Daily WHUFC News - 18th February 2017

Akinola - Strong season so far
WHUFC.com

West Ham's U18s travel to Arsenal for a London derby on Saturday The Hammers
only need a point to qualify for the U18 Elite Merit Group Tunji Akinola
believes qualification will round add to an already strong season

Captain Tunji Akinola hopes the U18s can round off their "strong" season
with a place in the U18 Premier League South top four.
Akinola and his teammates have lost back-to-back fixtures in the league but
are still in firm control of their own destiny, needing just a point from
their final two matches to qualify for the U18 Elite Merit Group. They
visit Arsenal this weekend (11am) and know a strong performance at London
Colney will stand them in good stead for the coming matches. "It's been a
strong season for us so far and the top four has been the aim from the very
start," said Akinola. "We want to test ourselves against the best and that
means playing Man City, Man United and Liverpool."

"We're on course to do that and hopefully we can get that point against
Arsenal at the weekend. "We need to get used to that because we'll be
playing against the elite teams if we qualify for the top four."

With a number of players on U23 duty and out through injury, Steve Potts and
Mark Phillips have been forced to select a number of U16 players in recent
weeks, handing rare appearances to Louie Watson, Ajibola Alese, Jay Mingi
and Odisseas Spyrides. Akinola believes it's a great opportunity for those
younger players to develop even further and test themselves against older
opponents. "It's great for the younger players who need this sort of test to
improve," added Akinola. "Development is the most important thing for us
younger players. "We've been missing a few players through injury but it's
vital for the younger players to come in and step up and get the
experience."

The U18s Hammers have lost their last two fixtures but Akinola knows exactly
what needs to be done to turn around their recent fortunes. "It's very
disappointing to lose two games in a row, especially at home. Our main issue
has been conceding from set pieces and we need to make sure that we change
that against Arsenal "No matter what Arsenal age group you play, it's always
a tough match. They like to pass around quite a lot so we need to be up for
the game."

West Ham's Under 18s take on Arsenal at the London Colney Training Ground on
Saturday. Kick-off is at 11am.

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Bilic - 'Lanzini has taken added responsibility'
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic said Manuel Lanzini has taken on added responsibility since the
departure of Dimitri Payet
No10 has scored and assisted twice apiece in West Ham United's last five
Premier League matches Manager also praised the influence of captain Mark
Noble and new boys Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass

Slaven Bilic says Manuel Lanzini is one of a number of players who have
taken on added responsibility since the departure of Dimitri Payet.

The No10 has assumed the role of central playmaker in the West Ham United
team, scoring and assisting twice each in the five Premier League matches
the Hammers have played after Payet's refused to play and subsequently moved
to Olympique Marseille.

Speaking to Premier League Productions, Bilic also praised the influence of
captain Mark Noble and new signings Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass in
helping turn the atmosphere surrounding the Club around in recent weeks.

"Manu is 23 and he likes to takes the responsibility but also he likes, he
wants and he needs to feels important, like many players do," said Bilic.

"Mark is a great captain. We have a really good atmosphere in the camp, on
the pitch and off the pitch, and then you have youngsters like Lanzini and
the new players who need to take the responsibility on and at the moment
we're doing that really good."

While West Ham have a good record against teams in the lower half of the
Premier League this season, the Hammers have failed to repeat the memorable
victories over the top clubs they achieved last season.

Twenty-eight of West Ham's 32 points have been won against teams in the
bottom half, while just two have been won from matches against opponents in
the top six - from draws at Manchester United and Liverpool. In contrast, in
12 matches against the top six last season, West Ham picked up 25 points.

So, Bilic was asked, how will he reinstate that belief among his players
that they can beat the best on a regular basis? His response suggested both
he as the manager and the players themselves had a collective responsibility
to creating the belief needed to take down the top teams - as happened a
year ago.

"They need proof and for that you also need a little bit of luck in the
beginning," he explained. "You can tell them 'Listen guys, no more losing
mentalities, work on setting standards in training' and it should always be
competitive and that they are training for something and all that.

"You can do that and tell them 'You are good enough, you are good enough'
but then last year it started great for us. You are telling them in training
'We are good, we are good' and then first game of the season we went to
Emirates away and won 2-0 and they go 'What he said is true! I'm good! Who's
the next one?' "It was Liverpool away and we won 3-0. After that, you have
your ups and downs but it's easier.

