Daily WHUFC News - 25th February 2017

Preview - Watford
WHUFC.com

When and where?

Watford v West Ham United
Premier League
Saturday 25 February 2017, 5.30pm GMT
Vicarage Road

What's the story?

West Ham United make their long-awaited return to Premier League action on
Saturday with a teatime trip to Watford.

Two weeks have passed since they were last in action, so Slaven Bilic's men
will be itching to take on the Hornets - especially as they suffered a 4-2
defeat to them at London Stadium back in September.

That scoreline looked unlikely when Michail Antonio stooped to head in
following a Dimitri Payet rabona cross and put the Hammers 2-0 up with 33
minutes played.

But Watford came back strongly to level before the break, then score two
more in the second half to leave the Hammers deflated.

That was the Hammers' first league defeat at London Stadium, but they have
looked up since and head into this game tenth in the table - seven places
higher than they were following defeat to Watford.

Walter Mazzarri's team are 13th in the Premier League, two points behind the
Hammers after successive victories at the start of the month ended a
seven-game winless run.

Those 2-1 successes against Arsenal and Burnley were followed by a 2-0 loss
at Manchester United, but the Hornets will be feeling more comfortable than
they were a month ago.

Team news

West Ham United will assess Andy Carroll's fitness ahead of Saturday's game,
after the striker has been absent from training since picking up a minor
groin niggle recently.

Bilic remains hopeful of being able to call upon the big No9, while Arthur
Masuaku is available after a knee injury and Aaron Cresswell has shaken off
a knock.

Andre Ayew is available following his participation at the Africa Cup of
Nations, but Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Diafra Sakho (back) are sidelined.

The Hornets could be without six players for the visit of the Hammers, with
a number of issues in defence.

Christian Kabasele has not recovered from a muscle injury, while Walter
Mazzarri has doubts over Sebastian Prodl and Craig Cathcart.

Nordin Amrabat remains sidelined and former Hammer Valon Behrami is listed
as a doubt. Back-up goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon completes the injured list.

Player head-to-head

Tom Cleverley v Robert Snodgrass head-to-head

How do I get to the game?

Watford have produced a guide for visiting supporters, which can be accessed
by clicking here.

Accessibility supporters can view a guide to Vicarage Road by clicking here.

If you're travelling to the game by train, London Midland and London
Overground services from Euston serve Watford Junction station, while London
Overground services also call at Watford High Street. Check tfl.gov.uk or
nationalrail.co.uk for up-to-the-minute travel information.

The latest news on the roads can be found by clicking here.

How can I watch the game?

This match is being broadcast live in the UK on BT Sport. You can also
follow all the action as it happens on whufc.com, with live audio
commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Join
the conversation on social using the hashtag #WATWHU

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Watford betting preview with Betway
WHUFC.com

It's been almost two weeks since West Ham's last game. Since then, the
Hammers squad have travelled to Dubai to soak up some sun and put in the
hard yards at a warm weather training camp.

As well as vital fitness work, the trip will have been an opportunity for
the latest additions to the squad to get to know their teammates better and
help develop those all-important on-pitch relationships.

They'll hope all their efforts will bear fruit on Saturday evening when they
travel to Vicarage Road to play an unpredictable Watford side.

The Hornets' home advantage gives them the slight edge in terms of the odds,
with a Watford win at 8/5, a West Ham victory at 19/10 and the draw at
21/10.

The Hammers will be looking to avenge their defeat at London Stadium when
the two sides met earlier in the season.

It was a game that saw six goals, and given that there have been four goals
in each of West Ham's four previous games, we could be looking at another
high scoring encounter.

It's 19/20 for over 2.5 Total Goals in the match and 11/5 for more than 3.5
Total Goals.

The Hammers have only lost once in their last five fixtures and picked up 10
points in the process. Another victory today with both teams to score is
9/2.

A large part of the Hammers' recent success has been because of in-form Andy
Carroll. The talismanic striker has four goals in his last four appearances
and could make the difference again on Saturday evening.

Carroll is 6/1 to open the scoring and 9/4 to score at any time during the
match. You can also get him at 6/1 to be the last goalscorer.

Michail Antonio scored a brace when the sides last met in September, and is
20/1 to repeat the feat. He's also 11/4 to score at any time.

You might also want to think about when the Hammers are likely to score.
Seven of their last 11 goals have come after the first 45 minutes, and
they're 4/5 to put the ball in the Hornets' net in the second half.

Slaven Bilic's men are also developing a knack for late goals. Four of their
last 11 have come in the 76th minute or later.

If you think there could be another last gasp Irons goal, you can back them
to score their final goal between the 76th and 90th minute at 13/5.

This weekend there are more than 100 markets on the game available at
Betway. And if you're an existing customer, why not join our Free Bet Club?

You can guarantee yourself £10 in Free Bets every week. Just opt in at
Betway and place at least £25 on football multiples (trebles or higher)
before midnight every Friday*.

Visit betway.com or download our app from the App Store or Google Play for
more.

*Available to new and existing customers. Opt-in required. Minimum stake(s)
per week: £25. No minimum stake per multiple. Enhanced prices excluded.
Single Line Multiples including 3 or more Football selections only. Min.
overall odds: 2/1. Real money bets only. Total Amount of Free Bets Awarded:
£10. Two £5 Free Bets, per customer, per promotion week. Free Bets credited
in two instalments on Saturday and Monday. Bets must be settled between
Saturday 00:00 GMT and the following Friday 23:59 GMT to count towards the
promotion for that particular week. Other conditions apply. All odds correct
at the time of writing.

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Obiang relishing Mazzarri reunion
WHUFC.com

Pedro Obiang was signed by Watford manager Walter Mazzarri for Sampdoria at
the age of 16
Midfielder says Italian sought his advice before taking the top job at
Vicarage Road last summer
No14 is also looking forward to meeting former teammate and friend Mauro
Zarate

Pedro Obiang should not be surprised by Watford's tactics at Vicarage Road
on Saturday. Hornets manager Walter Mazzarri signed the then 16-year-old
midfielder for Italian club Sampdoria back in summer 2008, immediately
adding the young Spaniard to his first-team squad. So impressed was Mazzarri
with Obiang's potential that he named the teenaged midfielder on the
substitutes' bench for two Serie A fixtures in January 2009 - still two
months short of his 17th birthday. Eight years on and both men are now
plying their trade in the Premier League, with West Ham United's in-form
midfielder revealing that Mazzarri had sought his advice before following
him to England last summer. "I know Mister Mazzarri well," the No14 told
whufc.com. "I met him last summer and he told me he was going to Watford. He
told me he didn't speak English, but I told him not to worry because I
didn't speak English when I arrived at West Ham, either! "He is an Italian
coach and wants to talk about tactics and normally this would be a problem
because he speaks only Italian, but many of his players also speak Italian,
so while it is still difficult for him to communicate with all his squad, he
can do so either directly or through a translator. Walter Mazzarri"Watford
is a good team in a good moment and I have a lot of friends in this club. I
know Walter Mazzarri very well, as he was my first manager in Sampdoria when
I was 16, 17, so I know him and he knows me.
"Watford are not so much of an offensive team, as they normally try to
defend, but they have important strikers and can cause you pain. We are a
good team, too, and we want to demonstrate that our defeat at home to
Watford was a mistake. "We need some points because we lost two important
points in the last game at home to West Brom, so we need to take three
points from this game."

After a decent playing career, Mazzarri started out as a coach with Napoli
in 1998 before taking his first managerial role with Sicilian Serie C2 club
Acireale in 2001. He then took a seat in the dugout at Pistoiese, Livorno
and Reggina prior to his aforementioned two-year spell with Sampdoria
between 2007 and 2009. After leaving the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Mazzarri
guided Napoli to second in Serie A and Coppa Italia glory before spending
the 2013/14 season with Internazionale. In July 2016, he was appointed
manager of Watford by the club's Italian owner, Gino Pozzo.

