the decision from the referee. I don't know why he changed the decision of the assistant because I think it was a bit offside and also handball, and he also interfered on my way to the ball. "I'm very disappointed with this, but we got a point and, at the end of the day, we didn't lose but it's not enough."
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West Ham's Reece Oxford set for RB Leipzig move
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
West Ham defender Reece Oxford could complete a surprise move to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig next month. Oxford, 19, has been on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach and has made three league appearances this season. However, RB Leipzig are optimistic of a deal being agreed for an initial 9m Euros (£8m), with the fee potentially rising to 19m (£16.88m) with add ons. West Ham would have to recall the England Under-20 international from Monchengladbach before doing the deal. Leipzig tried to buy Oxford in 2016 but could not agree a fee with the Hammers. Oxford became West Ham's youngest ever player when he made his debut as a 16-year-old in a Europa League qualifying tie against Andorran side Lusitanos in July 2015. New Hammers boss David Moyes had agreed to let Oxford leave on a permanent basis, although it was anticipated he would remain at Monchengladbach. Leipzig were second in the table heading into December but have failed to win any of their last four matches and have slipped to fifth. They have been drawn against Napoli in the last 32 of the Europa League.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE: "OXFORD IS BEING RECALLED TO PLAY FOR US!"
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 DECEMBER 2017 AT 5:48PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
So the transfer rumour season is already in full force and we haven't reached January yet! The news broke this morning that Reece Oxford was due to make his loan move permanent at Borussia Mönchengladbach. I contacted one of my sources with that exact question and was told that they had received no offer for him and it was "news to them" despite being reported by a leading German newspaper "The Bild"
No sooner had I dismissed this rumour then the next one broke from the BBC that he was in fact off to Red Bull Liepzig for an initial £6m rising to around £17m. Now knowing how some of my sources simply answer the question in front of them and do not elaborate at times, I wanted to check that the "No offer received" applied to all clubs rather than just Monchengladbach. The reply I received was "It is very unlikely that Oxford will leave, every player has a price but we are recalling him to play for us". Now of course should Leipzig with all their financial clout come in and offer a huge sum, it would be hard to say no for a player who has yet to really show his potential at the club. This is unlikely to happen though and the club wish to see him feature for our first team now.
Oxford will never be far from the transfer rumours though because his agent is Adi Ward, who is the same agent for Sterling and Berahino, often likes to instigate moves for his players. The same agent's demands saw Quina's loan move to Sheffield United break down in the summer due to furthering his money requests as the deal approached completion. The same agent successfully negotiated a £20k a week deal for Oxford to tie him down to the club as well.
Oxford will offer options in midfield, defence and right back when he returns and it will be exciting to see how he and the talented Declan Rice go on to challenge for regular first team spots as the season continues. A centre back partnership of Rice and Oxford could be one that we rely on for many years to come.
Following my earlier tweet it appears that all the main newspapers and other West Ham websites are now "hearing the same thing" and saying that Oxford is due back to play for us.
It is likely however that Reece Burke's days at the club are numbered as the club think about recalling him from Bolton to move him on again perhaps on a permanent deal this time.
It is expected that Diafra Sakho's move from the club will be confirmed in the next week and this could free up a forward option. There is talk that Schurrle of Dortmund could be targeted for a loan move because he is out of favour there and wants to get in the German national team for the World Cup. We made a move for him in the summer which was close to completion but didn't quite get over the line. Ironically we may approach Gladback for some of their players too as well as having Sturridge, Giroud and Dembele of Celtic as possible replacements.
The number one position for Moyes to strengthen is central midfield. Now that Wilshire has confirmed he wishes to stay at Arsenal, N'Zonzi from Sevilla is the number one target although we face a lot of competition. All of these deals were covered on our radio show. I spoke of Oxford's recall last night and did a large section on transfers.
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MICHAIL ANTONIO: MA GONE MIA
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 DECEMBER 2017 AT 8:35PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @emedser for her blog https://betterthanzidane.wordpress.com
Michail Antonio where do I start! Once one of the stand out players at West Ham United now seems disjointed and leaves me frustrated with his decision making. He enjoyed a stellar first couple of seasons with the Hammers but seems to have fallen off this season. Could it be due to a long list of injuries mounting up for the Englishman or is it just his heart isn't in it anymore or more simply is he just not cut out for it.
2015/16 Season
The Wandsworth native signed for West Ham United on the 1st of September 2015 for £7 million on a 4 year contract with the option of a further 2 years. Not long after on the 19th September he made his debut in the 60th minute taking over from Victor Moses in the 2-1 victory over Manchester City. He was then not used again until 29th November coming on as a subsititue in the 1-1 draw against West Brom. After this Antonio started every remaining Premier League match for the Hammers. He opened his scoring account for West Ham in the 2-1 victory over Southampton on 28th December, following on from this he managed to bag goals against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Spurs, Everton and Manchester United. With Sam Byram out injured much to his dismay Michail was then utilised as a right back toward the end of the campaign. He just lost out on the Hammer of the year award coming runner up to the infamous Dimitri Payet.
2016/17 Season
Antonio started the season off with a bang scoring the first ever Premier League goal at the London Stadium in West Ham's 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth on 21st August 2016. In the next 3 Premier League matches against Manchester City, Watford and West Brom, impressively Antonio managed to grab 4 more goals. His incredible performances led to his first England call up for fixtures against Slovakia and Spain, however Michail did not get to play. Back to scoring ways he netted again against Spurs, Liverpool and Swansea and registered 3 more assists in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at the London Stadium. Antonio scored his final Premier League goal of the season away at Bournemouth on 21st March 2017, missing the last few games of the season due to a hamstring injury. The season ended with Antonio signing a new long term contract and the Londoner winning the Hammer of the year accolade.
2017/18 Season
This season Antonio has seemed a shell of the player he had been in the previous 2 seasons he has spent at West Ham United. He seems disinterested, careless and has shown a distinct lack of effort. After the 3-2 loss at Newcastle even manager David Moyes seemed exsaspered saying,
'He's an important player for us. We said at half-time we'd have to do something about it but he never gave us anything we could see would be helping us."