"I think I have had privilege in my life to talk football with top managers,
ex-managers and whatever and that's the key to making your squad improve,
not only technically but mentally."

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Cresswell - Dubai is great for team spirit
WHUFC.com

West Ham United left-back Aaron Cresswell thinks the side's mid-season trip
to Dubai will be a boost to the team spirit The squad are spending five days
in the United Arab Emirates as they recharge the batteries ahead of a
crucial few months England international Cresswell is delighted to be in the
warm weather with his teammates

West Ham United left-back Aaron Cresswell believes the Club's mid-season
trip to Dubai is great for the team spirit amongst the squad.
Slaven Bilic's men travelled to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for a
series of warm weather training sessions before they return to the capital
on Monday to look ahead to facing Watford next weekend. And Cresswell,
currently nursing a slight hamstring injury which he picked up in the side's
2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, thinks it's a great chance
for the squad to get together as a group. He said: "It's nice to all get
together and spend four or five days together. We've also got a couple of
new lads so it's a chance for them to get together with everyone and enjoy
it. "It's always good to get in something different for training, and of
course that's what we're getting with a bit of warm weather training. The
lads are working hard, and it's good to get out of the cold and into the
warm and get a bit done. "It's a chance to recharge the batteries and it's
always good for the body. We've got to continue the hard work here and take
that into the next week and go into the Watford game."

The Hammers were minutes away from coming to Dubai off the back of a Premier
League win, but Gareth McAuley's late header for Tony Pulis' team meant the
hosts were made to settle for a draw. And despite the late disappointment at
London Stadium, Cresswell claimed the focus now is all on travelling to
Vicarage Road. "It was disappointing, the game against West Brom, especially
for me coming off injured and sitting there to watch the goal go in in the
last minute," the England international continued. "It felt like a defeat
and we fully deserved the three points. "It would have been nice to come
here knowing that we had that three points on the table and it's
disappointing, but as I say, that's football and we have to forget about
that and look forward to the Watford game now. "It's a chance for revenge
and Watford have had an up and down season. But they've got some very good
players and we know it's going to be tough going away, but hopefully we can
get the three points. "I should be back towards the start of next week, when
we get back from Dubai, and hopefully I can get a good week's strengthening
here with the physios and look ahead to next week."

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Reid attends disability session
WHUFC.com

Winston Reid enjoyed a special evening at the West Ham Foundation as he was
a star guest at the weekly disability session in Beckton.

Reid wasted no time getting involved in the action as he joined 25
participants for a fun game of football and was then happy to sign
autographs and answer questions from the youngsters.

The West Ham Foundation plays a big role in helping to support people of all
disabilities in the local community and supports a number of nationwide
programmes.

Anyone is welcome to attend the weekly disability sessions, which sees
people have a range of disabilities from visual impairments to hearing
difficulties and the Foundation are there to help everyone in the local
community.

Reid certainly received a special welcome as he walked out onto the pitch at
the Club's Foundation pitch in Beckton and knows the importance of the work
that is carried out in the local community.

Reid said: "It's nice in general to come and see the kids and put a smile on
their faces. They are really happy and they want you to be involved which is
great.

"I remember when I was a kid how amazing it was when you saw someone that
you maybe idolised so it's nice to come down here.

"It's important, you see that these children have disabilities but they can
still get out on the pitch and enjoy it.

"They get amongst each other and have a good competitive game of football
and that's what matters really at the end of the day and for the club it's
very important to be involved in the local community.

"Obviously we don't get to see everything that goes on but when you come to
these events you get to see personally what they do on a day to day basis
and it's an honour to be a part of it and to support the cause."

BT Sport were also present as they filmed a special documentary on the
night's event and spoke to a number of youngsters and staff involved in the
event to help promote the Premier League and BT Disability Fund.