Obiang has been impressed with his former mentor's start to life in English
football and offered his observations on how Mazzarri likes his teams to
play.
"He likes to always play with the same system, 3-5-2, and we arrived sixth
in Serie A and reached the Coppa Italia final when he was in Sampdoria,
while he also arrived in second place and won the Coppa Italia with Napoli,"
he observed. "Tactically he is good, like most Italian managers. He doesn't
like to take a lot of risks, though, so maybe that will be good for us.
"Personality-wise, he was good for us. He didn't talk to the players too
much, because his assistant Nicolo Frustalupi, who is with him always, is a
good person who likes to laugh and talk and demonstrate things, like Edin
[Terzic] does here at West Ham. "It's a good experience for them here in
England, because it is not easy to come here and be good in the first year."

Mazzari will not be the only friendly face Obiang meets at Vicarage Road, as
former West Ham forward Mauro Zarate joined Watford from Fiorentina in
January. The midfielder revealed how the Argentine helped him to settle into
life in east London, and even admitted he would not begrudge Zarate a goal
on Saturday, as long as West Ham win the game! "Mauro is our friend and we
miss him! I want to tell him not to score on Saturday because we are
friends, but if he does score I am happy for him because this is football
and I know he is a good player and a good person," Obiang smiled. "He has
changed team and this is a chance for him to demonstrate that. "Mauro is a
good guy with a beautiful family and when I came to West Ham he and Adrian
helped me with everything. We went to dinner together and so, for me, he is
a good boy!"

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Bilic - We are a different force
WHUFC.com

Bilic wants to make amends for the 4-2 defeat back in September
The Hammers manager says his team will have a different look
Bilic wants to see his side get straight back on the winning trail

Slaven Bilic is determined to make amends for the disappointing home defeat
against Watford back in September and says his team will have a completely
different look on Saturday. The Hammers looked strong favourites to secure
all three points against the Hornets after Michail Antonio's brace had fired
them into a two-goal lead. But the home side suffered a nightmare end to the
first half when they conceded two goals in the final five minutes and went
on to lose the game 4-2. Following a successful trip to Dubai last week,
Bilic say his players will be looking to gain some revenge over Watford and
knows they will be a totally different force at Vicarage Road. Bilic said:
"Yes we are a different team. We are the same team but a lot has changed. At
the beginning of September we had so many players injured and some not
totally fit. "We had to push them. We had no other options but to put them
in from the start, ideally it would have been better if they had played 45
or 60mins. "Now it is totally different. I see it not only in results but in
training, in the restaurant, on the coach, we are in much better shape now."

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Five Talking Points - Watford
WHUFC.com

The big topics for discussion as West Ham United prepare to head to Vicarage
Road to face Watford in the Premier League on Saturday...

Shared responsibility

Before Dimitri Payet's departure in January, it almost went without saying
that he would be the most-creative player in each of West Ham United's
Premier League matches. In each of his 18 Premier League appearances this
season, the Frenchman made more key passes than any other Hammer in ten, and
the joint-highest number of key passes in five more. On just three occasions
- away at Crystal Palace and Leicester City and at home to Arsenal - was
another West Ham player more creative than the No27. Times, of course, have
changed, and now the role of opening up opposition defences is being shared
around Slaven Bilic's team. In the five matches since Payet returned to
France, Michail Antonio chalked up three assists against Crystal Palace,
Manuel Lanzini and Robert Snodgrass have each topped the key passes charts
once, while four players shared the creative load at Southampton - Antonio,
Snodgrass, Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate. Payet assisted both goals in
the home defeat by Watford in September, so the question is who will step
into his key passing void at Vicarage Road?

AC does it?

One question, if not two, on the lips of every West Ham United fan ahead of
Saturday's game is 'Will AC be available?'. AC, of course, could refer to
either Andy Carroll, who missed the home draw with West Bromwich Albion due
to a groin injury, or Aaron Cresswell, who limped off at half-time with a
dead leg. Carroll's return would be most welcome, seeing as the No9 has been
in blistering form since Christmas, while Cresswell himself will want to
keep his starting place seeing as Arthur Masuaku is now in full training
after his own lay-off with a knee problem.

Inconsistent Hornets

While West Ham United's season has been split between victories over
opponents in the bottom half and defeats by those above them, Watford's
season has been wildly inconsistent by comparison. The Hornets have neither
won nor lost more than two Premier League games in a row, while Walter
Mazzarri's side have beaten three of the top seven - Manchester United,
Everton and Arsenal - and picked up 16 of their 30 points from matches
against teams currently above them in the table. Even on their visit to
London Stadium back in September, Watford were outplayed for 40 minutes,
fell two goals down but ended by winning in style 4-2. Throw in defeats by
League One Gillingham and Millwall in the two domestic cup competitions and
trying to predict Watford's form and results is approaching impossible!

Two former Hammers

West Ham United will face two familiar faces when they head to Vicarage Road
on Saturday. Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami played 63 times in Claret and
Blue between August 2008 and January 2011, scoring five goals, while
Argentine forward Mauro Zarate scored seven times in 29 appearances between
August 2014 and January 2016. Both players attracted something of a cult
during their spells in east London - Behrami for his non-stop running and
work-rate and Zarate for his enigmatic forward play and spectacular goals.
Now 31, Behrami joined Watford from German side Hamburger SV in summer 2015
and is approaching 50 appearances for the Hornets, while 29-year-old Zarate
moved to Hertfordshire from Italian club Fiorentina last month.

Away comforts

Just as they did last season, West Ham United have hit some real form on the
road in recent weeks. Pre-Christmas draws at Manchester United and Liverpool
were followed by a thumping 4-1 victory at Swansea City on Boxing Day. An
undeserved 1-0 New Year's Eve defeat at Leicester City proved to be just a
blip as Slaven Bilic's side kicked-off 2017 with 3-1 wins at Middlesbrough
and Southampton.
With eleven points from their last five matches on their Premier League
travels, the Hammers will travel around the M25 in confident mood on
Saturday.

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Hector-Ingram - They're just humans in blue kit!
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s face Chelsea this Saturday at Little Heath
The Hammers know a win will ensure qualification for the Elite Merit Group
Jahmal Hector-Ingram has called on his teammates to forget Chelsea's current
form and most recent result

Jahmal Hector-Ingram has urged his teammates to forget Chelsea's recent
results and form as West Ham's U18s take on the Blues in their last U18
Premier League South fixture of the season. After this weekend, the North
and South divisions will merge into three separate leagues, with the Hammers
needing a positive result against the Blues on Saturday to finish in the top
four and qualify for the Elite Merit Group. Hector-Ingram admits his team
have been through a tough spell but knows a strong result at Little Heath on
Saturday will show that the Hammers can compete with the top teams in the
country. "We've been on a bad run but I do believe we can turn things round
against Chelsea," declared Hector-Ingram. "I just see Chelsea as human
beings in blue kit and, as far as I'm concerned, we can play against them
and do what we need to do on Saturday. "It's been a good season, full of ups
and downs which is part and parcel of the game but we want to be playing
against the best of the best. Beating Chelsea would lead us to be playing
teams like Man City and what not.
"We competed with Arsenal and we were very unfortunate. With Chelsea, we
need to play with the same mindset like we did against Arsenal and finish
our chances. Hector-Ingram also admits the team are fully aware of Chelsea's
mammoth victory over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, but insists the
Hammers are confident of getting something from the match. "Obviously I've
heard about them beating Brighton 13-0, which I don't understand how that
happened! I can say that won't be happening to us. I reckon we can actually
get something from the game."