I appreciate that he has been littered with injuries at the end of 2016/17 season he missed the final 6 games due to a hamstring problem having also had to withdraw from the England squad. Then came the groin injury that Michail sustained at the start of the 2017/18 season coming off against Spurs. Then there was a rib injury and now a calf injury, it seems never ending! Since that hamstring problem he never seems to really have got back that spark we saw during the first couple seasons he enjoyed with the Hammers.
He was also left frustrated at being played in an unnatural position, right back. He was played in this position for much of the 2016/17 season but that still did not stop him getting 9 goals and 5 assists in all competitions. This season however he has not been played at right back due to the signing of Zabaleta from Manchester City and in my opinion has been half the player he was in the season he played right back so I don't think its a question of positioning.
Having said all this his end at Nottingham Forest, his previous club, was much similar to what we are experiencing now with Michail at West Ham United. When Antonio joined Forest in August 2014 for a small fee of £1.5 million he hit the ground running! In his first 5 league matches he bagged 3 goals and 3 assists and ended up starting every league match in his opening season with Forest, scoring 14 goals and being named player of the season in May 2015. After that things seemed to go downhill for Antonio as he was left out of Forest's Championship match against Charlton Athletic on 19th August 2015, with his then manager Dougie Freedman stating that the winger was not "in the right frame of mind" to play. Consequently on 26th August West Ham joined the bidding for Antonio along with West Bromwich Albion. He opted to sign for the Hammers and put pen to paper on 1st September 2015. This is story that should sound all too familiar to West Ham fans as it sounds almost identical to the situation they find themselves in with Antonio at the moment. His frame of mind seems elsewhere and whether this is due to his mountain of injuries or something else I just cannot say.
I truly hope that this can be resolved as at the moment we need everybody on board and playing for the team, all hands on deck! When Antonio has recovered I hope to see some renewed energy and enthusiasm and hopefully some goals.
What is your opinion? Can and should Antonio be doing better? Does he have the ability? Are injuries playing a part? Is his heart still in it? Does he still hold a grudge due to being played out of position? How can he turn it around? Will he improve? Let me know your thoughts 🙂
Thanks for reading.
COYI
Em x
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WEST HAM'S NEXT LEVEL – WHY AREN'T WE THERE? HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE IT?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 DECEMBER 2017 AT 9:23PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Harry Rawlings @HarryRawlings1
I, like most fans, was very wary of our move away from Upton Park, but got behind it as we were sold by the board that it would take us to 'the next level' getting 'champions league football in 5 years' and all the other unfulfilled promises/lies. A season and a half into it, we are in a relegation battle and have only gone backwards from the last season at Upton Park. In this article I want to explain what I think is going wrong, and what needs to change in order for us to get there in the future.
It seems to me that we are a very reactive club, always fixing problems, filling in holes and papering over the cracks. Our lack of forward planning is laughable to me and we will never progress if we are constantly putting out fires. First of all, the London Stadium move epitomises this. If they had planned the move properly in the first place, then they would not constantly be having to resolve issues now, for examples poor stewarding, segregation issues and distance from the pitch. On the footballing side of things, we had a defensive and what some fans would say, 'boring period' under Allardyce. Then when the fans weren't happy, and the board wanted a manager with more of an attacking strategy, we appointed Bilic. This worked well initially but then we started conceding too many goals and he eventually lost his job. Now we have made a safe move with Moyes, whose first job has been to sort our defence out. But due to his six-month break clause, this leaves the fans wondering what will happen next. This shows another quick fix decision being made by the club without any long term goal in mind other than avoiding relegation.
Another reactive move seen by the club, has been through its recruitment policy. When moving into the new stadium we bought over 10 players in, most of them were young and had not played in the league e.g. Masuaku, Tore, Fernandez, Calleri and Martinez. It was a tough season to join, given it was the first season at a new stadium and expectations were high, and most of them did not work out, perhaps they were not given enough chances, but without going into specifics, the club thought this policy failed. As a result of this, they altogether changed their transfer policy, if we can even call it that, more like changed their mind, and thought experienced players who had played in the league is who they should recruit. So, Snodgrass and Fonte came in January, followed by experienced pros such as Hart, Zabaleta, Arnie and Hernandez in the summer. Now, without going in to detail about each player and whether they were good signings or not, the board have gone from one extreme of buying lots of cheaper, younger inexperienced players to a selective few of older experienced premier league players on huge wages. Where is the continuity? What plan is that following? There seems to be none at all and shows a complete lack of a footballing philosophy.
More evidence towards the club's lack of forward thinking, is their choices to buy good, established players, without thinking about how they could fit into our current team. For example, it was quite apparent that we needed a striker and Javier Hernandez is one of the best finishers in world football. But for him to thrive you need to play a style he is suited to and give him opportunities in the box so that he can finish. So what is the point in playing him when we are still lumping balls up to Carroll or playing him as a left winger? Ayew is another example of a good player, but it is hard to see where he fits into our team, and where his permanent role should be.
Now, it's right to discuss managing styles, and the right structure for our club to adopt to secure a positive future. Fergie was a manager that controlled every aspect of the football club, him along with Wenger are the old school type of managers who kept complete control over club decisions. When Fergie left, and the club had a succession of managers who also had full control of the football club, each one left a team of a mish mash of players from several managers ideologies. When you look at Palace who had a squad built mainly by Allardyce on big, quick and physical players who were used to a direct style of football who then made wholesale changes trying to adopt a total football approach they failed miserably and sacked the manager.
At Southampton, in comparison to the previous examples, their technical director Les Reed sets a precedent of scouting and developing youth players. They are given chances in the first team and set a style of football which they want to play. Even though they have a high turnover of managers, when a new manager does come in there isn't massive changes in terms of player recruitment and how the team plays due to the solid philosophy engrained in the club which is easy for new managers to continue. They have consistently finished in the top 10 and if it wasn't for the owners selling their best players they would without doubt be a top club knocking on the door of the Champions League.
Looking at our set up, it appears there is a mix of the manager, Tony Henry and David Sullivan controlling footballing decisions. With 3 people having an input it seems like there will be a lot of conflict and unaccountability for when things go wrong. Following this model, I can't see us finishing any higher than 8th at absolute best, with relegation as a more realistic option than finishing in the top 10.