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Slaven Bilic: I lost it against West Brom because I wanted West Ham to win
so badly
SLAVEN BILIC Evening Standard

Everyone makes mistakes and both myself and my assistant manager, Nikola
Jurcevic, will pay for ours following the £8,000 fine imposed on us for our
actions during the match against West Brom. I shouldn't have done what I did
but it was a game we should and would have won if just one decision had gone
our way. Of course, you don't expect referees to get it all right because
this is a game of mistakes and I make them - everyone makes them. Whoever
knows me will tell you I always make a point of saying how unbelievably
difficult it is for referees these days. Having said that, though, when it
happens as it did to us on five or six occasions against West Brom last
Saturday, it is hard to take. I am standing on the touchline, saying: "Just
give us one decision - just one!" It was simply too much. I am normally okay
on the touchline, I like to have a laugh with the fourth official and have
some banter with the opposition manager - I enjoy that and appreciate it
because in some other countries in which I have worked, that sort of
interaction is not encouraged. I love that aspect of working in the Premier
League but this was different. Yes, I am afraid I did 'lose it' a little at
the end but I knew what I was doing. It was one of those occasions when,
because of the level of frustration, you want to do something and there is
no force in the world that is going to stop you. You want to show everyone
how frustrated you are and although you know that your actions will result
in you being punished, still you do it. I also want to say how much I rate
Michael Oliver and he knows that. Last season, I can't remember him
refereeing any of our games but he was the fourth official at one of our
matches towards the end of the campaign. I said to him then: "I've got to
tell you, I like the way you referee, you are one of the best." I still
like him, it's hard for officials and it's nothing personal - I would have
done the same if my brother or my late father had refereed the game in that
way. To play so well and still not win, makes it doubly hard to take.

In the build-up to West Brom's first- half goal, for example, there was a
foul on Sofiane Feghouli. I wasn't happy then that we had a goal ruled out
but okay, after a TV replay, we saw that Michail Antonio was offside. We
then had three penalty appeals. By the law of averages, when that happens
you will have one decision go your way. Then, right at the end, they took
their throw-in many yards further up the pitch than was correct and we
conceded a corner. Then, when the ball came over, there were 10 people in
our six-yard box, bodies everywhere - and still no whistle, despite
everything that had gone on before. That's why I did what I did. Of course,
it was not the right thing to do and I am not proud of it, but it had
nothing to do with the pressure. Danny Murphy, who I rate highly, did his
best to explain it on TV by saying it was down to that pressure. No, it
wasn't like that. Of course, there is always pressure, but in this case it
was because I wanted to win this game and I felt we had deserved to do that,
despite not having those decisions go for us. We had turned the game around
after conceding that early goal, something which is not easy to do against
West Brom. It was maybe the best performance all season - that was why I was
so gutted we didn't win.

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West Ham will work harder in Dubai than in London, says Slaven Bilic
SLAVEN BILIC Evening Standard

By the time you read this column, we will be in Dubai for some warm-weather
training. We flew there overnight after training at the London Stadium and
meeting many young fans. It was great to see around 10,000 turn up for the
Family Fun Day. It is the first time I have taken a squad away in this
manner but it is common over here. We are going there to train first of all
and we will work harder than if we had stayed here. We will train in the
morning, have lunch together and then the players will have some free time
to recharge the batteries in a good and decent way. Cresswell told West
Ham's official website: "It's nice to all get together and spend four or
five days together. We've also got a couple of new lads so it's a chance for
them to get together with everyone and enjoy it.
"It's always good to get in something different for training, and of course
that's what we're getting with a bit of warm weather training. The lads are
working hard, and it's good to get out of the cold and into the warm and get
a bit done."

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WHAT VOID WILL MARK CLATTENBURG LEAVE IN ENGLISH FOOTBALL?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 17 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 3:26PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Sam Royden @SamRoyden

What void will Mark Clattenburg leave in English football after becoming the
Saudi Arabia's new head of refereeing? The answer is a big void!

In my opinion, Mark Clattenburg is one of the best referees and not only
within the Premier League and Europe but in the World. Last season,
Clattenburg officiated three of the biggest finals in European football: FA
Cup, Champions League and Euro 2016. The last referee from the English FA to
officiate two big competition finals in one season was Howard Webb in
2009/2010 season (Champions League and World Cup Final).

Clattenburg is a model for any aspiring referee, even those who have
recently qualified as a Level 7/8 referee or are getting a promotion as an
elite referee in the Premier League. Clattenburg consistently shows control
and composure throughout games making the right decisions the majority of
the time. Of course now and then he will make an error, but he is human
after all and that is one thing that can be forgotten when anyone is
scrutinising a decision which has been made, especially after us as fans can
watch the decisions played back and forth in slow motion whilst referees
can't in real time.