Hector-Ingram has been the U18s main goal outlet this year, scoring 12 goals
in all competitions, as well as two for Terry Westley's U23s. Despite
missing a period through injury, the striker is keen to get back on the
scoresheet and continue his progression this season . "I'm pleased but I've
set my target for 20+ goals before the end of the season," Hector-Ingram
continued. "I've still got a few games left to get that done so I'm content
with what I've done so far but there's loads more to come from me. There's
always something you can improve on. "I would love to get more starts for
the U23s. Things are starting to get quite interesting so now that I'm back
from injury and I've got a couple of games under my belt and there'll
hopefully be a few surprises before the end of the season."

West Ham United U18s take on league leaders Chelsea on Saturday (11am
kick-off) at Little Heath Sports Ground. Parking and admission are both
free.

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'It really was a huge honour'
WHUFC.com

Lorne MacFadyen played the part of Bobby Moore in ITV drama series Tina and
Bobby
Scottish actor relished taking on the role of West Ham United and England's
greatest captain
Twenty-six year old championed the work of the Moore Family Foundation

As acting jobs go, they do not get much better than playing a national icon.

For Lorne MacFadyen, that meant taking on the role of the late, great West
Ham United and England captain Bobby Moore in the acclaimed ITV drama Tina
and Bobby.

Cast opposite award-winning actress Michelle Keegan, who played Bobby's
first wife Tina, MacFadyen spent endless hours researching the role of the
legendary No6, perfecting his mannerisms and distinctive east London accent.


Lorne MacFadyenFor the Isle of Skye-born 26-year-old, who only embarked on
an acting career in 2014, the challenge was one he relished.

"It really was a huge honour to take on such an iconic role," MacFadyen told
West Ham TV. "It was a huge surprise for me and a massive honour to take on
the part, as Bobby is such a legend to so many people, not only in this part
of the world but everywhere.

"Everyone appreciates what a true gentleman and sporting icon Bobby Moore
was.

"I watched a lot of interviews with Bobby and I read Tina Moore's book,
which the series is based on, to get an insight into what he was like not
only on the pitch, but off the pitch as well, which was really important for
the story we were telling.

"In terms of the accent, I just sort of mimicked what I had watched and I
hope I did a good job. It was an ongoing process as, even though we had
started filming, I kept on perfecting it all the way through."

Tina and Bobby attracted more than five million viewers to each of its three
episodes, which were screened earlier this year in a prime-time Friday
evening slot. The series won widespread praise from critics, leaving
MacFadyen feeling immensely proud.

"You just have to do your job and hope that people appreciate your telling
of the story, that's the main thing," he said, modestly. "It was an
incredible journey that Bobby went on with his wife Tina, an incredible
rollercoaster for them both and I've had a lot of great support. Everyone
has been very kind, so it's been great.

"Michelle was an absolute gem on set and really welcoming. I'm obviously not
quite as experienced as her, as I'm quite new to the acting game. It was
really nice to have someone to have a laugh with and she's a great actress
and really talented as well."


Lorne MacFadyenMacFadyen was invited to London Stadium by Bobby's daughter
Roberta for the Premier League fixture with Manchester City on 1 February,
where he was part of the Moore Family Foundation awareness match.

Founded in 2014, the Foundation has provided life-changing opportunities for
more than 10,000 Year 6 students in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Barking &
Dagenham, Thurrock, Brentwood and Basildon. Trust mentors will support
pupils with literacy and numeracy, while the children also visit London
Stadium to experience an authentic Hammers matchday for themselves.

"It's a huge honour to visit London Stadium with Roberta and see the Bobby
Moore Stand as well.," the actor confirmed. "It's a special night.

"It's an incredible thing. You have your football club who you support,
which is a ritual which you follow every matchday, but I think it's good
that there are other things to get involved with, like making changes in the
community, which is fantastic."

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Roberta Moore - Dad's legacy lives on
WHUFC.com

Roberta Moore told West Ham TV of her pride in seeing her father Bobby's
legacy live on in the Moore Family Foundation.

Launched three years ago in memory of the late, great West Ham United and
England captain, who died 24 years ago today, the Foundation - a registered
charity - is providing life-changing opportunities to thousands of Year 6
students in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Barking & Dagenham, Thurrock, Brentwood
and Basildon.

Roberta explained how, working in conjunction with the West Ham United
Foundation, mentors support pupils with literacy and numeracy, while also
accompanying them on unforgettable matchday visits to London Stadium.

"I'm really proud that we have come as far as we have since the Foundation
started, which was in 2014," Roberta told West Ham TV. "With the help of the
Club and the fantastic team of mentors which we've got, we've so far reached
more than 16,000 children in Year 6 across the boroughs think we work with.

"I believe 11,000 children have now been to our Healthy Lifestyle workshops
and the number is up to around 1,320 vulnerable children who have received
one-on-one mentoring in the key academic subjects, so their literacy and
numeracy skills have really increased, which has a knock-on effect to their
attainment levels and their confidence. It's brilliant and I'm really proud
of that.

"For me, I want Dad's legacy to continue and we tried to build into the core
of the programme the values that I and everyone else recognises in Dad -
self-discipline, kindness and working hard. We're trying to put those
messages across to the children we engage with and are trying to give a
positive message to them to help them to achieve their potential."

Roberta and her family have retained close links with the Club her father
represented 646 times between 1958 and 1974, playing a central role in the
closing of the Boleyn Ground and the opening of the Hammers' new home on
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The legendary No6 turned out the Boleyn Ground lights for the final time in
May last year, before Bobby's grandson Freddie opened the new Bobby Moore
Stand at London Stadium in August.

"I take great comfort from the close relationship my family retains with the
Club," Roberta confirmed. "My son Freddie opened the Bobby Moore Stand here
at London Stadium last summer, which was really special, because my children
did not get to meet my Dad. For them to be able to connect on a very
personal level is really important to me.

"I love being involved with the Club. It has a real family feel and it's
always really special as we receive such a warm welcome.

"The Club have been brilliant and working alongside the Club, they have been
amazing in helping us deliver the Foundation scheme into so many schools. We
couldn't have done it without the Club."

Roberta Moore with Bobby and Tina actor Lorne MacFadyen and West Ham United
Foundation CEO Joe Lyons

Meanwhile, a new generation of football fans - and ordinary television
viewers - were brought into the lives of the Moore family by the
recently-aired acclaimed ITV drama Tina and Bobby.

In the three-part series, actors Lorne MacFadyen and Michelle Keegan took on
the roles of Roberta's parents, taking viewers through the defender's rise
from East End boy to national icon.

Charting his ascension to the role of West Ham's FA Cup and European Cup
Winners' Cup and England's 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning captain, Tina and
Bobby was enjoyed by more than five million viewers.

"I really enjoyed it," Roberta confirmed. "It was surreal for me to see my
family life played out on screen, but I thought Lorne and Michelle did a
great job of playing my Dad and Mum and they obviously paid a lot of
information to the detail of the costumes, the soundtrack and I loved all
that stuff.

"It was a bit odd to watch it, but I loved it. I don't go on Twitter much,
but I did go on there during the show and I saw it was trending and it has
opened up Dad's life to a whole new audience and that makes it very
special."