The whole board in vs board out argument is for another day, but the fact is they are here to stay for the foreseeable future and we must find the best way of working with them. No matter what you think of David Sullivan, he is a very successful businessman and owns the club he supports. But no matter how much he loves West Ham and wants us to do well, he is not a football expert and quite clearly follows no solid philosophy or plan. I think he has way too much say on the footballing aspect of the club and needs to solely focus on the negotiations and the daily running of the football club, on the business side of things, for our successful future.
My first memories of watching West Ham as a little kid were seeing Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Glen Johnson gracing the pitch. Since then it has been pretty appalling other than Noble and Tomkins. I would love to see us appoint a technical director who would invest heavily in youth and try to get back to this era. For this to happen, David Sullivan would have to step aside from these current duties and give the director a remit to make our academy great again and set a president for the certain style of football they want… the West Ham way?
The best example of this has been at RB Leipzig. They had a vision of creating a football team to match their brand of energy drink. Very energetic, fast and exciting to watch. They then hired Ralph Rangnick as the sporting director. Working from these principles, he hired a manager to best achieve these goals – Ralph Hasenhüttl. They then had a specific transfer policy of only signing players from 17-23 so they can be moulded into the philosophy of the club and have the legs for the furious tempo they like to play at. After only being formed in 2009, they were promoted into the Bundesliga last season and came second behind Bayern Munich. They subsequently qualified for the Champions League which is an unbelievable achievement and shows what can be done through thorough planning and commitment to an objective, instead of being the very backwards and reactive club we are now. To reemphasise my point, Monaco are another team that have done a similar thing in France and won their league. They have an excellent scouting network set up and a manager who is willing to give them game time and develop them into world class players such as Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Mbappe and Lemar.
Ultimately, we are never going to have the money to buy the best players and compete with the big clubs, so the way I see it, for us to get to this next level, we must buy young prospects and develop them into great players. We will then keep them on because they want to play for us and buy into the vision that needs to be set by a passionate sporting/football/technical director.
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Huddersfield allocation sold out
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have sold out their entire opening allocation of tickets for the club's first trip to Huddersfield in 20 years. The last occasion on which the two sides met at Town's McAlpine Stadium (as it was then known) came in a 1997 Coca Cola Cup second round, first leg tie which the Terriers won 1-0 thanks to a late winner from lifelong Hammers fan Alex Dyer. And as a result all 2,000+ tickets for the 13 January match have gone like hot cakes, with the initial 90 per cent made available all gone to season ticket holders. The remaining 10 per cent of tickets, around 234 in total, are being held for season ticket holders with insufficient points to enter the initial ballot and claret members. These go on sale from 11am tomorrow morning (Friday) priced £30 for adults, £20 for over 60s and £15 for under 18s.
Huddersfield Town v West Ham Utd: head-to-head
West Ham Utd: 11 wins (biggest win 4-0, January 1954)
Huddersfield: 22 wins (biggest win 6-2, February 1957)
Draws: 7
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Oxford set for £17million switch?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Teenage defender Reece Oxford is set to join RB Leipzig on a permanent basis, according to reports from Germany. The 19-year-old is currently on a season-long loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, for whom he has made three appearances thus far this season. However a report in respected German daily Bild today claims that Oxford's loan is set to be cut short so that West Ham may sell him to Monchengladbach's Bundesliga rivals Leipzig, who are said to have agreed a £17million deal. The German club saw a £10million bid for the Edmonton-born defender rejected in July 2016 - at the same time Manchester City had a £15million offer rejected. However another report from Germany insists that Gladbach are also seeking to make Oxford's loan permanent, with sporting director Max Eberl telling bundesliga.com that talks have already begun. "We want to keep hold of him after the winter," he said. "We have inquired about the possibilities of a purchase and exploratory talks are underway. Good Bundesliga players are always of interest for us."
West Ham, who are yet to comment on the speculation, have consistently denied previous reports linking Oxford - one of the most highly-rated youngsters to emerge via the club's Academy in recent seasons - with a move away from the club. And further speculation suggests that the Hammers intend to retain the services of Oxford, and could recall him to the club as early as next month.
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Hurry up Davey, come on
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he is looking to conduct his January business as early as possible in order to give West Ham the best chance of escaping the drop zone. The Hammers fell back to 17th in the Premier League as a result of the defeat against Newcastle and draw at Bournemouth over Christmas, leaving Moyes in no doubt that fresh faces are urgently required. And the recently-appointed manager hopes to start bringing players in as soon as he possibly can - with the midfield especially set for an overhaul. "I'm in a hurry," he told whufc.com. "I have to be in a hurry because I cannot wait three or four months to see how you do. Ideally I'd have had six or seven pre-season games to understand what they're like, but I've not. "Every player has shown great desire and is committed in training, but I think we're short in some areas and overloaded in others. "For example, we've got lots of forwards but we're really short of midfield players. We've got quite a few who are comfortable playing on the left, but not so many who can play on the right so we've got an imbalanced squad. "We've got a couple of forwards in form at the minute and people we can bring on and use, so I think we've got a threat, but were definitely lacking in some areas."
Moyes has been in charge of West Ham for 10 matches since succeeding Slaven Bilic at the start of November, winning two, drawing three and losing five games.
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West Ham set to recall Reece Oxford from Monchengladbach amid RB Leipzig interest
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 28/12/17 7:19pm
SSN
West Ham United are expected to recall Reece Oxford from his loan at Borussia Monchengladbach amid interest from fellow Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. A senior Hammers source has told Sky Sports News that the midfielder will "probably" return in January despite Monchengladbach wanting to sign the defender on a permanent deal worth £5.5m. Leipzig, who were interested in signing Oxford in 2016 when he was just 17 years old, are also keen on signing him next month but they have not yet made a formal offer. Oxford has played only four times for Monchengladbach this season but they like what they have seen and expect the 19-year-old to develop into a top player. West Ham value Oxford highly too and would not let him leave unless they received an exceptional offer. The England U20 international, who signed a new West Ham contract last year that tied him to the club until 2021, joined Monchengladbach on a season-long loan on June 21.