One of Clattenburg's biggest strengths along with his athleticism and
decision making, is his communication and player management. When
Clattenburg mades a decision, he is very animated with gestures and takes
time to speak to players to get them to understand why he's made that
decision. You see a lot of referees in the Premier League make a decision,
get flustered and then shy away from talking to the players and this
ultimately leads to a lack of respect.

Clattenburg hasn't shied away from controversy and in October 2014,
Clattenburg was dropped from officiating for two breaches of protocol –
speaking with then-Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock on the phone, before
leaving a ground alone to drive to an Ed Sheeran concert. Also, last year
Clattenburg got two tattoos on his left arm to celebrate refereeing the
Champions League and Euro 2016 finals – this is why Clattenburg wears long
sleeves or long sleeve under armour.

After Howard Webb retired in 2014, there was a period of uncertainty within
the PGMOL as referee standards dropped considerably over two seasons,
however Clattenburg stepped up and filled Webb's shoes very well. Now that
Clattenburg has gone, there is an opportunity for a referee currently
officiating in the Championship to make the leap up to the next level (the
Premier League), or there is now the opportunity for the likes of Graham
Scott and Paul Tierney to step up and make their mark on the season, after
currently making 12 appearances between them so far this season.

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DOES LOYALTY STILL EXIST IN FOOTBALL?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 17 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 3:33PM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by Arun Janaka

History of 'Snakes'

Being a West Ham supporter, 'snakes' can go back as early as 1988 with Paul
Ince. The midfielder had been pictured in a Manchester United shirt before
any deal got done. Then to top it all off, the club got relegated the same
season. Even to this day his name is still mud in East London. Although he
claimed the photo got taken before going on holiday.

I now move to Jermain Defoe. Less than 24 hours after the club got
relegated, Defoe had submitted a transfer request. A refusal to sign a new
contract along with disciplinary problems, including three sending offs.
This led to West Ham accepting an offer from Tottenham for him in the
January transfer window. Fans of West Ham still hiss and boo at him when he
comes to play.

Now this player was different. Scott Parker a man who we thought bled claret
and blue had handed in a transfer request after once again, a relegation.
Parker got put on a pedestal by us West Ham fans and I guess it came and
slapped us in the face. In August 2011, Tottenham and West Ham both
announced the transfer of Parker, with the fee believed to have cost £5.5
million. However West Ham fans are still split on whether they hate Scott
Parker or not. I don't mind him. He did apologise to the fans before leaving
but everybody is different and the fact he went to spurs was why fans were
angry.

Do Contracts Matter?

The last story is definitely well-known by you readers. Despite signing a
glamorous 5 year contract earning 125k per week, months later after a 5-0
loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup, speculation arose that Dimitri Payet
had submitted a transfer request. This was evidently not a rumour as before
the league match against Crystal Palace the club had tweeted about it. At
first the club didn't want to sell the player, so he decided to take strike.
The club had gone on to win their next two games and he got sold to
Marseille for 25 million pounds. Payet is probably considered the worst of
the bunch at West Ham and he'll probably never be forgiven. Especially with
the amount of social media there is, to remind fans of his actions. Purely
due to the fact that he essentially had the club believing his lies to earn
money.

In recent news, winger Michail Antonio,who still has 4 years left in his
contract, had stated to the media that he's unsure on whether he's going to
sign a new contract but says, "his head hasn't swayed".He has been linked
him with a move to Premier League leaders Chelsea.However we understand West
Ham have no intention of selling the 26-year-old. The whole situation with
Payet has made me realise that giving him a new contract won't always mean
he stays.

Does Loyalty Still Exist?

Leading on from my last point, a contract doesn't always decide things. It's
the players' mindset, and these days you find it hard to have players like
Mark Noble such as or even like Sergio Aguero who's been at City for 6 years
now.

So here's my question, does loyalty still exist? In my opinion its fading
away especially in the premier league and it will be hard to find more
players that do stay at a club for at least the length of their contract as
more and more players, are getting bored with the same journey and would
rather prefer constantly improving their cash sum then leaving. I'd like to
see what you have to say about it so go ahead.