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Arsene Wenger's critics have gone over the top, the Arsenal manager does not
deserve a witch-hunt writes Slaven Bilic
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

I would like to say something about Arsene Wenger and the criticism he has
taken recently. Okay, it is part of the job and all that but at the end of
the day, sometimes it is too much. Social media has added significantly to
the intensity and what I really don't understand is the feeling, among some,
that the more you earn, the more you should be immune to criticism. I
doesn't matter if Arsene earns £1million or £5m - at the end of the day he
is human. He is not doing his job now for the money. We can all get the
sack, of course, and you can take fair criticism but some of it crosses the
line and it can develop into a witch-hunt. Nobody deserves that, least of
all Arsene. You can't say he made Arsenal because that club have a great
history and were at or near the top for many years before he went there. The
fact is though, that in this modern era, he took the club to another level -
and kept them there.

We don't play Arsenal for another month, tomorrow we are up against Watford
and go into the game having come back from Dubai. The trip was really good,
I would say perfect apart from the weather which wasn't the best but still
good for training. The temperature was warm enough but we didn't see a lot
of sun. We trained really hard, more than we would have trained here and the
squad went out a couple of times, which was planned and there were no major
issues which clubs have had in the past. We had one dinner altogether - the
players and staff - which was brilliant and there is no doubt it helps team
bonding. You can have a really good atmosphere in the squad at home but when
the players have even more time together, they mix more and that helps. Some
players open up more than when they're back here and I am expecting a big
benefit from this trip.

We're looking forward now, to the game with Watford. Back in September we
were 2-0 up against them but conceded two goals in a couple of minutes just
before half-time and lost 4-2. Okay, you can say it was level at half-time
and still everything to play for but it's hard when, three minutes before
half-time, you are leading 2-0 and then you go in at 2-2. Psychologically
that's tough. In their dressing-room they are punching the air but in ours
it was understandably not so positive. The game was in a period where we had
a few injuries and we had players who were either new or just back in
training after injury which meant physically, we weren't at our best.

We are in much better shape now and the only negative was that we didn't
play last weekend. Somehow, because we have been used to playing every week,
we just got out of the rhythm of playing. Ideally we wanted to keep that
momentum going and although it was only one blank weekend, psychologically
it seems much longer.

So what is left for us this season?

First of all, we are not safe. Yes, we are in mid-table with 32 points, two
more than Watford but we still have ambitions for the remainder of this
season. Yes, maybe it used to be the case where teams in mid-table at this
time, would switch-off a little but not now. Because of the media exposure
now, whether written or broadcasting, you have always to be on your toes.
There is competition for places in every training session and in every game
you have to try and show your quality, not only to your home fans - but to
the world on TV. The players are fighting for call-ups to their national
teams, for new contracts, for moves so they have to continue at their best
level.

Of course, when you are down near the bottom, you have that extra survival
motivation because they are fighting for their lives but still, it is my job
and that of my staff, to keep our players fully motivated, right to the end.
I repeat, though, we are not safe if it that is a fact, then West Brom, who
have five points more than us and even Everton - who are nine points ahead -
are not safe from us.

I see that Scott Hogan, who was linked with us before moving from Brentford
to Aston Villa during the transfer window, suffered a bad ankle injury
earlier this week. I am sorry to see this, mainly for the player but for
Villa as well. Most of us managers are control freaks - you want to have
complete control. While there are many things in this job that you can
influence, injuries are so vital.

Look at the clubs who have won major trophies through history. Mostly they
were lucky with injuries. Look at Chelsea this season. You have the feeling,
although it's not strictly accurate, that they play every game with the same
team.

In training, you can have an influence. If you train like crazy, you can
pick up a pulled muscle. If you don't train, then the effort you have to
show in games can lead to injury, so the balance is important.

Unfortunately, though, it's not always down to you. Sometimes, you have to
take risks when you are buying players.

There are a couple of things with new players.

Sometimes, when they arrive, they have to do some things they didn't do
before at their previous club, although mostly the differences are not big
ones.

Secondly - and it is something I have thought about a lot - when new players
come in they want to impress you. They want to show a little bit more - and
then they get injured. Sometimes you tell them, "Hey, we bought you for four
years, not four days", but still they want to impress you by trying that
little bit harder.

Injuries are crucial, though. If Jermain Defoe had been injured this season,
for instance, it would have been game over for Sunderland.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pedro Obiang can give Slaven Bilic the inside track on Walter Mazzarri
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

Should Slaven Bilic be looking for that extra edge over his Watford
counterpart Walter Mazzarri tomorrow, then he need look no further than one
of his players. Midfielder Pedro Obiang was a young player at Sampdoria when
Mazzarri was manager there and he has a good idea of the way the Watford
head coach sets up his teams. The 24-year-old Spaniard, who has been one of
the successes of West Ham's season so far, said: "I know him well. I even
met him as recently as last summer and he told me he was going to Watford.
"He told me he didn't speak English but I told him not to worry because I
didn't speak English when I arrived at West Ham, either. "He was my first
manager in Sampdoria when I was 16, so I know him and he knows me. "He
likes always to play with the same system, 3-5-2. We were sixth in Serie A
and reached the Coppa Italia final when he was with Sampdoria. He also
finished second and won the Coppa Italia with Napoli. "Tactically he is
good, like most Italian managers. He doesn't like to take a lot of risks,
though, so maybe that will be good for us. "He is an Italian coach and
wants to talk about tactics and normally this would be a problem because he
speaks only Italian. But many of his players also speak Italian, so while it
is still difficult for him to communicate with all his squad, he can do so
either directly or through a translator. "He didn't talk to the players too
much at Sampdoria because his assistant Nicolo Frustalupi, who is with him
always, is a good person who likes to laugh, talk and demonstrate things, a
bit like our coach Edin Terzic does here at West Ham."

Yet another connection between tomorrow's sides, who are separated by just
two points in the Premier League, is Mauro Zarate. The Argentine left West
Ham to join Fiorentina last season, before moving to Watford in January. "I
want to tell him not to score tomorrow because we are friends but if he does
score I am happy for him because this is football and I know he is a good
player and a good person," said Obiang. "Mauro is a good guy and when I came
to West Ham, he and our goalkeeper Adrian helped me with everything."
Obiang scored his first goal for West Ham in their recent 3-1 win at
Southampton and is eager, now that he has broken his duck, to add to his
tally. He said: "It was an amazing moment for me because I had waited for a
year to score a goal and when it happened, I started to think: 'Oh my, I've
scored!' "For a moment I couldn't believe it. Now I want to score more
because when you feel like this, you want to feel the same way again. So,
against Watford, I will try to score again."

Obiang (below) had to wait until this season to tie down a regular place in
Bilic's team but has since impressed sufficiently to win the club's player
of the month award for November. "Yes, I want to show my all-round qualities
but you have to demonstrate this every time you go out on the pitch," said
Obiang, who has been capped by Spain at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21
level. "This is what you must do if you want to become an important player
in this team."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: CARROLL TO MAKE BENCH, BACCA STAYING AT MILAN, ANTONIO
PLEDGES FUTURE TO HAMMERS
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 24 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 1:27PM
TheWestHamWayc.o.uk

Andy Carroll is set to return to the bench for tomorrow's clash against
Watford. (Daily Mail)

We all know how much better we are with Andy, but we are also capable of
getting results without him. If he is fit enough to play then great, but I
think we need to manage him so very carefully to prevent him getting
injuries.

Shaka Hislop has urged Luke Shaw to leave Manchester United and join West
Ham. (Express)

This would be a very unneeded and a very poor signing. He is injury prone
and is still only young, and I do not even think he is that good. I think we
should stay away from him.

Carlos Bacca's agent has insisted that the Colombian striker will stay at AC
Milan this summer. (Talksport)

I do not think we should go in for him again. We wasted too much time
chasing him last year and we need to go for other targets. He messed us
around last summer and I believe the board need to be smarter and move on.