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Stoke, West Brom, West Ham, Newcastle keen on Danny Ings loan from Liverpool
By Rob Dorsett and Bryan Swanson
Last Updated: 28/12/17 7:55pm
SSN
Stoke are interested in taking Liverpool striker Danny Ings on loan but are likely to face competition from Newcastle, West Ham and West Brom, Sky Sports News has been told. Ings, whose contract at Anfield expires in June 2020, was used as a late substitute by Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League games against Everton and Bournemouth in December. Ings has made just eight league starts since joining from Burnley in June 2015, mostly due to injury problems. He suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his first season and was on his way back when he sustained a second knee injury in November 2016. The England international made his comeback in the EFL Cup defeat at Leicester in September. Mark Hughes' Stoke sit 13th in the Premier League with two wins from their last six games, two points above 15th-placed Newcastle and 17th-placed West Ham. Meanwhile, Alan Pardew will be looking to add to West Brom's attacking options in January given the Baggies languish in the relegation zone on 15 points
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RB Leipzig make £17m move for Reece Oxford - but West Ham want to recall teenager from Bundesliga loan
Oxford is open to a permanent switch to Germany having enjoyed his time there after moving to Monchengladbach last summer
The Mirror
ByJohn CrossChief Football Writer
18:52, 28 DEC 2017
Red Bull Leipzig have made a stunning £17m move for West Ham prospect Reece Oxford. But the Bundesliga club are stuck in a three way battle for the 19-year-old as West Ham want to recall him from his loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach who also want to sign him permanently. Oxford is open to a permanent switch to Germany having enjoyed his time there after moving to Monchengladbach last summer and has done enough to impress two clubs. West Ham boss David Moyes is also watching developments closely and does not want to lose Oxford who is viewed as being one of England's best defensive prospects. Moyes may now see him as being able to play a part in the second half of the season and, despite the huge money on offer, would not want to regret selling him further down the line. RB Leipzig are willing to pay £9m up front with further add-ons based on appearances and international caps with the fee potentially rising to £17m.
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West Ham plot Joe Allen transfer as David Moyes looks to reshape struggling squad in January window
PLUS: Moyes eyeing reunion with Sunderland's Lamine Kone with Alfie Mawson also on the radar
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
22:30, 28 DEC 2017
David Moyes wants to sign Stoke midfielder Joe Allen. The West Ham boss has made the 27-year-old Wales international one of his main targets for the January transfer window as he looks to reshape his side. Allen is a key man at the Bet365 under Mark Hughes. He is of interest to Moyes because of his versatility - Allen is able to play in advanced position but is also effective as a deeper-lying midfielder. Signed in the summer of 2016 by Stoke from Liverpool, Allen has had a number of Premier League admirers for some time. Swansea, who lost him in 2012, tried to sign him for now-departed Paul Clement during this year's summer transfer window as a replacement for Gylfi Sigurdsson. Moyes is also interested in a reunion with Sunderland defender Lamine Kone with Winston Reid, dropped for the Boxing Day draw at Bournemouth, on borrowed time. Kone, a 28-year-old centre-back, played a crucial role in keeping the Black Cats in the Premier League two years ago. Moyes persuaded him to remain at the Stadium of Light instead of defecting to Everton. But although Kone is still at the club he has been out of form and is recovering from a knee injury. Sunderland are willing to get him off the wage bill, however, and are open to doing a deal. West Ham are also keen on Swansea's Alfie Mawson with Moyes understood to want to sign two defenders. The Scot confirmed earlier this week that he will be active when the window reopens.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Academy of Football are delighted to announce the signing-on of nine players on full-time Scholarship deals.A change in Premier League rules meant that the date by which clubs had to offer U16 players a Scholarship contract had this year been brought forward to 1 January where in previous years, clubs would not have to submit their lists until later in the month. This campaign, players who have signed their Scholarship deals are: Keenan Appiah-Forson (central-midfield), Harrison Ashby (full-back/centre-back), Samuel Caiger (full-back/central-midfield), Daniel Chesters (central-midfield), Jake Giddings (central-midfield), William Greenidge (full-back/centre-back, pictured (right)), Samuel Nsumbu (centre-back), Joshua Okotcha (centre-back, pictured (left)) and Lennon Peake (winger).
Academy Director Terry Westley was delighted to get the boys signed on and believes there could be a number of Hammers stars for the future within the group.
He said: "I'd like to offer many congratulations to the all the boys as they take another exciting step on their career pathway. "Thanks also goes to their families for their unerring support in helping them reach this stage. "We look forward to welcoming these nine players into the world of professional football in July 2018 but before then, we as of them that they work hard to achieve their GCSEs and aspire to leave school knowing they have performed to their highest level. "There are a number of very talented players at the Academy in the younger age-groups and I wish them all success as they progress to this next stage."
A number of the U16s have already begun to make their mark on the older age-groups at the Academy.
Will Greenidge and Josh Okotcha broke into the U18 squad earlier this campaign and their impressive performances for Steve Potts and Mark Phillips' side later earned them U23 appearances in the Premier League International Cup against Benfica. Meanwhile, Daniel Chesters, Keenan Appiah-Forson, Sam Caiger and, most recently, Harrison Ashby all broke into the U18 side in the second half of 2017.
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Conor Coventry letting his feet do the talking
WHUFC.com
You do not have to be loud, outgoing and vocal to be a leader on the football pitch. West Ham United's U23 midfielder Conor Coventry is proving just that. Still just 17, the teenager skippered the side for first time when Benfica visited in the Premier League International Cup in November. And the youngster is showing everybody that his style is to let his feet do the talking. "I wouldn't say it's necessarily me being vocal which is how I lead," the Republic of Ireland youth international explained. "I am trying to get better at that, of course, but I think I lead by actions and by getting on the ball and I captained Ireland's U18s a few weeks ago as well. I think I am doing well in that at the moment."
Coventry is being modest. An U18 regular last campaign, he made just a handful of appearances for the U23s and looked set for another season hoping to break into the starting XI this term. But due to a combination of his impressive pre-season and injuries to teammates, Terry Westley selected the midfielder for the campaign's opener against Everton and he has not looked back since. Twelve appearances later, he is most certainly a regular in the side, although his ambitions are not limited to just that. "I've been happy with how the season has gone so far, definitely. The aim was always to try and get into the U23s, something I've probably done now, and I've probably done it quicker than I expected and played more games than I thought I would. "I'm happy and hopefully things can continue and I can keep going the way I am. "I want to keep starting, play the rest of the games and become one of the key players in the U23 squad. Those are the aims for the rest of the season. "Maybe if I'm lucky, I want to have a focus on being more involved with the first team as the season goes on, but my main focus of course is on the U23s."