Thank you for reading today's article

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David Gold EXCLUSIVE: London Stadium feeling more like home for West Ham The
Hammers co-chairman says the club is settling in to its new surroundings in
Stratford
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE 12:15, 17 FEB 2017

They aren't at home right now, but West Ham co-chairman David Gold has said
the London Stadium is finally starting to feel that way.
In part two of his exclusive interview with football.london, Gold says the
club is still settling in to its new surroundings in Stratford, having made
the four-mile move from E13 to E20 in the summer. The problems of the start
of the season are well and truly behind the Hammers now and they can
certainly look forward, rather than backwards, with the new home also
hosting its first Family Day earlier this week. Gold said: "I absolutely
agree it feels more like home, especially in recent games. "You have to win
a few and we have started to do that now. Wherever you go, whether you have
been here 100 years or one year, if you're losing games they [the fans] are
unhappy. "They want to win games. Two things are happening, we are winning
games and we are settling in. It's feeling like home, we are solving the
problems which are inevitable when you move, but we are solving them. "The
future looks good and the family day we have had works well. It's the icing
on the cake, really."
The Hammers squad - minus Manuel Lanzini, Raphael Spiegel and Gokhan Tore -
are currently out in Dubai for some warm-weather training, though the sun
isn't actually out in the Emirates city, surprisingly. Gold re-iterated
manager Slaven Bilic's promise that the players will be training hard. They
have been as well, with two sessions already under their belts at the time
of writing. "They will be working hard, I promise you," Gold said. "There
will be some sweat going on this trip. I have spoken to Slaven, Mark [Woods,
goalkeeping coach] and Stijn [Vandenbroucke, physio] and they are going out
for a real serious time. "There will be no rest. Well, there might be some
chance but predominantly it is for a serious training sessions."

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Cheikhou Kouyate admits he does not like his nickname at West Ham
HITC Antony Martin

The West Ham United midfielder is key to the way in which his side play.
Hammers midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate sat down for an in-depth interview with
the club's official website, and shared how he gained a new nickname from
his teammates, following his ability to play in pretty much any position,
when Slaven Bilic has called upon him to do so. 'Mr Versatile', as he is now
known in the West Ham dressing room, has fully established himself as one of
the club's most important players, since making his £7 million move to the
club in the summer of 2014, and his absence from the Hammers' midfield
during his participation in the African Cup of Nations with Senegal hit the
club hard. The lack of physical prowess in the middle of the park was clear
for all to see, and now that he is back and available for selection, Bilic
will be confident that his side can continue their climb up the Premier
League table. The 27-year-old sat down for a wide-ranging interview with
WHUFC.com, and explained how he is happy to give everything for the team, no
matter what position he is deployed in: "I know I am known as our Mr
Versatile at the moment, but I don't really like this title! Every time we
don't have a left-back, I play at left-back and every time we don't have a
right-back, I play at right-back, which is very hard! I prefer to play in
midfield, but every time I play, whether it is there or at full-back, I will
give everything for the team. I play for the team and not for myself."
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Vicarage Road to take on Watford on
February 25th, and Bilic's men will be looking for revenge, after losing 4-2
to the Hornets in the reverse fixture earlier on in their campaign.

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IN PRAISE OF ARTHUR MASUAKU
By Iain Dale
17 Feb 2017 at 10:30
WTID

Even though I am part of the media, I sometimes scratch my head in
bewilderment at some of the stories which sports media journalists
manufacture. Several outlets are reporting today that West Ham are willing
to take a massive financial hit on Arthur Masuaku and sell him in the summer
- or even give him away.

When Masuaku came into the team after Cresswell was injured he was, for me,
an absolute revelation. He built up a tremendous understanding with whoever
played in front of him and showed some brilliant skills. Indeed, in the
first part of the season I remember putting him forward as a candidate for
Hammer of the Year.

His attacking abilities are superb. He can dribble and beat an opponent at
will. Defensively he is slightly less convincing and has a tendency to
panic, but overall I have been hugely impressed with him.

He had one dodgy game in which nothing went right for him, and it is on that
one game (was it Arsenal?) that too many people now judge him. He's never
been able to redeem himself as he's been injured ever since. He's on his way
back to fitness now and I hope he is given another chance in the first team
before too long. To write him off now is ridiculous.

it is said his former club of Olympiakos would have first refusal. Madness.
We have two excellent left backs, both of whom can play in more advanced
roles in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 formation. If Masuaku is happy to compete for the
left back position, why on earth would we even think of selling him?