Michail Antonio has brushed off rumours of a move by insisting that his
future is at the London Stadium. (ClubCall)

I do believe that Michail is happy here and that he wants to stay. I feel he
is at the perfect place right now and that there is no need for him to move.
He is a massive part of our plans to move forward as a club.

Slaven Bilic says West Ham are a different force to what they were the last
time they faced Watford in the league. (West Ham United)

We are exactly that. We are much better and more confident than what we were
back in September. I am very excited about the game tomorrow.

Pedro Obiang says he is relishing a reunion with Walter Mazzari tomorrow.
(West Ham United)

We need another top performance from Pedro tomorrow, and I am sure he won't
disappoint us. He deserves a new deal at the club for his outstanding
performances this season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Watford v West Ham United
SAT, 25 FEB 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
17:30
Venue: Vicarage Road
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS

Watford are still without Nordin Amrabat and Christian Kabasele, who are
sidelined with ankle and knee problems respectively. Sebastian Prodl, Craig
Cathcart and Valon Behrami all face fitness test on minor injuries.
West Ham will assess Andy Carroll's groin problem ahead of the game.
Left-back Aaron Cresswell is fit after a hamstring niggle, and forward Andre
Ayew is available for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Martin Fisher: "Watford's season effectively kicked off 41 minutes into
their match against West Ham at the London Stadium in mid-September.
"Trailing 2-0, a deflected shot from Odion Ighalo reduced the arrears and
proved the catalyst to a stunning revival.
"A 4-2 victory saw them soar out of the bottom three, early relegation fears
were eased and they've not looked in serious trouble since. "Improving on
last season's finish of 13th looks within their reach, but that bid could be
checked by a Hammers side that has been so impressive on the road since
Christmas. "Goals aplenty too along the way: 10 scored in victories at
Swansea, Middlesbrough and Southampton."

Twitter: @mfisherfootball

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri on the brilliant winning fightback
against West Ham in September: "We cannot compare [Saturday's game] with
that game. "It was a long time ago. They had some problems in that period
and we were coming from a particular period, too.
"We did a very good game after losing at the beginning. They are doing very
well now."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on that reverse fixture: "We are a different
team now. A lot of things have changed. "When we played them in September we
had a lot of players injured and we had to push players in who were not
totally fit because we had no other options. "We are in much better shape
now."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Watford have had their wobble and, like West Ham, I think their relegation
worries are over. The Hornets mounted a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to
beat the Hammers at the London Stadium earlier in the season, but this
should be a more straightforward win for them.

Prediction: 2-0

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Watford could do the league double against West Ham for the first time.
The last two Premier League meetings have produced 10 goals.
Watford

Watford have lost just one of their last five league matches (W2, D2).
The Hornets have the oldest starting XI on average in the Premier League
this season, aged 29 years and 301 days.
They have conceded 17 set-piece goals in this season's Premier League, the
second-highest total in the division.
Troy Deeney has scored three goals in his last four Premier League games.
West Ham United

Like Watford, West Ham have lost just one of their last five league matches
(W3, D1).
The Hammers have won three of their last four away games in the Premier
League.
West Ham have scored 17 set-piece goals in this season's Premier League, the
highest total in the division.
Andy Carroll has scored five times in his last six league starts for the
Hammers.
Manuel Lanzini has scored two goals and provided two assists in his last
five Premier League games, after a run of seven games without a goal or an
assist.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 25%
Probability of home win: 38% Probability of away win: 37%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football
matches.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The wizards of Oz: West Ham planning summer tour
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 24th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are set for a double date on the other side of the world this
summer. The Hammers are in talks with both Adelaide United and Perth Glory
regarding a whistle-stop tour of Australia this coming pre-season, ahead of
the club's second campaign at the Olympic Stadium.
According to the WA, Slaven Bilic and his squad are set to open their tour
at the Adelaide Oval this July before flying to Perth, the home state of
former Hammers Dylan Tombides, for a second fixture. A spokesman for Glory -
who erected a staue of Tombides outside their ground in 2015 - confirmed
that negotiations were under way, but added there was nothing to announce at
this stage.
West Ham most recently visited Australia in 2014 under Sam Allardyce when
they were beaten 3-1 by Sydney FC - a matter of days after suffering a 2-1
defeat against Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand.
The team that day - 26 July - was as follows: Adrian, Demel, O'Brien, Reid,
Collins, Noble, Diame, Nolan, Downing, Jarvis, Cole.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Watford sweating on key injuries
kumb.COM
Filed: Friday, 24th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

Watford could be missing up to SIX players when they host West Ham at
Vicarage Road in the Premier League this weekend. Hornets boss Walter
Mazzarri revealed that he could be without half a team when his side,
currently three places below West Ham in the Premier League table take on
Slaven Bilic's squad on Saturday afternoon. Christian Kabasele, Sebastian
Prodl, Craig Cathcart, Nordin Amrabat, goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon and
former Hammer Valon Behrami are all either struggling for fitness or
definitely out of the game, which takes place tomorrow at 3pm.
"I have written a list," Mazzarri told reporters at his pre-match press
conference. "Nordin Amrabat and Christian Kabasele are injured while Prodl,
Cathcart and Valon Behrami are doubts. "They had some problems during
training but we need to evaluate. The three of them are not badly injured so
I hope to have them ready for the game. Now we have the most complete squad
for a long time so it is not a big problem."
Mazzarri is also preparing himself for a far tougher test that they last
occasion on which the two sides met, when Watford overturned an early
deficit to win 4-2 at the Olympic Stadium. "We cannot really compare with
that game," he insisted. "It seems a long time ago now but West Ham had some
problems in that period. Now they are doing very well and this is a
completely different time, so we cannot really compare."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Watford v West Ham preview: Injury concerns for both teams
By Patrick Surlis
Last Updated: 24/02/17 11:27am
SSN

Both Watford and West Ham have injury concerns ahead of their Premier League
clash at Vicarage Road on Saturday evening. Andy Carroll is a doubt for the
Hammers with a groin problem but Slaven Bilic has confirmed he could feature
from the bench. For the hosts, Sebastian Prodl, Valon Behrami and Craig
Cathcart will all need to be assessed ahead of kick-off due to various
ailments.

West Ham used their free week to head to Dubai for warm-weather training and
they will hope to extend their solid run of form upon their return to league
action. Bilic's side have lost just one of their last five matches in the
competition, although that was a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Manchester City.

Team news

Christian Kabasele is sidelined by a calf muscle injury for the Hornets,
while Prodl and Cathcart are both doubts. Behrami has been carrying a
hamstring problem, so will also be monitored. Nordin Amrabat (ankle) and
goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon (ankle) also continue their rehabilitation.

Carroll is doubtful for West Ham but Aaron Cresswell is fit after a
hamstring niggle and Andre Ayew is in contention for the first time since
returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Diafra
Sakho (back) remain long-term absentees.

Opta stats

After a run of just one win in 22 league games against the Hammers, Watford
have won two of their last three against them - including a 4-2 win at the
London Stadium back in September.

West Ham have never lost back-to-back league games against Watford in their
history.

The Hornets have won three of their last four Premier League meetings with
West Ham, though two of those wins have been away from home.

Watford's 2-0 victory in this exact fixture last season ended a run of 11
league games without a win against West Ham at Vicarage Road.

Carroll has scored 49 Premier League goals in 177 appearances; with 29 of
those goals coming for West Ham. He has scored five times in his last six
league starts.

Tom Cleverley has created 10 goalscoring chances in five apps for Watford in
the Premier League; two more than in his previous 27 appearances for Everton
(8).

Manuel Lanzini has scored two goals and provided two assists in his last
five top-flight games for West Ham, this after a run of seven games without
a goal or an assist.

Watford have seen players from 19 different countries represent them in the
Premier League this season; a joint-high alongside Sunderland.