Since first-team manager David Moyes arrived, the likes of Declan Rice, Ben Johnson, Nathan Trott, Domingos Quina, Sead Haksabanovic and Moses Makasi have all been included in senior squads. And to see his teammates in such positions gives Coventry hope that a call-up to the West Ham first team is not just a distant dream. "I think since the gaffer got to the Club, everyone can see there's a chance. He'll put you on the bench if he believes in you, so everyone is working hard and hopefully more can get their chances. "Dec's played a lot, and the challenge for everyone now is to be good enough; if you are, it looks as though you'll get that opportunity. "It's not about 'Are you old enough?' It's about 'Are you good enough?' That's encouraging for all of us to see, of course."
Coventry is already proud of his season so far but more moments like that against Benfica will only make him happier. "It was a bit unexpected when I got the armband, to be fair, but it was a great moment for me. One or two of the more senior ones were missing so it was nice to get the armband and step up to do that. I want to step up more often and hopefully I get the chance to."
And if he continues to let his feet do the talking, he certainly will.
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Adrian: We have to defend as a team against West Brom
WHUFC.com
Adrian says West Ham United have to 'defend as a team' when they face West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday evening. The Hammers conceded three goals from set plays in drawing 3-3 at AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day, where Callum Wilson's controversial late equaliser denied them three valuable points. And goalkeeper Adrian, who kept his side in the game with a series of important saves with West Ham trailing 1-2 before Marko Arnautovic's double turned the game in their favour, was frustrated by the Hammers' inability to turn their own penalty area into a fortress, as they had done in recent meetings with Chelsea, Arsenal and Stoke City. "We worked so hard together to come back and get the result, but we can't be happy because we conceded three goals," he told whufc.com. "We need to defend much better and deal with the ball in the air much better. We have to defend as a team. "We now have a week to rest, to train hard and recover our bodies and minds to be 100 per cent to face West Brom."
Adrian himself was heavily involved in a game played in truly horrible weather conditions at the Vitality Stadium, making seven saves to keep the Cherries at bay.
Five of those stops came with West Ham trailing 1-2 in the second half, setting the stage for Arnautovic. "It was the moment of the game. If they had scored the third one, I think it would have probably killed the game and we would have had no chance to come back. "I was very busy with some saves to try to help the team and at the end we scored the third one and thought we had got a massive three points, but in the end we had to settle for only one. "It was very hard because the pitch there is small, every ball in the air is dangerous for the goalkeeper and defenders and it was very windy but, at the end of the day, we are professionals and the climate is for both teams, so we had to cope with this."
No interview about the Boxing Day fixture could end without discussion of Bournemouth's 91st-minute leveller, which was scored by Wilson, despite the striker appearing to be both offside and divert the ball into the net with his right arm. Adrian, unsurprisingly, was unhappy with referee Bobby Madley's decision to award the goal. "To be fair, we were a bit disappointed because we had three points in the last minute and then we had the decision from the referee. I don't know why he changed the decision of the assistant because I think it was a bit offside and also handball, and he also interfered on my way to the ball. "I'm very disappointed with this, but we got a point and, at the end of the day, we didn't lose but it's not enough."
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West Ham's Reece Oxford set for RB Leipzig move
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport
West Ham defender Reece Oxford could complete a surprise move to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig next month. Oxford, 19, has been on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach and has made three league appearances this season. However, RB Leipzig are optimistic of a deal being agreed for an initial 9m Euros (£8m), with the fee potentially rising to 19m (£16.88m) with add ons. West Ham would have to recall the England Under-20 international from Monchengladbach before doing the deal. Leipzig tried to buy Oxford in 2016 but could not agree a fee with the Hammers. Oxford became West Ham's youngest ever player when he made his debut as a 16-year-old in a Europa League qualifying tie against Andorran side Lusitanos in July 2015. New Hammers boss David Moyes had agreed to let Oxford leave on a permanent basis, although it was anticipated he would remain at Monchengladbach. Leipzig were second in the table heading into December but have failed to win any of their last four matches and have slipped to fifth. They have been drawn against Napoli in the last 32 of the Europa League.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE: "OXFORD IS BEING RECALLED TO PLAY FOR US!"
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 DECEMBER 2017 AT 5:48PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
So the transfer rumour season is already in full force and we haven't reached January yet! The news broke this morning that Reece Oxford was due to make his loan move permanent at Borussia Mönchengladbach. I contacted one of my sources with that exact question and was told that they had received no offer for him and it was "news to them" despite being reported by a leading German newspaper "The Bild"
No sooner had I dismissed this rumour then the next one broke from the BBC that he was in fact off to Red Bull Liepzig for an initial £6m rising to around £17m. Now knowing how some of my sources simply answer the question in front of them and do not elaborate at times, I wanted to check that the "No offer received" applied to all clubs rather than just Monchengladbach. The reply I received was "It is very unlikely that Oxford will leave, every player has a price but we are recalling him to play for us". Now of course should Leipzig with all their financial clout come in and offer a huge sum, it would be hard to say no for a player who has yet to really show his potential at the club. This is unlikely to happen though and the club wish to see him feature for our first team now.
Oxford will never be far from the transfer rumours though because his agent is Adi Ward, who is the same agent for Sterling and Berahino, often likes to instigate moves for his players. The same agent's demands saw Quina's loan move to Sheffield United break down in the summer due to furthering his money requests as the deal approached completion. The same agent successfully negotiated a £20k a week deal for Oxford to tie him down to the club as well.
Oxford will offer options in midfield, defence and right back when he returns and it will be exciting to see how he and the talented Declan Rice go on to challenge for regular first team spots as the season continues. A centre back partnership of Rice and Oxford could be one that we rely on for many years to come.
Following my earlier tweet it appears that all the main newspapers and other West Ham websites are now "hearing the same thing" and saying that Oxford is due back to play for us.
It is likely however that Reece Burke's days at the club are numbered as the club think about recalling him from Bolton to move him on again perhaps on a permanent deal this time.