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Five reasons why Manuel Lanzini should stay with West Ham The Argentine has
recently remarked that he would like to return to River Plate
Football London
BYROB GUEST 19:00, 16 FEB 2017

West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini has become an integral part of the team
since his arrival in 2015, so his comments about a possible return to River
Plate certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst the club's fans. The
24-year-old left his boyhood club in 2014, but he told Argentinian
television channel TyC Sports that he wants to return to River at some stage
in his career. Lanzini is adored by the club's fans and would be welcomed
back with open arms after scoring the fastest-ever goal against great rivals
Boca Juniors. The Argentine penned a permanent four-year deal with the
Hammers in the summer and they will not want to let their prize asset depart
the London Stadium.

Here are five reasons why Lanzini should stay with the Hammers.

Become a club hero

Lanzini is already adored by West Ham's fans and if he stays he has the
chance to earn cult status. The diminutive player lit up Upton Park last
season with his dazzling displays and scored seven goals during his loan
spell from Al Jazira. Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez are two of the club's
foreign players that have gone on to earn legendary status amongst the fans
following their displays for the team. Dmitri Payet was on his way to
earning that status prior to his well-documented transfer to Marseille in
January and Lanzini could well be the player to take on the mantle.

Build the team around him

Following Payet's departure, Lanzini is the go-to guy in the team now when
West Ham need a spark to bring the game to life. The player is vital to
Slaven Bilic's attacking play and he was on the scoresheet on Saturday in
the 2-2 draw with West Brom. Andy Carroll makes a huge difference for West
Ham when he is fit but Lanzini is the match-winner for the team. If West Ham
are to keep progressing in the league, then Lanzini is central to Bilic's
plans and the team can be built around him for years to come.

Help the club achieve a regular European place

The Hammers are still in the running for a European place this campaign but
their poor start could come back to haunt them come the end of the season.
Lanzini helped the club to a seventh place finish last season and achieve
qualification for the Europa League.
However, a 1-0 home defeat to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the final
qualifying round meant the Hammers didn't even make it to the group stage.
It will be a big ask for West Ham to qualify for Europe this season but with
Bilic in charge the have the right man who can put them in the running for
regular European football.

Money to spend in the summer

West Ham's failure to bring in their intended targets in the summer was
certainly well documented with a number of deals falling through. Money is
available for Bilic to spend and a busy summer is expected at the London
Stadium once the season draws to a close.
The club strengthened their ranks in January with the additions of Robert
Snodgrass and Jose Fonte, and they now have more money available following
Payet's £25 million transfer to Marseille. The Hammers are going to have to
strengthen their squad to ensure they can compete for a European place and
silverware on a regular basis if they want to keep Lanzini at the club.

Potential call-up to the national team

Lanzini has been vocal in the past about his hopes of receiving a call-up to
the Argentina national team. The 24-year-old was named in his country's
18-man squad for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but he had to pull out after
picking up a knee injury on international duty. Everton defender Ramiro
Funes Mori and Man City trio Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi and Sergio
Aguero are all regulars in the Argentina squad, so manager Edgardo Bauza
does watch the Premier League regularly. If Lanzini is to catch Bauza's eye,
as well as achieve his dream, it is vital that he stays with West Ham and
keeps them moving up the table with his classy performances.

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Don Hutchison shares what West Ham United's Mark Noble recently told him
about Manuel Lanzini
HITC John Verrall

West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini has scored twice in his last five
appearances. Don Hutchison has told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show,
which was broadcast on TalkSPORT on 16th February, that Mark Noble's been
encouraging Manuel Lanzini to fill the void left by Dimitri Payet's
departure at West Ham United. Payet left West Ham to join Marseille last
month, after deciding that his future no longer belonged at the London
Stadium. In truth, Payet has not been anywhere near his best throughout the
whole season and Noble had realised that the attacking midfielder was on his
way out. As a result, the Hammers' captain had been encouraging Lanzini to
believe himself, to try and draw his best form out of him. "Mark said that
he has been on at him for six months telling him that 'you can be our man,
you've got all the talent'. I think he's been living under Payet's shadow,
but now he's playing well and got his goal at the weekend," Hutchison said.
Lanzini has stepped up since Payet's departure, and become one of West Ham's
most important players in recent weeks. The Argentine midfielder has
sparkled though his performances lately, and appears to be playing to the
maximum of his ability. Payet's decision to leave seems to have galvanised
West Ham's, with their form starting to improve. Slaven Bilic's side have
climbed out of the bottom half of the table, to move up into 10th place in
the Premier League standings.
West Ham are next in action in two weekends' time, when they take on
Watford.

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