Troy Deeney (103 goals) - who has scored three goals in his last four
Premier League appearances - is just two goals away from becoming the
joint-third highest goalscorer in Watford history alongside Cliff Holton
(105 goals).

Watford have named the oldest starting XI on average in the Premier League
this season (29y 301d).

Merson's prediction

This is a hard one to call. Watford are doing well and West Ham have some
great results every now and then. They are both pretty inconsistent over the
season. There isn't a lot to split these two, so I have to go for a draw.

For me, they are both safe from relegation. I don't think Watford get enough
credit because really, they should be fighting the drop.

MERSON PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

Watford are Sky Bet's 7/5 favourites for the victory with West Ham 19/10
while the draw is priced at 23/10. B

Both sides are considered long-priced outsiders to be dragged into the
relegation battle at 28/1 and 250/1 respectively.

Deeney is 6/1 to score the first goal of the game while Mauro Zarate for the
visitors has been price boosted to 9/1 from 6/1 to do the same.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham must target Watford win to get closer to magical mark of 41
ESPN

Slaven Bilic has spoken about West Ham's Dubai visit, Rooney's future,
'piegate' and Carroll's fitness ahead of Watford.
West Ham make the relatively short journey to Hertfordshire on Saturday to
take on Watford in another mid-table clash.

With 41 points the accepted target needed for any club in the bottom half of
the table to beat the drop, there seems no chance of the Hammers getting
involved in the relegation battle. Another nine points to take the total to
41 should be easily achievable by Slaven Bilic's men and Saturday's game
becomes just another in-the-middle melee, where it all comes down to pride
and the financial incentive of finishing as high as possible.

For West Ham to be comfortable before the end of February comes as something
of a surprise. After struggling in early December, many supporters were
openly speaking of relegation and replacing Bilic.

But apart from the two heavy cup defeats against both Manchester sides that
ended their Wembley dreams, the intervening league games have produced some
vital points, even if the entertainment quotient has sometimes been low. Now
the talk is of mid-table tedium and the lack of excitement involved. It all
goes to show the difficulties involved in running a Premier League outfit.

Fresh from their warm weather training in Dubai, the trip seems to have had
the desired effect for the owners. There will be talk of recharging the
batteries for the remaining games of the season, but the real reason the
club went to the Persian Gulf coast was to keep the club's profile high
among fans in the Middle East. If anyone else took an interest in the club
then even better.

Photographs of players happily chatting to fans and signing autographs were
swiftly made available to the media and Mark Noble was quick to praise the
opportunities the visit enabled. The time for selling may be a while off
yet. But make no mistake; West Ham will continually be in the shop window
from here on in. While David Gold and David Sullivan have made it clear they
have no intention of selling the club yet, Gold is 80 years old and Sullivan
68 and neither will want to suffer the pressures inherent in club ownership
forever.

Gold and Sullivan have raised the club to a new level with the London
stadium move, and despite early problems have largely steadied the bad
feeling about the relocation. There will be those who remember the Boleyn,
who will talk affectionately about the old place, but when managers like
Tony Pulis, completely unprompted, praise the atmosphere in Stratford -- as
the West Brom boss did after the 2-2 draw at the beginning of the month --
you can be certain perceptions are changing.

West Ham United
West Ham are nine points away from reaching the 41-point mark in the Premier
League.
When Gold and Sullivan have had enough though, they will want to ensure the
future legacy of the club is upward and, in a prime location in East London,
West Ham will be a fascinating investment for some enterprising billionaire.
When the decision to sell comes, the deal can't be made quickly though, so
trips like those last week are just laying a solid foundation on which any
future talks may hinge. Don't be surprised if the next cup defeat sees some
training in the Far East.

On the pitch now then, all the Hammers can do is to try to hang on to the
coattails of the leading seven clubs and try to invest in a structure that
moves them forward. Despite the toxic atmosphere created by the uncertainty
over Dimitri Payet, there is no doubt the loss of the talismanic France
international will be keenly felt when the season's dust settles. Payet
moved the Hammers up a notch and his type of skill is virtually
irreplaceable for a club the size of West Ham. Bilic and the owners will
need to work hard in the summer to keep the club at the current level, let
alone put pressure on the likes of Everton and Liverpool.

In the short term, gaining revenge over Watford for the 4-2 defeat back in
September will be the prime objective. Long term however, the Hammers need
to win these mid-table games and keep themselves in striking distance of the
leading pack.

Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is ESPN FC's West Ham
blogger.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham seek revenge on Watford after Troy Deeney's comments
Football London
BySam Inkersole
14:58, 24 FEB 2017

West Ham take on Watford this weekend with a bit of extra incentive ahead of
the game. Last September, Watford skipper Troy Deeney accused West Ham of
"'trying to mug Watford off' but it would be Deeney who would have the last
laugh. Manuel Lanzini tried a rabona shot from 20 yards which flew wide,
while Dimitri Payet also produced a rabona cross, which was headed in by
Michail Antonio to give the Hammers a 2-0 lead at the London Stadium.
Watford then proceeded to blast home four goals in 22 minutes in the second
half to win 4-2 and leave West Ham struggling in the Premier League. At the
time, Deeney said: "West Ham tried to mug us off. They started doing the
flicks and the tricks after 30 minutes. "You can appreciate good skill and
that was great skill for the second goal, but as a professional you cannot
allow someone to do that to you. "You see that in the playground with six
and seven-year-olds, and we are grown men. I can appreciate a rabona when a
team is 5-0 up with ten minutes to go but not when it makes it 2-0 and we're
still in the first half. It felt disrespectful."
Slaven Bilic was asked in his press conference on Thursday whether he'd use
Deeney's comments as motivation and he replied: "No. Well, maybe." Word to
the wise then for this weekend, West Ham - don't do a rabona and certainly
don't annoy Deeney.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
M'Baye Niang reveals why he chose Watford over West Ham despite Hammers' bid
The Frenchman turned down the Hammers for the Hornets
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:24, 24 FEB 2017

Watford striker M'Baye Niang has revealed why he snubbed interest from West
Ham in January to join the Hornets. The Hammers were heavily rumoured to be
in the market for the French forward on loan for the remainder of the season
but he chose to head to Vicarage Road.
Watford have a £14m option to buy Niang from his current club, AC Milan,
should the remainder of his loan spell go according to plan with the
Hornets. Niang told the official Watford website the Hammers just didn't
want him as much as Watford did. "I had other offers, from Everton and West
Ham," he said. "But they did not get to the same level as Watford in terms
of how much they wanted me.
"It was mainly the manager (Walter Mazzarri) who got me here. He was very
determined to have me here and it was because of him that I made the
decision to come."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
He was the spirit and heartbeat of England' - A tribute to West Ham legend
Bobby Moore
Our Hammers writer Sam Inkersole looks at what made the defender so great
Fiootball London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:46, 24 FEB 2017