It is expected that Diafra Sakho's move from the club will be confirmed in the next week and this could free up a forward option. There is talk that Schurrle of Dortmund could be targeted for a loan move because he is out of favour there and wants to get in the German national team for the World Cup. We made a move for him in the summer which was close to completion but didn't quite get over the line. Ironically we may approach Gladback for some of their players too as well as having Sturridge, Giroud and Dembele of Celtic as possible replacements.
The number one position for Moyes to strengthen is central midfield. Now that Wilshire has confirmed he wishes to stay at Arsenal, N'Zonzi from Sevilla is the number one target although we face a lot of competition. All of these deals were covered on our radio show. I spoke of Oxford's recall last night and did a large section on transfers.
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MICHAIL ANTONIO: MA GONE MIA
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 DECEMBER 2017 AT 8:35PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @emedser for her blog https://betterthanzidane.wordpress.com
Michail Antonio where do I start! Once one of the stand out players at West Ham United now seems disjointed and leaves me frustrated with his decision making. He enjoyed a stellar first couple of seasons with the Hammers but seems to have fallen off this season. Could it be due to a long list of injuries mounting up for the Englishman or is it just his heart isn't in it anymore or more simply is he just not cut out for it.
2015/16 Season
The Wandsworth native signed for West Ham United on the 1st of September 2015 for £7 million on a 4 year contract with the option of a further 2 years. Not long after on the 19th September he made his debut in the 60th minute taking over from Victor Moses in the 2-1 victory over Manchester City. He was then not used again until 29th November coming on as a subsititue in the 1-1 draw against West Brom. After this Antonio started every remaining Premier League match for the Hammers. He opened his scoring account for West Ham in the 2-1 victory over Southampton on 28th December, following on from this he managed to bag goals against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Spurs, Everton and Manchester United. With Sam Byram out injured much to his dismay Michail was then utilised as a right back toward the end of the campaign. He just lost out on the Hammer of the year award coming runner up to the infamous Dimitri Payet.
2016/17 Season
Antonio started the season off with a bang scoring the first ever Premier League goal at the London Stadium in West Ham's 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth on 21st August 2016. In the next 3 Premier League matches against Manchester City, Watford and West Brom, impressively Antonio managed to grab 4 more goals. His incredible performances led to his first England call up for fixtures against Slovakia and Spain, however Michail did not get to play. Back to scoring ways he netted again against Spurs, Liverpool and Swansea and registered 3 more assists in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at the London Stadium. Antonio scored his final Premier League goal of the season away at Bournemouth on 21st March 2017, missing the last few games of the season due to a hamstring injury. The season ended with Antonio signing a new long term contract and the Londoner winning the Hammer of the year accolade.
2017/18 Season
This season Antonio has seemed a shell of the player he had been in the previous 2 seasons he has spent at West Ham United. He seems disinterested, careless and has shown a distinct lack of effort. After the 3-2 loss at Newcastle even manager David Moyes seemed exsaspered saying,
'He's an important player for us. We said at half-time we'd have to do something about it but he never gave us anything we could see would be helping us."
I appreciate that he has been littered with injuries at the end of 2016/17 season he missed the final 6 games due to a hamstring problem having also had to withdraw from the England squad. Then came the groin injury that Michail sustained at the start of the 2017/18 season coming off against Spurs. Then there was a rib injury and now a calf injury, it seems never ending! Since that hamstring problem he never seems to really have got back that spark we saw during the first couple seasons he enjoyed with the Hammers.
He was also left frustrated at being played in an unnatural position, right back. He was played in this position for much of the 2016/17 season but that still did not stop him getting 9 goals and 5 assists in all competitions. This season however he has not been played at right back due to the signing of Zabaleta from Manchester City and in my opinion has been half the player he was in the season he played right back so I don't think its a question of positioning.
Having said all this his end at Nottingham Forest, his previous club, was much similar to what we are experiencing now with Michail at West Ham United. When Antonio joined Forest in August 2014 for a small fee of £1.5 million he hit the ground running! In his first 5 league matches he bagged 3 goals and 3 assists and ended up starting every league match in his opening season with Forest, scoring 14 goals and being named player of the season in May 2015. After that things seemed to go downhill for Antonio as he was left out of Forest's Championship match against Charlton Athletic on 19th August 2015, with his then manager Dougie Freedman stating that the winger was not "in the right frame of mind" to play. Consequently on 26th August West Ham joined the bidding for Antonio along with West Bromwich Albion. He opted to sign for the Hammers and put pen to paper on 1st September 2015. This is story that should sound all too familiar to West Ham fans as it sounds almost identical to the situation they find themselves in with Antonio at the moment. His frame of mind seems elsewhere and whether this is due to his mountain of injuries or something else I just cannot say.
I truly hope that this can be resolved as at the moment we need everybody on board and playing for the team, all hands on deck! When Antonio has recovered I hope to see some renewed energy and enthusiasm and hopefully some goals.
What is your opinion? Can and should Antonio be doing better? Does he have the ability? Are injuries playing a part? Is his heart still in it? Does he still hold a grudge due to being played out of position? How can he turn it around? Will he improve? Let me know your thoughts 🙂
Thanks for reading.
COYI
Em x
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WEST HAM'S NEXT LEVEL – WHY AREN'T WE THERE? HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE IT?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 DECEMBER 2017 AT 9:23PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Harry Rawlings @HarryRawlings1
I, like most fans, was very wary of our move away from Upton Park, but got behind it as we were sold by the board that it would take us to 'the next level' getting 'champions league football in 5 years' and all the other unfulfilled promises/lies. A season and a half into it, we are in a relegation battle and have only gone backwards from the last season at Upton Park. In this article I want to explain what I think is going wrong, and what needs to change in order for us to get there in the future.
It seems to me that we are a very reactive club, always fixing problems, filling in holes and papering over the cracks. Our lack of forward planning is laughable to me and we will never progress if we are constantly putting out fires. First of all, the London Stadium move epitomises this. If they had planned the move properly in the first place, then they would not constantly be having to resolve issues now, for examples poor stewarding, segregation issues and distance from the pitch. On the footballing side of things, we had a defensive and what some fans would say, 'boring period' under Allardyce. Then when the fans weren't happy, and the board wanted a manager with more of an attacking strategy, we appointed Bilic. This worked well initially but then we started conceding too many goals and he eventually lost his job. Now we have made a safe move with Moyes, whose first job has been to sort our defence out. But due to his six-month break clause, this leaves the fans wondering what will happen next. This shows another quick fix decision being made by the club without any long term goal in mind other than avoiding relegation.
Another reactive move seen by the club, has been through its recruitment policy. When moving into the new stadium we bought over 10 players in, most of them were young and had not played in the league e.g. Masuaku, Tore, Fernandez, Calleri and Martinez. It was a tough season to join, given it was the first season at a new stadium and expectations were high, and most of them did not work out, perhaps they were not given enough chances, but without going into specifics, the club thought this policy failed. As a result of this, they altogether changed their transfer policy, if we can even call it that, more like changed their mind, and thought experienced players who had played in the league is who they should recruit. So, Snodgrass and Fonte came in January, followed by experienced pros such as Hart, Zabaleta, Arnie and Hernandez in the summer. Now, without going in to detail about each player and whether they were good signings or not, the board have gone from one extreme of buying lots of cheaper, younger inexperienced players to a selective few of older experienced premier league players on huge wages. Where is the continuity? What plan is that following? There seems to be none at all and shows a complete lack of a footballing philosophy.
More evidence towards the club's lack of forward thinking, is their choices to buy good, established players, without thinking about how they could fit into our current team. For example, it was quite apparent that we needed a striker and Javier Hernandez is one of the best finishers in world football. But for him to thrive you need to play a style he is suited to and give him opportunities in the box so that he can finish. So what is the point in playing him when we are still lumping balls up to Carroll or playing him as a left winger? Ayew is another example of a good player, but it is hard to see where he fits into our team, and where his permanent role should be.
Now, it's right to discuss managing styles, and the right structure for our club to adopt to secure a positive future. Fergie was a manager that controlled every aspect of the football club, him along with Wenger are the old school type of managers who kept complete control over club decisions. When Fergie left, and the club had a succession of managers who also had full control of the football club, each one left a team of a mish mash of players from several managers ideologies. When you look at Palace who had a squad built mainly by Allardyce on big, quick and physical players who were used to a direct style of football who then made wholesale changes trying to adopt a total football approach they failed miserably and sacked the manager.
At Southampton, in comparison to the previous examples, their technical director Les Reed sets a precedent of scouting and developing youth players. They are given chances in the first team and set a style of football which they want to play. Even though they have a high turnover of managers, when a new manager does come in there isn't massive changes in terms of player recruitment and how the team plays due to the solid philosophy engrained in the club which is easy for new managers to continue. They have consistently finished in the top 10 and if it wasn't for the owners selling their best players they would without doubt be a top club knocking on the door of the Champions League.
Looking at our set up, it appears there is a mix of the manager, Tony Henry and David Sullivan controlling footballing decisions. With 3 people having an input it seems like there will be a lot of conflict and unaccountability for when things go wrong. Following this model, I can't see us finishing any higher than 8th at absolute best, with relegation as a more realistic option than finishing in the top 10.
The whole board in vs board out argument is for another day, but the fact is they are here to stay for the foreseeable future and we must find the best way of working with them. No matter what you think of David Sullivan, he is a very successful businessman and owns the club he supports. But no matter how much he loves West Ham and wants us to do well, he is not a football expert and quite clearly follows no solid philosophy or plan. I think he has way too much say on the footballing aspect of the club and needs to solely focus on the negotiations and the daily running of the football club, on the business side of things, for our successful future.
My first memories of watching West Ham as a little kid were seeing Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Glen Johnson gracing the pitch. Since then it has been pretty appalling other than Noble and Tomkins. I would love to see us appoint a technical director who would invest heavily in youth and try to get back to this era. For this to happen, David Sullivan would have to step aside from these current duties and give the director a remit to make our academy great again and set a president for the certain style of football they want… the West Ham way?
The best example of this has been at RB Leipzig. They had a vision of creating a football team to match their brand of energy drink. Very energetic, fast and exciting to watch. They then hired Ralph Rangnick as the sporting director. Working from these principles, he hired a manager to best achieve these goals – Ralph Hasenhüttl. They then had a specific transfer policy of only signing players from 17-23 so they can be moulded into the philosophy of the club and have the legs for the furious tempo they like to play at. After only being formed in 2009, they were promoted into the Bundesliga last season and came second behind Bayern Munich. They subsequently qualified for the Champions League which is an unbelievable achievement and shows what can be done through thorough planning and commitment to an objective, instead of being the very backwards and reactive club we are now. To reemphasise my point, Monaco are another team that have done a similar thing in France and won their league. They have an excellent scouting network set up and a manager who is willing to give them game time and develop them into world class players such as Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Mbappe and Lemar.
Ultimately, we are never going to have the money to buy the best players and compete with the big clubs, so the way I see it, for us to get to this next level, we must buy young prospects and develop them into great players. We will then keep them on because they want to play for us and buy into the vision that needs to be set by a passionate sporting/football/technical director.
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Huddersfield allocation sold out
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have sold out their entire opening allocation of tickets for the club's first trip to Huddersfield in 20 years. The last occasion on which the two sides met at Town's McAlpine Stadium (as it was then known) came in a 1997 Coca Cola Cup second round, first leg tie which the Terriers won 1-0 thanks to a late winner from lifelong Hammers fan Alex Dyer. And as a result all 2,000+ tickets for the 13 January match have gone like hot cakes, with the initial 90 per cent made available all gone to season ticket holders. The remaining 10 per cent of tickets, around 234 in total, are being held for season ticket holders with insufficient points to enter the initial ballot and claret members. These go on sale from 11am tomorrow morning (Friday) priced £30 for adults, £20 for over 60s and £15 for under 18s.
Huddersfield Town v West Ham Utd: head-to-head
West Ham Utd: 11 wins (biggest win 4-0, January 1954)
Huddersfield: 22 wins (biggest win 6-2, February 1957)
Draws: 7
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Oxford set for £17million switch?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
Teenage defender Reece Oxford is set to join RB Leipzig on a permanent basis, according to reports from Germany. The 19-year-old is currently on a season-long loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, for whom he has made three appearances thus far this season. However a report in respected German daily Bild today claims that Oxford's loan is set to be cut short so that West Ham may sell him to Monchengladbach's Bundesliga rivals Leipzig, who are said to have agreed a £17million deal. The German club saw a £10million bid for the Edmonton-born defender rejected in July 2016 - at the same time Manchester City had a £15million offer rejected. However another report from Germany insists that Gladbach are also seeking to make Oxford's loan permanent, with sporting director Max Eberl telling bundesliga.com that talks have already begun. "We want to keep hold of him after the winter," he said. "We have inquired about the possibilities of a purchase and exploratory talks are underway. Good Bundesliga players are always of interest for us."