The word legend is thrown around carelessly these days but 24 years ago
today, a true legend was taken from us at the age of just 51.
Bobby Moore, West Ham and England's finest ever captain passed away from
cancer on February 24, 1993. I was only four years old when the great man
passed on but the Boleyn Ground gates draped in claret and blue memorabilia
within hours of Moore's death, the outpouring of grief and emotion, speaks
volumes even to this day. Moore was born on April 12, 1941 in Barking,
Essex, and joined West Ham as a 15-year-old in 1956. He would go on to make
646 appearances in claret and blue after making his debut for the club
against Manchester United in 1958. He'd leave the club to play for Fulham in
the twilight of his career in January 1974 but those 16 years in between
made him the legend he is today. Moore, a defender, was the antithesis of
the then West Ham way - fast, attacking, free-flowing football - but when
Pele says you are the best defender he has ever faced, you know you're on to
something. An uncompromising defender, Moore was not. His immaculate reading
of the game often bailed him out as Moore was neither quick, nor strong in
the air. In 1960, he was called into the England U23 squad and just two
years later, he jetted off with the Three Lions for Chile to play in his
first World Cup, where England were beaten by Brazil in the quarter finals.
The following year, aged just 22, he would skipper England for the first
time in place of the injured Jimmy Armfield, just his 12 cap for his
country. But, it wasn't all about England. Between 1964 and 1966 - we all
know how that period ended - was Moore's heyday. He lifted the Hammers'
first ever FA Cup triumph in 1964 and also won the Footballer of the Year
award in England. In 1965, he was on the trophy winning trail again, winning
the European Cup Winners Cup for the Hammers with a 2-0 win over 1860 Munich
at Wembley.
Then, 1966. The greatest game of football ever witnessed on the turf at
Wembley, the 4-2 World Cup final win over West Germany, with Moore the man
to lift the famous Jules Rimet trophy, becoming a national hero and a West
Ham legend. The rest of his career would never reach the heights of those
four years but that's not to say he wasn't one of the best of his
generation. Moore would play for West Ham for eight more years, winning
Hammer of the Year four times and being runner-up in the other four. He was
the first footballer to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1966
and was awarded an OBE the following year. Moore would lead England in the
1970 World Cup in Mexico, a tournament shrouded in controversy, with a story
leaked to the world's media of Moore stealing a bracelet in Bogota,
Columbia, something that was never proven and the case dropped. England were
2-0 up in the quarter final against Germany but would go on to lose 3-2.
In 1973, Moore would win his 108 and final England cap, his 90 as captain
before playing his last game for the Hammers the following year, an FA Cup
tie against Hereford United and then moving on to Fulham. Moore would face
his former side in an FA Cup final the following season, which West Ham won
2-0, his last appearance at Wembley. Managing didn't suit Moore, with spells
at Southend United, Eastern AA in Hong Kong and Oxford City without much
success. On February 14, 1993, Moore announced he had bowel and liver
cancer. Ten days later, he was gone. The South Stand at Upton Park was named
after him and he now has a stand in his honour at West Ham's new home, the
London Stadium. "Moore than a football club." Bobby Moore - gone but never
forgotten. Perhaps Moore's World Cup-winning England manager, Sir Alf
Ramsey, sums it up the best: "My captain, my leader, my right hand man. He
was the spirit and heartbeat of the team. A cool calculating footballer I
could trust with my life. He was the supreme professional, the best I ever
worked with. Without him England would never have won the World Cup."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic must make five changes for Watford revenge mission
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic must make five changes to his side if they
are to beat Watford on Saturday. The Hammers are sitting in the relative
comfort of midtable knowing a win at Vicarage Road could give them hope of
chasing a European place. Victory for the Hornets on the other hand would
see them leapfrog the East Londoners. West Ham have been in good form of
late and were desperately unlucky to be held to a 2-2 draw by West Bromwich
Albion last time out. Performances and injury situations mean Bilic must
make five changes to his side to give the Hammers the best possible chance
of beating Walter Mazzarri's men and exacting some revenge for a 4-2 defeat
in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Adrian in for Randolph

In many supporters' eyes their two goalkeepers are as good as eachother. But
many have been left unconvinced by Randolph's all round game in recent weeks
and feel their cult hero Spaniard deserves to come back into the side.
Adrian was dropped for a loss of form and it could be argued Randolph has
simply not been making saves to warrant keeping his place, particularly as
he looks very suspect on crosses into the box.

Kouyate alongside Fonte and Reid in back three

Bilic should switch to the 3-4-3 formation for this one. Midfielder Cheikhou
Kouyate is West Ham's Mr Versatile having played right back in the games
against Southampton and West Brom. While he is sorely missed in the engine
room he has been excellent in the shielding role as part of a back three. He
helps the Hammers break out on counter attacks with his boundless energy and
pace and could prove vital.

Antonio at right wing back

With Kouyate in a back three, Antonio should drop into the right wing back
role where he can rampage up and down and cause Watford plenty of problems
while also pinning back the adventurous Jose Holebas. While he prefers
playing as the striker or at least on the wing, Antonio actually has a
better scoring and assist ratio when he attacks from deeper positions.

Fernandes in for Noble

The most unlikely change of all but one many Hammers fans would agree with,
Edimilson Fernandes coming into the side for Mark Noble.
The Hammers have plenty of leaders in the side now with the likes of Fonte,
Reid and Snodgrass so there is not the issue over the captaincy and
leadership. Noble is a steady Premier League player but Fernandes offers
much more pace, energy even an eye for goal. With Kouyate having to play out
of position Pedro Obiang needs a more energetic presence alongside him in
the middle of the park and Fernandes provides that, as well as an infectious
youthful exuberance.

Ayew in for Feghouli

Andre Ayew is back from African Nations duty and has declared himself fit
and finally fully recovered from the thigh injury which has blighted his
debut season following the £20.5 million move from Swansea City.

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Biabiany agent reveals reason for Chelsea snub; 'likes West Ham'
Date published: Friday 24th February 2017 10:41
teamTalk

Inter winger Jonathan Biabiany's agent has revealed why his client rejected
a move to Chelsea and declares he wants West Ham deal.
Biabiany looked set to be joining Antonio Conte at Chelsea at the end of the
January transfer window, with a loan move agreed between the London club and
Inter Milan. Conte is a big fan of the winger, having watched the player
during his time in Italy, and it was expected that the out-of-favour
Biabiany would join him at Stamford Bridge. The 28-year-old is without a
league appearance for Inter this season and the proposal would have given
the Blues the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.
However, the transfer fell through. Now his agent, Davide Bega, has revealed
to Calciomercato why his client rejected the chance to join Chelsea.
"Yes, I can confirm [Chelsea wanted to sign Biabiany]. "Conte wanted him and
personally talked to Jonathan to persuade him to move to Chelsea. Chelsea's
offer, however, was late. "They called us on Sunday night and the transfer
window was closing two days later. There was no time to finalise a deal."
His agent also opened the door for a move to Chelsea's London neighbours,
West Ham United. The winger was linked with a move to the Hammers in the
transfer window, and it appears that a potential move in the summer could
materialise. When asked on whether his client would join West Ham, Bega
replied: "Yes, he likes the Hammers."

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Andy Carroll out does Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez, if only he
could stay fit
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United striker Andy Carroll is officially better than Manchester
United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez... when he's
fit. The Hammers hero looks set to miss another match against Watford this
weekend as his persistent injury problems continue to wreak havoc on his
career. Just when the big Geordie looked to be finding fitness and supreme
form he has been laid low by a groin problem. Supporters were told it was
only a minor complaint and the striker would be back soon. But Slaven Bilic
has now admitted it has taken longer than expected to clear up. And that is
the story of Carroll's career. The all-action striker is often written off
as nothing more than a head on a stick. But when fit he has proved -
particularly with some of his goals and performances recently - that he is
much more than that. Further proof if it was needed comes in the form of a
new stat which shows Carroll in fact has a better goals to game ratio than
Red Devils superstar Zlatan and Gunners striker Sanchez... just with
considerably less games. Carroll has six goals in 12 Premier League
appearances this season, a goal every other game - but it is actually more
like six goals in eight games as he has completed just 800 minutes.

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Manchester United star urged to join West Ham by club legend
MANCHESTER UNITED star Luke Shaw should leave Old Trafford on loan next
season.
By DAVID WRIGHT
PUBLISHED: 06:25, Fri, Feb 24, 2017 | UPDATED: 06:55, Fri, Feb 24, 2017
Express.co.uk

That is of the opinion of Shaka Hislop, who claims West Ham would be an
ideal place for the out-of-favour left-back. Shaw hasn't featured for
Manchester United in the Premier League since the end of October after
suffering a lengthy groin injury. The England international has been
available for the past few weeks but has failed to even make Jose Mourinho's
matchday squad. And former West Ham goalkeeper Hislop believes Shaw should
move to the London Stadium on loan next season to gain regular game time.
"If I'm Luke Shaw or his agent, I'm thinking: 'Yes, it's time to move on',"
Hislop told ESPN. "I don't see him fitting into Jose Mourinho's plans and
maybe it's time to seek pastures new. "From a Manchester United perspective,
Luke Shaw is a highly-regarded player who they spent a lot of money on.
"He's back from his horrific injury and he's still only 21 years old. "If
I'm Man United I don't want to give this player up yet, I don't want to give
up on him. "Maybe the option for them if he doesn't fit into Mourinho's
immediate plans is to send him out on loan. "Maybe to a club like West Ham
who have a history of bringing players through. "But if I'm Luke Shaw's
agent and I can get a big-money move away, I would seriously consider that."

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MATCH PREVIEW: WATFORD V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 24 Feb 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Billy Bonds' West Ham United arrived at Vicarage Road, the home of this
weekend's opponents Watford, for a Second Division fixture on 13th March
1990 while en route to a seventh-place finish.

Beats International featuring Lindy Layton were number one with 'Dub Be Good
To Me' and Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington were in UK cinemas with
Glory as the Hammers recorded a 1-0 victory in front of 15,682 thanks to a
strike from centre-forward Trevor Morley (pictured above), his second goal
of 70 for the club in 214 appearances. Watford would finish the 1989/90
campaign in 15th position, while Julian Dicks would end the season as Hammer
of the Year and the Irons' top goalscorer in all competitions.

West Ham United: Ludek Miklosko, George Parris, Colin Foster, Tony Gale,
Julian Dicks, Kevin Keen, Martin Allen, Ian Bishop, Stuart Slater, Trevor
Morley, Jimmy Quinn.

Club Connections

Former Hammers Valon Behrami and Mauro Zarate are both now on Watford's
books. Other players to have represented both clubs, divided by position,
include:

Goalkeepers: Ted Hufton, David James, Perry Suckling, Manuel Almunia, Jack
Rutherford, Joe Webster.

Defenders: Jon Harley, Calum Davenport, Lucas Neill, Chris Powell.

Midfielders: Henri Lansbury, Alan Devonshire, Alessandro Diamanti, Stuart
Slater, Jobi McAnuff, Jimmy Lindsay, Joe Blythe, Jimmy Carr, Mark Robson,
Carl Fletcher.

Strikers: David Connolly, Roger Hugo, Billy Jennings.

Len Goulden played for West Ham and managed Watford, while Malky Mackay
played for both clubs and went on to manage the Vicarage Road club.
Gianfranco Zola has managed both the Hammers and the Hornets.

This week's focus though is on a midfielder who represented both clubs in
the early years of this century. David Noble was born in Hitchin on the 2nd
February 1982 and started his career as a trainee with Arsenal, with whom he
won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 before joining Gianluca Vialli's First Division
Watford on loan in August 2001. He made his debut as a 72nd-minute
substitute in a 3-0 home win over Wimbledon on 9th September 2001 and scored
his only goal for the club in the 44th minute of a 3-0 win at Grimsby on
20th October 2001, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Danny Coyne before
walking it into an empty net.

Noble played in a League Cup quarter-final while with the Hornets but was
substituted at half-time as Sheffield Wednesday triumphed 4-0 at
Hillsborough to reach the last four. After a promising start for the
creative midfielder at Vicarage Road, his impact and appearances began to
wane. His final appearance for the club came in a 2-1 defeat at Stockport on
1st April 2002 - after one goal in 18 appearances at Watford, Noble returned
to parent club Arsenal.

After an appearance-less half-season back with the Gunners, Noble signed for
Glenn Roeder's West Ham United on a three-month permanent contract in
February 2003. He was re-united with Joe Cole, with whom he had spent two
years at Lilleshall. Noble, who played for England at youth level before
making a single appearance for Scotland B in 2003, failed to force himself
into the first-team reckoning as the Hammers eventually succumbed to
relegation.

The 21-year-old extended his contract with the club in the summer of 2003
however and made his debut for the Hammers under Roeder in a 3-1 League Cup
first round win over Rushden & Diamonds at the Boleyn Ground on 13th August
2003, his only start for the club. He made his first league appearance as a
substitute in a 0-0 home draw against Sheffield United three days later. His
only other appearances for the Irons came as a substitute under caretaker
manager Trevor Brooking, in a 3-0 win at Crewe and 2-0 defeat at Gillingham.
After four goalless appearances for West Ham United, Noble was released by
Alan Pardew in early 2004, joining Third Division Boston United.

After two years at Boston, Noble joined Bristol City. He helped the Robins
win promotion from League One and also scored in the Championship Play-Off
semi-final against Crystal Palace the following season. After a loan spell
with Yeovil in 2008/09, he was released and signed for League One Exeter. He
moved to Rotherham in 2012 and, following a loan spell with Cheltenham,
signed for Oldham in 2014. After only two appearances for Oldham, he
re-joined Exeter on loan before making his return to Devon permanent in
January 2015. After a year and a half back with the Grecians, Noble signed
for St Albans City in the National League South last summer, taking his
experience of over 300 Football League appearances to Clarence Park. Now 35,
Noble has made 23 appearances for St Albans this season, with five assists
to his name.

Referee

Saturday's referee will be Craig Pawson; 2016/17 is Pawson's fifth as a
Premier League referee. In 2014/15 he refereed West Ham's 3-1 home win over
Liverpool and sent off Adrian in our 0-0 draw at Southampton, a decision
that was later overturned. He was also the man in the middle for our 4-1
Capital One Cup home defeat to Wigan four seasons ago and our 3-1 loss at
Stoke's Britannia Stadium three seasons ago. His Hammers appointments last
season were both at the Boleyn Ground, for our 2-2 draw with Manchester City
in January 2016 and the 3-3 draw with Arsenal last April.

Pawson's matches in charge of West Ham United so far this season saw him
send off Harry Arter as the Hammers defeated Bournemouth 1-0 in August,
while he also officiated in our 2-1 home win over Chelsea in the fourth
round of the League Cup in October. His most recent Hammers appointment was
our 5-1 home defeat to Arsenal in December.

Possible line-ups

Costel Pantilimon, Christian Kabasele, Nordin Amrabat and Roberto Pereyra
are out for Watford, while Craig Cathcart, Sebastian Prodl and ex-Hammer
Valon Behrami all face late fitness tests. Mauro Zarate is in line to start
against the Hammers for the first time since leaving the club.

For West Ham United, Aaron Cresswell, Arthur Masuaku and Andre Ayew are all
available, while Andy Carroll faces a late fitness test and may not be
risked from the start. Angelo Ogbonna, Gokhan Tore and Diafra Sakho are the
only definite absentees from Slaven Bilic's squad. The Hammers have lost
only one of their last 12 league matches at Watford, although this defeat
came in our last visit, a 2-0 defeat in October 2015.

Possible Watford XI: Gomes; Janmaat, Cathcart, Kaboul, Britos; Capoue,
Cleverley; Niang, Zarate, Holebas; Deeney.

Possible West Ham United XI: Randolph; Kouyate, Fonte, Reid, Cresswell;
Noble, Obiang; Feghouli, Lanzini, Snodgrass; Antonio.

Enjoy the game - Come On You Irons!

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