West Ham, who are yet to comment on the speculation, have consistently denied previous reports linking Oxford - one of the most highly-rated youngsters to emerge via the club's Academy in recent seasons - with a move away from the club. And further speculation suggests that the Hammers intend to retain the services of Oxford, and could recall him to the club as early as next month.
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Hurry up Davey, come on
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th December 2017
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he is looking to conduct his January business as early as possible in order to give West Ham the best chance of escaping the drop zone. The Hammers fell back to 17th in the Premier League as a result of the defeat against Newcastle and draw at Bournemouth over Christmas, leaving Moyes in no doubt that fresh faces are urgently required. And the recently-appointed manager hopes to start bringing players in as soon as he possibly can - with the midfield especially set for an overhaul. "I'm in a hurry," he told whufc.com. "I have to be in a hurry because I cannot wait three or four months to see how you do. Ideally I'd have had six or seven pre-season games to understand what they're like, but I've not. "Every player has shown great desire and is committed in training, but I think we're short in some areas and overloaded in others. "For example, we've got lots of forwards but we're really short of midfield players. We've got quite a few who are comfortable playing on the left, but not so many who can play on the right so we've got an imbalanced squad. "We've got a couple of forwards in form at the minute and people we can bring on and use, so I think we've got a threat, but were definitely lacking in some areas."
Moyes has been in charge of West Ham for 10 matches since succeeding Slaven Bilic at the start of November, winning two, drawing three and losing five games.
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West Ham set to recall Reece Oxford from Monchengladbach amid RB Leipzig interest
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 28/12/17 7:19pm
SSN
West Ham United are expected to recall Reece Oxford from his loan at Borussia Monchengladbach amid interest from fellow Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. A senior Hammers source has told Sky Sports News that the midfielder will "probably" return in January despite Monchengladbach wanting to sign the defender on a permanent deal worth £5.5m. Leipzig, who were interested in signing Oxford in 2016 when he was just 17 years old, are also keen on signing him next month but they have not yet made a formal offer. Oxford has played only four times for Monchengladbach this season but they like what they have seen and expect the 19-year-old to develop into a top player. West Ham value Oxford highly too and would not let him leave unless they received an exceptional offer. The England U20 international, who signed a new West Ham contract last year that tied him to the club until 2021, joined Monchengladbach on a season-long loan on June 21.
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Stoke, West Brom, West Ham, Newcastle keen on Danny Ings loan from Liverpool
By Rob Dorsett and Bryan Swanson
Last Updated: 28/12/17 7:55pm
SSN
Stoke are interested in taking Liverpool striker Danny Ings on loan but are likely to face competition from Newcastle, West Ham and West Brom, Sky Sports News has been told. Ings, whose contract at Anfield expires in June 2020, was used as a late substitute by Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League games against Everton and Bournemouth in December. Ings has made just eight league starts since joining from Burnley in June 2015, mostly due to injury problems. He suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his first season and was on his way back when he sustained a second knee injury in November 2016. The England international made his comeback in the EFL Cup defeat at Leicester in September. Mark Hughes' Stoke sit 13th in the Premier League with two wins from their last six games, two points above 15th-placed Newcastle and 17th-placed West Ham. Meanwhile, Alan Pardew will be looking to add to West Brom's attacking options in January given the Baggies languish in the relegation zone on 15 points
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RB Leipzig make £17m move for Reece Oxford - but West Ham want to recall teenager from Bundesliga loan
Oxford is open to a permanent switch to Germany having enjoyed his time there after moving to Monchengladbach last summer
The Mirror
ByJohn CrossChief Football Writer
18:52, 28 DEC 2017
Red Bull Leipzig have made a stunning £17m move for West Ham prospect Reece Oxford. But the Bundesliga club are stuck in a three way battle for the 19-year-old as West Ham want to recall him from his loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach who also want to sign him permanently. Oxford is open to a permanent switch to Germany having enjoyed his time there after moving to Monchengladbach last summer and has done enough to impress two clubs. West Ham boss David Moyes is also watching developments closely and does not want to lose Oxford who is viewed as being one of England's best defensive prospects. Moyes may now see him as being able to play a part in the second half of the season and, despite the huge money on offer, would not want to regret selling him further down the line. RB Leipzig are willing to pay £9m up front with further add-ons based on appearances and international caps with the fee potentially rising to £17m.
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West Ham plot Joe Allen transfer as David Moyes looks to reshape struggling squad in January window
PLUS: Moyes eyeing reunion with Sunderland's Lamine Kone with Alfie Mawson also on the radar
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
22:30, 28 DEC 2017
David Moyes wants to sign Stoke midfielder Joe Allen. The West Ham boss has made the 27-year-old Wales international one of his main targets for the January transfer window as he looks to reshape his side. Allen is a key man at the Bet365 under Mark Hughes. He is of interest to Moyes because of his versatility - Allen is able to play in advanced position but is also effective as a deeper-lying midfielder. Signed in the summer of 2016 by Stoke from Liverpool, Allen has had a number of Premier League admirers for some time. Swansea, who lost him in 2012, tried to sign him for now-departed Paul Clement during this year's summer transfer window as a replacement for Gylfi Sigurdsson. Moyes is also interested in a reunion with Sunderland defender Lamine Kone with Winston Reid, dropped for the Boxing Day draw at Bournemouth, on borrowed time. Kone, a 28-year-old centre-back, played a crucial role in keeping the Black Cats in the Premier League two years ago. Moyes persuaded him to remain at the Stadium of Light instead of defecting to Everton. But although Kone is still at the club he has been out of form and is recovering from a knee injury. Sunderland are willing to get him off the wage bill, however, and are open to doing a deal. West Ham are also keen on Swansea's Alfie Mawson with Moyes understood to want to sign two defenders. The Scot confirmed earlier this week that he will be active when the window reopens.
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